Should Pornography be More Restricted by USA Laws Essay

Should Pornography be More Restricted by USA Laws - Essay Example Like it or not, be that as it may, the first Amendment was explicitly composed and intended to secure the privileges surprisingly, not simply one’s own in-gathering. The pornography business, by means of the first Amendment, has the option to create their suggestive materials inasmuch as they adhere to the law. For whatever length of time that no individual delineated is a reluctant member, as long as nobody included was hurt, the erotic entertainment itself isn't unlawful and the business that produces it isn't doing any damage. Simultaneously, people and associations that are against sex entertainment likewise reserve the option to create materials censuring erotic entertainment for whatever reasons. For whatever length of time that those people and gatherings don't submit defamation or criticism in their endeavors, they are additionally not doing anything incorrectly or causing hurt. Neither the pornography business nor the counter pornography industry can remove the privil eges of the other gathering to deliver their materials or express their inclinations or convictions. The point of view of hostile to pornography gatherings, in any case, can some of the time seem to be to some degree a riddle. Suggestive material has been common all through mankind's history and is prove in a wide assortment of ways. Take, for example, antiquated Venus sculptures. Numerous anthropologists speculate that the sculptures were viewed as images of fruitfulness in their way of life. The sculptures are prestigious for being demonstrations of the supporting nature of ladies, apparently in valuation for their commitment to society as moms and overseers. A marginally less mainstream thinking is that Venus sculptures were likewise utilized as masturbatory apparatuses. Trackers and warriors who went on protracted outings would take the sculptures with them so as to have something appealing to take a gander at while they dealt with their progressively close needs. Different soci eties are likewise noted for utilizing explicit pictures for an assortment of purposes. Shower houses in Pompei, for instance, are accounted for as having oddly explicit pictures covering the dividers. The pictures should have been utilized for bearings inside the shower houses. Where today we have storage A3, in those days societies depended more on promptly unmistakable pictures. The way that those pictures were ordinarily explicit in nature confirms the general disposition of acknowledgment of the human formâ€in all its blood and greatness. By and large, clinicians encourage individuals to not battle their tendency, however to only control it when that nature would doubtlessly cause issues inside their general public, either for themselves or for other people. The standard of â€Å"nature says ‘go,’ culture says ‘stop’† is one that is broadly acknowledged inside the mental network (Baumeister and Bushman, 2011). The thought, however, is that cu lture says â€Å"stop† when the move going to be made is in all likelihood going to be damaging to the more extensive culture somehow or another. For example, when an individual strolls in on their companion undermining them, and their characteristic tendency is to pummel the guilty parties into a bloody mess. That’s nature saying â€Å"go.† Culture, in any case, says that on the off chance that you enjoy your regular tendency to be rough, you will confront results of fines, network administration, or even prison time. That is culture’s method of saying â€Å"stop.† With sex entertainment, there is no broad exact information proposing that the presence of erotic entertainment is immensely harming American

Global Growth Business and Environment Risk †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Talk about the Global Growth Business and Environment Risk. Answer: Presentation: At the hour of working in the host nations, the business associations need to think about the business strategies of the host nation. Simultaneously, they have to build up their hierarchical techniques in such a manner thus, that they can coordinate the business strategies of the host nations. This equivalent hypothesis is material for Acciona. Acciona is one of the significant business associations of Spain that includes in the turn of events and the board of different frameworks, water, sustainable power source and different administrations (acciona.com 2017). Acciona needs to conform to the business approaches of the host nation while working in the host nation. According to the approach of Acciona, Acciona should be kept up a severe arrangement on chance administration and returns at the hour of taking the new activities. It infers that the business condition of Australia needs comes back from Acciona while limiting the hazard factors. This viewpoint will assist the organization with maintaining solid development in Australia advertise. Another significant effect of the arrangements of Australia on Acciona is the selection of Integrated Management System (IMS) Policy by Acciona. This specific arrangement makes Acciona to concentrate on two of the main considerations; they are Sustainability and Continuous Improvements of the companys business exercises (acciona.com.au 2017). In such manner, it should be referenced that the arrangements of IMS is an imperative necessity for Acciona as the organization must consent to these strategies. The re are some particular standards in IMS strategies. To begin with, it is required for Acciona to keep up the top nature of their works. It suggests that there is no extension for the trade off of value. Second, the Australian Government requests Acciona to conform to all the necessary enactments, guidelines and laws that are identified with ecological and Organizational Health and Safety (OHS) perils (acciona.com.au 2017). Subsequently, it very well may be speculated that the rationale of this rule is to improve the hierarchical exercises identified with these variables. The third guideline is identified with the advancement of the way of life of incorporated administration identified with natural consideration and OHS exercises. These are the primary approaches of Australia that have impacts on the business activities of Acciona. In any case, it should be referenced that there are numerous different approaches of Australia that Acciona needs to agree to. Be that as it may, the prim ary point of every one of these approaches is to get upgrades the organizations. Openings and Risk It should be referenced that Acciona needs to confront a few sorts of predicaments, difficulties, dangers and openings at an opportunity to work in Australia. They are examined beneath: The major moral difficulty looked by Acciona is to conform to all the necessary ecological and supportability related guidelines while keeping up the necessary benefit level. Regularly, it gets hard for Acciona to keep up the ideal benefit level in the wake of agreeing to all the guidelines. It has been seen that the upkeep of the considerable number of guidelines diminishes the benefit level of the organizations as these guidelines confine a portion of the business exercises of Acciona. This can be considered as the significant predicament of Acciona (arena.gov.au 2017). Furthermore, Acciona needs to manage a portion of the significant business dangers. The significant hazard factor is the impact of world financial disturbance on Australia. Because of this, Acciona needs to confront the hazard in regards to the vulnerability of important assets for their business tasks. Aside from this, it should be referenced that the danger of less capital for activity is another significant perspective. These are the significant dangers that Acciona needs to confront while working in Australia (arena.gov.au 2017). In any case, there are some acceptable business open doors for Acciona. As the individuals of Australia have gotten progressively cognizant about condition, they are concentrating on the selection of sustainable power source. This viewpoint is making business open doors for Acciona. Moreover, Australia is resolved to build up the immediate utilize advertise for sustainable power source organizations. This is a positive sign for Acciona as it will make business open doors for Acciona. Aside from this, specialized progressions have diminishes the business expenses of Acciona. These are the significant open doors for Acciona (theconversation.com 2017). The significant test for Acciona is to confront the dubious economic situation of Australian sustainable power source as this specific market is yet is gone to its steadiness. The following test is to confront the significant specialized issues of the business tasks. It has been seen that a portion of these issues can't be illuminated now and then. These are the significant difficulties looked by Acciona in Australia (theconversation.com 2017). By and large, as per the above examination, in Australia, Acciona should be conformed to the supportability and nonstop enhancements approaches of the nation. What's more, Acciona additionally needs to agree to the Organizational Health and Safety guidelines alongside other authoritative guidelines. Accionas major moral situation in Australia is to keep up high benefit while conforming to ecological and manageability guidelines. The significant hazard is the impact of world monetary midtown alongside unsure economic situation. References Acciona.com. (2017).ACCIONA to concentrate on chosen development openings and new markets in renewables and framework. [online] Available at: https://www.acciona.com/pressroom/news/2017/may/acciona-center chosen development openings new-markets-renewables-foundation/[Accessed 30 Sep. 2017]. Acciona.com.au. (2017).About us | ACCIONA Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.acciona.com.au/about-us/[Accessed 30 Sep. 2017]. Acciona.com.au. (2017).IMS Policy. [online] Available at: https://www.acciona.com.au/supportability/ims-strategy/[Accessed 30 Sep. 2017]. arena.gov.au/. (2017).LOOKING FORWARD: BARRIERS, RISKS AND REWARDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN GEOTHERMAL SECTOR TO 2020 AND 2030. [online] Available at: https://arena.gov.au/resources/2014/07/ARENA-IGEG-fundamental report.pdf [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017]. The Conversation. (2017).2017 will be a major year for Australia's vitality framework: this is what to pay special mind to. [online] Available at: https://theconversation.com/2017-will-be-a-major year-for-australias-vitality framework heres-what-to-pay special mind to 71703 [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017]. The Conversation. (2017).Australia's vitality division is in basic need of change. [online] Available at: https://theconversation.com/australias-vitality segment is-in-basic need-of-change 61802 [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017].

