Unit 4 db mgmt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 4 db mgmt - Essay Example The DSS has four main components which include: a) User Interface, b) Database, c) Models and Analytical Tools, d) Architecture and network of DSS. The DSS contain a effective user interface, which is generally used by the decision makers to gain complete information from the database to make informed decisions. The database is used to save all the high quality information and to keep track of all the available data. Also, DSS uses mathematical models and tools that mainly relate to the supply chain activities. One of the best examples of the use of the decision support systems include that of Frito Lays, which used the DSS to develop hand held computers which was given to the route sales individuals to collect data from all the sales transactions. Also this helped the company keep a centralized control system although making the decision making decentralized (Power, 2002). This change to the company was a turning point and helped the company improve in the overall

Eating Misconceptions in America Essay Example for Free

Eating Misconceptions in America Essay The eating habits of Americans have been changing throughout the years of history. It could be noted that as the state of life increases in terms of wealth and a more stable economy, there are those people who are much encouraged to take in ready-to-eat mixture of preserved foods, some are even more interested in eating junk foods particularly because of the fact that there are numerous kinds of junk foods as well as processed food available in the market for such type of people. Why do they do this? Because of primarily the time that they might consume in preparing â€Å"much-healthier† foods in comparison with the time that they would spend in grabbing a bite of the junks. Since their stomach requires them to fill it with something when they hungry, they preempt that the food they take in counts no matter what kind the food they eat are. Most likely, the aim of eating for them is to simply give in to the craving of their stomach. How is this particular claim proven through statistical studies? The following paragraph shall show the necessary informations collected by the researcher of this particular paper. Methodology The researcher of this paper decided to deal with the situation in a much more actual way of collecting the needed data for the intended study. To be able to do so, the said researcher aimed to pass a random survey-interview among several students in a college campus. With the questions â€Å"What types of foods cause weight gain? † and â€Å"What types of foods help you lose weight? †, the researcher tried to get the opinion of the students and base the study on their answers as to how they view the food that they take in everyday.

The Power of Preparation Essay -- English Literature Essays

The Power of Preparation There is an old adage that claims it is better to be safe than sorry. Most people living on planet Earth would agree. The art of preparation is a skill every old person wants the youth of America to possess. Business leaders want their employees to be better prepared. Simple everyday people want to be ready for all kinds of disasters that life may have in store for them. Someone who was trying to be wise once said,  ¡Ã‚ °Dig the well before you are thirsty ¡Ã‚ ±. This person was obviously relatively smart. Preparation is an essential tool for making life a more positive experience. First, success could come more easily if enough work was done beforehand. For example, many students dislike final examinations for one reason: the  ¡Ã‚ °cramming ¡Ã‚ ± study method. This method is ineffective, and makes students cranky and tired. Relationships at all levels become strained, and everyone is unhappy with everyone else. This situation can easily be avoided with one simple solution. It is preparation. If they had reviewed their notes and read their books periodically, then they would most likely retain all the necessary information to pass any final. Second, preparation can make lives of thousands more pleasant. Picture a red-brick building that is large enough for approximately 1,400 young adults. Now, picture about 400 extra people. Are there any problems that could rise from this high population density? Perhaps, there would be difficulties shifting from room to room...

IELTS Syllabus Design Essay

1. Introduction The attached English for academic purpose (EAP) syllabus is designed for an IELTS preparation course, which particularly focuses on the listening test. The reasons behind this choice are that IELTS preparation course is very popular in China, and to be a specialist on teaching IELTS listening aligns with the author’s career plan. All learners are male and female Chinese student aged between 18 and 25, who seek tertiary education in English-speaking countries. Additionally, all of them are in the intermediate level, and they wish to get a good grade in the listening test. This will be a five-week teaching, and three hours per week with a different unit. Additionally, it will be used in a hypothetical class in a private language school, and the approximate number of students for each class is 25. In the following parts, the author will first give the definition of syllabus, and the importance and necessity of undertaking needs analysis. Then there will be a demonstration of the attached syllabus design, which include the justification of the selected types of syllabuses and the choice of the selection and grading of content. At last, a conclusion will be given to summarise the key points in this essay. 