Saturday, December 28, 2019

Catcher in the Rye Setting Analysis - 910 Words

Catcher Setting Response The 1950’s were a decade of great change in various ways. For example the American minorities, the women, and other outspoken ethnic and other groups of society, decided to stand up and fight for their rights. The Great War had ended, and men were coming back home. As this happened the demand for economic homes increased, and families began having children due to the economical stability and prosperity in which the United States of America was amidst. The nationwide home demand gave birth to one of the most comfortable and affordable ways of living: The suburban home. These neighborhoods were planned for young middle-upper class families who wanted to have, or already had children. These families were living the†¦show more content†¦On the other hand there is the whole civil rights movements and the Pop culture. Both which were completely different to what the American society was used to. It might be accurate to say that the heart of the pop culture movement was the City of New York. In his time of Solitude Holden had the opportunity to experience the nightlife and culture of the city; here he could explore himself and his feelings towards life, the world and society. Holden became a sort of a â€Å"philosophical† thinker due to the things he saw and felt he planted some moral dilemmas in front of him that he preferred to resolve on his own. Sunny’s encounter with Holden, more than merely a sexual encounter, was the opportunity for Holden to demonstrate to himself that he was able to do things on his own, since he was afraid of growing up he was trying to stay a teen as long as he could. The environment was fundamental to his mental formation. Just as J.D Salinger, Holden’s socioeconomic background was at least middle-upper class (even though many of Holden’s actions and what he says demonstrates he belonged to the high-class) Holden struggled with family and class expectations. His family and culture expect for him to be reasonably successful at the prestigious High school to which he belonged, and then, after he was done with it move on to an Ivy League school. Holden’s problem is that he is incapable of seeing himself in that role, so heShow MoreRelatedShould Banned Be Banned? A High School Curriculum?1603 Words   |  7 Pagesgruesome, yet extremely realistic portrayal of life. Among the novels that have been banned is The Catcher in The Rye, written by J.D Salinger, which describes the idiosyncratic ideals of sixteen year old mischief-maker, Holden Caulfield, and recounts the days following his suspension from Pencey University. In spite of the repetitive presence of sexual content and reference s it contains, The Catcher In The Rye should be included in all high school curriculums as it allows students to provoke deeper thoughtRead MoreCatcher in the Rye Word Choice795 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Word Choice in The Catcher in the Rye By Tom Condon Word choice is a crucial element in a well-crafted story. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is about a 16-year-old in New York in the 1950s named Holden Caulfield. The book is about his exploration in the world as he suffers from severe mental trauma from his point of view. J.D. Salinger uses word choice for realism, theme, and depth of character to make the story relate to the reader and add dimension. The Catcher in Rye contains many distinctRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Sound And The Fury 1688 Words   |  7 Pages The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a modern novel focused on identity. The novel focuses around the life of a confused young man named Holden who is lost in his adolescents and struggling to find his way into adulthood. The Sound and The Fury written by William Faulkner, is a novel that takes place in Mississippi and follows the decline of the Compson family. The construction of the novel is split into four different parts, where each one is narrated by a different character. Benjy, JasonRead MoreCatcher In The Rye Symbolism Analysis1225 Words   |  5 Pages but in The Catcher in the Rye, from 1951, they are closely related. Not only are they all cases of symbolism, but they all connect to the main character’s brother. Holden, the main character, perpetually dwells on the death of his brother Allie and these four figures are representations of his inability to mature, and also his feelings on death and his own life. However, one more symbol, perhaps the most signific ant one, is Holden’s vision for himself as a catcher in a field of rye. . In the novelRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Catcher In The Rye1408 Words   |  6 PagesLiterary Analysis of The Catcher in the Rye Holden’s story takes place in the 1950s. Because of this, it is necessary that the reader reads the story from multiple points of views. As Foster puts it, â€Å"don’t read with your eyes† (Foster 228) meaning that it is sometimes necessary to read from a perspective that will let you relate to and sympathize with the characters. The time period is shown many times such as when Holden goes dancing and asks a girl if she feels like â€Å"jitterbugging a little bit†Read MoreSigmund Freud s Theory And Criticism1345 Words   |  6 Pagesis written out it may perhaps fill half a page. The analysis setting out the dream-thought underlying it may occupy six, eight or a dozen times as much space† (819). This quote is telling us, as readers, that writing our dreams are simple. It does not take a lot of time to discuss or a lot of space on the paper to write it down. When analyzing the dreams, there are so many hidden meanings, thoughts, and desires. As a result, writing an analysis on the dreams requires a lot more paper, time, andRead MoreCharacters Of Different Literatures All Share The Same Ideal2090 Words   |  9 Pagescharacters, Gatsby and Loman weren’t well liked by the most people around them. â€Å"Gatsby is, after all, a bootlegger, a criminal, perhaps even a murderer or someone who threatens murder,† and â€Å"From the analysis of Willy Loman, we could find he is a person who has many shortcomings: dishonesty, setting a bad example for his sons, false pride, jealousy, devoting to illusion, having a wrong philosophy of life.