Decision Maker and the Rational Man - Free Essay Example

Decision Maker and the Rational Man I. Decision Maker and the Rational Man 1. Introduction As individuals we face decision situations everyday. It might be a problem or an opportunity, but in both cases the individual has to come at a perfect decision. At a rational view individual will try to gather as much information as possible on the available alternatives and the consequences they might derive by implementing each alternative. Individuals think and reason before they act and they try to select the best alternative accessible to them. What is most important is to select a choice among the alternatives available. Any person who is faced a significant choice problem in real life, operating individually or organizationally, tends to complete the task according to the prescription by the rational choice. In words, he will think as a rational man as depicted in a textbooks of economics. Rational man will be reasonably directed toward the achievement of conscious goals and will aim to maximize his benefits. 2. Literature Review Decision making is a means to an end. It is typically described as â€Å"choosing among best alternatives†. According to Stoner et al. (2001: 239), decision making is the process of identifying and selecting a course of action to solve a specific problem. It is about identifying and choosing solutions that lead to a desired end result (Kreitner and Kinicki, 1995:299). The process begins with a problem and ends when a solution had been chosen. Decision maker is the individual or group that actually makes the choice among alternatives. Individual decision making is an important part of organizational behavior as well as in day to day life of any individual. Ideal decision makers try to use all their talents when making a decision and characterized by reason and sound judgment (Certo, 2003). Over the years, there has been much debate on how to accurately describe decision making processes in general. Beyond an implicit agreem ent that decisions are made through some sort of process, chaotic or otherwise, there is little else scholars agree upon. By simple definition rational means efficient, i. . , maximizing output for a given input, or minimizing input for a given output. Economic definition of the rational man refers solely to a man who moves toward his goals in a way which, to the best of his knowledge, uses the least possible input of scarce resources per unit of valued output (Downs, 1957). Human behavior is goal-oriented, chosen for a reason. Goals, objectives, purposes, and interests explain behavior. So under rational man concept human being is always behave in a way to maximize the value he gains through the end. Managerial decision making is assumed to be rational. That means managers make consistent, value–maximizing choices within specified constrains. So that is where the decision maker and rational man come together. The rational model of decision making which is also known as cl assical model is best used to discuss about the behavior of a manager who weight his options and calculate optimal levels of risks before making the decision. Rational decision making describes choices that are consistent and value maximizing within specified constraints (Robbins and Coulter, 2002:178). It assumes that managers have access to all the information needed to reach a decision (Certo, 2003). The rational model proposes that managers use a rational, four-step sequence when making decisions: (1) identifying the problem, (2) generating alternative solutions, (3) selecting a solution, and (4) implementing and evaluating the solution (Kreitner and Kinicki, 1995:301). This model is based on the premise that managers optimize when they make decisions. A decision maker who is perfectly rational would be fully objective and logical (Robbins and Coulter, 2002:178). He or she will carefully define the problem and will have a defined goal which is clear and specific. Moreover making decisions using rationality would consistently lead toward selecting the alternative that maximizes the likelihood of achieving that goal. However in the rational decision making model there are some assumptions of rationality which apply to any decision. Figure 1: Assumptions of Rationality Source: Robbins and Coulter, 2002:178 The rational decision making model, amongst its many assumptions assumes that there is a single best solution that will maximize the desired outcomes. But in the real world individuals must make decisions within tight time constraints and with less information than he or she likes to have. Bounded rationality theory pointed out that decision makers must cope with inadequate information about the nature of the problem and its possible solutions, a lack of time or money to complie more complete information, an ability to remeeber large amount of information, and the limits of their own intelligence (Stoner et. al. ,1995:253). That means the deciison maker is acturally deviates form being a rational man. Instead of exploring the perfect or ideal solution, decision makers frequently settle for one that will adequately serve their purpose. That means they sacrifice rather than maximize. Not only bounded rationality, intuition also play a vital role in a decision maker’s life. Decision makers usually use their intuition to improve their decision making. It’s a subconscious process of making decisions on the basis of experience and accumulated judgment (Robbins and Coulter, 2002:180). This can be simply known as â€Å"gut feeling† and will deviates decision maker from behaving rationally. It comes with experience and learning. For example a manager who had faced a similar situation of decision making might deviate from systematic approach of rational decision making and might use his or her experience and judgment to take a decision. Figure two talks about the role of intuition in decision making. Figure 2 : What is intuition? Source: Robbins and Coulter, 2002:180. The quality of a manager’s decisions is important for many reasons. To illustrate some, the quality of a manager’s decisions directly affects his career opportunities, rewards, job satisfaction and achievements in life. Also the quality of managerial decisions contributes to the success or failure of an organization. As a decision maker, the way he behaves in a decision situation will directly affect to that individual’s future as well as to the future of the institution for which he makes the decision. The rational decision theory position that decision making should proceed systematically through the series of steps is sound. Better decisions likely result when decision makers carefully analyze problems, evaluate multiple alternatives, and make systematic choices on the basis of their analyses and act as a rational man. However the perspective of rational decision making model relies on the implici t assumption that â€Å"rational decision maker† could have ever existed in a natural state in organizations. Decision making process is not a strictly rational one where all relevant information is collected and objectively evaluated, rather the decision maker takes mental ‘short cuts’ in the process of decision making to arrive at a sound decision (Kahneman and Tversky 1974 in Brabazon, 2000). 3. Application in Real World In Business Organizations. Decision making is one of the primary and most important responsibilities of being a manager. In real world most of the time a manager acts as a rational decision maker. He has to think about all the alternatives available to him after analyzing the problem and list down the consequences of each alternative. And then he has to rank each alternative from low to high to based on pros and cons of each alternative and finally he has to select the best alternative to solve the problem. For example at the Cuban Missile Crisis former United State President John F. Kennedy did his best to guide his team towards the best alternative available to them. He with his team gathered as much information as possible and probe for all the alternatives available. A special part of this is analyzing the consequences of each alternative. They did their best to see what will be the ultimate result of executing alternatives to select the best choice in front of them. This is the reason why even today after many years back, President Kennedy’s actions at Cuban Missile Crisis is considered and learned as a best managerial decision taken by a true leader all over the world. This can be considered under rational decision making but even here it is restricted within the available information. Any manager or an individual who is confronting with a problem or decision situation will act as a rational man to some extend when he or she makes a decision. Let’s take a simple example of buying a computer. In managerial aspects this can be a manager related to Marketing who is finding that they have to buy few computers with newest features in order to give the best customer service. After identifying the problem he will have to go through the decision criteria which will relevant to the decision. Here he can consider price, warranties, memory capacity, advance features, etc. rom the numbers of criteria available to him when buying a computer. Then the decision maker has to carefully analyze and weight each criterion according to its relevancy for the task. Then there will be the consideration of alternatives which will bring forward various computer brands and models and the manager will has to analyze each option with careful examination using all the information available to him. Then the manager has to come into a final decision by thinking rationally about the gains he will derive through each alternative. However a manager does not make decisions in isolation. When he or she makes their own decisions, people within and outside the organization also make their own decisions. When managers take decisions they also have to think about these decisions made by people around him. Also no approach to decision making can guarantee that a manager will always make the right decision. However a manager who is rational, intelligent and who uses a systematic approach towards decision making is more likely to come up with high quality solution than other managers. . Conclusion An individual as a decision maker will most of the time will behave in a rational way. He will do his best to select a choice among the alternatives available after analyzing each of these alternatives. However the extend of rationality of his behavior will be a problem due to the assumptions followed on the model of rational decision making which can be applied to the true situation. It assumes that the decision makers have or should or can obtain adequate information, both in terms of quality , quantity and accuracy. This applies to the situation as well as the alternative technical situations. It further assumes that the decision makers have substantive knowledge of the cause and effect relationships relevant to the evaluation of the alternatives. In other words, it assumes that decision maker has a thorough knowledge of all the alternatives and the consequences of the alternatives chosen. It further assumes that the personnel involved in decision making can rank the alternatives and choose the best of it. With these we can not say that there is a single, best solution that will maximize the desired outcomes. So when taking a decision, the decision maker will move towards compromising on the decision making process though it is a structured decision making model. The decision maker takes the decision or is assumed to choose a solution though not a perfect solution but â€Å"good enough† solution based on the limited capacity to handle the complexity of the situation, ambiguity and information. However a decision maker will behave as a rational man constraint to this bounded rationality. Reference List Borges Marcos R. S. , Pino J. A. , Valle C. , Support for Decision Implementation and Follow-up, 1995, Viewed on 15 May 2008, Borges, Marcos R. S. , Pino, J. A. , Valle, C. : On the Implementation and Follow-up of Decisions, 2002, Viewed on 15 May 2008, Downs Anthony, The Meaning of Rationality in the Model, 1957, Viewed on 15th May 2008m https://polsci. colorado. edu/~mciverj/Downs3-14. PDF Gosling Jonathan and Mintzberg Henry, The Five Minds of a Manager Key ideas from the Harvard Business Review, Viewed on 15 May 2008, Jackson Susan E. , May Karen E. , Whitney Kristina, Understanding the Dynamics of Diversity in Decision-Making Teams, 1995, Viewed on 10 May 2008, Kreitner Robert and Kinicki Angelo, Organizational Behavior, 3rd ed. , Boston, Richard D. Irwin, 1989. Managementconsultingcourses. com, Managerial Decision Making, Vi ewed on 14th May 2008, Robbins Stephen P. , Organizational Behavior, 6th ed. , Englewood Cliffs, N. J, Prentice-Hall, 1993. Robbins Stephen P. , and Coulter Mary, Management, 7th ed. , Delhi, Pearson Education, 2002. Stoner James A. F. , Freeman Edward and Gilbert Daniel R. , Management, 6th ed. , Englewood Cliffs, N. J. , Prentice-Hall, 1995. Tarricone Pina and Luca Joe, Successful teamwork: A case study, 2002, Viewed on 14 May 2008, Tony Brabazon, Behavioral Finance: A new sunrise or a false dawn? , 2000, Viewed on 14 May 2008, The problem is clear and unambiguous. A single, well-defined goal is to be achieved. All alternatives and consequences are known. Preferences are clear. Preferences are constant and stable. No time or cost constraints exist. Final choice will maximize payoff. Lead to Rational Decision Making Intuition Experience based decisions Affect-initiated decisions Value or ethics based decisions Subconscious mental processing Cognitive-based decisions Managers make decisions based on their past experience Managers make decisions based on feelings or emotions Managers make decisions based on skills, knowledge and training Managers use data from subconscious mind to help them to make decisions Managers make decisions on ethical values or culture