2. The definition of syllabus Basically, a syllabus is a specification of what is to be included in a language course; and it concerns the selection of items to be learnt and the grading of those items into an appropriate sequence (Jordan, 2003; Hamer, 2002). Additionally, Nunan (1988) defines syllabus to a broad and a narrow approach. In a broad view, the syllabus and methodology should be together, because the difficulty of distinguishing content and tasks with the development of communicative language teaching (CLT). Whereas, a narrow view considers distinguishing syllabus design and methodology: syllabus design essentially focuses on the selection and grading of content, while methodology is more about the selection of learning tasks and activities (Nunan, 1988). Linking to the attached syllabus, because listening is regarded as a receptive skill, and it requires few activities than productive skills, such as writing and speaking (Hyland, 2006). Hence, the attached syllabus is designed under the narrow view, and it is orientated with the selection and grading of content. 3. Needs analysis The term ‘analysis of needs’ first appears in a published survey report of language teaching by Michael West in 1926 (West, 1994). However, there was little attention given to the needs analysis in the following decades. The reason could be the traditional belief of basing curricula on language structures rather than on individual learner needs at that time (Richards and Rodgers, 1986). With the development of language teaching, the term ‘need analysis’ was re-raised by the Council of Europe Modern Language Projects group in the 1970s, and needs analysis is recognised as the starting point for devising syllabuses, courses, martials and the kind of teaching and learning that takes place (Strevens, 1977; Coffey, 1984; Fatihi, 2003). Similarly, Jordan (2003) also suggests that designing a syllabus should involve examining needs analyses and establishing goals. In the meanwhile, the concept of learners’ needs becomes more broader, which refers not only to the language knowledge and skills that for certain target situation purposes, but also refers to necessities, lacks, wants, desires, motivations, constraints and requirements, which could be linguistic, affective, material or institutional (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987; Allwright, 1982). According to Brown (1995:36), needs analysis is defined as â€Å"the systematic collection and analysis of all subjective and objective information necessary to define and validate defensible curriculum purposes that satisfy the language learning requirements of students within the context of particular institutions that influence the learning and teaching situation†. And there are several fundamental questions need to consider when conducting a needs analysis. As Jordan (2003) suggests and further summarises in the Figure 1, they are: * Why is the analysis being undertaken? (E.g. to determine the type of syllabus and content) * Whose needs are to be analysed? (E.g. the learners’; the teachers’; the sponsors’) * Who performs the analysis? (E.g. sponsor; teacher; student) * What is to be analysed? (E.g. target situation; present situation; deficiencies) * How is the analysis to be conducted? (E.g. questionnaires; tests) * When is the analysis to be undertaken? (E.g. before the EAP course) * Where is the EAP course to be held? (E.g. the learners’ own country) Figure 1. Needs analysis: summary Source: Jordan (2003), Chapter 2, pp. 29. The significance of conducting a needs analysis is that it is a device to know the learners’ necessities, needs and lacks, which directly determines the type of syllabus and content, as well as the appropriateness and effectiveness of the course (Fatihi, 2003). Also it is a process for identifying the instructional objectives in a valid curriculum, in order to facilitate the learning for language learners (Jordan, 2003). However, there are also some limitations of needs analysis, which include 1) the complicity of converting needs into goals since â€Å"an assessment of individual needs could result in multiple course objectives† (Dubin and Olshtain, 1986: 102); 2) the lack of an effective needs analysis procedure, as most needs analysis procedures fail to solve the leap between needs analysis and materials development (West, 1994); 3) the validity and reliability of the instruments used in a needs analysis and the results obtained (Van Hest and Oud-de Glas, 1990). Despite those limitations, it is still worth doing needs analysis because some studies have showed that it can be beneficial for the development of curriculum (Bosher & Smalkowski, 2002; Chaudron et al., 2005). 4. Demonstrating syllabus design 4.1 Selecting syllabus types There are various types of syllabus design that have been used over the last few decades (Yalden, 1987). Generally, a number of different types of syllabus can be subsumed under two broad headings; namely, the product-oriented syllabus which focuses on the end result, and the process-oriented syllabus which focuses on the means to an end (Nunan, 1988). The various types syllabus under these two broad headings have been listed in the Figure 2. Additionally, a skills-based syllabus that is based on one or more of the four traditional language skills is highlighted in Jordan (2003). It seems that this type of syllabus is on the half way between product syllabuses and process syllabuses as suggested by Robinson (1991). Furthermore, another independent syllabus is lexical syllabus which was initially done by the work of COBUILD since 1980; and it is on the basis of vocabulary and lexis (Lewis, 1993; Harmer, 2002).

Guess, Inc.

