Introduction to mass communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Introduction to mass communication - Essay Example However with the passage of time, it exponentially increased to such proportions that now it is a very huge entity and one can be sure that its benefits will easily outweigh the disadvantages that are found within its auspices. Internet is a force that will change the face of this earth in the next decade or so and hence efforts are underway to extract the best possible mileage from the aegis of Internet. This paper discusses the basis of Internet as it has been playing an important role since the historic times. It has also touched upon the pertinent role within the time and age of today whilst keeping the pros and cons in due perspective. What the world of Internet has brought to the fore is the chance for the people to understand what lies within their vicinity and what they can expect from the technological manifestations, if only they are ready to get up and ask for a change. This change is the one that will be a positive one, and create a sense of success within their lives. The Internet is a huge force that is waiting to be unleashed. One can safely state that it has still not reached to a point where it can be remarked as the revealed one, yet much remains to be seen and explored within its midst. Internet is indeed a magical tool which has changed the lives of millions worldwide. There is just so much happening within its folds that man becomes much dumfounded whenever he finds out something totally new. The element of creativity and innovation seems to exist in a number of different ways and there is reason enough to justify this very logic. Internet is indeed a giant today than it used to be when it was laun ched in the yesteryears. Some 10 years back no one knew that Internet would develop into such a huge force, which could easily change the viewpoints of the people yet this has happened today, for the betterment of all and sundry. The digital age has had a number of positives since the Internet has brought

Transition metals Essay Example for Free

Transition metals Essay Iron is a transition element. A transition element is an element that forms at least one ion with a partially file d orbital1. Transition metals have several different oxidation states, so can be oxidized and reduced. Oxidizing the Fe2+ will make it Fe3+, and it will lose an electron. Fe3+ e- + Fe3+ Reducing Fe3+ will bring it back to Fe2+, as it will gain an electron. Fe3+ + e- Fe2+ I have been given a solution containing between 1. 1g and 1. 3g of iron ions, a mixture of Fe2+ and Fe3+. To work out how much Iron(II) and Iron(III) is in the mixture, I will start with a titration. I will determine the amount of Fe2+ in the mixture originally by titrating with potassium permanganate, and therefore oxidising the Fe2+ to Fe3+. Potassium permanganate, KMnO4, is self indicating, so when the oxidation point is reached, it changes brown. Then I will reduce the Fe3+ back to Fe2+ with zinc powder and work out the amount of Fe2+ in the remaining mixture by titrating the new mixture against approximately 0. 1 molar potassium permanganate. Then Fe2+ mass in 2nd solution Fe2+ mass in 1st solution = Mass of Fe2+ originally in the solution. This experiment will only give me the Mass of Fe2+ in the solution, so the Fe3+ will need to be worked out by subtracting the Mass off the Fe2+ from the 200cm3 solution used at the beginning. Water solubility: moderate, produces solutions which are intensely coloured, even when quite dilute Specific gravity: 2. 70 Principal hazards This material is harmful if swallowed or inhaled. It is also harmful if absorbed through the skin. Potassium permanganate is a strong oxidizing agent and may react very exothermically with organic materials. Safe handling Wear safety glasses and keep the solid or solution from contact with the skin.. Take care not to allow the solid to come into contact with flammable materials. Emergency Eye contact: Immediately flush the eye with plenty of water. Continue for at least ten minutes and call for medical help. Skin contact: Wash off with plenty of water. Remove any contaminated clothing. If the skin appears damaged, call for medical aid. If swallowed: Call for immediate medical help. Disposal Small amounts of very dilute potassium permanganate solution can be flushed down a sink with a large quantity of water, unless local rules prohibit this. More concentrated solutions and waste solid should be retained for disposal by those in charge of the laboratory. Protective equipment Safety glasses. Protective gloves should not normally be necessary. If they are to be used, nitrile will provide some protection, but may degrade upon contact with solid or solution, so should be checked regularly and replaced if damage is apparent.

