Does Segregation Still Exist

Segregation refers to the legal and practical separation of people on the basis of group status, like race, ethnicity, class, gender, sex, sexuality, or nationality, among other things. Some forms of segregation are so mundane that we take them for granted and hardly even notice them. For example, segregation on the basis of biological sex is common and hardly questioned, as with toilets, changing rooms, and locker rooms specific to males and females, or separation of the sexes within the armed forces, in student housing, and in prison. Though none of these instances of sex segregation are without critique, it is segregation on the basis of race that comes to mind for most when they hear the word. Racial Segregation Today, many think of racial segregation as something that is in the past because it was legally outlawed in the U.S. by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But though de jure segregation, that enforced by law was banned, de facto segregation, the real practice of it, continues today.  Sociological research that demonstrates the patterns and trends present in society makes it very clear that racial segregation persists strongly in the U.S., and in fact, segregation on the basis of economic class has intensified since the 1980s. In 2014 a team of social scientists, supported by the American Communities Project and the Russell Sage Foundation, published a report titled Separate and Unequal in Suburbia. The authors of the study used data from the 2010 Census to take a close look at how racial segregation has evolved since it was outlawed. When thinking about racial segregation, images of ghettoized Black communities likely come to mind for many, and this is because inner cities across the U.S. historically have been greatly segregated on the basis of race. But Census data show that racial segregation has changed since the 1960s. Today, cities are a bit more integrated than they were in the past, though they are still racially segregated: Black and Latino people are more likely to live among their racial group than they are among whites. And though suburbs have diversified since the 1970s, neighborhoods within them are now very segregated by race, and in ways that have damaging effects. When you look at the racial composition of suburbs, you see that Black and Latino households are nearly twice as likely as white ones to live in neighborhoods where poverty is present. The authors point out that the effect of race on where someone lives is so great that it trumps income: ...blacks and Hispanics with  incomes over $75,000 live in neighborhoods with a higher poverty rate than do whites who earn less than $40,000. Class Segregation Results like this make the intersection between segregation on the basis of race and class clear, but its important to recognize that segregation on the basis of class is a phenomenon unto itself. Using the same 2010 Census data, Pew Research Center reported in 2012 that residential segregation on the basis of household income has increased since the 1980s. (See the report titled The Rise of Residential Segregation by Income.)  Today,  more lower-income households are located in majority low-income areas, and the same is true of upper-income households. The authors of the Pew study point out that this form of segregation has been fueled by rising income inequality in the U.S., which was greatly exacerbated by the Great Recession which began in 2007. As income inequality has increased, the share of  neighborhoods that are predominantly middle class or mixed income has decreased. Unequal Access to Education Many social scientists, educators, and activists are concerned about one deeply troubling consequence of racial and economic segregation: unequal access to education. Theres a very clear correlation between the income level of a neighborhood and its quality of schooling (as measured by student performance on standardized tests). This means that unequal access to education is a result of residential segregation on the basis of race and class, and it is Black and Latino students who are disproportionately exposed to this problem due to the fact that they are more likely to live in low-income areas than their white peers. Even in more affluent settings, they are more likely than their white peers to be tracked into lower-level courses that reduce the quality of their education. Social Segregation Another implication of residential segregation on the basis of race is that our society is very socially segregated, which makes it difficult for us to tackle the problems of racism that persist. In 2014 the Public Religion Research Institute released a study that examined data from the 2013 American Values Survey. Their analysis revealed that the social networks of white Americans are nearly 91 percent white, and are  exclusively  white for a full 75 percent of the white population. Black and Latino citizens have more diverse social networks than do whites, but they too are still mostly socializing with people of the same race. Theres a lot more to be said about the causes and consequences of the many forms of segregation, and about their dynamics. Fortunately, theres a lot of research available to students who wish to learn about it.

Native Americans During The Colonization Of Early America

When Europeans came to the American continent, contact with the Native Americans who were already living there was inevitable. In the colonization of early America, the various groups of European settlers: the Spanish, French, English, and Dutch each had unique experiences with, and therefore individual opinions of the Native Americans whom they interacted. Each of these nations also shared commonalties in their colonization processes and in how they viewed Native Americans. Furthermore, the Native Americans held differing opinions of each group of Europeans whom they encountered while some features of their relationships with Europeans were consistent despite the tribe or nation involved. Columbus, the first Spanish explorer to reach America, initially thought that the he had landed in the East Indies, which had been his ultimate goal. â€Å"His sea wanderings would have been written off as an expensive failure, once it was realized that he had not found the illusive water route to India, had it not been for the discovery of gold on Hispaniola in 1493†(Nash, 18). Once it became known that there were gold and other precious metals on this continent, people from Spain began to journey to America in hopes of gaining immense wealth. The Spanish claimed Panama, Mexico, parts of South America, and southern areas of what is now North America and these expeditions were typically led by military figures. The Spanish viewed America as land to be conquered and they viewed Native AmericansShow MoreRelatedColonization Of The United States1074 Words   |  5 PagesColonization in America has demonstrated all of the US history themes of exploration, encounter and exchange in the Americas. From the beginning of colonization, in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, to the establishment of the first American colony, Jamestown in 1607, and to the creation of the thirteen colonies, there have been countless examples of exploration, encounter and exchange. The exploration of vast waters and unchartered territory led to new and undiscovered land and America being colonizedRead MoreThe Colonization Of Native Americans1377 Words   |  6 Pagesfirst people set foot in the Americas, and it is not until 1492 that the â€Å"first people† make their way as well. The Europeans walked in and saw the Natives as the wildlife of the region and considered themselves the founders, and the Native Americans were heavily influenced and conflicted with the tidal wave of European colonization. Following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, colonization of Native American territory began. Afterwards, life for Native Americans became rather harsh, and genocideRead MoreD ifference Between Spanish And English Colonization1012 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the 15th through 17th centuries, advancements in technology and the desire for new resources spurred the exploration of the New World for both Spain and England. Spains interest in exploration soon surpassed the rest of the countries in the Old World and the nation began to claim the majority of territory in Central and South America. Spain sent conquistadores to assert their dominance in the New World through violent conquest which resulted in difficult relations with native populationsRead MoreNative North Americans : Justification For Indians1545 Words   |  7 Pages Native North Americans: Justification for Indians   Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the history of America many people, and even countries have helped create the government and all the cities to be what they are today.   Without those who traveled here in the 15th, and 16th century many of us wouldn’t be here now; living free, and comfortably with many jobs and opportunities for ourselves. With greatness there is always a downfall, but because we worship and thank early settlers we do not pay much mind to those whoRead MoreThe Discovery Of The Americas By Christopher Columbus962 Words   |  4 PagesThe discovery of the Americas by the European explorer Christopher Columbus was a pivotal event during the 1450s that posed challenges to the way Europeans viewed the world. Columbus was born in Genoa Italy, and is hailed as one the greatest navigators during his time, inspiring an official American Holiday. However, Columbus’s voyage isn’t all that great of a thing, especially to the native peoples and environment of the A mericas. Columbus’s deeds are soured by false motives, violence against theRead MoreThe Emergence Of Cultures Throughout Our World1132 Words   |  5 Pagesevents that have occurred. While colonization is only one of the many events, it is the leading factor that drives cultural development and establishment. 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However, various conflicts between tribes and settlersRead MorePocahontas And Benjamin Franklin : Tragic And Historical Events Developed During The Time Of American Colonization871 Words   |  4 Pagesmade the United States of America the prodigious country it is today, began during it’s early colonization-a time in the life of this great nation which is everlastingly remembered with pride. America s foundation rested upon the ideals of diversity, innovation, and the ability to exhibit strength in the face of adversity; there are few who have embodied this vision of America more completely than Pocahontas and Benjamin Franklin. Tragic and historical events developed during the lives of PocahontasRead MoreConsequences Of European Coloni zation1112 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Europeans started to make their way to the new world, they discovered a society that was strikingly different to their own. 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Public Company and Patagonia Free Essays

