A Movie Review

This film has a convincing story that has different characters that originate from various races and foundation whose lives are entwined with one another and set in the city of Los Angeles.It shows the racial irreverence and hatred in the city just as the medication culture. It is a contemporary film that describes a gathering of racially differing people where one will see whites, blacks, Asians and Hispanics. Each character is depicted in various racial segregation circumstances as a wrongdoer at one point in the story and a casualty in another.A film so brimming with solid supremacist language and extraordinary encounters where everybody appears to be irate and frightened of being glaringly separated in view of their shading, yet simultaneously each has their own intolerance that moves them to do the same.The articulations of classless words were apparently done foolishly, impolitely or purposely which by one way or another prompts savagery and crimes.â Anyone, in whichever part of the world, who will watch this film, can by one way or another identify with in any event one character wherein one offers similar feelings of trepidation, trusts and now and again feels incited to fight back when pushed to a corner.In one scene, the character named Ria, the Latina analyst, had a vehicular accident with an Asian lady (who misspoke the word brake as blake) whom she told snidely, â€Å"†¦you don’t see my blake lights. It's just plain obvious, I stop when I see a long queue of vehicles halted before me. Perhaps you see over the directing wheel, you’ll blake too†.â That originating from Ria’s mouth who was likewise racially segregated by his own dark boyfriend.Several film surveys has appraised this film with four stars or more.â These film audits impact the here and there help in the achievement or the disappointment of a specific movie.â It helps the moviegoers choose whether it is deserving within recent memory and cash to w atch or not.â There are surveys that are either made dispassionately and subjectively.According to Amber Deggans, who composes for the reel surveys, watching the movie resembles viewing a narrative. The crudeness of the feelings of the characters contacts us deeply.The depiction of the oppressive and bigot cop named Officer John Ryan prompts us to despise him for his mentality towards the dark network yet observing him encouraging his wiped out dad is so conflicting which just gives us that there is consistently a decent side to individuals. Producers ordinarily do their most extreme to contact the crowd and give to them that there is a need to stop the resentment among us yet very few were effective in doing this with the exception of this movie.The portrayal of every job was eventually passed on to the audience.â The exhibition of the entertainers was uncommonly done coming about for the film’s message to be altogether conveyed. Scenes were some of the time so piercing that it turns out to be hard for the watcher not to be moved particularly if sooner or later in our lives, we may have experienced a moderately comparable if not the specific circumstance as appeared in the movie. Roger Ebert, who is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film pundit and screen author appraised this film with four stars. As end to his survey, Ebert referenced, â€Å"I don't expect â€Å"Crash† to work any supernatural occurrences, yet I accept anybody seeing it is probably going to be moved to have somewhat more compassion toward dislike themselves. The film contains hurt, frigidity and remorselessness, yet is it without trust? Not at all.†Some scenes from this film give us shockingly surprising however practical looks at specific imbalances that genuine individuals additionally go over. For a film that didn’t have adequate financial plan for its creation, portions of the film were very spoken to all things considered and normally. Crash unequivoca lly portrays a reality that none of us can disprove and constrains us to confront reality, that every one of us convey our own preference paying little mind to which race we have a place to.â The social effect of this film would ideally prompt an acknowledgment of a bigot free community.WORKS CITEDCrash. Dir. Paul Haggis. Perfs. Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito,Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Terence Howard, Ryan Philippe. DVD. Lions Gate Production. 2005.Deggans, Amber. â€Å"MovieReview†. Frank’s Reel Reviews. 2005.4 December 2007. <http://www.franksreelreviews.com/audits/2005/crash2.htm#reviewEbert, Roger. â€Å"Crash: When Racial Worlds Collide†. Chicago Sun Times. 5 May 2005. 4 December 2007. <http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/applications/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050505/REVIEWS/50502001/1023>

The History of Spices and Condiments :: Cooking Food Papers

Today, because of the innovative advancement and overall exchange, individuals came to appreciate outside societies notwithstanding the East or West. An ever increasing number of individuals travel the world over uninhibitedly and investigate extraordinary societies. Among those delights, food can be the most fascinating draw which speaks to the way of life. This is on the grounds that food is extraordinary to the spot. One of significant angles which upgrade the uniqueness of food is its sauces, for example, flavors and flavors. Culinary experts are eager in utilizing flavors to animate epicurians’ cravings and to add extraordinary tastes to the food. In spite of the fact that toppings will in general be viewed as subjecting some portion of food, they have long narratives and huge implications in old occasions. In antiquated occasions, toppings were exceptionally esteemed, â€Å"as essential elements of incense, treating additives, salves, aromas, cures against toxic substan ces, makeup, and meds, and were utilized uniquely to a constrained degree in the kitchen (Rosengarten 16). Considering their narratives and foundations of the names, for example, historical background, will assist us with tracking down the old life, culture, and social qualities. What's more, the utilization of toppings were considerably more sweeping than today and played one of the most significant parts on the planet history, empowering the human advancement which permitted today’s overall exchanges. This exploration is centered around the historical backgrounds of significant fixing words, for example, salt, vinegar, pepper, cinnamon, and mustard, which have been exceptionally esteemed from old time to today’s life. Likewise, the movements of those words on the planet and articulations created by intelligence of antiquated individuals are additionally examined. Matsuya 2 I) History In antiquated occasions, salt was valuable and important before refrigeration, when salt was the significant methods for keeping meat from rotting. What's more, salt was utilized as a medication, for example, â€Å"smelling-salts.† It was accepted that salt, with ammonium carbonate with some pleasing aroma as lavender or bergamot, can be an energizer and helpful in faintness and migraines. In this manner, spilling salt was considered to bring an unfortunate sign among the Romans. II) Etymological change Proto-Germanic *saltan Indo-European *sal-d-om ~ Old English salt, sealt Before 1100 sealt thirteenth salit 14-sixteenth salte 16-seventeenth sault Cognate with Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Old Icelandic, Gothic, salt Middle Dutch sout Old High German salz Cognate outside Germanic Latin sal, salt Old Irish salann Welsh halen Greek hals Latvian sals Old Slavic soli, sladuku Matsuya 3 Armenian al Tocharian deal salyiye Sanskrit sal (in salila-m ‘sea’) In spite of the fact that these structures have certain likenesses, in Old Slavonic, sladuku implied â€Å"sweet.

Blog Archive Enhance Your Leadership Skills with the Berkeley Haas Evening and Weekend MBA Program

Blog Archive Enhance Your Leadership Skills with the Berkeley Haas Evening and Weekend MBA Program The Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, is likely best known for its full-time MBA program, which welcomes approximately in its incoming class each year. However, a full-time, two-year program is not necessarily the best option for all aspiring MBAsâ€"especially those who already have extensive work experience and perhaps are responsible for leading a team. The Berkeley Haas Evening and Weekend MBA (EWMBA) program is designed for established professionals who wish to remain in their roles while enhancing their leadership skills and earning an MBA. From 2014 to 2019, the Haas EWMBA was ranked the number one part-time MBA program in the United States by U.S. News World Report, though it now stands at  number two in the publication’s 2020 survey. The Berkeley Haas EWMBA program is highly customizable: students can elect to take classes in the evenings or on the weekends, as best fits their schedule, and can finish their degree in two and a half or three years, though even longer options are available as needed. Students who opt to pursue their studies in the evening take core classes two nights a week (either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday), while elective courses are given Monday ­ through Thursday. For the weekend option, classes are presented on Saturdays, with core courses requiring full days for the initial three semesters and electives demanding a slightly lighter workload. Each class of EWMBA students includes roughly the same number of individuals as the full-time MBA programâ€"275 in the class that matriculated in fall 2018, for example. While the median years of work experience varies with each class, the median for the students who enrolled in 2018 was seven. Every incoming class is divided into cohor ts of 70 students who take all core courses together and who are further divided into study teams of approximately five individuals for tackling the course work. The EWMBA curriculum consists of 22 units of core courses, such as “Macroeconomics,” “Leadership Communication,” and “Ethics and Responsibility in Business,” and 20 units of electives, the first of which can be taken in the summer of students’ first year. The sense of community at Haas is integrated into the EWMBA curriculum in the form of three programs: WE Launch, the weekend-long mandatory student orientation; WE Innovate, a two-day retreat typically hosted in Napa Valley in which students apply what they have learned from their initial core courses; and WE Lead, an opportunity just before graduation intended for reflection and celebration. Haas’s global focus is evident in its learning opportunities outside the country, which include participating in an international exchange after completing one’s core courses, seminars in international business, and the International Business Development (IBD) program, which is touted on the Haas website as the school’s “signature international MBA experience.” The IBD program connects students with real companies and consists of classroom teamwork and a two-week visit to the client company’s country. Combining a demanding job with part-time MBA studies can be challenging, but the effort involved can confer notable advantagesâ€"not only in the professional doors an MBA typically opens and the leadership skills gained but also in the relationships established with classmates and faculty members. If you are considering applying to a part-time MBA program, sign up for a free 30-minute consultation with one of our Senior Consultants to get valuable information on starting your journey. Share ThisTweet Berkeley-Haas

What Impression Do We Gain of Jane Eyre in the Opening...