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Treating Concurrent Disorders Essay - 1700 Words

Mental health is being aware, accepting yourself, and striking a balance in all aspects of your life like social, spiritual, physical, economical, and mental (Association, 2001). Mental health can be described as our positive interactions with the context and events in our life, and having the ability to cope with life’s stressors. Mental health problems can begin at anytime during your life (CAMH, 2010). In fact anything can make it difficult for an individual’s ability to interact effectively, and may lead into a mental health problem (Association, 2001). People with a psychosis have difficulty dealing with day to day. Living in poverty or an abusive environment places serious strain on an individual’s mental health (Association,†¦show more content†¦Some effects that tend to arise with concurrent disorders include disruptive behaviour, severe psychiatric symptoms such as depression, even suicidal feelings. Research suggests that individuals who have a mental illness are more likely to struggle with addiction, and those who struggle with addiction are more likely to develop a mental illness. For example, an individual who is an alcoholic and suffering with chronic depression has a concurrent disorder, or a person who is schizophrenic who also abuses cannabis; they to, have a concurrent disorder (Network, 2008; Association C. M.). Other combinations include anxiety disorder and a drinking problem, mood disorder and a crack cocaine problem, even depression and the misuse of sleeping pills (Network, 2008). Studies from the 1980’s and 1990’s found that 50-75% of substance abuse client’s had some type of co-occurring mental illness, and 20-50% of mental illness client’s had co-occurring substance abuse disorder (David Capuzzi, 2008, p. 174). Besides its relationship to mental illness, substance abuse was found to drastically complicate treatment outcomes for those with a mental illness (David Capuzzi, 2008, p. 174). The more that is learned about concurrent disorders, the more it is expected that substance abuse and mental health occur together. However people who have a concurrent disorder are sometimes misidentified, becauseShow MoreRelatedSolution Focused Group Therapy for Depressed Individuals1360 Words   |  6 Pagestreatments of treating disorders of depression. However, some researchers claim that these therapies have substantial methodological weaknesses. Concerning disorders of anxiety, yoga and exercise have shown to have a positive influence, but researchers have provided limited data on the impacts of exercises on disorders of anxiety. 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Information system (IS) can be... free essay sample

Information system (IS) can be defined as an organized combination of people, hardware, software, communications networks, data resources, and policies and procedures that stores, retrieves, transforms, and disseminates information in an organization. Today, we mainly depend on IS to communicate worldwide in a more effective and efficient way using a variety of physical devices (hardware) , information processing instructions and procedures (software) , communications channels (networks) , and stored data (data resources) according to OBrien, ;Marakas, 2007.Hasan ;Shamsuddin;Aziati (2013), are category that there is more stress on most organizations to make their operational, tactical, and strategic processes to become more efficient and effective with the growth of a competitive global environment. Therefore, an information system (IS) is also a group of components which can increase competitiveness and gain better information for decision making. In addition to supporting decision making, coordination, and control, information systems may also help managers and workers to analyze problems, visualize complex subjects, and create new products. Information system has been of immense help to the organisation during the year 1960s with the transformation of office automation to replace manual task. The backbone of office automation is a LAN, which allows users to transmit data, mail and even voice across the network. All office functions, including dictation, typing, filing, copying, fax, Telex, microfilm and records management, telephone and telephone switchboard operations, fall into this category. However the use of IS was mostly to perform activities like transaction processing, recordkeeping, and produce meaningful reports and it was mainly used for electronic data processing (EDP).EDP is described as the use of computers in recording, classifying, manipulating, and summarizing data. It is also called information processing or automatic data processing. Record-KeepingTo take corrective action, all company need records of its activities for financial and regulatory purposes as well as for finding the causes of problems. Information system uses a data warehouse which is a single, complete and consistent manner, where data are obtained from a variety of different sources made available to end users in what they can understand and use in a business context. Microsoft office software (word and excel) is an example of such tool that can read, amend, search or add any data by using the system to process and present it as useful, present or historical information. Today the need of such information is utmost important to prepare cost estimates and forecasts and to analyze how our actions affected the company key indicators. In the account department, for example, it helps manage invoices, paying, collecting and reporting with consistency and performing to the highest standards. Data which are stored in the information system, allow user to later search, use, update or delete. Even in the administrative area information system were integrated with the accounting and financial system to increase efficiency. It reduces the number of tasks that would otherwise need to do manually. IS helps to gain more time to work on more value added project to the business, allowing organization to become innovator and giving more incentive. Some examples and advantages of record keeping are:†¢ It helps you record business transactions, including income and expenses, payments to workers, and stock and asset details.†¢ Less storage space are required therefore it is Efficient way to keep financial records. †¢ It helps by providing the recording a sale when you raise an invoice, not when you receive a cash payment from a client.†¢ Easy to generate orders, invoices, debtor reports, financial statements, employee pay records, inventory reports.†¢ It provides quick reporting functions.†¢ Back up records and keep them in a safe place in case of fire or theft is one of its powerful toolsDecision-MakingIn most organization, information system can help to make better decisions by delivering all the required information and by modeling the results of their decisions. This includes choosing a path of action from a number of options and carrying out the equivalent tasks. Accurate and up-to-date information gives more confidence for decision making. One can use the information system to run different scenarios if more than one choice looks appealing. To determine key indicators such as sales, costs and profits, the system can help you determine which alternative gives the most advantageous result for each possibility. Time-keeping Normally workers who work per hour are paid in accordance to their working hours during the pay period. A time-keeping system is used by the employer to calculate hours and pay hourly employees accordingly. However, it is critical to input each employees time as accurate as possible. An employer uses a time clock to track work hours of his employee. Therefore, we require a manual payroll system for computing the time clock data by hand; this result to likelihood of mistakes. On the other hand an automated time-keeping system allows the employer to import time clock data into payroll software. Nowadays, to clock in and out, the employee uses a swipe card or badge, or the hand print or fingerprint method. It is an online processing method, once there is an input, the entries go immediately into the payroll software, and the software calculates the time worked. In the payroll department the operating staff member should ensure the time is transported appropriately and gives the go ahead to the software to do the operation.Some examples of Payroll software are QuickBooks, PenSoft, Z-Pay, Ultipro and Sage Peachtree which calculates gross-to-net earnings based data received. It is therefore utmost important that input are accurate so as to have good result. Davoren,( 2018)Implementation of MRP/ERPAnother evolution of IS, is in the field of manufacturing through the introduction of Material Requirements Planning (MRP) in the year 70s-80s. The MRP is a computerized inventory management system that helps production managers plan and schedule the purchase of raw materials and com ponent parts for manufacturing facilities. The (MRP) combined data from both production schedules and inventory system and the bill of materials (BOM) to calculate purchasing and shipping schedules for good, services and works. Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) and Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II), later evolved into ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)The ERP are applied in the areas such as:? The Accounting department (account payable/receivable etc)? The Human resources department (payroll, time sheets, training etc)? The Manufacturing process (bill of materials, QC, managing the manufacturing process etc)? The Supply chain management (stock control, purchasing, scheduling)? Customer relationship management (sales and marketing, support and customer service)? Project management (managing costs, forecasting, time and activities)? The quality assurance management (verification of product specification before giving release)? Data warehousing (document management: Track both short-term and long-term data in the wo rld of financial plans, workforce allocation plans, marketing, inventory, and other aspects of business)Benefit of ERP system in an organization: Source: www.workwisellc.comOperations ManagementTo manage your companys operations depends largely on the information you have. Todays Information systems can offer full and up to date information, so that you can operate your company more efficiently. Information systems can be used to gain more cost advantage and differentiate yourself to your competitors by offering better customer service. For example sales data give you indication about what customers are procuring and let you replenish items that are selling well. With information system, you can streamline your operations (organization or system) more efficient and effective by promoting faster or simpler working methods. However to achieve the maximum benefits from your companys information system, you have to exploit all its capacities. Greater advantage is achieved with Information systems by processing the data from company inputs to generate data that is useful for managing and controlling your operations. The following steps can be taken to increase the information systems effectiveness; more data can be added to make the information more precise or use the information in a new way.? Production efficiency –investing on a fully automated machine that will render production more efficient since no thinking is needed by the machine, therefore less human error and no losses. ? Accuracy and reliability – once an automated machine is programmed to perform a task over and over again, the accuracy and reliability compared to an i ndividual is far greater.? Reducing human error – since no one is perfect, and we are all prone to making mistakes. This is the reason why a machine that performs repeated tasks is less likely to make mistakes than an individual.? Reduce costs – introducing automated machines to an operation, means less employees are needed to get the job done. It also indicates less safety issues, which leads to financial savings. With less people are employed, there are numerous costs that are diminished or reduced such as payroll, benefits, sick days.? Increased safety – with automated machines means having less employees who perform tasks that can be dangerous and prone to injury, which can make the work environment safer.? Increase in production volume – investing in automated equipment creates a valuable resource for large production volumes, which in turn, will increase profitability.Communication SystemsThe routine task of management is gathering and sharing of information, and information systems can make this process more efficient by allowing managers to communicate rapidly. Todays managers can use information systems even more efficiently by storing documents in folders on a shared files using network, that they share with the employees who need information The use of email, video conferencing, video call are quick and effective. Each employee can communicate additional information by making changes that the system tracks. The manager collects the inputs and sends the newly revised document to his target audience. This type of communication lets employees, customers and suppliers collaborate in a systematic and efficient way. Markgraf, (Updated 2018)To ConcludeImplementing information systems within an organization can prove to be costly. Implementation costs include not only installation of the systems but also employee training sessions. Most of the time, employees may see the innovation of an existing systems as an unwarranted change and, thus, may resist this change. Very often resistance to such changes can led business operations inactive and thus harming the business. Therefore the organization should have strong leadership in place to assess the adequacy of the decision to have an information system. As well as to guide the company through such transition phase and weigh information systems cost against the potential benefits.

