Analyzing the functions of music in upcoming Rappers Essay

Prach Ly’s Power Territory and Rice functions as a link between his heritage as a Cambodian and his ambition to give back to those who became targets in the tragedy of Cambodia. He communicates the lyrics in a provocative rhythm which sets the tonality for the listeners in a grave and arguably concerned poise deeming his lyrics to be of a serious nature. His rap therefore takes a distinct tone that is akin to the musical function of other rappers who compose lyrics around their precarious lifestyles in the ghettos and their fight for survival amongst the hostility they are faced with everyday. As Prach relays in the telephonic interview, his urge to make music was met with a purpose around the time he discovered the true extent of the tragedies that were faced with the Cambodian people (Ly, 2004). Even though he was born at the time of the Cambodian massacre, his memory was only riddled with sparse recollections of the chaos, and through the eyes of his brother he managed to piece them together and write about it, his lyrics reconnecting with the adults who understood and the kids who appreciated alike. His intention was to use his music for emotional expression, a function that allows the artist to communicate more effectively than normal speech. While this sat well with the adult listeners, the song also seemed to incorporate the function of entertainment for the younger listeners. On a bigger picture, the powerful lyrics also contribute to the integration of society, largely educating the people of the struggle of the Cambodian people and reinvigorating their sense of compassion for them. Mandeep Sethi’s Adair Sethi is more focused on hip-hop as an art form that educates as well as entertains (Sethi, 2009). While he considers music as a tool for the oppressed, Adair shows that he intends the song to function primarily as a fusion of entertainment and emotional expression given the beat it follows and the lyrics that surround the regular questions about life and religion. His intention is further made vivid by the line Music has its own sound, as it invites the listener to indulge further into the entertainment function while still engaging in the mystical side of the rhythm that each artist utilizes in order to communicate a message. Sikh Knowledge’s Ch-Ching The music here functions primarily as a form of emotional expression. The slow beat and rhythm perfectly complements the mood that Knowledge is trying to set, and his lyrics, which discuss the conflict in Palestine, particularly the ruins of Gaza, aim squarely to inform those who do not know and those who sympathize equally. This function of music is of course a utility that highlight matters of grave concern to the public or a specific community and Knowledge reinvigorates the feeling by mentioning other more entertainment oriented music such as two-step bhangra and declaring that this song is nothing like them. Thus, he expresses himself in rap of matters that he finds deeply emotional putting himself on the Palestinian side of the battle. Conclusion One prevailing characteristic of the aforementioned rappers is their Asian American ethnicity, and it is evident that their origins greatly encourages their listeners to see their viewpoints, just like their chosen genre sets them up against stigmas of being unable to thrive in a field dominated by African Americans. The subject matter of the song, thus, becomes very important and the function of music in turn plays a much more important role in determining success. It is interesting to note that the rapper acquires acceptance a lot easily amongst people of his race before anywhere else as was the case with Prach who became a no. 1 hit in Cambodia whereas he composed the album elsewhere. It can easily be concluded from the popularity of these rappers that their ethnic origins account for a large percentage of their success, since that success takes root in first instance amongst the people of their own race. References Ly, P. (2004). Art of faCt: An Interview with praCh. (S. May, Interviewer) Sethi, M. (2009, October 26). The Brown Underground. (N. Dhillon, Interviewer)

Job Order and Process Costing Systems †Quiz Essay

Question : (TCO F) Assume there is no beginning work in process inventory and the ending work in process inventory is 100% complete with respect to materials costs. The number of equivalent units with respect to materials costs under the weighted-average method is: Â  Student Answer: XX the same as the number of units put into production. less than the number of units put into production. the same as the number of units completed. less than the number of units completed. Â   Instructor Explanation: Chapter 4 Points Received: 5 of 5 Comments: Great job 2. Question : (TCO F) Process costing would be appropriate for each of the following except: Student Answer: XX custom furniture manufacturing. oil refining. grain milling. newsprint production. Instructor Explanation: Chapter 4 Points Received: 5 of 5 Comments: Great job Question : (TCO F) Lucas Company uses the weighted-average method in its process costing system. The company adds materials at the beginning of the process in the Forming Department, which is the first of two stages in its production process. Information concerning operations in the Forming Department in October follows: Question : (TCO F) During December at Ingrim Corporation, $74,000 of raw materials were requisitioned from the storeroom for use in production. These raw materials included both direct and indirect materials. The indirect materials totaled $6,000. The journal entry to record the requisition from the storeroom would include a: Student Answer: debit to Raw Materials of $74,000. XX debit to Work in Process of $68,000. credit to Manufacturing Overhead of $6,000. debit to Work in Process of $74,000. Instructor Explanation: Chapter 3 Points Received: 5 of 5 Comments: Great job 6. Question : (TCO F) Wedd Corporation had $35,000 of raw materials on hand on May 1. During the month, the company purchased an additional $68,000 of raw materials. During May, $92,000 of raw materials were requisitioned from the storeroom for use in production. These raw materials included both direct and indirect materials. The indirect materials totaled $5,000. The debits to the Work in Process account as a consequence of the raw materials transactions in May total: Student Answer: $92,000. $0. $68,000. XX $87,000. Instructor Explanation: Chapter 3 Points Received: 5 of 5 Comments: Great job 1. Question : (TCO F) Some companies use process costing and some use job-order costing. Which method a company uses depends on its industry. A number of companies in different industries are listed below: i. Custom boat builder ii. Frozen cranberry juice processor iii. Concrete block manufacturer iv. Winery that produces a number of varietal wines v. Aluminum refiner that makes aluminum ingots from bauxite ore For each company, indicate whether the company is most likely to use job-order costing or process costing. Student Answer: Job order costing is where a company produces different products each period, they are made to order, All costs are traced to each job and requires that each job has documentation of all costs associated with it. Process costing is when a company produces a single product for a long period of time and the product is the same or very similar, the costs are accumulated by department. i. Custom boat builder= Job-order costing ii. Frozen cranberry juice processor= process costing iii. Concrete block manufacturer= process costing iv. Winery that produces a number of varietal wines= Job-order Costing v. Aluminum refiner that makes aluminum ingots from bauxite ore= process costing 3. Question : (TCO F) Harmon Company uses the weighted-average method in its process costing system. The Curing Department of Harmon Company reported the following information for the month of November. Units Percentage complete with respect to conversion Work in process, November 1 10,000 80% Units started 28,000 Completed and transferred out 30,000 Work in process, November 30 8,000 30% Costs for November Materials Conversion Work in process, November 1 $34,500 $48,600 Added during the month $146,000 $194,400 All materials are added at the beginning of the process. Required: Compute the following items using the weighted-average method: i. The equivalent units of production for materials. ii. The cost per equivalent unit for conversion. iii. The total cost assigned to units transferred out of the Curing Department during November. iv. The cost assigned to work in process inventory as of November 30. Student Answer: Harmon Company i. The equivalent units of production for materials. = 38,000 (See math below) Transferred out= 30,000+ work in process 8,000= 38,000 ii. The cost per equivalent unit for conversion.= $7.50 (see math below) total weighted average units= 8,000 *.3= 24000 plus 30,000 that was transfer= 32,400 Conversion- 48,600 + added during month 194,400= 243,000 cost per unit 243,000/ total weighted avg unit 32,400 = $7.50 per unit iii. The total cost assigned to units transferred out of the Curing Department during November. = Materials= $142,500 (see math below) Conversion= $225,000 Total cost= $367,500 Materials = work in process plus added during month ( 34,500+146,000) = 180500 transferred materials divide by total average unit= 30,000/38,000=.7894 180500*.7894=$142,500 Materials Conversion= materials transferred times cost per equivalent unit 30,000*$7.50= 225,000 Add together for total cost= 225000+142500= 367500 iv. The cost assigned to work in process inventory as of November 30.= Materials $38,000 + conversion $18,000= Total cost $56,000 (See math below) Materials times ending work in process divide total materials= 34500+146000= 180500 180500* (8,000/38,000)= 38,000 Conversion ending work process inventory 8,000*.3=2,400 conversion cost conversion times per unit= 2,400*$7.50= $18,000 Total cost= 38,000+18,000= 56000 Instructor Explanation: Points Received: 15 of 15 Comments: Great job 4. Question : (TCO F) Honeysuckle Corporation has provided the following data for the month of January: Inventories Beginning Ending Raw materials $40,000 $23,000 Work In process $9,000 $13,000 Finished goods $52,000 $45,000 Additional Information Raw material purchases $68,000 Direct labor costs $90,000 Manufacturing overhead cost incurred $44,000 Indirect materials included in manufacturing overhead costs incurred $8,000 Manufacturing overhead cost applied to work in process $39,000 Prepare a Schedule of Cost of Goods Manufactured and a Schedule of Cost of Goods Sold in good form. Student Answer: Honeysuckle Corporation Schedule of Cost of Goods Manufactured Month of January Direct Materials: Raw Materials Inventory Begining $40,000 Add: Purchases of raw materials: $68,000 Raw Materials Available for use $108,000 Less Raw Materials Ending $(23,000) Raw Materials Used in Production $85,000 Direct Labor Cost $90,000 Manufacturing overhead Manufacturing overhead cost incurred $44,000 Indirect materials included in manufacture overhead costs incurred $8,000 Manufacturing overhead cost applied to work in process $39,000 Total Manufacturing Overhead $91,000 Total Manufacturing Cost $266,000 Add Work in Process Inventory, Beginning $9,000 Less Work Process Inventory end $(13,000) Cost of Goods Manufactured $528,000 Honeysuckle Cost of Goods Sold Month of January Finished Goods Inventory $45,000 Add Cost of Goods Manufactured $528,000 Goods Available for Sale $573,000 Deduct Finished Goods Inventory $45,000 Cost of Goods Sold $618,000

CDA Assignments

CDA Assignments Essay ?COMPETENCY GOAL I To establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment 1. Provide a summary of the legal requirements in your state regarding child abuse and neglect (including contact information for the appropriate agency) and also your program’s policy regarding your responsibility to report child abuse and neglect. 2. Include the current certificate of completion of a certified pediatric first-aid training course (that includes treatment for blocked airway and for providing rescue breathing for infants and young children). Certification must have been within the past 3 years. . Use the Internet, the public library, or your program’s professional library to obtain the name and contact information for an agency that supplies information on nutrition for children and/or nutrition education for families. 4. Provide a sample of your weekly plan that includes goals for children’s learning and development, brief descriptions of planned learning experience s, and also accommodations for children with special needs (whether for children you currently serve or may serve in the future). COMPETENCY GOAL II To advance physical and intellectual competence 5. Select 4 songs, fingerplays, word games, or poems that you can use to promote phonological awareness. Describe strategies to promote phonological awareness among children whose home language is other than English. 6. Describe 9 learning experiences for 3-, 4-, and 5-year old children (3 for 3-year olds, 3 for 4-year olds, 3 for 5-year olds). Each learning experience should promote physical, cognitive, and creative development. Describe the goals, materials, and teaching strategies used. COMPETENCY GOAL III To support social and emotional development and to provide positive guidance 7. Provide the titles, authors, publishers, copyright dates, and short summaries of 10 age-appropriate children’s books that you use to support development of children’s self-concept and self-esteem and to help children deal with life challenges. 8. Use the Internet, the public library, or your program’s professional library to obtain at least 2 resources designed to assist teachers in constructively dealing with children with challenging behaviors (such as aggressive behavior like hitting or biting, or shyness). 9. Provide the name and telephone number of an agency in the community where you work for making referrals to family counseling. COMPETENCY GOAL IV To establish positive and productive relationships with families 10. Find out where to obtain resources, materials, and translation services for families whose home language is other than English. Provide the agency name and contact information. 11. Document your program’s policies that specify parents’ responsibilities and what the program does for parents. COMPETENCY GOAL V To ensure a well-run, purposeful program responsive to participant needs 12. Provide 3 samples of record-keeping forms used in early childhood programs. Include an accident report, emergency form, and a 3rd form of your choice. COMPETENCY GOAL VI To maintain a commitment to professionalism 13. Use the Internet, the public library, or your program’s professional library to obtain the name, address, and phone number of your state’s agency that regulates child care centers and homes. Describe 2 important requirements related to your job responsibilities. 14. Review the websites of 2 or 3 national early childhood associations (1 with a local affiliate) to obtain information about membership, their resources, and how to order. Download at least 2 resources from the Internet that will enhance your work. 15. Obtain 4 pamphlets or articles designed to help parents understand how young children develop and learn. Articles must help parents understand development and learning of 3- to 5-year olds. At least 1 article must relate to guidance. 16. Locate an observation tool to use in recording information about children’s behavior. One copy should be blank; the other one should be filled out as a sample of your observation of an individual child. 17. Obtain contact information for at least 2 agencies in the community that provide resources and services for children with disabilities.