string(141) " Patagonia used a much different marketing approach than its competitors, using less than 1% of its sales towards marketing and advertising\." As resources and commodity’s decrease, it is harder and harder to make a difference in the world today. Patagonia continues to work hard to do their part with the resources that are available. Patagonia is a privately held outdoor clothing company based out of Ventura, California that generates yearly sales of approximately $540 million. We will write a custom essay sample on Public Company and Patagonia or any similar topic only for you Order Now Patagonia has developed outdoor apparel that is marketed towards outdoor sports, travel and every day wear. The company integrates Its core values into every product that it produces. They are known for their innovative designs, and environmental responsibility. Its high integrity and commitment to the environment has placed Patagonia on the Deciphers Institute’s â€Å"WorldS Most Ethical Companies† list for SIX consecutive years since the list was first developed In 2007 (Unknown, WOMEN Honorees, 2012). This case analysis will examine the history of Patagonia, and Its business philosophy. Patagonians business model will be evaluated as well as the captured cost and value of the company. Next, we will examine Patagonians environmental position and its sustainability. The product lifestyle initiative will be analyzed and how well it worked for the company. Patagonians financial statements are important to determine the success of the company’s financial goals. Lastly, I will share some lessons that I learned from Patagonia and this case study. History Patagonia was started from one entrepreneur’s passion. Hypochondriac, founder of Patagonia, developed a passion for rock climbing. In 1953 his passions brought him west to the San Fernando Valley in California, where he became an expert at climbing. He knew that he couldn’t explore his passion of climbing the way he wanted to because of limited appropriate climbing gear available. The only available climbing ear were pitons, which are metal spikes that were driven Into cracks or seams In the rocks. Pitons are left In the rock, meaning that a long climb could require hundreds of these tools. After frustration, and financial hardship, Schoolyard became Inspired after meeting a Swiss climber that had crafted his own set of iron pitons. He turned pitons that were stronger than what was currently on the market. Word of Cinnabar’s invention spread, and he began selling his pitons out of the back of his car for $1. 50 each. Although the hobby was enough to support him, he often lived on less than a dollar day. Drifting along the California coast, climbing in Yosemite, and surfing in Baja, Cinchonas was happy with his lifestyle. By 1966 Cinchonas decided to partner with Tom and Doreen Frost to create Cinchonas Equipment. They quickly became the largest supplier in the United States. For nearly a decade Cinchonas and Frost made improvements on nearly every climbing tool. Tom and Doreen worked with Cinchonas â€Å"Just to pay the bills†. In 1972 Cinchonas Equipment added an outdoor apparel line called â€Å"Patagonia†. Patagonia grew very quickly. Cinchonas and his wife Melinda knew they wanted to sell items that would have a minimal impact on he environment. So they made many decisions in their business approach that would help the environment such as using organic cotton to make t-shirts. Soon after the establishment of Patagonia, it became its own company, no longer under the ownership of Cinchonas equipment. However, like many start-up companies, Patagonia tried to expand too quickly. Growing its sales from $20 million to $100 million as well as expanding its services into Japan and Europe. This wide-scale expansion placed Patagonia into a dire financial situation. The recession that took place in the ass’s forced the company to lay off about 20% of its staff. Patagonia continued to grow despite some of the financial troubles that they faced (Reinhardt, Cascade’s, Hymn, 2010). Cinchonas did not allow the recession or the financial troubles of the company to stop his vision for Patagonia. Instead, he chose to go in a more sustainable direction. The company switched to the more expensive organic cotton in 1996, a risky business move considering it increased the firm’s supply costs. However, no other company was producing clothes with organic cotton. He invested in other sustainable materials and decided to make products more durable. This session a risky move because companies often rely on consumers coming back to get replacement products. Plausibly, the more durable the product, the less customers will need to purchase for replacement. However, the exact opposite occurred: consumers were more willing to do business with Patagonia due to its environmental consciousness and the fact that they could trust Patagonians products to last a long time. Connoisseurship’s on Business Cinchonas used Patagonia as an experiment to â€Å"challenge conventional wisdom and present a new style of responsible business† (McAllen, 2011). He wanted to stay way from the traditional way of doing business, and focused his efforts on â€Å"doing the right thing†, rather than on profits. Doing the right thing for Cinchonas meant ensuring that every decision that was made regarding the business, was environmentally sound and responsible. One decision that he made was to no longer use anti-odor technology because it was not safe for the environment. The competition Patagonians products were comparable to those of their competitors. Other stores in the industry such as North Face, Marmot Mountain, and Mountain Hardware, all shared the same interest of selling outdoor apparel. However, because of quality, environmental impact, and innovation, Patagonia is able to charge more for their and some of the top outdoor sportswear companies in the industry during 2009. Patagonians gross profit margin for 2010 was 52. 6%. Whereas the average gross profit margin of the other five companies (Columbia Sportswear, V. F. Corporation, Nikkei, and Timberland) was $44. 95%. Not to mention Patagonians 12- month Net Income Growth for 2010 was 42. 5%, which was substantially higher than the average net income growth of its competitors at 26. 525% (Reinhardt, Cascade’s, Hymn, 2010, p. 12). This goes to show that despite the company’s more expensive product, consumers were willing to pay more for higher quality, and items that were environmentally safe. Marketing isn’t that important Patagonia used a much different marketing approach than its competitors, using less than 1% of its sales towards marketing and advertising. You read "Public Company and Patagonia" in category "Papers" They have strengthened their brand based upon their environmental commitment, and â€Å"profit sharing with environmental causes† (Alienist Door-Near, 2012). As social media becomes more popular, and ads are now a part of what one sees when scrolling down their timeline, any companies get free advertising. The company took advantage of this and used it as an outlet to communicate to consumers and the public. Although it would have given them possibly some advantage, Patagonia did not use its environmental stance as part of their marketing tool. However they educated the public on the impact that their company had on the environment. Doing so attracted more consumers. Patagonia uses its website not Just for selling outdoor apparel but also as an educational tool about the environment, and the products that the company uses in its production. The type of information that Patagonia put on their website shows that the company has taken their business very serious and that they are aware of their environmental responsibility. They use the website not Just to sell the items, but to showcase that they items that are produced show corporate responsibility. In addition to the information on their website, Patagonia at times did put out ads for their company. The advertisements were usually very short and included educational messages. They believe that it is more important to show people useful information that will help enhance their lives. In a recent interview Patagonia UP Joy Howard stated that their position is to â€Å"solve problems in the world,† and that advertising is the â€Å"dead last thing† to the company (McAllen, 2011). This goes to show that the company is more focused on the environmental sustainability than on profitability. Educating consumers about what they are buying and how it affects the environment, sells the product itself. Exhibit Use of organically grown cotton Patagonians concern for the environment also caused them to decide to use organic cotton in their clothing. They wanted to continue to follow their mission tenement of â€Å"Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis† (Unknown, Company Info, n. D. ). Cotton is one of the world’s most insect dependent crops, therefore causing a risk to the environment because of the pesticides that are used. In 1996 Patagonia switched apparel to 100% organic cotton products. They already had clothing that was made with conventional cotton, and made up about 20% of the company’s sales, but switching to organic cotton was a risk that they were willing to take. Patagonia was not the first company to use organic cotton. The decision to clothing companies decided to cancel their organic cotton line, so it was perfect timing for Patagonia to drop their line. Although initially Patagonia found success in introducing its organic cotton products, they also faced some challenges. Because of the items and styles that were unavailable for production using organic cotton and because some of the suppliers refused to switch to organic cotton citing â€Å"lack of supplier alternatives and skepticism about the market potential†, Patagonia had to decrease its product line in order to stay in line with the 100% organic cotton initiative that they made. Due to the increased price for organic cotton, the company’s costs increased. Product costs increased 25-30% with the use of the organic cotton. Organic cotton had a drastic decline in production, therefore costs were higher than normal. In addition, Patagonia struggled to maintain the quality of its product, once they switched. With cotton products making up more than 20% of the company’s sales (Reinhardt, Cascade’s, Hymn, 2010), they were forced to get it right, and to make their product desirable enough to sell. Business Model: Does it really work? A business model is a model that is designed for the successful operation of the equines, identifying customer base, revenue sources, products and details of financing. Patagonia seems to have a business model that has helped the company be very successful and remain relevant amongst its customers and competitors. They have stayed true to their core values which is to provide quality, integrity, and environmentalism. Since the start- up of Patagonia, they have never operated under conventionalism, and has continued to stand out from every other outdoor apparel chain. Focusing more on environmental sustainability and social responsibility rather Han profits, Patagonia has become the worldwide leader of environmentally responsible business. They have continued to remain innovative in their approach to doing business, as well as in the product development and marketing. Creating and Capturing Value Achieving Growth, being Profitable, and minimizing ecological expenses are somewhat contradictory goals but somehow Patagonia has been very successful at achieving these goals. Their business model is based on making minimum environmental impact but creating products that have create value, without compromising the company’s capital. In order to stand apart from competition, Patagonia has effectively positioned itself as a supplier of superior quality products and has continued to commit itself to minimize its impact on the environment, once again staying true to its core values, and mission statement. On the supply side of the business the company uses activities and relationships along the value chain that provide the finished goods and create value. The company has been able to create value by creating integrity in its product and product’s performance. The company shows confidence in the product that they create, by offering warranties and as well s the promise to provide replacement products when items become too worn. They also creates value by using only quality materials such as organic cotton when manufacturing its products. They have also created value by influencing the customer’s experience. Patagonians uses catalogs that don’t focus so much on selling their product as other companies do, but the catalogs are informational in nature regarding the environment (Wang, 2010). Patagonia also only works with suppliers responsibility, therefore never compromising the value of the company or its products. Patagonia has also created a social and psychological factor through their advertising, educational messages, donations, and campaigns. This has helped the company capture value because the company differentiated themselves from its competitors and other apparel companies, and it gave consumers the willingness to purchase a product with quality despite the fact that their apparel was more expensive than its competitors. The fact that Patagonia cares about the environment, and customers feel that they can trust their product, consumers are willing to pay more for Patagonians products. Sustainable future Patagonians business model is not one that is begging for consumers to come in a arches their product on an impulse. In fact their model is designed to do the exact opposite. In 2004 Hypochondriac, wrote in a black Friday ad â€Å"Don’t buy this shirt, unless you need it† (Exhibit 1). This statement was not made because Cinchonas doesn’t want his items to sell, or doesn’t want the business, he made the statement because he wants his consumers to make responsible decisions that will have a positive effect on