Unit 4 Business Communication

Verbal communication Verbal communication is when a person communicates with someone in a way that they can hear and understand each other. It can be done in many different ways such as telephone, face to face and meetings. Although verbal communication is the easiest it has its advantages and its disadvantages just like every way of communication. In terms of Tesco’s verbal communication the example are the following: * Customer services * Tannoy system * Meetings * Interaction with customersThe tannoy system is one way of the verbal communication in the Tesco industry they use them a lot for either flinging a lost child in the shop or getting staff to a till immediately this is one of the fastest ways of communication in a Tesco shop. The second way of communication in is meeting the also use them a lot because that’s one of the most important things in the business, they need to sit and discourse about what’s happening in the business what they need to do to m ake it better.The biggest and most important communication in Tesco is the verbal interaction with the customers. Written We see written information everywhere on a day to day base around Tesco information is any information written down in words or symbols. This is the one of the easiest ways to communicate with a person and written information can really help the customers that are deaf or hard hearing. * posters * letters * reports * PowerPoint * leaflets Web-based- Web bases information is collection and distributing information through the web or internet.For Tesco’s website web-based information can be used for in informing Competitor and performance for the customers the people that don’t know anything about the website and have an interest for chopping at Tesco’s and the staff within or outside the shop. * Internet * On-Screen On-screen information is any information that I presented on screen such as a presentation for collages by showing lessons, using the computer, this can apply to chats, web-based information, and computer information Multimedia Multimedia is the integration of multiple forms of media. This includes text, graphs, audio, video, etc.

Defining Multilingualism

How do schools define multilingualism in their public presentations of work? Emily Marshall In our readings, there are many different terms used to describe English Language Learners. Understanding the terms and labels will help us better understand how school districts word choice might reflect on how they deal with a particular population. Terms Associated With ELLS Reading through Gibbons, think most people would agree that he uses the term â€Å"EL Learners which is English Language Learners.In our community, his would mean anyone who is actively learning the English language. While Gibbons only mentions one term, Offline mentions many. In the introduction, Offline describes the different names that happen to come up when describing English Language Learners. Some of the terms mentioned are ELLS, Lips, bilinguals, culturally and linguistically diverse, children with English language communication barriers, English as a second language, language minority, emergent bilinguals, Eng lish proficient, and LOT E.As was reading, I was amazed at how many terms there actually are ND that's probably not even half of them. ELLS being already described, LEAP means Limited English Proficient and basically means students who have an insufficient level of English to meet the state's English requirements. The term basically implies that nonnative English speakers are deficient. Bilingual means that the person has the ability to communicate successfully in two languages, much like some of our college professors.Culturally and linguistically diverse as well as language minority can also include those who re already bilingual and in our community that would mean someone who speaks a language other than English since English is the majority language. Whenever I think of children with English language communication barriers, think more along the lines of 2nd generation children who are children born on American soil of immigrants. It also makes me think of the children of worker s who move frequently from one school to another as their parents search for jobs.English as a second language is a subject and not people although sometimes it is used to describe those students whose first language is not English. LOTT means language other than English which is commonly used to describe what languages students speak at home or in their community. As think of what some of these labels might mean for our community, I have come to the conclusion that most of the people in this community would probably not even know what half of the labels are and thus be confused and unsure of what to make of the meaning. How do schools define multilingualism?

Examining Your Community's Source of Energy (Dallas, Texas) Essay

Examining Your Community's Source of Energy (Dallas, Texas) - Essay Example The energy produced and used in Texas comes from various sources, both renewable and non-renewable. Most of this energy however comes from non-renewable sources. In Dallas, the most common types of energy used to power homes is electricity derived from hydro, electricity derived from nuclear power, and natural gas. Electricity plays a big role in the economy of Dallas as it provides the energy that runs homes, recreational facilities, industries, and businesses. The electricity that is supplied to homes and industries in Dallas comes from Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). On the other hand, the community living in the urban parts of Dallas use natural gas especially for heating, the supply coming from various sources (piped or tanked natural gas). In general, the community has been relying on the three sources of energy for a long period of time. From the bills that we have received, our electric consumption amounts to about 583,333 Btu of natural gas and an average of 4 41 Kwh of electricity per month. This translates to about 7 million Btu of natural gas and about 5300 Kwh of electricity per year. ... (estimated number of houses in the community) Community yearly consumption of electricity = 5300 Kwh x 460698 = 2441699400 Kwh or 2441699.4 MWh Community yearly consumption of natural gas = 7,000,000 Btu x 460698 = 3224886000000 Btu Nuclear Power Nuclear energy is a non-renewable power source. It is derived from nuclear fusion or fission of radioactive fuels such as uranium. As previously stated, one of the energy sources that apply in Dallas is nuclear energy. Texas derived about 10.3 % of its energy from the South Texas Project and the Luminant’s Comanche Peak in 2006 (Combs, 2012g). The electricity generated from these nuclear sites found its way to the states’ electricity grid and was used both for domestic and industrial applications. Although quite reliable and cheap, nuclear energy is associated with many negative impacts. For one, the fuel that is used in the generation of nuclear energy is mined from the ground which means that a lot of environmental pollution occurs as a result. Although most of the uranium that is used to power the nuclear plants is imported a limited amount is mined locally. During mining of the fuel, the environment suffers massive pollution as dust mixes with air. Furthermore, during the transportation of the fuel, the air is polluted by exhaust fumes produced by the trucks that ferry the raw materials. One of the greatest challenges that the Texas community faces as a result of nuclear energy production is waste disposal. During the production of nuclear energy, a lot of heat is generated. This heat is dissipated in the air directly causing heat pollution. The cooling systems of the reactors also

Ideological analysis of two different magazines Essay

Ideological analysis of two different magazines - Essay Example The magazine was founded in 1977. Acquired by Werner Media in 1986, it currently has a circulation of 1.7 million, and a web site that has approximately 2 million unique hits a month. Upon first glance of U.S. Weekly, the reader is bombarded with images of fashion, stereotypical beauty, and often current scandals in the entertainment world. Glamorous ideals promoting the everyday lives of the wealthy, and advertisements centered on makeup, lingerie, acne medication, and ads for television shows that are marketed to woman as well, make up the majority of the sponsors. On the cover of issue 629 March 5, 2007, there were three main pictures on the front cover. One was of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie walking their newly born and adopted children in dual strollers through the streets; below this was a picture of a very glamorous and happy looking newly coupled Kate Moss and Owen Wilson, both with bright blond hair, shiny white teeth and blues eyes. Next to these two small photos, was a hu ge leading photograph of Britney Spears with a partly shaved head and a lead title statement saying, Help Me. This cover page gives perfect insight into the magazines ideology, in that it shows what ideals the editors promote as well as what goes against their values. By U.S. Weekly degrading Britney Spears for shaving her head, as apposed to putting it in a positive light, or doing any genuine investigative/informative journalism on her motives, the magazine takes a definite stance. Using Spear’s image in this way is a combination of exploitative scandal, and the magazines way of taking a finite stance against her fashion decision, but it takes it even further. The fact that she cuts her hair is not treated as just a fashion mistake, but as a sign that she needs psychological analyses. Her personal and family life is put in question and she is virtually crucified by the magazine for simply cutting her hair. Of course, the hair she cut was the key

Descriptive Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Descriptive Report - Essay Example Texas State Fair is a festive event that presents colors, forms, foods and many entertainments drawing people to visit the place, from children to adults. It is a busy place where everyone has somewhere else to go and something else to do, making people busy as they stay and enjoy the warmth and joy of the festivity. As people have different interests, the fair offers a wide variety of fascinating events to attract people from all walks of life. However, the greatest and perhaps the most-loved and most visited is the food offered in the fair. There are a lot of experimental victuals, unique, exquisite and creative although most of them are not healthy because of they are served with so much grease. Deep fried Oreo cookies, deep fried peanut butter, deep fried Twinkies, deep fried pork ribs, fried cheese cake and deep fried butter are just some among the cholesterol-filled foods available at the fair. The most recent introduced deep fried food is the deep fried beer by chef Mark Zable which attracted many curious spectators to try it, and it won the creator the ‘most creative’ award for the fair in 2010. This sort of tease keeps the people curious, wondering and expecting more from what is offered at the fair. As this year’s Texas State Fair nears, it is becoming a buzz and everyone is really getting excited to see the opening of the most awaited event in Dallas. Businessmen flock to this prestigious event and take part in sponsoring the affair and advertising their company and products. Competitors for the different categories surely have been busy preparing for the fair, expecting something good to come out from this year’s State Fair. One of the attractions that welcomes audiences to the fair is Big Tex, a tall cowboy mascot symbolizing the event, having a hinged jaw making him appear to be the one speaking as the activities are announced. He is clothed with the red, white and blue colors of the flag and has a single star