† Both have an inability to face reality because Gatsby can’t face that even though Daisy lovesRead MoreI Have Learned A bout My Writing879 Words   |  4 Pagescharacteristics of literature that can be evaluated. This course helped me realize that character development, and the time of the writing of the novel are also important characteristics that can be related to the plot development and the overall analysis of the novel. This is the greatest takeback that I value from this course that I know I will carry into the future with me, but that will not only stay but that will benefit me and my writing. All of this also has changed not only my thinking aboutRead MoreLiterary Theories And Literary Criticism1318 Words   |  6 Pagesthe history of the critic. †¢ Acknowledges that the author’s literature is influenced by his/her situations or surroundings. †¢ The critic’s response is also influenced by his/her surroundings, beliefs, values and prejudices. †¢ Shows how the author’s settings affected their work and how the literary work reflects on the author. †¢ Recognizes current cultural contexts, which helps critic’s to come to their conclusions about the literary work at hand. 2. †¢ Literary context/work: The Merchant of Venice. †¢Read MoreDialectical Journal 3 : Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn1599 Words   |  7 PagesRyan Sun Mrs. Penalora AP Language and Composition 26 August 2015 Dialectical Journal 3: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Quote Page #/ ¶ Explanation/Analysis 1. â€Å"And he said that handling a snakeskin was such awful bad luck that maybe we hadn’t got to the end of it yet. He said he druther see the new moon over his left shoulder as much as a thousand times than take up a snakeskin in his hand.† 2. â€Å"What did that poor old woman do to you that you could treat her so mean?...she tried to be good to you

Friday, December 20, 2019

Zara It for Fashion - 2861 Words

Report Title: Zara: IT for Fashion Executive Summary: Zara is a fashion company founded by Amancio Ortega in Spain in 1975. It is part of Inditex holding company, a large fashion retail chain that operates five other clothing brands. Since its inception, Zara has been financially very successful as it contributes the most to Inditex’s overall revenue. Also, Zara’s fast growth is represented by its massive global presence; it has stores all over the world from Americas to Middle East to Europe, its principal market. In my analysis, Zara’s competitive advantage lies in its ability to mass produce a large range of highly demanded latest designer clothes faster than its other competitors in the industry. By virtue of being first in the†¦show more content†¦They may guess the new fashion designs correctly few times, courtesy of their experience, but in general their prediction will miss the target more often than not. So, unless Zara updates its archaic infrastructure that can efficiently collect data, help man agers develop patterns and better understand the market, they will be forced out of the market. Second, Zara’s ability to forecast and analyze its performance under various market situations is handicapped by its old infrastructure. Most businesses that are successful take into account and analyze all the possible scenarios that can affect them before making critical decisions. Usually called event-driven analysis or simply, what if analysis; it gives a business a sense of all the possible opportunities and threats out there in the market. However, a business mostly requires a large amount of data that they need to analyze in order to conduct a successful what if analysis. In Zara’s case, they lack that data gathering and sharing ability because of their old infrastructure. So for example, Zara has no clue how their revenue is going to be impacted if Benetton opens up a hundred new stores in Madrid. This is serious problem for Zara because it may be losing market share but they have no accurate way of verifying it. Furthermore, Zara’s dependenceShow MoreRelatedZara Fashion2487 Words   |  10 PagesZARA Fashion 1) With which of the international competitors listed in the case is it most interesting to compare Inditex’s financial results? Why? What do comparisons indicate about Inditex’s relative operating economics? Its relative capital efficiency? Note that while the electronic version of Exhibit 6 automates some of the comparisons, you will probably want to dig further into them? The four companies shown above have very different business models. Inditex owned much of the productionRead MoreZara Fashion Clothing : Zara1024 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION ZARA FASHION CLOTHING: Zara is one of the retail sale format of Inditex group and well-known an international fashion clothing brand which is very famous for its apparel and accessories. Zara is a place where we can buy all the latest fashionable clothes in the world as they launches 10,000 designs every year. Zara is one of the Spain famous fashion clothing brand which is located in 70 countries in the world. Zara company is started earlier in 1975 by Amancio Ortega, a famous businessRead MoreFashion and Zara6167 Words   |  25 PagesZara Case Study: Fast Fashion from Savvy Systems After studying this case you should be able to: Understand how Zara used a technology-dominated strategy to make its parent company, Inditex, the world’s largest fashion retailer. List the factors leading to the demise of Gap. Understand how the application of technology to data collection and analysis allows Zara to spot trends and gain insight into the future preferences of customers. Identify the strategies, and the technologies used to implementRead MoreZara Fashion3014 Words   |  13 PagesManagement Assignment Zara fashion Zara is a clothing and accessories retailer selling stylish apparel at affordable prices, and it is also the most profitable brand of the Spanish clothing retail group Inditex SA. Ortega planned for this new Zara outlet, located near his factory in La Coruna in northern Spain, to sell this overstock merchandise himself. Since then, Zara has expanded into 500 stores in 68 countries as of January 2007 and has become a leader in customized fashion retailing. This assignmentRead MoreZara: It for Fast Fashion3524 Words   |  15 PagesI. Executive Summary Zara produces of-the-moment fashion and has developed a very successful vertically integrated company which can design, manufacture, and distribute garments to retail stores in as little as three weeks. Zara s target market is comprised of urban, fashion-conscious consumers who shop frequently for the latest trends. Currently under debate is a proposed upgrade to the POS system throughout the Zara chain. With over 550 stores, this would be a huge undertaking for Inditex,Read MoreZara: It for Fast Fashion1266 Words   |  6 Pagesmachines leaving them incompatible with DOS. Because Zara’s core business model is vertically integrated, it could specialize in speed and efficiency and the fast fashion trend. By assessing the pros and cons of the new IT infrastructure with Zara’s brand image, they determined that implementing the new POS networking system is beneficial for Zara because 1) it creates a more robust and scalable system that is more responsive to Inditexâ₠¬â„¢s supply chain network, 2) it removes the risk of the system becomingRead MoreZara Fast Fashion2084 Words   |  9 Pagesefficiency? Note that while the electronic version of Exhibit 6 automates some of the comparisons, you will probably want to dig further into them. Background: Inditex is an international fashion retailer that designed, manufactured and sold apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children through Zara and other