What impression do we gain of Jane Eyre in the opening chapters? In the first few opening chapters Jane Eyre is seen as a mentally and physically abused child, during her years at Gateshead Hall. John Reed displays violence towards Jane in the first chapter. He punishes and bullies Jane; it is not known why the Reed family resent her so much. Her situation is seen as desperate within the first few paragraphs. Her cousins and Aunt make her life impossible and unbearable, she is not seen as a member of the family. Jane is simply seen as ‘’less than a servant’’ as she does ‘’nothing for her keep’’. In the first few opening paragraphs of chapter one it is possible to see that Jane Eyre doesn’t get on with either member of the Reed†¦show more content†¦Jane is of course blamed for fighting with John Reed, so is punished. But Jane ‘’resisted all the way: a new thing for me’’ this is the first time in the novel that we see her starting to rebel and resist the Reed’s cruel behavior towards her. Jane couldn’t control her feelings ‘’I was a trifle beside myself’’. Again showing she wasn’t and couldn’t carry on receiving the abuse she was experiencing, she is starting to stick up for herself. Some critics say that this is because Jane had hit puberty and couldn’t control her emotions. This is why she had been experiencing sudden outbursts. Once Jane is locked in the red room in chapter two, she is able to reflect on everything that just happened. The red room is the chamber where Jane’s kind uncle died; he took her to Gateshead when her parents died. This shows Jane’s strength of character. Most children would be frightened and would be screaming with fear to be let out of this cold, haunted and dark chamber that they had been locked in. But Jane thinks about it rationally, ‘’superstition was with me at that moment; but it was not yet her hour for complete victory’’. This also proves that Jane believes in superstition and clings onto a magical world. But after a while in the red room Jane does become terrified and begins to convince herself that something is going toShow MoreRelatedStatement of Purpose23848 Words   |  96 Pagesresearch facilities. Familiarize yourself with the disciplinary culture by identifying the ethos—the values, beliefs, discourse practices, a nd epistemological assumptions—of a department, program, or college (liberal arts or science and technology). What does it mean to think and write like a member of a specific intellectual community? For example, members of the science community embrace an epistemology—a way of knowing—―consistent with the traditional objective orientation of scientific inquiryâ€â€"

The American Revolution And The Civil War Essay - 964 Words

From before the American Revolution to the conclusion of the Civil War African slaves had been enslaved against their will. They were taken from their homeland in Africa and brought to the colonies. Once they arrived to the colonies, they were sold to slave masters to work in the slave masters’ field, most of the time picking cotton. During the selling and buying selling process of slaves, many families were often split up. Slaves typically were sold for about $2,000. $40,000 in today’s dollars. While working for their slave masters, black slaves often were brutally beaten, verbally abused, and were viewed as  ¾ of a human being. They basically had no rights. Slaves were allowed to learn how to read and write. Slave masters wanted to keep their slaves ignorant. â€Å"I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday.† (Wheeler, Becker, and Glover page 249) Many times if someone discovered a slave was able to read and write, that slave wa s often punished severely or sometimes lynched. Because of all the horrible and unfair circumstances, the slaves often attempted to run away, seeking freedom. If the runaway slaves were caught, they were often killed or whipped. One individual in particular by the name of Frederick Douglas was very instrumental in the fight for freedom of black slaves. During the Civil War, Douglas recruited African American soldiers for the Union, and he worked after the war for civil rights for the African Americans. (Wheeler, Becker, andShow MoreRelatedThe American Revolution And The Civil War1567 Words   |  7 Pagesthe eyes of most, the American Revolution was a momentous event that shaped not only what would now be the America we know today but the whole world as well. However, this event had ramifications that affected the history of America for many years to come. In fact, many of those same ramifications led to what we know as the American Civil War. While it may be difficult to distinguish whether or not the Civil War was an inevitable consequence of the American Revolution due to lack of correlatingRead MoreThe American Revolution And The Civil War956 Words   |  4 Pagessemester in my religion class and there is a lot I want to share with you. Between the American Revolution in 1776 and the Civil War in 1840 a lot changed in American religion. There are three major religious movements during that time period I would love to tell you about, they are, the birth Shakers and the Pleasant Hill Community, the birth of Mormons with Joseph Smith, and the story of â€Å"How the American Revolution Agreed to Differ over Religion†. I hope you find these topics as important and interestingRead MoreThe American Revolution And The Civil War Essay1757 Words   |  8 Pagesother countries and our own country. The rejection of human rights is a crucial action which can result in a gruesome long term conflict. War is said to be inevitable by many but the study of why some of the most notable battles in history began is even more fascinati ng; moreover, The American Revolution and The Civil War are two of the most notorious events in American history thus it is necessary to realize just how influential and connected they are to one another. What is more, the powerful figuresRead MoreThe Civil War And American Revolution1356 Words   |  6 PagesMost people know it as the Civil War, but it ought to be best known as The Confederate States of America, home to the 13 colonies from the Civil War and American Revolution. The Confederate States of America originally started out with 11 states in 1860 and on July 15, 1870 Georgia was the last Confederate state; when they were operating under the Articles of Confederation, providing guns to militias. The founder found out the Constitution was too weak and decided to adopt the US Constitution toRead MoreThe American Revolution, Or First Civil War?997 Words   |  4 PagesJoseph Anhalt Duce Class Title 25 March 2015 The American Revolution, or first civil war? The American Revolution was a Civil War, at first. One outstanding reason for this is that the colonies at the time were still recognized as a part of the british empire. Being apart of the british empire would there endow us with being from the same nation, maki9ng the act of war upon ourselves at the time a Civil war.The combatants of this war were The Loyalist, the ones who chose to stay with the britishRead MoreComparing The American Revolution and The American Civil War Essay852 Words   |  4 Pagesstudy American history we see that the saying, History repeats itself reveals much truth. As we look closer at the American Revolution and the American Civil War, we can find many similarities between the two. Another saying that is made known is that We learn from our mistakes,; but even the greatest men and women of our history did not follow. The main causes for both wars were the fight for liberty. If we are to analyze this issue in both wars, we see that the conclusion of one w ar leads toRead MoreThe American Revolution: Sowing the Seeds for the Civil War1587 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Revolution: Sowing the Seeds for the Civil War The time of the American Revolution was the most critical period of time in all of American history. This was a period of time in which the foundation of our nation was set down: a strong foundation will lead us to greatness, a weak foundation will not. Along the path, if a part of the foundation crumbles or falls, it will take immense energy to fix it, and even if it heals, it heals with an ugly scar, a mark in our history. The mistakesRead MoreCivil War as the Second American Revolution Essay965 Words   |  4 PagesThe Civil War could easily be seen as the second American Revolution considering it brought about significant change in history in the political, social, and economic aspects. Prior to the civil war, there had been a policy of slavery in the South which was a main cause of the conflict between the Union and the Confederacy. In the post-war period, slavery had been abolished which brought about much change in not only the social but economic aspect as well. There are many points from which the CivilRead MoreThe Civil War: The Second American Revolution? Essay examples1083 Words   |  5 PagesThe Civil War has been described as one of the most important occurrences in the life of the United States. It was period in time when the United States was no longer united, but instead was split between the north and south due to the ongoing feud over of the legal standing of slavery nationwide. For four years, many people were subjected to horrific measures, especially the soldiers that participated in combat. Despite the brutality of battle, soldiers experienced a numerous amount of daily hardshipsRead MoreThe Civil War : The American Revolution And The Secession Of The United States1472 Words   |  6 Pages Americans before the Civil War came to the United States to acquire self-preservation and to explore the foundation of capitalism. Songwriters such as Stephen Foster, felt the American people needed an image to follow a need for Puritan mentali ty. Without a doubt, music purposely expressed these movements by the usage of musical lyrics to analyze the discrimination against African American slaves and the secession of the United States, which reflected the turmoil of the separated Puritan communities

Animal Testing Is Wrong - 1288 Words

ANIMAL TESTING IS WRONG The words animal testing mean to perform procedures on living animals for the research of basic human biology and diseases, finding out the effectiveness of new medical products, and testing the human health and environmental safety of consumer and industry products like cosmetics, household cleaners, food additives, pharmaceuticals and industrial/agro-chemicals and means using other living organisms except humans for testing. All procedures, even those classified as â€Å"mild,† have the potential to cause the animals physical as well as psychological distress and suffering and sometimes even death. Often the procedures can cause a great deal of suffering and it can end in death of the test subject. Most animals are killed at the end of an experiment, but some may be reused in subsequent experiments and then killed. Animal testing forces chemical exposure in toxicity testing, which can include oral force-feeding, forced inhalation, skin or injection into the abdomen, muscle, exposes animals to drugs, chemicals or infectious disease at levels that cause illness, pain and distress, and even death. Animal testing uses genetic manipulation, addition or â€Å"knocking out† of one or more genes, animal testing uses ear-notching and tail-clipping for identification of test subjects, short periods of physical restraint for observation or examination, prolonged periods of physical restraint, depriving animals of food and water, surgical procedures followedShow MoreRelatedIs Animal Testing Wrong?923 Words   |  4 PagesIs Animal Testing Wrong? It s on the internet, it s in magazines, it s even on the news. Animal testing is a major debate among both academics and everyday people. The most common animals used in testing ae mice, rats, and apes. Some people think that animal testing is obsolete in this day and age but it isn t obsolete because animal testing helps determine what chemicals are potentially harmful to humans, it helps determine what medicines are potentially safe for human use, and it helps advanceRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong1495 Words   |  6 PagesHarmful Testing on Animals is Wrong In American society, many groups and organizations are debating whether or not animal testing should be banned. Some people believe that there are reasons why animal testing should be done. Others believe that animal testing is morally wrong. Some experts believe that there are other options available. I believe that animal testing is wrong based on three observations: animal testing is unethical, pointless, and abusive. Numerous years ago, animal testing was startedRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong?975 Words   |  4 PagesI believe that animal testing is wrong because, the animals are treated inhumanely. Humans have no right to use animals like they are objects that can just be thrown away like they do not matter. These experiments result in extreme and torturous pain. Animals are brought into laboratories and tested on against their will. An estimate of almost twenty-six million animals is used every year in the United States for scientific and commercial testing. Animals are used to check the safety of product,Read MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong And Cruel Animals1195 Words   |  5 Pageshas made me realize that animal testing is wrong and cruel to animals. I will be going over some of the history of animal testing, giving examples of some of the tests that are being performed, and mentioning some of the laws and acts created. While reading through this think is this test necessary when the animals will be put through cruel procedures. This is why I think that animal testing should be reevaluated to see if it is really worthwhile. What is animal testing some people ask, and whyRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Morally Wrong? Essay1373 Words   |  6 PagesHumans are animals, and as such it is morally wrong to use them to test pharmaceuticals intended for use by humans. Those who support animal experimentation believe it is a necessary evil, in part due to the false information put out by the media. The so-called benefits of animal testing have not helped humans for years, yet in many countries the law still requires researchers use animals to test their medications. In fact, although alternatives have been found, few steps have been taken to put anRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Morally Wrong? Essay1305 Words   |  6 PagesSeeing as humans are animals it is morally wrong to use animals to test human products. Due to the false information put out by the media, those who support animal believe what the media states about it being a necessary evil. The so-called benefits from animal testing have not helped humans for yea rs, but is now legally required in many countries. Although alternatives have been found, few steps have been taken to put an end to animal experimentation. The way activists present their argument isRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong Essay1418 Words   |  6 PagesMany people have animals around the world, whether it be dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, even horses and llamas, and they all love them very much. A lot of people will do anything to ensure the comfort and safety of their companion and friend. Many people may be shocked and horrified to find that over 100 Million animals die each year due to animal testing. This essay will go into more detail about some reasons why people might find animal testing wrong, and some reasons why a lot of people see it asRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Morally Wrong?878 Words   |  4 Pageslot of different types of animals suffer through painful and unnecessary tests. An animal being used for scientific experiments is wrong because it is inhumane, expensive, and unpredictable. Animals in laboratories live lives of loss, pain, loneliness, and torture. Various studies have shown that animal experimentation often does not even help humans. Some even lead to harmful human reactions to the drugs being tested on animals. Yet we continue to use animal testing while other courses of actionRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong Essay1603 Words   |  7 PagesAnimal testing has been around since the third and fourth centuries BC, when it was performed by Greek philosopher-physicians. However, it is unknown when people began to question this process. In today’s society, the idea of testing products on animals has become more and more controversial with numerous groups being created and becoming even more vocal. While people will decide for themselves where they stand in this argument, I would hope that most would agree that animal abuse is wrong. So,Read MoreAnimal Testing is Wrong! Essay923 Words   |  4 PagesPicture yourself in a testing laboratory; needles, drugs, and knives pointed in your direction with you having no idea whatà ¢â‚¬â„¢s going on around you, this is how animals everyday are treated, we have to stop this now! Millions of animals are killed in laboratories everyday with no chance to object to what the testers are about to do to them. Animals feel as much pain as humans do so why does it make it okay to test on them when they are so alike to humans? Every day people test makeup, shampoos, and