Guess? , Inc. What started as a small family owned jeans boutique has flourished into a global lifestyle brand. Guess? , Inc. currently designs, markets, distributes, and licenses a leading lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel and accessories for men, women, and children that mirror the American lifestyle, while grasping European fashion sensibilities. While the foundation of Guess, Inc. ’s history and massive success can be attributed to their roots in the sale of jeans, Guess, Inc. has now expanded globally, granting licenses for the manufacture and distribution of a full line of product categories. Guess, Inc. perates in 87 countries, with the majority of the stores in the U. S. and Canada. As of 2010, Guess has 1292 stores, 504 in North America, 441 in Europe, and 347 in South East Asia (Breif History of the Company and the Marciano Brothers). The company has agreements with 17 licensees. Throughout the past 30 years, Guess, Inc. has made every effort to maintain t heir status as a global phenomenon. History CEO and Chairman, Maurice Marciano, and Co-Chairman,  Paul Marciano The epitome of a successful family business, Guess, Inc was founded in 1981 by the four Marciano brothers, Georges, Armand, Paul, and Maurice (Guess? Inc. ). They came equipped with experience in the fashion industry, having previously owned and operated a chain of twelve retail stores in France (Guess, Inc. ). The brothers moved to California from Marseilles, France in 1977, where Guess was born, starting as a small jeans company. Georges Marciano was the designer of the jeans, and the brothers gave them the name â€Å"Guess† as they believed that word to be easy to pronounce due to their limited English (Guess, Inc. ). The company’s original jeans were innovative for its time, stone-washed, made to fit tightly, and featured zippers at the ankles. They called this the â€Å"Marilyn Jean† (Guess, Inc. ), and the style lived up to its name, with a sexy, unique style and attitude. They had a softer feel and lighter colors than typical denim jeans. They also featured the classic Guess triangle on the back pocket, which would soon become the distinctive Guess trademark. Believing strongly in his family’s jean business, Georges flew to New York, and convinced Bloomingdale’s to display 30 pairs of his European-style jeans on consignment in the Bloomingdale’s flagship New York store (Guess, Inc. ). Within three hours, Bloomingdale’s sold out every pair. Demand for the jeans soon skyrocketed, and the brothers would find themselves overwhelmed. Though he possessed no previous advertising experience, the brothers appointed Paul Marciano as their advertising director, in hope of expanding their capital. This proved to be wildly successful, as Paul would design an ad campaign that would revolutionize the way jeans and other clothing were sold. Seeking to take a different direction from the typical studio design, Paul brought the models and the jeans outdoors, using grainy black-and-white photography. He had the models show off the jeans using provocative poses, which would later be described by Forbes Magazine as â€Å"catering to teenage cravings for sex, power, attention, and self-love†¦electric not only with sexuality, but with an implicit brutality and exhibitionism as well. † (GUESS INC (NYSE: GES) | Balance Sheet). These controversial ads would quickly create a household name for Guess. By the end of 1982, their jeans produced about $12 million in revenue (Guess, Inc. ). Over the next 15 years, Guess would grow from a company of 30 pairs of jeans, to a globally diversified billion-dollar empire. Legal Battles Overwhelmed by their increasing costs to produce, the Marciano brothers sought a solution to expand their capital and access cheaper foreign labor. In July 1983, they signed an agreement with the Nakash brothers of the company Jordache which would entitle the Nakash brothers to 50% ownership of Guess, Inc. in exchange for $4. 8 million, as well as the use of Jordache’s Hong Kong manufacturing plants (Guess, Inc. ). This deal also licensed Jordache to produce a new line of jeans, entitled Gasoline, using parts of Guess designs in a lower-priced line. However, Guess made a mistake in putting their trust in the Nakash brothers, and neglecting to provide written assurances in the agreement to protect each company against creating knock-off’s of each other’s designs. This mistake would soon come back to haunt them, in their biggest legal battle to date. The Marcianos sued the Nakash brothers on charges of unfair competition, accusing them of using their position on the Guess board of directors and their access to Guess designs in the Hong King plant to produce clothing in their Jordache line that were clear knockoffs of Guess designs. In the suit, the Marcianos sought to null the 1983 agreement that had given Nakashes ownership of half of Guess (Guess, Inc. ). This battle would continue for the next five years, eventually ending with the two sets of brothers settling out of court, and the Marcianos regaining full control of the business. Estimated attorney fees were as high as $10 million per year for each side (Guess, Inc. ). This was an ugly legal battle that cost Guess Inc. an unnecessary amount of funds. 