Journel 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journel 4 - Essay Example t about the menu, but it is written separately in the poem which, I guessed, meant that the poetess wants to talk about everything that she has not got in her life. I guessed that it meant that the joy of reading the menu and fantasizing the food she had ordered was so big that she had forgotten about all the worries of life and whatever she had not been blessed with. I always read a poem by looking at its message that the poet has in mind, and while reading this poem, the same thought of finding the message led me towards Harkin’s convention of significance. I was frustrated at the start when I gave the poem the first go-through, because I was not able to understand what the lines â€Å"It’s when the artichokes†¦and leather† (lines 6-15) meant, and whether they were related to the poem, but a second go-through made me understand that these lines showed the girls’ excitement. The poem is a little unconventional because it is not simple to understand, but is interesting at the same

Sector Matrix for Ford Motor Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sector Matrix for Ford Motor Company - Essay Example Literature review and discussions will be centered on the Ford Motor Company which is, apart from being one of the Detroit Three (Sperling & Gordon, 2009, P. 55), also a significant player in the global automotive industry. The essay will also try to discuss the significance of the said tools at firm level as well as a sectoral level by taking into consideration the changes in organizational activities at the firm level and their impacts on the intermediate as well as the macro levels. Propounded by Michael E. Porter (1985), the Value Chain model is centered on organizational processes. Generally, the manufacturing facility is categorized into subsystems – each having its own inputs, throughputs, and outputs. The efficiency of activities aligned through value chain determines the cost of production and hence influences the profitability of the organization. The activities are grouped into primary activities and secondary/support activities (Needle, 2010, P. 275). The five main primary activities are inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and after-sales service, while the secondary activities comprise procurement, human resource management, technological development, and infrastructure. It has been observed that Ford Motor Company (Ford) being a foremost player in the global automobile industry, its business activities have extensive influence on almost all aspects of its environment. The figure appended above represents the interconnectivity of the main phases of Ford’s value chain. The management of Ford has recognized the fact that â€Å"these issues are interconnected at each stage and that positive and negative effects in one part of the chain can reverberate in the other parts† (Ford-website-a, n.d.), and hence, is trying to infuse the different phases with sustainability issues. Ford is aiming at improving its manufacturing efficiency and simultaneously reducing emissions. Moreover, the company is also using recycled materials and is trying to enhance the reusability of its vehicles as part of its environment-friendly operations.

How leadership communication differs from conventional management Essay

How leadership communication differs from conventional management communication - Essay Example Many leaders believe that they have communicated once they say something; if the person being directed to do something does not do it unintentionally, it means there was no communication because the receiver did not get the message. Communication is complete only if the receiver understood the message (Daft and Lane 261). In communication, what you hear is equally important to what you say, so communication is a two-way process. A leader is somebody who guides, directs, and motivates people. Leaders should have powers to motivate employees is an organization or people in a community to work together to achieve desired goals. Leadership and management are similar, and they differ in some ways: they both involve working with people, concern about effective management, and other related characteristics. In leadership communication, a leader must communicate effectively. Leaders spend most of their time communicating with the employees; it has been found that communication takes over 70 percent of leaders’ time per day (Daft and Lane 261). Leadership communication to employees or people he/she is in charge of is always transparent, trustful, and open while conventional management communication is normally a directive to the subjects about what needs to be done. This is because leaders are innovators, and they always want to further their innovation while managers are employed to administer the directives that will see the organization grow. A leader should do things he/she believes will help the organization progress. Leaders focus on employees while managers focus on both the customers and employees. Management communication is more consistent than leadership communication. This is because the management in an organization is always in touch with employees since they are in charge of running day-to-day functions and ensuring that the staff performs to the required limit; hence, they are giving directions all the time, unlike leadership, which is not always in touch with employees: they always offer policy decision and they are responsible for overall performance of the organization and its future (Daft and Lane 261). Conventional management communication is informative while leadership communication is not informative. Informative communication only informs the subject of what needs to be done while non-informative communication influences the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the subject, which is what is required from a leader. Leadership communication should be spelled out courageously; if communication is open and honest, it might contain some mistakes, but the mistakes will be better than uninspiring communications. If as a leader you do not have an answer to a question or a problem, admit that you cannot respond, and the employees will respect you believing that you are honest. Management communication should be specific while leadership communication can be changed. Specific communication is simple and concise and not confusin g. Managers should always be at the point and should avoid going around. With brevity and clarity, it will make employees obey time and become disciplined. In leadership communication, the message can be changed; this strategy will prevent the message from going bad. Since leadership is meant to spearhead the organization into the future, the leader’s message should be acceptable to everybody in order to push the

The Future of Home Landscape Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Future of Home Landscape - Essay Example This discussion stresses that most contemporary land designers have adopted classy home outlooks with emphasis on the exterior outlook of the houses that are made to appear more unique, natural, and attractive. The incorporation of modern elements such as outdoor benches can be useful as meeting places during hot weather; additionally, swimming pools provide exquisite refreshment zones. Formal and ornamental splashes are used to decorate the house and serve human purposes where individuals experience the feeling of change while in the building. The Lurie Garden is an example of exquisite outdoor elements of home landscapes. Despite the modernization of home landscape, the infrastructure faces major challenges regarding the sustainability of their originality in case the indigenous designer is no longer present to oversee maintenance. Most of the previously exquisite features currently appear to be extinct due to negligence.As the paper discusses  in the U.S., landscape architecture is an inherently ephemeral art form that is adapted for the exhibition.   Home landscape designs in modern cities are utilizing the vast amount of waste to turn trash into treasures through recycling and reusing the wastes for exterior decorations.   The outdoor space is given more attention by designers. It is manicured into front lawns, stone paver pathway, and intricate garden designs.  Prospective landscaping architects are aiming to incorporate more beautiful gardens to remodel the exterior appearance of the houses and reduce wastage of space.

Women in Culture in the 1930's-1940's VS Women in Culture Today Research Paper

Women in Culture in the 1930's-1940's VS Women in Culture Today - Research Paper Example The debates have hit the floor for some time regarding women in the past and women today. Moreover, social roles of women and girls are quite different from that of men. Workforce in early times was highly gender based which is somewhat contrary to today’s women. Today, women have much freedom and almost acquiring equal rights as men unlike in the early 1930’s. Women artist has been one of the outstanding and distinguishing activities between 1930’s – 1940’s and today. Female artists play central part in art industry, for instance textile arts and craft. In 1930’s, women artists encountered numerous challenges related to their success in art industry and these were gender based biases in the mainstream of fine art (Rosaldo, Lamphere & Bamberger, 1974). They faced challenges in training, travelling and trading of their work as well as recognition of their status in art industry. However late in 1940’s, feminist arts fought for their rig hts for them to be guaranteed the right to education and training in fine art. This impacted positively on women as they were allowed to train and acquire skills in fine industry. In the days of Great Depression (1930’s), a number of women made their own clothing. The time was so terrible that unemployment rate was very high. It was then that the fashion design made a step toward simpler lines reflecting the simpler lives of the people. Magazines displayed different kinds of clothing which customary middle women applauded (Loy, (2001). The fashions in the 1930’s were so appealing, attractive, feminine and absolutely gorgeous unlike today. The fashion took a stunning turn reflecting the austerity of the appalling economy. In the 1940’s, limited color highly characterized pictures and magazines unlike today as ink was expensive then (Rosaldo, Lamphere & Bamberger, 1974). Fashions illustrated in magazines revealed the clothing in sketch form instead of photographs. The gray outfit was a typical fashion design of 1932. Women empowerment and role assignment has taken a new picture today. This is mainly noted in factories and industries. For instance, Rosie the Riveter from the USA is highly recognized as a cultural icon. She represents the American women who worked in industries during the Second World War (Rosaldo, Lamphere & Bamberger, 1974). They took new jobs of men who were in the field of military. Rosie worked tirelessly to help the Americans who were taking part in war. During this time, women took over the male dominated trades though at the same they were required to return to their daily housework as soon as men in war came back home. Women were chiefly given the roles of housewives. They were asked to perform hard tasks which for them were hard to do. They opted to return to their traditional work basically to avoid such jobs and low payments (Loy, 2001). Rosie the Riveter finally died when her kidney failed to work after a plane ac cident. She had influenced American women to work in industries. It was evident that women proved it right that they could do and manage well the work that was mainly done by men. In 1942, the proportion of jobs acceptable to women increased tremendously. However, the payment terms of women were not favorable. Rosie had encouraged women to enter into workforce in large numbers, though women were discharged after the war to return to servicemen (Rosaldo, Lamphere & Bamberger, 1974). During the Second World War, women worked hard to take their positions. However after the wartime, they resumed domestic vocations and service work. Between 1930’

London Through Centuries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

London Through Centuries - Essay Example Perring (2002, p.1) states that, â€Å"Roman London was built on the north bank of the Thames, the site of the modern city†. Our visit to the Museum of London helped us a lot to understand more about the after effect of the amalgamation of British and Roman cultures. The museum is not so far away from the suburbs of London because it is near the London Wall. But we did not like to waste our time by viewing all the items displayed at the Museum. We entered the Museum and the Museum authorities pointed out that the objects displayed on the floor E can help us to learn more about Roman London. The curator guided us towards a number of objects displayed at the Roman collections section. We were totally stunned with surprise because it was beyond our imagination. The artistic craftsmanship of the people who lived between AD 50 and AD 410 was really amazing to us. The Roman Collection is symbolic of the human interest in preserving historically important objects. The curator pointed out that the effort to reconstruct the city of London helped to discover the objects that were preserved under the ground for centuries. The collection primarily includes ceramic objects, marble/metal objects, coins, wooden objects, and some items in bone and leather. The ceramic display at the Museum sheds light into the lifestyle and culture of the people who lived in London between AD 50 and AD 410. ... After viewing the ceramic section, we headed towards the Marble/Metal object section. The curator led us towards the marble sculptures that are excavated from a historically important place in Roman London, known as the Temple of Mithras. Later, we viewed the metal objects discovered from the Walbrook stream. These works are symbolic of the industrialization of handicrafts and domestic life of the Roman London. For instance, the jewellery and household utensils prove that handicraft developed into the form of industry in Roman London. The next section was really interesting to me because the same revealed the vividness of the cultural aspects of Roman London. The coin collection helped me to understand more about the importance of trade and commerce in Roman London. Besides, the leather and wooden objects were helpful to understand more about handicrafts in Roman London. So, the visit to the Museum of London was helpful for us to understand the cultural aspects of Roman London. Medie val London: First of all, Medieval London is interconnected with Norman invasion, which happened in the year 1066. One can see that some of the religious buildings and monuments in the Modern London are symbolic of the cultural heritage of Medieval London. To be specific, the Norman rulers constructed a number of forts and monuments in London. So as to have deeper understanding on the historical and cultural characteristics of Medieval London, we searched for churches and historically important monuments. Then we came to know that some of the churches and monuments like St. Bartholomew the Great, St Bartholomew the less and the Guildhall are important. So, we decided to visit these churches and monuments and restructured our timetable. Our first visit was