the environment. He helps consumers make those smarter decisions by producing items that last longer and that do not need to be replaced as often. Patagonians Environmental Position Patagonians business model supports environmental position in that the company makes a deliberate attempt to focus more on the products that they sell rather than on the profits that they make. They do so by launching such initiatives as their Product Lifestyle Initiative where they encourage consumers to reduce, repair, reuse, and recycle their Patagonia purchased products. This particular initiative does not focus on profit, it actually costs the company more money, however, they choose to stay focused on acting environmentally responsible, and not causing unnecessary harm to the environment. For the most part, Patagonia has used the same business model since it opens its doors in 1972. Their focus has always been the same, â€Å"inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis† (Unknown, Environmental and Social Responsibility, n. D. Over the last 40 years, Patagonia has become a leader in the industry have implemented many environmental and social initiatives such as; using only organic cotton in its cotton products since 1996; redefining corporate transparency through its Footprint Chronicle† website – documenting what is working in the supply chain, what’s not, and steps the company is doing to address TTS challenges; launching its Common Threads Partnership, which invites customers to take mutual responsibilit y for the entire life cycle of the company’s products through the 5 Or’s: reduce, repair, reuse, recycle and remained; becoming the first brand member of the blessing@ system; being one of the first California companies to switch to wind energy upon deregulation and adding on-site solar energy systems; being the first company in California to incorporate as a benefit corporation launching $20 Million Change, a fund to help like-minded responsible start-up companies; and Becoming one of he first U. S. Outdoor apparel companies to introduce Fair Trade Certified†* garments (for fall 2014). (Elks, 2013) resources to help the environment and still maintain its integrity as well as follow its mission statement. They have continued to remain as the leading outdoor apparel company with more than $600 million revenue in 2013. Patagonia has not slowed down. Their business model has worked for them over the last 40 years. As times continue to change and other retailers pick up on Patagonians business practices, such as being more environmentally conscience, the use of organically grown cotton, he product differentiation threatens the sustainability of Patagonians business model. Other retailers offering a similar product as Patagonia, affects their gross profit margin, therefore causing Patagonia to continue evolve and spend more money to create product differentiation within their organization. Patagonians business model does place some pressure on their environmental stance and could cause some conflict in providing high quality products. Although consumers are willing to purchase products from Patagonia at a high price, with initiatives such as the Product Life Cycle, consumers are purchasing less, and Patagonia will overall have more overhead, due the repairs that they are offering their consumers. If consumers aren’t buying as often, it will be difficult for Patagonia to continue to purchase the high quality materials that they use to produce their garments. Product Lifestyle Initiative: â€Å"Reduce, Repair, Reuse, and Recycle† The Product Lifestyle Initiative was a plan by Patagonia to help customers to buy only what they really needed, and encourage them to reduce their consumption. Patagonia would promise to provide their customers with high quality garments, and roved a guarantee that would allow customers to have their items repaired if anything ever happened to them as many times as needed. Once the products are no longer wanted, the customers are asked to â€Å"facilitate its reuse† (Reinhardt, Cascade’s, Hymn, 2010). The store planned on doing this by creating an online swap meet. Once all options were exhausted and there is no longer use for the product, customers are asked to recycle their items with Patagonia. In planning for this initiative to take off, the executives acknowledged many obstacles that would hinder the success of the initiative. Analysis of the Initiative As Patagonia stays focused on doing their part to not cause unnecessary harm to the environment and plans to reach and maintain 10% annual growth in sales other a five year timeshare, starting in 2010, their Product Lifestyle initiative would likely hinder the type of above average growth that they are seeking. The initiative is expected to cost $60,000 over the course of the first year of implementation (Reinhardt, Cascade’s, Hymn, 2010). Although that amount is very small compared to the amount of profit the company makes, sales would drop and cost of labor would increase. Patagonia is one of the only companies that offers to fix damaged items for customers. Through the Product Lifestyle Initiative, they will repair products from other brands, and â€Å"encourage customers to limit their consumption to only essential products,† (Reinhardt, Cascade’s, Hymn, 2010, p. 8). The Product Lifestyle Initiative however, it seems as though it will cost more to implement and maintain the initiative, than revenue that will be generated from the initiative. The initiative will cause a higher rate of product returns, and new team members will need to be hired in order to create a repair department or use a third-party vendor. In 2010 the company was insignificantly staffed to handle the existing returns. In order to accommodate the increase of returns, the stores were told to provide replacement products in order to reduce wait times. Furthermore, in order to increase â€Å"the percentage of recyclable products from 65% of products in June 2010 to 90% in spring 2011† investment in research and development would have to increase (Reinhardt, Cascade’s, Hymn, 2010). All of the things that are involved in this portion of the initiative cost more money for the company, but it does not mean that there would be more profit. The initiative does not seem to generate any venue. Although Patagonia focuses more on the environmental footprint than on profits, realistically, in order for them to stay in business and continue to grow at a steady rate, it is not beneficial for them to implement initiative that cost a more than they will be able to bring in. The replacement portion of the initiative could increase revenue for the company. Since Patagonia is willing to allow customers to bring in garments purchased from other retailers for repair, they could charge those customers a small fee. Customers who purchased their products directly from Patagonia and are able to provide a except or some proof of purchase, could get their products repaired for free. For customers who own Patagonia products, but bought them from other sources such as used clothing stores, could still bring in their garments for repair, but at a small fee. The initiative would have no affect on the way that customers purchase products in the store nor customer behavior, but it could potentially have a negative effect on the business if implemented. Although implementing the initiative will promote responsible behavior for customers and the company, it may do more harm than good to gross profit margin. If the company is serious about continuing to grow the company 10% over the five year time frame, they would want to think about how they can implement initiatives that not only help maintain their environmental position, but also that increase their profit. Has Patagonia been successful in achieving its goal of profit? Although Patagonia spends most of its efforts focusing on its environmental responsibility, in order to remain in business and profitable they must also set financial goals. While focusing on their environmental responsibility, they set a goal to increase sales by 10% annually. Patagonia has been successful at achieving this goal. For 2011 fiscal year, Patagonia reported annual sales of $417 million. During the 2012 fiscal year Patagonia recorded its best year financially. They increased their sells by 30% earning $543 million (Shannon, 2013). As of 2012 Patagonia has doubled its revenue and tripled its profits since 2008 (Martin, 2012). They continue to perform financially although not at a consistent rate. However they have come very close to their sales goals each year and some years far exceeding that goal. Patagonia has done many things to continue to remain competitive in the outdoors apparel industry. In 2010 Patagonia Cost of goods sold and the company’s sales have not been truly consistent, but they remain successful in their efforts. Although Patagonia has a history of doing well financially, Yves Chicagoan admitted in 2012 that he did not expect the company to continue to grow at the same rate as other retailers are catching on and trying to adopt some of their philosophy. Richard Jeff, a retail and apparel expert, says that Patagonia â€Å"is doing things incrementally better† (Martin, 2012). Which means that the competition is lurking closely behind. As Meany’s catch on to their philosophy, Patagonia will need to be more innovative in its approach in order to continue to grow at a steady rate. What if Patagonia were publicly traded? Some of the most successful organizations are publicly traded. Companies that are publicly traded allow the market to determine the value of the company through daily stock market trading (Unknown, Public Company, 2014). Publicly traded companies have less control over the organization structure and must answer to shareholders’ on certain decisions. They also give less control to the owner and company founders. Patagonia has an organization structure that is different than any other organization out there. The structure of the organization allows the company to focus on environmental awareness as opposed to profits as most companies. If Patagonia were publicly traded, the dynamic of the organization would be completely different. Being a private company, Patagonia is not required to report to stockholders or gain their approval in any way. This is one of the biggest advantages for Patagonia and their business structure. If Patagonia were publicly traded they would have to change the organization Truckee to focus more on the profit, as shareholder’s would have an interest in the company, and would want to ensure that they are able to profit from any decisions that are made regarding the organization. The decision to use only organically grown cotton may not have been approved had Patagonia been publicly traded, because to shareholder’s they could see it as a potential risk. They are able to take on greater risk because there is no one to tell them that they can’t. As a publicly traded company Patagonia and its founder would have much less control over the business structure, ND every decision would be about how to gain profit. Publicly traded companies have many pressures on them including how quickly the company is expected to grow. The business model would not focus on being responsible. Not to mention as a private company, Patagonia is not required to make their financial information public, as publicly traded companies are. With sales growth reaching an average of 6% each year, and the company closely reaching their sales growth goal of 10% the current strategy works very well for Patagonia. The decision to utilize organic grown cotton in its garments, has been very successful. Patagonia has been innovative and works diligently to stay ahead in sales as well as it environmental operations. Being a private company has allowed Patagonians decision-makers to not only focus on what they want, but also on what is best for the company. Patagonians market strategy, though exceedingly bold, is sustainable in the sense that eccentric ideas have become their norm. In Cinnabar’s book Let My People Go Surfing, he said, â€Å"it’s okay to be eccentric, as long as you are The sustainability of Patagonia also falls in line with the sustainability of the planet. There are many companies that can learn from Patagonians business model forever in order to remain successful it would be difficult for some of the top retailers to remain competitive in the market should they change and adopt Patagonians practices. Patagonia has built their business and brand around a philosophy instead of around products. Their business strategy has driven up sales to 6% and continues to offer high-quality premier garments. Patagonians business model being much different than its competitors, leaves room for continued growth and innovative ideas. Would other firms choose to follow Patagonians environmental practice? Although Patagonia has been successful in its business approach and environmental practice, it would be difficult for already established firms to successfully fully take on Patagonians environmental practices. All things being equal, if Nikkei and Patagonia were to share their practices, they would reach a Nash equilibrium. Lessons Learned Patagonia continues to focus on the environment and making a difference one step at a time. This action is commendable, especially because they are not following the norm for the industry. With the success of Patagonia I have learned that in order to be successful, you must also do what you are passionate about, and allow everything else to fall into place. That is what Cinchonas did with Patagonia. He was passionate about the environment and the affect that his decisions had on it. Although he wasn’t as focused on profits as other organizations, he was able to follow his passion and have the most successful outdoor apparel company in the country. The type of passion that Yves Cinchonas has for the environment and Patagonia can definitely be applied to many aspects in life. How to cite Public Company and Patagonia, Papers