five chains around the world. The six retailing chains were organized as separate business units within an overall structure that also included six business support areas andRead MoreZara Fast Fashion2092 Words   |  9 Pagesefficiency? Note that while the electronic version of Exhibit 6 automates some of the comparisons, you will probably want to dig further into them. Background: Inditex is an international fashion retailer that designed, manufactured and sold apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children through Zara and other five chains around the world. The six retailing chains were organized as separate business units within an overall structure that also included six business support areas andRead MoreZara, Fast Fashion1561 Words   |  7 Pagesmarket. Along with the globalization and technology development, consumers are easier to access to fashion. As a result, the customers are changing and the companies are evolving to deliver customers satisfaction. Zara, the most profitable brand of Spain clothing retail group Inditex, has leveraged its unique strategy to achieve success and will be expected to maintain a sustainable growth in the fashion industry. Zara’s core competencies can be divided into four areas: process development, distributionRead MoreZara: It for Fast Fashion2866 Words   |  12 Pages10 ZARA: IT for Fast Fashion 10 ZARA: IT for Fast Fashion Zara: IT for Fast Fashion Executive Summary This concise summary will introduce and also, briefly, analyze and summarize the case at hand: Zara: IT for Fast Fashion and the issues Mr. Salgado and Mr. Sanchez are facing alongside the rest of Zara and Inditex’s management. The problems introduced are all major concerns that are currently affecting or risking to potentially affect the company in the future. These include

Thursday, December 12, 2019

The Growth of Clothing Retail Industry in Australia

Question: Discuss about the Growth of Clothing Retail Industry in Austraila. Answer: Research Topic: The clothing industry in Australia has mainly seen drastic change in the competition level, which might help in generating higher revenue. The research topic is Growth of clothing retail industry in Australia. Relevant decline in overall clothing industry could be seen in 2015, which is due to the contraction of demand. The changing fashion trends and customers choice mainly affects the overall growth in clothing industry situated in Australia. The clothing industry in Australia has mainly witnessed a drastic change in competition and relative inclusion of technological advancements in the selling process. The relative increment in competition mainly arrived from the introduction of low priced products provided by international companies. The inclusion of latest online technology has been effectively for clothing industry in reaching potential customer and generating higher sales. However, relevant decline could be witnessed in the clothing industry due to the slow in Australian econ omy, which reduced spending ability of the consumers. Problem statement: The research mainly aims in detecting the overall growth in clothing industry of Australia and the factors, which have impact on such growth. Literature Review: The wide spread economic uncertainty has mainly hampered the overall growth of clothing industry in Australia. The tough years faced by the clothing industry in Australia, is due to the cautiousness of the consumers in spending money on expensive clothing. In addition, the inclusion of global competitors in the Australian market has also hampered the overall growth factors, while increasing the competitiveness in the market. This high competition in the market has mainly derived the overall prices of the products, which reduced profitability of the clothing industry. Furthermore, the rising renting prices in Australia are also a major factor, which has increased costs and reduced profitability of the companies. However, the major impact on the clothing Industry is due to the global crisis, which mainly liquidates funds of the major companies and reduced its ability to innovate. This limited ability of the clothing industry has mainly reduced the indigenous companies to adapt the chan ging business environment. Marks (2015) mentioned that due to the reduced purchasing power of the consumers, low priced products in Australia are on high demand. The overall clothing industry in Australia has been changing rapidly due to the alteration in the preference of consumers. The changing preference of the consumers has mainly allowed the overall international brands to enter the Australian market. The low growth in current companies profit retention capacity has mainly reduced its ability to accommodate the changing business environment. The clothing sector mainly comprises of products such as fashionable apparels, apparels and footwear and others. The growing demand of consumers for products of Nike, Adidas and others at low costs prices has mainly reduced Australian home companys ability to compete with the international giants. Truett and Truett (2017) stated that companies like Tesco and Sainsbury mainly use factory prices to attract consumers and in turn increase their revenue. However, the current change in preference of consumers due to economic downturn is for low priced high quality products. They are not focused in brand ra ther quality, which could suffice their demands. Nossar et al. (2015) argued that companies not adapting to the changing business environment could hamper their profitability and could be forced out of business, as we have seen it happen to Nokia. Figure 1: Depicting the fashion industry in Australia (Source: prweb.com 2017) There is no major company situated in Australia rather than Billabong and Rip Curl, which mainly provides a wide opening for competition to enter the market. Maximum of the retailers in Australia are small scale, which mainly rely on big brands to support their operations. However, the negative impact on the purchasing power of consumer has mainly reduced the small retail companys ability to support their activity (prweb.com 2017). Moreover, from the above depicted figure the overall market value and annual revenue of Billabong and Rip Curl could be identified, which is not close the overall annual retail sales. This huge difference in the overall revenue accumulation of the companies has mainly helped in paving the way for more competition from international companies. Billabong mainly earns around 1.1 billion in sales, while Rip Curl only earns 431 million, whereas the overall net sales conducted by retail industry are 21 billion Australian dollars (prweb.com 2017). This huge diffe rence earned by big companies in Australia mainly indicates that clothing market have still high scope for accommodating major players. This accommodation of major players could increase the competiveness on the market, which in turn hamper industry growth (Ignjatijevic and Raicevic 2016). Moreover, the supply chain management has also