Pride and Prejudice Essays (453 words) - Mr. Darcy, Romance Novels

In fact, Pride and Prejudice was originally entitled First Impressions. However, the novel is not only about first impressions. Although we can find the first impressions about the characters through the first few chapters, this book shows us the effects of those impressions on the individual characters--prejudices of the characters. The story almost evenly describes the defects of Fitzwilliam Darcy who show "pride" at the beginning of the novel; he speaks carelessly and insultingly to Elizabeth Bennet, and George Wickham who deceives others on purpose and conceals his truthless character. Elizabeth misunderstood both of them at first because of her prejudice. At first I have assumed that the title of this novel alludes clearly to Darcy's "pride" and Elizabeth's "prejudice." I also thought that the novel tells how Darcy and Elizabath overcome their pride and prejudice. However, I realize that this over simplifies the author's purpose. We can certainly see that Elizabeth has "pride" as much as Darcy has. She is proud of her intelligence, comprehension and independence. Actually, Darcy's pride disappears quite a bit early in this novel. By chapter 6, he is starting to change his attitudes towards her. He is humbling himself to be close to her. This shows Darcy's change: "But no sooner had he made it to clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eye" (16 page) "He began to wish to know more of her, and as a step towards conversing with her himself, attended to her conversation with others." From this point, Darcy's prejudice against Elizabeth begins to fade while her prejudice towards him still remains because he refused to dance with her at the ball. Her prejudice spreads throughout the book, and that prejudice is an outcome of her wounded pride. The main subject of this novel is courtship and marriage. Jane Austen, the author of Pride and Prejudice, shows and indirectly criticizes the 18th century England's rural society and the pride of high class through several people's marriages who are in different social position. Although the novel talks about the marriage and courtship, it's main focus is on pride and prejudice that complicates marriage and courtship. This difficulty is apparant in Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship. Elizabeth refuses to take Darcy's hand in marriage at first because she still has her prejudice towards Darcy. The happy ending of this novel suits the novel because it stresses the point that pride and prejudice can be overcome. Hence, nothing in Austin's novel is pointless or distracting from the main theme--pride and prejudice

The Credit Crunch Essays

The Credit Crunch Essays The Credit Crunch Essay The Credit Crunch Essay Impact of the Credit Crunch; the personal disposable income of consumers is to a large extent determined by the availability of credit and the economic condition. With the current economic and financial situation which has resulted in a general contraction of consumers spending ability, several industries have watched their revenues plummet. Businesses in general are experiencing difficulty in obtaining loans from banks for major investments and expansions due to the unavailability of credit and tighter credit conditions. Analysis by Ovum (a global advisory and reporting firm) has revealed that the mobile network operators revenue has not been impinged on by the credit crunch. They go on to report that overall, MNOs have seen a steady growth in revenues18. O2 reported a 10% growth in revenues in their 2008 end of year financial statement despite the testing financial times19. Also, a survey carried out by Mintel showed that although consumers were pessimistic about the condition of the economy, a large percentage was not willing to cut costs on their mobile phone usage. Their results disclosed that only 12% of their research respondents were looking to switch network for cheaper deals20. Subsequent analysis by Ovum in December 2008 showed that network operators may actually begin to feel the impact of the financial crises on their revenue. Also, with interest rates which have taken a nose-dive- from 5. 25% in February 2008 to 0. 5% at March 2009 after several cuts by the Bank of England, and the quantitative easing policy1 that has been implemented, it is expected that consumers will have more access to credit, and spending will be encouraged. O2 reported that its revenues were up by 7% in the first three months of 200921.   Times have changed. About 25 years ago in the UK, everyone survived without owning and using a mobile phone. However, in this present time, mobile phones have without a doubt formed a huge part of our lives as the need for communication is increases. Mobile phones serve many great purposes to users; necessary contacts can easily and promptly be accessed in an emergency, business users are able to carry out their businesses more swiftly amongst other uses. Consumers have stated that they own and value their mobile phones for both functional reasons such as convenience, personal safety, security and business and also less practical reasons such as fashion and style22. As well as increasing need for communication, an ongoing trend is increasing impatience to receive required information. The UK has become a population constantly on the go and in todays fast moving world more users require information and hope to receive it in very minimal time without much delay23. This is reflected in the innovation and use of the 3G services now offered to users by their network operators. Orange supplied figures which showed that mobile data downloads has increased by 108% in the last three months and their 3G customer base now stands at 3. 8 million users24. With 3G, users have direct access to high speed internet on the go, the ability to retrieve emails, and other required information. This trend does not favour fixed-line services and remains an advantage for network operators. DIY Broadband; in the UK, more and more people have access to high speed net connections. This media age trend has resulted in consumers having the ability to do things themselves; surf the web, compare prices between various network providers and find the most suitable deals. Also, consumers are actively sharing experiences, preferences, pros and cons of different network providers and deals on price comparison and consumer rating sites such as uswitch. With access to faster internet and availability of such useful information, consumers are more aware of what they want and are able compare prices to find the best deals. Consequently, this has ensued in increased competition between providers as they seek to provide the best deal in order to retain customers and attract new ones. This trend has also adversely affected the revenue of providers who are unable to keep up with the high level of competition25. Figure 2: Broadband Penetration in the UK from 2004-2008 Source; Mintel Reports, Mobile Phones and Network Providers UK November 2008. in the UK there are now more people of pensionable age over 60- than people under the age of 16. This consumer group-elderly has been forecasted to be the fastest growing population segment in the next five years as the UK is moves towards an ageing population26. The elderly typically face difficulties with the use of mobile phones such as reading from the small phone screens, incompatibility with hearing aids and increasing complex technology. Although the current over 65s have grown with technology, they generally have low spending ability and as such the ageing population trend may not be favourable to the industry. Nonetheless, this negativity is likely to be offset by the generally expanding UK population, and the increasing population of the 15-24 and 25-34 age groups27. These categories of consumers are more technology-savvy and typically opt for more stylish handsets packed with functionality. These segments therefore present a strategic target group for network operators. A Greener Society;, preventing climate change and saving the environment is a trend affecting most industries around the world but has been reported to be a major issue of concern for the telecoms industry for 200928. Several initiatives implemented by Ofcom aimed at reducing the industrys carbon dioxide emissions include; reducing power consumed by Information Systems, driving down building energy consumption, reducing business travel and increasing use of conferencing technology, further reducing paper consumption and further reducing the volume of waste sent to landfill by encouraging more recycling. Implementing these initiatives is beneficial to the network operators not only because they are doing their bit to save the planet, but because it conveys positive messages about the brand, boosts the brand perception as well as provides a differential advantage from competitors28. Also, with increasing mobile phone users and the need for network operators to improve coverage, more and more masts have being erected around the country. Currently, there are 51 300 base station sites which may rise to 52 500 by the end of 200929. These masts typically consumer a lot of energy and impact negatively on the environment. Subsequently, this has triggered concern by the public and environmental activists. Operators have made efforts to reduce high energy consumption by developing base stations that utilize lower energy levels30.

