Motivational Program and Alcoholics Anonymous

Introduction Alcoholism is one of the issues that have affected mankind for a long time. Millions of dollars have been spent on alcohol and alcohol related issues. Thousands of families have been adversely affected, not to mention the talents that have been lost or not fully exploited due to taking of too much alcohol.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Motivational Program and Alcoholics Anonymous specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More We are not in a position to measure all the impacts that indulgence in alcohol has on mankind. The society understands the weight this issue has and different approaches have been taken aiming at helping the people who are struggling to stop taking alcohol. Scientists, theoreticians, philosophers, doctors and counsellors have all come up with suggestions meant to help people struggling to stop taking alcohol. Many theories have been developed in an attempt to find strategies which can help alcohol users to quite taking alcohol. Motivational theories are widely used to explain how motivation can be used to address the alcoholism issue. Motivational theories have been developed by different psychologists over time and most of the alcohol recovery programs indeed use at least one or a combination of motivational theories to help victims recover from alcoholism. Alcoholic Anonymous is one of the widely renowned alcoholism recovery programs operating in almost 200 countries and helping millions of alcohol addicts recover from alcoholism. This paper discusses Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) motivational program, motivational theories and then analyses how successful or not the AA program has been basing on the motivational theories. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) The history of AA can be traced from a group called the Oxford Group which was a Christian organisation. Its purpose was to help men struggling to quite taking alcohol possible. It is believed that their concept of dealing with alcoholism was more of a spiritual approach as they believed that surrendering to God would help solve the sinful nature of alcoholism. AA is said to have been formed in 1939 by Bill Wilson who borrowed most of the ideas from the Oxford Group and broadened the concept to include psychological and physical treatment as well. Since then the membership has increased and the program has increased its boundaries from America and Canada, where it was originally based to different parts of the world (Kurtz, 1979). How AA works AA motivational program works on a voluntary basis whereby whoever is willing to quite taking alcohol join the group. In order to encourage alcoholic victims to join the program and at the same time protect them from public ridicule the program calls for anonymity of the members hence the name alcoholics anonymous. The program not only helps alcoholics but also people struggling from other forms of addiction as well.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is worth noting that the program is self-sustaining with no any external financial help, but works from voluntary contributions from its members and literature sales. There are no employed workers but rather the counselling is carried out by the previously recovered individuals through the mentorship program which is also voluntary. AA believes that the only qualification for membership is the decision and will to quit taking alcohol (Kurtz, 1979). There are meeting centres distributed over 200 countries and a willing member is expected to join in any of the AA group meetings close to them. Once in the group, one is expected to confess and share personal experiences as an alcoholic with other members within the group and this would thus mark the beginning of the healing process (Kurtz, 1979). Sponsorship can be seen as a mentorship program whereby members who have undergone mu ch of the recovery program have the responsibility of mentoring and helping new entrants into the 12 principles of AA treatment program. This works both ways, the new members are able to learn from the already experienced members and on the other hand the sponsors are able to improve on their recovery process by helping the new individuals. The basic principle of AA motivational program is that the victims of alcohol addiction must admit that there is a higher power, that is, God for those that believe in him or just any higher power for those that may not believe in God. By submitting oneself to this higher power instead of working on self-reliance, the high power will somehow give them assistance as they try to recover from their addiction (AA, 2008). It is worth noting that AA takes the approach of self-involvement whereby there are no organisational structures, no managers neither CEO’s. There are no documentations or regulatory official requirements but rather the organi sation is only accountable to its members. One unique characteristic of AA is the fact that individuals are not assessed by qualified experts but rather every individual does personal diagnosis and checks the progress from the 12 stepwise procedures (Dick, 1998). The course of treatment at AA is based on giving in to external greater power rather than relying on personal will and strength. In contrast to the mostly used approach of working towards improving on self-esteem, AA takes a different approach of exercising humility and submission to a greater power.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Motivational Program and Alcoholics Anonymous specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to AA, if the alcoholic just follows the simple plan that is suggested then he/she would have more chances of recovering (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 10). In addition they believe that there is no free will in alcoholics sinc e the alcoholic has already lost personal control to alcohol. AA, according to Galanter and Kaskutas (2008), defines alcoholism as: Spiritual, mental, and physical illness and recovery requires healing all aspects of the illness; abstinence from alcohol in and of itself is regarded as â€Å"being dry† and is insufficient because alcoholism is but a â€Å"symptom† of underlying character defects. (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 10) The success or failure of AA recovery program can arguably be attributed to the strength of an individual to undergo total change in the way of thinking. The expectation of change of thought to surrender to an external powerful authority is expected to help the person quite taking alcohol. Simple suggestions are made to new individuals especially those who want to take drastic changes at a go. AA believes that the simple and few steps will help someone to stabilise before making tougher decisions later. It is claimed that one of the strength s of AA is its cognitive approach to dealing with alcoholism. â€Å"AA meetings provide an atmosphere in which cognitive restructuring can take place† (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 10). In addition the AA’s12 steps, attendance to meetings and being a mentor or sponsor all works positively towards mental restructuring. Self-diagnosis is one of the most important elements of the program as individuals can develop their own alcoholic individuality which, according to psychologists, creates self-recovery on one’s inner self. Motivational theories Motivational theories are thoughts and assumptions that attempt to explain the nature of a human being in terms of what prompts or triggers actions towards a certain direction. Huitt (2001) defined motivation as â€Å"internal state or condition that activates behavior and gives it direction, or desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior, or influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direc tion of behavior† (Huitt, 2001, p. 1). The AA program uses the ideology of motivation to help alcoholic victims recover from their alcoholic behavior.