Quality of Service of Voice over Internet Protocol for Enterprise Use Essay

Quality of Service of Voice over Internet Protocol for Enterprise Use - Essay Example Unless quality of VoIP reaches quality level suitable as an enterprise product, the demand for VOIP will not be fully realized. Developments in VoIP have been able to establish not only as a communication option but as a valuable e-service as well. However, there remains to be key issues that are critical in its adoption into companies or as an enterprise. The main issue is regarding its cost and the quality of services (Biddlecombe, 2005). In 2004, the telecommunications industry saw the launch of mass-market VoIP services that followed the traditional interface models of Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) and by 2005, free services began their entry to the market (Dean, 2003). Among the first one to offer services for free ware Skype which remains to be a significant market leader today. Following the success of Skype other online services began to include VoIP as part of their interface and retooled products as seen in the launch of Microsoft's Window Messenger Live, Yahoo's Yahoo Messenger with Voice and Google's Google Talk among others. However, the greatest potential for VoIP use is in corporate applications. The main benefit is in the communication and networking capacity it can provide. The utilization of VoIP operations using it to traffic PSTN calls locally and internationally (Cave & Mason, 2001). IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS's) have allowed the incorporation of internet technologies into current systems as well facilitated the actual interface of VoIP infrastructure with PSTN and mobile phones ("Voice over IP", 2006). However, most industry analysts believe that the major issue that companies consider in shifting an IP communications system is its ability to suit the operations and needs of the company (Dean, 2003). It is easy to understand this concern because VoIP adaptation costs a significant amount of capital and maintenance. The service desired is one that does not only exceed traditional PSTN communications but also one that is the most cost effective, easiest to maintain and upgrade. At the moment, there is no standard model for the evaluation of VoIP systems and since it is still being developed, standards of performance are also continually changing (Loyola et al, 2006). The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already set standards for security and communication standards of VoIP service but has yet to be able to cope up with more comprehensive service standards (Hickman, 1998). It is estimated that as the quality of VoIP services increase, the greater its potential to be the premiere communication revolution of the age. VoIP services is not seen just as a revolutionary means of communication but it is the most significant development in the convergence of modern communication technologies. Quality of Service: QoS VoIP quality and reliability has been progressed as networking hardware, software and the speed of internet connections. Paul Travis (2005) estimates that by 2010, VoIP will already adapted by the majority American households, institutions and business. Though the primary consideration according to most studies is the cost of VoIP, analysts believe

Individual Behavior Essay Example for Free

Individual Behavior Essay Individual behavior differs from person to person and most differences are based on the background of the individual. Some elements that can affect ones background to influence their individual behavior can include religion, age, occupation, values and attitude differences, gender, and even ethnicity. These individual behaviors can cause people to act differently to situations and can create friction or even chemistry in the work place. The age of a person can be a large factor in the way they behave. There are studies that prove maturity can come at different ages but in most cases maturity is something that is learned and grown into. Age in a work place can work against someone or for them. A young age can be a downfall if there is lack of maturity and experience and old age can be a downfall due to lack of energy or knowledge of new technologies. With that being said I think that it is important that age should not be the deciding factor as to how someone will act. There are many young people who have the maturity to carry many responsibilities and show good individual behavior. Some older individuals have adapted their behavior to fit more suitable into the technologies that have developed over the past few years. More and more people are on Facebook (www. facebook. com) than ever, and it is common to see individuals of all ages on the popular website. You can also find with age individuals depending on their age will have their priorities in different orders. The occupation of a person can also attribute to their individual behavior. For example say there is an individual who works in the public eye like a Senator or Congressman, they are going to be more careful for the things that they say and do because they will not wish the media to catch wind and bring them in a negative media down pour about the situation. When you work in the lime light you have to be cautious about your wording and your actions. There are many occupations that are not in the public eye that also has to think about their individual behavior and make sure that they set a good example because of their occupation. Take a teacher for example it is very important that they do not act in an bad individual behavior because it can have an affect on their job. For instant it would be bad to post pictures of yourself drunk to a popular social networking sight if you are a teacher because you are to be a role model and that is individual behavior that you should not wish your students to witness. Many professionals will maintain their professional behavior when they are dealing with their work and with their lives. Professional behavior usually consists of being calm and thinking your actions and words through before acting upon them. Many professionals also like to make educated guesses instead of sporadic leaps into new things. Many individuals will learn their professionalism from their occupation and it is something that they can carry over into their individual behavior. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of life and the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a supernatural agency,[1] or human beings’ relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine. [2] Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature (www. wikipedia. com). That definition alone can should one how religion could influence someone’s individual behavior. Unlike the other elements religion is something, for the most part, that can be chosen by the individual. A person can be brought up with religious beliefs, can adapt to the beliefs, and can even change their religious beliefs. A religion can have strict guidelines as to how their followers should behave some may even have diets or wardrobe requirements that can affect their individual behavior. Values can run hand in hand with religion on some basis. Many religions have a foundation on values and morals that their followers should abide by. When a situation occurs and a decision needs to be made you can understand a lot about a person by their individual behavior. It is usually the person’s values or morals that help them make the decision on what action to take when the situation presented itself. Attitudes about differences can affect ones individual behavior. Someone who is high strung can tend to have a little more dramatic attitudes about differences opposed to a laidback individual who has a peaceful nature and can tend to look at differences with a positive. When attitudes turn negative ones individual behavior can become defenseful, frightful, or even protective. In conclusion there are many parts that tie together to create an individual behavior and those behaviors can be influenced by many different elements. Although many individuals can have common elements in their background it is hard to find an individual behavior that is the exact same. Individual behavior can show a lot about the way a person was brought up, their beliefs, age, and even gender. It can show their religious beliefs or just their attitude but it is certain that one’s individual behavior is something that the individual chooses for their self. It is a way they like to act regarding to a situation.