Led Zeppelin The British Rock Band free essay sample

This was just the beginning of their rocks lives. During the early asss this band was at the peak of their success. They became very rich and did crazy things like trash the hotels they stayed in while on tour(dilemma Led Zeppelin: The real monsters of rock). Led Zeppelins fourth album was released in 1971 and had no name to it, but is one the best selling albums ever. It sold over 23 million copies in just the US, even though the band is also very popular and originated in the LIKE (Rockwell. Com Led Zeppelin Biography). In 1 980, something horrible happened to the band and its fans.Their rammer John Bonham was found dead by their tour manager and John Paul Jones. He died from asphyxiation from vomit. The band broke up after his death because they agreed it would not be the same without him(ultraconservative. Com Quote after Paragraph three). We will write a custom essay sample on Led Zeppelin: The British Rock Band or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Unfortunately, he lived the rock star life a little bit too hard. In the dads the band sold their music online like the modern day bands and music artists. In 2007 the band reunited for a concert in London with Bonham son Jason taking his place on the drums. (Rockwell. Com Paragraph eleven). I guess Led Zeppelin will always love the rock star life even at an old ages.

Logistics Article Review free essay sample

It discusses how critical the supply chain is to global trade and world welfare and that it is estimated that the consequences of disruption to the global supply chain, whether from terrorist or natural causes, can be in the range of hundreds of billions of dollars (Sarathy, 2007). It explains that TSM is a framework for mitigating security risks; prescribing best practices along the firm’s entire value chain (Chapter 1. Supply Chain Management) (Sarathy, 2007). It is used to help firms cope with all the possible sources of disruption that can happen in a supply chain, such as terrorist attacks and hurricanes. It also goes on to explain that TSM is broad in coverage, linking security to the entire range of value-added activities/ value added services (Chapter 3. Demand Management and Customer Service) across the supply chain (Sarathy, 2007). Aimed at both internal and external stakeholders, TSM as a common framework allows for easier collaboration among various supply chain participants and helps promote continuous improvement and innovation in nhancing security (Sarathy, 2007). We will write a custom essay sample on Logistics Article Review or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In today’s global society, where everything is being traded over the internet and outsourcing and off-shoring (Chapter 5. Global Logistics) are becoming the norms; companies must concern themselves with the security practices of their partners if they hope to keep a thriving business. The logistics implications of this article are varied; in discussing TSM’s framework, it tells how it is built off the ideas inherent in the Total Quality Management (TQM) Procurement and Supply Management) approach, including building resilience into the supply chain and creating value from security initiatives. TSM requires all stakeholders be empowered to enhance security, suggesting that the firm push to obtain an organization-wide financial commitment to enhancing security (Sarathy, 2007). As supply chains become global the number of geographically scattered supply chain partners increases, also firms use a variety of infrastructure and transportation modes, so all the infrastructure operators are the firm’s partners (Sarathy, 2007). All of these various partners must collaborate and operate at the same high standard to obtain a high level of security across the entire supply chain (Sarathy, 2007). Since TSM involves initiating actions to avoid risk and to create and disseminate a value proposition that can justify the importance of security-related actions and investments, it holds that security practices are more likely adopted if they yield tangible benefits (Sarathy, 2007). It is suggested that the TSM approach can clarify the range of risk, making a firm less vulnerable to all the disruptions that can happen to a supply chain, like natural disasters, and can lead to marketplace recognition of the value enhancement of the firm from increased security and reduced vulnerability to disruption.

Analysis of Invitation Cards for Attending Wedding Ceremonies in the Jordanian Society Essay Example