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Biological motivation Biological motivation is based on the fact that human actions may be driven in such a way to satisfy an internal biological need such as need to satisfy hunger or thirst. It is believed that there are internal subconscious drives that make a human being behave in a certain way (Bernstein Nash, 2006). Drive reduction theory explains how human actions are biologically motivated in order to reduce the causative agent inside the human nature. This theory is based on the fact that inside any organism are physiological or biological needs and requirement such as hunger, thirst, sexual desire, among others which, unless met, will trigger and maintain an unstable state of body which is believed to increase with time if the need is not satisfied in time (Bernstein Nash, 2006). The process can be viewed as a feedback mechanism (Deci and Ryan, 2008). When the physiological need is satisfied the organism will go back to the normal or stable state. When the physiological need is met either directly or indirectly then, there is a reduction of the drive. Arousal theory explains that it is in human nature to sustain a definite degree of arousal that makes us feel stable and comfortable. It can mean emotional, rational or even physical activity (Shah Gardner, 2008). The AA program certainly uses biological motivation though in a simplistic approach. The program appreciates the fact that total abstinence at once may never give any desirable results. This is because a sudden stop of use of alcohol especially for addicts will definitely trigger one of the strongest biological needs to quench the alcoholic thirst. The biological motivation principle of maintaining the physiological homeostasis will be triggered by sudden cut off of alcohol. What the program advocates is continual gradual reduction in the amount of alcohol taken which will eventually reduce to manageable level where total cut off can be done. In addition the AA principle of relinquishing on eself to a higher power to take over the alcoholic problem can arguably be seen as a diversion of the alcoholic biological motivation to an external agent and in that way, the biological drive and arousal are somewhat compressed. This is likely to enable the alcoholics recover quickly. Cognitive/social motivational theory This theory explains how behavior patterns of individuals are influenced by, among other factors, physical environmental, people and situations. This theory connects between the individual, environment and the behavior. The environment can be seen as a combination of all the external factors that are likely to influence a person’s behavior (Deci and Ryan, 2008). The person’s perception about the different aspects of the environment is believed to influence the person’s behavior. The behavior can also be influenced by a person’s perception of other people’s behaviors through either watching them or even when interacting with them. Tolman Purposeful behavior theory Tolman was one of the social cognitive theorists. Through his numerous experiments with rats and mazes he came up with the theory of purposeful behavior. According to Daltonâ€Å" Tolman proposed that learning could occur without reinforcement and without an observable change in behavior. In addition, Tolman found that behavior is affected by an organism’s expectations, often resulting goal-oriented, purposeful behavior† (Dalton 1). This is arguably one of the most applicable motivational theories in the AA program. The success or failure of any given case in the AA program depends, to a large extent on the expectation of the individual. If the individual has a predetermined mind about recovery his behavior in the AA program will certainly lead him to recovery. Asch attribution and conformity theory Solomon Asch presented his theories conformity and attribution. According his attribution theory, individuals attribute actions in life to an agent either external or internal. Alcoholics may attribute their drinking habit to lack of self control. AA program counter attacks the different attributions by offering a supernatural, powerful being in which the drunkards can attribute their weaknesses and hence relinquish their inner self to the power. In addition his conformity theory which revolves about voluntary yielding to situations despite personal preferences also applies. Being in the presence of a group of similar individuals in the AA meetings creates a favorable condition for conformity to the behavior of the group. This does help in motivating the alcoholics towards recovery. The physical environment such as the condition of a house or a class may play a significant part in motivating someone. The physical environment may also be a source of materials, opportunities or even societal support; this is one of the motivation strategies employed by the AA program. The fact that members meet in places far away from p ublic ridicule and in the presence of other like members makes the environment conducive for the recovery program (Bernstein Nash, 2006). A given situation may either motivate or discourage someone to behave in a certain way. In addition how an individual perceives a given situation may have an effect on the course of action to be taken depending on whether the situation was perceived as encouraging or discouraging. AA uses this technique to make the newcomers feel comfortable in the knowledge that they are in the presence of people who have gone through a similar situation and this is actually a motivation for new members to continue with the recovery program (Bernstein Nash, 2006). Expectancies which can be viewed as valuable or the importance an individual places on the expected results or rewards may have a great impact on the level of motivation for that person. People who place a higher value on the outcome are more likely to be more motivated than those who do not value the outcome as much. In AA the 12 principles places a lot of importance to the kind of life one is likely to enjoy after recovery from alcoholism. The new members actually get a chance of interacting with the already recovered members and this is a motivation enough to make them stick to the program however difficult it may seem to be. Self-control plays a very important role in motivation. People who have the internal strength of self-control may exhibit a result oriented behavior and as such they are likely to be more motivated if they are presented with conditions or situations that will demand determination or control in order to achieve the desired results. The AA program calls for determination to accept one’s alcoholic condition and surrendering to a higher authority which has the power to heal the spiritual and psychological sickness. They advocate for stepwise self-control whereby one is not required to automatically quit drinking but rather practice self-control for sh ort durations which can then be extended to achieve the desired results. This is likely to motivate self-controlled individuals (Dick, 1998). There are individuals who learn from others and are more likely to be motivated not because of what they are doing or capable of doing but by simply admiring what other people around them are doing. Individuals who are addicted to alcoholism can be motivated by being exposed to individuals who have already quite taking alcohol. AA program offers the best opportunity for the individuals struggling with