Mobile Phone Simulation Essay

Introduction As advancement in technology becomes more and more rapid in development that many technological electronic devices will becomes obsolete before it is sold. As the average lifecycle of the many new products in the world today becomes shorter and shorter. This is the leading cause of obsolete inventory for manufacturers and retailers, where their inventory will not sell without being mark down. The other problem is that popular products will sell as soon as they hit the shelves and cause a stock out. As retailers learned to become leaner and work with manufacturers so they can continuously replenish stock when needed. That way it will help reduce the risk for both manufacturers and retailers. The people managing the supply chain must make accurate market prediction and allocate their resource to match the prediction. For the two lines of mobile phones that will be release in to the market, we will do everything described above. We will design the phone, take advice from forecasting tea m and then order production. After the production are the sales and the adjustments made in reaction to the market condition. The yearend sales result will tell us how much we made and board room meeting will give us feedback on how well we did. Design In designing the phone for year one, we decided to use basic model with no options added, just to test how it will do and to save on the cost of adding an option. That came to the cost of $130 for model A and $150 for model B. In year two, we decided to add the option of extra battery because we believed that extra battery life will result in greater demand for the phones. That came to the cost of $150 for model A and $170 for model B. In year three, we decided to add two options, the anti-theft and the speaker options. The reason we pick anti-theft is that we believe that anti-theft would be important to anyone who relies on their phone to perform day to day task and would not like to lose their phone. The speaker option was added the extra function on the phone, which we believe could boost sales. That came to the cost of $180 for model A and $200 for model B. In year four, we decided to go with a sleek design, the super-slim. The reason we pick this option was because we did not t hink the other options were viable except for this one. Two of the other options the anti-theft and the speakers did not get a good response from the year before so we exclude those options. The mini-DVD option was excluded because we did not think anyone would want to watch a movie on a tiny screen. In this design only the super-slim option was added and that came to the cost of $155 for model A and $175 for model B. Forecasting After finishing the design for the two phones the next part to do was Forecasting. For year 1the average for model A is 60k, and for model B its 30K. We decided to put the demand estimate for model A 60k, and for model B 26k.For year 2 the average for model A is 54k, and the average for Model B 31k. We decided to put the demand for model A 50k, and for model B 30K. For year 3 the average for model A is 63k and 27 for model B. we decided to put the demand estimate at 60k for model A, and 25k for model B. for year four the average for model A was 61k, and 24k for model B. we put the demand for model at 58k, and 20k. In year 1 we made record profit 40,986k, and made 29,146k in year 2, thus in year 3 we made record low 28,873k, in year four the company finish with 40,008k. In conclusion the information in the game helped a little. The game should give more insight information based on the customers. Besides the amount of forecast provided, little information was given in order to make a professional decision on sales. Productions For year one, as a team we choose to go conservative with the production approach. The things we choose to go with were Far Far Away supplier just because we really didn’t want to spend 2 million dollars extra just for a month shorter. Also with the Far Far Away supplier we decided to start with the month January just because the phones came out in May, and the shipping deliver was 4 month out. Also we went with Pretty Close supplier just because they delivered on time and was a lot cheaper with the price than the other supplier. For year two we went conservative again and went with the same suppliers. With this year we ran out of supplies so we were forced to rework the shipment so we could get more phones and of course that cost 2 million dollars but in the end it was worth it. For year three we changed things up and went with the Far away Supplier and that had change things up. We basically had to change which month to start production and how much we need. We also stayed w ith the pretty close supplier because they were always on point. Once again with this year we had to change things around because we were over stocking the shelves, so we spent the 2 million to send fewer phones from both suppliers. For the last year we went back to the original suppliers and things went well for us. The only problem we had was that we ran out of phones half way through the year and when we notice it was too late to change the amount of shipment we needed. Board of Director’s Feedback For the majority of the simulation, the responses from the board of directors were positive. In the first year, we received three votes from the board, but not without any constructive criticism. First time around, the board suggested that we think more about uncertainty of demand, the differences in the two products and when to over produce and when to under-produce. In the second year, we had once again received three votes from the board. This time, they suggested that we further consider the concepts of capacity allocation and production flexibility, internal dynamics and the use of overseas vs. domestic suppliers. As the third year came to an end, we again received three votes from the board. They then suggested that we consider the concepts of markdown costs as well as the correlation between the predictions from our analysts and their personalities, because their personalities may sometimes prevent them from making an accurate prediction. Finally, in the fourth year we receive d one less vote than the previous three years. As final pieces of advice, the board of directors stated that we need to better account for risk in making decisions, as well as to think about the differences in the two different models we were producing, and the concepts of stocking, holding and markdown costs. Recommendations Some recommendations to our competitors are to focus on what our company is producing, differentiate their products from ours, and new features on the devices to the changing market. Other companies must focus on our devices that we are producing. They must see what our company is producing and produce it better at a lower cost. They must also focus on our product so that they can differentiate their products from ours. If other companies can differentiate their product enough from ours and can make it a popular device then consumers will no longer want our style of phone and they’ll be attracted to their devices. Finally our competitors must give their devices new innovative features and functions so that the public eye is focused on these new changes and everyone is willing to pay for these new functions in their phones. Other companies must also view who our company is marketing our devices to. Our competitors can decide if they want to market to the same target market as u s or if they are willing to pick a different target market from ours. This is a big decision which can make or break their company. If our competitors decide to pick the same target market as us it will most likely result in higher marketing cost within each of our companies and both of our marketing budgets will have to go up. If our competitors decide to pick a different target market then they will have to make a decision on which market they wish to pick as their target market and our company will have to decide if we want to try to take this market from them or not. Conclusion In conclusion our simulation went very well; our company made good profit each year and our production line was consistent. Each year our product was obsolete so we would need to produce a new phone to keep up with changes in technology. This caused forecasting to be a major factor in our business we had to make sure we knew the right amount of each Model to be produced by our consumers. If we made any errors in forecasting we made sure to send the proper adjustments to our suppliers so that we were not left with too much surplus that would have to be marked down. It also seemed that the years that we had a shortage of a model ended up making us the most revenue. Overall the board of directors gave us positive reviews, each year we received multiple votes by the board and they had positive feedback to tell us. The simulation went very well and if we had more years we feel confident that we learned enough to maximize profits even more than we already have.