Strategic Management At UNIQLO

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

Essay --

Anthony L. Smith Instructor Cook English IV 11 November 2013 The Nuances of the Black Plague Imagine half of a continent dying seemingly without reason, all within two years. The devastation caused on families would be unbearable. This is exactly what happened just 700 years ago in Europe. Probably the darkest, most devastating catastrophe in that century, and yet, the cause of deaths remains a question. One ‘thing’ has been confirmed; the deaths were caused by a plague. Three strands of the plague were Pneumonic, Bubonic, and the Septicemic. All three included similar symptoms, such as fever and chills; however, distinct symptoms also were noted. In Pneumonic, people experienced bloody sputum and difficulty breathing, whereas the Septicemic plague caused death of tissue in finger tips and in the nose. The Bubonic plague, the focus of this research paper, was the most popular strain of the plague. This strain caused swollen lymph nodes and buboes under the arms and around the groin area. The Plague was airborne, spread by rat bites, and by flea bites. All three of these strains were very painful. The Black plague was a major epidemic from 1348-1350, but it remained a threat until the 1666 London fire. Over 50 million Europeans were affected by this deadly disease, which ignited the rising of inflation, urban and peasant immorality, and challenges to the authorities of the Church. Different theories of contracting the disease brought several twists to this era. The Black plague is commonly believed to have started in Central Asia in the early 1300s. The plague is believed to have been brought to Europe on in October of 1347 when 12 ships docked in Sicily. On the ships were dead and sickly sailors who had the plague. Sicilian citiz... ...ls. They admitted to doing it thinking they would be left alone, but they and a lot of their community were murdered because of it. People began to doubt God and do things their own way. They became frustrated with questions as to why God would let this happen. As the death toll from the plague became higher and higher, people became really sad and depressed from losing friends and loved ones. As jobs were more available after the start of the plague, people began to make more money, but food and taxes also became more expensive. As prices rose, so did the peasants tempers. Violence was not uncommon in European towns and cities. Revolts were a way to release stress. The plague became an epidemic again in 1665, and killed about 100,000 people in that summer. In 1666 the London fire helped to suppress the plague to the point where it did not spread like it did before.

Taskin Ahmed

What Is Globalization? Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world. Globalization is not new, though. For thousands of years, people—and, later, corporations—have been buying from and selling to each other in lands at great distances, such as through the famed Silk Road across Central Asia that connected China and Europe during the Middle Ages. Likewise, for centuries, people and corporations have invested in enterprises in other countries. In fact, many of the features of the current wave of globalization are similar to those prevailing before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. r Is it the integration of economic, political, and cultural systems across the globe? Or is it Americanization and United States dominance of world affairs? Is globalization a force for economic growth, prosperity, and democratic freedom? Or is it a force for environmental devastation, exploitation of the developing world, and suppression of human rights? Positive impacts of Globalization Globalization is the new catchphrase in the world economy, dominating the globe since the ninetie s of the last century. People relied more on the market economy, had more faith in private capital and resources, international organizations started playing a vital role in the development of developing countries. The impact of globalization has been fair enough on the developing economies to a certain extent. It brought along with it varied opportunities for the developing countries. It gave a fillip for better access to the developed markets. The technology transfer promised better productivity and thus improved standard of living.