Make It Mine - Customization as the Future of Luxury Essay Example for Free

Make It Mine Customization as the Future of Luxury Essay 1 â€Å"The things at Prada today are not well made, the fabrics are not as good, everything was much better in my time† Miuccia Prada I. Purpose of Research The changing landscape of the luxury industry challenges brands to find a new approach to reach out to their core costumers. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Burberry are about to jeopardize their true customers and their image by overexposing themselves to a mass luxury clientele. Thus, a new approach must be found to bring back the feeling of true luxury, personal attention and to create a bond to their core customers. This paper’s purpose is to examine how luxury brands can adapt mass customization techniques in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage and bring back the notion of true luxury. Furthermore, it will be questioned if customization can harm a luxury brands image and status, taking into consideration the â€Å"anti-laws† of marketing, which propose to not pander to the customer’s wishes and to dominate the luxury client (Kapferer, Bastien, 2009, 64 f. ). The goal is to come up with a conclusion that provides luxury brands with a direction of how customization could be implemented and what benefits or challenges may come with it. II. From Class to Mass Looking at today’s luxury fashion market one does not have to be an expert like Miuccia Prada to see things have changed. While almost every established luxury brand started out as a small business with a tradition of unique craftsmanship, utmost quality, best service and limited quantities, those attributes are not necessarily true for many of today’s still existing luxury brands. Luxury brands have gone mass. This is often referred to as â€Å"the democratization of luxury†, which means 2 that luxury brands have opened themselves for a mass market. While back in the day luxury brands were the domain of the rich only available in selected stores or brand owned boutiques, brands today want to reach a wider customer range. According to Thomas, aggressive growth was not a priority until the eighties (Thomas, 2007, 238). However, growth quickly became the main objective and store expansions have experienced a boom in Japan, as well as the USA. The middle market customer was born. By expanding their assortment lines in department stores with lower-priced items, such as perfumes, small leather goods and cold-weather items, luxury brands became attainable. No longer were people intimidated to walk into a luxury boutique, they often became tourist attractions in capital cities. Luxury brands were intrigued by the sudden success. It just took a few logo-covered products, which were the middle class’s favorite item and sales and profits grew steadily. However, the rapid expansion also created one of the luxury brands biggest problems today. As banking analysts conclude, the greatest problem that luxury brands have created for themselves by going mass is financial instability. â€Å"Before its global expansion to the middle market, luxury was immune to economic cycles. The companies were small and catered to a limited old-money clientele [†¦] who shopped consistently and bought well. Luxury was a successful niche business. But when luxury changed its target audience to the cost-conscious middle market that shops when flush but stops cold when times get tough, it made itself dangerously vulnerable to recessions† (Thomas, 2007, 264). Another disadvantage from overexposing themselves is the loss of the traditional old money clientele, since their logos could be seen everywhere. Many brands jeopardized their exclusivity status along with their â€Å"well-crafted† message along the chase for higher profits, in order to keep the shareholders happy. The dilution of the luxury status peaked with the 3 introduction of e-commerce and outlet stores. In the first case it is very hard for a brand to create a luxury shopping experience, since the Internet is a generic and impersonal sales channel. In the case of outlet stores, brands are trying to sell their overstock, which has highly increased due to mass production. Not only is merchandise that was once available at a high-end boutique sold for a discount price, moreover some brands are producing some items solely for outlets (Edouard, 2006, 11). Assessing the six main facets of a luxury brand, which have been identified in a broad empirical study by Dubois/Laurent/Czellar and are considered to be global and most accurate, one can review the situation of the luxury market today. The six main facets are (Dubois/Laurent/Czellar, 2001, 8 ff. ): †¢ Very High Price (according to the absolute price (inter-categorical) as well as the price relative to other brands of the same category (intracategorical)). Excellent Quality (according to the processed materials as well as the assumed diligence of the manufacturing-process). Scarcity Uniqueness (expressed by a difficult accessibility and rarity). Aesthetics Polysensuality (creating through design, colors etc. a value experience that touches all senses). Ancestral Heritage Personal History (continuous branding in design, communications etc. ). Superfluousness (dominant perception of symbolic attributes †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ compared to technical-functional ones). It is evident that at least two of the six facets, namely Excellent Quality and Scarcity and Uniqueness, are not fulfilled in many cases anymore. Industry experts suggest that the last true luxury brands that are living up to all the standards are Hermes and 4 Chanel (Thomas, 2007, 323). Hermes is the epitomization of luxury, which is highly due to the fact that the house is still making all its products by hand, sourcing the finest materials and using special design and production techniques that have been invented from the house’s founder over 150 years ago. However, there is another reason why Hermes is on top of other luxury brands: Customization. Unlike in most luxury boutiques, Hermes only receives a few handbags each season to sell them directly. However, this is the exception. The rule is that those handbags are just a display of options. The customer can choose the material (canvas, cowhide, reptile or ostrich), the color and the hardware and in case of the Kelly bag the seams (Thomas, 2007, 172). And then you wait for a product that is specifically tailored to your taste and needs. Obviously this is an experience that real customers highly value. The next chapter provides a brief overview about the luxury consumers today and examines the need to offer separate services for each customer type. III. The Luxury customer today â€Å"Today’s luxury consumer is different from the wealthy consumer of the past. † (Okonkwo, 2007, 65) As mentioned above, many luxury brands opened themselves for the middle-class customer. Silverstein and Fiske have extensively described the evolution and habits of these consumers in their book â€Å"Trading up† (2005). Amongst those â€Å"mass wealthy† consumers, the spending on luxury goods has increased tremendously due to a rise in real household income by 30 percent since 1970. Looking at the figures, four million American households had a net worth of more than $1 million by 2005 and the average spending increased up to 70% (Thomas, 2007, 239). Parallel to this the credit card debt reached its peak. What happened to all that money? Consumers 5 traded up and luxury brands catered to their new audience. While the old-money consumer had a deep appreciation for quality and craftsmanship, the new luxury consumer wanted to buy into the dream and show that they could. Logos came in fashion, and soon â€Å"It† bags with the brand’s logo plastered on them could be seen everywhere and on everyone. Interesting enough brands and designers seem to embrace this trend, as Marc Jacobs states: â€Å"When you look at Louis Vuitton, you see it is mass-produced luxury. Vuitton is a status symbol. It’s not about hiding the logo. It’s being about a bit of a show-off† (Thomas, 2007, 18). Although welcomed by the brands themselves, this is a development that does not please a lot of the old luxury consumers and luxury brands are about to jeopardize their core clientele. Besides the love for the logo there are other characteristics that come along with the new luxury consumers. These are a need for a quick trend turnaround, a disposable attitude and the experimenting and mixing of luxury brands with premium and fast fashion (Okonkwo, 2007, 66). Thus, these consumers are not loyal to one single brand but shop across the entire brand hierarchy, from Gucci to HM. And they are not recession proof. While in the past luxury catered to a limited old money clientele enough money whose spending habits have not been deeply affected by economic cycles, short-term stock market drops or the dependency of credit available, the new luxury customer is very sensitive to all those factors. The luxury market as we experience it today is an amalgam of mass production1, flashy branding, highly varying quality and heavy advertising. While this might work for the middle class market, educated, real luxury consumers cannot be captioned by such techniques. 1 E. g. all Gucci leather products are designed on a computer, by 2004 the entire Gucci group produced 3,5 million leather goods a year, with a production time of two to three hours for a basic bag. Louis Vuitton’s handbags are produced in an assembly line setting in China, where it takes two minutes to glue handles on two bags. As a comparison, an average size Birkin or Kelly bag takes up to sixteen hours, while a bigger one takes up to thirty hours (Thomas, 2007) (Purseleague, 2010). 6 This paper acknowledges the importance of these new customers for luxury brands in order to keep the shareholders satisfied and the need for luxury brands to grow and make profits. If brands would stop cater to this clientele, the losses would be tremendous, since the brands made themselves dependent on high volume sales. However, it must also be considered that such practices can and will jeopardize the old luxury consumers, the ones who support the brand even in tough economic times. Thus, this paper suggests an approach to return to older notions of luxury, namely superb quality, classic design, premium service and customization. In short, the ultimate luxury experience. IV. Back to the roots â€Å"Luxury fashion brands today are too available, everything is too uniform, and customer business is too pedestrian. † Tom Ford Looking back in the history of luxury, customization has been the starting point for many brands and has always played a vital role in the brand’s identity. Hermes started out as custom-made harness shop, catering only to the aristocracy. Likewise Gucci, which started as a saddlery shop in Florence and later specialized in small custom made leather goods and luggage, while Louis Vuitton started as a Malletier for French Royals. All had in common that made-to-order items were the focus of their businesses and they offered only a small product range. Another big part of the customization history of luxury and probably the embodiment of the ultimate luxury item is the haute couture dress. Fittings were done by the couturiers themselves and the garment was constructed for one’s own shape, height and comfort. When American society ladies could not make it to Paris, the Couture houses would sell their patterns to stores like Saks or I. Magnin and fittings were done in beautiful 7 private fitting rooms to convey the Paris atmosphere. Shopping in those department stores was an experience, an event, a pleasure and sales assistants were experts, advisors and friends. Customers chose their favorites, either at in-house fashion shows or during personal viewings, and an in-house seamstress would alter everything to make the customer happy and fit the garment perfectly. This was a long time ago. As Thomas, points out, luxury clothing shopping today is more an exercise of patience, with only a few pieces in the smallest sizes on the sales floor, mediocre service and long waiting times (Thomas, 2007, 5). Buying an $8000 dress directly from the rack is a relatively new phenomenon, evolving with the availability and democratization of luxury. Reviewing the history of customization in the luxury industry, the following points can be identified that cater to a true luxury experience: Craftsmanship, high quality material, luxury service and customization. Based on these findings, the following part of the paper will develop a framework of customization for luxury brands today. It should be emphasized that the approach of customization is not catering to the luxury mass clientele, but rather to the true luxury customer, to create brand loyalty and recreate the luxury experience in the current market setting. V. Customization in Today’s Luxury Market One’s striving for uniqueness and expressing their individuality has without a doubt reached a peak in the current society. Some businesses have recognized this development and reacted accordingly, such as Dell, Apple, Levis, BMW or even Ralph Lauren. Especially luxury consumers always had the need to feel the exclusivity attribute of a service or a product and require personal attention. Luxury customers today do not want to follow a dictate by a brand, they are independent in 8 their choices and want to be involved in the creative process. As one author correctly stated, the days of uniformity and sameness are over (Okonkwo, 2007, 249). While Okonkwo is advocating a â€Å"mass customization† approach, which means that customization for luxury brands is done in bulk and offered to everyone, this paper suggests an exclusive approach of customization. Although economies of scale still play a role with the exclusive approach, it is not promoted to produce customized products en masse. This again would take way from the notion of rarity and exclusivity and would not help luxury brands to recreate a luxury experience, which is the purpose of this paper. It must be mentioned that a few luxury brands currently offer customization as they call it, however this is not customization to a degree that satisfies a true luxury customer. Louis Vuitton for example offers a â€Å"customization/personalization† service on its website, where customers can choose different colors for stripes and their initials to be drawn on a brown canvas bag. The whole process is done online, which delivers no luxury atmosphere at all and the aesthetics are not living up to a luxury brand and neither the leather, nor the hardware or lining can be altered. â€Å"Real customization† is only available for travel pieces. According to Gilmore and Pine, two customization experts, there are four different approaches for customization and managers should evaluate each to offer best service to their customers. In some cases not every approach is possible. The following part of the paper examines each approach and the possibilities for a luxury brand to utilize it (Gilmore/Pine, 2000, 116). 9 1. Collaborative Customization In this approach a company is conducting a dialogue with customers, so that they can articulate their preferences and needs. The goal is to identify a precise offering in order to satisfy these needs and offer a tailored product. 2 2. Adaptive customization In this case a standard product is offered, that the customers can customize themselves after the purchase. An example would be a watch where one can change the wristbands, such as the Gucci â€Å"U-Play Interchangeable Lizard Watch†. Fig. 1 Gucci â€Å"U-Play Interchangeable Lizard Watch† 3. Cosmetic Customization 2 [†¦] on an Air France flight from Paris to London Jane Birkin pulled her Hermes datebook out of her bag and all her papers fell out. She groused about how the book needed a pocket. Besides her sat Jean-Louis Damas. He took her datebook and she got it back a few weeks later with a pocket stitched inside, which is still there today (Thomas, 2007, 189). 