Emergence of Mncs the Rise of Fordism

Name: Ginu Abraham Registration Number: H00124734 Course: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Coursework type: ESSAY Course Tutor: Dr. UmmeSalma HOW CAN THE EMERGENCE OF MNCs BE BEST EXPLAINED? Multi-National Corporations are corporations which have their head office in one country which is called the host country or the home country from where it manages their operations all over the world. Normally any corporation or group which derives the quarter of their income from their operations outside the host country is considered a multinational corporation.There are mainly four categories of Multi-National Corporations (1) a multinational, decentralized corporation with strong home country presence, (2) a global, centralized corporation that acquires cost advantages through centralized production wherever cheaper resources are available (3) an international company that builds on the parent corporation's technology or R;amp;D (4) a transitional enterprise that combines the previous three approaches . As according to the UN data about 35000 companies have direct investment in foreign countries, and the largest 100 of them control about 40 percent of world trade. Anon. , 2012) The birth of MNC's started from the early days of transitional trade started by Mesopotamian, Phoenician and Greek merchants. As the result of fall of Roman Empire the trade among various nations became difficult. The feudalism in Middle East and Europe resulted in wars among feudal lords and church prohibited the trade with the Muslim nations. After years the trade was established by traders of Italy who are considered as the predecessors of present day Multi-National Corporations.In the mid of seventeenth and eighteenth century Multinational corporations in the form of trading companies started. The East India Company, the French Levant Company, the Hudson Bay Company, was the main multinational companies established in those days. Standard Oil, British Petroleum, International Nickel and Ana Conda Coppe r were the main MNCs investing mainly in petroleum and mining industries in the early twentieth century. The MNCs went through three main phases in their growth process. The first phase came to an end almost at the beginning of the 1st World War.The European Companies such as Imperial Tobacco, Dunlop, Siemens, Philips, etc. captured the field. Due to the recessionary situation prevailing world over during the post-war period amidst of 1930-1950 the growth of Multinational corporations came to a halt. During the first phase, decades of 1950s and 1960s witnessed the emergence of American MNCs such as IBM, General Motors, and Ford Motors. The 1970's witnessed the third phase of MNC's. The new age belonged to the German, Europeans and Japanese MNCs.The recent years witnessed the emergence of MNCS from developing countries such as Indonesia, India etc. (Nirav, 2012) Let us consider the case of Ford Motor Corporation over the years. The life cycle of this company will help us better under stand the emergence of the MNCs Ford Motors is an American automotive corporation found by Henry Ford and a number of associates, who were C. H Bennett, Alexander Malcomson, James Couzens, John W. Anderson, John F. Dodge, Charles J. Woodall, Horace H. Rackham, Horace E. Dodge, Vernon C.Fry, John S. Gray and Albert Strelow started on June 1903. The company have produced automotive parts and heavy vehicles in the past. The Ford Motor company today produces luxury and commercial cars. (Anon. , www. britannica. com) Ford introduced various methods which were later called as Fordism. These were the methods like assembly lines and management of high scale industrial work-force and methods for higher level of production of cars. Henry Ford was one most common symbol of transformation of agricultural to industrial mass production, mass consumption economy.Ford was the creative or most resourceful force which resulted in the growth to superiority of the automobile industry to the world's pri me manufacturing activity. The foremost of the transformations it made was from the craft production to the mass production which helped in the creation of markets as it is mainly based on the economies of scale and scope which resulted in the rise to giant organizations which were built upon minute divisions of labour and functional specialisation. These were the main factors which resulted in the creation of a wider market.The company grew on the concept that to manufacture it by mass and to standardize a product in end would mean to price it so low so that even the lay man would afford to buy it. Ford manufactured almost everything he required for his cars right from the basic raw materials. Ford mastered the mass production techniques to achieve significant economies by taking the task of doing everything by him. Ford was cautious about finance, accounting and giving super vision short and straight for the efficient coordination of the free flow of the raw materials and the comp onents through the production procedure.These were the two reasons why Ford vertically integrated the corporation. Though for the complete vertical integration it needed a huge amount work force including middle managers and specialists which were to be employed and assigned according to the hierarchical scheme. Thus in the end it all helped in the vertical integration of the corporation. By 1950s, the increase in mass production made them the largest single group within every developed country. (Thompson, n. d. The following chain of events will help to shed some light on the three stages of evolution of the company to an MNC. These stages will be further explained following the key moments in history. Ford Motor Corporation sold their first car which was assembled in their Mack Avenue plant in Detroit. The first car that they sold was a two cylinder model A on July 23rd. The Model T was made available to the public in 1908 and in which model production continued until 1927. Ford M otor Corporation of Canada incorporated near Winsor in Ontario.In the same year Ford Motor corporation starts the production at the Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit In 1910 The Manufacturing operations of Ford Motor Corporation was transferred to Highland Park, Michigan Plant. The corporation established their first overseas plant in Trafford Park, Manchester, England in 1911. The experiments with the assembly line began at the Highland Park Plant. The early trials with the transmissions and magnetos were followed by the advancement of chassis assembly line by the mid of the 1913 and by the end of the 1915 the one millionth car was produced by the Ford Motor Corporation.Two years later first Ford truck was introduced which was supported by the Model T engine and in the same year the production of Fordson tractor begins which until Feb 1928 was produced only in North America. It was in the beginning of the 1922 the Ford Motor company purchased Lincoln Motor Company for 8 million doll ars and Edsel Ford the son of Henry Ford was named as the president of the Lincoln. After five years from the purchase of Lincoln Motor Company, it ceases the model T production which was being sold to the public since 1908. Ford starts with production of the Model A in the same year which continues till 1932.By the beginning of 1941 ford started producing the Mercury, the first jeep and first V8 en-block engine-equipped car built. All these car productions came to a halt by the beginning of World War II in 1942 and the production of Ford passenger cars was only resumed by July 3rd 1945. Later in 1956 Ford Motor company transforms into a publicly-held company with the common stock sale in the public and was listed on NYSE in the beginning of 1956. By the same year the Ford Motor company subsidiary on Aeronutronics systems, established which specialized in defence weapons and aerospace technology.As the Ford Motor corporation went on progressing with their production and sales reachi ng higher demands it finally achieves exceeded earnings than those of the General Motors for the First time in 1986/1987. The same year it earns record profits of 4. 63 billion but later on in 1991 Ford Motor Company's largest loss in a year was recorded as 2. 3 billion. As the result the Ford Motor company creates a Quality Care system to meet the needs the Ford dealerships and Ford owners. The same year Ford and Volkswagen Embark on a joint venture in â€Å"Auto Europa†, which is an organisation which produce multipurpose vehicles in Portugal.Later next year Ford's F series truck known as the best-selling truck for the tenth consecutive years in United States. Ford also succeeds in producing the first car which has environment friendly air-conditioning system. By the same year, Ford acquires 50% of the Mazda Motor Manufacturing and renames it as Auto Alliance International. In the year 1993, Ford is claims five of the eight top selling vehicles in the United States. The sam e year the first formal Ford Dealerships were placed inside the mainland China and the Ford China operations later secured the manufacturing and assembly.In 1994 the first ford assembly began in India and acquires the world's largest car rental company named Hertz. Finally in 1995 the Ford 2000 is initiated which was said to combine the power, resources ultimately to be a world company with the intimacy and agility of a small one. (Anon. , 2010) Later through years till to date the Ford Motor Corporation concentrated firmly on increasing the consumer base by marketing and developing new products and to achieve their globalization goals.Ford also tried to put more effort on the research and development to increase their consumer base by commercialising cars powered with natural gas. The company advanced by developing and introducing new features like side impact airbags to their products. The growth and development of the corporation reached even up to the teaming up with the NASA to develop features for their cars which no other corporations in automobile industry have ever provided.Over the years though the ford corporation have already started selling their products, after the 90s it came to a broader perspective of growth by extending their fields to various other sections by teaming up with NASA, Oracle Corporation and even a YMCA Childcare, which portrays the in deep goals to become more than a popular automobile manufacturing corporation. At this juncture I would like to shed some light on three stage of evolution that the Ford Corporation had to get through to become a MNC.There are generally three stages of evolution for a corporation to become a Multinational Corporation; they are the Export stage, Foreign Production Stage and finally the Multinational stage. (BRIMS, n. d. ) The Fords motor Corporation which after its incorporation in 1903 made their first model commercialised for the public after a few years from incorporation. At this first stage of Export, it is the point of time were the Ford Motor Corporation had to completely rely on the export agents for exporting the cars outside their home country as they had no other option to increase their export sales.They built plants in Detroit and Michigan to increase the production to satisfy the demand for the cars. The company focuses mainly on achieving higher number of export sales and introduces methods like assembly line to reduce cost and to save time which ultimately increases the production. In the second stage of foreign production, the Ford motor corporation's export sales reach the limits of the sales to the foreign countries in means of export sales.Now the Corporation had the option of either to start a plant in a foreign country or to license corporation's technology to a new company in a foreign country is a risky choice as it may result in transfer of trade secrets regarding the technology to a new firm thereby paving way for the rise of a rival. In spite of the se facts the Ford Motor Corporation established their foremost overseas manufacturing plant in Trafford Park, Manchester. Thus the productivity of the Ford Motor Corporation increases and in 1915 it produces he one millionth ford car and over the decades the Ford Motor Corporation increases their productivity by building more efficient and advanced plants throughout the home country and in foreign countries as well, which means it has already entered the final stage of being a multinational company. In this final stage, Ford Motor Corporation focuses on research and development, financing, and recruiting and co-ordinating production. By viewing the world market into a broader and growth intended view which results in the standardisation of products and the services paving way for the emergence of MNCs.From this it is easy for us to understand the different phases involved in an organisation’s transformation into an MNC. This also helps us to understand the changing market tre nds and consumer behavioural characteristics thus helping us understand the concept of business as a whole.REFERENCE Anon. , 2010. www. thehenryford. org. [Online] Available at: http://www. thehenryford. org/exhibits/fmc/chrono. asp [Accessed 19 09 2012]. Anon. , 2012. www. businessdictionary. com. [Online] Available at: http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/multinational-corporation-MNC. html Anon. , www. britannica. com. www. britannica. com. Online] Available at: http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/213265/Ford-Motor-Company [Accessed 19 09 2012]. BRIMS, D. V. , n. d. A Brief on MNCs inside pages, s. l. : s. n. BRIMS, D. V. , n. d. A Brief on MNCs inside pages, s. l. : s. n. Nirav, S. , 2012. www. preservearticles. com. [Online] Available at: http://www. preservearticles. com/2012020122380/emergence-of-mncs-in-a-historical-perspective. html [Accessed 20 09 2012]. Thompson, G. F. , n. d. Fordism, Post-Fordism and the Flexible System of Production, Virginia: s. n. T hompson, G. F. , n. d. Fordism, Post-Fordism and the Flexible Sytem of Production , Virginia: s. n.

Introduction to and Fundamentals of Strategic Marketing. case 1 Essay

Introduction to and Fundamentals of Strategic Marketing. case 1 - Essay Example a) The Company: Kroger is one of the largest retail grocery chains in the US. The company has been known for the number of banners that it deals in (Kroger - About us, 2009). The company has over 320,000 associates and they serve customers in more than 2,476 supermarkets. The company has the following local banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, Fry’s, King Soopers, Smith’s, Dillons, QFC and City Market. Kroger operates as many as 779 convenience stores, 393 fine jewellery stores, and 737 supermarket fuel stations apart from the 41 food processing plants in the US (Kroger - Operations, 2009). The company’s headquarters are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company has been recognised for the various charitable efforts and high levels of corporate social responsibility that the company displays. b) Product: It is clear from the above description of the company that the company deals with numerous different markets. However the food stores contribute to almost 95% of the total sales of the company. The other products and services that the company provides include Pharmacies, Jewelry stores, and supermarket fuel centers. c) The Market: Kroger holds the number one of two position in as many as 39 of the 42 markets. One of the biggest markets of the company is a market with over 9 Korger Stores. The company stands second in the list of top grocery stores in the country and holds as much as 11.4% of the total markets next only to Wal – Mart (KrogerFactbook, 2008). d) Marketing Strategy: Kroger currently utilizes a three tier marketing strategy. The company keeps its customer needs in the fore front while developing any strategy. The company produces and sells its products in three quality tiers. Each of these three tiers caters to the needs of the various markets and the customer segments. The company similar to Wal Mart, provides