Skills for effective management education essay

Undertaking 1What Skills are required for effectual direction? Analysze with back uping grounds from ain experience, two personal accomplishment and two professional accomplishments a director demand to be effectual in their function, explicate how these contribute to run intoing both organizational and personal ends.Skills for effectual direction:The importance of managerial public presentation and effectivity has long been recognised by major authors such as Drucker who originally in 1955, propounded that: The director is a dynamic, life giving component in every concern. Without their leading ‘the resources of production remain resources and ne'er become production. In a competitory company, overall the quality and public presentation of the directors is the lone effectual advantage and endeavor in a compitive company can hold. ( Drucker, 1955 ) Managerial efficiency can be distinguished from managerial effectivity.Efficiency is concerned with making things right and relates to inputs and what the director does. Effectiveness is concerned with making the right things and associate to end product of the occupation and what the director really achieves. To be efficient the director must go to to therefore to the input demand of the job-to elucidation of the aims, be aftering organisation way and control. But in order to be effectual, the director must give attending to end product of the job-to public presentation in term of such factors as obtaining best possible consequences in the of import countries of the organisation, optimizing usage of resources, increasing profitableness and attainment of the purposes and aims of the administration. Effectiveness must be related to the accomplishment of some intent, nonsubjective or undertaking to the public presentation of the procedure of direction and the executing of the work. Lut hens effort to separate between effectual and successful directors.Effective Directors:They are defined in term of the measure and quality of criterions of public presentation and satisfaction and committedness of subsidiaries.Successful Directors:They are defined operationally in term of the velocity of their publicity within an organisation. ( Mullings L,2007 ) .Based on the research in the universe and in Vietnam and from the success of old workshops the Centre for Excellence in Management Development ( CEMD ) continuously offers the workshop on Effective Management Skills to assist people and organisation bettering their ain effectivity and efficiency. Through this workshop participants are non merely developed specific competences in the agenda but besides improved learning accomplishments easing accomplishments and teamwork skills.A Skills which are required for effectual direction are described blew under chief accomplishments and bomber accomplishments.Creative Problem Solvi ng Skills:Describing and analysing a job Identifying causes of a job Developing originative options and taking the best class of action Implementing and measuring effectual and efficiency of the determination.Communication Skills:Listening accomplishments Presentation accomplishments Feedback Skills Report witting accomplishments.Conflict Management Skills:Identifying beginnings of struggle functional and dysfunctional struggles Understanding personal manner of struggle declaration Choosing the best scheme for covering with a struggle Developing accomplishments in advancing constructive struggles in organisation and squads.Negotiation Skills:Distinguishing distributive and integrative dialogues place Identifying common errors in dialogue and ways to avoid them Developing rational thought in dialogue Developing effectual accomplishments in dialogue that benefits all parties involved.Two personal accomplishmentsTime direction Problem work outingTwo professional accomplishmentsPresentation accomplishment Report composing accomplishmentEvaluation of my professional and personal accomplishmentThese accomplishments will helpful for me in future to run into personal and professional ends. My clip direction is really good I am punctual and regular and ever reached on clip whenever I have to travel. I ne'er tardily from category or even where of all time I go ne'er tardily. This proves really helpful for me because I ne'er missed the things like talks etc. I besides have ability of job work outing. I can work out job easy and instantly and take best result of jobs. I ever try my degree best to work out the jobs every bit shortly as possible with best result so that I can get away from emphasis or tenseness. These both personal accomplishments will helpful for me in hereafter. Through practise I besides have command on study authorship, ab initio I was non able how to compose a study but go toing talks and pattern now I am able to compose good professional study. I besides gave presentation. Now it is easy for me to give good nowadays. Now I can compose down different professional study and I am able to give good presentation. These besides will helpful for me in future to accomplish organizational and personal ends.Mentions:Mullings, L. ( 2007 ) Management and Organizational Behaviour, 8th Edition: Edexcel hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cemd.ueh.edu.vn/Effective -managment-skill-e.htm ( Access day of the month 24/04/2010 )Undertaking 2Behavior a personal and professional accomplishments audit utilizing SWOT analysis. Employ cause and consequence diagram to farther analysis one professional and one personal accomplishment. Generate a elaborate action program which demonstrates how you intend to turn to countries for farther direction and leading development. Explain the impact of larning manners on personal accomplishments.SWOT stands for S=Strengths=Weaknesses=Opportunities T=ThreatsPersonal SWOT analysisStrengthsFailingsTime Management Decision Making Problem Solving Computer Skills Poor Stress Management Trouble in puting aims Poor background of concern. Not CreativeOpportunitiesMenacesSelf Improvement Feedback from coach Interaction different part ‘s people Home office, if I get failed If non acquire occupation fee entry job May