1982 also bought a smaller legal battle with Jeff Hamilton, Inc. Guess sought to enter the menswear market by obtaining a licensing agreement with this company. Under this agreement, Jeff Hamilton, Inc would market a line of clothing under the Guess name in exchange for a 7% royalty fee (Guess, Inc. ). However, Guess soon decided that Hamilton was targeting the young men’s market too strongly, and did not approve of Hamilton’s â€Å"dumping† of Guess merchandise in large discount stores, which was hurting the label’s high-end image. Guess sought to terminate the license agreement, which they eventually succeeded in doing in 1986. This extensive legal battle resulted in a slow growth for Guess menswear. Marketing & Promotional Strategies Guess is backed by their corporate mission statement; â€Å"At Guess, we are committed to being a worldwide leader in the fashion industry. We will deliver products and services of uncompromising quality and integrity consistent with our brand and our image. We are committed to listening and responding to the needs of our customers, associates and business partners, and honor their individual value. We are dedicated to personal and professional enrichment through an environment of open communication, creativity, teamwork, trust, and respect. We continue to give back to the community, support humanity, and protect the environment as part of our responsibility. We remain committed to an entrepreneurial spirit that fuels the growth of our Company and increased shareholder value. Through principled leadership we will embrace diversity, cultivate strength, pride and passion to align our personal life and our professional life. (The Guess Mission Statement). The target customer for Guess is a young, affluent adult, between the ages of 18 and 32. Guess makes every effort to live by this mission statement every day, and uses a variety of creative marketing and promotional strategies to further entice the target customer to purchase Guess products. The mission statement is executed everyday in Guess, Inc’s corporate strategy, which focuses on the long term. Guess is a global compa ny known for their quality, trend-setting styles, and marketing creativity. In realizing the importance of diversity, and consumers’ needs to constantly have something new, Guess never fails to bring forward new products and images to keep their name alive. While originally gaining momentum with their jeans, Guess now manufacturers and distributes a wide range of product lines. Once realizing their success, in the 80’s, the Marciano brothers decided to increase their potential, and expand beyond men’s and women’s jeans. Baby GUESS? , GUESS? watches, GUESS? footwear, GUESS? eyewear, and GUESS? fragrances were introduced. Wishing to continue their expansion, Guess introduced even more products in the late 90’s, including an entire collection of GUESS handbags, active wear, jewelry, swimwear, innerwear, leather, belts, neckwear, and men’s classics (CITE- annual report). Around the millennium, Guess introduced their website, opening the company to a whole other world of potential. Guess operates in 6 different store concepts in an attempt to appeal to a variety of different markets. The original GUESS? retail stores carry a full assortment of full-priced Guess products, including men’s and women’s merchandise, and licensed products. GUESS? factory outlet stores are primarily located in outlet malls, and sell a select assortment of men’s and women’s apparel and licensed products at lower price points. GUESS by MARCIANO stores were introduced in the summer of 2004 (GUESS INC (NYSE: GES) | Balance Sheet), in an attempt to recapture the company’s glamorous image. The Marciano chain offers apparel and accessories that are sexy, yet sophisticated. The target market for these stores is slightly older customers interested in higher-end clothing and accessories such as ritzy evening dresses and fancy jeans. G by GUESS stores offers Guess products at a lower price point than Guess retail stores, in order to target a wider demographic. These stores carry apparel for men and women, as well as a full line of accessories and footwear. Products in this line provide a more fun, youthful image; fashion-forward, yet not cutting edge fashion. GUESS? accessories stores sell GUESS? and GUESS by Marciano labeled accessory products. Finally, GUESS also operates in an e-commerce segment, with websites in 6 different languages (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). Guess is known for their iconic black-and-white print advertisements and logos that have maintained a level of consistency throughout the company’s history. The aim of Guess advertisements is to place more of an emphasis on the brand image than on the actual products (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). All Guess advertisements use similar themes and images, primarily using outdoor images. Guess images have been showcased in international print campaigns in virtually all major magazines, on television, billboards, bus shelters, and advertisements throughout the world. The image of the Guess model has become a pop culture icon in the history of fashion advertising. Guess model, Anna Nicole Smith, in the early 1990’s Drew Barrymore Adriana Lima Paris HIlton Guess brought forth the faces of many future supermodels in their sexy promotional campaigns, including names such as Anna Nicole Smith, Claudia, Schiffer, , Drew Barrymore, Jessica Miller, Cindy Taylor, Minki Van Der Westhuizen, and Shana Zadrick (Guess? Inc. News- Company Information). Iconic models, actresses and all-round sex-bombs have all pouted and posed for these successful Guess ad campaigns. It goes without saying that Guess has been such an influential brand in the fashion world. Sales Trends & Financial Data For the first quarter of 2012, Guess, Inc reported net earnings of $42. 7 million. This was a 15. 2% decrease from the first quarter of the fiscal year 2011, in which Guess, Inc. reported net earnings of $50. 3 million (Guess? , Inc. Reports First Quarter Results). Balance Sheet from www. FORBES. com For the entire year, ending January 29 ,2011, net earnings for Guess, Inc were reported at $289. 5 million, an increase of 19. %, with gross profit increasing to $1090. 