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economic - Essay Example This has caused concern for a number of factors in the market to include the banking and construction industry. When a low turn-over of homes occurs, new construction stalls and peters out and older pre-existing homes may cause a short burst in refurbishment industries but inventory movement remains stale. According to the media report, trust in real estate as an investment vehicle has declined by half since 2003. As with all complex phenomenon, a number factors explain why it is happening the way it is. Over time, the housing industry will find equilibrium as housing prices drop to a level the market deems sufficient for decreased prices and buyers may start purchasing again. One can anticipate the construction trades getting hit the hardest and see lay-offs and smaller contracting companies going under. Home improvement goods and services may see an uptick in business as more homeowners seek to repair or improve present dwellings instead of buying another home. Who are the key stak eholders that are impacted by the issue outlined in the report? Include a discussion of all groups that may be impacted by the issue raised in this report Highlight what you believe the main impacts will be in outline who you believe will be impacted most The construction companies and potential homeowners are the most severely affected groups here. The bankers will suffer only in the departments directly related to issuing and maintaining mortgage notes and securities. Of course, if the loans are packaged and leave the local lenders to be securitized in bundles of investments, the effect will only be on the amount of loan traffic coming into the local lending institutions. The construction trade tends to attract both unskilled and skilled laborers whose seasons of employment will most severely affected by the downturn of sales. Entire swaths of the industry will suffer a dearth of employment especially affecting the unskilled laborer. The skilled laborers do have the opportunity to move directly to providing services to remodel and refurbish existing homes for homeowners who find the prospect of buying a new home burdensome right now. What economic theories can be drawn from this media report? List and discuss what economic theories you can find in this article Provide a brief outline of the theory you are highlighting Provide evidence from the article to support these theories. Remember there may be more than one theory to discuss The Law of Supply and Demand is the most important economic theory to be considered in this media report. In its simplest form, it demonstrates that limitations or constraints on either supply or demand will have an effect on price (Kirzner, 2000). Prices, when unfettered, are the clearest signals for how to rationally allocate scarce or abundant economic resources. Economics at its most basic is the examination of the rational (or sometimes irrational, as in bubbles) allocation of goods and services. One important note, it is rele vant in a market or mixed economy but not necessarily in central planning or socialist economies where the Law of Supply and Demand tends to be fogged by irrational price signals and gross misallocation since the end-users don’t have a vote with their feet. The Law assumes that there is a price equilibrium at which producers and

Analytical reserach paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analytical reserach - Research Paper Example This debate has been of interest since it attempts to unearth why there is a growing number of social networking sites and users all over the work. As a matter of fact, the last few years have seen a huge growth in the number of social networking cites such as Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, blogs and Badoo, just to name but a few. Facebook users lead the pack, spending over 10.5 billion minutes on the site. Research also reveals that over a billion people are currently connected to the Internet either via computer and mobile phones, among other gargets. A majority of the Internet users argue that the Internet has brought them closer to other people. Some argue that without the Internet, they would not be able to connect with their friends and families who are spread all over the world. They also claim that social networking has enabled them to make friends and communicate with individuals whom otherwise they would not been able to meet without the Internet (Consalvo and Ess 56). People from the corporate world also argue that the Internet has enabled them manage relationships with their clients more effectively and faster. In this regard, they note that through e-commerce and online banking, they have been able to communicate and transact with a lot of ease with their clients and customers without the hustle of having to present themselves physically (Internet Communication par. 2). Those who oppose the argument that the Internet help bring people together also have a strong point, which must be considered. Firstly, they argue that the Internet has done away with interactions that used to be there before its establishment. In this regard, they state that shopping online or searching information on the Internet has done away with dialogue or face-to-face communication, which used to bring friends and families together. As such, they dispel the argument that the Internet has

The relative importance of Reward and Resourcing within the overall Essay

The relative importance of Reward and Resourcing within the overall role of the Human Resource function - Essay Example The present composition describes employee rewards and resourcing aspects of management. Contemporary rewards management focuses on integrating HRM and strategic rewards in a manner that prioritizes managerial deliverables The concept of employee rewards is a complex framework that reinforces the interplay between different aspects of organisational behaviour other than the financial perspective. Employee resourcing is concerned with equating business goals in terms of resources as per the forecasted work. It also involves evaluation of the required skills and technical know-how. In this composition, an attempt to understand the relation between employee resourcing and rewards has been made along with an understanding of how these practices impact each other and the business in positive and negative ways. From rewards perspective, contemporary organisations and businesses focus on developing attracting and developing talent alongside improving organisational performance. A comprehens ive reward system has to meet the requirements of flexibility in terms of pay and incentives; as well as meet governmental regulations put forth in the form of labour law and wages; in addition, this system should include a provision for continuous negotiation between employer and employee, which will extract optimum performance from the employee and also provide maximum benefit in the form of rewards. Framing such a comprehensive reward system is therefore very complicated. ... The reward systems are strategically integrated with organisational goals. These rewards are based on performance and can be flexibly altered according to the business and/or employee preferences. As described by Armstrong and Brown (2006, p.22), the holistic approach of total rewards provides for the integration with reward of a number of HR policies and practices such as employee development, resourcing, life-work balance, recognition schemes, work design and participation. Yet, the total rewards system does not make the purpose of attracting and retaining the best talent simple; the system is always complex and time consuming. Different practices adopted in reward management include merit or individual performance pay, profit-sharing, broadbanding, competence-related pay, flexible benefits, team pay and gain-sharing. Of these, merit or performance pay practice is adopted by most of the companies (Armstrong, 2002). Evolution of the contemporary rewards system has culminated in tota l rewards system, a concept that has been adopted by most of the organisations. organisations have modified the system to fit their strategy, which has further resulted in a variety of total reward models. The most renowned models according to CIPD are those of WorldatWork, Hay Group, Towers Perrin and Schuster-Zingheim and Associates (Thompson, 2002). Of these, the most elaborate and comprehensive model is that of the Hay Group, which considers reward design to be a platform that enhances engaged performance. This model includes financial, motivational and practical aspects of work and is made of six elements: inspirational values, quality of work, enabling environment, tangible rewards, work-life balance, and future

Human resource management ( HRM in spain) Essay

Human resource management ( HRM in spain) - Essay Example For instance, Anglo-Saxons consider management ability depending on interpersonal skills, while the French consider the most intellectual individuals as the best managers. On the other hand, Germans argue that good management is a function of formal authority (Valle, Martin, and Romero, 2001:249). In this regard therefore, it is evident that organizations all over the world are adopting global practices, but in many cases, they do so in nation-specific ways. Based on the General Motors case study in Spain, this paper seeks to provide a report on the international human resource management in Spain. The report covers the institutional context that influence human resource practices in that country, essentially focusing on the laws, employer organizations, trade unions, training an education system, and other relevant issues (Ferner, Quintanilla, and Varul, M.Z. 2001:116). Moreover, the report covers the current human resource management trend in the country based on relevant case stud ies. Overview of Spain Based on Hofstede analysis, Spain ranks high in uncertainty avoidance and low in masculinity score. This results from the Spaniards feelings concerning career security, rules, and regulation. The Spanish history in relation to human resource management traces back to the second half of the twentieth century. It is not after the death of General Franco and the subsequent collapse of his regime did the economy of Spain come into focus. The Spaniards looked upon their leader to lead then to democracy and the European Union. In those times, only a fraction of the labor market had employment. According to statistics, the levels of unemployment reached record highs in 1965, skyrocketing to about 38.5% (Perllow and Weeks, 2002:347). In the 80’s however, the levels reduced by about 5% to stand at 33.5%. Comparing these levels to other European states, Spain had the lowest level of employed women, accounting for only 18% of the entire women population in the cou ntry. Italy had an average of 25% and between 30% and 40% in northern Europe. PESTLE Analysis of Spain Political Spain adapts a kingdom type of state. The country has a constitutional monarchy primarily based on parliament democracy. Moreover, power is highly decentralized, with autonomous communities having a high legislative level. Furthermore, the country enjoys a fiscal and executive autonomy. After the restoration of political democracy in 1975 following the death of General Franco, the country has generally displayed stable leadership and democracy (Combs and Luthans, 2007:111). Economical The Spanish economy was already recording significant recovery by 2004 from the financial crisis, recording a 2.4% growth. This was 2% higher than the previous year and 7% higher than the recorded levels in 2002. According to statistics, the highest unemployment record in recent times was that of 2000, but dropped to about 10.8% in 2004. Additionally, overall employment rate grew by 1.6%, wi th unemployment levels dropping by 3.5%. Spain seeks to promote employment in line with the European Union Directives. Nonetheless, the European Union directive merely present a framework for guiding human resource practices, but does not offer maximum protection to the equality and rights of employees in the work place (Lam, Chen and Schaubroeck, 2002:907). The local legislation that currently exist act as the

Bonds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bonds - Essay Example On yield, even though TGT bonds have a lower yield rate that would result in higher price volatility, the difference of 1% is not significant enough to overshadow the other factors. WTM bonds therefore have higher price volatility. The duration based estimate of return is different from the actual return calculated based on expected price changes because of the following reasons. First, the duration-based approach views the entire duration of the bond from a given point in time. Given that the bonds earn interest at different rates, the durations for the bonds are also different and are less than their terms respectively. Also, when durations are considered, bond prices are affected hence resulting in different interest rates of return. Changes in prices, which are imminent in this case, are also not taken into consideration in the former case contributing to the difference. I think the interest rate for WMT bonds are going to fall over the next year. This is because of lower interest rates and longer duration that would result into lesser demand for the bonds hence a reduction in prices. However, I expect the TGT bond prices to rise because of higher interest rates and shorter durations. I would therefore recommend the WMT bonds since over the next year their prices will rise and you can sell them for a greater price than you will buy them and at the same time get higher interest over the