Analysis of Invitation Cards for Attending Wedding Ceremonies in the Jordanian Society Essay Example Analysis of Invitation Cards for Attending Wedding Ceremonies in the Jordanian Society Essay Analysis of Invitation Cards for Attending Wedding Ceremonies in the Jordanian Society Essay The data are elicited through a questionnaire that consists of twenty five items compiled from invitation cards for both Muslims and Christians. The findings of the study show that the form of the invitation cards in Islam and Christianity in the Jordanian society is systematic and influenced by social, economic, and religious factors. Finally, this study recommends that further research to be conducted investigating other invitation cards for other events in the Jordanian society such as, invitation cards for attending meetings, lectures, celebrations, royal feasts and tribal reconciliation. 1. Introduction This paper reports on the results of a study which investigates the analysis of wedding invitation cards between Muslims and Christians in the Jordanian society. Also, it explores how the Christian and Muslim wedding invitation cards are structured. Al-Qudah (2001: 1) suggests that sociolinguistics is a relatively new branch of linguistics which deals with topics related to the interaction between society and language. Hymes (1979: 61) states that genres often coincide with speech events, but must be treated as analytically independent of them. Campbell and Jamieson (quoted in Swales 1990: 43) defined a genre as a group of acts unified by a constellation of forms that recurs in each of its members. These forms, in isolation, appear in other discourses. What is distinctive about the acts in a genre is a recurrence of the forms together in constellation. Nunan (1993) insisted that the term genre recently adapted by functional linguists who argue that language exists to fulfill certain functions, and that these functions will determine the overall shape or generic structure of the discourse Do the socio-cultural factors have a significant role in the organization and production of such wedding invitation cards? We have been thinking of this question for ages. The invitation cards have great communication potential(Willer 2001: 16). They represent a means to invite other people to attend the wedding ceremony which is arranged by the families of both the bride and the groom. Brown and Levinson (quoted in Haidarah 2001: 27) provide an insightful account of the various ways in which people can convey messages through invitation cards. The communicative purpose of such invitation is to inform people that a wedding part is going to be held in a specific time and place and to invite or call upon people to participate in this occasion by their presences. A wedding party is a significant event in the Islamic Jordanian society. the party will function as an announcement to the public that X and Y are a husband and wife from now on. A large group of people are invited in order to witness that event. It seems that this field of study is fairly new; it has not been investigated thoroughly. It is also clear that this topic has not been studied in Jordan. Hence, the need for such research in this area to identify the organization and production of such wedding invitation cards. An invitation card is considered one of the most important forms of genre. Scollon (1995) defines genre as a term borrowed from literature to refer to different conventional forms of speech events. For examples, jokes, lectures, sales letters, contracts, evaluation reports, advertising copies and so forth are all different genres found in every day professional communication. By genre we mean any speech event, whether it is spoken or in writing which has fairly predictable sets of speech acts, participants, topics, settings, or other regularly occurring and conventional form. Raheja and Puri (1995: 68) viewed that the wedding invitation card can be organized in a number of formats. However, the following important information must be included: (1) The fact that it is a wedding event; (2) the names of the hosts; (3) the names of the bride and the groom; (4) that data and the year; (5) the time; (6) address of the ceremony. The Jordanian society Jordan is a developing country, just like any other country in the Arab world. It has a rooted history that pushes to become one of the most advanced countries in the region. Socially, the traditional heritage in Jordanian society is that family members, relatives, friend, and neighbors should support each other morally and sometimes substantially in times of adversity and happiness. Friendship between people of the same sex is occasionally expressed by holding hands when walking in the street. Marriage is still common in Jordanian society. When two persons decide to become partners for life, the bond linking them is called marriage, which, ideally, is supported to last for a lifetime. Raheja and Puri (1995: 1) said that marriage is an institution; a union of two people; to love, cherish and obey. Marriage has become part of a tradition. Derived from the Latin word traditio, tradition encompasses to the cumulative social heritage in the form of habits, customs, attitudes and ways of life, which have been transmitted from one generation to the next either through written scripture or word of mouth. The marriage contract, in Jordan, is held between the brides father hand in hand with the bridegroom in the presence of the official judge and witnesses. Guthrie (2001: 15) indicated that the marriage contract included detailed trousseaux inventories and gifts to the bride from her own family, as well as the dowry (mahr), which was for her sole use and benefit. Religious language is repeated after the judge in this event, which is common in all Islam countries. Wedding celebration usually lasts three days and often involves over a hundred guests. Men and women usually celebrate separately in different places. The bridegroom and his family terminate the general celebrations with a big meal in the afternoon for guests, relatives, friends and others The bride celebrates in her parents house mostly together with a great number of female relatives and friends. . 3- Objectives The objective of this study is: 1- To describe the genre of wedding invitation cards within the Jordanian society. 2- To identify the distinctive features that form the structure of the invitation cards in Islam and Christianity. 3- To account for the socio-cultural factors that contribute to the production and organization of such genres. 4- To identify the religious factors that affect the identification of the genre of invitation cards. 4. Methodology. 4. 1. Population The population of this study consisted of all people living in the city of Jerash (males and females). Those people were from two religions Islam (Sunni and Circassian ) and Christianity . This population will help in showing the various forms of invitation cards for attending wedding ceremonies within the Jordanian society with reference to their religions. 4. 2. Sample The sample of this study has been chosen randomly for the questionnaire. The number of people involved for this questionnaire was 13 females and 37 males. Their ages ranged from 22 to 65. Non of them were illiterate, very few had only elementary education, some of them have only secondary education. As for higher education, some of the respondents have Diploma, some have B. A, others had Masters degrees, while few of them have doctoral degrees in different fields. Table (1) shows the distribution of this sample according to religion, sex, and number : Number of females |Number of males |religion | |2 |24 |Sunni |Islam | |5 |3 |Circassian | | |6 |10 |Christianity | |13 |37 |Total | Table (2) shows the distribution of this sample according to their education : Number of females |Number of males |educatio n | |0 |3 |Elementary | |5 |8 |Secondary | |3 |3 |Diploma degree | |4 |18 |Bachelors degree | |1 |3 |Masters degree |0 |2 |Doctoral degree | |13 |37 |Total | 4. 3. Data elicitation The data were elicited through a questionnaire which gives the informants the opportunity to respond frankly without embarrassment. On the first page of the questionnaire there are five questions that elicit demographic information about the subjects, i. e. sex, age, place of living (the city of Jerash) in addition to religion and educational levels. Religion is considered one of the most important variables in this study. The five questions investigate whether age, place of living, sex, educational levels and religion affect the form of the wedding invitation cards. The questionnaire consists of twenty five items investigating the structure and the form of the wedding invitation cards for both muslins and Christians. After careful observation of available invitation cards for attending wedding ceremonies, the researchers have written the twenty five items that were used to collect the data. The questionnaire items consisted of two types (Multiple-Choice and Yes/No questions). The subjects were asked to answer these questions carefully with the assistance of the researchers. 5. Results and discussion. The main focus of this paper was to analyze the invitation cards in Islam and Christianity within the Jordanian society. In order to achieve this objective, the researchers used a questionnaire as a tool to collect dada that would show any potential and significant differences between Muslims and Christians in this regard. The results of this tool will be presented in detail below. The analysis of the questionnaire results showed approximately similar differences between Islam and Christianity. Results of question one which was about the person who offers the invitation card showed that 57. 6% of Muslims wedding invitation cards were offered by the father, 30. 7% of them by the elder brother, 4% by the cousin, and 7. 7% by others, such as the bridegroom himself. As for, Circassians, analysis of results showed that 62. % of them was the father, 25% of them was the elder brother, and 12. 5% of them was the cousin. While Christians, analysis indicated that 75% of them was the father, 18. 7% of them was the elder brother, and 6. 3% of them was others. We have found that the father is the one who always off ers the wedding invitation cards for both Muslims ( Sunni and Circassian ) and Christians (see table 1). Table (1): The person who offers the wedding invitation card. |total |others |cousin |The elder brother |father |Who offered the invitation card? | |100% |7. 7% |4% |30. % |57. 6% |Sunni | |100% |0% |12. 5% |25% |62. 5% |Circassian | |100% |6. 3% |0% |18. 7% |75% |Christian | Question number two which asked about mentioning the name of the bride in the invitation card revealed that 46% of Muslims (Sunni) mentioned the brides name, 50% 0f Muslims (Circassian) also mentioned the brides name, while all of Christians mentioned the name of the bride in the invitation cards. It was found that more than half of Muslims didn’t mention the brides name because of either their social or religious contentments (see table 2). Table (2): Mentioning the brides name. |Disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | |Mentioning | | | |the brides name. | | | | | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |0% |50% |54% |100% |50% |46% | | With regard of those who did not mention the name of the bride, it was found that 85. % of Muslims (Sunni) used instead of the brides name the word: k? ri:m-? uhu (his wife), 14. 3% of them used the word: ibn-tuhu (his daughter). 75% of Muslims (Circassian) also used the word k? ri:m-? uhu (his wife), the rest used the word: ibn-tuhu (his daughter). Also we have found that some of them used the expression ? aqiqatuhu(his sister). As for Christians, they all mention the brides name. (see table 3). Table (3): The way the brides name is mentioned. |total |others |his brothers daughter |his daughter |his wife |How is the brides name mentioned instead? | |100% |0% |0% |14. 3% |85. % |Sunni | |100% |0% |0% |25% |75% |Circassian | |0% |0% |0% |0% |0% |Christian | Question four which asked about the reasons why the brides name wasn’t mentioned in the invitation card showed that 41. 6% of Muslims (Sunni) didn’t mention the brides name because of Social contentment, 58. 4 % of them was because of Religious contentment. Whereas, 100% of Circassians was because of only social contentment. In case of Christians, there were no reasons for not mentioning the brides name (see table 4). Table (4): The reasons why the brides name wasn’t mentioned in the invitation card. total |others reasons |religious |social contentment |Whatre the reasons for not mentioning the | | | |contentment | |brides name | |100% |0% |58. 4% |41. 6% |Sunni | |100% |0% |0% |100% |Circassian | |0% |0% |0% |0% |Christian | As for question five that was about the one who insists on not mentioning the brides name in the invitation card, findings showed that 14. % of Muslims (Sunni) was the grooms father who insists on not mentioning the brides name, 7. 1% was the brides family, and 78. 6% was the grooms himself. 75%of Muslims (Circassian) was the grooms himself and 25% was only the brides family. In comparison with Muslims, Christians had no reasons for not mentioning the brides name in the invitation card (see table 5). Table (5): The person who insists on not mentioning the brides name in the invitation card. |total |groom himself |brides family |rooms farther |Who insists on not mention ing the brides name? | |100% |78. 6% |7. 1% |14. % |Sunni | |100% |75% |25% |0% |Circassian | |0% |0% |0% |0% |Christian | By analyzing results of question six that was about mentioning the bride and grooms job title in the invitation card, it was found that 30. 7% of Muslims (Sunni) mentioned the job title, while 69. 2% refused to mention it. 50% of Muslims (Circassian) mentioned the job title and the rest didn’t. As for Christians, 43. 7% insisted on mentioning their job titles and 56. 3% didn’t. We have found that the reason behind mentioning the job title is prestigious one (see table 6). Table (6): The person who insists on not mentioning the brides name in the invitation card. Disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | | | | | |Mentioning the job | | | |title | | |Muslim | Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |56. 3% |50% |69. 2% |43. 7% |50% |30. 7% | | Question seven asked about beginning the invitation card with a verse of the Holly Koran. Analyzing the results showed that 53. 8% of Muslims (Sunni) usually began their invitation cards with the following verse of the Holly Koran: â€Å"wa men ayatehe an khalaqa lakum min anfusikum azwajan litaskunu elaiha waj? ala binakum mawadatan wa rahma ina fii ? aalika la’yaatin liqawmin yatafakaroon† And of his signs is this: he created for you helpmeets from yourselves that ye might find rest in them, and he ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are portents for folk who reflect. While 75% of Muslims (Circassian) used the same verse of Holly Koran. It seems that Muslims (Circassian and Sunni), who didn’t use the verse of the Holly Koran, tend to use a verse of poetry such as: Ya m ar ala? bab ha? ihi d? watii fatafaDalu litu? arikunii bah d? etii Oh, lovely people, this is my invitation come and share me my happiness Table (7 ): Beginning the invitation card with a verse of the Holly Koran. disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | |Beginning the invitation card| | | |with a verse of the Holly | | | |Koran. | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |NA |25% |46. 2% |NA |75% |53. 8% | | Question eight investigated if the invitation card began with a text of the Bible, results of their answers revealed that 100% of Christians used the following common text of the Bible: 1- â€Å"bilmd? di walkaramati kalilhuma† â€Å" marry them with glory and dignity 2- â€Å"ma d? ama? hu allaah la yufariquhu insan† † What God combines can not be separated by humans. 3- wlikai ya? lamu ana ismaka qad ? ukira ? la haa? a albeit al? ii banait To know that your name had been mentioned upon this house you built. 4- myahun ka? era la tastati:? an toTfe? almahaba wasyool la ta? moroha. Much water couldn’t put out love and flood cant overwhelm it. Whereas, Muslims used a verse of the Holly Koran and a verse of poetry. We have found that none of the Christians used a verse of poetry in their invitation cards (see table 8). Table (8): Beginning the invitation card with a text of the Bible. Disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | | | | | |Beginning the invitation card with| | | |a text of the Bible. | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |0% |NA |NA |100% |NA |NA | | Results of question nine which was about including the invitation card a verse of poetry showed that 7. 7% of Muslims (Sunni) mentioned a verse of poetry, while Muslims (Circassian) was 12. 5%. As for Christians, 6. 2% of them mentioned a verse of poetry such as: Ya m ar ala? bab ha? hi d? watii fatafaDalu litu? arikunii bah d? etii Oh, lovely people, this is my invitation come and share me my happiness Table (9): Including the invitation card a verse of poetry. |Disagree |Agree | | | | |Including the invitation card| | | |a verse of poetry. | | | | | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | |Circanssian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |93. 