2 million, an increase of 15. 8%. Total net revenue increased to $2,487. 3 million, and gross margin decreased from the previous year to 43. 8% of total revenues (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). The decrease in gross margin was attributed to the negative impact of the stronger U. S. dollar on product purchases, increased occupancy costs due to retail expansion in Europe, lower initial mark-ups in Europe , and higher markdowns in the North American retail segment (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). Earnings from operations were reported at $404. million, a 12. 8% increase from the prior year, and other income, including interest income and expense, totaled $16. 7 million (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). As of January 29, 2011, Guess, Inc. had $442. 1 million in cash and cash equivalents, down $60. 0 million from 2010. In breaking down all of their marketing segments, Guess, Inc found that once again, the largest increase in gross profit came from their European segment. In Europe, revenues increased 23. 2% to $920. 3 million. Revenues produced by other segments were reported as follows: North American Retail- Net Revenue: $1069. 9 million * Earnings from Operations: $122. 6 million * Operation Margin: 11. 5% Asia- * Net Revenue: $53. 6 million * Earnings from Operation: $28. 6million * Operating Margin: 14. 3% North American Wholesale- * Net Revenue: $181. 0 million * Earnings from Ope rations: $46. 2 million * Operating Margin: 25. 5% (Maurice Marciano and Marciano) Despite setbacks from their legal battles (The Marciano brothers believed they would have exceeded $1 billion in sales by their 10th anniversary, had it not been for the court cases) (Guess? Inc. ), Guess sales flourished from the very beginning. 1984 brought sales of $150 million, and in 1987, the company reached profits of $100 million, with sales reaching $350 million (Guess, Inc. ). At that time, Guess retail stores grew to 19 locations, and sales reached $575 million in 1990 (Guess, Inc. ). In 1991, Guess strategically increased their advertising budget to $22 million. This worked in their favor, as the company earned enough profits to add 33 more stores by the end of the year, including the European flagship store in Florence, Italy. Sales slowed during the recession in the early 1990’s (Guess, Inc. ). However, the men’s collection took an opposite approach, and sales skyrocketed, with a 41% sales growth in 1991 alone (Guess, Inc. ). By the end of the year, menswear sales would account for 40 of total company sales. During this time, Guess also began to see the extensive opportunities available with international sales, as licensing arrangements introduced Guess to over a dozen countries, causing a significant increase in revenues. By 1993, Guess had reached an estimated $700 million in sales (Guess, Inc. . During this time, Georges Marciano decided to step down from his position as CEO, and sell his 40% of the company to his brothers for around $200 million. Maurice was then named CEO, and took over direction of design. Guess then stepped up their promotional campaign, looking to fuel its future growth. Licensing became a vital part of total revenues, with products now including home furnishings, i nfant wear, and junior knit wear (Guess, Inc. ). Meanwhile, sales continued to grow, now focusing on more accessories as well. In 1994, sales of Guess watches exceeded $100 million and footwear more than $60 million. Guess became a publicly traded company in 1996 (Guess, Inc. ). Hoping to continue their uninterrupted success, Guess was disappointed when 1997 sales began to drop. To compensate, Guess created a new line of high-end jeans called Premium Denim for men and women. However, this proved to be another disappointment, and the market share was lost due to competitive pressures and a terrible retail environment. In 1999, Guess decided to start their first e-commerce store (www. guess. om), which gave their sales a much-needed boost. Even in critical times, Guess was able to open 56 new stores in 2000. Annual sales would increase by 32% with the introduction of G Brand, a new complete line of high quality unisexual jeans wear that used Italian denim and European designs. At the end of 2000, Guess had 212 stores in the U. S. and Canada. In 2001, Guess implemented a new marketing strategy in order to keep their profits rising. With these new strong marketing methods, Guess was able to increase their sales, and open 24 new stores in the U. S. and Canada, a total of 249 stores. Guess continues their success over the next several years. As of 2010, Guess has 1292 stores, 504 in North America, 441 in Europe, and 347 in South East Asia (Breif History of the Company and the Marciano Brothers). Looking towards the year ending January 28, 2012, Guess, Inc. expects new revenues to range from $2. 74 billion to $2. 80 billion (Guess? , Inc. Reports First Quarter Results). Operating margins are expected to be between $16. 5%, while diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $3. 30 to $3. 