Stop Torture Essay Example for Free

Stop Torture Essay Would you authorize torturing an individual in order to save the lives of hundreds? A majority of the population would agree that sometimes torture becomes necessary. Employed during war, many civilians believe torture is justified as a method to retrieve information to save lives and many military personnel would argue that the same methods would be used against their comrades. Contrary to the majority, the use of torture is unnecessary because it harms innocent individuals, provides inaccurate information, and contradicts America’s efforts in making the world a better place. People have mixed feelings regarding the use of torture to capture terrorist or prevent terrorist attacks. Some can argue that torture is an effective method that can be used to get suspects to speak so that authorities can respond quickly. The use of torture can help soldiers retrieve valuable information from captured terrorist to prevent damage from other terrorist. Secondly, if terrorist are not limited to physical violence and acts of immortality, why should soldiers who protect innocent people be limited to nonviolent interrogation. Many will argue that terrorist are not afraid to use violence, hence, we should not be afraid either. Last but not least, why should one have empathy towards people who are intentionally causing mayhem and chaos? While these are seem as reasonable arguments to allow the use of torture, there are many consequences and drawbacks that are associated with the use of torture. There have been many instances reported where American soldiers treated other innocent Iraqi civilians in custody with inhumanity and ruthlessness, such as the infamous stories of â€Å"Abu Ghraib. Abu Ghraib has been in news articles for quite some time, and reporters have provided insight on how innocent civilians were thrown in prisons and treated with inhumanity and cruelty. The documentary Taxi to the Dark Side, written and directed by Alex Gibney, is about a taxi driver who was taken into custody at an U. S. military base in Abu Ghraib. He was stripped naked on arrival, chained to the ceiling, and beaten several times a day. After enduring five days of excruciating pain and torture, he died. One must stop and wonder why the American government at Abu Ghraib sanctioned such inhumane methods? They did not. These techniques of chaining prisoners to the ceilings, using physical violence, and waterboarding were only sanctioned in Guantanamo Bay. However, these practices migrated to Abu Ghraib without any official orders. The guards at Abu Ghraib must have reasoned that if torture was allowed in a military base, why limit these cruel methods to just one base? This misguided reasoning spreads chaos and along with it derives horrifying incidents like Abu Ghraib. American soldiers who were the guards at Abu Ghraib wanted to contribute and help their mission become succeed. For them, torture was about obtaining information from prisoners by any means necessary to help war efforts. However, the feeling of being superior to Iraqi prisoners led them to treat these innocent men like â€Å"dogs† (Gibney). In the article, â€Å"The Abolition of Torture,† author Andrew Sullivan argues that torture is not only ineffective but also morally wrong. Andrew Sullivan writes this article in response to Charles Krauthammer’s belief in the need for torture and Krauthammer defines a terrorist â€Å"an unlawful combatant. He lives outside of laws of war because he does not wear a uniform, he hides among civilians, and he deliberately targets innocents† (Sullivan). Knowing that there are many instances where innocent individuals are thrown into prisons as terrorist by government officials. What difference is there between the American government officials and terrorist if both harm innocent individuals? In order for us to sustain faith in humanity, we must treat everyone with humanity in mind; terrorist or not. The use of torture spreads like a forest fire and brings down innocent individuals with it. Another reason torture is unnecessary because it generates inaccurate information. When facing torture, prisoners will say almost anything to make the pain go away. This often leads to false information and wastes valuable time. The American government approved â€Å"waterboarding† as a method of obtaining information from prisoners immediately after September 11, 2001. In an article written by Senator John McCain, who was tortured for years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, he provides an insight on the truth behind the use of torture. Senator McCain recounts conversation with CIA director Leon Panetta, Panetta stated, â€Å"None of the three detainees who were waterboarded provided Abu Ahmed’s real name, his whereabouts or an accurate description of his role in al-Qaeda† (McCain). Khalid Sheik Mohammed was waterboard 183 times, yet he did not provide any vital information that led to capturing Osama Bin Laden. This clearly demonstrates that torture is not an effective method because the results can be inaccurate and often misleading. Finally, yet most importantly, the use of torture reverses America’s efforts of making the world a better place. For a country to become an example of justice or humanity, its actions must represent its ideals. When the world hears about America’s policy on torture, it contradicts their efforts of going to third world countries to fight off terror and establish democracy. In his article â€Å"U. S. Went to the ‘Dark Side’ on Torture,† Charles C. Krulak observes that America’s policy on torture â€Å"alienated would-be allies and fueled Al Qaeda’s recruiting efforts. † Many religionist extremist and terrorist recruiters use incidents like Abu Ghraib to influence individuals to take part in terrorist activities. Children growing up in third world countries who witness instances like Abu Ghraib can easily be misguided and join terrorist camps. America’s policy on torture causes more chaos and takes away from what it means to be an American. America was founded as country for the free, brave, and ones who believe in democracy. We classify ourselves as the world police and protectors of humanity. However, our government justifies taking Iraqi civilians treating them with inhumanity and putting them through cruel and unusual punishments. Aren’t these actions forbidden by the American constitution? The American constitution is the building block for American civilization. The constitution along with the Bill of Rights not only protects the freedom of citizens of the world but also guarantees them the right to a trail. What has happened to the beliefs that founding fathers laid out for our country to follow? IF we are to set an example for justice and democracy, we must stop the use of torture. The goal of democracy is that every man should be treated equally. On the other hand, torture is an act of inflicting permanent pain and grief. Democracy and torture can never go hand in hand. Torture should never be a way to gain advantage over an individual, whether it is mental or physical. Torture is merciless, unkind, and brutal, which can also define the character of the user and becomes a part of his/her human nature to feel a sense of empowerment toward another human being, in other words â€Å"the enemy†. As a result, torture influences both sides to ongoing revenge, anger and violence. Torture served no purpose to initiate anything positive for our world today or tomorrow. Mahatma Gandhi once stated, â€Å"An eye for an eye leaves the world blind. † If the world leaders continue to exercise methods of torture, then there will be no room for the advancement of humanity. America should not use torture to fight against terrorism. As the use of torture is terminated, the world will have a chance to come together and end terrorism because the main root of terrorism is being inhumane and we should not fall in that category by using torture as our way to fight against it.

Peter Paul Rubens Essay Example for Free

Peter Paul Rubens Essay Peter Paul Rubens is viewed in our time as one of the Masters of his period in art. Living in the 1600’s he was vastly influenced by the Baroque ideals of art and culture. He is considered by some to have blended the work from the Renaissance and Early Baroque into one of the first truly European styles of painting. His style is considered to be an exaggerated Baroque style with large amounts of emphasis on color, sensuality, and movement. Subjects in Rubens paintings are commonly shown in dynamic postures with facial expressions full of emotion and expressive movement. Rubens was born in Siegen, Westphalia on the 28th of June in 1577. He was the sixth child of his parents Jan Rubens, his father, and Maria Pypelincks, his mother. This came after quite the political scandal his family had just begun to move on from. Previous to Peter’s birth, Jan Rubens had been imprisoned for an affair with Anna of Saxony, the second wife of William of Orange. When Peter was one year old, his family moved back to Cologne from where they had fled before his birth. They had been forced to leave during the rule of the Spanish Netherlands by the Duke of Alba due to the persecution of Calvinist’s at the time. Peter’s father was a lawyer, and noticing Peter’s intelligence saw to it that he received a Classical education. After the death of Jan Ruben’s, Maria took her family back to a small property she owned in Antwerp in 1567. When Rubens was 13, his family’s last wealth was used to provide his oldest sister a marriage dowry, and he was sent to be a page under the care of Countess Lalaing. It is thought this is where he received his education in formal manners and conduct. However, after a few months had passed, under Peter’s instigation, he got his mother to apprentice him to a painter. The painter he was apprenticed to was named Tobias Verhaeght. This is essentially where Peter Paul Rubens art career began. Later he studied under two of Antwerps most prominent painters at that time, Adam van Noort and Ot to van Veen, both of which were mannerists. A large amount of Rubens early training consisted mostly of woodcuts and engravings of earlier artists works. Peter completed his training in 1598 and entered into the Guild of St. Luke as an independent master. After this Peter Paul Rubens then traveled to Italy, first stopping in Venice. There he was able to study paintings by some of the Renaissance masters such as Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto. It is thought that the compositions and coloring used by these masters had an immediate effect on Rubens painting  style. Of these, it seems Titians influence shows the strongest in Rubens later, mature style. He then continued on to settle for a time in Mantua at the court of duke Vincenzo I of Gonzaga. Supported Financially by the duke, Rubens traveled to Rome in 1601. While there he was able to study Greek and Roman art and also copy works from the Italian masters. After spending about eight years in Italy, Peter Paul Rubens made his way back to Antwerp upon hearing of his mother b eing ill. He did not however make it to Antwerp in time and his mother had passed away upon his arrival. In September of 1609, Rubens was appointed to court painter by Albert and Isabella, governors of the Low Countries. He was also allowed special permission to have his art studio based out of Antwerp, instead of at the court which was located in Brussels. He was also given authorization to continue to work for other clients outside the court. Following his appointment as court painter, Rubens also married his first wife Isabella Brant, daughter of a prominent family in Antwerp. In 1610 he moved into a new studio and house designed by himself. This Italian-influenced villa in the center of Antwerp contained his workshop, personal art collection, and library, and is now referred to as the Rubenshuis museum. It was this workshop in which Rubens produced the majority of his now famous paintings such as Prometheus Bound, The Raising of the Cross, and The Descent from the Cross. Along with producing many paintings during this time, Rubens was also involved in the creation of prints and book title pages which further extended his fame throughout Europe. Copyrights for these prints were established in countries such as Holland, England, France, and Spain. In 1621, Peter Paul Rubens recieved another major commission in his art career from Marie de Medici, queen of France. She requested two allegorical cycles in commemoration of her and her late husband, Henry IV, for the Luxembourg Palace in Paris. The Marie de Medici cycle was completed and installed in 1625. The second series was never completed as Marie was exiled from France in 1630. Between 1625 and 1630 Rubens was also involved in diplomatic attempts to bring peace between the United Provinces and the Spanish Netherlands. For this he was knighted by Philip IV of Spain, and also by Charles I of England. Cambridge University also awarded Rubens an honorary Master of Arts degree in 1629. In the last years of Rubens life he continued to be a successful and popular artist, with more requests for work than he had time. He married 16  year old Helene Fourment four years after the death of his first wife. Helene is thought to be the inspiration for works such as The Feast of Venus, The Judgement of Paris, and The Three Graces. Rubens ended up fathering eight children in total between his two wives and passed away from gout on May 30, 1640. I think probably ranking as the most or one of the most important works produced by Peter Paul Rubins would have to be the painting The Raising of the Cross. From my reading it seems to be the most universally appreciated of Rubens works. Also, due to it being one of his earlier paintings, it seems that this painting served in fully showing Rubens potential as an artist and contributed to the attention he recieved in later commissions such as the Marie de Medici cycle. In The Raising of the Cross, the main emotion or feeling that comes to my mind is struggle. We have discussed in this class how diagonal lines convey movement in a composition and this painting is full of them. From the cross itself, to the bodies of the figures, and even the tree in the background, all show varying levels of diagonal lines. The diagonals seem to conflict each other in the painting which I believe is one of the primary elements conveying this feeling of a struggle. The balance in The Raising of the Cross seems to be asymmetrical which I feel adds to the emotion in the painting. The coloring in this work is set in such a way to highlight the figures involved in the depiction by showing large amounts of bare skin using lighter flesh colored tones against the dark background of the ground and especially in the shaded tree in the top right. Jesus, who is the central figure in this painting, is the most bare skinned and also the lightest figure in the scene which draws the eyes attention. I also notice that the bottom right of the painting is light while diagonally to the upper left is very dark. I think this is another way Rubens creates movement in this piece and draws the viewers eye across the scene. Also of note in this piece is the repetition of strain and tension shown in the figures poses, muscles, and faces. Strain and tension can also be felt in the angle of the cross itself across the painting as well as the rope pulled taught in the effort. In the end Peter Paul Rubens life exemplifies an almost fairy tale like quality for the dreams of an artist. He was successful from a young age all the way up until his death and was revered as a great artist from a relatively early point in his art career. His life was highly productive, and not defined by any major  hardship or life tragedy as some other artists. We consider Rubens as a prolific painter, and through himself and his workshop, he produced multiple hundreds of pieces or art, many of which remain today and are highly acclaimed.