A single economic concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A single economic concept - Essay Example The process aims at identifying the costs that the company can reduce in the long run or ways that the company can increase its revenues in the long run which can marginally increase the element of profit for it for a given level of output or even by increasing the level of output. (Investorwords) Whichever cost is sustained by a company can be grouped into two categories which are variable costs and fixed costs. Variable costs change with the increase in the output while the fixed costs are sustained by the entity stay the same whatever be the output, which also includes zero output. When the company has attained the point where its total costs have equaled the total revenue, it has reached the point of break even and each additional product of the company will generate pure profit for which only the variable costs will be charged and the fixed cost will be spared as the breakeven has already covered them so an increase in the level of output can aid in the profitability of the company with greater margin of profit. For each unit sold or service offered, the marginal profit of the company is the difference of the revenue and the cost of that particular product. If the revenue for a unit of product is greater than the unit cost of that product then the profit for the unit is positive and vice

Principles of Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Principles of Economics - Assignment Example The problem of alcohol abuse is not easily overcome because alcohol is highly addictive. In this case, if the alcohol abuser is an economist, he or she will consider many things that he or she would use to help him or her overcome the situation. They will look at the opportunity cost whereby they will consider buying those goods that are best for their health such as food other than alcohol that would cause a problem to his or her health (Mantzavinos 64). Additionally, they will use cost benefit analysis by viewing the benefits accrued from stopping the habit of alcohol consumption. In this case, the benefit of stopping consuming alcohol is higher than continuing with the habit (Porter 1998). For instance, there is wastage of money in purchasing alcohol. They would rather use the same money can be used to buy other important things. More so, they will consider rational behavior by assuming actions that are necessary when they stop consuming alcohol. Further, an economist would look at the market forces of demand and supply of alcohol in that they will analyze the level at which alcohol is supplied to the market and the price that alcohol come with. When the supply is not sufficient, they would prefer to stop drinking alcohol rather than continuing with the habit of looking for a commodity that is scarce and costly. More so, they will consider the level at which alcohol is demanded; therefore, they will analyze the possible outcomes o f many people drinking alcohol. The possible way to help alcohol abuser is to assist them to realize that they have alcohol consumption problem. Friends and family members can help make the abuser realize that alcohol drinking is affecting them in that they strained economically because the money that can be used to purchase basic commodity is used to buy alcohol. The abuser should be willing to look for assistance given that consumption of alcohol is dangerous to an individual’s health.

1880 Halloween Riot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

1880 Halloween Riot - Essay Example The violence swelled with two or three thousand Colorado residents begun throwing bricks and breaking into Chinese owned establishments. The police was not able to stop the mounting riot due to its sheer number and they were tremendously outnumbered until finally, Chinese homes and business were destroyed by the angry mob despite the Mayor’s call for the mob to disperse. The riot culminated when they broke into Sing Lee’s laundry business where he was dragged down the street and was attempted to be hung on a lamp post. He eventually was beaten to death. Other Chinese nationals would have suffered the same fate but some residents were able to stop them. Police also kept the Chinese locked in their county jails to protect them from angry mob. When the mob was finally over, Chinese businesses and homes were destroyed and the people who were jailed for the killing of Sing Lee were acquitted for lack of evidence. Despite this, Chinese nationals remain in Colorado and rebuild their business and

Changing Times Make for Unhappy eBay Customers :: essays research papers

Changing Times Make for Unhappy eBay Customers How much is too much, or how much is enough? This is an economic question that every successful business will have to evaluate in order to remain an icon in the marketplace. Today’s business world is unlike any time in comparison. There has never been more opportunity for small ventures to turn into major financial companies overnight with the use of the World Wide Web. It is true that many of these overnight wonders are short lived and go unnoticed; however we do have the elite group of companies that have made their mark in our everyday lives. eBay is one of those companies that have made good use of this opportunity. eBay Inc. is considered as the world’s leading online personal trading community. Founded in 1995, eBay is available 24 hours, 7 days a week with more than one million registered users. In the 4th quarter 2003, eBay reported a net income of 935.8 million dollars; up 44% and their full year net income for 2003 was 3.27 billion dollars, up 51% for the same time last year. Even with their noted economic success this company still finds a need to raise fees for the use of their service. On the positive side of the moral and ethical matter, there are great things that eBay offers as well as provides for its customers. People with many dreams of becoming entrepreneurs and starting successful businesses has found eBay and answer to their prayers. Many people who don’t have the resources to use an outside place to start their businesses; have used eBay to sell their items straight from their homes to save money. Some of their businesses have even grown so that they are now able to rent a separate space to run their small companies. This is a blessing that probably would have not been a reality if not for the large Internet auction service named eBay. eBay is not a dirty word in their vocabulary; it is a spring board to independence and an opportunity for a good way of life. Although some have used eBay’s services to cheat and steal, eBay has started a foundation that helps in communities all across the country. Meg Whitman, president and CEO of eBay Inc. made a statement; â€Å"Giving back to the community has been an essential part of eBay since the very beginning.