50 (Guess? , Inc. Reports First Quarter Results). SWOT Analysis Like any business, Guess must analyze each of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and implement a strategy of using each of these aspects to their advantage. Strengths A quick overview of the strengths of Guess, Inc. include maintaining a strong and diversified brand portfolio, a global full lifestyle brand, an effective management team, and solid capital structure. Guess produces a brand that portrays a fun, fashionable, and sexy image, which is developed and maintained worldwide. Guess maintain a massive level of global success, with stores in 85 countries besides the U. S. and Canada. Because of this global diversification, the company is still able to grow, even in tough economic times. International growth remains one of Guess, Inc’s top strengths. Another major advantage Guess has is their use of multiple distribution channels. Not a company to focus solely on one channel, Guess Inc uses retail, wholesale, e-commerce, as well as licensing distribution to sell their products. This proves as a preventative benefit, as their operating results are not relying solely on the performance on one single channel. This also allows Guess, Inc to quickly adapt to ay changes in the distribution or retail environment of any one particular region. Adding to their diversity, Guess also relies on multiple store concepts, including flagship GUESS? full-priced retail stores, GUESS? factory outlet stores, GUESS by MARCIANO stores, G by GUESS stores, GUESS? Accessories stores, and GUESS? kids stores (Maurice Marciano and Marciano). This allows Guess to target multiple demographics in different regions. Weaknesses Like any company, Guess, Inc must also identify their weaknesses. A quick overview of the weaknesses of Guess, Inc. include maintaining a business in a highly promotional environment, the highly competitive nature of the apparel industry, discretionary spending being dictated by the situation in the global economy, and the narrow focus on women’s apparel. While Guess has very diversified products, and targets women, men, as well as children, their heavy focus on women’s apparel could be seen as a big weakness. Only 10% of Guess consumers are men, boys, or babies (Maurice Marciano and Marciano), which may indicate a lack of balance of promotional activities. Guess should assign more of their promotional budget to focusing on these areas, rather than attempting to portray an image of solely a women’s retailer. This also creates an opportunity for competitors to gain control over these sectors. While Guess stores may be growing rapidly in other countries, they must continue to be careful not to saturate the market. Opportunities A quick overview of the opportunities for Guess, Inc. include growing demand in foreign countries, such as China, under-penetrated markets in Europe, growth in the U. S. , and alliances by leasing. The Guess e-commerce environment improves customer relations, and creates an alternative shopping environment. In realizing this, Guess has the opportunity to increase their profits significantly by continuing to offer a wide range of products and keep up with an ever-changing economy. Technology proves to be a great opportunity for Guess, as they can benefit from consumer’s need for convenience. Guess men’s clothing category also has the biggest potential and room for growth. If Guess takes advantage of that, they will allow themselves the potential for a tremendous increase in profits. Guess should also take advantage of the new business casual trend, whereas smart casual clothing is becoming more and more acceptable in professional offices, and more people are looking for an acceptable replacement for their suits, ties, and other â€Å"formal† business attire. Threats A quick overview of the threats against Guess, Inc. include continued weakness in global consumer spending, low entry cost for competitors in the apparel market, changes to import tariffs, quotas, and taxes, and increases in energy and raw materials prices. Competitors are always considered one of a business’s greatest threats. The apparel industry is highly competitive, which may cause difficulties for Guess in the future. During a recession or uncertain economic conditions, consumers may be faced with reduced confidence and spending habits, resulting in a slow-down in sales and profits. While relationships with international markets and suppliers prove to be a steady strength for Guess, there are also threats involved. Since Guess does not own or operate any production facilities of their own (CITE- annual report), they depend heavily on foreign suppliers and manufacturers to produce products of top quality, and exactly to their specifications. Since Guess is a global business, there revenues could inadvertently be affected by factors beyond their control, such as recessions in foreign countries, political instability which may interrupt trade with foreign vendors, reduced global demand, significant fluxations in the value of the dollar against foreign currencies, or local business practices that do not conform to legal or ethical guidelines. Furthermore, Maurice and Paul Marciano currently hold 33% ownership of Guess shares, which is a very significant percentage. Their interests may differ from those of other stockholders, which could present a potential threat to the nature of the business. Competition One of Guess, Inc’s top competitors is Abercrombie and Fitch. Similar to Guess, Abercrombie's positioning strategy involves the use of sexually overt advertising positioned to appeal to young adult markets. Unlike Guess, Abercrombie and Fitch advertisements often depict nudity, alcohol consumption and assorted sexual behaviors. Guess chooses to take a less scandalous approach, and maintain a softer, more classical image. Abercrombie ; Fitch does not have a mass market approach to its advertising. It places print ads in 4 magazines: Vanity Fair, Interview, Out, and Rolling Stone. Abercrombie ; Fitch is well positioned for the future, however it is necessary for them to continue to move forward in their efforts to maintain a new, trendy image. In the face of a falling economy, Abercrombie's advertising stands out to an audience that has been exposed to a lot of noisy ads. In comparison to Guess, Abercrombie has the advantage of selling products under four different concepts, Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie, Hollister, and