Law and Social Movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law and Social Movements - Essay Example Referred to as the Christian Right, they were the key to the Republican victories in 2004. They fueled the Republican control of the House, Senate, and Oval Office. Yet, they have still failed to control the destiny of their agenda of moving the Intelligent Design theory closer to the classroom. The movement has been unable to form crucial coalitions and enlist other groups to further their cause. With the exception of isolated activism at a local level, the movement has stalled in their efforts to spotlight Intelligent Design. Even the isolated, local court activity is waning. The stunning case of Kitzmiller vs. Dover in Dover, PA. has garnered the nation's attention. Because of the blatant Christian agenda, and the school board's past support for creationism, the district is in jeopardy of losing the case and acquiring a 1 million-dollar legal expense bill. (Goodstein, 2005) This will only serve to chill efforts by other school boards already strapped for much needed funds. Adding to the difficulty of the movement is the perception of the public at large. As people view the movement as a fundamental extension of Christianity, the movement does not portray other, more acceptable, aspects of the group. The values that one would anticipate the group to herald are not expressed in terms of social programs or pacification of defense policies. The movement has instead made a decision to live or die on the issue of Intelligent Design.In a technological world where the importance of education and the value of science is put to the forefront, Intelligent Design reaches another hurdle. Though the movement has packaged the theory as science, the public is still acutely aware of its theo-centric implications. Phillip Johnson, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and major supporter of Intelligent Design stated in a 2003 radio interview, "Our strategy has been to change the subject a bit, so that we can get the issue of intelligent design, which really means the reality of God, before the academic world and into the schools." (as cited in Nickson, 2004). In their effort to mandate the teaching of Intelligent Design, they have alienated the groups they need the most support from, educators and scientists. This miscalculation has left the movement with a weakened political apparatus and limited resources to turn to for support.The movement has failed in its efforts to be embraced by the scientific community even though they have a history and awareness of the importance of the requirements necessary to be accepted into the realm of science. Even so, they have lacked the will to make a major push on that front. Its critics contend that no scientific research has been published and no articles have been presented that meet peer review. They further charge that the theory does not meet the Daubert Standard set forth by the Supreme Court in 1993 as a standard for scientific evidence. (Wikipedia, 2005) The move to get Intelligent Design accepted by science without the credentials required has further polarized the opposing parties. Crippled with a stagnated and polarized political arm, the movement has turned to the courts. In various heartland arenas, local and state school boards have taken the issue to the courts for resolution. This may be one more expenditure of political capital and goodwill that they can ill-afford to squander. Courts can settle

The purpose and effectiveness of police patrol Term Paper

The purpose and effectiveness of police patrol - Term Paper Example Ingram, as well as â€Å"Measuring Crime: Police Statistics and Victimisation Surveys,† by Philippe Robert, Renee Zauberman, Marie-Lys Pottier, and Hugues Lagrange. Both were located in online library journals. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the purpose and effectiveness of police patrol. This article discusses certain types of behaviors that police officers have been noted to exhibit throughout many different studies. This particular article differs from others of its type in that it focuses on place. This means that the author of this particular author was curious about how location affected the behavior of officers. In this context, behavior can be defined as what the officer chose to do when observing a citizen breaking the law, from issuing a citation all the way up to making a formal arrest (Ingram 2007) This article goes far beyond previous studies that covered the influence of merely situational types of factors on the behavior of police officers. Rather, this article claims that an overall more contextualized framework is now needed in order to study law enforcement tasks. â€Å"Using multilevel and spatial modeling procedures, the current study examined the role that both immediate and surrounding neighborhood characteristics played on citation issuance within a large, metropolitan department. Findings indicated that neighborhood structural characteristics were significantly related to the number of citations written during traffic encounters, independent of situational factors† (Ingram, 2007, pg. 371). This article takes a look at numbers and trends related to police statistics and victimization. According to the authors, â€Å"A conflict may now be arising between citizens and the State around the issue of crime. There clearly seems to be a yawning gap between the actions taken by the authorities and the expectations of citizens. Personal safety and the protection of property

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Education - Essay Example Indeed an education in STEM is critical for the population because this is the kind of education that will make a difference in the future. Without STEM education, engineers, programmers, architects and other technology oriented professionals will not be able to formulate the basic algorithm in creating technology nor will they be able to build any structure that will facilitate technology and it follows that a given country will not have anything to engage in trade to make itself progressive and prosperous if it lacks the aptitude in STEM. Indeed STEM is the necessary education in the future as it would become the primary enabler in industry not only on a national scale but also on a personal level. The world is getting technology oriented and we can even feel it today. Technology permeates and affects every dimension of our life and it is expected that this trend will not only continue in the future but will become more intensive. Virtually almost all product s will have a component of technology and engineering and as long as technology and engineering is involve, so does STEM because technology and engineering speaks the language of numbers and science which is the domain of STEM. Thus it can be inferred that a country’s competitiveness is directly correlated with its aptitude in STEM. A country which has strong score in STEM tends to have a strong technological base to create industry such as the case of Japan who is the leading country in manufacturing electronic products (section for interview) and thus will have a greater chance to prosper. STEM’s importance is not only limited to national scale but can be equally important on a personal level. An aptitude in STEM will tremendously boost an individual’s success in the workplace because he or she has the necessary solid skills (STEM) to get things done. In the new economy of globalization, this skill is indispensable because almost all aspect of

The Significance of the Character Edward Hyde Essay Example for Free

The Significance of the Character Edward Hyde Essay Explore the Significance of the Character Edward Hyde and the Way he is perceived by Readers in Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde In 1859, when the book was written class and religion was very important to the Victorians. People were given more respect if they were higher class. Hyde represents a very low class and doesnt have a lot of admiration from other people. Hyde has a house in Soho and always uses the back door leading to Dr. Jekylls laboratory because Jekyll is ashamed of him and doesnt want anyone to connect Hyde to himself because he does not want to damage his reputation. The front door symbolises that this is what he wants people to think of him, thats why he does not use it with Hyde because he is seen as a monster. Hyde would be seen by the Victorian audience as evil and devilish, he is described as a gust of devilish fury, and people would be scared of him because of his deformity and the way he looks. Dr. Jekyll is upper class and if anyone found out that he was associated with Mr Hyde, who was the lowest of the lower class then he would lose all his respect he had gained. Jekyll creates Hyde because he wants to fulfil his needs to be wrong and do things that he couldnt do as his normal self. He was fond of things that society didnt approve of and was tired of hiding in his real personality. This suggests that the class system in Victorian was very wide; there were strict rules for upper class and hardly any rules for the lower class. It was immoral for Jekyll to create Hyde for his own enjoyment and to satisfy his curiosity because people arent meant to change the way they are born and bought up. He shouldnt hide the fact that he wants to be different and should either be one or the other, not both. He abuses his scientific knowledge to make this happen, the readers perceive Hyde as a scientific mistake or something that shouldnt have happened. The genre of the novel can vary between everyone because it has many genres. A lot of people view it as a mystery novel because the end is unknown until right at the end of the novel; some people see it as a gothic and dark book because a lot of wrong things that are associated with the dark world are happening throughout the novel. Another genre that could be linked with this novel is suspense because no one knows what is going to happen next because everyone has been shocked from the things that have happened already. The book is also very secretive and no ones knows much about what is happening at other places and times until at the end of the novel. Stevenson uses a lot of techniques to make Hyde seem so evil and repugnant to the readers. A lot of these are use of language such as similes, metaphors and alliteration. An example of alliteration used to describe Hyde is spawn of Satan; this links Hyde to the devil and evil. Stevenson also uses symbolism and pathetic fallacies to make Hyde seem so evil to the readers. The use of fog is used often to symbolise mystery and also is mentioned just before something bad is going to happen, for example just before he runs into the little girl in the street the narrator mentions the foggy weather, the same thing happens just before he murdered Sir Danvers Carew. Hyde shows us that evil can take over someone without them realising it. Hyde picks on weak people as victims and Jekyll has no control over Hyde at the end. He uses his strength in both attacks that we know about on innocent, vulnerable people that stood no chance in defending themselves for example when My Hyde attacked Sir savers Carew the maid described Carew as innocent and old-world kindness disposition this tells us that Carew didnt do anything wrong to deserve it.. At the start Jekyll had full control over Hyde and only wanted to fill a part of himself which wanted to be slightly mischievous, after a while Jekyll could not control what he was doing or when he changed to Hyde, this tells us that evil slowly takes over good and destroys lives. He says after that for two months I led a life of such severity as approving conscience. This tells us that it had got worse towards the end and he started to realise that it had got worse. Victorians would perceive Hyde as evil and not human, a lot of Victorians were very religious and would like to see the good side of him win over the evil side, a lot of them would be disgusted at the things that Hyde did, especially to the young innocent girl he trampled over in the middle of the night. Stevenson gets the audience going by making a huge contrast and difference between the good Dr. Jekyll and the evil Mr Hyde. He makes them chose only one side to be on and lets their imagination create pictures. In the end good prevailed over evil but Dr Jekyll had to kill himself so that Mr Hyde could never return and kill more people or harm others. Victorians might perceive Hyde as an evolutionary throwback because Stevenson uses language that describes him as monkeys and ape like creatures. For example he says that Hyde hits someone with ape-like fury and that Hyde resembles an ape. Victorian readers might have preferred to perceive as not fully human because they do not want to think that someone human could be that evil and sick-minded that Hyde is. Stevenson refers to Darwins theory because it wasnt fully believed in the time the novel was written. The audience would have been shocked for Hyde to have been described that way. As a modern reader I have different views on Hyde and perceive him in a different way to the Victorians. I still see Hyde as an evil person but he doesnt have a very big impact on me because I am used to things like this, unlike the Victorians who had rarely seen or spoken about such things before. I think all of us have evil inside of us but only if we keep it locked up inside of us and do not admit that we have any it starts to get the better of us and takes over, slowly after time it starts making choices that we do not really want to make and we react differently to normal and do things maybe we should not do. Stevenson creates Hyde to show the audience that everyone has evil inside of them but not everyone uses it and keeps it shut away from the world and surroundings.