be non able to go through DMSTable: 1.0: Personal SWOT analysisProfessional SWOT AnalysisStrengthsFailingsReport Writing Skill Presentation Skill Poor Leadership Poor Coaching Poor Communication SkillsOpportunitiesMenacesAfter complete DMS, I can make MBA. Deliver good Presentation Occupation in Banks Because of hapless communicating I may non able to present presentation good and lose the occupationTable 2.0: Professional SWOT AnalysisCause and consequence diagram is frequently known as Ishikawa or fishbone diagram.Professional Failing:Less opportunity to take people Poor communicating accomplishment Poor Leadership Poor coaching accomplishmentFigure: 2.1: Fishbone diagram of Poor LeadershipPersonal FailingShort Temper Poor Stress Management Poor CommunicationFigure: 2.2: Fishbone Diagram of Poor Stress ManagementBrooding AnalysisMy professional failing is hapless leading. Because I have less opportunities to take a group or people. Another cause may be hapless communicating and some clip I am non plenty able to present my message to the people. But after cognizing about my failing now I am seeking my degree best to get the better of this failing. I am seeking the abilities of how become good leader. On personal side my emphasis direction is really hapless so far. The causes of hapless emphasis directions are I am short tempered and I get angry may be there is no valid ground to acquire angry. Another cause may be hapless communicating, when I get angry I ne'er express my feelings and I feel there is deficit of words and I became soundless. But after measuring my failing I am seeking to seek the accomplishments how to pull off with emphasis. Now I am able to pull off the emphasis to some extent but it needs more attending and more clip.Learning StyleEducationist have long realised that we learn in different ways. One widely used classification of different acquisition manners that provided by Honey and Mumford. They identified four different characters with rather different preferable larning styles-the militant, the pragmatist, the reflector, the theoretician. diagnostic trials exist to set up which larning manner is more appropriate for you and assist you develop an action program to develop your larning accomplishments You should give yourself a mark between one and ten ( 1-10 ) for how good each of the description describe you. If you give it to 1 it is really hapless description of you. if u give it 10 it is really good description of you. My learning manner is Pragmatists which I describe blow.DefinitionDescriptionTonssPragmatistYou are a practical individual You like to work out jobs You enjoy experimenting to better techniques You often come up with reply to the jobs You merely interested theories is to see if they work in pattern You dislike state of affairs where there is no clear, practicle result You work good to deadlines.You learn good when:You are expected to do practical determinations Using simulations and instance surveies Learning from proven good pattern, utilizing the illustrations and the expertness of others. 8 8 8 8 7 8 8 8 8 7Pragmatist Total =78Table 3.0: Pragmatist Learning StyleInterptation of Learning StyleA pragmatist is a practical individual who likes to work out jobs. They enjoy experimenting to better techniques. They often come up with the reply to a job. Their lone involvement in theories is to see if they work in pattern. They dislike the state of affairs where there is no clear practical result.Pragmatist learns good when:They are expected to do practical determinations Timescales are tight They must break happen better ways to make things Learning from proven good pattern Learning from illustrations and the expertness of others They are expected to be after the following measure Pragmatists will peculiarly profit from developing which involves simulations and instance surveiesPragmatists learn less good when:They are expected to come up with new thoughts themselves The practical relevancy of what they are making is ill-defined They are expected to work out why a technique work As a pragmatist scholar I like to work out jobs. Harmonizing to this timescale is tight. I ever complete my work on clip. I used to larn from practical illustrations and I ever learn from good pattern. When I start pattern instantly I can understand. There are some jobs of larning when any one expects to come up with my thoughts because I am less originative. Sometime it is ill-defined for me what I am making. This exercising is really helpful for me because after to cognizing my learning manner I am seeking my degree best to get the better of my failings and seeking to larn more and heighten my strengths.Undertaking 3You need to find your ends utilizing SMART, and clearly place mark day of the months for monitoring and reappraisal. Produce an on-going development program and brooding record of direction experience.On achieving one professional and personal goal-produce a brooding analysis for each end.Personal GoalImprove Communication accomplishmentExamples:My personal end is to be tter my communicating accomplishments by larning more English. When I came in UK for survey it was really hard for me to pass on in English so I made this end that I have to larn English for good communicating and for personal development. Now I am seeking hard to larn English to pass on people and seek occupation every bit good. Regardless of the size of concern we are in whether a big corporation a little company or even a place based concern effectual communicating accomplishments are indispensable for success. Communication is really of import tool for personal development. In fact communicating is merely successful when both the transmitter and the receiving system understand the same information as a consequence of the communicating. So I started working on it and by the terminal of this month I will be able to pass on good and for this I am besides larning English. When my communicating will be effectual I became successful miss.Professional GoalImprove Leadership AbilityExam ples:Improve leading abilities is my professional end. It is the activity of taking a group or squad. I find myself that