affected the growth in clothing industry. Furthermore, HM, COS and MRP have entered the Australian market after 2014, which has mainly increased the demand for new and latest products (au.fashionunited.com 2017). However, these companies have priced their products lower than current competition, which in turn reduce the revenue generated in the industry. Nevertheless, the demand for new products is mainly on rise after 2015 as the economic condition started to become positive. This positive economic condition in Australia has mainly helped in growth of clothing industry. Kar (2015) argued that purchasing power of the consumers is subject to economic conditions, which increases the money supply and purchasing ability of consumers. Furthermore, the clothing industry in Australia is mainly characterised by low level of market share concentration. There are 44% of the retail stoppers, which only earn between 200,000 to 2 million this indicate that majority of the consumers buys products from small retailers (au.fashionunited.com 2017). This is the major indication, which depicts the opportunity for international players to enter the clothing market. However, the retail companies or stores in Australia have still not accommodated the use of social media marketing, as they operate in cetin locality. This non-inclusion of the social media scope has mainly allowed companies like HM, COS and MRP to generate higher demand (au.fashionunited.com 2017). Variable and Hypothesis: The overall variable mainly used in the hypothesis is the revenue, which is been generated by the clothing industry in Australia. Moreover, the other variables are the indigenous and foreign companies currently being situated in Australia. In addition, for generating the impact of clothing industry its contribution to the overall GDP is also calculated with the status of employment. The overall profits generated from the industry are taken into consideration for determining the overall financial condition. H1: Major changes in the growth of clothing industry in Australia are seen. H0: No significant change in the overall growth of clothing industry in Australia could be detected. Operational Definitions and Measurements: The data collected for research are mainly reliant on secondary research, which might be contributed with errors. The figure used in the research has higher values and is quite large, which could only be evaluated with the help of hypothesises. Relevant errors could be found in the overall data due to its sheer size, which might be used in data analysis. There is no such constraint involved in doing the research work. Research Methodology and Design: This section mainly states the overall research design and methodology, which is been used in study for collecting the required data for analysis. Furthermore, the research seeing that only secondary analysis is needed will chose the quantitative method. Furthermore, the research is focused on previously developed models and no new models will be developed, which indicates that use of deductive approach is effective. The researcher could effectively use the overall secondary source for collecting the data required for determining the research outcome. Thus, the use of secondary data might help in detecting the overall growth in the clothing industry and its affect on GDP of Australia. Mackey and Gass (2015) mentioned that with the use of ethical data researcher is mainly able to improve the overall research outcome and support the research objective. Overall research approach is mainly used in the research for determining the research outcome. Moreover, the research approach mainly consists of deductive and inductive approach. However, in the study, the researcher is going to use the defined theories and methods, which indicate that research, will use deductive approach. This approach might help in getting the relevant answers by using the pretested and deigned theories, which might help in authenticating the research outcome. Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault (2015) mentioned that with the help of inductive approach researchers are mainly able to design new research approaches, which could help in arriving at the desired result. The use of secondary data mainly involves details from income of clothing industry, employment status, impact of industry on economy. The data will mainly be collected from official websites, which might help in reducing the problems of un-authenticity. Moreover, data from past 10 years will mainly be used, which could help in depicting the relevant growth in the clothing industry. There is no sampling method adopted by the researcher as only secondary data is been used. However, the selection of companies for both indigenous and foreign is subject to choice. Gast and Ledford (2014) argued that secondary data analysis does not use any kind of sampling method, as it is used in primary data collection process. Providing milestone and Gantt chart Figure 2: Stating the Gantt chart and milestone of the project (Source: As created by the author) Research Process: The research process mainly consists of stages, which will be used by the researcher in completing the overall research study. In addition, beginning phase mainly comprises of activities for choosing relevant topic with adequate justification. This phase is essential as it helps in choosing the relevant topic for research, which will take approximately 4 days. Moreover, the second phase mainly comprises of developing the relevant literature review, which depicts the overall details about the topic. This mainly takes around 8 days to gather the relevant information and choose the accurate situations, which could portray the topic more efficiently. The third phase mainly comprises of choosing the relevant methodologies, which could help in incorporating the data collected for the research. This determination of the relevant methodologies and techniques is essential for getting the pertinent outcome of the research. This phase will mainly take around 3 days, which is essential for authenticating the relevant outcome. The fourth stage is accumulation of the relevant data, which is to be used in the research. The fourth stage will mainly rake around 14 days for collecting the relevant data, as it needs to be collected from secondary research. Furthermore, the fifth stage is data interpretation, which uses the data derived from the previous stage. This interpretation of the data is mainly essential as it helps in supporting the identified hypothesis, whether clothing industry in Australia has grown in recent years. The interpretation of data will mainly help the researcher in linking the relevant outcomes with objectives or hypothe sis of the research. The sixth phase mainly comprises of conclusion and recommendation, which will be provided by the researcher. This conclusion mainly summarises the overall findings confuted in the research. Moreover with relevant recommendations are also provided for future research