From Freehand Drawing to College Writing Essay Example For Students

From Freehand Drawing to College Writing Essay Guesses freehand drawing course illustrates the value of critical thinking to architecture students, a discipline that can also apply to a college writing course. In a sense, drawing a design is like writing an essay _ Mr.. Henderson regards drawing as a means for architecture to get their thoughts on paper: similarly, writing is a means for college students to express their ideas. The ability to analyze a topic by thinking critically can be greatly benefiting to a students writing. In order to make the drawing to become individuated and fascinating, you have to notice what is unique about this situation, what catches the eye. says Gussy. If all of Guesses students draw their peas as identical spheres, hen they will be unoriginal and missing the point of the lesson. Students in a college writing course are typically assigned to a same topic for their essays: inevitably many of them will form the same ideas or opinions. Critical thinkers pay attention to details and make note of those that are distinctive. When writers utilize this skill to examine their topic, they may find something unique that will make their writings stand out from the rest. Critical thinkers also consider how the details are interrelated to form a main idea. Guesses two-minute figure sketching drills train her students to get a ensue of the whole of what theyre drawing on paper before they begin fussing with details. One of the fundamental things when you approach a site or a piece of paper is to ask yourself, how big is it, what shape is it, and oeuvre are you going to put it? Says Gussy. One of her students drawing is only half-finished, but it is already clear that the head and torso are too large there?s no room for the legs. When writing an essay, having a strong main idea and a well-rounded research that supports the argument helps persuading the reader to agree With you. Concentrating too much on one aspect while ignoring the others is much like raring a big head and forgot about the legs. Imagine the main idea as the skeleton, and the details are the different body parts that make the figure comes together. The details should support and be relevant to the main idea, not stealing the spot light. A good essay doesnt need to have big fancy words. Through critical thinking, one can spark the readers interest with a well-thought idea supported by distinctive details. Whether its a freehand drawing class, college writing course, or even everyday life, thinking critically can improve how we view the world and achieve our goals.