there is deficiency in my leading abilities. For this I need good communicating, being articulated, flexible, creativeness and empathetic every bit good. So to seek the leading abilities I have to larn these things every bit good. The factors that lead to this failing are weak communicating accomplishment, non plenty originative and less opportunities to lead people. So now I am seeking my degree best to larn leading abilities for professional development. Whenever I go for occupation so this will be helpful for me in hereafter.Personal Development Plan ( PDP )Learning and development demandHow does this back up your professional and personal endsLearning actions to be taken including resources needed to accomplish themDate of accomplishmentAttempt to compose professional study Improve communicating accomplishments When I will make occupation in Bankss etc. This pattern will helpful for me in future It will assist in my personal and professional development Submit my study to Dr.Gary Bell in order to derive feedback It will assist in my professional and personal development. 14th May 2010 10th May 2010.Table 4.0: Table of PDP ( Personal and Professional )Undertaking 4Writing accomplishment in being an effectual director. Include study composing as a professional failing in the SWOT analysis, and should be included in the development program. Undertake study composing exercising. On completion of the study undertake a brooding analysis of this professional accomplishment.Report on â€Å" Project Management: Is there A Crisis? †AbstractionThis study discusses about the package undertaking failure and aims to foreground the causes of package crises. Many research workers done different researches to look into out the causes of package undertaking failure. Furthermore, the article suggested that the money was wasted on ailment planned, misdirection and delayed Information Technology undertakings. The determination shows that the jobs associated with package crises still persist and believed that there is need to re-examine the package development phenomenon.Table o f ContentIntroduction†¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ .16 Symptoms of Software Crisis†¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ ..17 Primary Causes of Software Crisis†¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ .. †¦ †¦ ..18 Decision†¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ 19 Mentions†¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ .20IntroductionThe package industry has grown and evoveled over decennaries. This is calculating and Information Technology age and these became demand of the hr because they made our life easier as earlier earlier. Calculating and package engineering has become more sophisticated and powerful every twelvemonth which can trip new package markets. Furthermore clients are going more ambitious and are bring forthing more demanding demands. Sadly, the package industry is still tarnished by jobs, such as cost overproductions, scheduladge slippage and hapless merchandise quality. These jobs known as the ‘software crisis ( Conte et al 1986 ) .Anecdotal grounds that in the UK the crisis is non slaking is provided. Therefore, we argue that one primary cause is package undertaking direction and associatory orthodox attacks. Charette ( 2005 ) has complied some dumbfounding failure statistics. He mentioned that package undertaking failure accurse in about every state, like UK, USA, Australia, and Canada on big or little degree. He discusses that package crises cost was $ 17.33 billion merely in America. Later on a comprehensive study was conducted by KPMG ( 1995 ) , utilizing sample of 250 UK organisation. They find out approximately 62 % organisation had at least one major package failure.Symptoms of Software Crisis:The research worker finds out many symptoms of package crises. Some ( Conte et al,1986 ) have highlighted a crisis within the package industry. Glass ( 1998 ) points out that there is no comprehensive study analyzing what per centum of package undertaking fail. Cost, bringing clip and quality are identified as the three symptoms to measure the success or failure of a undertaking of a undertaking. Anecdotal grounds is used to foreground the symptoms and primary causes of undertaking failure which engenders serious concerns. Researcher happen out the symptoms which lead to package undertaking failure are rather common like cost over from appraisal, money wasted on ill-planned, mismanagement and delayed InformationTechonology undertakings which leads to project failure.Primary Causes of Software Crisis:Charette ( 2005 ) and Glass ( 1998 ) , discovered many primary causes of package undertaking failure. These are under below.Unspecified aims and bad planning:Glass ( 1998 ) happen out the chief ground of package undertaking failure are the aims were non specified and they did n't made proper planning and appraisal need resources before they start any undertaking and which cause the package undertaking failure.Inadequate Methodology:They used unequal methods for undertaking direction and did non cognize the proper methodological analysis of different undertakings.Insufficient senior staff and undertaking complexness:There were less experient staff and largely the undertakings were really complicated.Therefor e, it was hard for new and junior staff to manage the undertaking complication.Hardware/Software job:Poor public presentation of the providers. Those who supply the hardware and package some clip they create job which leads to package crisis. There are many more causes which create job and do the package undertaking like stakeholder political relations, commercial force per unit area and unmanaged hazard etc.Decision:It is concluded that the symptoms and causes of the package undertaking failure, many factors involved in the crisis but the chief thing it had to be done before start any of the undertaking is that analysts should implement it or use it in a limited country, after the test if it is win so they should use as a whole. It is need to re analyze the package development phenomenon so that it can bring forth better consequences in future.