Technology in Fashion Product Development and Manufacturing

Technology in Fashion Product Development and Manufacturing INTRODUCTION According to Tyler, (2008, p.1) Clothing manufacture is an activity dominated by the need for human skills, with a great range of raw materials, product types, production technologies, production volumes, retail markets and brands. These days, consumers are being influenced by fashion trends, thereby having the enticement of the ongoing newness and needs to buy and keep up with the latest appearance have become the order of the day. People believe their look is what matters most and so are very much keen in updating it with fashion. The term fashion describes the current prevailing trends in the society for example, concerning a particular way of dressing, lifestyle, pattern of thought and the development of the arts (Eberle et al, 2004, p.217) The move towards so-called ‘Fast-fashion within many retailers means that the designers have a much shorter development period so that the store can respond to new trends within a matter of weeks (Goworek, 2006, p.31). Fast fashion in my own understanding simply means the ability to respond immediately to current fashion trends. Hence, because of the increasing demand of products by customers, new technologies are constantly being introduced to fashion industries to improve and quicken production. The aim of this study is to discuss the technologies  involved in the development and assembly of new product and find out how it has contributed to fast fashion. Technology is the process of applying technical devices and knowledge to suit a particular work or purpose, therefore, fashion technology is the process by which these technical devices and knowledge are applied to the construction and manufacturing of fashion products. However, working in the fashion industry requires an adapt knowledge and understanding of technologies involved in the development and assembly of new products. LITERATURE REVIEW The aim of this literature review is to establish that relevant work has already been completed in the field. In particular I am keen to demonstrate in this section that this term paper is based upon a thorough understanding of the field, and to establish evidence that I have researched into the subject. Fast fashion is a term that refers to affordable basics and disposable trends. It has also been used as a term to describe clothing collections which are based on the most recent fashion trends. (Apparel search, 2009) ‘‘Fashion products have a limited life cycle, more so than other products. (Gowerek, 2004, p. 142) According to Tyler, (2008), Fashion requires a quick response, that is to say that fashion apparel has a short product life and differentiation advantages can be built on the images and styles of brands which can be quickly imitated. Fashion producers have continually worked hard to provide new products to capture the imagination of the consumers with these innovative styles and images and so technological advancement has brought about the introduction of ready-to-wear/mass production apparel. Integration of quick response has given the fashion producers a lot of advantage as they have developed new capabilities known as quick response strategies to supplant timing and know-how which helps them in the assembly and development of only clothes that sells. DISCUSSION GARMENT ASSEMBLY The steps involved in garment assembly are called operations. (Frings, 2008, p. 260) the three methods of operations are; the progressive-bundle system, the tailor or whole garment system, and the modular manufacturing system. Automated systems are now being used in fashion factories to speed up production and cut lead time. There several computer technologies being used in the process of garment assembly; computer-aided manufacturing(CAM), unit production system(UPS), computer-integrated manufacturing(CIM) , computer simulation, and flexible manufacturing. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Product development is a process of creating new style within a given companys image or identity. (Frings, 2008) The two technologies involved in the development and assembly process of new product are; Seam technology and Machinery technology. SEAM TECHNOLOGY The seam technologies are; seam type, stitch type, needle, thread and feed mechanism. SEAM TYPE A seam is a joint where a sequence of stitches unites two or more pieces of material. (cooklin, 2006, p. 110) Seams have several properties; strength, extensibility, elasticity, security, durability and good appearance all of which will be considered during product development. According to Tyler, (2008), the British standard has classified seam into eight classes according to the minimum number of parts that make up the seam. These classes are; Class 1- superimposed seam that consists of Plain, French and Piped seams, Class 2- lapped seam which consist of basic lapped, lap-felled and welted seam, Class 3- bound seam, Class 4- flat seam- consisting of butt and flatlock seams, Class 5- decorative stitching, Class 6- edge neatening, Class7- addition of trims, and Class 8- one-place components. (Tyler, 20008) STITCH TYPE Thread and stitches are the primary means of garment assembly. (Glock et al, 2000, p.427) British standard has also classified stitches into six categories; Class 100- single thread chain stitches, used for temporary stitching, Class 200- hand stitches used for sewing edges, Class 300- lockstitches that are suitable for closing, lapping and decorating, Class 400- multi-thread chain stitches used as cross over seams and side seams, Class 500- overedge chain stitches used to neaten and bind of cut edges of a woven and knitted fabrics, and Class 600- covering chain stitches used to make flat extensible seams on knitted fabrics. Each of the above classified stitches has various stitch types within them. (Eberle et al, 2004, p. 167) SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES Machine needles come in various shapes and sizes and should be used on individual machines, stitch types, threads and fabrics. The two basic classes of needle points are Round and Cutting points needles. Round points needles includes slim set points which are used for blind stitches and for fine densely woven fabrics, set cloth points, heavy set point used especially for button sewing machines, light ball points used for sensitive fabrics such as knits, medium ball point and heavy ball points. Cutting points needles which are used sewing leather and films or coated and laminated textiles are left cutting points and spear points. (Eberle et al, 2004) SEWING THREAD The threads are used to form stitches on fabrics. They are made from either natural or synthetic fibres or both and are chosen according to suitability for sewing in relation to uniform thickness, smoothness, elasticity and strength. Cotton is used to make natural fibre threads and nylon is used to make synthetic fibre threads. Sewing threads undergo the same process of production with yarns. The fibres are carded, combed, drawn and spun into yarns which in turn are twisted into sewing threads. Sewing threads can either be Z or S twist. The fibre on the surface of a Z twisted thread are faced to the right when the thread is held vertically while the fibre on the surface of an S twisted fabric are faced to the left when the thread is held vertically. The properties of threads are; colours, diameter, finish, size, twist and cord content. Characteristics of sewing thread are colours, fastness, flexibility, elongation, strength, shrinkage, twist balance, etc. FEED MECHANISM It is essential to consider the issues of feed mechanism in the process of product development. Feed mechanism is a process used in a sewing machine to join fabrics together whereby mechanism feeds the fabrics past the needle to achieve good fit, style appearance and performance. The sewing machine feed system are drop feed, differential feed, variable top and bottom feed (before and behind the needle), compound feed, alternating compound feed, puller feed (roller feed) and clamp feed(jig). Feed mechanism is made up of three sewing machine parts; presser foot, throat plate and feed dog. Material feed is achieved by the feed dog which contains several rows of serrated teeth. The feed dog is moved upwards and forwards through slits in the throat plate to engage with the other side of the material being sewn and to advance it by a distance of one stitch length. Contact between feed dog and material is is controlled by the spring-loaded presser foot. The feed dog is then lowered and move d back to its starting position. (Eberle et al, 2004, p.162) MACHINERY TECHNOLOGY Machinery technologies are; basic sewing machines, simple automatics, automated workstations and reprogrammable automated system. Machinery is a very important aspect of product development because it is very important to note the available machines as well as their capabilities. There are various classes of sewing machines used in clothing manufacture and these include; basic sewing machines, simple automatics, automated workstations, reprogrammable automated systems. BASIC SEWING MACHINE Basic sewing machines consist of a stand, table, electric motor, and a head. It offers one stitch type and has various shapes with means which helps the operator to control the speed of sewing, stitch density and presser foot position. (Tyler, 20008) there are several types of basic sewing machine; flat bed, raised bed, post bed, cylinder bed, feed-off-arm bed, side bed, etc. SIMPLE AUTOMATICS These are controlled manually but the movement of the components to be sewn are being controlled by special cams during the entire sewing operation. Simple automatic machine produces only one configuration of sewing. Examples of simple automatic machines are buttonholers, buttonsewers, bar tack machines and label sewers. (Tyler, 20008) AUTOMATED WORKSTATIONS These make use of electric, electronic and pneumatic control and incorporate sophisticated conveyor and clamp technology and perform complex functions in addition to sewing. (Tyler, 20008) These machines are, profile sewing system, CNC sewing machines and robots. Examples are patch pocket setting on jeans and shirts, run stitching collars or flaps, long seam joining, making jetted pockets, serging trousers and sequential buttonholing. Apart from loading and removing the garment after sewing, the machine controls the rest of the handling and sewing. (Tyler, 20008) Sophisticated automated workstations have numerical control, automated loading, unloading, edge sensors and other intelligent features. (Lecture note) REPROGRAMMABLE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS In reprogrammable automated system, garment parts are loaded and a series of machines carries out a series of operations to a section of a garment, for example, one system utilises robotic handling to assemble a three-part jeans pocket. (Tyler, 20008) However, these reprogrammable automated systems are not yet being used commercially. ANCILLARY MECHANISMS FOR HIGH SPEED SEWING MACHINES These are industrial machines known as high speed machines, generally provided with several ancillary mechanisms whose function is to reduce the time needed by the operator for non-sewing activities. (Eberle et al, 2004) The ancillary equipment for industrial high speed sewing machines are; thread cutter, thread wiper, automated presser foot, needle positioning, stitch compression, bar tacking, automatic start using an optical sensor, automatic stop using an optical sensor, edge trimmer and edge trimmer(stepped). (Eberle et al, 2004) CAD TECHNOLOGY CAD which means computer aided design is another technology identified as quick response element. ‘‘CAD systems are now the essential tools required to integrate and achieve success taking the role of the ‘comfigurator between manufacture and retail. (Beazley and Bond, 2003, p. vii) CAD is used in the designing of new styles, as well as ethical specifications and functions of pattern creation, grading, production of cutting markers and lay planning in garment production. CONCLUSION Technology is a very important part of product development as it ensures quality, with suitable fit, fashionable and attractive appearance and speeds up production to meet with consumer satisfaction. Fashion needs depend on the creative technical development of the fashion industry because only innovative technology and manufacture can break through into the ongoing fast fashion. Much innovation and interest in fashion has given consumers a lot of choice in keeping up with fashion trend. The fashion industry is now being faced with a lot of challenges because fashion is an everyday activity which we can never do without. According to Fan (2004, p.1), ‘‘our appearance is our most apparent individual characteristicsrelying on appearance to guide personal decisions and social interactions is not only natural, but inescapable. The body and the way it is clothed and presented is a primary medium of expression, for it makes statements on the condition of society itself. Hence, fashion demands are drastically increasing every now and then so as to meet up with the fast fashion. The ultimate goal of manufacturers and retailers of clothing is to provide clothing for the whole range of their target market that constantly fits well to increase customer satisfaction and ultimate sales. (Ashdown, 2007, p. 348) To achieve this ultimate goal, manufactures must always create and interpret new trends, thereby making sure they comply with the norms and technologies that are involved in the day-to-day process of product assembly. Hence, current technologies are the basic requirements of product development which helps to brings about an innovation known as quick response. Quick response is a term used for the strategies being used to achieve fast fashion.