Rachel Carson Environment Essay Essay Example

Rachel Carson Environment Essay Paper Fortunately, thanks to the work of many environmentalists all around the oral from the present day, the world may be able to recover from all its injuries caused by the insatiable human race. Rachel Carbons book Silent Spring, which spurred the environmental movement, helped raise awareness for the environment, warn humans of the dangers Of using pesticides such as EDT, preserve several plant and animal species, and make the atmosphere cleaner Rachel Carbons Silent Spring, which was published in 1962, was undoubtedly a critical turning point in history which prompted attention to environmental issues. Some say that Carbons book was a marker for the ginning of the modern American environmental movement (Geary). Carson was a revolutionary and had an astounding influential power. Silent Spring highlighted many of the damages done to the environment by the use of pesticides (Kelly). This of course, attracted many scientists to begin researching the issue but had other benefits as well. Her work was so intriguing and influential that the vibrations of [her] work resounded not only in academia but in the mind of the public as well (Kelly). Truly, Carbons concerns caught the attention of many people, both scientists and the public. We will write a custom essay sample on Rachel Carson Environment Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Rachel Carson Environment Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Rachel Carson Environment Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Because of her efforts, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in 1 970 (Kelly). Rachel Carson spearheaded the Environmental campaign and helped raise awareness about the growing risks of damages caused to the environment. In addition to the growth of awareness during the environmental movement, some dangers to animal life also grew. In her book, Rachel Carson explores the effects of pesticides. The most famous of these was dichloride-dividend-theoretician (EDT), which had been used to control pest insects, like mosquitoes and lice, in many countries (The Environmental Movement). Although Carson warned of the dangers of using these long-lasting pesticides, some insisted on the continuation of their usage. Farmers liked EDT because it helped to control insect damage to their crops (The Environmental Movement). Obviously, there are effects to the use of such pesticides. Carson explains that, overtime, EDT and other long- lasting pesticides had become part of the food chain. This is due to the chemicals, remaining on plants and water after spraying, were ingested by small animals, which were then eaten by larger animals, including humans (The Environmental Movement). Carson definitely foresaw the dangers of using pesticides towards animal life and had a kind heart towards the lives of those several animal species that were being affected. She pointed out that these pesticides killed not only harmful insects like mosquitoes but also the ones that were innocent, such as bees, fish, and birds (The Environmental Movement). The environmental movement helped to preserve numerous species on planet earth. The earth is home to a vast variety of plants and animals. But, even with the slightest change to the environment, can completely devastate an ecosystem (The Environmental Movement). Protecting and preserving this rich animal life on earth was an important part of the environmental movement. In fact, one of the most significant issues of the environmental movement has been the fight to protect animal and plant species from becoming extinct (The Environmental Movement). This concern for animal extinction and preservation had several positive effects. For example, Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1966 in hopes of lowering the extinction rate (The Environmental Movement). This law was a huge improvement for animal extinction rights ND preservation. However, this law only applied to fish and wildlife, and only to species native to the United States (The Environmental Movement). A few years later, another law would be passed to further help the preservation efforts. This law was The Endangered Species Conservation Act, passed in 1969, which broadened coverage to offer greater protection to larger numbers of animals (The Environmental Movement). Another law passed in 1973, the Endangered Species Act, further strengthened protections for endangered species. This law helped define the term endangered species as one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range (The Environmental Movement). With the help of many federal agencies, combined with the efforts of other organizations as the World Wildlife Fund, a significant impact was made to help preserve the lives of several plant and animal species throughout the environmental movement. During the environmental movement, some environmental hazards became the focus of attention and posed a severe threat to planet earths well-being. An important focal point of the environmental movement was global warming. Global warming is the warming of the earths climate due to the increase of harmful gases caused by human activitysuch as carbon dioxide, methane, and CIFS (The Environmental Movement). One of the ways to decrease greenhouse gases and other harmful emissions is to reduce the worlds dependence on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are oils that are created inside the earth but that are not renewable which include coal, natural gas, and oil CIFS (The Environmental Movement). The process of extracting these fossil fuels can be dangerous and devastating. Mining for coal can have a vegetating impact on the landscape, leaving scars like deep holes and mountains with their tops shaved Off as well as produce toxic waste that pollutes waterways (the Environmental Movement). There are drastic results that can occur to the burning of fossil fuels. The danger in burning natural gas results in emissions of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane (The Environmental Movement). Of course, fossil fuels are an important cause in pollution, but another factor comes from the daily life of humans. Humans use their cars as an everyday transportation method but, the truth is, that it also increasing the CO levels in the air. Another factor of pollution comes from deforestation. Deforestation is the clearing of forests in order to make room for new development projects. Unfortunately, the logging of forests also results in increases in carbon dioxide (The Environmental Movement). Clearly, the world would be much cleaner if it werent for all these damaging emissions from gases and fossil fuels. Rachel Carbons Silent Spring, helped to spearhead the important environmental movement that would change the way people look at the environment forever. Through her efforts, she was able to give people knowledge about he environment, warn humans of the risks of using harmful pesticides, protect many different plant and animal species, and, most importantly, make the earth a healthier place to live. Maybe if humans work together a little harder, they might be able to keep the earth juicy for just a view more centuries.

Information Technology Acts Essay

Information Technology Acts Essay Information Technology Acts Essay Information Technology Acts Reshonda Brewster BIS/220 Craig Bialy November 8, 2011 Information Technology Acts Technology and computer information systems are advancing at a rapid pace. With the access of the Internet on computers, mobile phones, iPads, and other tablet devices makes it easier for communication. Schools are teaching children as young as toddlers to use computers and the Internet for learning and recreational use. According to Kidsource Online (2009), â€Å"Children 3 and 4 years of age are developmentally ready to explore computers, and most early childhood educators see the computer center as a valuable activity center for learning† (para. 4). The Internet has posed a potential threat over the years to many with unsolicited spam, viruses, and pornography that can invade a computer at any given moment. The Federal government has developed Acts to help protect children from the dangers of the Internet with (CIPA) Children Internet Protection Act and (COPPA) Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act from the potential threats. The Children’s Internet Protection Act Congress passed Children Internet Protection Act in 2000 to protect children while using computers at schools and libraries from accessing offensive content through the Internet. CIPA requires schools and libraries to purchase a program named E-rate to block offensive information from computers (Federal Communications Commission, n.d.). According to Federal Communications Commission (n.d.), â€Å"The E-rate program makes certain communications technology more affordable for eligible schools and libraries† (para. 1). The information that schools and libraries must block or filter is pornography, unlawful activities harmful to minors, and restricts information that can be harmful to children. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act The Children’s Online Privacy Act (COPPA) was passed in 1998 to protect children under 13 years of age from revealing their personal information on commercial websites without parental consent (Koby, 2006). Marketers such as television, radio, and websites target children that resulted in children releasing private information when ordering products online or going to public (commercial) websites. Kolby (2006), This legislation grew out of the fact that by 1998 roughly [sic] ten