The Safety and Efficacy of Creatine, Ephedra, and Anabolic-Steroid Precursors

The Safety and Efficacy of Creatine, Ephedra, and Anabolic-Steroid Precursors Free Online Research Papers This paper was used in a 200 level Health and Human Science course. The paper received an A. Review of: â€Å"The Safety and Efficacy of Creatine, Ephedra, and Anabolic-Steroid Precursors† The title of the reviewed article is â€Å"The Safety and Efficacy of Creatine, Ephedra, and Anabolic-Steroid Precursors† by Michael E. Powers, PhD, ATC, CSCS of Shenandoah University. This article is targeted to any athlete who is considering the use of a performance enhancing supplement. The article informs the reader of the three questions that one should always ask before taking a supplement: Is it legal? Is it safe? Does it work? The article proceeds to answer these questions for each supplement in the study. To begin the article Dr. Powers sets some guide lines for a good scientific study. He makes a strong point of why the term â€Å"natural† supplement should not imply in all cases. The studies conducted by manufactures often only involve young, healthy, athletic, individuals. This is not a good representation of the population that has the potential to consume these supplements and thus should be considered before taking. The theory behind creatine is similar to carbohydrate loading. Increased muscle creatine and phosphocreatine would enhance the capacity of the phosphagen energy system. This would then result in a greater resistance to fatigue, and improve performance. The author states that the efficacy of creatine as a performance enhancer remains inconclusive. However, in certain groups of people recovery times have been shown to decrease. The general conclusion from studies listed is that creatine has no negative short term or long term side effects. Ephedra is classifieds as a sympathomimetic alkaloid because it directly stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. Ingestion has failed to improve muscle strength, endurance, and power on its own. However studies that combine the ephedra with the caffeine have shown to significantly increase endurance in studies when placebos were used as the control. However, the side effects associated with ephedra can be quite serious. These side effects ranged from headaches, restlessness, tremors and palpitations to severe hypertension, seizures, and even stroke. DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), A’dione (androstenedione), and A’diol (androstenediol) are androgenic hormones. Although they have very little androgenic activity on their own, they act as precursors to testosterone. High dosages of these supplements did show to increase the levels of testosterone levels and thus improving performance. However the side effects to these supplements are quite serious. Including liver dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and suppressed testosterone production. The author makes a strong scientific argument to research the supplement you are thinking of consuming. The long term effects can be quite serious and the desired effects can often be marketing hype. Dr. Powers sites 73 different scientifically focused studies with every claim made and thus showing his scientific intent. Being that I tried a variety of supplements I think this article will further assist me in not being lost in the hype of a supplement’s marketing campaign. Also, in many cases the long term effects of supplements appear to have the exact opposite effect of good health. This will greatly effect my choices for the future. I had planned on supplementing my workout routine with creatine to assist in recovery and based on this article I see no reason to remove it from that plan. I have used creatine in the past and know that my body responds well. Overall I am happy to have reviewed this article and feel as though I have more insight on how different supplements work with or against the body. Research Papers on The Safety and Efficacy of Creatine, Ephedra, and Anabolic-Steroid PrecursorsEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenGenetic EngineeringRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanCapital PunishmentThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andResearch Process Part OnePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyTrailblazing by Eric AndersonDefinition of Export Quotas