Business Research Reactions of Employees to Performance Appraisal Essay

Appraisal Attitudes of employees towards performance appraisal system of a Transport and Contracting Company. 1.0 Introduction After the selection process the next formal assessment of the individual employee is the performance appraisal. Most organizations recognize that there is a need to monitor the effectiveness of their employees and to promote avenues for their improvement. Enormous amounts of time, energy and money have gone into the development of performance appraisal systems, but their successful implementation rests with the supervisors and managers who carry out the appraisal. Ultimately all human resource matters are matters of subjective judgment and the available research evidence suggests that assessors give more accurate ratings when they are not shown to employees and the final outcome does not involve promotion decisions. Assessors are often fearful of the negative impact of their appraisal on the individual?s pay, promotion and on the job security, as well as its potential to damage or even destroy a previously excellent working relationship. In the past most of the attention has focused on the development of appropriate measuring device and rating scales. However recent trends indicate a shift in emphasis from the procedures to the process and the dynamics of the supervisor-subordinate relationship. Employee development must be an ongoing process if organization is to retain its capacity to respond to the challenges of the future. It is an investment which pays off in the survival and growth of the organization. Employee development can only be effective if it is based on needs identified during the performance appraisal. The potentially relevant research for performance appraisal is very ... ...t will add to existing Knowledge? Existing literature and research reports that I have read concentrates more on to: use of rating in appraisal, ethical dilemmas facing performance evaluators and employees, comparing performance appraisal with total quality management, relationship between motivation and job satisfaction of the employee to the performance appraisal and relationship between productivity and performance appraisal. Since appraisal is done by a human, it can create serious motivational, ethical and legal problems in the workplace. Appraiser sometime tend to judge the work performance of others including subordinates, naturally, informally and arbitrarily. Here lie the roots for changing of attitudes of employees. In my research it will concentrate on the current working environment and the effect of determination of the issues by employees.

TV Violence and the Future of Our Children :: essays research papers

TV Violence and the Future of Our Children In recent years, the news has seemed to mimic violence that appears in television and in movies. Several incidents support the majority of people's assumption that TV violence effects a child's behavior in many ways. A child's judgment is hurt badly by viewing TV violence, which can have some serious long-term effects. First of all, when children see characters on TV or in movies triumph by using physical force, they begin to see violence as an acceptable way of resolving conflicts. As a result, children use physical or verbal abuse toward others on the playground or at school. Some parents often worry that their children will not fit in with their friends if they do not watch popular children's television programs. The same 20-year research tell us that children who watch more violent television are actually rated more poorly by their peers. Also, according to Dr. Jeanne Beckman, children who spend more time watching violent TV programming are rated more poorly by their teachers, their peers, have few problem-solving skills, and are more likely to get into trouble with the law as teenagers and young adults. Take for instance the young boy who opened fire at his school in Pearl, Mississippi. The movie the Basketball Diaries had the most effect on this boy. Children who view too much media violence may have more difficulty getting along with others. If children do not see acts of kindness between other children and adults, they are less likely to be kind, or resolve their conflicts peacefully. This makes other children less eager to play with them. Along with verbal abuse, violent TV programs do not teach good language skills. Young children tend to repeat things they hear as they begin to develop their own vocabularies. Violent movies and TV programs show children a very limited way to talk about their problems -- and to solve them. Children are visual learners and television is more visual, more salient, more intense than simply reading a story to your child. Secondly, children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others. Viewing violence encourages children to see other people as enemies rather than as individuals with thoughts and feelings like themselves. Children who cannot put themselves in others' shoes may become less desirable playmates. One perfect example that supports this idea is the Columbine High School tragedy in which two young men opened fire, detonated bombs, and killed several school mates and teachers.

Effects of Social Networking Sites on Student’s Life. Essay

Students! The Builders of Nation ! In today’s life as the world is developing rapidly, the youth becoming stronger in each sense. The technologies are reaching at their peak. Dr. Abdul Kalam has said that India would be the ‘Developed Country’ upto 2020. He has dreamed about ‘Developed India’ which will be possible through his ‘Mission 2020’ towards India. He believes that Indian youth is the source for that dream. Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey are the two innovative people of 21st century as they have innovated social networking communication sites such as facebook and twitter respectively. Social networking sites such as facebook and twitter are few of the revolutionary inventions of decade. These are mostly popular in the college students. Actually it is proved that it is good mean of communication among them and is the best way of their time to be passed quiet easily. College students are heavy users of these sites through internet compared to the general population. It is the part of their daily communication habits. Social networking sites highly benefits students academically. The various features of different sites give flexibility to students to be a part of social level with others. Students can relate and share with those who have a common interest and ability to make connection with like-minded students, build relationships and communication among them. Social networking sites are the part of modern technology and students are making use of it in different ways. These sites help them to search material which they needs online. It makes them quite easy way to search and get the needful things. Besides this all; there are some negative effects on them as well. Students are losing in the real world by sticking to these social networking sites. The popularity of these sites increased rapidly in the last decade. This is probably due to reason that college students used it extensively to get global access. Sites like facebook and twitter have become a craze for everyone nowadays. These sites have caused potential harm to society. Students are becoming victims of such sites this is because of reason that when they are studying or searching their course material online; they get attracted to these sites to kill the burden in their study time, diverting their attention from their work. They prefer their concentration more on these sites than regular study. Students have started relying more on the information accessible easily on these sites. This reduces their learning and research capabilities. These sites cause reduction in their academic performance and concentration to study well. It reduces their communication skill with others. It also reduces command over language use and creative writing skills. Students mostly use slang words or shortened forms of words on these sites. They start relying on the computer grammar and spelling. Ultimately; it depends on each and every individual how much he involved in these kinds of things. Each individual should decide weathers it is good or bad for him. One should always pick positive things from it. It will have good advantage for him as well as his career. As we want to see ‘Developed India’; is youth in right path? As the craze of networking sites going in negative direction and increasing; the question mark on ‘Mission 2020’ is being much stronger. It’s time to think positively and taking part in transforming India.