Biography of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin Essay

Biography of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin - Essay Example and it is from here that she imbibed a strong Christian Faith which she made use of in her High School years to lead the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She developed a love for hunting and shooting from her father and became a life long member of the National Rifle Association. Sarah Palin has been an achiever right through her youth to the present role as running mate for John McCain. She has risen through the ranks to finally occupy the gubernatorial position in Alaska. Before taking over as the 11th governor of the natural resources rich state, she served on the Wasilla City Council and also held the post of the Mayor of Wasilla for two terms. Under her stewardship, Wasilla became a business friendly place. This Sarah Palin was able to do by bringing down property tax levels while increasing services and spelt out her objective of reducing wasteful expenditure. As governor she used her veto to bring down wasteful spending by nearly half a billion dollars starting with her own office where she sold the state’s luxury jet, and eliminated her personal chef and driver. Being the governor of a resource rich state, Sarah Palin had the daunting task of keeping off lobbyists while at the same time ensuring that the people of her state could reap the benefit of nature’s bounty. With this in mind, she made energy development her top priority and created Alaska’s Petroleum Systems Integrity Office to look after the oil and gas equipment, and facilities and infrastructure in the state. Her greatest achievement in this field was to start work on the setting up of a $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help USA become energy independent. It is the largest private-sector infrastructure project in American history. The rise in oil and gas prices led to higher revenues for the state which she pumped back into the local economy while at the same time suspending the fuel tax in Alaska. As the governor, Sarah Palin also heads the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact

How to move into a new home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to move into a new home - Essay Example It requires a high level of commitment that is demanding, both financially and physically. Further, moving into a new home is a long process that should begin well before the final day that a person moves. Following a systematic procedure however reduces the involved strain. The first step in moving into a new home involves planning for the proposed move. Even though many people who think that it is not important overlook this stage, it determines the efficiency of the entire process. Planning for the move should be done prior to moving out of the old home and include many considerations such as when to move out of the old home, when to move into the new home, agency to use for moving and possible intermediary processes and challenges between moving out of the old home and moving into the new home. The major significance of planning is that it identifies possible challenges in the process and prepares an individual. Once planning has been done and the moving dates established, renovation of the new home follows. This is done according to the plan and needs to be completed well before the scheduled dates for moving. This stage ensures that possible problems in the new home such as required paintings and repair of broken pieces are fixed. All this can be done through renovation agencies or through direct contracting of renovating personnel. It is followed by, or may be concurrently done with packing of belongings in the old home. Determined by the period in the planning, packing of the property to be moved should be done in such a way that it is complete before the moving out date. This can be done personally or with the help of contracted individuals. It also involves making decision on what to move out with so that one does not pack unnecessary things. Once packing is complete, an individual should consider the things that will lack in the new home. These

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Marketing Research - Essay Example The marketing strategy depends a good deal on the research which has come about with the passage of time. The marketing research realms find out the exact dynamics of the market and then study the basis of how products and services would be targeted to the relevant market domains. The last part signifies the real role of the marketing strategy and how it has been instrumental at shaping up actions and behaviors by the people who matter the most within any marketing scenario. Organizations conduct marketing research so that they could know what kinds of preferences are being followed by the people who fall under the category of the target audience1 (Fahy, 1996). These elements are severely important because these emphasize the need for getting the act together to make the marketing strategy a success in the long run. However, if the marketing research realms are not properly worked upon, there would be serious predicaments within the understanding that is reached upon within the ranks of the marketing strategy that has been drawn up. There is a dire need to set things right within the marketing research dynamics so that the organization grows as a whole, and the business practices are given the required room and expertise through the proper inputs of the people who matter the most, and their preferences which remain quintessential on any given day. Marketing research is the amalgamation of data that has been taken over a period of time within the reins of business realms. It takes into account the qualitative as well as the quantitative details which are pursued for a particular area of study and hence the results are envisaged only after the research has been completed. Marketing research is a fact finding exercise and it requires extensive planning and allocation of much needed resources on the part of the researching party. The purpose of marketing research is to seek for answers that are raised in the wake of different queries and questions, all of which for m the vital part in the implementation of the marketing strategy for an organization. There are two different marketing research methodologies – the primary research and the secondary research, both of which require extensive finding of data and knowledge on the organization’s part. The primary research methods include sampling through questionnaires, survey methods and one-on-one interviews. The questionnaires could be open ended where there is room for respondents to spell out as much information as needed or these could be close ended where the respondents are tied to certain answers from which they need to choose. These could also be mixed ended – having a combination of open ended and close ended questions and queries. The survey could be through interviews and questionnaires. This is basically a case of quantitative research where quantities and figures could be tabulated rather than quality which is judged through the use of secondary research methods. Th e secondary research methods include the usage of books, journals, websites, encyclopedia and other related information and knowledge which have already been sorted out and has been documented for pretty much the same purposes. Moving ahead further, a marketing strategy is a long term end point where the business organization wants to see itself in a particular duration of time. It indeed is the end goal where it wants to reach before it draws up another vision statement.