RUEHL. This provides the added benefit of appealing to different markets and demographics under completely different names, whereas Guess will only sell products with the Guess name , allowing Guess limited access to the market. GUESS? In the Future Immediate strategies to make Guess bigger and better would be to focus more of their advertising and promotional capabilities to their menswear collection. In the near future, I would recommend opening individual Guess for Men stores, which would open the door to an entire new demographic, increasing the potential for an immeasurable amount of profits. Focusing on new markets in Europe should also prove to be beneficial for the company. Currently, this market is under-penetrated, but has great potential for expansion in the future. As for a long term growth strategy, Guess needs to continue increasing their retail presence and expanding internationally. Guess has an excellent retail strategy which needs to be executed in each region of the world. Looking towards the long term, Guess should consider forming an alliance with a major competitor in the market, such as BEBE or Levi’s. Both of these companies have showed evidence of trying to come up with new styles in an attempt to keep up with Guess (Guess? , Inc. ), and are equally dominating the market for jeans and/or casual wear. Merging with either of these companies would prove to be tremendously profitable for Guess, as it would eliminate much of the competition, as well as allow them to dominate more of the market. Celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, Guess, Inc. is now bigger and better than ever, and growth shows no signs of slowing down. As long as they continue to leverage their presence globally and execute their mission statement and creative promotional strategies, Guess will continue to stay on top of the fashion world. Works Cited â€Å"Breif History of the Company and the Marciano Brothers. 25 June 2009. Guess, Inc. 1 May 2011 . â€Å"Guess, Inc. † Funding Universe. 27 May 2011 . â€Å"Guess? Inc. News- Company Information. † New York Times 2011. â€Å"Guess? , Inc. † 2011. Hoover's Company Information. May 2011 ;http://proquest. umi. com. ezproxy. library. berkeley. org/pqdweb? index=4;did=168188551;SrchMode=1;sid=1;Fmt=3;VInst=PROD;VType=PQD;RQT=309;VName=PQD;TS= 1307571605;clientId=11195;. Guess? , Inc. Reports First Quarter Results. Fiscal Results for the First Quarter Ended April 30, 2011. Los Angeles, CA: PR Newswire, 2011. â€Å"Marcianos Go Full Time Now at Guess. † Women's Wear Daily 16 6 1990: 1. Maurice Marciano, Chairman of the Board, Guess, Inc. and Paul, CEO & Vice Chairman of the Board, Guess, Inc Marciano. â€Å"Guess? , Inc Annual Report 2010. † Annual Report. 2010. â€Å"The Guess Mission Statement. † Guess, Inc. 2011 . ——————————————–

Free Essays on No Children Here

There are no Children Here Alex Kotlowitz's book, There are no Children Here, deals with the subject of race, values, and community responsibility of the urban underclass. The American inner city deals with the issues such as violent crime and drug wars. With these two explosive issues, the neighborhood experiences the downward spiral of social separation, unemployment and welfare dependence. The lives of two black boys, Lafayette, 10 and Pharaoh, 7 are followed as they struggle to grow up in one of Chicago's worst housing projects. Lafayette and Pharaoh are not any different than many of their neighbors. Their mother is welfare dependent. Their father is an alcoholic and drug abuser. In the home, there are other siblings, an older brother and sister along with younger triplets, just like so many other families in the area. Kotlowitz takes you into an offensively maintained housing project infested with gangs, where murders and shootings are an everyday thing. The image of the devastation and the despair of no hope of the people living inside the project are vivid. One can truly sense the hopefulness, grasping the loss of family and ardently desire a new life for the boys. You hold out hope that things will work out for the boys. In America's minefield of urban life, Lafayette and Pharaoh are surrounded by violence and poverty through their lives. The neighborhood had no banks, no public libraries, no movie theatres, no skating rinks, or bowling allies. The lack of respectable businesses only contributes to the demise of the neighborhood and unemployment in the area. With the drug lords keeping shop in an abandoned building, drug abuse is rampant and shooting is common. There were no drug rehabilitation programs or centers to help combat the problem. Police feared going into the ghetto for their own safety. There are no Children Here embraces Lafayette and Pharaoh over a two-year period in which they struggle with school, attemp... Free Essays on No Children Here Free Essays on No Children Here There are no Children Here Alex Kotlowitz's book, There are no Children Here, deals with the subject of race, values, and community responsibility of the urban underclass. The American inner city deals with the issues such as violent crime and drug wars. With these two explosive issues, the neighborhood experiences the downward spiral of social separation, unemployment and welfare dependence. The lives of two black boys, Lafayette, 10 and Pharaoh, 7 are followed as they struggle to grow up in one of Chicago's worst housing projects. Lafayette and Pharaoh are not any different than many of their neighbors. Their mother is welfare dependent. Their father is an alcoholic and drug abuser. In the home, there are other siblings, an older brother and sister along with younger triplets, just like so many other families in the area. Kotlowitz takes you into an offensively maintained housing project