Feminism Essay Example for Free

Feminism Essay Feminist ideas of freedom suggest that outside social forces that are repressive can corrupt an individual’s desires and limits their thinking abilities. Jean Grimshaw was a feminist philosopher who analyzed this concept. Grimshaw with other feminists believed that these repressive forces come from male domination in society. Questions about the self are important to feminists because they are constantly trying to figure out a woman’s autonomy. Feminist philosophers have come up with many approaches to the self. Jean Grimshaw goes back to an argument from Aristotle. Aristotle questions what makes people do things voluntarily and out of free will. Aristotle says that that actions that originate from inside the self are desires or intentions and actions that originate from outside are not. Jean Grimshaw however questions whether those desires that come from outside are not really one’s own desires. There is a constant conflict between internal and external constraints. Feminist authors such as Mary Daly, Marilyn Frye and Kate Millet wrote books on how women have been conditioned in their thinking by men, therefore cannot have their own desires. Feminists agree that women are deprived of their free will because men treat them as robots and this changes a woman’s personality. Based on the books of these three authors there is many things to conclude about the self. The self is aware of its interests, it is altered because of the interference of male domination and the only way to really have a true self is to fight against those social effects of domination. A woman must understand the changes they are going through by men in society in order to reveal the self. I believe that if someone is constantly thinking that there are outside forces that disable form being they they must change that. If the male society undermines women, and women continue to accept it then they are not following their own desires. One must understand the constraints that they are dealing with in order to make independent choices to be liberated.