Supply Chain Management In FMGC Sector In India Commerce Essay

Supply Chain Management In FMGC Sector In India Commerce Essay The Rs.85000 crore FMCG market in Indian is growing at a quick speed despite of the economic downslide. The raising disposable earnings and enhanced lifestyle in most tier II and tier III cities are having an influence on the FMCG development across the nation. Over the years organizations like HUL, ITC and Dabur have enhanced efficiency with innovation and strong distribution channels. Their key products have strengthened their existence and outperformed competition in the FMCG segment. Moreover organizations have been effective in refreshing their existence in the semi-urban and rural marketplaces. This report examines the supply chain management for FMCG companies in India. This starts with an overview of the FMCG sector in India and goes on to explain how the supply chain in such companies across the nation have added value to the industry and how further betterment in the system can add onto the growth of the industry. The report also contains a summary of the key players, including their product portfolio, business operations, and strategies. The report concludes with an industry outlook section. Introduction Statement of Problem The current issues that are affecting supply chain performance in FMCG are: Distributor Performance  Inadequate efficiency of Suppliers and Transporters may cause low levels of client satisfaction and excessive route to Market costs. Although there are factors that Manufacturers cannot influence, especially poor infrastructure, there are many ways in which Distribution and Transport expectations can be considerably improved. Thus managing availability in complex distribution set ups is a challenge Improving Distributor Performance Companies look at improving distribution and transportation through improving current processes and systems. Logistics  Some companies operate with owned warehouses, distribution centers and trucks and are not sure whether this is the best option. Growth Supply Chain Limitations For all companies a key concern is to evaluate all areas of the provide cycle for ways to improve productivity, customer satisfaction and reduce supply chain operational costs and capital put in the supply chain. One common concern is a lot of completed products kept by the maker compared with the relatively low levels of finished products kept by the distributor. Planning Poor forecasting and demand planning is causing production planning issues by continuously changing production plans on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. Production Planning tools are generally felt to be inadequate and either not available within the ERP system or used stand-alone spreadsheets and manual workaround solutions. The other taxation structures, dealing with counterfeit goods, infrastructure, emergence of third party logistics provider and reservation for the small scale sector are some of the other challenges faced by FMCG industries. Purpose of Study India is going through a retail revolution. All the big business homes are coming into this Segment and it is growing at a very fast speed. Worldwide leaders in this sector like Wal- Mart, Tesco and Carefour are also trying to get into the Indian market. Retail is providing incredible possibilities in career. However, our nation also poses a big challenge to organized large retailers particularly in the FMCG sector. Food being perishable item, for the retailer to be successful the key is proper supply chain management. The task comes from a number of factors, e.g. huge size and inhabitants of our nation, different lifestyle and hence different preference, very inadequate infrastructure like inappropriate roadways, bad connection between production centers and markets, lack of proper cold chain facility like refrigerated transportation, ware-housing etc. Under these conditions it is interesting to find out how huge structured retailers are dealing with these problems. In this paper a relative study is made in supply chain management adopted by different players in FMCG segment. Review of Literature Defining Supply Chain Management Supply chain management (SCM) is the process of planning, employing and controlling the operations of the supply chain as effectively as possible. Supply Chain Management ranges all activity and storage of raw materials, work-in-process stock, and finished goods from point-of-origin to point-of-consumption. In other words Supply chain management (SCM) is the art and science to improve the way a company manages its raw components and final output in terms of a product or a service and offers it to customers. Supply chain can be identified as the physical, financial and information networks for the logistic activity of materials, funds and related information. It starts from the acquisition of raw materials to distribution of finished products to the end users. Participants of supply chain include all vendors, service providers and customers. In essence, Supply Chain Management incorporates supply and demand administration within and across companies. Some experts distinguish Supply Chain Management and logistics, while others consider the terms to be interchangeable. It is useful to remember that these are the terms that are used intertwine to define and distinguish between these related terms. Although Supply chain management is no longer a business school concept, but a track proven technology appropriate to just about every company, regardless of the industrial sector. It is a sequence of complicated data that optimize enterprise plans within given set of constraints, backed up by a fully integrated suite of financial, distribution, and human resource management system. Supply Chain Management features planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion and logistics management activities. Often, it also includes co-ordination and collaboration with channel partners and customers. Supply Chain Management integrates supply and demand within and across companies. Supply Chain Management execution is handling and co-ordination of the activity of materials, information and resources across the supply chain. Thus, Supply Chain encompasses all activities associated with the flow and transformation of materials and information from the raw material stage through to the end user. Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) goods are commonly named as consumer packaged goods. Items in this category include all consumables (other than groceries/pulses) people buy at regular periods. The most common in the list are toilet soaps, detergents, shampoos, toothpaste, shaving products, shoe polish, packaged foodstuff, and household accessories and extends to certain electronic goods. These items are meant for daily of frequent consumption and have a high return. The FMCG Industry is on a high growth curve with the overall demand expected to multiply over the next decade. This high growth is most likely to be accompanied by significant structural shifts such as changing customer preferences, emergence of modern retail dimensions, growing rural spend tendency. The resultant new challenges that need to be addressed for an efficient and effective supply chain are: Managing generation of different varieties. Aligning to the outstart of new channels. Managing the challenges of reach. Companies are now realizing that current supply chain configurations need to evolve to enable them to participate in achieving growth. This requires fresh thinking on the ways in which an organization would structure itself in terms of its key supply chain processes and drivers. With the presence of 12.2% of the world population in the villages of India, the Indian rural FMCG market is something no one can overlook. Better infrastructure facilities will improve their supply chain. A qualitative study conducted in the past has captured information about the supply chain management in major FMCG Industries in India. Major Players in the FMCG Market in India Domestic players Britannia India Ltd (BIL) BIL is a major player in the Indian biscuit/cookie industry, with famous brands such as Tiger glucose, Mariegold, Fifty-Fifty, Good Day, Pure Magic, Bourbon etc. The company holds a 40 per cent market share in the overall structured biscuit market and has a capacity of 300,000 tonne annually. Indian Tobacco Corporation Ltd (ITC) Indian Tobacco Corporation Ltd is an affiliate of British American Tobacco with a 37 per cent stake. While ITC is an excellent market leader in its traditional businesses of cigarettes, hotels, paperboards, packaging and agro products, it is rapidly getting business even in its nascent businesses of branded apparel, greeting cards and packaged foods and confectionary. Marico Marico is a leading Indian Group came into existence in 1990 and operating in consumer products, aesthetics services and worldwide ayurvedic businesses. The organization also markets food products and distributes third party products. Marico owns well-known labels such as Parachute, Saffola, Sweekar, Shanti Amla, Hair Care, Revive, Mediker, Oil of Malabar and the Sil range of processed foods. The organization plans to capture growth through steady change of selection along higher margin lines and focus on volume development, consolidation of market shares, building up brands and new product promotions. Multinational players Cadbury India Ltd (CIL) Cadbury Indian Ltd is a 93.5 per cent subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes Plc, UK, and a global major in the chocolate and sugar confectionery market. CIL is currently the largest player in the chocolate market in India with a 70 per cent market share. The organization is also a key player in the malted foods, cocoa powder, drinking chocolate, malt extract food and sugar confectionery segment. CIL had also entered the carbonated drinks market with brands like Canada Dry and Crush, which were subsequently sold to Coca Cola in 1999. Established brands include Dairy Milk, Perk, Crackle, 5 Star, Éclairs, Gems, Fructus, Bournvita etc. The company plans to increase the number of retail stores for future growth and market expansion. Colgate-Palmolive India Colgate Palmolive India is the market leader in the Indian oral care industry, with a 51 per cent market share in the toothpaste segment, 48 per cent market share in the toothpowder market and a 30 per cent share in the toothbrush market. The company also has a presence in the premium toilet soap segment and in shaving items, which are sold under the Palmolive brand. The company plans to launch new products in dental and personal care segments and is prepared to continue spending on advertising and marketing to gain market share. Profit margins are being targeted through efficient supply chain management and bringing down cost of operations. Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) Hindustan Unilever Ltd is the nations largest and most significant consumer goods company. The product portfolio of the company includes household and personal care products like soaps, detergents, shampoos, skin care products, colour cosmetics, deodorants and perfumes. It is also the market leader in tea, processed coffee, branded wheat flour, tomato products, ice cream, jams and squashes. HUL enjoys a solid distribution network masking over 3,400 distributors and 16 million outlets. Nestle India Ltd (NIL) Nestle India Ltd a subsidiary of Nestle SA, Switzerland, is a leading manufacturer of food products in India. Its products include soluble coffee, coffee blends and teas, condensed milk, noodles (81 per cent market share), infant milk powders (75 per cent market share) and cereals (80 per cent market share). Nestle has also established its presence in chocolates, confectioneries and other processed foods. Soluble drinks and dairy products are the major contributors to Nestles total sales. Some of Nestles popular labels are Nescafe, Milkmaid, Maggi and Cerelac. The company has entered the cold milk products segment with the launch of Nestle Dahi. Nestle has also made a venture in non-carbonated cold beverages segment through placement of Nestea iced tea and Nescafe Frappe selling machines. PepsiCo PepsiCo is a world leader in convenient foods and beverages. PepsiCo brands are available in nearly 200 markets worldwide. PepsiCo entered India in 1989 and is working on three focus areas soft drink concentrate, snack foods and vegetable and food processing. PepsiCos success is the result of excellent products, high standards of performance and unique competitive strategies. Procter Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Limited The overall portfolio of Procter Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Limited includes healthcare; feminine-care; hair care and clothing care businesses. PGHH operates in just two business segments Vicks range of cough cold remedies and Whisper range of feminine hygiene. The parent company has declared its plan to discover further external collaborations in India to meet its global innovation and knowledge needs. Gap Analysis Indian organizations are still keeping up with among the Material Resource Planning (MRP-II), Enterprises Resource Planning (ERP), Logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM). However, it is quite apparent that Indian corporate sector is fast realizing the need of  SCM, which can integrate all other practices and procedures. SCM in India offers one of  the fastest growth areas in revenues as well as employment. India started a little overdue for restructuring and reformulating the strategies relevant with supply chain. However, there is no doubt that Indian industries are fast catching and preparing for meeting the new business environment. A study of available literature related with Indian business practices after 1991s liberalization guidelines show that organizations are concerned about their value chain and identifying that competition is shifting towards  the efficiency and performance  of entire supply  chain activities. The traces of SCM adoption by Indian organizations are given as: Until 1990, logistics was treated as the management of transportation, inventories and warehousing and organizations had to perform these activities individually in an efficient manner. Before opening of Indian market, Indian business giants were enjoying the single play with stable development of capacities. Later on when they heard the music of competition, they found themselves with excess capacities with huge cost burdens. This required organizations to control the cost factor for the survival at marketplace. At the same time of 1990s, Indian companies got fascinated by Business Process Re-engineering (BPR). Organizations treated BPR as remedy of their illness across the organizations processes and functions by eliminating the non-value adding activities and streamlining the operations with a guarantee of higher returns. Fast growth and development of telecommunication networks and wide spread of information technology tools and techniques after mid 1990s presented the biggest challenge in managing well-informed clients. Nevertheless, these changes also provided the most significant boost to Indian industries because organizations discovered themselves able to reach out vendors or suppliers on one end, and clients to the other. Due to this revolution only, ERP-II integrated the internal departments into a seamless organization, whereas, SCM attempts to integrate the exterior factors and processes into the internal procedures. Research Methodology The methodology used for this study is that of primary research. Surveys were given out to 30 FMCG stockiest. By collecting and analysing the results of the surveys we arrive at conclusions for each of the considered questions. In the survey we consider 12 questions. Sampling The sampling plan for the study decides the work area that is the population, which has to be surveyed. A Brief idea about the sampling for this research consisting of its different parameters is given below: The research methodology comprises of the following: Sampling Method (Judgment sampling) In this type of the sampling the researcher uses his judgment to select population members who are good source for accurate information. Sampling Universe The sample universe taken is Andheri (W), Mumbai. Sample size In this study sample size is of 30 FMCG stockiest. Due to the shortage of time the research size is taken short so that the research can be done easily. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH The research is primarily descriptive as the problem is very specific and a certain set of answers only while provide the insight to the solution. EXPLANATORY RESEARCH This stage develops a precise theory which is used to explain empirical generalizations that are derived from descriptive stage. DATA COLLECTION The data has been primarily collected from the various customers, their opinions and answers are recorded in the form of an excel sheet. DATA ANALYSIS (ACTIVITIES AND TECHNIQUES) There are three different activities in data analysis:- Data Reduction- in this data is selected, focused, simplified, abstracted and transformed. The data is organized. Data Display- data is compressed, reduced and organized. Conclusion Drawing and Verification. Questionnaire And Analysis Level of awareness towards Supply Chain Management in the FMCG sector Degree of willingness to accept Supply Chain Management for better profitability achievement Choices for a better Supply Chain Solutions Insufficient funds affecting the implementation of Supply Chain Management Satisfaction level with Supply Chain Solutions Level up to which new emerging technologies are beneficial in providing better Supply Chain Solution Most preferred option of the advantages of implementation of Supply Chain Solution Role of Supply Chain in the Total Performance of a business Willingness level for outsourcing Supply Chain services Importance of Supply Chain solutions in FMCG sector compared to other commodities Objectives of the FMCG Companies Challenges shaping the startegies of FMCG companies Findings and Conclusion Most of the stockiest across Andheri(W) are well aware about the Supply Chain Management fundamental but approximately 20 % stockiest are not aware about the same; they follow traditional way to deliver good to their customers. Supply chain management is known to be one of the most important tools to increase total profitability. Particularly in case of stockiest business supply chain contribution forms major part of total profit. But in Andheri(W) 28 % stockiest dont believe that supply chain helps form major part of their total profit. Willingness level to accept the supply chain management advantage of better profitability achievement is also not very satisfactory. On the basis of above response, most of the stockiest have many options for alternative Supply Chain Solutions, some have moderate level of options for the same. But 35% stockiest have very few options for alternative Supply Chain Solutions. Those who have very few options for Supply Chain feel trouble when they want to increase supply chain performance. Supply chain cost contributes to the major part of the total cost in the FMCG stockiest business. But effective supply chain management would be helpful in reduction of cost and increase profit. In the survey 22% stockiest respondents feel cost deficiency does not hinder the implementation of supply chain solutions. Satisfaction level among respondents towards Supply Chain Solutions is high. 50% of the respondents feel so. In survey 22 % stockiest fell emerging technologies are not beneficial in providing better supply chain solutions which shows that either they are not aware or not interested in using emerging technologies in their business process. 48% of the stockiest feel that Better lead time is the most preferred option of the advantages of implementation of Supply Chain Solution. According to the survey respondents feel that Supply Chain plays a major role in uplifting the total performance of the business. Respondent Stockiest dont like to outsource supply chain solutions because their business is all about supply chain. Outsourcing supply chain solutions from third party supply chain service provider would directly impact their total profit. But 24% stockiest feel they would like to or are currently outsourcing their supply chain solutions. Supply Chain solutions hold a high importance in the FMCG sector as compared to other commodities sector in India. Reduce out-of-stocks/increase shelf availability has been rated it as the first priority by the respondents. Followed by Lower sourcing/procurement costs, Improve service offered to customers, Reduce investment in inventory and Lower warehousing and distribution costs. As far as challenges in the FMCG sector are concerned, the picture is somewhat more practical and tactically oriented. The ongoing struggle to make the supply chain demand-driven and lean is the regarded as a serious and critical challenge to the FMCG sector. So the need is to create a better promotional awareness by FMCG key players to offer different version of SCM solutions because stockiest feel that they can offer better time bound delivery of product to their customer and can manage their inventory in a better way such that it poses out to be a strategic advantage to their business.