Donnie Darko Review

The movie Donned Dark can leave many impressions. One controversial issue with this movie is that its true meaning (which I found out after watching the movie online) is impossible to decipher unless you have read the novel that the movie was built around, The Philosophy of Time Travel. When I first watched the movie with no background information I was confused at the overall concept but the most apparent theme that I got is that although people are greatly similar in many physical aspects, he mind differs immensely among people.After watching the director's vivid portrayal of the schizophrenic, fictional character, Donned Dark, I have a deeper understanding of how other people, more notably psychologically affected people, execute bottom-up processing and act to different stimuli. The explicit visions of Donned Dark in the movie are perfect examples; the way the Donned Dark perceives his world is very different from what you might typically expect a ‘normal' person to perceiv e their world. The relevance of this lies In the realization that everybody hints differently.Donned Drams hallucinations were Induced by an excess of dopamine in his brain he Is still of an example of how people, schizophrenic or not posses unique mental sets. I think that the movie Is very powerful. After watching the movie I had to really sit down and think about what I Just saw. Grandma Death's message to Donned about how â€Å"In the end we all die alone† Is particularly Interesting; this quote brought the movie together for me because the entire movie Is centered on the â€Å"end of the world† and builds up to the last scene In which Donned Dark Is ruled up In bed alone when the plane engine crashes through his roof and ends his life.The scene In which Donned Drams secret admirer, Charta who got picked on by the older students, clashed with Donned In the hallway and dropped her notebook filled with Jots of Iodine's name Impacted me emotionally as I thought of how Donned tells her that things will get better and Iodine's life ends which directly benefits Charta. The significance of Frank confused me throughout the movie. HIS purpose Is clear but his orally Is still a mystery to me. I thought that Franks appearance In the vie especially towards the end was very unpredictable and Ire.As the movie closed, things got even more Ire as Donned rides In his car with his dead girl friend to witness a tornado engulf the city and eventually the downfall of the plane that would end his own life. Overall I enjoyed the movie. Although the movie's Intentions were unclear; I enjoyed the movie. Donned Dark Review By sunbonnets perceive their world. The relevance of this lies in the realization that everybody thinks differently. Donned Darkroom's hallucinations were induced by an excess of famine in his brain he is still of an example of how people, schizophrenic or not posses unique mental sets. I think that the movie is very powerful.After watching message to Donned about how â€Å"In the end we all die alone† is particularly interesting; this quote brought the movie together for me because the entire movie is centered on the â€Å"end of the world† and builds up to the last scene in which Donned Dark is curled up in bed alone when the plane engine crashes through his roof and ends his life. The scene in which Donned Darkroom's secret admirer, Charier who got picked on by he older students, clashed with Donned in the hallway and dropped her notebook filled with Jots of Iodine's name impacted me emotionally as I thought of how Donned Charier.The significance of Frank confused me throughout the movie. His purpose is clear but his origin is still a mystery to me. I thought that Franks appearance in the movie especially towards the end was very unpredictable and ire. As the movie closed, things got even more ire as Donned rides in his car with his dead girl friend to end his own life. Overall I enjoyed the movie. Although th e movie's intentions were

Life in Ireland & Typhoid Fever Essay

During the 1930s in Ireland, the majority of the people lived in the countryside. There were several late marriages and high birth-rates in the rural areas of Ireland at this time. Numerous people from Ireland were immigrating to England because of overcrowding and poor economic conditions. Ireland was also fighting an economic war with Britain at this time. Some popular forms of entertainment in Ireland were cinema, cross-road dancing, and sports. 2.There are several similarities to the poem about the highwayman and the story of Patricia and Frankie. In â€Å"The Highwayman† Bess, the landlord’s daughter was not allowed to talk to the highway man because of her father. This is similar to â€Å"Typhoid Fever† because Frank and Patricia were not allowed to talk to each other because the nuns and nurses wouldn’t allow it because of their diseases. Another similarity is that Bess dies in â€Å"The Highwayman† and Patricia dies in â€Å"Typhoid Fever†. It also seemed as if Frank was falling in love with Patricia, like how the thief had fallen in love with Bess. In â€Å"Typhoid Fever† Frank stated, â€Å"I’d love to do that myself, come by moonlight for Patricia in the next room not giving a hoot though hell should bar the way.† My inference of this line was that Frank felt that his relationship with Patricia was similar to the thief’s relationship with Bess. 3.Frank McCourt was able to re-create the voice of a 10-year-old boy in â€Å"Typhoid Fever† because the events described in â€Å"Typhoid Fever† were of his own. â€Å"Typhoid Fever† came from a memoir Frank had written, which was called Angela’s Ashes. A memoir is a biography or an account of historical events, especially one written from personal knowledge. I also think Frank McCourt was able to re-create the voice of a 10-year-old boy because of how he had the main character act and talk. For example, when Patricia asks how old he is and appears disappointed when he says ten, Frank says, â€Å"But I’ll be eleven in August, next month.† Usually children want to be perceived as older. So when you ask a child how old they are, they usually are very exact, saying the year and month. Another example form the story is how Frank reacts when Patricia mimics the nun. In the story it says, â€Å"Then Patricia whispers, Give thanks, Francis, give thanks, and say your rosary,  Francis and I laugh so hard a nurse runs in to see if I’m all right.† If an adult had heard Patricia mimic the nun they would be able to control their laughter enough so that the nurse would not have heard anything.

Difference Between Learning Degree & On Campus Degree

Over the past decade, increasing numbers of students of all ages and backgrounds have enrolled in distance learning degrees through the Internet. The two forms of college education, the traditional on-campus degree and this new distributed learning approach, differ in a number of ways. Yet they both offer specific advantages. The composition of the student population has changed significantly since the 1980s. A large number of today's college students are older and more heterogeneous. They also demonstrate varying levels of academic preparation. Many would-be students graduated high school a number of years ago and, due to various family and employment commitments, no longer have the flexibility of attending a traditional university setting. Further, some individuals live in remote geographical areas or do not have appropriate transportation opportunities. Distance learning offers them a much more expedient way to further their education. Distance learning offers such students the opportunity to learn online through their computers. Distributed learning programs are designed to enable individuals to achieve their educational and career goals in a way that is most convenient. They can arrange to study wherever they are and whenever they have the time arranged around their personal schedule. At the beginning of a distance learning class, the instructors normally transmit all information on assignments and lectures and provide or explain the study materials required. Throughout the course, students complete the work on their own, just as they would in an on-campus classroom setting. They use their computers to interact in discussions, ask questions and receive feedback from both the instructor and other students. When assignments come due, they send them to their instructors online, who grades and sends them back with comments. However, it is important for individuals to determine if distance education is the right avenue for them. It definitely is not for everyone. It requires a great deal of personal discipline and just as much, if not more, work and time commitment as a traditional classroom. If an individual is not self-motivated or has a tendency to put things off, it is very easy to get considerably behind the classroom schedule and not be able to catch up. With distributed learning, there is nothing stopping students from deciding to watch the latest reality show instead of turning on their computers. Also, would-be distance learning students need to be able to have an adequate understanding of computer technology and know how to read and study online course materials. Despite the many individuals who are taking advantage of online learning, there are still growing numbers of people who want the on-campus experience. Some individuals believe that the traditional setting offers students the best overall achievement opportunity. They state that the on- campus classroom offers more possibilities for personal interaction and communication in addition to building relationships in a mutually familiar environment. Students are able to meet face-to-face with professors as well as classmates. Both oral and nonverbal communication skills are enhanced. In face-to-face dialogues with others in the same room, facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice definitely play an essential role. Students also gain skills they will need in their future careers. In most cases, traditional college courses include team projects, where it is necessary to solve problems, set objectives and goals interactively with others. They are involved in a creative environment of active, participatory, exploratory learning. Sometimes, students actually help develop curriculum and class procedures. On-campus students also appreciate the other experiences they have. They personally meet people from all different backgrounds and countries and acquire skills on how to relate to others whose goals and values may very significantly. The colleges offer a variety of organizations, leadership and participatory involvement, and on-campus activities and special events. Being able to study directly in the campus library is very helpful. In addition to coursework, students can attend special lectures and seminars and enjoy school and community offerings such as movies, theater and museums. Lastly, an on-campus environment does not exclude technology and computer-based learning. Many students use their laptops and PCs to supplement their coursework, participate in chat groups, e-mail, and interact with the instructors. In many cases, the classes combine online and on-campus learning opportunities. Both distance and campus education can be advantageous. However, each student must decide which of these offer the most effective learning style based on personal traits and interests. For some individuals, Internet courses that let students learn at their own pace and review content until completely understood is the best method. Others learn best in an on-campus environment where they can be motivated by and involved with others in a traditional classroom setting.