8% |87. 5% |92. 3% |6. 2% |12. 5% |7. 7% | | As for question ten which was about if the invitation card included a statement to the invitees about not accompanying children, the results showed that 27% of Muslims (Sunni) mentioned a statement, while Muslims (Circassian) was 12. 5%. As for Christians, 18. 8% of them mentioned a statement. During our interview with the subjects, we have found that Christianity urges the family to accompany their children to the wedding ceremony (see table 10). Table (10): Including the invitation card a statement to the invitees about not accompanying children. |Disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | |A statement to the invitees about | | | |not accompanying children. | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |81. 3% |87. 5% |73% |18. 8% |12. 5% |27% | | Analyzing results of question eleven that investigated the statement that is used by those who didn’t like children to come to the wedding ceremony, showed that 57. 1% of Muslims (Sunni) and 100% of Muslims (Circassian) used the following direct statement: â€Å"yurd? a ? adam iSTi ab al? Tfaal† † Please, don’t accompany children. While 14. 2% of them used the following indirect statement which is more polite than previous one: â€Å"d? nat al aTfaal byuutahum† . † Children paradise is their homes In contrast with Muslims, Christians preferred to accompany thei r children to the wedding ceremony (see table 11). Table (11): Statements used by people who didn’t want children to come to the wedding. |total |Pleasant sleeping for|Children paradise is their|Not accompanying children |What is the statement used by people who didn’t| | |your children |homes | |want children to come to the wedding? | |100% |28. 7% |14. 2% |57. % |Sunni | |100% |0% |0% |100% |Circassian | |0% |0% |0% |0% |Christian | As for question twelve which was about if the invitation card contained a statement to the invitees about not shooting with a gun, the results showed that 53. 8% of Muslims (Sunni), 12. 5% of Muslims (Circassian), and 25% of Christians mentioned the following statement: â€Å"yurd? a ? adam iTlaaq al? yaraat alnaaryah† † Please, don’t shoot with a gun. Table (12): A statement to the invitees about not shooting with a gun Disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | |A statement to the invitees | | | |about not shooting with a gun. | | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |75% |87. 5% |46. 2% |25% |12. % |53. 8% | | In regard to question thirteen that was about the price of the invitation card, analysis showed that the price of the invitation card of 57. 6 % of Muslims (Sunni), 62. 5% of Muslims (Circassian), and 50% of Christians were less than one dinnar. Whereas 38. 4% of Muslims (Sunni), 25% of Muslims (Circassian), and 50% of Christians were less than half dinnar. With relation of the rest of the subjects, the price of their invitation card was more than one dinnar (see table 13). Table (13):The price of the subjects invitation cards. |total |More than one dinnar. Less than half dinnar |Less than one dinnar |What was the price of the invitation | | | | | |cards? | |100% |4% |38. 4% |57. 6% |Sunni | |100% |12. 5% |25% |62. 5% |Circassian | |100% |18. 8% |31. 2% |50% |Christian | Findings of question fourteen that was about how the invitation card was formed showed that forming the invitation card of 27 % of Muslims (Sunni), 37. % of Muslims (Circassian), and 25% of Christians were between the brides family and the bridegrooms family. . Whereas 34. 6% of Muslims (Sunni), 50% of Muslims (Circassian), and 68. 7 % of Christians were between the bride and the bridegroom. In contrast, 38. 4% of Muslims (Sunni), 12. 5% of Muslims (Circassi an), and 6. 3 % of Christians invitation cards were formed by the bridegroom himself (see table 14). Table (14): Forming the invitation card. |total |the bridegroom only. |consultation between the |consultation between the brides |How was the invitation card | | | |bride and the bridegroom. family and the bridegrooms family. |formed? | |100% |38. 4% |34. 6% |27% |Sunni | |100% |12. 5% |50% |37. 5% |Circassian | |100% |6. 3% |68. 7% |25% |Christian | Analyzing results of question fifteen that was about Putting the invitation card in an envelope, it was found that 100% Muslims (Sunni), 87. 5% of Muslims (Circassian), and 93. % of Christians have put their invitation cards in an envelope. The rest offered the invitation cards without envelopes. (see table 15). Table (15): Putting the invitation card in an envelope . |Disagree |Agree | | | | |Putting the invitation card in | | | |an envelope. | | |Muslim | Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circ assian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | |0% | | | | | |62% |12. 5% | |93. 8% |87. 5% |100% | | Considering results of question sixteen which was about if the invitation card was written in a language other than Arabic, it was found that most of the invitation card were written in Arabic. Whereas very few of them were written in English (see table 16). Table (16) Writing the invitation card in a language other than Arabic . |Disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | |Writing the invitation card in a | | | |language other than Arabic. | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |93. 8% |100% |100% |6. % |0% |0% | | Analyzing results of question seventeen which was about the way in which the invitation card was sent, it was found that 50% of Muslims (Circassian), and 18. 7% of Christians have sent their invitation cards by mail. As for 100% of Muslims (Sunni), and 50% of Muslims (Circassian), and 75% of Christians have sent their invitation cards by hand. Only 6. 3% of christens have sent their invitation cards by fax (see table 17). Table (17) The way in which the invitation card was sent. |total |by fax |by hand |by mail |How were the invitation cards sent? |100% |0% |100% |0% |Sunni | |100% |0% |50% |50% |Circassian | |100% |6. 3% |75% |18. 7 % |Christian | Considering results of question eighteen which was about if the name of the publishing house was mentioned in the invitation card , it was found that 88. 4% of Muslims (Sunni), 37. 5%of Muslims (Circassian), and 50% of Christians have mentioned the name of the publishing house in the invitation card (see table 18). Table (18) Mentioning the name of the publishing house in the invitation card. . |Disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | |Mentioning the name of the publishing| | | |house in the invitation card. | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |50% |62. 5% |11. 6% |50% |37. 5% |88. % | | As for question nineteen which investigated where the name of the publishing house appears in the invitation card, it was found that the name of the publishing house of 95. 4% of Muslims (Sunni), and 100% of both Muslims (Circassian) and Christians appeared Inside the invitation card, while only 4. 6% of Muslims (Sunni) appeared at Back of the invitation card (see table 19) Table (19): The place where the name of the publishing house appeared. |total |back of the invitation card |inside the invitation card |Where does the name of the publishing house appear? | |100% |4. 6% |95. % |Sunni | |100% |0% |100% |Circass ian | |100% |0% |100% |Christian | Results of question twenty which asked about if the invitation card finished with a statement of wishing happiness to the invitees showed that 80. 7% of Muslims (Sunni), 87. 5%of Muslims (Circassian), and 93. 8 % of Christians have finished their invitation cards with the following statement of wishing happiness to the invitees. Damat alafraa? ?alefat diarikum al? amira May happiness surrounds your inhabited homes Table (20): Finishing the invitation card with a statement of wishing happiness to the invitees Disagree |Agree | | | | |Question | | | |Items | | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Finishing the invitation card with a | |6. 2% |12. 5% |19. 3% |93. 8% |87. 5% |80. 7% |statement of wishing happiness to the| | | | | | | |invitees. | Analysis of answers of question twenty one which was about if the invitation card contained the place address of the event in the invitation card revealed that all of the subjects mentioned where the wedding ceremony was held in the invitation card (see table 21). Table (21): Mentioning the place address of the event in the invitation card. Disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | |Mentioning the place address of the | | | |event in the invitation card. | | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |0% |0% |0% |100% |100% |100% | | In regard to question twenty two which was about if the invitation card contained information about the men party, results showed that 92. 3% of Muslims (Sunni), 100 %of Muslims (Circassian), and 68 % of Christians have mentioned information about the men party. The rest of subjects haven’t. (see table 21). Table (22): Mentioning information about the men party. Disagree |Agree | | | | | | | | |Mentioning information | | | |about the men party. | | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |C hristian | |Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |31. 3% |0% |7. 7% |68. 7% |100% |92. 3% | | As for question twenty three which investigated if the invitation card included the time of the event, analysis of results showed that all of the subjects mentioned the time when the wedding ceremony was held (see table 23). Table (23): Mentioning the time of the event in the invitation card. |disagree |agree | | | | | | | | |Mentioning the time of the event in | | | |the invitation card. | |Muslim (34) | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |0% |0% |0% |100% |100% |100% | | Analysis of question twenty four which was about the place in which the wedding ceremony was held showed that 65. 3% of Muslims (Sunni) and 87. 5 %of Muslims (Circassian) held their wedding ceremonies in hotels. While, all Christians held it in churches. In contrast, the rest of Muslims(Sunni and Circassian) held the ceremony at their homes (see table 24). Table (24): The place of the wedding ceremony. | | | |Where was the wedding ceremony held? | |total |the bridegrooms house |church |hotel | | |100% |34. 7% |0% |%65. 3 |Sunni | |100% |12. 5% |0% |87. 5% |Circassian | |100% |0% |100% |0% |Christian | Finally, analysis of results of question twenty five, the last question, which was about if the invitation card contained a statement about having lunch, showed that 30. 7% of Muslims (Sunni), 25 %of Muslims (Circassian), and 43. 7% of Christians have mentioned a statement about having lunch in their invitation cards (see table 25). Table (25): Mentioning a statement about having lunch. |disagree |agree | | | | |Question | | |Items | | |Muslim | |Muslim | | |Christian | |Christian | | | | | | | | | | |Circassian |Sunni | |Circassian |Sunni | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Mentioning a statement about | |56% |75% |69. 2% |43. 7% |25% |30. 7% |having lunch in the invitation | | | | | | | |card. | 6. Implications This study has shown that the main communicative function of wedding invitation cards is to invite people to attend wedding ceremonies. It has been observed through the analysis of the data that there are socio-cultural factors which affect the organization of invitation cards in the Jordanian society. The role of sex has proved to be an important factor especially in invitations for attending wedding parties. The name of the bride tends not to be mentioned when she belongs to a more socially conservative family. It, thus, substituted by an expression like: k? ri:- m-? uhu (his wife) or the expression ? aqiqatuhu(his sister). This is a tendency of the socially conservative Muslim families who don’t like to announce the names of their daughters or sisters to the public. However, the name of the bride tends to be mentioned when she is well-educated and belongs to a less conservative family. In contrast with Muslim families, all of Christian families tend to mention the name of their daughters in the invitation cards. The findings of this study reported here implied that the well educated people in Islam and Christianity tend to mention their job titles such as Sheikh, Doctor, Engineer†,† Lawyer, etc, in the invitation cards. And such titles are used and printed in large font and bold type to indicate high level of education and high social status. The discussion of the results of this study has shown that religious factors also seem to be of considerable importance. Muslim and Christian societies have its faith in Allah(God) deeply ingrained within its activities. This underlying Islamic and Christian values are reflected in the openings which utilize verses from the Holy Koran or texts from the Bible. for examples, Muslims usually begin their invitation card with the following verse of Koran: â€Å"wa men ayatehe an khalaqa lakum min anfusikum azwajan litaskunu elaiha waj? ala binakum mawadatan wa rahma ina fii ? aalika la’yaatin liqawmin yatafakaroon† And of his signs is this: he created for you helpmeets from yourselves that ye might find rest in them, and he ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are portents for folk who reflect. While Christians begin their invitation card with the following verses of Bible: 1- â€Å"bilmd? di walkaramati kalilhuma† â€Å" marry them with glory and dignity 2- â€Å"ma d? ama? hu allaah la yufariquhu insan† † What God combines can not be separated by humans. 3- wlikai ya? lamu ana ismaka qad ? ukira ? la haa? a albeit al? ii banait To know that your name had been mentioned upon this house you built. In addition, the analysis of the data indicated that the socio-economic status is also communicated in the invitation, and is found to be important in the description of the genre of invitation cards. This is revealed by the use of colorful and perfectly decorated invitation cards which include drawings such as hearts and bunches of flowers. Such invitation cards are expensive, and are meant to communicate other messages than inviting people to attend a wedding party, they tend to convey that the invitor enjoys a high economic status. 7. Conclusion The main focus of this study was analyzing invitation cards of Muslims and Christians for attending wedding parties in the Jordanian society. In order to find out any potential significant differences between wedding invitation cards of Muslims and Christians, a questionnaire as tool of collecting data was used. Data analysis revealed that there were significant differences in the way Muslims and Christians form their wedding invitation cards. The investigation of our data has shown that the communicative purpose of a text is the most important criterion for the identification of such wedding invitation cards. Dealing with various kinds of wedding invitation cards within the Jordanian Islamic and Christian societies, it has been revealed that other social, economic, and religious factors are also of great significance in the description of invitation cards. The results of this study indicated that there were significant differences between wedding invitation cards of Muslims and Christians, for instance, Muslims tend not to mention the name of the bride in the invitation cards, while Christians does. Also, Muslims tend to start their invitation cards with a verse of Koran or a verse of poetry, whereas Christians start them with only a text of Bible. In addition, Muslims tend to hold their wedding ceremonies whether in a hall (hotel) or in the grooms house, while all Christians hold it in a church. Finally, it can be said that form of invitation cards according to this study is systematic and affected by the social status, education, and religion. 8. Recommendations In light of this study and its significance, the following is recommended for future researchers in relation to invitation cards: It may be valuable to carry out research papers investigating other invitation cards for other events in the Jordanian society such as, invitatio n cards for attending meetings, lectures, celebrations, royal feasts and tribal reconciliation. 2- Carrying out research papers about invitation cards is a relatively new topic in the Arab world. Therefore, it is significant for future researchers to deal with this topic in depth. REFERENCES Al-Qudah, M. 2001. Congratulation patterns on happy occasions in Jordan. Unpublished M. A. thesis, Yarmouk university. Haidarah, H. 2001. Congratulation and condolence announcements in Yemeni newspapers. Unpublished M. A. thesis, Yarmouk university. Hymes, D. 1974. Foundations in scociolinguistics: an ethnographic approach. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Gutherie, S. 2002. Arab women in the middle ages: private lives and public roles. London: Westbourne Grove. Nunan, D. 1993. Introducing discourse analysis. Penguin Group Ltd. Raheji, N. and A. Puri. 1995. How to arrange a wedding. New Delhi: Palus Press. Scollon, R. 1995. intercultural communication: a discourse approach. Blackwell publishing Ltd. Swales, J. 1990. Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Willer, L. 2001. warning: Welcome to your world baby, gender message enclosed: an analysis of gender messages in birth congratulation cards. Women and Language 24. 16-24.