Fashion and Zara Store

Colour case This case contains colour exhibits which will be affected by the user’s screen and printer resolution. Therefore, to ensure optimum colour quality multiple copies must be ordered directly from ecch. This colour case cannot be supplied as a permission master in either paper format or as a sealed pdf file. However, please contact ecch to check availability of a black and white version which can be supplied for reproduction. ecch the case for learning ecch UK Registered Office: Cranfield University, Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK t+44 (0)1234 750903 f+44 (0)1234 751125 e [email  protected] om w www. ecch. com ecch USA Registered Office: Babson College, Babson Park Wellesley MA 02457, USA t+1 781 239 5884 f+1 781 239 5885 e [email  protected] com w www. ecch. com Responsive, High Speed, Affordable Fashion This case was prepared by Sophie Linguri under the supervision of Professor Nirmalya Kumar as a basis for classroom discussion rather than to illustrate either eff ective or ineffective handling of a management situation. Copyright  © 2005 London Business School. All rights reserved.No part of this case study may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without written permission of London Business School. London Business School reference CS-05-037 ecch the case for learning Distributed by ecch, UK and USA www. ecch. com All rights reserved Printed in UK and USA North America t +1 781 239 5884 f +1 781 239 5885 e [email  protected] com 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Rest of the world t +44 (0)1234 750903 f +44 (0)1234 751125 e [email  protected] om – 2 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Zara: Responsive, High-Speed, Affordable Fashion In 1975, the first Zara store was opened in La Coruna, in Northwest Spain. By 2005, Zara? ’s 723 stores had a selling area of 811,100 m2 and occupied ? â€Å"privileged locations of major cities? † in 56 countries. With sales of ?â‚ ¬3. 8 billion in financial year 2004, Zara had become Spain? ’s best-known fashion brand and the flagship brand of ? â‚ ¬5. 7 billion holding group Inditex. Inditex? ’s stock market listing in 2001 had turned Amancio Ortega, its founder and a self-made man, into the world? s 23 richest man, with a personal fortune that Forbes magazine estimated at $12. 6 billion. Zara strived to deliver fashion apparel, often knock-offs of famous designers, at reasonable costs to young, fashion-conscious city-dwellers. Zara used in- house designers to present new items of clothing to customers twice a week, in response to sales and fashion trends. Thus the merchandise of any particular store was fresh and limited. To produce at such short notice required that Zara maintain a vertically integrated supply chain that distributed the clothes through a single state-of-the-art distribution centre.Unlike its competitors, 70- 80% of Zara garments wer e manufactured in Europe. In 2005, Pablo Isla was appointed the new Inditex chief executive. With plans to double the number of its stores by 2009, the rapid pace of growth was necessitating changes. First, Zara had opened a second distribution centre to increase capacity. Second, expanding into more distant markets meant that the number of items carried had increased to 12,000. Would Zara? ’s business model be able to scale up? Or would the resulting complexity compromise its speed advantage?Would Pablo Isla be able to maintain the focus that Zara had established? – 3 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 THE RETAIL APPAREL INDUSTRY AND COMPETITORS The apparel industry was one of the most globalised industries, with 23. 6 million workers in over 20 countries. As labour costs in Western European countries had risen, labour-intensive manufacturing operations had become increasingly outsourced to less developed countries. Hourly wages in the textile industry could be as low as 60 cen ts in India and China, compared with $2 in North Africa, $3 in Eastern Europe, $8. 50 in Spain, and around $15. 0 in Italy. The 1974 Multi-Fibre Arrangement, which placed import quotas on garments and textiles from developing countries to the industrialised world, had expired on 1 January 2005 for all members of the World Trade Organization. This was amplifying the relocation of textile and garment manufacture to countries with lower labour costs, especially China. For example, in 2004, 400 Spanish textile groups went out of business, due to competition from Asia, resulting in the loss of 15,000 jobs. The Spanish textile guild predicted a loss of another 72,000 jobs by 2009. The apparel retail channels had consolidated during the 1990s, with a few large players dominating most major markets. Competitors included department stores, mass merchandisers (e. g. discounters and supermarkets) and specialty stores. Department stores were usually national players, like Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom or Federated in the USA. Typically, they had lost market share in recent years. Mass merchandisers such as Target, Tesco and Wal-Mart had increasingly added private label clothes to their mix over the years to become major players.There were many successful specialty chains like Benetton, C&A, Hennes & Mauritz (referred to as H&M), The Limited, Mango and Next. The traditional apparel industry model worked on long lead times (see Exhibit 1). The industry average was around nine months, around six months for design and three months for manufacturing. As a result, 45-60% of production was committed in the six-month pre-season period, with 80-100% committed by the start of the season. Only the remaining 0-20% was generally manufactured in-season in response to sales patterns.Excess inventory was marked down at the end of the season, and typically accounted for 30-40% of sales. Despite their best efforts, Zara? ’s closest competitors, H&M and Gap, still took around five months to produce new clothing lines. H&M Swedish clothing chain H&M was founded in 1947. By 2005, it had close to 32,000 employees, just under 1,100 stores in 20 countries. In 2005, it planned to open 155 new stores in Europe and the US. Its 2004 sales were ? â‚ ¬6 billion, which yielded a profit of 1. 24 billion. With close to 30% of its sales, Germany was H&M? s largest market, while the US generated only Iman for H&M Germany – 4 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 6. 4% of its 2004 sales. It manufactured 60% of its clothes in Asia. H&M? ’s business concept was to offer fashion and quality at the best price. In order to offer the latest fashion, H&M had its own buying and design department. It claimed to achieve the best price by: Few middlemen Buying in large volumes Having a broad, in-depth knowledge of design, fashion, and textiles Buying the right products from the right market Being cost conscious at every stage Having efficient distribution H&M? ’s c lothing lines in men? ’s wear, women? ’s wear and children? ’s wear, as well as its cosmetics range, targeted cost-conscious shoppers. Within H&M women? ’s wear were different sub-brands: Hennes (women aged 25-35), L. O. G. G. (casual sportswear), Impuls (young women? ’s trends), BiB (plus-size line), Woman (classic), Clothes (current trends), MAMA (maternity) and Rocky (youth fashion). There were also different sub-brands within the men? ’s and children? ’s lines.H&M stores generally had a somewhat chaotic, marketplace feel, with clothes packed tightly onto racks, frequent markdowns, and queues at the cash register. H&M devoted 5% of its revenues to advertising. Its high-profile ad campaigns featured celebrities, such as Claudia Schiffer, Johnny Depp, Naomi Campbell and Jerry Hall, wearing its low-cost clothes. Dedicated collections by star designers Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney in 2004-5 continued to create buzz among its cus tomers. The Gap Gap opened its first store in San Francisco in 1969, where it sold mainly Levis jeans.In 1991, Gap announced its decision to sell only private label brands. With around 3,000 stores and 152,000 employees worldwide, Gap positioned itself as a provider of high quality, basic items, such as jeans, khakis and t-shirts. In addition to Old Navy and Banana Republic, Gap? ’s chains included GapBody, GapKids, and babyGap. Its 2004 sales were around ? â‚ ¬12. 5 billion, with a profit of $1. 4 billion. Nearly all of Gap? ’s products were manufactured outside the US, with 18% of its collection made in China. Gap? ’s stores were spacious, with stock well spaced Madonna for Gap and neatly presented.There was an emphasis on service, with a call button in fitting rooms for customers requiring assistance with clothing sizes. Television advertisements featured hip music and dance sequences, with appearances by celebrities such as Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Sarah J essica Parker and Joss Stone. – 5 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 INDITEX HISTORY Spanish entrepreneur Amancio Ortega Gaona started a firm manufacturing lingerie and nightwear in 1963, after quitting his job as a runner for a shirtmaker in La Coruna. He founded Confecciones GOA in 1972, and opened the first Zara store in 1975, to sell stock after a customer cancelled a large order.Ortega founded the Inditex group in 1985. After floating 26% of its shares on the Madrid stock exchange in 2001, he remained its majority shareholder, with 61% of the company? ’s shares. Ortega retained a low profile, rarely making public appearances (apart from during the run-up to the IPO in 2000), and had never given an interview. Jose Maria Castellano Rios joined Inditex in 1985 and became its Chief Executive in 1997. Castellano had previously been IT manager of Aegon Espana SA, and had a doctorate in economics and business studies. In 2005, Inditex developed a five-year plan, which included a b oard restructure.As part of the restructure, Pablo Isla Alvarez de Tejera was appointed as Chief Executive in May 2005. Isla came from the Franco-Spanish tobacco group Altadis, where he had been co-chairman. Isla was chosen for his experience in international distribution. Ortega stayed on as the group? ’s Chairman, and Castellano remained the Deputy Chairman. Portfolio of Stores Besides Zara, which was targeted at trendy city youngsters, Inditex grew its portfolio of apparel chains throughout the 1990s. Each chain was targeted at a specific segment (see Exhibit 2): Massimo Dutti ? – Young businessmen Pull & Bear – Elegant male clothing Berksha ? – Elegant fashion for young women Brettos ? – Trendy young suburban women Oysho ? – Lingerie Stradivarius ? – Youthful fashion Kiddy? ’s Class ? – Trendy children In 2003, Inditex opened a home furnishings chain called Zara Home. By 2005, Zara made up close to 70% of Indit ex sales and led the group? ’s international expansion (see Exhibit 3). While, as a group, Inditex had about twice the number of stores as H&M, Zara? ’s 700 stores were fewer in number than H&M? ’s. Inditex was aggressively expanding, and planned to increase its 2,000 stores to 4,000 by 2009, in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. (see Exhibit 4). In terms of profits, Inditex was performing well compared with its main competitor, H&M (see Exhibit 5 and Exhibit 6). Aamancio Ortega Gaona Inditex Chairman – 6 – 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 THE ZARA STORE 91% of Zara stores were company-owned; the rest were franchises or joint ventures. Customers entering a Zara store on Regent Street in London, Rue Rivoli in Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York or Avenidas das Americas in Rio de Janeiro generally found themselves in the same environment: a predominantly white, modern and spacious store, well-lit and walled with mirror.The latest fashions hung from the store racks around them. A long line of people typically waited at the cash registers to pay for their purchases: a few select items. Shop Window of Zara, New York In comparison with other clothing retailers, who spent 3-4% of sales on advertising, Zara spent just 0. 3%. The little it did spend went to reinforce its identity as a clothing retailer that was low-cost but high fashion (see Exhibit 7). Instead Zara concentrated on creating compelling store windows and to the design of its shops, which had won awards.It relied on its shop windows, which were dramatically lit and used neutral backgrounds, to communicate its brand image. The shop windows of Zara stores were changed regularly, according to display designs sent by headquarters, and were critical for Zara to remain visible and entice customers. Store locations were carefully researched to determine that there was a sufficiently large customer base for Zara2, and as such were generally busy, prestigious, city centre shopping streets. Zara was a fashion imitator.It focussed its attention on understanding what fashion items its customers wanted and then delivering them, rather than on promoting predicted season? ’s trends via fashion shows and similar channels of influence, that the fashion industry traditionally used. Its 200 in-house designers were trend-spotters who kept their finger on the fashion pulse, and translated trends into styles that were universally accessible. At Zara headquarters in La Coruna, store specialists (who were responsible for a number of stores in a region) worked closely with designers to develop styles that would work for different arkets. Collections were renewed every year, with an average of 11,000 styles produced annually, compared with the more typical collections of 2,000-4,000 produced annually by rivals H&M and Gap. Production and distribution of new clothing pieces was favoured over replenishing existing items, contributing to the perception of scarcity cultivated in Zara stores. Customers returned frequently to stores, to browse new items. The global average of 17 visits per customer per year for Zara was considerably higher than the three visits to its competitors. Visitors were also more likely to purchase, as one senior executive explained: Zara? ’s objective is not that consumers buy a lot but that they buy often and will find something new every time they enter the store. 4 – 7 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Comments by Luis Blanc, and Inditex director, illustrated how Zara stores fostered an environment of immediacy: We want our customers to understand that if they like something, they must buy it now, because it won? ’t be in the shops the following week. It is all about creating a climate of scarcity and opportunity. Affordable prices helped to encourage purchases, and Zara? ’s offering was often referred to as clothing to be worn six to ten times. Zara? ’s pricing differed across country markets. It set prices accordin g to individual market conditions, rather than using cost plus margin as its basis (which was the formula used by most of its competitors). In Spain, Zara products were low-cost, while in the US, Japan and Mexico, they were priced as a luxury fashion item. Prices in France were somewhat higher than in Spain, since the average French consumer was willing to pay more for fashion than most other European consumers.For example, in 2003, the price of jeans in Zara stores in France was $34. 58 compared with $24. 87 in Spain and $54 in Japan. 6 Until 2002, Zara had used one price tag listing the price in different currencies, to simplify tagging of items. In 2002, however, it implemented a system of local pricing, using a bar code reader that printed the correct local price for items. Compared with its competitors, Zara generally priced its products somewhat higher than C&A and H&M, but below Gap, Next and Kookai. For example, a similar shirt cost $26 at Zara, compared with a price of $29 at Gap and $9 at H&M. Store Management Store managers were encouraged to run their store like a small business. Salespeople were well trained, and Zara promoted its people from within as much as possible. Store managers? ’ remuneration was partially dependent on the accuracy of their sales forecasts and sales growth. 8 Each evening a handheld PDA displayed the newest designs sent by headquarters, which were available for order. Order deadlines were twice weekly, and were issued via the handhelds. Store managers who failed to order by the deadline received replenishment items only.Store managers regularly spoke with store specialists, who also received real time sales data from stores, to discuss which items were selling well or if customers had requested Zara Store, Barcelona specific items. This information was then fed back to the design process. 