alcoholism to interact with the recovering or the already recovered individuals, otherwise known as sponsorship. Through sponsorship individuals are able to associate and take after their sponsors. This can be the best method of motivation for some of the members (Dick, 1998). Self-efficacy is also believed to influence the level of motivation in a person. Some people are more motivated in the belief and knowledge that they have what it takes to complete the given task. By understanding how different people are in terms of how they are motivated, then it becomes easier to help them achieve their goals and objectives. This is best applicable in the AA program whereby alcoholics are made to believe that the desired outcome can only come from their personal will to give up themselves to a greater power for healing (Dick, 1998). Eclectic theory Eclectic theorists try to explain motivation and behaviour of people by taking on pieces of what they believe to be the best from other theories. They claim that the human nature is so complex and as such not one approach may suffice to explain the relationship between motivation and human behaviour. The 12 principle AA motivational program employs all the methods as a mixture in order to achieve the desired results. Strengths of AA program Galanter and Kaskutas (2008) claimed that â€Å"AA program is complex, implicitly grounded in sound psychological principles, and more sophisticated than is typically understood† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 10). Although much criticism has been thrown over the program, it can be claimed that such criticism may be due to the misunderstanding of the whole idea behind the program. In addition, the fact that the program works under anonymity makes it difficult and tricky to research, analyse and document success or failure of the program. We can arguably say that the program has achieved success as compared to other programs offering the same type of service. From basic knowledge the program started in 1935 and has only grown, gaining membership every year. Then we can claim that if there was no any considerable success then the program would have died long time ago. It is also claimed that â€Å"an increasing number of DUIs are court ordered to AA† (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 13) arguably for a simple reason, the judicial systems have confidence in the AA program. Success can also be based on the methodology of the program. The program employs a self-healing process where the victim plays the major role in initialising and maintaining the recovery process with the help of other members of the group (Deci Ryan, 2008). The fact that the program allows for personal participation, motivational environment and a chance to put into practice what one has learned by sharing with others and mentorship program suffices that a degree of success is likely to be achieved (AA, 2008). The fact that the AA program seeks to change the way of thinking of the alcoholics and not merely helping them stop the drinking habit implies that the impact of the program will be astounding. AA defines alcoholism as â€Å"spiritual, mental, and physical illness and healing require healing all aspects of the illness† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 14). This posits that either 100% success may be achieved when an individual has fully recovered from alcoholism and thus in a better position mentally, spiritually and physically or at least some degree of success when one is not able to recover in all aspects (AA, 2002). Another point worth noting is that AA provides a program that is fit and comfortable for everyone, both spiritual and non-spiritual. Each person can customise the recovery program according to personal preferences â€Å"the house that AA helps a man build for himself is different for each occupant because each occupant is his own architect† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 18). Atheists, believers, radicals as well as conformists can fit in the program and that is arguably the greatest achievement of the AA program. Other recovery programs such as religious sponsored institution are not compatible to such a wide variety of individuals. A statistical approach to the question of the success of the program indicates that the program has met and even exceeded expectations. A report carried out to determine success rate claimed that: A total of 68% of the women in the survey repor ted that they had stopped drinking within a year of their first meeting as compared with only 63% of the men. At the same time, 74% of those under thirty reported they had stopped drinking within a year of attending their first AA meeting, compared with 63% of those over thirty. (AA, 2008, p. 6) One of the strengths of AA is in the structure. AA works as a community though anonymous. A community of people with a common challenge in life and this is perhaps one of the greatest advantages members have, to work and share with people who have or are already undergoing what one is going through. When a new person hears the testimonies of other members who have experienced to be AA community then they get encouraged that all is not lost for them (Medvene, 1989). Another advantage of the AA program lies in the fact that individuals who have the will to stick around for some time get a chance to accelerate their recovery through mentoring the young members in the group. This can be seen as a helper therapy which is believed to help mentors affirm the need to quit alcoholism. A research done to confirm whether indeed this was true found out that â€Å"those helping other alcoholics were less likely to relapse (60%) than those who did not help their peers (78%)† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 24). The element of reciprocity in AA gives it an upper hand over other programs. Since the program works on the principle of self-help with the help of others and that there is no any monetary payments to be made, then the only way members can give back is by doing good to themselves by quitting alcoholism. It is claimed that â€Å"many follow moral norms or reciprocity found in society at large and believe that they should give back, if not to their immediate benefactor, to some generalized other in the future† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 25). AA weaknesses It can be argued that one of the greatest weaknesses of AA lies in its structure. The fact that there are no any official or managerial structures makes the program vulnerable to abuse and expression of personal interests, for instance it is claimed that, at times â€Å"members of AA groups may dispel disruptive drunk attendees or treat newcomers in such a way that they feel unwelcome† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 13). This may not be the case if there was some kind of management that may regulate the response and reaction of other members towards newcomers. The principle of freewill entry to anyone including disruptive drunkards may also be one of the disadvantages. Disruptive drunkards may be more of a discouragement than a motivation to others who may be trying to concentrate on their recovery program (Dick, 1998). The fact that the program is based on a spiritual background may not work for people who do not have any spiritual relation. The success of the program depends on the individual willingness and strength to change the way of thinking. This may be a goal hard to achieve given that the drunkards, in their state of drunkenness, have already given up and may not have the inner drive to change their way of thinking (Medvene, 1989). Conclusion The effect of alcohol on our community is such a great issue that it can simply not be ignored. The community always finds a way of helping those of us struggling with alcoholism and other forms of addiction. Alcoholic people need a lot of motivation in order to encourage and help them out of the alcohol menace. Different kinds of motivational theories such as biological, eclectic, social/cognitive do exist and their applicability in motivating alcoholics to recover is very instrumental. AA is one of the most widely used alcoholic recovery programs and its efficiency in its task mostly lies in the motivations that do exist in different aspects of the program. Though there has been much criticism about the program, it appeals to many and its strengths may far outweigh its weaknesses. References AA. (2002). The Twe lve Steps Of Alcoholics Anonymous. Web. AA. (2008). Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery outcome Rates. Web. Bernstein, D Nash, P. (2006). Essentials of psychology. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Dalton, S. (n.d.). Synopsis Paper #2. Web. Deci, E Ryan, R. (2008). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, NY: Springer. Dick, B. (1998). The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous. New York, NY: Good Book Publishing Company. Galanter, M Kaskutas, L. (2008). Research on alcoholics anonymous and spirituality in addiction recovery: the twelve-step program model. New York, NY: Springer. Kurtz, E. (1979). Not-God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous. Minnesota: Hazelden Publishing. Medvene, M. (1989). Foilrigami. New York, NY: Astor-Honor Inc. Shah, J Gardner, W. (2008). Handbook of Motivation Science. New York, NY: Guilford Press. This research paper on Motivational Program and Alcoholics Anonymous was written and submitted by user D'Ken Neramani to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Zara Fast Fashion Case Analysis Essays

Zara Fast Fashion Case Analysis Essays Zara Fast Fashion Case Analysis Paper Zara Fast Fashion Case Analysis Paper In 1 975, a Spanish entrepreneur first opened Ezra as a retail store in La Crouch, Spain. He then created the corporate group, Inedited. Inedited had become one of the worlds largest specialty retailers; it had six different chains, through which Inedited designed, manufactured, and sold apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and kids around the world. Stability distinguished Inedited from other apparel retails. Although Inedited had become a public company with increasing stock price and high margins, Inedited always aimed to become a very sustainable company rather than cost profitable one in the world. Ezra was the largest and most internationalization chain for Inedited. Its headquarter was located in Artesia, Spain. Ezra was well known for its success in creating fast-fashion by selling fashion items at affordable prices and responding the market trend very quickly. Its business system and international expansion had become Indiess proudest decision. Inedited became increasingly international after 2001. It announced that Saras strategy in international expansion was the main reason for the groups sales growing globally. Ezra was no doubt the ash cow and key business for Inedited. However, Ezra itself faced some difficulties when expanding internationally. The differences in cultures and regulations made the expansion much riskier. After its failure in Italy in 1998, and competitors failures in U. S. Market, Ezra and Inedited had to be more concerned and careful about entering into a foreign new market. Moreover, top management in Inedited started to think about further plans for the group. Managing six different chains, they planned to develop other chains (or new chains) into a star business as successful as Ezra. This report will focus on loving Saras international expansion issue, as Ezra was so far the largest business for Inedited, and its issue was relatively urgent. After Ezra establishing a sustainable and more successful long-term international business, Indiess other chains could learn from its experiences. Inedited would be more capable and confident in managing and developing other chains into another large and international model like Ezra. ISSUE STATEMENT Inedited had to allow Ezra to expand and develop primarily, in order to grow into a stable and large organization rather than only focusing on home business (focusing in Spain). But International expansion was very expensive, and not that easy as different countries had different regulations, cultures, market demand and preferences. Large apparel firms like Ezra, H and Benton had met difficulties attempting to enter foreign markets. Meanwhile, Ezra had almost covered the whole market in Spain; in order to grow, it demanded larger market outside the home country. Thus, the issue statement discussed in this report is the future geographic focus for Ezra: Which foreign market should Ezra focus in its international expansion, and what are the strategies to enter the market? SITUATION ANALYSIS Saras Business System Ezra was the largest and most internationalization of Indiess chains, which are six independently operated chains and was responsible for their own strategy (Ezra, 8). In 2001, Ezra generated 85% of Indiess earnings and 76% of total sales. It generally targeted medium and high-income level and fashion sensitive consumers; while the income level of target market may be different in different countries. It was the leader in the fast fashion industry. The business system distinguished Ezra from other retailers, and enabled it to have a quick response to the market and fashion trend. Saras success came room its highly vertical integration strategy. It owned different levels of supply chain, from design, sourcing and manufacturing distribution and retail. This strategy allowed Ezra to better control the performance and quality of product, be highly efficient in delivering consumers preferred product to the market. Saras goal was to create a sense of scarcity, and to offer consumers fashionable product with reasonable quality and affordable price. The vertical integration strategy contributed to this goal by shortening the cycle time from design to retail to four weeks (over 6 months for the traditional industry), educing the working capital intensity, and reducing the inventory pressure. Design Ezra had three product lines: women, men and children. All of them had their own creative designers, sourcing and product development specialists. Several dozens items were designed each day, but only 1 13 of them would actually go into production (Ezra, 10). Ezra designed almost all products in-house. The designers cooperated well with store managers, and used an advanced technology system to track the data to analyze the market trend. Sourcing Manufacturing Ezra had purchasing offices in Barcelona and Hong Kong to help it source fabric, other inputs, and finished products from external suppliers. It bought endued fabric in order to adjust with the most recent updating in fashion trend. Ezra outsourced the production of basic item (price sensitive but time insensitive), and produced the fashionable item (40% of products) in-house for better control and quality. Large amount of outsourced goods were from Europe, so that Ezra saved time in transportation process. Only 20% of finished garments were manufactured in Asia, while H outsourced nearly all of the products to Asia. Distribution Majority of Saras sewn garments were produced in small workshops and sent to Saras centralized distribution. It was located in Artesia. Ezra only allowed most Of the products to Stay there for a few hours. Third-party delivery services shipped the items twice a week to stores over the world, mostly by truck. Only 25% was shipped by air because it was