Women and Science in the southern African Development Region (SADC) Essay

Women and Science in the southern African Development Region (SADC) - Essay Example Then it discusses how UNESCO and SADC are working constantly to promote women of Southern African regions to get educated with scientific knowledge and play a role in scientific development like other women from developed countries. Women and Science in the southern African Development Region (SADC) Previously, it was very firm believe, especially in Asian countries, that women are inferior to men. They have to look after the daily chores while man is the sole earner and he is the one responsible for every major thing. As time evolved, the perception remained same with man now being an executive and women a secretary, or same in every field. The revolution and change of perception took place by the end of 18th century, when women started contributing in medicine, physics, geography and other fields and this period was referred as ‘the enlightment’. When Salon culture in Europe was changing, there were times when political, economical and social views discussed had opinio ns of women too (Sheffield, 2006) Even now that women graduates are more in number than male, the representation of women in business fields and especially scientific fields is very low. There are two reasons for such low representation. First, women already have too much to cater to that they can’t get into fields that need a lot of work and research. Secondly, even if they want to get in, they don’t get decent post. Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. She won the similar title, a second noble prize in 1911 for her work on radiation. For those women who don’t follow their passion and end up living the usual lifestyle, she says: â€Å"I have frequently been questioned, especially by women, of how I could reconcile family life with a scientific career. Well, it has not been easy. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.† While Carl Friedrich Gauss, famous for his Gaussian m ethod and other mathematical applications, talks about women not getting reputable posts in scientific field and motivates them by saying: â€Å"The enchanting charms of this sublime science reveal only to those who have the courage to go deeply into it. But when a woman, who because of her sex and our prejudices encounters infinitely more obstacles that a man in familiarizing herself with complicated problems, succeeds nevertheless in surmounting these obstacles and penetrating the most obscure parts of them, without doubt she must have the noblest courage, quite extraordinary talents and superior genius.† (Ogilvie, 2004) Since 18th century, many women have followed their passion in developing and extending the scientific borders. 19th century was an amateur period with few noticeable names while 20th century included significant work by Marie Curie and Lise Meitner (discovery of nuclear fission). There work set basics for further research. Inclusion of women in scientific f ield was further made possible by efforts of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization) and by SADC (Southern African Development Community) which will be discussed below. (Marelene F. Rayner-Canham, 1997). UNESCO's Recommendations about "Women and Science" Although women have excelled in business fields, there still remain many where they are not given equal rights such as aerospace and flying, engineering and scientific research. Science is a field full of ideas and innovation and leaving this highly capable gender behind means losing high potential and ideas that can change the world. Therefore, gender equality and representation of women in scientific field is very important. Although different countries are giving attention to this issue, UNESCO formally organized the World Science Conference in 1999

STEP ONE - Voice Due Week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

STEP ONE - Voice Due Week 4 - Essay Example government through the seizure of black hills in Dakota (Nabokov 26) The voice goes ahead to describe the detailed story of the longest legal struggle in American legal history and the betrayal by the United States government. This is illustrated by the signing of a peace treaty between the United States government and Sioux Nation promising a safe homeland. The treaty also included the ownership of the black hills. When gold was discovered at the black hills later, the government sought to have the land back. The white owned company violated the treaty by literally scrambling for the precious metal. Even though the Sioux Indians protested against this act, there was nothing they could do as the United States government declared war and took the land back. The Sioux were forced to go to a White man’s court to seek resolution as there was no alternative (Sutton 43). The issues that Edward Lazarus addresses in this book are betrayal and injustice. This is very well illustrated by the United States government action to renege on the treaty that gave the black hills to Sioux Indians. The injustice by the government is also evident in the many years the case has remained unsolved while companies continue to benefit from the gold mines. The book gives insights into the case prolonged by legal maneuverings and delays perpetrating by a system that claims to protect rights. There was much irony even after the court decided the case. The Indians refused compensation in form of money and even chased their lawyers off the reservation (Treuer 67). The argument was that black hills were sacred and therefore could not be exchanged for money. In so doing, they exhibited much pride in their heritage. Even today, most Indians want the black hills returned. The voices speaking in the ‘Native America testimony’ are genuine as they are derived from statements and speeches recorded in letters from