9 Deliveries arrived at stores twice per week from Zara headquarters, a few days after the order was made, and contained both rep lenishment items as well as – 8 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 new products. Headquarters also sometimes included products that had not been ordered, which stores expected to receive.If demand of an item exceeded supply, some stores did not receive the product they had ordered. Zara also tested some of its products in limited numbers in its test stores, before introducing them on a wider scale. Failure rates of Zara? ’s new products were reported to be just 1%, considerably lower than the industry average of 10%. 10 Technology was a key part of enabling communications and information flow. While information technology was fundamental to its business, its IT infrastructure was relatively simple (even dated by some standards), which meant that Zara? s IT expenditure was significantly lower than its rivals (as much as five to ten times lower). 11 Deputy Chairman Jose Maria Castellano explained the key role played by technology: Technology in this company is important and will b e more important in the future. The technology we use is mainly information technology and [enables] the communication between the shop managers and the design team here in headquarters. 12 THE ZARA SUPPLY CHAIN Around 50% of Zara? ’s garments were sourced from third parties. Unlike its competitors, Zara? s outsourced production came for the most part from Europe (60%), with just 27% coming from Asia, and another 10% from the rest of the world. The products sourced from Asia were basic collection items or wardrobe ? â€Å"staples,? † with minimum fashion content, such as T-shirts, lingerie and woollens, and where there was a clear cost advantage. Formal contracts were kept to a minimum, and Zara was generally a preferred customer due to its order volume and stability. 13 Externally manufactured items were shipped to Zara? ’s distribution centre. Zara intended to source more of the collection from Asia in the future, as commented by Castellano: ? In the next few years, we will source more basic items from China and Vietnam, but the high value added fashion items will continue to be made closer to home.? †14 The other 50% of Zara? ’s garments, those that were more fashion-dependent, were manufactured in-house, in more than 20 Zara factories located in nearby Arteixo. 15 For its in-house manufacturing, it purchased fabric from Comditel, a subsidiary of Inditex. Half of this fabric was purchased grey (undyed) to enable Zara to respond to changes in colour trends during the season. Dye was purchased from Fibracolor, in which Inditex held a stake.A team of 200 young, talented yet unknown designers were hired (often recent graduates of top design schools) to create designs, based on the latest fashions from the catwalk and other fashion hotspots, which were easily translatable to the mass market. 16 Working alongside the market specialists and production planners, designers for each of Zara? ’s collections (Woman, Man, Child) kept in-touch with market developments, to create around 40,000 new designs per year, of which around one-quarter were manufactured. 17 The design and – 9 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 production working environment was consistent with Zara? s flat hierarchical structure, in which prima donnas were not tolerated. 18 Illustration: Fast Fashion Computers were used to guide the cutting tools, using patterns made from selected designs. Zara tried to keep its offering of any style simple, usually in three sizes and three colours only. The labour intensive sewing of the garments was outsourced to around 500 local subcontractors, who used seamstresses in cooperatives. Zara was usually their sole client, and they worked without any written contracts. Zara paid these subcontrators a flat fee per type of garment, (e. g. , ? 5 for a pair of trousers and ? â‚ ¬15 per jacket) and they were expected to operate on short lead times and fast turnaround. Subcontractors picked up the prepared fab ric pieces from Zara, and returned them to the 500,000 m2 distribution centre. 19 At the Zara distribution centre, optical reading devices were used to sort and distribute over 60,000 items per hour. The garments were then picked up and transported by truck to different destinations all over Europe (which made up about 75% of deliveries). Products for more distant destinations were transported by air (about 25%).Throughout the process, garments were tracked using bar codes. Shipments tended to have almost zero flaws, with 98. 9% accuracy and under 0. 5% shrinkage. 20 Since Zara? ’s garments were produced in-house, it was able to make a new line from start to finish in just three weeks (see Exhibit 8). This varied somewhat depending on the type of garment: new garments took about five weeks from design to store delivery, while revamped existing items could take as little as two weeks. As a result Zara could be responsive to fashion items that were selling well during the seaso n, and to discontinue those that were not.By constantly refreshing the collection, and manufacturing items in high-intensity, Zara was a master of picking up up-to-the- minute trends and churning them out to stores around the world in a matter of weeks. ?†¢After Madonna? ’s first concert date in Spain during a recent tour, her outfit was copied by Zara designers. By the time she performed her last concert in Spain, some members of the audience were wearing the same outfit. ?†¢In 2003, when the Crown Prince of Spain announced his engagement to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, she wore a white trouser-suit for the occasion (pictured left).In just a few weeks, the same white trouser-suit was hanging from Zara? ’s clothes racks all over Europe, where it was snatched up by the ranks Crown Prince Felipe of Spain and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano of the fashion-conscious. – 10 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 short-runs, Zara was able to prevent the accumulation of non-saleable inventories. It was estimated that Zara committed just 15-25% of production before the season began, 50 to 60% at the start of the season, and the remainder manufactured in-season. Percentage of Zara sales consisting of markdowns was 15-20%. In some cases, stores ran out of stock.However, this was not viewed as a negative since it contributed to customers? ’ perception of the uniqueness of their purchase: ? â€Å"Customers are actually satisfied to see items out of stock as they are then confident that there is little chance that many other customers will wear the same dress.? †21 Castellano explained the rationale for this departure from industry norms: We don? ’t want to compete in the bottom end of the market. We offer fashion with a high design content. If I tried to source my collections in Asia, I would not be able to get them quickly enough to our stores.By manufacturing close to home, I can scrap collections when they are not selling. And without this ra pid response, I would not be able to extract a good relation between quality, price and fashion which is what our customers have come to expect. 22 A study in 2000 estimated that Zara managed to generate 14. 7% operating margins as a percentage of sales, compared with 10. 6% for Gap and 12. 3% for H&M. Additionally, the same study put Zara? ’s inventory turnover at 10. 67 outpacing Gap at 7. 18 and H&M at 6. 84. 23 THE FUTURE Following Zara? ’s success, competitors sought to reduce their own lead times.The competitive advantage achieved by Zara? ’s vertical integration appeared to be eroding. With its highly centralised structure and its rapid growth, Zara was producing around 12,000 different items per year by 2005. As it opened stores in increasingly distant markets, would Zara be able to retain its flexibility in adjusting production to accommodate differences in local trends? Would the increase in complexity result in a need to create regional production fac ilities? How would this affect the advantage Zara gained from its centralization?Might Chinese clothing manufacturers prove to be a competitive threat to Zara, with their high capacity and continuous improvements in quality? Castellano discounted this threat: ? â€Å"Being a Zara or Gap is not just about designing fashionable clothes and manufacturing them cheaply. You must also make the transition to being a retailer. It is a big step from manufacturing to distribution. There is also the question of managing the location and presentation of stores, training staff and so on.? †24 The Zara model seemed to work better in markets where customers had an appetite for fashion (such as France, Italy, Japan and the UK).However, in countries such as France and Italy, Zara had received bad press for copying – 11 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 designs from couture labels, and the French Fashion Federation had called for limited access by reporters to fashion shows to minimize imitation by copycatters. In other markets, where consumers were less fashion-focussed (e. g. Germany and the U. S. A. ) Zara seemed somewhat less successful. Would Zara be better served in the long run by increasing penetration in these fashion- sensitive markets, or by extending its global reach through increased presence in more markets? – 12 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037Exhibit 1: Traditional Season for a High Street Store Adapted from Dutta, 200425 – 13 – 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 2: Inditex Stores and Sales Sales, by Division (2004-5) Zara Home Kiddy? ’s Class Pull & Bear 6. 7% Massimo Dutti 8. 5% Bershka 9. 1% Zara 67. 4% Stradivarius 4. 3% 1. 3% Oysho Source: Handelsbank, 2005 Source: Financial Times, 2005 Percentage of Stores (2005) 0. 7% 2. 1% Zara Home Kiddy? ’s Class 3% Oysho 5% Stradivarius 10% Pull & Bear 16% 6% Zara 31% Dutti 15% Bershka 14% – 14 – 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 3: Number of Zara Stores by Country (31 March 20 05) Russia Slovenia2 2Hungary Czech Rep.Lithuania1 Asia Pacific = 21 Japan14 Malaysia3 Europe = 576 3 Sweden Denmark Finland Iceland 2 2 1 1 4Romania 3Estonia 1Latvia1 Singapore Hong Kong Mexico Venezuela Brazil Argentina Chile Uruguay El Salvador Panama Dominican Rep. 1 Spain244 Portugal41 France83 Greece30 UK34 Belgium17 Germany34 Italy23 Eire4 Turkey11 Cyprus3 Holland6 Switzerland 6 Poland7 Austria6 Malta1 Andorra1 Luxembourg 2 3USA16 1Canada12 Americas = 98 Middle East & Africa = 40 Saudi Arabia Israel UAE Kuwait Lebanon Jordan Qatar Bahrain Morocco 13 13 4 4 2 1 1 1 1 34 8 13 5 5 2 1 1Adapted from Inditex, 2005 Exhibit 4: Inditex Store Formats ZaraKiddy? sPull & Bear Class – 15 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 MassimoBershkaStradivariusOyshoZara Home Dutti 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 No of stores723626 Turnover* 3,820 3,220 129103371350 121 90 379 288 22 18. 0 56 19 12. 8 13. 4 30. 5 31 2. 11. 96. 76. 3 61% 80% 44% 16% 32729730 2 481 389 516 75 60 83 41. 9 40. 9 35. 7 8. 58. 59. 1 50% 56% 52% 253227191104 395 242 162 72 57 394 16 33. 8 15. 4 16. 6 31. 5 8. 64. 33. 51. 3 46% 43%5% 52% 766226 45 40 11 2 0. 3 (0. 5) 35. 1 12. 7 8. 5 10. 70. 2 7%2%– Operating Income* % international sales 648 476 65. 8 63. 5 67. 470 % of Inditex ROCE 38% 33% in millions of Euros, rounded off. Source: Inditex press dossier, 2005 – 16 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 5: Key Indicators of Gap, H&M and Inditex (Financial Years 2003 & 2004) GapiH&MInditex 29 29 30 30 31 31 Reporting Date Sales (millions ? â‚ ¬) Gross Profit (millions ? â‚ ¬) Operating Profit (millions ? â‚ ¬) Profit (millions ? â‚ ¬) Profit after tax (millions ? â‚ ¬) Total Assets (millions ? â‚ ¬) Inventories (millions ? â‚ ¬) January 2005ii January 2004iii November 2004iv November 2003v JanuaryJanuary 20052004 12,47012,6966,0295,3305,6704,599 4,8924,7803,4492,9943,0342,306 1,5981,5221,1981,019925627 1,4351,3491,2361,062886613 88 2826817706628446 ,7038,5793,1592,8474,2093,510 1,3901,365577558514486 Stores Employees 152,000150,00031,70128,40947,04639,760 Countries 56 20185648 2,9943,0221,0689452,2441,922 Total square3,3993,3931,364vin/a metres (thousands) 1,175988 Source: Inditex, H&M and Gap, 2005 i Gap Inc? ’s stores include Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic. Gap? ’s sales were ? â‚ ¬5. 6 million, with 1643 stores, and 1. 43 million square metres. ii Exchange Rate of 29 January 2005 is used for all currency calculations: 0. 76660 USD = 1? â‚ ¬ iii Exchange Rate of 29 January 2004 is used for all currency calculations 0. 80080 USD = ? 1 iv Exchange Rate of 30 November 2004 is used for all currency calculations 0. 11230 SEK = 1? â‚ ¬ v Exchange Rate of 30 November 2003 is used for all currency calculations 0. 11050 SEK = 1? â‚ ¬ vi Estimated (Adapted from Datamonitor, 2005). Exhibit 6: Iniditex vs. H&M (1998-2004) Sales, Inditex vs H&M (Millions, ? â‚ ¬) – 17 – Indit ex H&M 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Number of Stores, Inditex vs H&M (1999-2004) 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 22244 66029 5670 1922 55,058 5330 1558 11284 682771 99451068 IInditex H&M 44599 1080 613 44,196 3,980 3,250 922 8844 33,255 1,614 2,035 3,508 2,615 ,631 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 NNumber of Countries, Inditex vs H&M (1999-2004) 60 50 40 30 20 10 556 11998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 44 14 448 330 12 339 33 1414 118 220 IInditex H&M 0 0 11999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 AAdapted from Inditex and H&M, 2005 – 18 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 7: A Zara advertisement The Cheap Frock coat (119) White shirt (25) ZARA Black necktie (65) HACKETT Woollen Trousers (45) and Black boots (55), both ZARA The Expensive Black cashmere frock coat (950) White tuxedo shirt (190) Black necktie (86) and Woollen Trousers (380) both RALPH LAUREN Black boots (500) are by UNGARO 19 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 8: Zara Season Adapted from Dutta, 200 4 Endnotes – 20 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 1 Crawford, L. (2005) ? â€Å"Inditex sizes up Europe in expansion drive,? † Financial Times, 1 February 2005, p. 30. 2 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University. 3 D? ’Andrea, G. and D. Arnold (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-503-050, p. 7. 4 ? â€Å"Zara, la deferlante de la mode espagnole,? † Interview with Stephane Labelle, MD of Zara France, Enjeux-Les Echos, February 1996. 5 Crawford, L. (2000) ? Inside Track: Putting on the style with rapid response,? † Financial Times, 26 February 2000. 6 D? ’Andrea, G. and D. Arnold (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-503-050, p. 19. 7 D? ’Andrea, G. and D. Arnold (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-503-050, p. 18 8 Ferdows, K. J. , K. M. Lewis and J. A. D. Machuca (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Supp ly Chain Forum 4(2): 62. 9 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University, p. 6. 10 Ghemawat, P. and J. L. Nueno (2003) ? â€Å"Zara: Fast Fashion,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-703-497, p. 10. 11 ? The Future of Fast Fashion,? † The Economist, 18 June 2005, p. 63. 12 ? â€Å"Zara: A Retailer? ’s Dream,? † from http://www. fashionunited. co. uk/news/archive/inditex1. htm 13 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University, p. 7. 14 Crawford, L. (2005) ? â€Å"Inditex sizes up Europe in expansion drive,? † Financial Times, 1 February 2005, p. 30. 15 Fraiman, N. , M. Singh, L. Arrington and C. Paris (2002) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Columbia Business School Case, p. 5. 16 Ghemawat, P. and J. L. Nueno (2003) ? â€Å"Zara: Fast Fashion,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-703-497, p. 0. 17 Fraiman, N. , M. Singh , L. Arrington and C. Paris (2002) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Columbia Business School Case, p. 5. 18 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University, p. 6. 19 Fraiman, N. , M. Singh, L. Arrington and C. Paris (2002) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Columbia Business School Case, p. 6. 20 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University, p. 8. 21 Interview with Anthony Pralle, Senior Vice President of Boston Consulting Group, Madrid, 13 July 1999, as quoted in Harle, N. , M. Pich and L.Van der Heyden (2002) ? â€Å"Marks & Spencer and Zara: Process Competition in the Textile Apparel Industry,? † INSEAD Case 602- 010-1. 22 Crawford, L. ?â€Å"Inditex sizes up Europe in expansion drive: Rapid design, manufacture and distribution keep pressure on rivals,? † Financial Times, 1 February 2005. 23 D? ’Andrea, G. and D. Arnold (2003) ? â€Å"Zara ,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-503-050. 24 Crawford, L. (2005) ? â€Å"Inditex sizes up Europe in expansion drive,? † Financial Times, 1 February 2005, p. 30. 25 Dutta, D. (2004) ? â€Å"Brand Watch: Zara,? † Images Fashion Forum Presentation, New Delhi, 12 February 2004.