scope, which might help in improving the condition of the clothing industry in Australia. The last stage mainly comprises of project draft and submission, which is conducted after finishing the research work. Analysis Method and Data Collection: This section mainly helps is depicting the relevant methods, which is been used by the researcher is collecting and analysing the relevant data for the research. Furthermore, the overall data, which is going to be used on the research, needs to be collected from secondary source. The secondary source mainly consists of online official websites, newspaper printouts and any information regarding the growth in GDP and clothing industry. The data collection process is essential part of the research, as it mainly helps in detecting the relevant research data, which could help in supporting the research outcome. Moreover, the data collection is mainly conducted to identify the relevant changes and growth of clothing industry in comparison with its contribution to the overall GDP (Ott and Longnecker 2015). The data collected for the research will mainly be analysed by using effective statistical tools and techniques. Moreover, adequate calculations like mean, median, standard deviation, variance, and range is been conducted in the research for deriving adequate outcomes. Moreover, descriptive statistics is mainly used by the researcher in deriving the outcome, which could help in depicting the authenticity of the research outcome. Furthermore, adequate graphs and presentation will also be conducted in the research for detecting the change in overall growth of clothing industry from precious years. Moreover, regression analysis tool could also be conducted by for determining the support provided by hypothesises. In addition, the values of GDP and profits generated from clothing industry could be used as dependent and independent variables in the regression equation. The significance of beta co efficient of the regression model will elucidate impact of clothing industry on GDP of Austral ia (Palinkas et al. 2015). The regression model will effectively be used in the research for satisfying the H1 and H0, which is been determined as the main research objective. Research Outcome: A positive research outcome is mainly anticipated, as relevant techniques and method used in the research is adequate. With the implementation of adequate regression model, hypothesis of the research could be satisfied, which states the major changes in growth of clothing industry in Australia. This mainly states that the overall clothing industry in Australia has effectively influenced its GDP. Furthermore, the inclusion of latest technology and advancements like online selling has been mainly helpful for indigenous industry to make a strong hold. However, the low priced clothing from international companies has mainly increased the overall competition level. In addition, during 2013 a small recession could be identified, which mainly reduced the progress of clothing industry in Australia. However, from 2007 the growth in the world economy and purchasing power of the consumers has mainly increased. The recession in 2008 mainly declined the abilities of companies to maintain profitability. Nevertheless, after the recession adequate growth in the clothing industry of Australia could be detected, this is essentially depicted in the overall research. Conclusion: The researcher with the help of above discussion is mainly able to depict the growth attained by clothing industry in Australia. For deriving the research outcome relevant secondary data will be collected from authentic government source, which could be used in data interpretation. The use of regression, mean, media and standard deviation is mainly helpful in generating the required outcome, which could support the research hypothesis. Lastly, the use of adequate data and relevant research methodologies overall determined hypothesis of the research could be satisfied, which might in turn authenticate the study. Moreover, contribution of the research could help in detecting the overall progress of clothing industry in Australia. References: au.fashionunited.com. (2017). [online] Au.fashionunited.com. Available at: https://au.fashionunited.com/fashion-industry-statistics-australia [Accessed 18 Feb. 2017]. Flick, U., 2015.Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research project. Sage. Gast, D.L. and Ledford, J.R., 2014.Single case research methodology: Applications in special education and behavioral sciences. Routledge. Ignjatijevi?, S. and Rai?evi?, V., 2016 The textile and clothing industry in the Danube region countries: Comparative advantages.Industrija,44(3), pp.191-208. Ignjatijevi?, S. and Rai?evi?, V., 2016. The textile and clothing industry in the Danube region countries: Comparative advantages.Industrija,44(3), pp.191-208. Johnstone, R., Nossar, I. and Rawling, M., 2015. Regulating supply chains to protect road transport workers: An early assessment of the road safety remuneration tribunal.Fed. L. Rev.,43, p.397. Kar, M., 2015.The Indian Textile and Clothing Industry: An Economic Analysis. Springer. Khan, Z.R., Rodrigues, G. and Balasubramanian, S., 2016. Ethical consumerism and apparel industry-towards a new factor model. Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015.Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Malik, A., Lenzen, M., Ely, R.N. and Dietzenbacher, E., 2014. Simulating the impact of new industries on the economy: The case of biorefining in Australia.Ecological Economics,107, pp.84-93. Marks, A., 2015. Dimensions of Textile, Clothing and Footwear Production in the High Wage Cost Country of Australia in a Globalised Environment: Some Interesting Revelations.Research in World Economy,6(2), p.p72. Nossar, I., Johnstone, R., Macklin, A. and Rawling, M., 2015. Protective legal regulation for home-based workers in Australian textile, clothing and footwear supply chains.Journal of Industrial Relations,57(4), pp.585-603. Ott, R.L. and Longnecker, M.T., 2015.An introduction to statistical methods and data analysis. Nelson Education. Palinkas, L.A., Horwitz, S.M., Green, C.A., Wisdom, J.P., Duan, N. and Hoagwood, K., 2015. Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,42(5), pp.533-544. Panneerselvam, R., 2014.Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. prweb.com. (2017).Clothing Retailing in Australia Industry Market Research Report Now Updated by IBISWorld. [online] PRWeb. Available at: https://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/11/prweb12330817.htm [Accessed 18 Feb. 2017]. Silverman, D. ed., 2016.Qualitative research. Sage. Smith, J.A. ed., 2015.Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage. Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015.Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley Sons. Truett, L.J. and Truett, D.B., 2017. Cost relationships and globalization in the Australian clothing industry.Applied Economics, pp.1-19.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Portfolio Management Overview of the Weekly Portfolio