10 Cosmetic Customization is not about the product itself but more about the packaging, the advertisement of different attributes or benefits of the product. Thus, a standard product is packaged and presented differently for certain markets. This can become especially important a retail environment where customized packaging plays a big role. Personalization, like adding the customer’s name would be an example for a cosmetic customization. 4. Transparent Customization This approach is used when customers do not directly communicate their needs, but they are easily predictable or can be easily deduced. Customers are provided with goods or services tailored for them, without letting them know that they have been customized for them. This type of customization requires constant monitoring and a deep understanding of the customers needs. It challenges brands to come up with innovative methods of data collecting. Fig. 2 The Four Approaches to Customization 11 Besides the different approaches of customization it must be mentioned that customization can be applied throughout the value chain, but it implies a company open for innovative approaches and careful management. Customized? Development? Customized? Production? Customized? Retailing? Customized? Delivery? Fig. 3 Possible Value Chain of a Luxury Brand Since it would exceed the scope of this paper to discuss every possible customization process that could be applied by a luxury brand, the following part outlines a scenario of customizing a luxury handbag for exclusive customers, taking every step in the value chain into account. In the development stage of the product, the customer would make an appointment in a luxury boutique, or be offered to have a designated expert of the brand come by a place of the customer’s choice. It must be mentioned that customization should only take place in selected brand-owned boutiques, such as flagship stores and never on the internet or a non luxury shopping mall (e. g. Lenox). In the case of an instore appointment, there should be a private room or section that is solely reserved for customization customers, including catering of exquisite snacks and drinks to enhance the luxury atmosphere. Unlike customization that is offered online, the customer should actually have all the materials that she can choose from in front of her, so she can feel and smell the different kinds of leather, fabrics, linings, hardware etc. As mentioned above, polysensuality is an integral part of a luxury brand, thus all senses should be addressed. The brand should provide multiple options to choose from of materials, shapes and sizes. However, if a customer has a special wish, e. g. 12 a color that is not available in the presented selection or a special lining wish, the brand should be able to provide it. On top of that personalization should be offered. Customers should be able to have their name, a quote, writing etc. on the bag at every place they want it. Anya Hindmarch for example offers customers the opportunity to write a personal message in their own handwriting that is discreetly embossed on the handbag in silver or gold, prices range from $1300 $9. 500 (Okonkwo, 2007, 262). Unfortunately, this service is only offered online, thus customers can’t feel the materials and have definitely no luxury experience. When the customization process is finished, the brand should have special software to show the customer on a big screen a model of what the creation will look like, so that last changes can be made. The design must be sent to an atelier, preferably in the country of the brand’s origin, where skilled craftsman are working on the items. Each bag must be identified with a number, the craftsman who worked on it and the material it was made from. Naturally a customized piece has a longer delivery time, for a handbag approximately 6-16 weeks, depending on availability of materials etc. However, since a customized item is considered an investment piece, customers are willing to have a longer waiting time. After the item has arrived in the store, cosmetic customization can be made at the point of retail by the sales assistant. In case of a bag or travel item e. g. the brand could attach a charm or a customized name nametag in the bag’s color to surprise the customer and show special attention. The packaging of the customized item can also be tailored towards the taste of the customer (the in-store customization expert should be aware of customer’s preferences or be able to find out during the design process, referred to as transparent customization). Along with the customized item the customer should 13 receive a letter from the store manager, which addresses the customer directly and shows the brand’s appreciation. Having a personal delivery service that brings the item directly to the customer can customize the last part of the value chain. To create the ultimate luxury experience the brand could additionally send flowers, truffles or wine to show appreciation for the customer. The process of customization outlined above is not limited to bags and can be applied to almost every item, shoes, jewelry, travel items etc. Obviously customization is a laborious process, thus the question arises which advantages does it have for brand have and is all the effort worth it? The basic question â€Å"Do customized products bring additional value to the customer† was widely discussed in academic literature. The findings of the latest study by Franke, Keinz and Steger suggest that the higher the customer involvement with a product is, the more value customization adds (Franke, Keinz, Steger, 2009, 115). Assuming that a luxury product already requires a high consumer involvement, due to its high price and the â€Å"dream value†, it can be concluded that customized luxury goods are adding value to the customer’s purchase. Amongst all advantages the most important one is the closer contact and relationship to your core customers, and a personal identification with the brand. The customer serves as a co-designer and in-house consultant during the customization process. The brand can learn about their customers’ taste and tap into their intellectual property, which results in higher potential of future design success. Empowerment of the customer leads to a higher customer satisfaction, which results in repeated purchases, less comparative shopping and overall brand loyalty (Okonkwo, 2007, 252). Especially in a globalized luxury landscape brands can satisfy customers in different parts of the world and react to cultural taste differences. As a conclusion it can be said, that â€Å"benefits of 14 customization are contingent on characteristics of the customer, namely his or her level of insight into own preferences, ability to express those preferences, and product involvement† (Franke, Keinz, Steger, 116). Although the advantages overweigh, it must be noted that customization also imposes challenges on a brand, such as the integration of the customization process into already existing internal processes and the value chain. Operations must be changed, functional units for customization must be established and the brand must invest in human capital, in order to have experts on both the retail and manufacturing side. Many companies will have difficulties overcoming current practices, since most luxury brands are now owned by big conglomerates, where they face a wall of bureaucracy. Besides that the collection of personal data from customers is a highly sensitive area of customization. First, data collection and analysis are not a core competence of luxury brands and many companies just started to use special software. Thus, problems could arise organizing and interpreting the gathered information. Second, although it can help a lot with future shopping assistance and marketing, luxury brands should never store personal data without the explicit permission of the customers. VI. Marketing in an Age of Diversity It is a given that an exclusive offer like customization needs an exclusive marketing approach. Therefore, all common marketing practices, such as fashion magazine advertisement, blogs, online marketing etc. are not an option. Since this customization is a costly service, the right clientele must be targeted. Thus, this paper suggests three marketing approaches to reach the luxury core customer. The 15 first strategy is to approach luxury magazines that are not directly fashion related. The selected magazines would include, but are not limited to: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ FT- How to spend it Town and Country Palm Beach Illustrated3 Architectural Digest Robb Report Unique Homes Luxury Living Dolce Vita Elite Traveler Prestige Instead of placing bold ads in these magazines, the marketing strategy should focus on creating interest by subtle advertisement. This could include product placement in an editorial spread that has nothing to do with fashion, e. g. a bag could be placed on a designer table in Architectural Digest. Placing the product in a special section like â€Å"most exclusive picks of the month† would be another form of subtle advertisement. If the relations to a magazine are very good, the brand could have the magazine featuring a story about most exclusive luxury items and place the customization service in there. It is crucial that prices or places where the customization service is offered will not be communicated. The magazine should only provide a phone number that connects the customer to the customization department of the brand, where all information will be available. Furthermore â€Å"price upon request† is an effective tool to create interest and the notion that a product is in a top price range and only available for a few clients. 3 Palm Beach Illustrated Magazine is an award-winning regional luxury lifestyle magazine, appealing to the worlds most sophisticated and ultra-affluent audience. The magazines content reflects the many facets of sophistication that set the Palm Beach market apart and gives the community its unique brand of panache. Focusing on cutting-edge fashion, the social and philanthropic scenes, the celebrities and fascinating personalities, the exquisite estates and interiors, as well as the luxurious retail and travel opportunities available in this unique region. 16 The second marketing strategy would be an exclusive catalogue, in which the brand introduces its new service to selected clients. That this service is not available to the broad public must be clearly communicated. Naturally the catalogue must be printed on high quality paper and must feature only very creative pictures from one of the world’s best fashion photographer, such as Andrea Klarin, Raya or Steven Meisel. The catalogue should inform the customers about the customization process, as well as provide examples of customized bags. Since luxury customers today have strong values and principles, the catalogue should include where products such as leather and silk are sourced as well as the place of production. The catalogues would be sent to already existing top customers, whose addresses the luxury brand should have in their data storage. Magazines such as Prestige, which only have subscribers over a certain net worth (starting at $2 Mio. ) could provide additional addresses of future customers. The catalogue must convey a luxury feeling through materials and aesthetics, so it does become a decorative book more than a disposable item. The last part of the marketing strategy would be an invitation only event that can be held in the best hotels of strategically important cities. With approximately 150-200 guests, the brand would exclusively introduce the customization service to their most important clients and high-society people of the city in a glamorous atmosphere. The brand could show a video about their history and heritage, leading the consumer back in the days when customization was the starting point of the brand. Exquisite catering and entertainment must be a part of the event, as well as a small fashion show that shows the brand’s latest collection with some of the customized items. The brand should have a customization expert on site, so if guests have questions about the service there is a person helping them directly. 17 VII. Financial Analysis The attached excel sheet outline a one-year cash flow plan for setting up the customization service in a first tier city flagship store. The $500. 000 start capital are sponsored by corporate. Travel expenses include travels to other flagship stores, the manufacturing site or to customers, who are out of town. As mentioned before, customized products do not impose any inventory costs on the stores. It is assumed that corporate takes over most advertising costs, however stores must support local advertisement, which can be seen in the expenses. Income taxes are assumed to be 25 percent of the sales, based on the information that in the US income taxes range from 10-35 percent. The sales figures are derived from the following price points of merchandise: Between $9. 000 and $85. 000 for a customized bag, $800 $5000 for customized shoes and $15. 000 100. 000 for customized travel items. Prices depend on leather, hardware, other materials such as lining and complexity of production. The high price points are set deliberately, to keep away non-enthusiast and protect the exclusivity of the service. The predicted sales figures are more conservative at the introduction phase of the customization service but pick up by the end of the 12 months, leaving the store with a profit of $648,700. 000 at the end of the year. December is supposed to have the highest sales figures, due to holiday business. VIII. Conclusion: Does Customization Take Away a Brand’s Authority? One reason why many brands are reluctant to change their current practices when it comes to customization is their fear of losing brand authority. As Okonkwo put it correctly, it is argued that if brands provide their customers with the tools to customize their products, they might lose their superiority appeal (Okonkwo, 2007, 248). Marketing guru Kapferer advises luxury brands to â€Å"Not pander to their 18 customers’ wishes† and to â€Å"Dominate the client† (Kapferere/Bastien, 2009, 64 f. ). However, looking at the roots of most luxury brands, with customization as their starting point, this advice seems to be outdated and ignorant to the trends in current society. Due to the latest development in the luxury markets, which have extensively explained above in chapter II- IV, denying customization to the customer seems to be narrow-minded and can seriously damage the brand on the long run. Since customization as discussed in this paper is not a means to please the masses, but to gain back the true luxury consumer who seeks an exclusive experience, the argument that the brand loses its superiority status is not applicable. The purpose of research was to examine if luxury brands could use customization in order to win back core customers and regain a luxury status. It can be concluded that with the right marketing approaches as well as with a management that is open for innovation, customization can be a great tool to optimize customer satisfaction and add value at every part of the value chain. If customization is executed correctly, it can change the luxury landscape to a situation where not only Hermes, but other brands with a long tradition of craftsmanship can be considered true luxury again. 19 References M. Edouard (2006), Revamping Luxury: Mass Customization Applied to the Luxury Goods Market. MBA Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. N. Franke, P. Keinz, C. J. Steger (2009), Testing the Value of Customization: When Do Customers Really Prefer Products Tailored to Their Preferences? , Journal of Marketing Vol. 73 (Sept. 2009),103-121. J. Holusha (1996), Making the Shoe Fit, Perfectly; Companies Use Technology to Sell to a Market of One, The New York Times. J. N. Kapferer, V. Bastien (2009), The Luxury Strategy – Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands. London: Kogan Page. P. Zipkin (2001), The Limits of Mass Customization, MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring2001, Vol. 42 Issue 3, p81, 7p.