Women in the Progressive Era Essay -- American History

In the 1890s, American women emerged as a major force for social reform. Millions joined civic organizations and extended their roles from domestic duties to concerns about their communities and environments. These years, between 1890 and 1920, were a time of many social changes that later became known as the Progressive Era. In this time era, millions of Americans organized associations to come up with solutions to the many problems that society was facing, and many of these problems were staring American women right in the face. Women began to speak out against the laws that were deliberately set against them. Throughout this time period, women were denied the right to vote in all federal and most state held elections. Women struggled to achieve equality; equality as citizens, equality in the work place, and equality at home. During this time, Americans worked to fight corruption in government, reduce the power of big business, and improve society as a whole. Just as the Irish wanted good work and the farmers wanted a good banking system, women wanted equality. Women and women's organizations worked for various rights for different groups of people. They not only worked to gain the right to vote, they also worked for political equality and for social reforms. But how did this all start to happen? It didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t a one-person battle. Women wanted the same rights as men already had. But they didn’t just stop there, women played a major role in the rise of the child labor laws, stood up for minorities, and they wanted prostitution to end. Most people who opposed woman suffrage believed that women were less intelligent and less able to make political decisions than men were. Opponents argued th... ... â€Å"75 Suffragists.† Women’s Studies.(29 October 2003). Berkeley, Kathleen C. The Women’s Liberation Movement in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999. Frankel, Voralee and Nancy Schrom Dye. Gender. Class, Race, and Reform in the Progressive Era. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1991. Freeman, Julie. The Progressive Era. 11 February 2002. (04 November 2003). Kerber, Linda K., Alice Kessler-Hessler and Kathryn Kish Sklar. US History as Women’s History. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1995. â€Å"Living the Legacy: The Women's Rights Movement 1848 - 1998." The National Women's History Project. 1997. (30 October 2003). Muncy, Dr. Robyn. Women in the Progressive Era. 30 March 2003. (04 November 2003). Schneider, Dorothy. American Women in the Progressive Era 1900-1920. New York: Facts on File, 1993.