expensive. Retailing The price of Saras products was relatively low, and Ezra located its stores in prime areas of different cities. Ezra saved costs by investing little money in advertising and by efficient, vertically integrated supply chain. Ezra maintained a competitive price in every market. Although prices in different countries varied due to transportation cost, tax and exchange rate, the advertisement promotion strategy was generally maintained in every country. Store managers played a significant role. Ezra offered them large power to manage the store like their own business, and also offered high compensation and bonus as incentives. They provided critical data and feedback to designers and contributed to the design process; they were responsible for the selecting and training in-store personnel; they also made decisions on ordering and store operations. International Expansion After 2001, Ezra had 282 stores in 32 foreign countries, it had most foreign stores in Europe and only 5 in Asia (Japan). Ezra owned the stores in less risky and large market, but the costs would be higher. Ezra used franchising to enter small, risky markets with cultural differences and regulation barriers. Ezra used joint venture when the market was large and important but with barriers. STOW Analysis of Saras Business Strength The fast fashion concept, quick response and sense of scarcity were attractive to the consumers. The price was relatively low and competitive. The business cycle time was short from design to retail. Inventory was controlled low. The designers were creative. The strong centralized distribution system and vertical integration were distinctive feature of Saras business and made it hard for other brands to copy. Weakness Promotion was weak compared to HM, due to little advertising investment. Production or outsourced costs were relatively high, as HM outsourced mostly to Asia while Ezra focus more on Europe manufactures with higher costs. Since there was only one distribution center, there might be discomposes of scale if Ezra developed more stores. The only distribution center may not have enough capacity to handle too much stores around the world. It would also be risky to handle all items in one center. The goal of low inventory sometimes could not satisfy the demand. The joint venture agreement with foreign partners was sometimes complex in responsibilities, and there were risks that Ezra had to buy out the partners interest. Also, under international expansion, store managers would be hired from different countries and may not understand Saras concept well. Thus they may not operate Saras business in an efficient and standardized way. Purport unity The potential market was very large because apparel industry was needed in every country. The Internet was increasingly popular since 2000 and might be a new chance to promote brand or to reach customers. Threats Competitions was all around the world. There was direct competition with local firms. And many of the large apparel retailers were considering entering into international expansion. The product design was easy to copy. There would be social, cultural, political, economic and regulation differences if entering into foreign new market. ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS 1. Fully focus on European market 2. Expand aggressively into North American and Asian market 3. Expand globally, specifically, cover European market in a more aggressive way than other places in short run, then in long term open more stores in North America and Asia. Alternative 1: Fully Focus On European Market Pros The European market was lucrative. Ezra had most of its foreign stores in Europe so far, thus it would had more experiences. The home country and distribution center were both in Europe, which would save more time and made the business easier to control. There would be less cultural differences. The consumers preference into fashion was more similar within Europe than other countries oversea. The major potential market could be Greece, Sweden and Italy. Italy was the largest single apparel market in Europe, its consumers visited apparel stores more frequently and they Were more fashion conscious (Ezra, 19). Saras distribution center and current distribution system allowed it to operate well in Europe, as most of the shipping would be using truck (inexpensive), and most of Saras manufacturers were in Europe. Cons Some of the markets like Italian market were difficult to enter alone due to the regulation barriers. Ezra failed for the fist attempt entering Italy in 1998. The barrier required Ezra to enter with joint venture agreement with a large local partner, which may also be Saras competitor. Europe was relatively small compared to Asia and America. Since Ezra had opened its foreign stores in around 20 cities in Europe after 2002, the potential market that could be further explored in Europe was even smaller. Major competitors like H, Benton were all European companies. Alternative 2: Expand Aggressively into North American and Asian market Pros These two markets had larger population, and were relatively rosaceous compared to South America or Africa; hence the sales could be high. They had less apparel cultural differences compared to the Middle East. Cons Costs would be high especially in terms of marketing, research and transportation. Ezra had very limit experiences in certain larger cities in these markets (e. G. Had only entered Japan for Asian market) and did not know those markets and consumers well. The designs were the same for all stores, but consumers preferences would be different (e. G. North American people were less fashion forward; Asian consumers may dislike the European style). With only one centralized distribution center it would be time consuming and costly, if items were manufactured in Asia (items would be sent to Europe first and then sent back to Asia). Size requirements were different (the U. S. Consumers requires larger sizes while Asian consumers preferred smaller sizes), so there would be difficulties to standardize and control the product quality. U. S. Market was fragmented, retailing overcapacity and full of local competitors. Outside Europe, Ezra didnt have strong in-house production and distribution facilities to ensure the low cost and timing. As Ezra cared the mime for items reaching the market, it had to increase the usage of air shipping which was much more expensive. Also, longer time for reaching the stores would make it ineffective to response to consumers need and taste. The Foreign exchange risks could be also a threat. Alternative 3: Expand Globally. In the short run, Ezra should aggressively enter the European market. Since the European market was closer, more familiar and less risky compared to other large markets, Ezra should take full advantage of it. Meanwhile, Ezra should keep a look on North American and Asian market and open a few lightship stores in their prime cities. In the long run, Ezra should enter more aggressively into these two large markets by opening more stores. Pros: It would combine the advantages of the first two alternatives. By Opening a very few but critical flagship stores in North America and Asia in the short run, Ezra could get more experiences from those markets and understand the consumers well. Flagship store was also a promotion strategy to attract more attention. The cost would be relatively low in the short run. Ezra would be more experienced and financially capable to open more stores n those two new markets in the long run. Expanding globally would allow Ezra to grow as large as it could in the long run, and develop into a real international business. Cons: It would still be restricted by the only one centralized