Question: Describe about the Overview of the Weekly Portfolio for Portfolio Management. Answer: In week one, the topic of discussion is on the relevance of systems thinking to project, program and portfolio management (PPPM) which involves the systems engineering body of knowledge (SEBoK). Additional subtopics covered under this main topic included an introduction to systems engineering and its subsequent implementation such as the matrix application (Beringer, Jonas Georg Gemnden, 2012). I learned on the definition of a system and its basics, and what a project, system thinking, and portfolios are all about. A system refers to a mechanism in which something is done while systems thinking basically explains the principles and connections in the components of a system itself. On the other hand, a project is interrelated plans executable over a timely period and with fixed prices and limitations, while programs are instructions capable of performing tasks when expected by a computer. A portfolio in itself is a large flat case used for carrying loose paper sheets for example maps and drawings. System thinking has numerous advantages to the project, program and portfolio managements which include the identification and management of threats arising from dependence and relationships (Eilam, 2012). Additional merits include enhancing innovation through the exposure of fresh possibilities and giving room to questions and facilitating swift responses to fast changes. It also improves communication and alleviates the isolation of businesses while sensitizing on broader objectives and it also leads to better-designed products and services. Notably, it is important to not that I did not find the system thinking mechanism to have any disadvantages to project, program and portfolio management. Project based workflow capable of analysis includes conditional transition and data creation with the incorporation of desired flow cycles. In week two, the topic of discussion was the identification of different system thinking tools and techniques which serve in aiding managers of projects to solve problems. From my learning and experiences prior to this course and through thorough reading and doing assignments, I learned the tools and techniques of system thinking. Additionally, I learned on the system thinking tools and techniques, how they assist and inhibit project managers and a project workflow analysis based approach. Tools and techniques basically enhance and facilitate the swift and timely solving problems by project managers in relation to the management of a scheme. System thinking tools work through means of aiding in the generation and organization of information concerning a system which gives room for exploring and answering questions. The system thinking tools known are the conceptual model, graphical analysis, matrix ,influence, input-output, multiple causes,systems,sequence,spray and affinity diagrams, the decision matrix, functional failure mode analysis and the morphological box. System thinking, due to its potential, incorporates the aforementioned tools and techniques to assist project managers in the understanding of the operation of a scheme, behavior, and structures of systems. It also helps in the management and understanding of computer simulation models which assist in the testing of the impact of interventions and degree of project difficulties. Additionally, it helps in the communication of a project manager understanding with another and in the designing of high leverage interventions for systems behaviors that are problematic (Eilam, 2012). Inherently, these tools and techniques provide difficulties to managers as they are dynamic and are prone to change, plus understanding them fully and how they operate is a daunting task. A project-based workflow approach would be to prepare adequately for any eventuality before it strikes to assist in the effective handling of problems. In week three, our main topic of discussion is the assessment of the relevance of systems engineering to project cases, and through my learning systems, I undertook to understand the nature of systems engineering. Furthermore, I took to understand the importance of systems engineering to an organization and the relevant people in a company who would apply this technology and its relevance to the management of a project. In addition to its relevance to project management, I also understood its importance to portfolio administration, its relevance to project cases and the appropriate workflow. Systems engineering is used in the enhancement of a successful system and it focuses solely on needs of customers, synthesis of the design and subsequent validation. It is importance to an organization includes better products to customers, improved reliability on its use, reduced errors in delivery and production, reduced changes in design and lead time and low claims of warranty. Additionally, it helps in making improved decisions and managing risks, improving learning in an organization, and its mainly employed by director and manufacturing sections in the company. Notably, systems engineering is fundamental to the management of a project and portfolio as it is used by managers through the project management plan (PMP) to enhance their skills in management and technical abilities. The standard project based work plan in system engineering involves the planning and control of technical projects and engineering specialty integration. In week four, the main topic of discussion is on the concepts and methodologies of systems engineering and how they assist project managers to organize their schemes. In so doing, I took to understand through my learning experience and readings, the application of systems approach to a project and how it helps a project manager identify problems and opportunities. Additionally, I read on the use of systems approach in solving problems and identifying opportunities, and the making of better decisions by project managers and workers in an organization. The core concepts of system engineering are requirements which state on what the system must do, followed by the design and test the usability of a project (Wasson, 2015). Other principles include the context of a system, its value and interdisciplinary which is founded on the philosophies the systems design considers. The methodologies, on the other hand, include software engineering, quality assurance processes, and systems engineering which are integrated into a controllable and predictable lifestyle. A systems approach helps project managers to define and develop benefits as it dictates what happens in order to maximize benefits and looking at the general plan for benefits development. Additionally, it helps project managers scrutinize benefits during execution, and ensure there are successful completion and review of the benefits. A systems approach is used by project managers in solving problems through the recognition