Examining Social Justice And Equality Politics Essay

Examining Social Justice And Equality Politics Essay Social justice and equality is a significant issue in almost all societies around the world. It encompasses other important issues like human rights, social policies, social welfare problems and the like. It includes concerns about race, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, educational attainment and other factors that categorize individuals in a certain community. Therefore, the intricate relationship between social justice, equality and social welfare is vital in understanding the values, norms and attitudes that individuals in a certain society possess. In this paper, I will talk about social justice and equality and how it affects social policies and social work practice. I will also discuss certain relevant concepts like poverty and human rights, and I will also cite some social justice issues faced by vulnerable populations in Canada. Let us start the discussion by defining what social welfare is. According to Hick (2007) social welfare has numerous usages, but it can be seen more often in four basic themes. Social welfare can be a philosophical concept or an abstract set of principles that enable society to seek solutions to social problems. It can also be seen as a product or legislated documents that prescribe how income security and social services are to be carried out. The third theme is that social welfare can be seen as a process or a series of change that is never fully developed due to shifting contexts and lastly, social welfare can be seen as a framework of action which is both a product and a process. (p.2) Canada is known to be a social welfare state wherein social services and income security programs are available to citizens and these programs are provided by the government in various levels. (Hick, 2007, p.1) However, there are debates arising nowadays that questions Canadas position as a welfare state because of the tax cuts in funds that are allocated for social welfare programs such as income supplements and other monetary assistance for people who need help. Hick argued in his book that Canadas social welfare services provided by the government are diminishing, and citizens rely more and more in non-profit and for-profit organizations. Cutbacks on government spending budget for social services has been implemented and strict eligibility criteria has been set in order to determine who are the people deserving of assistance. Hick also stated that Canadian citizens are disagreeing over whether income security programs should be extended, strengthened or reduced. These differences are because differences in political ideologies, economic theories and basic notions and views about income security programs in our society. (Hick, 2007, p.20) In my opinion, the government should not cut budgets on social welfare programs and policies. I think that it is the duty of the Canadian government, as a welfare state to help its citizens in every way possible in terms of attaining socially-just and equal programs and projects with regards to social welfare. So, what is a socially-just welfare system? Our definition of a socially-just welfare can be different because of the different experiences we have. Our definitions may vary because of factors which affect our perception and behavior such as our family, mass media, our religion, education, socio-economic status or the experiences we had in relation to social welfare. For example, if one belongs to a low-income family, his/her definition of socially-just welfare can be those programs that give monetary, social and psychological assistance to all low-income families, without the need for strict criteria of eligibilities. This is because he/she experiences firsthand how hard it is to belong to a low-income family. On the other hand, if one belongs to a high-income family and he/she works hard in order to earn money, he/she may argue that a socially-just welfare system is the one who employs strict rules on eligibility. He/she may argue that peoples taxes should not be used to assist peo ple who are not in great need of assistance. In short, we may have different views regarding a socially-just welfare system because of the experiences and factors that shape the way we perceive things. There are also emerging theories on what is a socially-just just welfare system. For example, ideas such Social Investment State by Anthony Giddens (1998) proposes a social investment state that focuses on social inclusion by strengthening civil society and providing equality of opportunity than equality of outcomes. Giddens believe that jobs should not be low-paying and dead-end in order to attain social inclusion. Also, an inclusive society must provide the basic needs of those who cannot work. (as cited in Hick, 2007, p.105-106) This is one of many views that we can use in analyzing the aspects of social welfare. In a globalized economy wherein every action of almost all countries affects each other, we should always take into consideration the three important aspects namely social justice, equality and human rights intersect. Human rights are inherent rights without which we cannot truly live as human beings. The International Bill of Human Rights is the primary basis of the United Nations (UN) to promote, protect and monitor human rights and fundamental freedom. (Hick, 2007, p.115-116) According to Mishra (1999) globalization undermines the ability of the national governments to pursue policies of full employment and demand management. Furthermore, he said that globalization increases the inequality in wages and working conditions and high-paying jobs are shrinking while part-time employment flourishes. Mishra also pointed out that globalization prioritizes deficit reduction and tax cuts over social security systems. Lastly, he stated that globalization shifts power multi-national corporations and away from the labor and civil society, thus weakening the support for social welfare programs. (as cited in Hick, 2007, p.122-123) In my opinion, social justice, equality and human rights are all forms of protection for people in one way or another. All three preserves the right of the individual to have access to resources like employment, education and leisure. Also, reaching social justice and equality will surely alleviate the condition of individuals and will be able to make them attain the best state of well-being possible. All three concepts focus on the improvement of the individual, not just in monetary forms but most importantly as a complete and contented citizen. But as we have mentioned earlier, these three will not be attained as long as there are existing problems in the society like inequality, discrimination and lack of opportunities. Upon mentioning the hindrances in attaining justice and equality, let us now discuss poverty. According to Hick (2007), Canada is one of the only few countries without an official poverty line. However, Statistics Canada produces the Low Income Cut-off or LICO, which reveals that in 2004 around 3.5 million Canadians or 11.2 percent lived below the after-tax LICO level. (p.205) Poverty can be measured in terms of income, or in terms of how low or high can you locate yourself in the continuum line of LICO. However, according to Hick (2007), poverty is beyond income. Poverty can also be social exclusion or the marginalization of individuals. It means that individuals have limited opportunities or abilities to participate in social, economic, and cultural activities of society. The use of social exclusion is an attempt to broaden the definition of poverty beyond income levels computation. It views poverty as the inability to pursue well-being because of lack of opportunities. (p.210) In my opinion, how we view poverty is affected by the socialization we have as we grow up. We can see poverty as a lack of material or monetary wealth or we can view poverty as social discrimination or social exclusion. If one experiences the exclusion because of prejudice against him/her because he/she is seeking assistance of the government, that in is self can be poverty. Poverty is an important issue because there is a percentage of the Canadian population who belongs to these distinctions. Poverty is evident especially to migrant workers as they are sometimes deemed to have incompetent credentials. Credentialism issue arises as degrees and certification from non-traditional source countries may not be as readily recognized. Discrimination, non-recognition or undervaluing of foreign educational skills, credentials and education are most likely the factors why most immigrants live beyond LICO as opposed to Canadian-born citizens. (Hick, 2007, p.218) Kazemipur and Halli (2001) found out in their study that with everything else held equal (like education and language) the odds of poverty increases by 56 percent if one is an immigrant. (as cited in Hick, 2007, p.218) High poverty rate among immigrants is an example of a social justice issue related to vulnerable populations. Because of the combination of discrimination, limited opportunities to work, hesitance of employers to hire immigrants because of adjustment issues and undervaluing foreigner skills and credentials, immigrants are singled-out. They are not able to realize their full potential and are forced to live below the poverty line because of the reasons mentioned above. According to Hick (2007) these deep-seated problems cannot be solved by the labor market alone. Variety of policies is needed such as employment and pay equity, recognition and promotion of the hidden skills of new immigrants to prospective employers, the provision of language and skills training to the new immigrants and the expedited recognition of foreign credentials. Hick argued that these policies are needed to address the social exclusion of recent immigrants and racialized communities. (p.218) This discrimination of migrant workers because of the fear that they are not as good as Canadian Citizens is a clear manifestation of injustice. In a society that calls itself a social welfare state, this kind of inequality must be eradicated. In my opinion, inequality and injustice arises in a society like ours when people start to mistreat and judge others in terms of their race, ethnicity, gender, social class and the like. As migrants workers adjust to the culture and practices in Canada, it would be unhelpful if people will judge them instead of helping them. Another vulnerable population in Canada is the Aboriginal peoples. According to Hick (2007) 31.2 percent of the Aboriginal peoples live below LICO. (p.218) They are discriminated along with other immigrants in terms of skills and educational attainment, thus making it hard for them to find a high-paying job, or even a sustainable job. Malcom Saulis (2003) discussed the state and condition of programs and policies for social welfare in relation to the Aboriginal peoples in his article Program and Policy Development from a Holistic Aboriginal Perspective which can be found in our Reading text. In his article, he stated that even though Aboriginal communities are now fully capable of delivering and implementing social welfare programs, they still do not have autonomy to do programming in a way that fully takes into account the culture of their people. (Book of Readings, 103-104) This is a social justice issue because the Aboriginal peoples are still deprived to practice and nurture the culture that they have for a very long time already. Limiting them, by not letting them incorporate ceremonies, dances, songs, drums, gatherings and the like in social welfare programs prepared and attended by their own people is equivalent to depriving them of their own well-being. Integration to society should not interfere with the culture and tradition that the Aboriginal people possess. Saulis (2003) identified the difference between Aboriginal and mainstream policy-making processes and found out that Aboriginal peoples are more interested in the collective rather that the individual and the approach of the former is more community-based. (Book of Readings, p.109) Therefore, not letting the Aboriginal peoples decide for themselves in terms of social welfare programs will not work. They have a frame of thought different from the mainstream ideas and it would work best for them to let them practice their traditions and beliefs and let them incorporate it in the programs that the government provides. Canadian social workers therefore have a very important role in ensuring that social justice and equality is incorporated within the delivery and design of social welfare programs and policies. They are the ones who will deal with people and they are also the ones who are placed in-between the government and the recipients of social welfare programs. Social workers are the one who could see the bigger picture, as they know why certain policies are made or approved, and they also know what is happening in the field. They are the people who can see the day-to-day lives of ordinary citizens of Canada who are the targets of the programs. Social justice and equality can be factored into welfare designs and deliveries by assessing the needs of the target population. Since there has been tax cuts recently in the budget for social welfare projects, the government devised tools that would determine whether one is eligible for social welfare or not, such as income allowances and other monetary measures. What should we take into consideration in making and delivering social welfare services is not just the capacity of the individual to make money, but also the acceptance of society itself in that individual. Meaning, instead of looking at the individuals personal problems like he/she cannot find work or he/she cannot find a stable source of income, we should look at what kind of society that the individual revolve around. Is Canadas society discriminating against immigrants, Aboriginal peoples or women? Are there enough work for everybody? What state or working conditions in Canada? By doing these, we do not stereotype the individual and we do not label him/her, but we are actually looking at the holistic view of the current conditions. If Canadas working environment is not discriminating and on the other hand inviting to all citizens, then the target population of social welfare programs in terms of income supplement would be reduced. Justice and equality should be enjoyed by all citizens of Canada, regardless of whether they are immigrants, First Nation peoples, Aboriginal peoples and the like. Government programs should be accessible to all individuals regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, age, religion, educational attainment and the like. Since social workers are the one who are in the field they can also suggest better ways of conducting social welfare programs and they can also influence policy-making projects of the government and politicians. Social workers can pin point the roots of the problem and suggest more comprehensive solutions in addressing this because they are more exposed to the individuals needing assistance. Also, as mentioned by Hick (2007) in the first page of his book, almost all Canadians of all ages has been in need of help of social welfare programs once in their lives. Even children, single parents, women, aging citizens, disabled or people simply undergoing a difficult time in their lives has in one way or another needed help from the government. (p.1) In terms of international social justice issues, Canadian social workers can also influence the policy-making process of other countries who aim to be a social welfare state. Because of the experiences they already have in working with Canadas programs, they can give efficient programs for starters and they can also be open for consultations in order to guide other countries who want to adapt a welfare state system. In conclusion, I could say that I learned so much about social justice and equality in this assignment. Also, I was able to review the basic concepts about social welfare and was also able to reflect on the state and condition of social work practices and programs in Canada. I hope that the Canadian government as well as the citizens could improve the conditions in our country to further promote social justice and equality and in order to protect and exercise the well-being of its citizens.

Developmental Profile :: Teaching Education

Developmental Profile Developmental Profile for Adolescents Physical Characteristics 1. Concerning boys in this period, in general the penis and scrotum get much larger, hair appears in the axillae and in the pubic area, the voice begins to deepen, and the spurt of height and weight begins. This period, for girls, is a time of rounding out and completing major changes in the secondary sex characteristics. For example, most have begun menstruation and the weight and height gains have slowed down (Babcock, 1967). 2. Puberty is set into action by the increase of the hormone testosterone in males and estrogen in females (Rathus, et al., 1986). 3. The primary sex characteristics enlarge and mature: in males--the testes, prostate gland, penis and seminal vesicles, in females--the ovaries, uterus and vagina (Papalia, et al., 1998). 4. Acne develops in some adolescents, due to the change in hormones, and can last well into adulthood (Edelman, et al., 1994). 5. Toward the end of puberty, menarche in girls and ejaculation in boys signals reproductive potential. Puberty that is early or late can be stressful, although the specifics depend on gender, personality, and culture (Berger, 1998). Intellectual Characteristics 1. According to Piaget, adolescents enter the highest level of cognitive development--formal operations--when they develop the capacity for abstract thought (Papalia, et al., 1998). 2. An adolescent may be adult in his ability to reason and vote, but he's more childish in his attitude toward sex and marriage (Babcock, 1967). 3. Adolescent egocentrism, along with feelings of uniqueness and invincibility, can cloud judgment, as well as make them extraordinarily self-absorbed (Berger, 1998). 4. The specific intellectual advancement of each teenager depends greatly on education. Each culture and each school emphasizes different subjects, values, and modes of thinking, a variation which makes some adolescents much more sophisticated in their thoughts and behavior than others (Berger, 1998). 5. Erickson's Theory of identity vs. identity confusion emerges. This is involves the adolescent determining his/her own sense of self or experience confusion about roles (Edelman, et al., 1994). Socio-Emotional (Behavioral) 1. Some young adolescent girls, more so than boys, are dealing with eating disorders such as Bulimia and Anorexia (Papalia, et al., 1998). 2. Sexual activity rises for a variety of reasons, such as, seeking affection, peer pressure, as a symbol of maturity, spontaneous experimentation, to feel close, and because it feels good (Edelman, et al., 1994). 3. Given the restrictions placed on adolescents, their yearning for independence, and a sex drive heightened by high levels of sex hormones, it is not surprising that many adolescents report frequent conflict with their families (Rathus, et al.

Human Trafficking and the International Sex Industry Essay -- Asia Pro

Human Trafficking and the International Sex Industry Human trafficking refers to the movement of persons across borders for forced labor, sexual exploitation or other illicit activities. Sex trafficking is the most lucrative sector of human trafficking America, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia. The global political economy, political corruption, human rights, gender and ethnic stratification, and migration are all related to human trafficking. In many developing countries globalization has brought masses of wealth to the elite at the expense of the poor. Consequently, many women of the poorer classes leave their homeland in search of opportunities for employment. These women are disproportionately affected by poverty, lack of access to education, discrimination, racism, and lack of economic opportunities. International migration is an important aspect of sex trafficking. Manuel Castells While migration has always been a part of human existence it now exists as a more profitable network. We are living in a networked society in which globalization over and over. These are some reasons why human trafficking is the fastest growing and third largest criminal industry in the world (Polaris Project 2003). Kevin Bales’ book, â€Å"Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy,† describes people in such conditions who endure modern forms of slavery, including sex slavery. The life narrative of a Thai girl named Siri, as told to Bales, illustrates how sex slavery happens to vulnerable girls and women. Siri was born in Thailand to a poor farming family. Under the structural adjustment policies of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the Thai government has taken former government subsidies a... ... Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. 187 -215. Kyle, David, Rey Koslowski, ed. Global Human Smuggling : Comparative Perspectives Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. Polaris Project Said, Edward . Orientalism . New York : Pantheon Books, 1978. Skrobanek, Siriporn, Nataya Boonpakdee, Chutima Jantateero. The traffic in women : human realities of the international sex trade. London ; New York : Zed Books Ltd, 1997. Taylor, Jacqueline Sanchez. â€Å"Se x Tourism in the Carribean.† Tourism and Sex: Culture, Commerce and Coercion . Ed. Stephen Clift and Simon Carter. London; New York: Pinter, 2000 Clift. 187 -215. Truong, Thanh -Dan. â€Å"Serving the Tourist Market Female Labor in International Tourism.†Femin ism and Sexuality: A Reader. Ed. Stevi Jackson, Sue Scot. New York: Columbia University Press, 1996.