distribution center for entering Asia and North America, and still have the risks for entering them. The decision criteria would be revenue and profit, awareness, sustainability and consumer loyalty. According to the analysis above, alternative 3 would collect sales both from all three large markets, and thus should have more market share. It would be more sustainable due to the short term and long term focus. By successfully growing into a stable, large, profitable and global organization, Ezra would have awareness and thus better brand image and consumer loyalty. Recommendation Based on the analysis, the report recommends alternative 3. It would maximize the profit by reaching all the potential markets in the world in long term. Since there were risks and concerns for each market, the best way for Ezra to grow would be expanding its market by following a short-term and long-term strategy. However, because of the limitation of each market, Ezra till have to adjust its current business system when adopting alternative 3. Action plan Short Run Although expanding the business globally required Ezra to enter all three large markets (Europe, Asia and North America), in the short run, Ezra should focus more on European market. In 2002 Ezra planned to open 55-65 new stores. It is recommended to open 90 stores in the next year with around 75% in Europe. France, Germany, the ILK, Italy, Portugal, Greece should be major European markets outside Spain, since they are larger, less risky, relatively stable and advanced. Ezra also had more experiences and resources operating in them in the past. As they are important markets, Ezra could own the stores (or consider joint venture if there was regulation concerns) for better control and profit minimization. Although countries like Cyprus and Israel were risky and small, Ezra could still open more stores with Franchising. Also, Ezra could open new stores in new countries like Russia (Moscow) to establish the foundation for future development in the countries. Ezra should take opportunities in other large demand areas while consolidating its presence in the European market at the same time. It could open around 10 tortes in the U. S. And Asia (especially outside Japan) respectively. Specifically, it could choose New York, Los Angels, Lass Vegas, Singapore and Hong Kong since they are densely populated, prosperous and multi-cultural. There would be less cultural differences. It would be a great chance to present Ezra to the local city but also the visitors around the world. It would be safer if Ezra considered enter those markets initially with joint venture. Ezra could consider open flagship stores rather than normal stores in new cities, in order to attract more consumers, promote and build a better brand image. After 1-2 years, when newly opened stores became stable and profitable, Ezra could consider stepping into Internet. As mentioned in the opportunity part, this would be a chance for Ezra to promote itself or to develop a new distribution and retail method. Ezra should improve its website quality, use the website to deliver its style, company value and latest fashion design information. Ezra should have website for every major country that Ezra had entered, with standardized style but unique store and product information. This would be a great chance for Ezra to approach consumers. Moreover, Ezra should prepare for the online shopping. For North America and Asia, Ezra should have new distribution center and also manufacturers in South America and Asia, as these close places required lower costs. This strategy would save transportation costs and time, and solve the problems of over capacity and discomposes of scale with centralized distribution center. Since different markets had different fashion taste, now Ezra could efficiently and easily manage the distributions to each market. Ezra should also seek for and build good relationship with local deliver services like UPS and Fed for a rower cost and better performance. Also, since the U. S. ND Asian markets were both full of local competitions, Ezra should not insist on minimizing advertising and promotion investment in those markets. As also mentioned, different markets had different tastes. For example, the North American people were less fashion sensitive and required larger sizes. Ezra should update its IT system to have better track and record of the consumers behavior, in order to make better decision on design and distribution in the future. Long Run After 3 years expansion, as the European market would be stable in the long UN, Ezra could start entering Asian and North American market more aggressively. It could open more stores in areas including Canada and China. They were two largest countries with similar tastes and culture with the U. S. , Hong Kong and Japan market. Previous success in those markets would also positively affect the consumers choice and awareness in Canada and China. It could also consider opening flagship stores in Australia later. In terms of distribution, Ezra should maintain the good relationship with delivery services. In terms of design, Ezra should utilize the data from IT and track yester to design fashion product specifically for markets with different cultures and tastes. For example, Asian consumers preferred more colorful patterns, while North American consumers value more simple and basic designs. Moreover, Ezra should have head officers in North America and Asia for efficient control and management. These offices would be responsible for internal training as well, since it would be hard for every store around the world to send their managers to headquarter for training. The store managers were the key elements for the Saras operation and design, it was important for Ezra to maintain highly qualified managers in stores all around the world. Ezra could launch internship program to attract more talented and capable people. This program could deliver the Saras concept well, and contribute to a better cooperate culture, which was important for the sustainability of a large international brand. Lastly, in the long run, Ezra should consider buy back the joint venture stores which turn to be profitable, so that Ezra could have better control. CONCLUSION Ezra should enter the global market but focus on different markets in a short term and long term phases. It should establish new offices, distribution center and manufacturers in North America and Asia to catch up with its expansion. After successfully growing into a sustainable and more profitable international business, Inedited could have better experiences and resources to consider further development of new chains. It is not suggested for Inedited to grow an existing apparel chain as it might confuse consumers and compete with Ezra. It could launch a new brand with new product line under a name similar to Ezra (e. G. Ezra Home), as consumers would be more attracted to it.

Why Gun Control is not Enough, by Jeff Mcmahan Essay