CARL ROGERS PERSON-CENTRED APPROACH

CARL ROGERS PERSON-CENTRED APPROACH Introduction Carl Rogers (1902-1987) a psychologist developed the person-centred approach theory mainly in relation to the therapist and the client and initially named it the client-centred approach. Rogers later referred to this theory as person-centred rather than patient-centred in order not to reduce the individual’s autonomy and consequently lend the client to difficulties. The approach therefore is to turn individuals (clients) into subjects of their own therapy. In his theory it was noted that individuals are endowed with the power of self actualization and through their own perception of resources inherent in them, they can provide remedy for change in their difficult situations, provided a facilitating environment exists This view as expressed by Rogers implied that every person has a tendency to grow and attain a certain level of actualization. He observed that in order to allow the client (person) asses his/her own wisdom and self defeating behaviours and also enga ge in therapeutic movement with the therapist, there must be a conducive climate. Three conditions were identified for this relationship to thrive favourably: Genuineness (Congruence), Empathy and Unconditional Positive Regard. GENUINENESS (Congruence) In this relationship the therapist is expected to show a real sense of genuine attitude towards the client’s feelings and thoughts, be willing and ever present to assist them in whatever situation they may be. He should be transparent and discourage the attitude of being the superior in the situation. This attitude would in turn retain a high sense of confidence in the client towards realization of him/herself in therapy. Any deviation from this attitude renders the process unworkable. UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD (Total Acceptance) According to Rogers, the therapist in this situation must show non-judgemental and total acceptance to the client’s feelings and his perceptive world as a whole to enhance his process of rec overy. This total acceptance of the client’s attitude and perception should be devoid of whatsoever differences that might exist between them either culturally or socially. However in doing so the therapist should ensure the safety and security of the client. EMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING In his theory, showing empathy refers to the ability of the therapist to show positive sensitivity to the client’s world, his perception towards recovery and also communicate his feelings to the client. This will convey a special meaning to the client of his relationship with the therapist and consequently solidify their mutual relationship towards the expected therapeutic movement. Rogers continue to state that any deviation from these attitudes on the part of the therapist makes it difficult for the process to continue. This empathetic attitude is more exhibited by therapists who are more confident about their own identity and can cope with other person’s world without any fear. P ERSON-CENTREDNESS AS A CONCEPT Person-centeredness a concept in health care delivery has poor and conflicting definitions over the years and is considered one of the best ways of health care delivery in which patients are valued as individuals (Winfield et al. 1996). It has further been observed by

Analysing legal text (The case of Mark v. Mark ) Study

Analysing legal text (The of Mark v. Mark ) - Case Study Example Still, the question of whether the divorce should have gone through in Britain or in Nigeria was the initial problem, and the analysis presented below gives an overall summary of the situation. Since the couple was originally from Nigeria, and the wife had been spending the majority of her time in Britain and had decided not to return to her home in Nigeria, she filed for divorce in Britain. Her husband, however, did not agree with this, and moved for a stay, stating that the proceedings should be decided in Nigeria. The following provides an overview of this case, and what and why the British court decided the way it did. The two individuals involved in this case are from Nigeria, born in that country in 1948 and 1950 respectively. They were married by the law of the River State of Nigeria in 1979; the marriage at that time was considered valid and polygamous, since the husband had married at least two other wives prior to this one, and possibly two more after. Between this particular couple, there were four children, all born in the United Kingdom. All four children have been granted British citizenship. The husband in this particular case served in the Nigerian army, and became a General as well as becoming involved in the government following the military coup of 1983. During this time period, he was able to become quite wealthy. He was posted to Washington in 1990. The wife, on the other hand, had been a lawyer that had practiced in Nigeria. When her husband went to Washington, she proceeded to take classes at Queen Mary College in London, spending time either at school, in Nigeria, or with her h usband. She had obtained multiple entry visas and was able to come to Britain for up to six months at a time until March of 1997. Another coup occurred in November 1993, and the husband did not agree with the new ruler, General Abacha. Therefore, he left the army and decided to leave Nigeria for Britain. The couple then proceeded to establish a domestic home here. The husband was able to obtain a four year work permit that would allow him to remain in the country for that time. The wife was also allowed to stay for a longer period of time than her multiple entry visa originally allowed. After this, the husband was given indefinite leave to stay in Britain because of two of the children. The wife was out of the country, in Florida at the time, and was not included in this decision. When she wanted to return, she was allowed to enter for one day, but she stayed longer. This meant that she had become an over-stayer and was violating sections 24(1)(b) and 24A of the Immigration Act 1971. However, she was eventually granted indefinite leave, but only after the case between she and her husband had started. In June 1998, General Abacha died, so the husband came back to Nigeria to once again pursue politics. He eventually became a Senator in the Upper House of the Nigerian Parliament. However, he still made trips to Britain so that he could visit his wife and children. However, as time passed, the wife in this case gave up hope of coming back to her home country as the most important wife to the husband, and therefore decided to stay in Britain. The wife then issued a divorce petition on July 17, 2000. When she did that, she only focused on her current residence in Britain to discover the court jurisdiction; this was later fixed to add a claim

FUNDAMENTALS OF ECONOMICS Using diagrams, explain what happens to Coursework

FUNDAMENTALS OF ECONOMICS Using diagrams, explain what happens to PRICE and QUANTITY when Demand increases and Supply increases, and when Supply falls and Demand increases - Coursework Example The diagram below shows the supply and demand curve for good X and the equilibrium price and quantity. In diagram above, the quantity of supply and demand are equal at price 50. If the supply and demand curve won't move, the market price of Good X will not change. If the demand for good X will increase, the demand curve will shift to the right or will exhibit an outward shift. An increase in demand will cause a movement along the supply curve which will result to the rise of equilibrium quantity and price. With the new demand curve, supply and demand of good X equals to 5 at price 60. Price and quantity both increased. This means that an increase in the demand of good X made firms in the market to sell good X at a higher price. However, an increase in supply will show another different result. This is shown in Figure 3. With the new demand and supply curve, D2 and S2, the quantity of good X decreased to about 3.75 units while the price increased by about 78 units. This just proves the law of demand that as the price of good X increases, the quantity demanded decreases. There are a lot of reasons that can cause an increase in demand and supply. ... There are a lot of reasons that can cause an increase in demand and supply. Increase in demand can be caused by increase in the consumer's income or wealth, rise in the price of substitutes, fall in the interest rate, and fall in the price of complements. An increase in supply, on the other hand, can be caused by cheaper cost of production, government subsidies, improvement in production technology, and the entry of new suppliers to the market ("AS Markets and Market Systems"). On the other hand, a decrease in supply has a different effect. This is shown in the figure below. Figure 4. Decrease in supply 80 S 70 S2 60 Price of Good X 50 40 30 20 10 D1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Quantity of Good X If the demand curve will remain the same and the supply curve shifts downward, the price of good X will decrease to 40 units while the quantity of good X will increase to approximately 4.75. Again, this conforms to the law of demand. Decrease in the price of good X resulted to an increase in the demand for it. This means that more people will be willing to consume good X because of its lower price. However, the picture will not be the same if the demand curve increases and the supply curve decreases. This is shown in Figure 5. Figure 5. Decrease in supply and increase in demand 80 S1 70 S2 60 Price of Good X 50 40 30 20 D2 10 D1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Quantity of Good X As you can see, there is a decrease in supply and increase in demand. This resulted to a decrease in price form 50 to approximately 42 units and an increase in the quantity of

Australian Food and Nutrition Policy Research Paper

Australian Food and Nutrition Policy - Research Paper Example These diseases are now prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. Lee et al (1994) investigated apparent per capita food and nutrient intake in six remote Australian Aboriginal communities. They found that in comparison to the rest of the Australian community, intake of sugars and sweetened soft drinks were much higher, and intake of whole grains, fruit and vegetables were much lower in Aboriginal communities. Furthermore, they found that white sugar, white flour, bread and meat provided over 50% of the apparent total energy intake for the people of these Aboriginal communities. The high intake of refined carbohydrates and the high percentage of energy intake from meat with excessive visible fat may help explain the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Aboriginal communities. Hence there is a real need in these communities for a program that will help people modify their patterns of food consumption. A high fibre intake program is proposed to promote consumption of whole grains, vegetables and fruit in Aboriginal populatio n, in order to reduce the prevalence of diet-related diseases. To improve nutrition and public health ... s action plan has been developed for all Australians, and the promotion of Indigenous health is also included; the companion document to the EWA program is the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition Strategy and Action Plan (NATSINSAP). The proposed high fibre intake program is intended to reinforce the importance of a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grain products as outlined by the EWA program, and to improve the accessibility of these foods in remote and rural communities to meet the dietary needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Program aim The high fibre intake program aims to increase the intake of dietary fibre in Aboriginal communities by promoting consumption of whole grain products, fresh vegetables and fruit in order to reduce and eventually eliminate the health gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the rest of the Australian population. It is hoped that modifying consumption patterns in this way will reduce the incidence of diet-related diseases in these populations. Program objectives Increase the availability of whole grain products in remote and rural food retail sectors. Increase the availability of fresh vegetable and fruit, and also increase the proportion of caned vegetables and fruit, or dry vegetables and fruit, and juices without added sugar in remote food retail sectors. Disseminate the concept of high fibre intake among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Promote a dietary shift from high fat and high refined carbohydrates to high fibre, low fat, and low refined carbohydrate in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. Rationale A great deal of scientific research has been dedicated to the study of the relationship between dietary fibre and