Rhetorical Analysis of the Declaration of Independence Essays

Rhetorical Analysis of the Declaration of Independence Essays Rhetorical Analysis of the Declaration of Independence Paper Rhetorical Analysis of the Declaration of Independence Paper Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and the third president of the United States of America, in his letter â€Å"The Declaration of Independence† (1776) argues that the thirteen colonies must demand freedom from Great Britain. To support his conclusion, Jefferson makes changes in between his rough draft and final draft in punctuation, grammar, and the overall connotation of his words. Jefferson’s purpose is to establish America’s Independence from Great Britain in order to earn their Rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Jefferson’s audience is not only King George the Third, but also the people of America. In Thomas Jefferson’s letter â€Å"The Declaration of Independence†, he uses the changes from his rough draft to his final draft to formalize and to make the document more professional, while keeping it simple. The changes that made the document formal included: punctuation, grammar, connotation, and the capitalization of words. The punctuation and grammar made the document proper. The connotations, or an idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing, improves the sentences. The capitalizations of words emphasized how important the words were. One significant change is the capitalization of words. The rough draft does not capitalize words like â€Å"Nature†, â€Å"Laws†, and â€Å"Systems of Government†. The final draft capitalizes these words because they need to be emphasized and noticeable because they are very important. The rough draft does not make the words look significant. Another significant change was the connotation. The rough draft had the phrase, â€Å"We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable†, and while the final draft states â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident and undeniable†. The word â€Å"sacred† transformed to â€Å"self-evident†, this is one form of connotation. Connotation is an idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing. The connotations in the final draft improve the sentences in â€Å"The Declaration of Independence†. The grammar and punctuation (improves the final draft) by making it more formal. Punctuation and grammar makes the document easier to understand. There are many run-on sentences. â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal and independent†¦their safety and happiness† is a long run-on sentence. In the rough draft it states â€Å"he has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns and destroyed the lives of our people†, but in the final draft it adds the comma after â€Å"towns† to emphasize and make the sentences proper. These additions made this document become professional. In conclusion, the changes that took place in between the rough and final draft made the letter look advanced and well qualified. The punctuation and grammar improves and makes the letter proper. The capitalizations emphasize that the words are important. The connotations improved the letter, but overall the changes were a positive thing towards â€Å"The Declaration of Independence†. The document affected everyone, all over the United States then, and now, with the addition of the British.