Strategic Management At UNIQLO

Strategic Management At UNIQLO Today, UNIQLO is described as the apparel giant Gap, Inc.s counterpart based on the 4, 000% share price increase, making UNIQLO as Japans third largest clothing retailer. However, it is not always victory for UNIQLO; the subsidiary also has its own share of downturns especially on its international expansion. For instance, expansion programmes in the United Kingdom (UK) saw a tumultuous stumble in profits, forcing Fast Retailing to shut down 16 of the 21 UNIQLO stores opened, because of competition. Most recently, three UNIQLO stores in New Jersey were also closed because of economic slumps. Despite these facts, UNIQLO maintains the spirit and still believed that the brand has only but way forward. How UNIQLO will going to do such is central to this paper, focusing on the companys strategic management. External, industry and competitor analysis as well as the internal environment will be addressed. Political factors have direct impact on business conducts and operations. Decisions made by the affects the decision-making of retailers and could come in the form of policy or legislation. In Hong Kong, the one country, two systems is the prevalent governance philosophy which endows the special administrative region with a high degree of autonomy and its capitalist economic system. Within a capitalistic and free market-oriented economy, retail companies make the majority of microeconomic decisions but they have to conform to specific agreements. Mainland and HK Closer Partnership Economic Arrangement (CEPA) and the US-China Textile Memorandum of Understanding are two examples of this. The former provides UNIQLO with a tariff-free treatment, stating that products which have no existing CEPA rules of origin will enjoy tariff-free treatment upon applications by local manufacturers. The latter could provide UNIQLO with an opportunity for an annual growth of 8-17% in 21 categories of Chi nese textiles and clothing exports to the US. Labor and customary regulations as well as code of conducts are also complied into including China Social Compliance 9000 and US and EU quotas (RSCA 2006; Doshi 2006). Economic Analysis Domestically and globally, businesses are also being affected by economic factors whereby a strong economy indicates positive results and weak economy signifies the opposite, affecting both businesses and consumers. Hong Kongs gross domestic product is estimated at US$206.7bn with the service sector that contributes 90% of the total GDP. The region is also named as the worlds eleventh largest trading entity. Almost 50% of the total population is employed full-time and the unemployment rate has a continuous average decline by 4.1%, making disposition of income a possibility, a lower cost of living that is (Monthly Digest 2008). Spending is generally devoted for food, housing, healthcare, transportation, amusement, services and apparel. People nowadays are very particular with investing in quality clothing thereby resume spending with premium apparel finds (Doshi 2006). Realising this, the price and quality characteristics of UNIQLO has a strategic fit; UNIQLO makes people look fashion able and confident in world-class clothes at a reasonable price through the company-wide integration of the Specialty Store Retailer of Private Label Apparel (SPA) model, a low-cost but effective operation model. Social Analysis Demography or the population characteristics may determine buying patterns and that understanding demographic changes within a particular region or place facilitates determining whether products and services would appeal to customers as well as the number of potential customers (Barney and Hesterly 2006, p. 35). Hong Kong has a total of 6, 985, 300 population based on 2008 estimate and is continuously growing due to immigrant influx from Mainland. According to Doshi, people in HK and elsewhere have a growing interest in private labels. Consumers aspired for having private levels on everyday garments. Casual wear from HK which is known for good design and quality has a positive image on global consumers. Nevertheless, international brands are concentrated in high-end consumers while domestic brands are for low-end consumers (Doshi, 2006). In taking advantage of the wealth of the demography, UNIQLO makes effort on providing high-quality merchandise and generating values to the society by taxes. Further, UNIQLO is a company that is committed in creating positive reputation as manifested in its vision and mission, styles of management, ways of doing business and requirements to employees. Technological Analysis Technological innovations are a priority for the apparel retailing industry but it will remain as labor intensive as it is today. Boosting the industrys productivity, increased in automation has been the recent trend but it is limited on specific functions, to which mostly require human intervention such as sewing and making patterns. Although there are computerised sewing machines that increase the productivity and reduce training time. Further, the uses of computer system software intended for the industry will be on making rough sketches, printing detailed designs and storing of information for easy retrieval. The customer orientation of UNIQLO was basically construed from its website in which customers can give feedbacks by email and discussion board. Hong Productivity Council made a report disclosing that the apparel industry could make sense of information technology (IT) if utilise for order processing, costing analysis, order tracking, material management, reporting and conne ctivity (2004). Industry Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis A) Threat of Entry Barney and Hesterly (2006, p. 43) point out that new entrants are the firms which have either recently begun operations or those that threaten to begin operations within an industry soon. Notably, the apparel industry is a buyer-driven industry where producers are considering buyers decision-making especially when brand names enter the picture. These buyer-centric industries have low barriers to entry mainly because of intense competition. Utilising brands as a market power source; however, this is a challenge for every clothing company. In the clothing business, mass customisation has seen to be the most effective strategy. Putting strategises into action remains to be in resilience today (Culpan 2002). Therefore, the focus must be on minimising the costs without sacrificing quality and to do this, managerial know how is a must in order to understand interactions with suppliers and consumers, to facilitate creativity and innovation and to maintain mobility in adapting to new market demands (Kincade, Regan and Gibson 2007). Building brand awareness and consumer loyalty is a costly endeavor since it involves advertising needed not only to promote the brand but also on sustaining awareness and loyalty. Strengthening brand names also requires that there are quick response programs to increase revenues and manage risks. One of UNIQLOs major resources is its brand name, which is now synonymous with comfortable, high quality and cheap clothing merchandises. Although brand awareness outside the home country is a challenge, it is of intangible value to UNIQLO as a business asset. Brands are valuable and rare and reputable brands are acquired through the impressions one has of the company, and its products or services. Since a brand name is built overtime it becomes costly to imitate thereby providing a sustainable competitive advantage in the apparel industry (Groucutt, Lydley and Forsyth 2004, p. 285). B) Threat of Rivalry Either in home or host countries, apparels, accessories and merchandise will always have a competitor which usually fluctuates in size. The modern market trends for the apparel industry are globalisation and intensified competition, increasing price and lower profit margin pressures, small quantity with high complexity orders, shorter lead times, multiple location operation, changing customer requirements and liberalisation on textile and clothing quota that creates new market dynamics. Being responsive to these market trends shifts the focus of the apparel industry for more extensive product development and improvements at the least possible cost. Such condition forces companies to divert on product differentiation because of high switching cost. In an industry where products are deemed to be equal, the key sources of differentiation are brand image, reputation and prior existence (Byoungho 2004b). For UNIQLO, the products themselves are an important source of competitive edge. UNIQ LO strives at developing products of high quality, in various collections to enable the company to reach the highest possible number of customers. As such, the rivals would be endangered when it comes to introducing innovative products. UNIQLO is positioned in the fashion capitals of the world for the purpose of taking advantage of the new information about fashion trends. UNIQLOs ability to quickly adapt to trends and new markets has helped them develop product differentiation, something that is key to the companys success in the apparel industry. According to Tokle (1990), product differentiation is what separates the top competitors from the rest, but it something that is not costly to imitate. This is why their product differentiation is only a temporary competitive advantage. Competitive advantage could be achieved once the organisation learns to manage its capabilities that the end consumers could appreciate and competitors would find difficulties imitating (Porter 1985; Roney 2004). C) Threat of Substitutes Casual wear is very particular with loose-fit, comfortable and relaxed fit. Athletic or active wear was perceived to be the closest substitute to casual wear as manifested by the booming athletic wear industry. Typically worn as casual fashion clothing, active attires could provide deterrence in the industry. Moreover, the blurring demarcation on the casual clothing family could be also seen as an opportunity for substitutes. Specialised stores offer semi-casual, smart casual and business casual lines. Semi-casual clothes are less presentational than informal but are not as loose as casual dresses. Smart casual purports conservative looks but with harmony on colors, fabrics, shoes and accessories. Business casual, on the other hand, varies in definition but the common element is the collar. Realising this, the bottomline now is the price. Moreover, based on the SPA business model, all the necessary functions at UNIQLO falls under a single umbrella especially the inbound logistics and the production. UNIQLO is an example of a cut-make-trim company in which in which the company purchase the fabric and retain ownership of the raw materials and work-in-process, and so making it hard for rivals to imitate or produce substitutes for UNQILO brands. D) Threat of Suppliers The prices and availability of commonly used fabrics such as cotton, blends, synthetics and wools might fluctuate significantly due to its dependence on demand, crop yields, weather, supply conditions, transportation costs, government regulations and economic condition among others (Byoungho 2004a). Quota is the major factor that affects the demand and supply of textile and fabrics. Even though the sale of raw materials is standardised, independent contractors, raw material suppliers, importers and apparel manufacturing firms could not isolate themselves from such scenario because of the prospective unsteadiness in the supply chain (Chetty 1999). As well, because of forward vertical integration, coupled with the low barrier to entry, suppliers could easily become rivals. In becoming threat of entry, suppliers could be also become a competitor to already established apparel manufacturers. In addition, contractors is also one of the threats when the demand of the labor increases, it wi ll cause labor costs price inflation. Laszlo (2008) stress that there are five main parts of the apparel value chain including raw material supply, provision of components; production networks; export channels and marketing networks at the retail level. Through the process, UNIQLO has an ownership on production and thereby a complete control on the supplies procurement. UNIQLO insources its production and handles the majority of the operational details. Sourcing is a go-to in the apparel industry but it is not rare although it can add value to UNIQLO. E) Threat of Buyers Reaching more and diverse consuming group, the apparel industry is both a stable and unstable industry. Stable because quality price and quality products are the main element and unstable because there are many factors that affect both price and quality. In the point of consumption, for instance, there are middle men such as the retail stores that offer an array of brands. In purchasing manufactured apparel, retail stores could have influence on making significant requirements and demands on their purchase, affecting prices. Though quality is inherent, prices would not be reasonable at all, and alternative clothing is readily available. This explains why apparel manufacturing companies are setting up their own stand along stores which will cater to their own produce. Important is that apparel stores must not fall dependent on s specific class of customer. Buyers are increasingly appearing to prefer above standard apparel with a much lower cost, making apparel less differentiated. Whe n selling directly to consumers, buyers would incur a significant portion of their dispensable cash. Same goes with retail store, they purchase apparel at the least possible final cost, but adds up to prices of apparel. UNIQLO is involve in selling to the customers through specialty store marketing, with a minimalist strategy of pile em high, sell em cheap concept that is. In addition, the unbranded fashion or the no-logo concept was perceived to be the main reasons for peoples warm attention (Williamson 2007; Parrish, Cassill and Oxenham 2006). Competitor Analysis Local Competitors 1) Bossini There are three competitors for UNIQLO: Bossini, Giordano and Muji. Bossini International Holdings Limited is an apparel brand owner, retailer and franchiser nestled in Hong Kong. From its onset in 1987, Bossini continued to grow both domestically and internationally. Today, the global distribution network is comprised of 551 directly managed and franchised outlets in Mainland, 322 export franchised outlets, 178 directly managed outlets in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia and 1, 051 outlets in 20 countries. Taking pride on its Bossini brand that is comfortable, easy to mix-and-match, colorful and energetic like the Family-Fit brand, Bossini was able to cater to various consumer requirements in a value for money fashion (Bossini Annual Report 2006/2007). The strength of the brand and the people was drawn from the seven practices: face reality, keep it simple, act with the speed of light, set stretch goals, drive quality, create and sustain a learning organisation and keep the A, nurture the B and discard the C. Through this set of practices, Bossini puts emphasis on quality, efficiency and profitability as a source of competitive edge. The company is also continuously building brand awareness by means of innovative cross-regional marketing activities. In enhancing its supply chain, Bossini shorten the product cycle from design to store and will continue to build string ties with them in a proactive manner. Building up an IT system is a strategy meant to drive future growth and profitability. Though the company deals with closure of unsuccessful outlets whenever necessary to divert their attention to areas which needs a closer concentration and with participating in broad campaigns and dual-branding to promote the products and to expa nd market reach, Bossini is more focused on its four core markets. 