Overview Of Strategic Sourcing Initiative Management Essay

Overview Of Strategic Sourcing Initiative Management Essay 1. Gillet and the 7 Step Methodology The Gillette Company launched a Strategic Sourcing Initiative to create savings to invest in company brands, fund research and development. They employed a formal 7-step strategic sourcing methodology to competive source and evaluate suppliers on cost, quality and services provided. Enabled by a strong commitment from Senior Management and cross-functional global teams, this strategy produced savings and improved the quality of the products and services procured.   Step 1 Develop the Category Profile. Teams are formed to develop a comprehensive understanding of their category profile. They must understand what we buy, who we buy it from, what are the product/service characteristics/specifications, what is the current cost, and who and how the spend is managed internally. They must understand market trends and economics that impact these purchases as well as our current negotiation leverage with suppliers. This comprehensive understanding of the Category also enables to break down spend into subcategories, components, services, transportation costs, administrative costs or other divisions to be either be consolidated with one supplier or divided among several suppliers. Indeed, this sourcing step facilitates procurement managers in setting supplier diversity targets and strategies. Step 2 Generate the Supplier Portfolio. Teams must include minority suppliers as well as non-traditional suppliers. They must look at companies that provide total outsourcing capabilities and suppliers who are best in class in specialized spend categories. Then through a rigorous process of researching suppliers, evaluating and prioritizing capabilities, the list of suppliers is converted to a manageable list. This step reduces the workload of reviewing RFPs and negotiating with suppliers later in the strategic sourcing process. Step 3 Develop sourcing strategies. The sourcing team develops a supplier survey for both incumbent and potential alternative suppliers. The survey helps evaluate the suppliers capabilities to serve as well as their costs to serve. At this time, the team will also verify spend information with the data that incumbent suppliers may have from their sales systems. Category should be assesed in a Category Position Matrix. This process aids teams in developing their sourcing strategies. Teams must evaluate the complexity of the market, the competitiveness, the ability to switch suppliers, and the number of suppliers in the market. They must also position their Category in terms of business impact, how much total spend and how does this category impact core business operations. In doing so, teams will find their category falls into one or two of the following boxes: Leverage Category, Strategic Category, Non-critical Category or Bottleneck Category. From this positioning matrix, teams can determine which of the sourcing strategies are most appropriate.   Typically, teams who find themselves in the Leverage or Non-critical Categories will use the left side of the Sourcing Gemstone: Volume Concentration, Best Price Evaluation or Global Sourcing. Teams who confront more complex markets, may want to consider Product Specification Improvements, Joint Process Improvements or Relationship Restructuring strategies. In a Volume Concentration strategy, teams will often look to reduce cost by consolidating volumes from different facilities, regions, or business units. This strategy encourages suppliers to lower their costs in anticipation of greater volumes.   Teams may also consider a Best Price Evaluation strategy, where they select various suppliers who have the best offering for each segment of the spend. Best Price Evaluation allows yousegment and optimize your spend. Step 4- Select implementation path. The combination of the first three steps provides important input to developing a sourcing strategy and applying it in this step. The sourcing team has two sets of constituencies: 1) the people who use the things that are bought, and 2) the executives who manage overall costs. The people who use the spend category accept cost reductions as long as they a) start in another department; b) dont change suppliers; and c) dont create any complaints from the supply base that might affect any part of the relationship. For users, all change is bad. For executives, cost and service competitiveness is a key objective, but they too are users of various corporate services, so they often have a split personality between executive pursuit of cost improvement and being users who resist change. In order to mobilize users and executives to support the category sourcing strategy, it is necessary to communicate benefits and overcome potential risks. Step 5- Negotiate and select suppliers.   Preparing a request for proposal and preparing and soliciting bids. This will define the basis for competition to the prequalified suppliers. It includes product or service specifications, delivery and service requirements, evaluation criteria, pricing structure and financial terms and conditions. Also a communication plan will be executed that will attract maximum supplier interest. The RFP is then sent out to all suppliers and they are given enough time to respond completely, with follow-up messages sent to encourage supplier response and field questions. The sourcing team applies its evaluation criteria to the supplier responses. If more information beyond the RFP response is needed, its requested. The negotiation process is conducted first with a larger set of suppliers then narrowed to a few finalists, if it is done manually. Step 6 Implement agreements. Finally, the winning suppliers are notified and invited to participate in implementing recommendations. Implementation plans vary depending on the degree of supplier switches. For new suppliers, a communication plan has to be developed that manages the transition from old to new supplier at every point in the companys process that is touched by the spend category. Step 7- Continuos improvement. It is particularly important to measure the new supplier closely in the first several weeks of performance. Being able to demonstrate performance equal to or better than the former incumbent one will be particularly important during that sensitive time. Gillette Companys Strategic Sourcing Initiative has not only produced significant cost savings, but has enabled and advanced Gillettes Supplier Diversity Initiative. 2. Nestlà © and its mix of purchasing strategies To leverage Nestlà ©s purchasing volume as a strength in a business environment where the impact and importance on many spend categories is increasing, it requires planning and strategy determination, It is necessary to understand that supply markets are not and will not always be in surplus or excess, so the assurance of long term competitive supply through purchasing planning and strategy implementation is key to the realisation of Nestlà ©s growth and profitability objectives. The evaluation of different purchasing strategies can only take place once a detailed spend analysis has been completed. Strategic options must take into account: business sector objectives; total cost of ownership; supply market and its evolution; appropriate purchasing approach (e-Auctions, tenders, negotiations); value creation opportunities; emphasis on price management through competitive bidding; key stakeholders involvement and their support. Rationalisation and Standardisation This strategy is based on working with suppliers to have fewer and standardised specifications. Specification rationalisation will not only allow higher volume price leverage but also expose efficiencies throughout the supply chain, resulting in lower costs. Subcontracting/Outsourcing A key strategy in sourcing products and services is Subcontracting/Outsourcing. The responsibility of subcontracting activities rests with Technical and Production. Normally a Strategic Buyer will lead this process and manage crossfunctional teams to monitor the commercial relationship as well as to ensure optimum terms and conditions for Nestlà ©. Subcontractors are required to adhere to Nestlà ©s Corporate Business Principles. Cross-Functional Teamwork Purchasing must continue to work within and expand the use of cross-functional teams. Depending on the scope of the project, such teams may also involve suppliers and third-party expertise. Nestlà © acknowledges and encourages the role suppliers can play in innovation, creativity and the identification of new business proposals, which will improve and add value and growth to both companies. Nestlà © also considers suppliers as an important information source and relies on their objectivity and expertise. As the relationship progresses, it may well evolve into that of a preferred supplier. Purchasing wil retain the overall responsibility for the relationship and interface with suppliers. Supplier Management To better manage the supplier base and reduce transactional costs, Nestlà © may request suppliers to: offer their products or services via e-Requisitioning (catalogues), accept payment by P-card, deliver materials through a vendor managed inventory (VMI) or consignment stock initiative and collaborate using e-Supply Chain tools. Approval/Accreditation The extent or degree of approval/accre ditation as a supplier to Nestlà © depends on the sophistication or sensitivity of the material, product or service, the suppliers reputation and record with Nestlà ©, as well as their ability to offer competitive terms and conditions. Quality Management To achieve Nestlà ©s objective of offering consumers high quality nutritional products, they expect suppliers to guarantee the quality of the goods they supply or the service they provide. Nestlà ©s goal is to be able to rely on our suppliers competence and ability to implement jointly their quality programmes. Suppliers must be fully aware of Nestlà ©s quality and safety standards, understand their quality policy; share their objectives and work together to achieve them. In particular they consider their suppliers responsibility to ensure the traceability of all materials used in their own production or process. Supplier Audit Suppliers of raw and packaging materials must be incorporated into a formal assessment covering audits and inspectionsof their quality records. Formal audits of the suppliers quality assurance system and technical capabilities must be carried out. Suppliers need to be open and responsive to Nestlà ©s requirements and provide all necessary information on the composition and manufacture of their products. E-Procurement Nestlà © encourages and promotes the use of electronic tools to optimise the value chain to lower costs, create efficiencies, drive product availability and enhance customer service.   Purchasing evaluates and promotes the use of e-Procurement tools both within the company and within the supplier base. Benchmarking With the trend towards closer relationship with suppliers, benchmarking becomes an essential tool for measuring performance and highlighting opportunities. The concept of benchmarking should be seen as a continuous process of evaluation to ensure that results are quantifiable and actionable; it must be supported by a direct management commitment and should be clearly defined in terms of what is to be compared. 3. Procter Gamble sourcing networks and expressive competition Procter Gamble put into practice an approach to build sourcing networks, called expressive competition. It is a vision that looks past lowest-price reverse auctions and combinatorial packagebidding toward a highly expressive business relationship with suppliers. It enables suppliers to make electronicoffers that express rich forms of capabilities and efficiencies. As the buyer, PG also uses an expressive languageto state constraints and preferences. The detailed expressions of supply and demand are brought together viaan advanced optimization engine to decide the optimal allocation of business to the suppliers. In the process, PGs suppliers benefited from the winwinapproach: expressive competition matched demand to the most efficient means of production- rather thansqueezing suppliers profit margins- and removed the exposure risks in making offers. Beyond direct monetarysavings, the benefits included the re-design of supply networks with quantitative understanding of the trade-offs. The relationships between companies that purchase materials, goods, and services and their suppliers can be viewed as a network, because many companies both purchase and supply. Traditionally, the buyer configures the network and then asks offers from suppliers. This approach produces suboptimal results because it ignores suppliers alternative capabilities. With the new process this will be reversed by first collecting offers and then using optimization to configure the optimal network based on those offers. CombineNets (software currently used) approach is particularly relevant in transportation sourcing. By considering the most efficient routings that carriers can offer, both individually and collectively, it develops more efficient networks than the current networks. Buyers can construct supply chains in light of supplier capabilities as expressed in their offers. Companies can now make decisions on large baskets of items to be procured, rather than in a number of submarkets, naturally improving the allocation decisions. PGs use of expressive competition enables it to manage and exploit complexity and rich data to obtain the best value. In short, PG is now faster, more rigorous, and better able to leverage its purchasing experts than it was. It obtains greater savings with every analysis than it could before it adopted this process. 