and definition of a problem using system thinking, developing and evaluating alternative system solutions. Additionally, designing and selecting of a system solution that meets the requirements of a project manager and further execution of success helps in the solving of problems. In week five, our topic of discussion is the analysis of the importance of appropriate selection of project management application systems in view to the realization of a scheme (Willcocks, 2013). I took to understand the importance of appropriate selection of projects and the manner in which they help project managers in solving problems and making crucial decisions. Additionally, through reading and doing assignments in previous courses, I understood the foundations on the selection of PMIs and the opinions and promotions of software vendors. The selection of a good project system depends on a majority of factors that determine its usability and effective realization of a scheme and proper problem solving. These factors include its intuitive and collaborative nature, simplicity in showing data, reliability on updates, and capability of managing an entire lifecycle of a project, integration ability, and scalability. The opinions of the vendors and software developers are improvising operational database management and support systems, enabling good network access control and global services. Project managers solve problems through the proper identification of methodologies and necessary techniques that help in handling issues related to the project management. In week six, the topic for discussion is the description of a project, program and portfolio management (PPPM) application that leads to better knowledge and decision making. Through learning experiences, I analyzed the problems and hindrances to the realization of a program and what the application systems need to do in order to achieve this goal. PPPM entails making decisions and doing the right things at the appropriate moments, with its foundation based on elective delivery in time and in the scope of the finance. Therefore every portfolio, program, and project management aim at giving an organization a competitive edge over the others in the market structure and as such is focused on the realization of the results of a business and better performances. The common challenges that hinder the realization of PPPM includes: Initiatives that aim at achieving the same objectives and to some extent are overlapping Some initiatives have absolutely no connection to the plans of a business The satisfaction of strategic objectives with no projects put in place to facilitate this Some initiative only has unsubstantiated and excessively optimistic benefits and costs estimations The recommended steps to follow in order for projects to realize their goals and achieve their desired outcomes include the creation of a strategy that is relevant to the objectives of an organization. Additionally, the initiatives ought to have connections to the plans of a project and satisfy objectives of a project with proper mechanisms in place and the benefits of a business and associated costs are to be of substantiated value. In week 7, the topic of the discussion focuses on the comparisons of the merits and demerits of different manual and electronic PPPM application systems over the life cycle of a project. Through reading, I understand the lifecycle of a project, its purpose to the project management and work systems, to the sponsoring organization and to programs and portfolios. Additionally, I learned on the advantages and disadvantages of manual PPPM systems and electronic systems, and the interfaces central to the corporate systems with relevance to portfolios. The life cycle of a project is basically in five phases that involve project initiation, planning, execution, management and control and closure. Initiation of the Project This is the first stage of the lifecycle of a project and involves two main distinct functionalities, which are the pre-initiation of a project and the initiation itself. In this phase, the value and feasibility of the project are measured through two evaluation tools used by project managers in deciding the continuity of a project or the stoppage. These evaluation tools are the feasibility study which entails looking at the goals of the project and determining its execution, and the business case document which includes the benefits accrued financially and the necessity of the project. Planning of the Project After the determination of execution ability of a project is successful, a plan is generated to guide the team, keeping them on budget and within the timeframe. Therefore, a properly articulated plan offers insight to the team on the means for acquiring resources, finances and materials, and preparing them on the pending hurdles they are yet to face. Execution of the Project It involves ensuring the satisfaction of customers is guaranteed and delivered and it is the main stage associated with the management of a project as its success heavily depends on planning. Monitoring and Control of the Project This phase is usually in connection with the execution of a project as both occur concurrently, since there is no execution without control and monitoring by a team. Closure of the Project This is the final phase of the lifecycle of a project and it is only done when teams have accomplished the project to the customer and communicated to the stakeholders. It allows the team to evaluate the project, document it and try the next one, while banking on the strengths and weaknesses to establish a more effective and reliable scheme. It is important to note that the life cycle of project changes when it is between an operator and project-based organizations (PBOs) and not depending on the type of scheme. This is demonstrated by the fact that PBOs are is able to adapt to emerging trends in production and respond swiftly to the changing needs of clients, and its ability to integrate a variety of skills and knowledge in handling risks in projects. The need for the lifecycle of projects has been witnessed in the scheme management and work system, stakeholders, other programs, and portfolios. The importance of lifecycles is the assured of all work being included in the initiation stages, defining the work needed by the project and ensuring there is planning before implementation of a scheme. Additionally, the use of templates that are standard ensures comfortability to everyone in an organization on the deliverables of the project, hence resulting in faster solutions. Generally, there are two types of PPPMSs which are the manual and electric. Manual PPPMs help in good decision-making practices, minimizing the risks to private projects, ensuring the full exploitation of human resources and proving value to essential stakeholders in good terms. However, its disadvantages manifest in the form of the speed of record making which is relatively lower and time-consuming than electronic PPPMs. Additionally, the