2) Giordano Established in 1981, Giordano is one among the popular and established casual apparel retailer in Asia Pacific Region which employs about 11, 000 staff with over 1, 895 shops operating in 30 territories worldwide. From its restructuring from 1986, the company prepared for international expansion, which was made possible by the initial success in Hong Kong, Mainland and neighboring countries such as Taiwan and Singapore. Known as the most successful homegrown retail stores, Giordano is a pioneering company that participated in drafting of code of practice in the retailing scene and introduced innovations such as the total shopping experience where customers are greeted individually in the doorstops and bade goodbye unto when leaving the store. Envisioning itself in making people feel good while looking great, the companys main strategy is its For the People philosophy wherein quality, knowledge, innovation, service and simplicity are at the core. As an apparel of choice, Giordano is also committed in providing simplicity of design, quality workmanship, attentive customer service and value-for-money, allowing the company to strongly build its own loyal following (Giordano 2008). Though the four brands Giordano Ladies, Giordano Concepts, Giordano and Giordano Junior are constantly profitable, the weakness is that Giordano has a limited range of products and that consumers may grew tired of the existing concepts. 3) Muji Ryohin Keikaku, better known as Muji, is an outgrowth from The Seiyu, Ltd. In becoming a separate brand, Muji develops range of apparel, household goods and food that takes pride on being functional, simple and of high quality. Literally means no brand, the over 700 Muji products observes the philosophy of simplicity. Primarily purporting an individualistic and diversified lifestyle, Muji follows three processes that is said to be the reason for proving good quality products at lower prices. These are selection of materials, streamlining processes and simplification of packaging. The companys emphasis on preventing materials wastage and improvement of essential product quality as well as time and labor optimisation are the key in achieving operational effectiveness and efficiency. The selection of materials is a very important stage for Muji where suitable raw materials are the main concern. Bulk buying is a strategy wherein quality is the indispensable criterion, underpinning the possibility of producing high quality, low prices products. Thereby, the weakness is on changes in demand and supply of raw materials. Standards at manufacturing stages are also under close scrutiny in order to eliminate waste and reduce cost. When it comes to packaging, Muji sticks to the simplicity philosophy, bearing only product related information and the price tag (Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.). International Competitors 4) Gap Gap, Inc. and United Colors of Benetton are the two international competitors for UNIQLO. Gap, Inc. has been officially incorporated in 1988 as a global specialty and outlet store which offers casual apparel, accessories and personal care products. Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Piperlime are the four primary brands. As a way of building the value of the brands, Gap is very fastidious with brand development, ensuring that value will be integrated from product design to distribution onto marketing, merchandising and shopping environments. The strong point of Gap is its continuous commitment in enhancing the brand; in fact, Gap has an intensive portfolio of brands covering classically styled, high quality, casual apparel at moderate prices for virtually all ages. However, the weakness is on inventory turnover. Emphasising style, quality and good value, Gap embraces a shopper friendly environment where store facades vary depending on selling season, size and location of the store. J ust like UNIQLO, Gap is never threatened of closing under-performing stores and expanding and remodeling existing stores (Gap Annual Report 2006). 5) Benetton A global clothing brand which is based in Treviso, Italy, the name Benetton originated from the Benetton family who founded the company in 1965. Now in existence in over 120 countries, Benetton started with only 5 stores in 1979 which were bounded to reach 800 stores today. The 5, 500 network of contemporary stores worldwide are the reason for generating a total turnover of 2 billion euro. Fashion apparel is the core business wherein quality, style and passion through the brands such as United Color of Benetton, Sisley, Playlife and Killer Loop are the main concerns. Mixing energy, colors and practicality, Benetton offers a portfolio of products for men, women and kids. The strength is in its innovation and IT integration in producing 160 million garments annually. At Benetton, superior product quality is achieved through committing every stage of the production process with innovation and creativity. The weakness is on the tendency for incoherent diversification (Benetton website 20 08). Common to all the competitors of UNIQLO, either domestic or international, is the international expansion strategy known as the judo strategy or the conscious decision to move rapidly into new markets where there is uncontested ground.(Hilburt-Davis 2002), and providing the best value of money based on distinct brands. Product differentiation, low cost production and gateway market penetration like UK and the Mainland are other strategies that these competitors pursue, in the same way like UNQILO is doing. It is important that brands must conform to the needs of the customers of varying age structures and preferences and producing brands where value was mounted from the very first step. Quality and customer service are the main concerns, followed by style or design and functionality. Brand development and building brand awareness as well as the overall look of the establishment are also the priorities. Common also to Bossini and Gap is the closure of unproductive stores/outlets while Benetton takes pride in its IT integration in production. Bossini also engages in dual-branding in terms of marketing. Since it is also common to all of these competitors to conceptualised product portfolio, the weaknesses are on incoherence in diversifying the products, apart from inventory turnover and focusing on core markets. Typically, when these scenarios happen production will be affected and it would not be advisable for those companies which are into bulk buying especially that the styles are immediately paced out. For UNIQLO, the weaknesses of the domestic and global competitors could be reaped off as new strategies and the strengths could be manipulated as new advantages. The UNIQLO could be upgraded in opening flagships stores in every gateway market so as to equally diversify brands and gateway locations, catering to all forms of demographics. For UNIQLO, product mix and shopping spree would be plausible especially if it will come in bolder shades, with better quality and cheaper prices, but are manufactured based on forecasted demands. To take advantage of the opportunities that competitors impose, UNIQLO must also open its horizon into new product trends including the silver market and the plus-size market as part of the brand concepts. Although all of the competing companies including UNQILO are into casual, everyday wear, what will set UNQILO apart from them is the potential of easy care clothing where fabrics are very fluid and/or wrinkle free. Internal Analysis SWOT Analysis 1) Strengths UNIQLO was deemed successful because of its commitment in divergence which supports the individuality of each family member as well as those with fashion-forward and edgy people. These products are of expected high quality because of the effective global materials procurement. Given this, UNIQLOs products are designed parallel with the customer requirements and worldwide markets trends. Voice of the Consumer (VOC) is one of the key in building the most effective brands. For UNIQLO, however, this is not enough, it should be joined with direct engagement in value chain process and doing it through a low-cost, quality-driven manner. In the post production stage, it is also important for UNQILO to obtain effective distribution management and inventory control. UNIQLO is an expert in store development thereby efficient store operation in addition. 2) Weaknesses Japan and Fast Retailing are devoted in simple, functional clothing with minimalist clothing details rather than cutting edge, extravagant clothing. This is the mark of UNIQLO, but could also be its major weakness in penetrating fashion-oriented places such as London, Paris and New York whereby fashion element of UNIQLO products are very limited. Another weakness is that UNIQLO belongs to a multi-layer distribution structured industry; distribution digestibility is hard, leading to clogging in distribution inventory. UNIQLO is also originally designed for low-end consumers and that they will face a head-to-head competition with all kinds of market such as high end, high street, ethical consumers and cut-price shoppers when operating abroad. In some places, profitability is largely determined by the opportunities of retail season like back-to-school and holidays. In both cases, UNIQLO must already acquire the necessary managerial and operational competences prior to establishing a pre sence in these places; but in the case that UNIQLO would not be able to tap on being responsive enough to these threats; this will impact the business results. 3) Opportunities Belonging to an industry where fashion and apparel market trends are unending, UNIQLO is operating in a global business where companies direction and business activities are always expanding. Globalisation provides the apparel industry with grater simultaneity with the help of technology, facilitating the exchange of information with speedier level. Because of interdependence, free trade zone has also seen as profitable because fashion, textile and apparel markets became borderless. While also making larger profits, UNIQLO could invest in social influence or its corporate social responsibility. Whats left for UNQILO is to grab the opportunity of a faster information and knowledge transfer from these locations through a full force IT integration including the customers. The teenager market is also another opportunity the UNIQLO could exploit since this group is very meticulous in value shopping and they have preferences of where to shop and how to shop. 4) Threats Changes in economic conditions, changes in consumption trends and intense competition are just three of the treats that UNQILO, and all other apparel firms, is currently facing. Foreign currency affects the business conduct of UNIQLO because of the locational position of the operations. Johnson and Scholes (2002) relate that strategic positioning is an imperative in realising the strategic capabilities of organisations. UNIQLO has a geographically dispersed operation: fashion designers are in Tokyo, New York and Paris, garnering first hand information in fashion trends; manufacturing departments are in China where cheap labors reside; headquarter is still in Japan which takes responsibility in strategic decision making. Labor and materials could fluctuate depending in the performance of yen comparable to US dollars. In events that the economy of either one of the mentioned locations drifts, UNIQLOs operation will be shaken. In addition, the apparel industry where UNIQLO plays as a ma jor player is contaminated with customers influences where the possibility of switching brands is always a possibility. Conclusion Described as the equivalent of Gap, UNIQLO is increasingly becoming known in the global apparel industry. UNIQLO continued to be a brand of preference because of the quality, simplicity, functionality and cheaper prices of the merchandises. Although UNIQLO is politically influenced by CEPA and US-China memorandum, UNQILO invests only on opportunities that are profitable, advantageous and will purport the continuous geographic expansion of the company. UNIQLO has an advantage when it comes to individual spending basically because clothing is a basic need. While at it, however, UNIQLO must not ignore the social aspects of doing business which is to provide people empowerment when it comes to giving to the government through tax. The company is also committed in enhancing customer service through acquiring the VOC. Entering the apparel market is relatively easy; however, new entrants must face the challenges of building brand awareness and coping with the emergences of new trends. There are at least five major rivals for UNIQLO Bossini, Giordano, Muji, Gap and Benetton. All these rivals are involved in continuous product differentiation since, depending on the fashion trends, substitutes could instantly emerge. Because of the SPA model, UNIQLOs processes are inherently rare; sense of ownership in process responsibilities is the key. The pile em high, sell em cheap concept, as well, is an attribute unique to UNIQLO. In sum, the prevalent strategy at UNIQLO is the continuous domestic and global expansion and low cost production and management, achieved through continuous strengthening of the already reputable brand, ownership of processes, obtaining the VOC, sound distribution and inventory control and efficient store operations. To evaluate, the current strategies of UNIQLO are providing the business with immense profitability and growth. However, UNIQLO already has a record of mistake in focusing more and prioritising international expansions; thus hurting the reputation of the company specially in terms of managerial capacity, expertise and competence. There remains the fact that the products lag behind the quality of the products generated from the fashion centers of the worldwide considering that designers are already in that places. A fact also is that UNIQLO has an immature experience curve in aspects of global market penetration. Shutting down of 16 of the 20 stores in the UK in 2001 and 3 stores in New Jersey are clear-cut evidences of the incompetence on the side of UNIQLO. Global integration proved to be futile especially because UNIQLO is easily shaken up by global economic changes. UNIQLO admits that the closure of the New Jersey stores is because of the recent recessions and investment drifts in the US. In the UK, stores faced closure because of the failure to recognise the consumer preferences of Britons, which are very different with that of Asians and Japanese per se. There are two recommendations for UNIQLO: Asian market integration and establishment on an online shopping site. The first centers the idea that UNIQLO is an Asian product and must be initially offered to Asian consumers. The appreciation of Asian consumers, though they also vary depending on individual cultures, would be much higher compared to that of the Westerners. There are several fashion or brand oriented countries in Asia that UNIQLO has yet to discover such as the Philippines, for instance. Filipinos consider clothing as a staple and the apparel industry in the country is a booming industry. Nonetheless, Filipinos have the invest in quality perception where quality is the primary concern and price is secondary; but if there are products that combine these two features, it will be much appreciated. In addition, export costs would be limited. Online retailing is a proven successful endeavor. Different types of markets and industries are growing because of globalization and the introduction of new information technologies, as well as the pioneer which is the Internet. The key requirements are now centered in quality, speed-to-market, flexibility, innovation, networks, customer service and customization. Internet advertising or sometimes called, as web advertising is a type of advertising in which a person can co Strategic Management at UNIQLO Strategic Management at UNIQLO Introduction Dubbed as Japans retail success story in the new millennium, UNIQLO is a 100% consolidated subsidiary of Fast Retailing Co. Ltd, a Japanese retail holding company. UNIQLO formed the portmanteau