4. HONDA Global and Local Sourcing Traditionally, the standard metrics used by Japanese automakers in choosing suppliers wee quality, cost, delivery and technology. In the case of Honda, three other factors drive their spurchasing strategy. They depend on suppliers for more than 80% of components in their cars. They procure components from an estimated 400 tier one suppliers in Japan. Globally, Hondas supplier total number is close to 1,000 including more than 600 in North America. The main reason for this large number of North American suppliers: the distance between Hondas main assembly plants in North America is sufficiently long to make logistics a critical cost issue for suppliers wishing to serve all six Honda plants from a single location. Three of four Honda vehicles sold today are global models. Where possible, they prefer to use global suppliers forthese global cars. Honda defines group suppliers as affiliated companies in which it holds a larger than 20% equity stake or which depend on them for 70% or more of their sales; or the other way around: which Honda turns to for more than 70% of purchases of a particular system or component. That is the case of Denso Corp., Toyotas leading group supplier, is also a Honda group supplier as it manufactures an estimated 95% share of their heater requirements in Japan and 60% of air-conditioners. There seems to be no set rule on whether Honda doubles or triples sources or what even constitutes double or triple sourcing. For most components, Honda relies on multiple suppliers. But on a model base, it tends to single source. Hondas core suppliers have largely followed the OEM into North America and Asia. Keihin, Hondas main group supplier of car electronics, has set up 16 plants outside Japan including four in the US, while Stanley Electric has lighting plants in London, OH, and Battle Creek, MI. In general, there is a feeling that Honda depends more on non-Japanese suppliers at its overseas plant. Meanwhile, they continue to make steady progress in expanding local content at plants outside Japan. 5. Hewlett-Packard Total Cost Management Strategies HP recognized that it could leverage advances in Total Cost Management strategies, processes and technology to improve its overall financial performance. Over a five-year period the company put together an impressive record of cost savings, transforming its Indirect Procurement function into a strategic asset for the company. The significant cost reduction results came from an evolution and maturation of HPs Total Cost Management also called Spend Management, strategies, processes, and technologies as the company itself evolved. Like many companies, HP started with the traditional spend consolidation and price negotiations strategies of the late 90s. With the Compaq merger, HP had both a challenge and opportunity to advance its Total Cost Management strategies. Going forward, the role of HPs Indirect Procurement has evolved to a broader perspective as a strategic asset in driving down the total cost of procurement to achieve world-class cost structures. HP knew that companies like itself were leveraging new spend management tools to drive procurement decisions and wanted to take advantage of the new selling channel to increase revenue. With a strategy of being an early supporter of the Ariba Supplier Network and working to make it easy for customers to integrate and do business with HP, it has been able to generate $1 billion in revenue, making it the largest IT supplier to Total Cost Management customers using the Ariba Supplier Network. They realized that increased growth would be very hard if the company did not restructure to take advantage of its economy of scale. They decided that indirect procurement was a good candidate for centralization, as the existing decentralized model with fragmented local organizations provided little leverage. Indirect Procurement was given responsibility for managing nonproduction spend categories: information technology, human resources, marketing, travel, real estate and workplace solutions, finance, and labor. Its scope was to manage the strategic, tactical, and operational aspects of procurement, including global and regional sourcing, local buying and order fulfillment, and deployment of e-procurement programs. They deployed a standardized purchasing platform, Ariba, to reduce cost of transactions and develop and implement new policies, practices, and standards. Later, they were able to identify the â€Å"low-hanging fruit† in a centralized model and redefined their procurement areas and strategies as shown in the figures below. New Structure 6. International Clothing Retailers main sourcing strategies Marks and Spencer (United Kingdom) Is one of the UKs leading retailers of clothing, foods, homeware and financial services, serving 10 million customers a week in over 350 UK stores. They rationalized its supplier base, with efforts for sourcing and the accelaration of the design to store lead time. MS now manages a complex international supply chain involving 650 factories worldwide. Their priority is to maintain the quality of fabrics and clothes wherever they are manufactured. To support this objective, MS has established quality audit teams in Morocco and Sri Lanka, and will introduce them over the coming year in China and Turkey and all their main centres of manufacturing. Hennes and Maurizt (Sweden) HM is an expansive Swedish company. Over the past three years, HM has increased the number of stores by nearly 40 per cent.   HM has 21 production offices: ten in Europe, ten in Asia and one in Africa. Around 700 people work at the production offices, by far the majority of whom are drawn from the local population. They are responsible for contracts with the approximatly 750 suppliers (primarily Bangladesh, China, Turkey) that manufacture HMs products. The production offices ensure that the buyer places his order with the right supplier, that the goods are produced at the right price and with good quality and controls that production takes place under good working conditions. Ensuring the safety and quality of the goods largely takes place at the production offices and is the result of extensive testing, including checking for shrinkage, twisting, colourfastness and dry rubbing. In HM lead times vary from two to three weeks up to six months, depending on the nature of the goods. In recent years HM has reduced the average lead time by 15-20 per cent through developments in the buying process. Inditex (Spain) The Inditex Group comprises mainly companies engaging in the manufacturing and marketing of textiles and footwear, managed on a centralised basis by applying policies and strategies at group level. A significant proportion of the production takes place in the factories belonging to Inditex, which fundamentally carry out the manufacture of the garments containing a greater element of fashion and through external suppliers. In the case of in-house production -between 40 and 50 percent of the total- Inditex directly carries out the supply of fabrics, the marking and cutting and the final finishing of the garments, subcontracting the garment-making stage to specialised companies located mainly in the north-west of the Iberian peninsula. As regards external suppliers, a high percentage of which are European, in many cases they are also supplied by Inditex with the fabric and other elements needed for the production of the garments. For Inditex, time is the main factor to be considered, a bove and beyond production costs. Mix of sourcing: external fabrics sourcing 60%; internal fabrics sourcing 40%; in-house manufacturing 50%; external manufacturing 50%. Gap (Usa) Gap is a leading international specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products. It operates with more than 4,200 stores worldwide. Gap has world headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, product development offices in New York City and distribution operations and offices coordinating sourcing activities around the globe. Design and merchandising teams are working more closely from the beginning of the product development cycle, resulting in a more efficient process and, over time, faster speed to market. Gap will be building more strategic relationships with suppliers, including sharing more planning and forecasting information, to further leverage sourcing capabilities. Located around the globe, employees in Gaps sourcing and logistics group, along with buying agents, draw up production schedules and place orders with approved third-party factories in the more than 50 countries that produce goods. Third-party manufacturers ship merchandise to Gap distr ibution centers, which sort and redistribute it to the stores. Gap has a list of countries approved for product sourcing, located in five main areas: Africa/MiddleEast, Europe/Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Americas. CA (Holland) CA was founded in 1841. Over 100 Stylists work together with 360 buyers. The European headoffice is located in the north of Brussels. It has 1.200 suppliers, monitored by Socam. The name Socam reflects the concept â€Å"Service Organisation for Compliance Audit Management† and its purpose is to oversee and monitor responsible business standards in merchandise buying on behalf of the CA retail companies, which operate in Europe. An audit is performed in a total of 40 countries. Because the Far East is a significant supply market and because many of the key issues tend to be more prevalent in that part of the world, Socam also operates through a subsidiary company Socam Services Pte. Ltd located in Singapore. Socam has full and independent authority to monitor the standards which are defined by the CA Code of Conduct for the Supply Merchandise. To sum up, retailers prefer to choose the cheapest sources worldwide in order to maximize gross margin. Or, in order to decrease time to market, retailers may choose sourcing alternatives that may not bring the cost advantage of a cheaper supplier but do offer the advantage of diminishing logistics costs and lost sales. 7. IKEA selectivity strategy Under increasing pressures to reduce costs, companies have shifted, and continue to shift, sourcing from local suppliers to low cost country-based suppliers. Furthermore, the lower prices offered by low-cost country suppliers rarely translate into significantly lower total costs of ownership. Despite the popularity of global sourcing across both service and manufacturing industries, research into global sourcing is still playing catch-up and remains poorly conceptualized, for example in comparison with research on buyer-supplier relationships or industrial networks. The trend towards global sourcing is likely to fundamentally change the dynamics of buyer-supplier relationships and networks, but little research to date has examined the implications of this trend. Affordability through low cost is the core of the companys business idea. For IKEA, growth is a core and explicit objective.A key component in the low cost strategy at IKEA has been to own only a small proportion of the means of production. Therefore, the products that are sold in IKEA stores are sourced from a global network of suppliers. Well functioning and close relationships with suppliers is an important but sometimes seemingly ignored driver of the success of IKEA. In the mid- 1990s, IKEA had more than 2,000 suppliers, but in 2009 its supply base had been reduced to less than 1,400 despite increasing sales volumes. The background to the supply base reduction during recent years is the increasing need to secure and build capacity for continued growth. In 2008, IKEA sourced furniture from 54 different countriesm through 30 purchasing offices distributed over strategic locations all over the world. In 2009, IKEA had around 1400 suppliers. Almost two-thirds of its products (64%) were sourced from European countries; the largest single supply market was China with a 22% share of the supply, and the second largest supply market was Poland with a 16% share. Coordination and communication with suppliers was channelled through trading offices situated strategically around the world. Without close collaboration with suppliers, the balancing act between stock costs and avoiding the risk of stock-outs would not be possible. In addition, IKEA seems to conce ntrate on as few suppliers and as few supply markets as possible. This selectivity means that IKEA is effective in balancing its market choices; concentrating its sourcing activities in certain geographic areas by committing to and investing in some markets, whilst having to decide to forego opportunities in others For IKEA, cost reductions were the principal driver towards, initially, international purchasing and, later, global sourcing. The search for lower costs in new sourcing markets creates pressure on the supplier network of IKEA to source internationally or to develop global sourcing through world-wide coordination and integration of sourcing operations. A main reason for IKEA to preserve relationship with swedishs suppliers is to secure capacity if, or when, problems were met in the Chinese sourcing market. 8. Conclusions The Strategic Sourcing methodology is used to identify, evaluate, select and implement sourcing alternatives for specific sourcing groups.   It emphasizes the process for evaluating, selecting and aligning with suppliers to achieve improvements and support strategic objectives. It focuses on total costs and not just on the purchase price. This process enables the company to obtain a good understanding of its requirements, mapping the existing supply market and develop a plan for short andlong-term objectives. Sourcing strategies should be reviewed and updated periodically by supply managers. Suppliers should be invited to be part of the process depending on the class of category or market dynamics. Strategic sourcing results should be tracked in terms of performance metrics and cost savings. The process should be regularly reviewed to incorporate new sourcing tools and approaches, new supplier market opportunities and developments in benchmarking and best practices. Supply managers must collaborate internally with a multifunctional team on new supply opportunities. Collaboration demonstrates the value of supply management. Besides the traditional competitive approach to sourcing, there are more alternatives depending on the category or business trends. Some could be, collaborating with suppliers to reduce complexity and build productivity into their process, or create joint process improvements that reduce the cost of doing business, or set up a partnership where a company invests in supplier operations to guarantee access to supply, new technology or process improvements. Another option could be strategic alliances which decrease the total cost of ownership, increase quality, have a faster response and enable new product development with supplier involvement, among other benefits. Or even, e-procurement which can decrease the unit cost as well as the cost of transactions and processes. Overall, not only a right sourcing strategy or model of management is enough; it is also a matter of being aligned with the companys key obkectives and to have the right methodology, the right metrics and the right team of people.