Why Gun Control is not Enough, by Jeff Mcmahan - Essay Example This paper tends to summarize the article, with a personal reflection in a later section. Mcmahan emphasizes upon the fact that owning guns makes the matter worse by making self-defense a kind of self-help. Allowing guns will make criminals better instead of eliminating crime. This is because they will become better equipped with better guns and readier to shoot. The more the guns, the more are the chances of accidental shots. Even a slight conflict will make people shoot at each other. The power of government and police will be diminished, because people will not look for help from security agencies and police, and will defend themselves through the use of guns. â€Å"The power of the citizens and that of the police approach parity,† states Mcmahan (2010, par.5). Moreover, it is all a matter of relative safety. Individuals owing guns will feel safe, and those without guns will be the most vulnerable, and will look forward to having guns. The state which will allow guns will f eel safer than that which does not. â€Å"When only one state gets nuclear weapons, it enhances its own security but reduces that of others, which have become more vulnerable,† writes Mcmahan (2012, par.10). This relative safety will disturb the balance of power and peace among people, agencies, and nations. Mcmahan further writes that gun control is a good solution because it limits the use of guns both for the criminals and for common men. He writes, â€Å"†¦we would all be safer if no one had guns — or, rather, no one other than trained and legally constrained police officers† (2012, par.12). With gun control, people will start trusting the police force for domestic defense. Mcmahan asserts that gun advocates present their arguments against gun control, but neither of them is valid, except that the prohibition and effective implementation of gun control is not easy. Mcmahan ends his article by saying that the United States is suffering from much more vio lence and violent incidents that the rest of Western countries because of easy access to firearms, and gun advocates should give their arguments a second thought as to whether guns should be allowed or not. Personal Reflection Mcmahan has very effectively described the importance of gun control and gun prohibition by presenting arguments from both sides, and has efficiently cleared his stance on the topic. Since owning a gun is beneficial and dangerous both at the same time, thus, it becomes important to discuss who should be able to own a gun. Efforts have always been made in order to decrease criminal activity around the globe, among which taking away guns is thought to be one such effort, when it is not. Although Mcmahan asserts that gun control will result in less violence and crime, I believe that common men should be allowed to own guns so that they can protect themselves. The most important point here is how the citizens are going to ensure their safety when they are told to turn in their guns, just as Boylan (2004, p.130) states in his book. People wish to keep guns to enjoy their autonomy and guarantee their safety when they meet robbers, criminals and terrorists. Armed citizens feel their strength in protecting themselves and their families from physically stronger criminals. I disagree when Mcmahan (2012, par.3) states, â€Å"When most citizens are armed, as they were in the Wild West, crime doesn’t cease. Instead, criminals work to be better armed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I believe that criminals will still get better if guns are banned, because the wrongdoers will still obtain guns and ammunition from whatever illegal sources. And who will be in loss? The common man, because he will have no illegal source of owning a gun. Owning guns is one of people’

Analysis of the global challenges and economic situation in Argentina Essay

Analysis of the global challenges and economic situation in Argentina - Essay Example Inflation As the economic activity in Argentina has expanded in 2010, there was a sudden increase in money supply which has resulted in increasing the consumer prices. According to the Central Bank of Argentina, the YoY increase in money supply during Feb 2011 increased by nearly 27.8%. This resulted in increased inflation figures for Argentina. As a result, the exporters of the country, mainly in the manufacturing sector are losing their competitive position in the market, driven by increase in domestic costs and relative stability in the exchange rates (Ken 2011). â€Å"Beyond entrenched high inflation, the erosion of external competitiveness during 2010-2011 is another thorny issue the next administration will have to face, which, if not properly handled, could end up generating a crash- rather than soft-landing of the economy in 2012† - Alberto Ramos, Economist, Goldman Sachs, Mar 2011. As a result, Argentina’s middle class suffered most due to high inflation, there by affecting mobile phones, cable, petrol, health insurance premiums etc. in the month of Jan 2011 According to Argentina’s national statistics agency Indec, the country’s annual inflation in was 10% by the end of Feb 2011 and 10.6% by Jan 2011. Inflation was mainly supported by increase in prices of tourism services, clothing and increase in prices of food and beverages. Also, according to EIU, the inflation was supported by the government’s intervention in the agricultural sector which has resulted in the reduced production of important foodstuffs such as beef. Many local consulting companies in Argentina differ on these official inflation figures are they estimated the country’s inflation... This paper provides a thorough analysis of the recent economic developments in Argentina. The essay aims to analyse the current economic environment in Argentina, including GDP, Inflation, Industrial Production Index, agriculture, the country’s debt situation, foreign exchange rate, unemployment, Consumer ABS, Central Government revenue and expenditures. Argentina’s GDP grew by 9.2% year-on-year through the quarter ended Dec 2010. The economy’s strong performance was driven by domestic demand, with private consumption rising 11.5% year on year, up from 8.9% in the previous quarter. As the economic activity in Argentina has expanded in 2010, there was a sudden increase in money supply which has resulted in increasing the consumer prices. According to the Central Bank of Argentina, the YoY increase in money supply during Feb 2011 increased by nearly 27.8%. The country aims to impose trade barriers due to high imports. In 2010, Argentina reported 46% rise in its imports, to reach $56.4 billion. This was mainly due to heavy imports of intermediate goods used by automobile industry and capital goods industry. Argentina has stepped up trade barriers in terms of import duties or the range of products. The government should remove growth obstacles by reducing import and export tariffs and moderating its stringent price control measures. This would result in increasing the trade activity with other countries. It would also result in increasing the investors’ confidence which would result in increased FDI and FII in the country

Transcendentalism in the movie Avatar and how both relate to nature Essay

Transcendentalism in the movie Avatar and how both relate to nature - Essay Example In this movie, transcendentalism is shown when Jake, the main the character breaks from his government and conforms to the natives’ ideology of the importance of nature. Nature is holy to the natives in the movie with God-like powers. Pantheism is the worship of creation. Transcendentalists believe that nature is a way of connection with God. The tree of souls in the movie is as a link to their mother. The destruction of nature by the government is similar to the industrial movement at the beginning of transcendentalism. Technology is as bad and a destroyer of nature. The technology in the movie serves to harm nature, as is believed by transcendentalism (Grabiner 59). Avatar is transcendental in the way it portrays nature and new life. The religion in Avatar portraying God as being Supreme over all beings originates from transcendentalism. The most important message in Avatar is respect for nature. Some of the aspects portrayed in the movie are relevant in the world today. Nature is important and needs to be respected and preserved. It is important not to sacrifice nature at the expense of other benefits (Smitha

Morally Wrong To Commit Suicide?