for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"unique and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"clothing as am emblem of creativity and individuality of Japanese apparel industry. UNIQLO offers fashionable and high quality clothing at reasonable prices, and was seized as an opportunity to establish a brand position domestically and internationally, combining all the facets of the business from product design to final sales and the operation of the 790 stores around the globe. Primarily offing for a highly brand conscious consumer group, UNIQLO envisions itself as a leading global casual wear company targeting high sales and profitability growth. For UNIQLO, such aim could materialise based on the established strategies such as low cost management, cheapest manufacture and marketing schedules and prioritising customer requirements. Today, UNIQLO is described as the apparel giant Gap, Inc.s counterpart based on the 4, 000% share price increase, making UNIQLO as Japans third largest clothing retailer. However, it is not always victory for UNIQLO; the subsidiary also has its own share of downturns especially on its international expansion. For instance, expansion programmes in the United Kingdom (UK) saw a tumultuous stumble in profits, forcing Fast Retailing to shut down 16 of the 21 UNIQLO stores opened, because of competition. Most recently, three UNIQLO stores in New Jersey were also closed because of economic slumps. Despite these facts, UNIQLO maintains the spirit and still believed that the brand has only but way forward. How UNIQLO will going to do such is central to this paper, focusing on the companys strategic management. External, industry and competitor analysis as well as the internal environment will be addressed. External Analysis Political Analysis Political factors have direct impact on business conducts and operations. Decisions made by the affects the decision-making of retailers and could come in the form of policy or legislation. In Hong Kong, the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"one country, two systems is the prevalent governance philosophy which endows the special administrative region with a high degree of autonomy and its capitalist economic system. Within a capitalistic and free market-oriented economy, retail companies make the majority of microeconomic decisions but they have to conform to specific agreements. Mainland and HK Closer Partnership Economic Arrangement (CEPA) and the US-China Textile Memorandum of Understanding are two examples of this. The former provides UNIQLO with a tariff-free treatment, stating that products which have no existing CEPA rules of origin will enjoy tariff-free treatment upon applications by local manufacturers. The latter could provide UNIQLO with an opportunity for an annual growth of 8-17% in 21 c ategories of Chinese textiles and clothing exports to the US. Labor and customary regulations as well as code of conducts are also complied into including China Social Compliance 9000 and US and EU quotas (RSCA 2006; Doshi 2006). Economic Analysis Domestically and globally, businesses are also being affected by economic factors whereby a strong economy indicates positive results and weak economy signifies the opposite, affecting both businesses and consumers. Hong Kongs gross domestic product is estimated at US$206.7bn with the service sector that contributes 90% of the total GDP. The region is also named as the worlds eleventh largest trading entity. Almost 50% of the total population is employed full-time and the unemployment rate has a continuous average decline by 4.1%, making disposition of income a possibility, a lower cost of living that is (Monthly Digest 2008). Spending is generally devoted for food, housing, healthcare, transportation, amusement, services and apparel. People nowadays are very particular with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"investing in quality clothing thereby resume spending with premium apparel finds (Doshi 2006). Realising this, the price and quality characteristics of UNIQLO has a strategic fit; UNIQLO makes peo ple look fashionable and confident in world-class clothes at a reasonable price through the company-wide integration of the Specialty Store Retailer of Private Label Apparel (SPA) model, a low-cost but effective operation model. Social Analysis Demography or the population characteristics may determine buying patterns and that understanding demographic changes within a particular region or place facilitates determining whether products and services would appeal to customers as well as the number of potential customers (Barney and Hesterly 2006, p. 35). Hong Kong has a total of 6, 985, 300 population based on 2008 estimate and is continuously growing due to immigrant influx from Mainland. According to Doshi, people in HK and elsewhere have a growing interest in private labels. Consumers aspired for having private levels on everyday garments. Casual wear from HK which is known for good design and quality has a positive image on global consumers. Nevertheless, international brands are concentrated in high-end consumers while domestic brands are for low-end consumers (Doshi, 2006). In taking advantage of the wealth of the demography, UNIQLO makes effort on providing high-quality merchandise and generating values to the society by taxes. Further, UNIQLO is a company that is committed in creating positive reputation as manifested in its vision and mission, styles of management, ways of doing business and requirements to employees. Technological Analysis Technological innovations are a priority for the apparel retailing industry but it will remain as labor intensive as it is today. Boosting the industrys productivity, increased in automation has been the recent trend but it is limited on specific functions, to which mostly require human intervention such as sewing and making patterns. Although there are computerised sewing machines that increase the productivity and reduce training time. Further, the uses of computer system software intended for the industry will be on making rough sketches, printing detailed designs and storing of information for easy retrieval. The customer orientation of UNIQLO was basically construed from its website in which customers can give feedbacks by email and discussion board. Hong Productivity Council made a report disclosing that the apparel industry could make sense of information technology (IT) if utilise for order processing, costing analysis, order tracking, material management, reporting and conn ectivity (2004). Industry Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis A) Threat of Entry Barney and Hesterly (2006, p. 43) point out that new entrants are the firms which have either recently begun operations or those that threaten to begin operations within an industry soon. Notably, the apparel industry is a buyer-driven industry where producers are considering buyers decision-making especially when brand names enter the picture. These buyer-centric industries have low barriers to entry mainly because of intense competition. Utilising brands as a market power source; however, this is a challenge for every clothing company. In the clothing business, mass customisation has seen to be the most effective strategy. Putting strategises into action remains to be in resilience today (Culpan 2002). Therefore, the focus must be on minimising the costs without sacrificing quality and to do this, managerial know how is a must in order to understand interactions with suppliers and consumers, to facilitate creativity and innovation and to maintain mobility in adapting to new market demands (Kincade, Regan and Gibson 2007). Building brand awareness and consumer loyalty is a costly endeavor since it involves advertising needed not only to promote the brand but also on sustaining awareness and loyalty. Strengthening brand names also requires that there are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"quick response programs to increase revenues and manage risks. One of UNIQLOs major resources is its brand name, which is now synonymous with comfortable, high quality and cheap clothing merchandises. Although brand awareness outside the home country is a challenge, it is of intangible value to UNIQLO as a business asset. Brands are valuable and rare and reputable brands are acquired through the impressions one has of the company, and its products or services. Since a brand name is built overtime it becomes costly to imitate thereby providing a sustainable competitive advantage in the apparel industry (Groucutt, Lydley and Forsyth 2004, p. 285). B) Threat of Rivalry Either in home or host countries, apparels, accessories and merchandise will always have a competitor which usually fluctuates in size. The modern market trends for the apparel industry are globalisation and intensified competition, increasing price and lower profit margin pressures, small quantity with high complexity orders, shorter lead times, multiple location operation, changing customer requirements and liberalisation on textile and clothing quota that creates new market dynamics. Being responsive to these market trends shifts the focus of the apparel industry for more extensive product development and improvements at the least possible cost. Such condition forces companies to divert on product differentiation because of high switching cost. In an industry where products are deemed to be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"equal, the key sources of differentiation are brand image, reputation and prior existence (Byoungho 2004b). For UNIQLO, the products themselves are an important source of compet itive edge. UNIQLO strives at developing products of high quality, in various collections to enable the company to reach the highest possible number of customers. As such, the rivals would be endangered when it comes to introducing innovative products. UNIQLO is positioned in the fashion capitals of the world for the purpose of taking advantage of the new information about fashion trends. UNIQLOs ability to quickly adapt to trends and new markets has helped them develop product differentiation, something that is key to the companys success in the apparel industry. According to Tokle (1990), product differentiation is what separates the top competitors from the rest, but it something that is not costly to imitate. This is why their product differentiation is only a temporary competitive advantage. Competitive advantage could be achieved once the organisation learns to manage its capabilities that the end consumers could appreciate and competitors would find difficulties imitating (Po rter 1985; Roney 2004). C) Threat of Substitutes Casual wear is very particular with loose-fit, comfortable and relaxed fit. Athletic or active wear was perceived to be the closest substitute to casual wear as manifested by the booming athletic wear industry. Typically worn as casual fashion clothing, active attires could provide deterrence in the industry. Moreover, the blurring demarcation on the casual clothing family could be also seen as an opportunity for substitutes. Specialised stores offer semi-casual, smart casual and business casual lines. Semi-casual clothes are less presentational than informal but are not as loose as casual dresses. Smart casual purports conservative looks but with harmony on colors, fabrics, shoes and accessories. Business casual, on the other hand, varies in definition but the common element is the collar. Realising this, the bottomline now is the price. Moreover, based on the SPA business model, all the necessary functions at UNIQLO falls under a single umbrella especially the inbound logistics an d the production. UNIQLO is an example of a cut-make-trim company in which in which the company purchase the fabric and retain ownership of the raw materials and work-in-process, and so making it hard for rivals to imitate or produce substitutes for UNQILO brands. D) Threat of Suppliers The prices and availability of commonly used fabrics such as cotton, blends, synthetics and wools might fluctuate significantly due to its dependence on demand, crop yields, weather, supply conditions, transportation costs, government regulations and economic condition among others (Byoungho 2004a). Quota is the major factor that affects the demand and supply of textile and fabrics. Even though the sale of raw materials is standardised, independent contractors, raw material suppliers, importers and apparel manufacturing firms could not isolate themselves from such scenario because of the prospective unsteadiness in the supply chain (Chetty 1999). As well, because of forward vertical integration, coupled with the low barrier to entry, suppliers could easily become rivals. In becoming threat of entry, suppliers could be also become a competitor to already established apparel manufacturers. In addition, contractors is also one of the threats when the demand of the labor increases, it w ill cause labor costs price inflation. Laszlo (2008) stress that there are five main parts of the apparel value chain including raw material supply, provision of components; production networks; export channels and marketing networks at the retail level. Through the process, UNIQLO has an ownership on production and thereby a complete control on the supplies procurement. UNIQLO insources its production and handles the majority of the operational details. Sourcing is a go-to in the apparel industry but it is not rare although it can add value to UNIQLO. E) Threat of Buyers Reaching more and diverse consuming group, the apparel industry is both a stable and unstable industry. Stable because quality price and quality products are the main element and unstable because there are many factors that affect both price and quality. In the point of consumption, for instance, there are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"middle men such as the retail stores that offer an array of brands. In purchasing manufactured apparel, retail stores could have influence on making significant requirements and demands on their purchase, affecting prices. Though quality is inherent, prices would not be reasonable at all, and alternative clothing is readily available. This explains why apparel manufacturing companies are setting up their own stand along stores which will cater to their own produce. Important is that apparel stores must not fall dependent on s specific class of customer. Buyers are increasingly appearing to prefer above standard apparel with a much lower cost, making apparel less dif ferentiated. When selling directly to consumers, buyers would incur a significant portion of their dispensable cash. Same goes with retail store, they purchase apparel at the least possible final cost, but adds up to prices of apparel. UNIQLO is involve in selling to the customers through specialty store marketing, with a minimalist strategy of pile em high, sell em cheap concept that is. In addition, the unbranded fashion or the no-logo concept was perceived to be the main reasons for peoples warm attention (Williamson 2007; Parrish, Cassill and Oxenham 2006). Competitor Analysis Local Competitors 1) Bossini There are three competitors for UNIQLO: Bossini, Giordano and Muji. Bossini International Holdings Limited is an apparel brand owner, retailer and franchiser nestled in Hong Kong. From its onset in 1987, Bossini continued to grow both domestically and internationally. Today, the global distribution network is comprised of 551 directly managed and franchised outlets in Mainland, 322 export franchised outlets, 178 directly managed outlets in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia and 1, 051 outlets in 20 countries. Taking pride on its Bossini brand that is comfortable, easy to mix-and-match, colorful and energetic like the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Family-Fit brand, Bossini was able to cater to various consumer requirements in a value for money fashion (Bossini Annual Report 2006/2007). The strength of the brand and the people was drawn from the seven practices: face reality, keep it simple, act with the speed of light, set stretch goals, drive quality, create and sustain a learning organisation and keep the A, nurture the B and discard the C. Through this set of practices, Bossini puts emphasis on quality, efficiency and profitability as a source of competitive edge. The company is also continuously building brand awareness by means of innovative cross-regional marketing activities. In enhancing its supply chain, Bossini shorten the product cycle from design to store and will continue to build string ties with them in a proactive manner. Building up an IT system is a strategy meant to drive future growth and profitability. Though the company deals with closure of unsuccessful outlets whenever necessary to divert their attention to areas which needs a closer concentration and with participating in broad campaigns and dual-branding to promote the products and to exp and market reach, Bossini is more focused on its four core markets. 