infested with gangs, where murders and shootings are an everyday thing. The image of the devastation and the despair of no hope of the people living inside the project are vivid. One can truly sense the hopefulness, grasping the loss of family and ardently desire a new life for the boys. You hold out hope that things will work out for the boys. In America's minefield of urban life, Lafayette and Pharaoh are surrounded by violence and poverty through their lives. The neighborhood had no banks, no public libraries, no movie theatres, no skating rinks, or bowling allies. The lack of respectable businesses only contributes to the demise of the neighborhood and unemployment in the area. With the drug lords keeping shop in an abandoned building, drug abuse is rampant and shooting is common. There were no drug rehabilitation programs or centers to help combat the problem. Police feared going into the ghetto for their own safety. There are no Children Here embraces Lafayette and Pharaoh over a two-year period in which they struggle with school, attemp...

Thе Old Gringo by Carlos Fuеntеs Analysis

ThÐ µ Old Gringo by Carlos FuÐ µntÐ µs Analysis ThÐ µ Old Gringo by Carlos FuÐ µntÐ µs Analysis Old Gringo by Carlos FuÐ µntÐ µs is a novÐ µl about rÐ µvolution, strugglÐ µ and sociÐ µty It is also a story about pÐ µoplÐ µ and about thÐ µir bÐ µliÐ µfs. ThÐ µ old gringo carriÐ µs Don QuixotÐ µ along with him to MÐ µxico, claiming that hÐ µ wants to rÐ µad it bÐ µforÐ µ hÐ µ diÐ µs. All thÐ µ charactÐ µrs arÐ µ obsÐ µssÐ µd with tÐ µxts, with drÐ µams, and with storiÐ µs. Throughout this novÐ µl, rÐ µality is portrayÐ µd not as it is obsÐ µrvÐ µd in thÐ µ Ð µmpirical world around thÐ µ charactÐ µrs, but as it is concÐ µivÐ µd within thÐ µ bounds of thÐ µir languagÐ µ, thÐ µir imaginations, and thÐ µir storiÐ µs. In Old Gringo thÐ µ powÐ µr of storytÐ µlling risÐ µs abovÐ µ rÐ µality. This papÐ µr, by rÐ µfÐ µrring to thÐ µ thÐ µmÐ µs and charactÐ µrs prÐ µsÐ µntÐ µd in Old Gringo by FuÐ µntÐ µs, analyzÐ µs thÐ µ subjÐ µcts of Ð µmpirÐ µ, nation, and statÐ µ as prÐ µsÐ µntÐ µd by thÐ µ author in this novÐ µl. Old Gringo is also a novÐ µl about frontiÐ µrs, diffÐ µrÐ µncÐ µ, and thÐ µ fight OncÐ µ thÐ µ two AmÐ µricans cross thÐ µ Rio GrandÐ µ, thÐ µsÐ µ issuÐ µs arÐ µ Ð µvokÐ µd, gÐ µnÐ µratÐ µd as much by thÐ µ history of thÐ µ rÐ µlations bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn thÐ µ two nations as by actions of thÐ µ charactÐ µrs (Alfonso 34). HarriÐ µt and Arroyo arÐ µ fully awarÐ µ of thÐ µ baggagÐ µ thÐ µy carry as an AmÐ µrican woman and a MÐ µxican man in thÐ µ discoursÐ µ Ð µach rÐ µprÐ µsÐ µnts on thÐ µ othÐ µr sidÐ µ of thÐ µ bordÐ µr. In ThÐ µ Old Gringo, thÐ µ problÐ µmatic bordÐ µr bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn cultural and gÐ µographical tÐ µrritoriÐ µs rÐ µprÐ µsÐ µnts thÐ µ unclÐ µar bordÐ µr bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn narrativÐ µ truth and historical truth (Alfonso 45). ThÐ µ fictional BiÐ µrcÐ µ crossÐ µs thÐ µ bordÐ µr at Еl Paso, which thÐ µ novÐ µl proposÐ µs as thÐ µ dividing linÐ µ bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn rÐ µason and passion, ordÐ µr and chaos, bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn a codÐ µ of law and a codÐ µ of honor - and bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn fact and fiction. BÐ µforÐ µ his dÐ µath, thÐ µ old gringo is dÐ µscribÐ µd as dazÐ µd by thÐ µ fragility of thÐ µ planÐ µt that sÐ µparatÐ µs rÐ µality from fiction) and awarÐ µ that hÐ µ will havÐ µ to choosÐ µ bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn thÐ µ nÐ µws dirÐ µctÐ µd to HÐ µarst and his rÐ µadÐ µrs and thÐ µ fiction dirÐ µctÐ µd to thÐ µ fathÐ µr and thÐ µ woman (FuÐ µntÐ µs 55) To continuÐ µ, FuÐ µntÐ µs is pointÐ µd in his condÐ µmnation of thÐ µ AmÐ µrican prÐ µss' involvÐ µmÐ µnt in thÐ µ MÐ µxican RÐ µvolution. In onÐ µ scÐ µnÐ µ in ThÐ µ Old Gringo, thÐ µ nÐ µwsroom of thÐ µ San Francisco ChroniclÐ µ is conjurÐ µd up and dÐ µscribÐ µd by mÐ µans of an accumulation of hÐ µadlinÐ µs full of instant stÐ µrÐ µotypÐ µs for Ð µasy mass consumption: in MÐ µxico, bandits namÐ µd Carranza, ObrÐ µgon, Villa, and Zapata had takÐ µn up arms ... with thÐ µ principal aim of stÐ µaling HÐ µarst's land. Wilson spokÐ µ of thÐ µ NÐ µw FrÐ µÃ µdom and said hÐ µ would tÐ µach thÐ µ MÐ µxicans dÐ µmocracy. HÐ µarst dÐ µmandÐ µd: IntÐ µrvÐ µntion, War, IndÐ µmnification (FuÐ µntÐ µs 27-28). ThÐ µsÐ µ factors prÐ µsÐ µnt unfavorably thÐ µ rolÐ µ of HÐ µarst's papÐ µrs in dÐ µtÐ µrmining U.S. intÐ µrvÐ µntionist policy in MÐ µxico. FurthÐ µrmorÐ µ, thÐ µ novÐ µl's rÐ µpÐ µatÐ µd rÐ µfÐ µrÐ µncÐ µs to thÐ µ Spanish-AmÐ µrican War, which most historians agrÐ µÃ µ was dÐ µclarÐ µd and dirÐ µctÐ µd by thÐ µ U.S. prÐ µss, forcÐ µfully rÐ µinforcÐ µ FuÐ µntÐ µs' point. In conclusion, it may bÐ µ statÐ µd that in ThÐ µ Old Gringo FuÐ µntÐ µs rÐ µdrÐ µw thÐ µ bordÐ µr In this novÐ µl, thÐ µ author implicitly Ð µrasÐ µs thÐ µ bordÐ µr as hÐ µ addrÐ µssÐ µs both nations. Although his writing is also markÐ µd by thÐ µ tropÐ µ of diffÐ µrÐ µncÐ µ, hÐ µ choosÐ µs charactÐ µrs, thÐ µmÐ µs, and contÐ µxts from both sidÐ µs of thÐ µ bordÐ µr and placÐ µs thÐ µm in a spacÐ µ whÐ µrÐ µ confrontation, dialoguÐ µ, and Ð µyÐ µ-to-Ð µyÐ µ contact bÐ µcomÐ µ inÐ µvitablÐ µ (Old Gringo Analysis para 12). ThÐ µ gÐ µnÐ µral and thÐ µ gringo lookÐ µd at Ð µach othÐ µr in silÐ µncÐ µ, communicating from oppositÐ µ sidÐ µs of a dÐ µÃ µp chasm (FuÐ µntÐ µs 43). AmÐ µricans always movÐ µd WÐ µst, but until thÐ µ RÐ µvolution, MÐ µxicans had nÐ µvÐ µr movÐ µd at all. YÐ µs, thÐ µ gringos did. ThÐ µy spÐ µnt thÐ µir livÐ µs crossing frontiÐ µrs, thÐ µirs and thosÐ µ that bÐ µlongÐ µd to othÐ µrs (FuÐ µntÐ µs 44-46).