The Practice of Loving Kindness or Metta Defined

Loving kindness is defined in English dictionaries as a feeling of benevolent affection. But in Buddhism, loving kindness (in Pali, Metta; in Sanskrit, Maitri) is thought of as a mental state or attitude, cultivated and maintained by practice. This cultivation of loving kindness is an essential part of Buddhism. The Theravadin scholar Acharya Buddharakkhita said of Metta, The Pali word metta is a multi-significant term meaning loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, fellowship, amity, concord, inoffensiveness and non-violence. The Pali commentators define metta as the strong wish for the welfare and happiness of others (parahita-parasukha-kamana). ... True metta is devoid of self-interest. It evokes within a warm-hearted feeling of fellowship, sympathy and love, which grows boundless with practice and overcomes all social, religious, racial, political and economic barriers. Metta is indeed a universal, unselfish and all-embracing love. Metta often is paired with Karuna, compassion. They are not exactly the same, although the difference is subtle. The classic explanation is that Metta is a wish for all beings to be happy, and Karuna is a wish for all beings to be free from suffering. Wish is probably not the right word, though, because wishing seems passive. It might be more accurate to say directing ones attention or concern to the happiness or suffering of others. Developing loving kindness is essential to doing away with the self-clinging that binds us to suffering (dukkha). Metta is the antidote to selfishness, anger, and fear. Dont Be Nice One of the biggest misunderstandings people have about Buddhists is that Buddhists are always supposed to be nice. But, usually, niceness is only a social convention. Being nice often is about self-preservation and maintaining a sense of belonging in a group. We are nice because we want people to like us, or at least not get angry with us. Theres nothing wrong with being nice, most of the time, but its not the same thing as loving kindness. Remember, Metta is concerned with the genuine happiness of others. Sometimes when people are behaving badly, the last thing they need for their own happiness is someone politely enabling their destructive behavior. Sometimes people need to be told things they dont want to hear; sometimes they need to be shown that what they are doing is not okay. Cultivating Metta His Holiness the Dalai Lama is supposed to have said, This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple. The philosophy is kindness. Thats great, but remember that were talking about a guy who gets up at 3:30 a.m. to make time for meditation and prayers before breakfast. Simple isnt necessarily easy. Sometimes people new to Buddhism will hear about loving kindness, and think, No sweat. I can do that. And they wrap themselves in the persona of a lovingly kind person and go about being very, very nice. This lasts until the first encounter with a rude driver or surly store clerk. As long as your practice is about you being a nice person, you are just play-acting. This may seem paradoxical, but unselfishness begins by gaining insight into yourself and understanding the source of your ill will, irritations, and insensitivity. This takes us to the basics of Buddhist practice, beginning with the Four Noble Truths and the practice of the Eightfold Path. Metta Meditation The Buddhas best-known teaching on Metta is in the Metta Sutta, a sermon in the Sutta Pitaka. Scholars say the sutta (or sutra) presents three ways to practice Metta. The first is applying Metta to day-to-day conduct. The second is Metta meditation. The third is a commitment to embody Metta with full body and mind. The third practice grows from the first two. The several schools of Buddhism have developed several approaches to Metta meditation, often involving visualization or recitation. A common practice is to begin by offering Metta to oneself. Then (over a period of time) Metta is offered to someone in trouble. Then to a loved one, and so on, progressing to someone you dont know well, to someone you dislike, and eventually to all beings. Why begin with yourself? Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg said, To reteach a thing its loveliness is the nature of Metta. Through loving kindness, everyone and everything can flower again from within. Because so many of us struggle with doubts and self-loathing, we must not leave ourselves out. Flower from within, for yourself and for everyone.