2) Giordano Established in 1981, Giordano is one among the popular and established casual apparel retailer in Asia Pacific Region which employs about 11, 000 staff with over 1, 895 shops operating in 30 territories worldwide. From its restructuring from 1986, the company prepared for international expansion, which was made possible by the initial success in Hong Kong, Mainland and neighboring countries such as Taiwan and Singapore. Known as the most successful homegrown retail stores, Giordano is a pioneering company that participated in drafting of code of practice in the retailing scene and introduced innovations such as the total shopping experience where customers are greeted individually in the doorstops and bade goodbye unto when leaving the store. Envisioning itself in making people feel good while looking great, the companys main strategy is its à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"For the People philosophy wherein quality, knowledge, innovation, service and simplicity are at the core. As an apparel of choice, Giordano is also committed in providing simplicity of design, quality workmanship, attentive customer service and value-for-money, allowing the company to strongly build its own loyal following (Giordano 2008). Though the four brands Giordano Ladies, Giordano Concepts, Giordano and Giordano Junior are constantly profitable, the weakness is that Giordano has a limited range of products and that consumers may grew tired of the existing concepts. 3) Muji Ryohin Keikaku, better known as Muji, is an outgrowth from The Seiyu, Ltd. In becoming a separate brand, Muji develops range of apparel, household goods and food that takes pride on being functional, simple and of high quality. Literally means à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"no brand, the over 700 Muji products observes the philosophy of simplicity. Primarily purporting an individualistic and diversified lifestyle, Muji follows three processes that is said to be the reason for proving good quality products at lower prices. These are selection of materials, streamlining processes and simplification of packaging. The companys emphasis on preventing materials wastage and improvement of essential product quality as well as time and labor optimisation are the key in achieving operational effectiveness and efficiency. The selection of materials is a very important stage for Muji where suitable raw materials are the main concern. Bulk buying is a strategy wherein quality is the indispensable criterion, underpinning the possibility of producing high quality, low prices products. Thereby, the weakness is on changes in demand and supply of raw materials. Standards at manufacturing stages are also under close scrutiny in order to eliminate waste and reduce cost. When it comes to packaging, Muji sticks to the simplicity philosophy, bearing only product related information and the price tag (Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.). International Competitors 4) Gap Gap, Inc. and United Colors of Benetton are the two international competitors for UNIQLO. Gap, Inc. has been officially incorporated in 1988 as a global specialty and outlet store which offers casual apparel, accessories and personal care products. Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Piperlime are the four primary brands. As a way of building the value of the brands, Gap is very fastidious with brand development, ensuring that value will be integrated from product design to distribution onto marketing, merchandising and shopping environments. The strong point of Gap is its continuous commitment in enhancing the brand; in fact, Gap has an intensive portfolio of brands covering classically styled, high quality, casual apparel at moderate prices for virtually all ages. However, the weakness is on inventory turnover. Emphasising style, quality and good value, Gap embraces a shopper friendly environment where store facades vary depending on selling season, size and location of the store. Just like UNIQLO, Gap is never threatened of closing under-performing stores and expanding and remodeling existing stores (Gap Annual Report 2006). 5) Benetton A global clothing brand which is based in Treviso, Italy, the name Benetton originated from the Benetton family who founded the company in 1965. Now in existence in over 120 countries, Benetton started with only 5 stores in 1979 which were bounded to reach 800 stores today. The 5, 500 network of contemporary stores worldwide are the reason for generating a total turnover of 2 billion euro. Fashion apparel is the core business wherein quality, style and passion through the brands such as United Color of Benetton, Sisley, Playlife and Killer Loop are the main concerns. Mixing energy, colors and practicality, Benetton offers a portfolio of products for men, women and kids. The strength is in its innovation and IT integration in producing 160 million garments annually. At Benetton, superior product quality is achieved through committing every stage of the production process with innovation and creativity. The weakness is on the tendency for incoherent diversification (Benetton website 2 008). Common to all the competitors of UNIQLO, either domestic or international, is the international expansion strategy known as the judo strategy or the conscious decision to move rapidly into new markets where there is uncontested ground.(Hilburt-Davis 2002), and providing the best value of money based on distinct brands. Product differentiation, low cost production and gateway market penetration like UK and the Mainland are other strategies that these competitors pursue, in the same way like UNQILO is doing. It is important that brands must conform to the needs of the customers of varying age structures and preferences and producing brands where value was mounted from the very first step. Quality and customer service are the main concerns, followed by style or design and functionality. Brand development and building brand awareness as well as the overall look of the establishment are also the priorities. Common also to Bossini and Gap is the closure of unproductive stores/outlets whil e Benetton takes pride in its IT integration in production. Bossini also engages in dual-branding in terms of marketing. Since it is also common to all of these competitors to conceptualised product portfolio, the weaknesses are on incoherence in diversifying the products, apart from inventory turnover and focusing on core markets. Typically, when these scenarios happen production will be affected and it would not be advisable for those companies which are into bulk buying especially that the styles are immediately paced out. For UNIQLO, the weaknesses of the domestic and global competitors could be reaped off as new strategies and the strengths could be manipulated as new advantages. The UNIQLO could be upgraded in opening flagships stores in every gateway market so as to equally diversify brands and gateway locations, catering to all forms of demographics. For UNIQLO, product mix and shopping spree would be plausible especially if it will come in bolder shades, with better quality and cheaper prices, but are manufactured based on forecasted demands. To take advantage of the opportunities that competitors impose, UNIQLO must also open its horizon into new product trends including the silver market and the plus-size market as part of the brand concepts. Although all of the competing companies including UNQILO are into casual, everyday wear, what will set UNQILO apart from them is the potential of easy care clothing where fabrics are very fluid and/or wrinkle free. Internal Analysis SWOT Analysis 1) Strengths UNIQLO was deemed successful because of its commitment in divergence which supports the individuality of each family member as well as those with fashion-forward and edgy people. These products are of expected high quality because of the effective global materials procurement. Given this, UNIQLOs products are designed parallel with the customer requirements and worldwide markets trends. Voice of the Consumer (VOC) is one of the key in building the most effective brands. For UNIQLO, however, this is not enough, it should be joined with direct engagement in value chain process and doing it through a low-cost, quality-driven manner. In the post production stage, it is also important for UNQILO to obtain effective distribution management and inventory control. UNIQLO is an expert in store development thereby efficient store operation in addition. 2) Weaknesses Japan and Fast Retailing are devoted in simple, functional clothing with minimalist clothing details rather than cutting edge, extravagant clothing. This is the mark of UNIQLO, but could also be its major weakness in penetrating fashion-oriented places such as London, Paris and New York whereby fashion element of UNIQLO products are very limited. Another weakness is that UNIQLO belongs to a multi-layer distribution structured industry; distribution digestibility is hard, leading to clogging in distribution inventory. UNIQLO is also originally designed for low-end consumers and that they will face a head-to-head competition with all kinds of market such as high end, high street, ethical consumers and cut-price shoppers when operating abroad. In some places, profitability is largely determined by the opportunities of retail season like back-to-school and holidays. In both cases, UNIQLO must already acquire the necessary managerial and operational competences prior to establishing a pr esence in these places; but in the case that UNIQLO would not be able to tap on being responsive enough to these threats; this will impact the business results. 3) Opportunities Belonging to an industry where fashion and apparel market trends are unending, UNIQLO is operating in a global business where companies direction and business activities are always expanding. Globalisation provides the apparel industry with grater simultaneity with the help of technology, facilitating the exchange of information with speedier level. Because of interdependence, free trade zone has also seen as profitable because fashion, textile and apparel markets became borderless. While also making larger profits, UNIQLO could invest in social influence or its corporate social responsibility. Whats left for UNQILO is to grab the opportunity of a faster information and knowledge transfer from these locations through a full force IT integration including the customers. The teenager market is also another opportunity the UNIQLO could exploit since this group is very meticulous in value shopping and they have preferences of where to shop and how to shop. 4) Threats Changes in economic conditions, changes in consumption trends and intense competition are just three of the treats that UNQILO, and all other apparel firms, is currently facing. Foreign currency affects the business conduct of UNIQLO because of the locational position of the operations. Johnson and Scholes (2002) relate that strategic positioning is an imperative in realising the strategic capabilities of organisations. UNIQLO has a geographically dispersed operation: fashion designers are in Tokyo, New York and Paris, garnering first hand information in fashion trends; manufacturing departments are in China where cheap labors reside; headquarter is still in Japan which takes responsibility in strategic decision making. Labor and materials could fluctuate depending in the performance of yen comparable to US dollars. In events that the economy of either one of the mentioned locations drifts, UNIQLOs operation will be shaken. In addition, the apparel industry where UNIQLO plays as a m ajor player is contaminated with customers influences where the possibility of switching brands is always a possibility. Conclusion Described as the equivalent of Gap, UNIQLO is increasingly becoming known in the global apparel industry. UNIQLO continued to be a brand of preference because of the quality, simplicity, functionality and cheaper prices of the merchandises. Although UNIQLO is politically influenced by CEPA and US-China memorandum, UNQILO invests only on opportunities that are profitable, advantageous and will purport the continuous geographic expansion of the company. UNIQLO has an advantage when it comes to individual spending basically because clothing is a basic need. While at it, however, UNIQLO must not ignore the social aspects of doing business which is to provide people empowerment when it comes to giving to the government through tax. The company is also committed in enhancing customer service through acquiring the VOC. Entering the apparel market is relatively easy; however, new entrants must face the challenges of building brand awareness and coping with the emergences of new trends. There are at least five major rivals for UNIQLO Bossini, Giordano, Muji, Gap and Benetton. All these rivals are involved in continuous product differentiation since, depending on the fashion trends, substitutes could instantly emerge. Because of the SPA model, UNIQLOs processes are inherently rare; sense of ownership in process responsibilities is the key. The pile em high, sell em cheap concept, as well, is an attribute unique to UNIQLO. In sum, the prevalent strategy at UNIQLO is the continuous domestic and global expansion and low cost production and management, achieved through continuous strengthening of the already reputable brand, ownership of processes, obtaining the VOC, sound distribution and inventory control and efficient store operations. To evaluate, the current strategies of UNIQLO are providing the business with immense profitability and growth. However, UNIQLO already has a record of mistake in focusing more and prioritising international expansions; thus hurting the reputation of the company specially in terms of managerial capacity, expertise and competence. There remains the fact that the products lag behind the quality of the products generated from the fashion centers of the worldwide considering that designers are already in that places. A fact also is that UNIQLO has an immature experience curve in aspects of global market penetration. Shutting down of 16 of the 20 stores in the UK in 2001 and 3 stores in New Jersey are clear-cut evidences of the incompetence on the side of UNIQLO. Global integration proved to be futile especially because UNIQLO is easily shaken up by global economic changes. UNIQLO admits that the closure of the New Jersey stores is because of the recent recessions and investment drifts i n the US. In the UK, stores faced closure because of the failure to recognise the consumer preferences of Britons, which are very different with that of Asians and Japanese per se. There are two recommendations for UNIQLO: Asian market integration and establishment on an online shopping site. The first centers the idea that UNIQLO is an Asian product and must be initially offered to Asian consumers. The appreciation of Asian consumers, though they also vary depending on individual cultures, would be much higher compared to that of the Wester