accuracy and reliability of the record by manual PPPMs is one that attracts high doubts when it reaches a level of consideration of project planning. The disadvantages associated with electronic PPPMs include the difficulty in integrating many toolsets with variable databases and the lack of success in the full control of the development of a product. Its advantages include the high rate of recording and the reliability and accuracy of the records taken, with an improved recalling ability. Additionally, it facilitates efficient sharing with people within the same project at the program and profile levels, hence the need for minimal or no modification at all to the electronic PPPMs as people embrace them already. The knowledge areas needing systems that deliver real-time data are those of risks and change management as they are of utmost importance in the implementation of project planning. Therefore, these systems enhance the efficiency in the operations and effectivity of a project, and the portfolios interface should be synchronous to enhance effective communication. In week 8, the main topic of discussion is in the identification of how project management application systems have aided managers in monitoring performances and managing changes within the scheme (Heizer, Render Munson, 2016). I reflected on the project management application systems, management of change and the meaning of monitoring performance. What are project management application systems? What are their advantages and disadvantages? These are some of the questions I would deliberate upon in this topic. The project application systems are those which are used in the successful running of a scheme and its disadvantages include lack of transparency and unreliability. This topic is relevant to the management of a project through monitoring its performance and making the necessary changes to ensure effectivity. Monitoring the performance of a project is a mechanism that helps in the provision of early indications of coordination problems, possible overturn of costs and resource conflicts (De Marco Narbaev, 2013). Change management is a concept that dictates our preparation, and support towards other people to ensure they successfully adopt changes for their organizational outcomes and success (Hayes, 2014). Therefore monitoring of performance and change management augment each other since through performance assessment, the transformation in governance and leadership is effectively adopted. The management of change does not change with different inventions and creations but rather adopts the incoming strategies to improve the old ones. The success of change in a project is measured by the rate of success and its effect on the people and when there is no change, there is less likelihood of success and sufficient evaluation. Additionally, changes to the project are fundamental unlike those to the program and portfolio as it forms the main topic of our discussion in this terms course, and there is no delay in the monitoring of performance. For BP Texas City and Deepwater horizon oils spill that killed eleven workers, appropriate would be to stop and capture leaking oil, saving wildlife, and response to needs of human (Mendelssohn, Andersen, Caffey, Carman Rozas,2012). For a CQU group assignment, a portfolio would be appropriate and for infrastructure and resources PPPMs, their availability and effective control is appropriate. Notably, the distribution of a project virtually, and internationally makes a difference as their scope of operations widen, increasing the chances of success. In week 9, the topic of discussion is on proposing an appropriate project management application systems to support project execution in infrastructure and resource industries (Kerzner, 2013). Through studying and doing assignments, I understood the differences between identity and proposal, the meaning of appropriate, necessities on executing a project and the effect of adoption. Identity means the similarity in issues, appropriate is the suitability of the project while proposal refers to a plan put forward for discussion by individuals. The following elements are indispensable in the execution of a program: The identification of project milestones The breaking down of the milestones into tasks The purchasing of equipment necessary for achieving the targets Allocation of tasks to teams with regards to their area of expertise Tracking the progress of each and every member and monitoring all expenditure Communicating of the progress to all stakeholders The adoption of a system engineering body of knowledge (SEBoK) enhances changes to the dimensional approach of project management as it promotes practice in engineering, education, and research (Bourque Fairley, 2014). In week 10, the topic of discussion is on contemporary developments in the use of project application systems which analyses the inventions in the modern times (Cummings Worley, 2014). I will deliberate on the eight recent innovations that I found appealing to the modern industry and project managers which include: The project management maturity model(PMMM) Methodologies on project management Continuous improvement Development of an effective procedural documentation Capacity planning Competency tools Managing numerous projects End of phase reviews meetings All the above stated modern inventions seek to facilitate the realization of a successful project formation to execution. References Beringer, C., Jonas, D., Georg Gemnden, H. (2012). Establishing project portfolio management: An exploratory analysis of the influence of internal stakeholders' interactions.Project Management Journal,43(6), 16-32. Bourque, P., Fairley, R. E. (2014).Guide to the software engineering body of knowledge (SWEBOK (R)): Version 3.0. IEEE Computer Society Press. Cummings, T. G., Worley, C. G. (2014).Organization development and change. Cengage learning. De Marco, A., Narbaev, T. (2013). Earned value-based performance monitoring of facility construction projects.Journal of facilities Management, 11(1), 69-80. Eilam, B. (2012). System thinking and feeding relations: Learning with a live ecosystem model.Instructional Science,40(2), 213-239. Hayes, J. (2014).The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Heizer, J., Render, B., Munson, C. (2016).Principles of operations management: sustainability and supply chain management. Pearson Higher Ed. Kerzner, H. R. (2013).Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Mendelssohn, I. A., Andersen, G. L., Baltz, D. M., Caffey, R. H., Carman, K. R., Fleeger, J. W. ... Rozas, L. P. (2012). Oil impacts on coastal wetlands: implications for the Mississippi River Delta ecosystem after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.Bioscience,62(6), 562-574. Wasson, C. S. (2015).System Engineering Analysis, Design, and Development: Concepts, Principles, and Practices. John Wiley Sons. Willcocks, L. (2013).Information management: the evaluation of information systems investments. Springer.