Speech: Dealing with Change -- essays research papers

The bombing of the two towers, September 11th, 2001. 2 749 reported deaths. The bombing of Hiroshima, August 6th and August 9th, 1945. 120 000 reported deaths. The battle for Gallipoli, from February 1915 to January 1916, a total of 505 000 recorded deaths, 28 150 of these were Australian. The Trojan War, 400 B.C. Total annihilation of Troy. Good morning friends, classmates and teachers. On any of these given days, thousands of people died. These acts of war were inspired by passion, greed and revenge. No one really wanted for their people to die – but they did. And this is something that no one can, or ever will be able to change. People have however, taken steps to address these wrongs. Some by retaliation, or being retaliated upon, others by an act of peace. It is not up to me to decide for these nations which of these developments are better, but I do see it as my duty to think, to wonder and to acknowledge. Lives were lost. Was it for nothing? How would the world differ today if none of these events had occurred? Would we have had a more peaceful place to grow up in? Or would a human’s basic instinct still win out, therefore creating more turmoil then there ever has been? Though as much as we should think and wonder about this, there is also nothing that we ever could have done, nor is there an answer to any of these questions. That said, these questions are important, not only to acknowledge the lives that were lost, but also so that we may stop and think next time before we act, instead of after. Before any of us do or say something that may effect and invoke change, because nothing can ever make things go back to the way they were. Depending on how things have been affected and altered, this can either be a goo... ...ecause we will always carry those through our lives, remembering the people who were there, and who cared enough to make sure that we opened our eyes to notice the world that surrounded us. When our time comes to stand up and be counted we will remember those who taught us that we are all different. We will remember the time when we realized that we are all the same. We will know that it will not matter in life who we were friends with or what clubs we belonged to. It will not matter what our grades were, or what kind of clothes we wore. It will not matter what kind of cars our parents drove. It will not matter what our dreams were, but what dreams we accomplish. Agathon was right when he said that â€Å"God cannot change the past†, and I for one am glad for that, but we must remember that while not even God can change the past, but it is our job to change the future.