Malicious Code :: Essays Papers

Malicious Code Introduction "The wind of change came on 26th March in the form of an email cyclone called Melissa. Moreover, during 1999 numerous changes in the level of computer virus technology were seen," Armstrong (May 2000, p1). From an organisational point of view, societies around the world are just learning about the level of importance that computer security against virus attacks and the critical significance of cybercrime. Companies around the world lost vast amounts of time, money and resources due to the lack of defense systems and lack of knowledge. Companies must ensure that the all data processing equipment like computers, routers and networks are robust and secure to withstand any type of malicious attack. The following report details some of the more common malicious code specifically viruses, explaining some of the damage, which these very powerful viruses can inflict on to any computer that it is not well prepared for this kinds of attacks. Armstrong (July 2000, p1), states that: ‘February's big story for the information security marketplace was the distributed denial-of-service attacks, which rendered the likes of Yahoo!, eBay, and E*Trade helpless. Most recently, news of the LoveBug hit. While statisticians still grapple with the costs associated with recuperating from this newest bug's sting, the latest reports indicate that approximately 90 per cent of networks worldwide were affected. Recovery costs associated with the LoveBug are estimated to range from about $600 million upwards to a big $10 billion. Along with all these woes, companies also have to fend off attacks - not only from the outside, but more importantly from inside. Malicious Code - A Virus According to Pfleeger (1997, p179) A virus is a program that can pass on malicious code to other nonmalicious programs by modifying them. The term virus arises because the affected program acts like a biological virus: modification of good programs is like a virus that infects other healthy subjects. In Australia damaging data in a computer carries heavy penalties, according to Carroll (1997, p33) in New South Wales, section 310 of the Crimes Act as amended in 1989 states that a person intentionally and without authority or lawful excuse destroys, alters or erases data, or inserts data, or interrupts or obstructs the lawful use of a computer is liable to ten years of penal servitude or a fine of $100,000 or both . According to Fites, Kratz & Brebner (1989) viruses or worms , program contructions which can degrade an operating system, destroy data files, and do much damage to the information a computer works with.

Retail Inventory :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Retail Inventory-Level Planning consists of retail inventory method (RIM) which is an accounting procedure whose objectives are to maintain a perpetual. It also can book inventory in retail dollars amounts and to maintain records that make it possible to determine the cost value of the inventory at any time without taking a physical inventory. Also known as book inventory system or perpetual book inventory. Retailers also have another important choice to make the stock to sales ratio. The stock to sales ratio is derived directly from the planned inventory to determine monthly additions to stock in the merchandise budget plan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Retailers generally think of their inventory at retail price levels rather than at cost. Retailers use their initial markups, additional markups, and markdowns, and so forth as percentages of retail. When retailers compare their prices to competitors’, they use retail prices. The problem is that when retailers to design their financial plans, evaluate performance, and prepare financial statements, they need to know the cost value of their inventory. Retailers use physical inventories. This process is time consuming and costly. Retailers take physical inventories once or twice a year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many retailers use point of sale terminals that keep track of every item sold its original cost, and its final selling price. The rest of the retailers face a problem of not knowing the cost value of their inventory at one time. These retailers with either computerized or manual systems can use retail inventory method. Their are five advantages for using RIM over a system of inventory at cost. The does not have to â€Å"cost† each time. When retailers have many SKUs, keeping track of each item becomes difficult and expensive. It is easier to determine the value of inventory with the retail prices marked on the merchandise than unmarked or at coded cost prices. The second advantage for using RIM is that it follows the accepted accounting principal of valuing assets at cost or market value, which is lower. This system lowers the value of inventory when markdowns are taken but does not allow inventory’s value increase with additional markups.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When using RIM, the amounts and percentages of initial markups, markdowns, and shrinkage can be identified. This information can then be compared with historical records or industry norms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RIM is useful for determining shrinkage. The difference between the book inventory and the physical inventory can be attributed to shrinkage.

Nurse Practitioner Interview Essay

I interviewed Durward â€Å"Durk† Lynch he is in my field of interest where I want to work as one day. He is a Nurse Practitioner at the Vanden Bosh Clinic and at the College Clinic. He gave information on his background and what drove him to be a Nurse Practitioner (NP). He really has had a lot of experience, as I will explain to you what he has shared. Durk was 18 years old graduating from high school and at the time he didn’t have the goal or even thought to be a (NP). He was volunteering in a hospital working with paralyzed patients. He was in his 1st year of college and majoring in Psychology. He really had an interest in writing on health and disease. He used to write in the newspaper on Health and Disease. When he took a job in HMO in 1977 in his 2nd semester in college; is when he met his 1st Nurse Practitioner. That’s when he set his goal to become a NP. He states,† He never heard of a Nurse Practitioner before, he only heard of a physician’s assistant â€Å". Durk was determined to gain the experience he needed and was not in a hurry to do so. He worked in Larned, Kansas in a state mental institution for the criminally insane. Including also working in 3 different types of jail environments. Durk was also, enlisted in the army for the Nurse Core in his junior year in college. He was a Nurse Orderly in our time now is called a nursing assistant for 4years. He was an officer 2nd lieutenant for 3 years in the army. When he was in Korea he gained experience in medical surgery. Durk also, gained experience in orthopedic, neurosurgery, working with drug abusers, and people who had addictions to drugs/alcohol. He continued to gain experience by taking a job in the Missouri Clinic. They had no hospital in the county. The clinic was all they had; he worked there for 10 years. When his patients needed care that he could not perform he would have to send the patients 50 miles out of the clinic just to see a cardiologist and etc. Durk took another job in Ganado, Arizona where he worked as an orderly with deliveries, surgeries, saw TB, and even buried people. When the family members didn’t want to bury them or no one wanted to, a long time ago Durk and the Janitor dug the holes and buried the dead patients. Now, he is currently a Nurse Practitioner here in Gallup he says his patients here are harder due to diabetes and hypertension. He recalls the hardest patients for him was when he worked in a Cancer Clinic that was very aggressive to helping the patient gain some hope to be cancer free. He states,† There was at least one patient dying every week†. This was a very hard field to work with because of the high deaths of kids, young and old patients. He was the only Nurse Practitioner to last a year there. Most of the NP’s only lasted to 6 months if that. My perceptions before the interview were was he is very happy with his career and seems to be an absolute good-hearted person. He loves what he does and has enjoyed getting the experience he has. He states, †I have still not experienced everything there is to experience and I have been a Nurse Practitioner for 30 years†. When I asked him about his background he was real happy to talk about his experiences. By the way he talks about his patients you can tell in his tone he cares a lot about his patients. He says the youngest patient he attended to was 2 weeks old and the oldest was 106 years old. He has seen a 5-generation family and really has a lot of fun with his job. When I interviewed Dr. Lynch on the following questions he was not expecting the questions I asked. I asked him the first question. What specific communication skill does people entering your lines of work require? He answered, â€Å"You have to be a good communicator to talk to other doctors and communicate on paper. You are always interacting with people to get the help you need for your patients†. The second question I asked him was how important are public speaking skills to your job? He answered, â€Å"I don’t really do that and when I do its occasionally†. The only time he had to talk in front of people was at a commencement ceremony. He doesn’t really like to talk in front of a huge crowd. The last question I asked was how important to success in your career is effective public speaking? He stated, â€Å"Public speaking is not a big event in my career. It’s not really what I do maybe I shy away from it. In my career I only talk one on one wi th my patients and there family. Everything I discuss with my patients is private and confidential. So therefore I don’t need to really give a speech among a crowd.† I really enjoyed the interview listening to his experience and made me want to strive even more to become a good Nurse Practitioner. His words were really helpful and he gave me helpful tips on what route to take to get to my career goals. I thanked him for his time and thanked him for the helpful advice. That was my interview that I chose to talk about according to my field I am interested in.