Morally Wrong To Commit Suicide? When asking ourselves whether it is morally permissible to commit suicide, we must first define suicide. There are three types of suicide, firstly knowingly endangering ones life. Secondly the act of intentionally terminating ones life, and finally intentionally bringing about ones death, either by actively terminating ones life, or by not taking the necessary steps to preserve it. This will therefore mean that sometimes we may find suicide morally permissible or impermissible, however it can become circumstantial depending on which type of suicide is being carried out. Many of us have pre-conceived ideas about suicide and its permissibility. This is sometimes due to religion, law, or perhaps even the way it is portrayed in the media. We here about stories often but we must take into account that the majority of us will never know what it feels like to want to end our lives. It therefore makes it hard for us to answer this question immediately. I will be arguing whether we as individuals have the moral obligation to commit suicide and the effects it will have upon both ourselves and others. I will be achieving this by examining both consequentiality and deontological theories. External factors and principles will also be a key in my work to ensure that all factors are considered to ensure that a valid judgment is made. I will attack this subject from numerous angels showing both the permissible and impermissible forms of suicide. Thomas Aquinas argued that its unlawful to kill yourself for three reasons. [1] Because everything naturally loves itself, the result being that everything naturally keeps itself in being () wherefore suicide is contrary to the inclination of nature, and to charity whereby every man should love himself. Hence suicide is () contrary to natural law and to charity, [2] because () every man is part of the community, and so such, he belongs to the community. Hence by killing him he injures his community (). [3] Because life is Gods gift to man and is subject to his power () hence whoever takes his own life, sins against God For it belongs to God alone to pronounce sentence of death and life.(T.Beauchamp, Suicide, In T.Regan(ed.),Matters of Life and Death (New York (etc,):McGraw-Hill, 3rd Edition, 1993).p.87.) Hume reply: Some lives are not worth keeping. Given our natural horror against death, people only commit suicide if their lives are no longer worth keeping. Our duty to preserve life (including our own) only applies to life which is worth keeping. The moral importance of natural inclination to self perpetuation only extends to a life which is worth keeping. Therefore, suicide is not an act contrary to self love and self perpetuation. It is not always true that by killing oneself one injures the community for example, a) a person does not make any contribution to the community or is not living in the community, example a hermit. b) a person who is an actual burden on society or whose death anyway is a benefit to others or just a community, Examples, illness requiring massive treatment, soldiers sacrificing for their comrades or fighting an evil regime. Similarly even if one contributes to the community suicide only withdraws its contribution it does not directly harm the society there fore withdrawing ones contribution is sometimes permissible. Humes Objection about ownership is either god determines all our choices or we determine them ourselves, if god determines our choices, then our choice to commit suicide cannot be against his will and hence cannot be violation of his right to choose. If God granted us self determination then out choice to commit suicide can also not be against his will. Therefore committing suicide is not to wrong God. Hence we are back to the first argument as the prospect from which hume is trying to figure is different. Committing suicide might be wronging God in different sense namely by failing to respect his moral commands, which is also not to commit suicide. Consequentiality and deontological theories The deontological theories are based around Morality. They focus on the duties and rights of the individual or situation. One has moral duties to ones self not to harm or end life. However if an individual no longer wishes to continue due to external factors or they no longer feel lifes beneficial to ones self then they would desire to die. However the deontologist would refuse this request upon a number of factors. The first being that the individual may not be in the perfect frame of mind at the time, therefore may make an impulsive choice which they may have regretted. However it could be argued that the individual has the best judgment of whether their life is worth lifting at the time compared to any other living agent. Secondly as agent we also cannot predict the future. This means that the individuals path of life could not be foreseen, dismissing the knowledge that that person may go on to say, find the cure for aids, benefiting the whole community, or the opposite, he may pu t a drain on others quality of life by becoming say a drug dealer, bringing a load of negative externalities to the community. If so the deontologist would say that it is not permissible to for the agent to commit suicide. Consequentiality looks at situations from another angle. They focus upon what actually happens and the utilitarianism theory that people should aim for the greatest overall utility. An individual could save millions of lifes if he self sacrificed. The consequentiality would argue that the man should self sacrifice in order to save millions of lives. This is due to the man only being one life against millions, whereas the deontologist would say no the man has the right to his life and the millions would die and this is what is morally right. However such jobs and hobbies such as the army and skydiving mean that the individual is putting their life at risk, therefore should the individual be allowed to carry out such activities as they may be seen as morally wrong as one is putting ones life at risk, but for the consequentiality there is greater pleasure, utility in the long run therefore making it permissible for them to do so. All in all Suicide is a complicated issue, as there is not only moral argument but many other theories and believes which also must be taken into consideration. Deontologist do not believe that an agent committing suicide is permissible as it is morally wrong to oneself, others and god. However the consequentiality believes that it is morally permissible to end ones life if it has a greater utility to others. I believe suicide is moral permissible as in such cases as the army and fire-fighters who self sacrifice for others. It may all come down to principle, can suicide ever be completely morally permissible. We have duties to ourselves to self preserve, if we do not then we may not be acting morally therefore it is not morally permissible. Are al lives worth keeping or is it permissible in some ways to allow some people to die. Do we as agent who cannot see the future ever have the skills to decide? It is all on the individuals perception and there are extremes and complications of every matter of suicide.

Post Plague Social, Economic, and Historical Characteristics of Chaucer

Post Plague Social, Economic, and Historical Characteristics of Chaucer’s Pilgrims Waking up to the familiar sounds of a small English town is no longer an option. The stench of death permeates every inch of existence. Peering out of the window, afraid of stepping outside into the pestilence formerly known as home, you gaze past the mounds of rotting townspeople who used to be known as friends. Every breath catches, because breathing too deep may be too risky. A disease of unknown origin plagues the countryside farther than you can travel in a lifetime. Thoughts run through your mind as you watch your suffering family. The only chance to save them is to confess your sins in hopes that God’s wrath will end with you. There is nothing; everything you have known for all of your life is gone. And there is silence. Throughout the late Middle Ages, there were many historical landmarks that affected the world in which we now live. These landmarks include the Great Schism, the Hundred Years War, the Renaissance, and most infamous, the Black Plague (Given-Wilson 4). The plague is now believed to have infringed upon European peoples due to the ecological changes in Asia. These changes forced wild rodents carrying the Yersinia pestis bacillus into heavily populated European towns (Horrox 5). Through trade, fleas and rodents carrying this bacillus made their way into English society. Three forms of the plague ran rampant throughout England: bubonic, pneumonic, and septicaemic. The bubonic plague was most notorious due to the visual dark spots located in the armpits and groin area called buboes. In Latin, Bubo means owl: just like owls, buboes preferred the dark places on the body (Given-Wilson 97). The first epidemic began in 1347 an... ..., economical, and historical implications changed or affected the lives of every person during the fourteenth century and for centuries to come. Works Cited Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Trans. Nevill Coghill. London: Penguin Books, 1977. Given-Wilson, Chris, ed. An Illustrated History of Late Medieval England. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1996. Horrox, Rosemary, ed. The Black Death. Manchester: St. Martin’s Press, 1994. Lambdin, Laura C., and Robert T. Lambdin, eds. Chaucer’s Pilgrims: An Illustrated Historical Guide to the Pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1996. Williman, Daniel, ed. The Black Death: The Impact of the Fourteenth Century Plague. New York: Center for Medieval and Early Renaissance Studies, 1982. Ziegler, Philip. The Black Death. New York: The John Day Company, 1969.