Case Study: Lean Implementation at Siemens’ Kalwa Plant Essay

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & COMPANY BACKGROUND Briefly, in this case we glimpse on Kalwa Planet-Siemens in India which improve itself from a traditional organization to lean management structure. The first Siemens work shop started on May 1st, 1955 in a small place on Mumbai with 10 employees and with very simple equipment’s. Their main business is fixing damaged switch boards and other fabrication jobs which most of their components were imported and small number of them produced inside workshop. In 2009 Siemens company in India consolidate its place rather than before this factory equipped with the most modern machinery and testing facilities and 40 percent of the India Siemens worked in Kalwa factory, not only they change their role during these years from a simple assembly site to the medium voltage switchboards (M1) producer ,medium voltage indoor and outdoor vacuum circuit breakers (MC) producer , gas insulated switcher (M2-GIS)producer in support of the main company , but also they improved their position in the market , now the company has 5 factories in Mumbai , Nasik , Calcutta ,Aurangabad and Goa , 4000 employees and 11 sales offices, 300 dealers . Furthermore their company is second Siemens factories outside of Germany after Brazil branch. Siemens improve its products in 4 sections: 1-industry 2-energy 3-healthcare 4-consumer products in India and all of the world and our case company manufactured low variety and high variety products which belong to power distribution segment, energy division. Siemens Company in India competed with ABB, Areva, Schneider electrics on the other hand Kalwa products exported to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Oman, Qatar and etc. In 2009, 60 to 65 percent of The Switchboard Factory (WSWB) area allocated to manufacturing panels (M1) and IVCBs (MC) and remain space remains for manufacturing OVCB (MC) and M2 products. This company had 400 personnel (blue and white collar) and employees worked in 2 working shifts and one additional shift (if necessary). Manufacture cycle – order planning and logistic: Initially , SOE (sales order engineering) was the first segment in M1 which had some duties like: design manufacturing ,process planning ,testing and quality package and dispatch commercial , incoming inspection and stores. Local customers ordered to the regional sales team and marketing team focused on export orders. Every order that transferred to the SOE marked and entered to the factory. All the orders must passed two stages: 1-Design and engineering stage , 2-order planning and execution stage. After an order received by marketing section, then SEO prepared an engineering drawing with cooperation with sales colleagues and customer (to cover customer needs), these drawing prepaid in 2 stage A and B , in stage A : they have all info except wiring diagram which completed in section B .after passing these two levels they sent their drawing to the customer to approve and then send it to the manufacturing. During these processes SEO consulted them to avoid any non standard customer requirement if all the level passed correctly the documents were passed to the manufacturing department. Technical Order Processing department (TOP) received orders and recorded it in to the production planning database according to their times then delivery committee tried to estimated the delivery date to the customer. Every order needed two type of raw materials (equipments) :1-electrical , 2- mechanical ,the top staff wrote the necessary equipments in a list that called (BOM) bill of materials list . The BOM sent by enterprise resource planning software (ERP) to the material planning department, mechanical equipments were existed inside of the company and electrical needed to order to the supplier. Then procurement cycle started next equipments release to the shop according to the requirement. The exits manufacturing system had many error, waste and inefficiencies in shop floor and logistic (they wasted long time and valuable raw materials and sometimes the manufactured panels wasted because of weak layout design) , on the other hand on 2006 customer demands increased around 75 percent and managers need to enhance their manufacturing process efficiency to reduce their costs and respond sooner to the customer demand .in October 2006 Siemens AG sent a letter regarding the implementation of lean management in Kalwa company and mentioned they eagerness to improve Kalwa factory like the other branches during the world . They expected this implementation will enhance company’s capacity to triple during five or six years. Lean management implementation steps: The lean management team visited Siemens site in Turkey which managed in lean management methods then consultant added to the team members , one of the most important duties for managers and team member is to clarify how much this implementation is vital for the company to hold its market share and all the personnel had a critical role to achieve this goal , thus managers started the Lean management process with brain storming among all the company sections , they asked which points make waste during production process ? They wanted to know and eliminate any waste of time and raw material during production line. However, changing the working methods which many person work with it for many years has some resentment among different groups. the lean team decided to divide their changes to : 1-layout 2-support system 3-vendor management 4-cultural changes , which these changes caused to improve the Kalwa company efficiency. Lean team had meeting with personnel of sections that had more errors after lean implementation, team members tried to find out problems and seek to solve the issue. 2.0 QUESTION 1 Has Siemen’s Kalwa plant been effective in achieving lean implementation? In our opinion, Siemens Kalwa Plant has been affective in achieving lean implementation. The main contributing factors for an effective lean implementation for Siemens Kalwa Plant are as follows: 1. Top Management provide a very good support and clear direction a. Lead by Global Head, Mr Gewald b. Siemens Kalwa Plant General Manager, Mr Khandekar c. Mr Khandekar, demonstrating â€Å"walk the talk† by showing his commitment by closely involved in the implementation activity to ensure the workers understood the objectives 2. Proper planning in understanding the as is process and to be process d. 6 months of impact assessment and feasibility study on Vacuum Circuit Breaker (VCB) existing product line processes 3. Lean objectives and target was communicated clearly to the whole team in Kalwa plant e. Introduction of Gewald to the shop floor workers and office employees to clearly communicate the initiative and the lean implementation objectives f. Clearly communicate that lean implementation to be introduced to only manufacture of panels and VCB. g. Provide clear reason on why the two (manufacture of panels and VCB) was chosen 4. Formation of Implementation team to operationalize and monitor h. Siemens Kalwa Plant General Manager, Mr Khandekar as the head for both the panels and VCB implementation team i. Supported by Mr Vedak for VCB j. Working group from cross functional team managers and executives 5. Site visit to learn from a real life lean implementation k. 2-3 team members and Mr Vedak visited lean plant Maruti l. Kandekar and Vedak visited Siemens Switchboard in Turkey 6. Appointment of consultant to help on the lean implementation m. The consultant provide tangible potential benefits i. Increased productivity of labours ii. Reduction in Inventory Level iii. Improve space utilization n. Knowledge sharing and best practice based on real life lean implementation from other industries 7. Organization are highly committed and motivated in implementing lean o. Group leaders support the workers maintaining the pace of the line p. Khandekar and his management team will attend the dashboard meeting to resolve issues q. By the actions of 7.a and 7.b, the employee realizes the importance of the initiative and start to commit themselves in making it a success r. With proper training, the employee feels engage and motivated to ensure the initiatives is a success The 7 contributing factors above enable Siemens Kalwa plant to effectively implement the changes required below: 1. Layout changes a. Assembly line introduced b. Work station based on order c. Fixed â€Å"takt† time 2. Support System changes d. Introducing Dashboard – for issue escalation e. A fix time to discuss the escalated issue. The and mandatory for the f. Training to ensure the employee has the right skill-sets 3. Vendor Management g. Able to adopted Just In Time (JIT) supplies delivery h. Able to embrace â€Å"Pull† Philosophy 4. Cultural changes i. Team â€Å"belongingness† j. Uniform dress-code After 12 months of implementing lean, Siemens Kalwa Plant achieved its 3 main objectives for implementing Lean processes bases on the followings business outcome: 1. Panel throughput time on the shop floor had reduced by approximately by 30 per cent 2. First Pass Yield (FPY) had increased by approximately by 40 per cent 3. Worker productivity had increased approximately by 30 per cent Siemens Kalwa plant should further refine and improve the improved processes/functions or to include other processes/functions which not part of the original scope to be part of the lean implementation. Siemens Kalwa plant should look into implementing lean to the remaining processes/functions as shown below: 1. Design department processes/functions 2. Engineering department processes/functions 3. Vendor and supplier manufacturing processes/functions The approach above combine with the adherence to lean principles and lean steps should ensure lean implementation is sustainable. 3.0QUESTION 2 How was the organization’s change process managed? Actually this company had different sections which needed to change during lean management theory for example : shop floor , design and engineering departments, vendor and suppliers all of these sections work in traditional methods .on the other these company use two different kinds of resources 1- mechanical , 2-electical which mechanical components exist in the company warehouse. But; electrical components needs to order and buy from suppliers, this company manufacture in mass customization method. As a matter of fact  changes had started with cooperation between Mr.Kulkarni with corporate strategy department to find out feasible switchboard part for implementation lean management in process , on the other hand management replacement occurred ; Mr. Kulkarni was promoted to director of Medium voltage Division and Mr. Khandekar raised to general manager for WSWB factory . Following, Mr. Gewald worldwide person in charge of lean project in the Siemens Switch Boards arrived at the Ka lwa factory , and manager introduced him to the shop floor workers and office employees and they decided to implement lean management in the VCB company too . In the first step Vedak and some members of the team had a trip to the lean plant of Maruti and they could understood benefits of lean management at the same time some American consultants arrived to the Kalwa factory to cooperate with them in lean management process implementation. Initially consultants had a meeting with manager and explained for him benefits of lean management like: increase productivity, reduction in inventory levels and improve space utilization. In 2008 khandekar and Vedak visited Siemens site in Turkey and surprised of implement lean management results in company efficiency. Managers needed to restructure layout and process to implement lean management .obviously errors, inefficiencies and wastes were not clear before implementation, during this process managers asked every department idea to achieve efficient ways and reduce next impact between personnel. Kalwa Company needs this process because total demands enhanced for their panels. Company must changed ex ist traditional layout in operating sections that needed unity among workers and supervisors. They decided to cultivate workers with rewards if they will catch the enough production monthly. They decided to prepare six work stations along their five assembly lines and they made this process flexible to use leader worker team to help the other assembly line (if necessary). As a Mather of fact, it’s necessary to change support system for new layout, managers used a board at the beginning of every assembly line which describe who are person in charges? Production features and their quantity? And necessary raw materials this board called dashboard and help to the company to find out the mistake or weakness points during the process. Seriously, suppliers were one of the most vital parts for their JIT and lean management. Lean companies need the correct part in a correct time because they do not have inventory any more. In the beginning  there were many inconsistency between company’s operational section and suppliers which cause to direct meeting between lean team members with them and team members describe that it is possible this methods make extra cost for you but in long time this method will improve company production quantity and improve your selling. Mr. khandekar decided to gathered every line member (engineers , workers , etc ) as a team to improve their organization culture , for feeling team belonging he decided to take 30 min for their pray and sport activity daily. 3.0 QUESTION 3 What resistance did Khandekar face in implementing the change and why? Lean is consider one of the most important success factor in an organization strategy as one of its main focus is to diminish impediments to the production line in order to ensure smooth process flow by eliminating waste. As noted in the article, time waste was evident throughout the department in the value chain and this requires major changes to the process flow. Since this would involve adjustment to the process flow and directly impact the way employees had been performing their task for years, it has created resentment from various groups of employees. Eventually, most of the departments involved are becoming defensive of their own approach and the way they do their work. At the beginning of every line there were dashboards installed throughout the shop floor, SOE and right to the dispatch section. The shop engineers and workers will post all issues that occurred on the line including the names of the people involved. The errors uncovered from various departments thru lean system which are overlooked previously has formed strong resentment among the workers especially for those who weren’t at ease in admitting their mistakes. This has leads to workers blaming each other which ended out with heated arguments among the departments. Furthermore, the structure change within the team, high human intervention in team activities and lack of synchronization between departments has contributed to high numbers of errors. One of the main reasons that contributed to this resistance is because the workers view the lean system as just another initiative from the management. Furthermore, the workers bonuses were solely dependent on the line’s productivity. In the event where throughput of the line is hampered due to issues, workers’ productivity as well as their salary will be affected as they need to wait until the issue is resolve and might need to extend their working hours. Therefore, the disruption was unacceptable and was compounded by the labour union. Vendor management is considered one of the toughest issues and it posed major challenges for Kalwa plant. All this while, vendors were so used to supplying in batches the required materials and goods for a large numbers of orders by a certain date. Thus majority of the vendors could maximize the cost advantages due to supplying materials in bulk. However, with lean implementation, the material is only required once the individual panel came on the production line since there is no longer needs for materials to be delivered by batch or by customers order. The change had a vast impact to suppliers where vendors were required to be constantly reminded of the new arrangement and to deliver the goods the following day which impede their profits since they could no longer exploit the economies of scale. Additionally, the new set up has also leave an impact to the material planning group as they need to arrange order for individual panels constantly instead of ordering in bulk and require to be in constant contact with the suppliers to ensure the material is delivered on time. 5.0QUESTION 4 How did Khandekar handle the resistant to change? The company faces several challenges despite the benefits of successful implementation were attractive. The challenges among others include restructuring the organization, getting the staff to accept the lean implementation and handling the resistance from internal and external stakeholders. One of the way Khandekar handle the resistance to change is by organizing meeting to explain to the employees the importance of adopting lean to cater the growing demand for panels. This lean was implemented at the shop floor which also requires the supporting department to adopt the lean implementation which includes layout changes, changes in the support system, changes in vendor management and cultural challenges. As for the layout change, the group leader plays a role to support the workers in maintaining the pace of the line. The workers will press an â€Å"and on† light which would then light up another â€Å"add on† lamp in the manufacturing department’s office in the event there is an issue with regards to the material or drawings. The TOP material planning or the equipment group would meet the worker to discuss the issue and subsequently the light would be switch off upon the issue is settled. Khandekar also attend meeting with a few other head of departments to discuss on the issues involve as well as those individ ual staff names which is listed on the dashboard. The meeting which is conducted every afternoon 2 pm for an half an hour provides the basis for managers to identify number of panels manufactured for the day, how the line is progressing and identify the issues that hampered the line’s progress. During the meeting, the issues are gradually addressed; the individual staffs involved were required to solve the issue by performing 6hkooa root cause analysis. Khandekar also face challenges to implement the lean as the vendors face problem to supply materials as and when required when the respective panel come on line as previously the materials were supplied in batches as per the agreed timeline. Hence, to overcome this issue, the lean team visits the vendors and presents the benefit of lean program. For short term, it was decided that vendors will manufacture the material in bulk but delivery of the materials as required by the line. Khandekar also introduce joint prayer and exercise session at each assembly line at the beginning of every shift. This concept was also introduced to the personnel in office. All the members involved in the lean project were given a T-shirt with lean logo which represents the â€Å"team effort† which was later introduced to the workers besides to the office staff and management. Khandekar also introduce key performance indicators and the workers performance bonuses are determine based on the agreed panel produced, i.e. six panels per day per line. The abovementioned solutions were identified and implemented by Khandekar to handle the resistance to change to successfully implement the lean at Siemens’ Kalwa Plant. 6.0QUESTION 5 How was the lean implementation institutionalized in the new set-up? When Siemens AG (headquarters) decided to implement lean manufacturing in the Kalwa factory, few initial steps were taken to ensure a proper foundation in terms of knowledge and understanding of lean manufacturing is first build in the Kalwa factory. Mr.Gewald, global head for spearheading lean project was brought in to the Kalwa factory to educate the top management level on what lean manufacturing is all about and how it can improve and benefit the factory. One of first few actions that Mr.Gewald took was to form a lean implementation team with Mr. Khandekar as the project leader and Mr.Vedak as the lean manager. Mr.Gewald with the help of consultants from United States held few meetings with the management to explain the potential benefits of the implementation. Through brainstorming and awareness sessions, the consultant team also gave presentation on the successful lean implementation in other companies especia lly at Toyota. Apart from that, Mr. Khandekar and Mr.Vedak also had a series of factory visits to companies which have completed the implementation of lean manufacturing. The main purpose of all this meetings, presentation and visits were to create the management’s confidence and prove how the implementation will be beneficial. Creating the belief and confidence of the management is essential in ensuring the success of the implementation. Once the lean team has been formed and the essence of lean manufacturing has been incorporated in them, the team starts the implementation process. Figure 1 show the implementation process. Observations & Analysis of Current process flow Identify Waste Area Identify Changes and Implementation Monitoring Performances Key Activities * Process Mapping to understand how the current process works * Current process flow chart is derived from the process mapping activity. Key Activities * From the derived process flow chart, waste or non value added works are identified. * Through brain storming, the ways and means to make this process efficient are discussed. Key Activities * From the analysis, changes are identified and the implementation process begins. The changes will cover:- a) Layout changes b) Changes in support system c) Changers in vendor management d) Cultural changes. Key Activities * The monitoring KPIs were defined. * A monitoring team was formed to document, analyses and report on these KPIs. Figure 1: Implementation process of lean manufacturing. As mentioned in question one, lean manufacturing by principle is the elimination of waste or non-value added works. As such, Mr.Khandekar and the lean team realized that they need to restructure both the layout and the process itself to eliminate non-value added works. Rather than blindly doing the implementation process, the team first did process mapping for the existing process to understand how it works. In the process mapping stage, the lean team held discussion with the entire department in the value chain regarding their process flow. The outcome of this activity was process flow chart. Next, the lean team analyzed the process flow chart to identify all non-value added in the flow. A brainstorming session was done with all the related personal to decide the changes that need to be made to make the process more efficient. At this stage the lean team also held meetings with  all the employees to explain what lean manufacturing is all about and why it is important for them to a dopt lean in their workplace. This was an important action by the lean team as there were signs of resentment and scepticism among the employees. From the first two stages of the implementation process, changes that are required to eliminate waste were identified. The changes are as below:- Layout Changes The lean team realized that physical structure of the layout needed to be changed, as there were wastage in terms of workers movement and the flow of the product or material. For the layout changes, the assembly line concept was adopted. Assembly lines with workstations were formed. The time per workstation was fixed and their work content was adjusted. An efficient flow of the products and worker movement were also considered in the new layout. Apart from that a communication system between worker level and the executive level was also created to improve response time. Changes in support system Apart from layout changes, lean team also made changes in support system for the production line. The main idea here is to introduce ownership concept to the production line whereby the owner has to be answerable to all problem that arise under his ownership. Dashboards were introduced at the beginning of each assembly line. Any issues in the production line will be highlight in the board with name of the related personal. Meetings will be held on daily bases to oversee all the issues. The dashboard also will display daily out of each assembly line to show progress in each line. Apart from that skill assessment of the employees and top management were also done continuously to identify skill gaps and appropriate training are arranged. Change in Vendor Management. Implementing lean manufacturing in the Kalwa factory alone would not be sufficient to eliminate waste. With vendors continuously supplying material or part in bulk orders, wastage of storage or inventory space occurs in the factory. With the availability of extra material or parts, manufacturing mistake will go unnoticed. As such, vendor management was also needed to be  changed. The main idea here is to have the right quantity of parts available at the right time with the right quality. Vendor will have to supply each order quantity accordingly rather that supplying in batch. Because of some difficult faced with the vendors, short term and long term plans were made. Long term plans are to implement lean principle at the vendor’s end. As for short term plans are the implementation of pull philosophy of the lean system whereby vendors will manufacture material in bulk but deliver it to factory as needed by the line. This is to reduce storage and inventory space in the factory . Occurs of manufacturing mistake or defects will come to the knowledge of the line managers or supervisors. Cultural Changes Activities such as joint prayers and exercise session were introduced to instil a sense of team belongingness among employees. Apart for that uniform dress code are also introduced for the lean implementation member to send the message of team effort to all workers and management staff. Once all the changes have been implemented according to the plan, the next important step that was taken is to monitor the effectiveness of the changes. With the help of Mr.Gewald, the monitoring KPIs were defined to analyze the effectiveness of lean system on the overall performance of the factory. A monitoring team was formed to continuously document, analyze and report on these KPIs to the Siemens AG (headquarters) on monthly bases. To summary, we can say several key actions have been taken to institutionalize the lean implementation in the new set-up of the Kalwa Factory. i) Before implementation process was started, a proper foundation was built in the company by educating the top management on the lean principles. ii) A sound implementation plan was made by the lean team by first, analyzing the existing process to identify inefficiencies. Then determine ways and means to improve them. iii) The lean team continued to educate all employees from staff level to worker level to ensu re all of them understood the lean principles. iv) Proper monitoring was done to know the effectiveness of all the changes made. v) Mr.Khandekar and his team also continuously come up with creative solutions for problem such as resentment and worker issues. What more does Khandekar need to do so that the changes are not reversed? There are several actions that Mr.Khandekar can take to make sure that the changes are not reversed. i) Continuous training on lean principles. People tend to fear things they don’t understand and in the case of Kalwa plant, it is proven to be true. When lean implementation was first announced to all Kalwa’s employees, there were signs of resentment and scepticism among the employees. This happened because employees didn’t understand what is lean, why the management wanted to implemented it and what benefit do they and the company get. Proper training must be provided to all the employees to ensure their understanding of lean principles. The implemented changes can only last if the employees willing to work according to the changes and this can only be achieved through understanding. The lean principles must also be integrated in to the company’s training programs for new employees. Continuous assessment must also be done to measure the level of understanding of the employees especially workers as it is always difficult to reach them because of their education background. An establishment of lean culture among all the employees in the company is important to ensure the sustainability of all the implemented changes. ii) Proper documentation. Proper documentation must be made regarding all the implemented changes. This is important because there is a possibility that a future improvement can unintentionally reverse the change made now. Believe me; this tends to happen more often than not in the manufacturing line. As such proper documentation can function as reference to future employees especially engineers when they are making some improvement. Changes made in the method of working must also be documented as work standard as it can function as training tool for workers. iii) Regular Auditing. Regular auditing is important to ensure that all the changes in terms of process flow and work standard are followed accordingly. Regular audit must also be done to all related supplier and vendors to ensure their compliance with the lean principles. iv) Continuous Monitoring & Improvement. Lean manufacturing is designed in such a way that it will not leave any room for problems and mistakes to hide if it is implemented correctly. As such implementation of lean manufacturing will force all wastage, problem and mistakes to surface. The monitoring team must be assign to continuously monitor for such case and appropriate action must be taken to solve or improve. Continuous sustainability can only be achieved if improvements are carried out continuously by capable people truly understand the way of lean.