Zara analysis free essay sample

ZARA is one of the trendy garment retailers as an important brand in portfolio of Inditex. With development of technology and extension of market, ZARA has expanded to over 1,500 stores in 44 countries, since founded at a Spanish town called La Coruna in 1975. In internationalization process, Zara employed various retailer formats, especially online shops, to complement weakness in traditional in-store purchase. Moreover, current development status of e-tailling is attractive for Zara to entry when facing increasingly fierce competition. Apparently, this â€Å"clicks-and-bricks† approach makes sense to some degree. This article demonstrates rationale why ZARA launched online store by combining academic theories with situational audits. Furthermore, it proposes several recommendations to optimize current online retailing. Obviously, it is meaningful to research Zara which is a leader in textile retailer. As one of biggest garment retailer, its behaviour sets an example for other rivals, even brings a new model for this industry in further development. We will write a custom essay sample on Zara analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Owing to stimulus from success of Zara, resource allocation or even industrial structure might be recombined. On the other hand, it proposes a new purchase belief or lifestyle, which should be suitable to several time-pressured consumers. Therefore, rationale why wither choose this articles is apparent based on contextual statements. 2. Zara has been landing in online retailing After success of online retailing store in Spain, trendy fashion retailer Zara planed to install web store in France, Italy, Portugal and the UK, in 2010 September. Until to 2011, Zara boasted it had extended its online presence to customers in more than sixteen European countries, Japan and US. Rationale for e-tailing uses in European countries Zara has expanded European market via building online channel. In following essay, it would analyse what and how variables entice Zara’s practice by integrating academic knowledge and situational analysis. 2. 1. 1 Superiority of internet retailing With popularization of computer science in society, net accessed by personal computer has being accepted as a professional and interactive mainstream intermediary. For several social departments, searching information through internet has been regarded as a habit in daily life. Virtual shop owes its inherent advantages compared to other retailing classes in following aspects (Rosemary Mohammed, 2004): The most prominent characteristic of e-tailing retailer is selling via network instead of entity store, which is beneficial to decrease dependence on specific location. As a manner to approach sophisticated retailer that may be geographically distant to customer, net helps virtual retailers to communicate with consumers and cover wider target market by providing home shopping service. Unlike store-based retailers, it is unnecessary for sellers to possess physical space for inventory or exhibition. Internet is adopted as a display platform and transaction mechanism, namely delivery commodity directly after completed transaction. It reduces operating costs to a great extent if deducting rental fees, operational expenditure and relatively higher labour salaries. As previous empirical research showed, average transaction cost is around $15 per transaction in traditional retailing compared to approximately $0. 3 in virtual resale (Philipps et al. , 1997). This huge difference between costs induces retailer join in virtual retailing markets extremely. In comparison to catalogue retailer, internet dealer also holds own advantages. On the one hand, expense in producing and distributing catalogue is much higher and information cannot be updated promptly on catalogue. On the other hand, online shop display merchandise without upper restriction on size of catalogue or quantity of product represented. .Considering its social influence, e-tailing impels a new home-shopping device, capacitating time-pressured and less flexible consumers to purchase regardless of limitation on shop business hours. Moreover, it also implies that clients can eliminate time spending in visiting shops or waiting in  queue, which is the most boring part in shopping. Besides enlarging target market, it also proposes a fashionable shopping belief which is popular among young people. 2. 1. 2 Situational audits Zara undertake online retailing in European countries according to comparative environment and own marketing strategy except for advantages of e-tailing. The following part reveals how Inditex draft development device according to specific situation. Firstly, recent years witnessed a rapid rise in online retailing sales; namely, the significance of web store use is displayed among retail sector gradually. As facts demonstrated by U. S. Census Bureau, online quarterly sales increased stably at 28% from 2000 to 2007. In the duration, the average growth rate of total retail sales only made up 4. 5% (U. S. Census Bureau, 2007). With popularization of internet use, a growing number of net users create niche market in retailing industry, who becomes potential consumer. Concededly, it holds enormous growth potential although online transactions only generate a small portion of total retail sales. Therefore, Zara intend to seize the opportunity to reach expanded target market. Secondly, biggest rivals have launched and succeeded in virtual store in succession. On the one hands, as Jeremy demonstrates, brand that has not referred to online presence suffers a huge threat from competitors’ dramatic increase in online turnover. Obviously, rivals’ aggressive expansion in online market creates a threat to Zara’s sales. In order to maintain even enlarge market share, Zara participates in online retailing competition under compulsion. On the other hand, competitor’s success strengthens Zara’s confidence in web retailing. Meanwhile, it also offers a model used on guide strategy implement on internet. Facing increasingly fierce competition, hence Zara plan to occupy virtual market via installing online shops as soon as possible. Thirdly, online retailing complements in-store selling profitably. Online stores will comfortably supplement its extensive store estate by means of providing extra service to consumer, especially dispelling restriction on time and space. Moreover, Zara’s entry to the online retail has opened access to an enormous source of data that can be collected and analyzed to improve corporate business strategy and marketing device in further development. The gathered massages can be used for designing and executing Zara’s own marketing initiatives, such as direct mailing (n. a. , 2012). Finally, characteristics of e-tailing correspond with its marketing strategy. Zara  has adopted pattern  that manufacture and replenish constant new products in invasive price to develop curiosity and make it indispensable for a regular visit simultaneously. E-tailing can lessen expenditure on store operation efficiently and thereby decrease costs which is closely linked with price. Meanwhile, virtual shops renew catalogue in time that satisfy needs of fast fashion industry. Furthermore, most internet shoppers are in 20 to 30 years old, which is coincidence with target market of Zara. Considering realistic significance of virtual retailing, it is reasonable for Zara’s entry. 2. 2 Recommendation for virtual retailing in further development Until now, Zara’s website has been built, which installed online interactions between seller and buyer ranging from the point customers visit in retailer’s web to the point retailers fulfill consumer order (Field et al. , 2004 and Smith et al, 2007). During whole process, Zara has formulated a series of management measures to control performance in e-tailing. In the first place, it matches online price to those in physical store across each country. In term of payment approach, this transactional website accepts lump-sum payment by credit cards or debit card. Secondly, there is no charge for shoppers to delivery merchandise when they purchase at Zara online store. Furthermore, consumer also can require delivery channel by express courier or regular post according to their situation. Thirdly, e-store is constantly renewed by updated items when entity shops exhibit new arrivals. Finally, this web offers same exchanges and returns policy as in physical store. That superior after-sales service lifts customers’ worries to some degree (Susan, 2011). However, besides previous efforts, Zara is required to make a progress in following areas for the sake of perfecting online retailing (Alba et al. , 1997). Recommending related merchandise Unlike traditional in-store retailing, electronic sellers facilitate one-stop shopping and enhance service quality via offering various complementary products. Relying on personalization technologies, retailers provide customized features online, namely complex catalog navigation and tailoring of the purchase process (Kramer. et.al. , 2010). For example, customer is provided with recommendations of products that the customer might be interested in, based on the product searched for or those previously bought by the customer. Given this popular marketing approach, Zara web can suggest best-seller in season or complementary product accord with items based on current or previous buying. Moreover, it also should advise several garments in similar style in accordance with purchase history. It allows Zara to deliver trust built from one merchandise area to another consequently maximizing possibility of cross-buying and rising sales. Improving distribution system As one of main variables to restrain internet retailing development, order fulfillment is considered as an obstacle to expand electronic market. Additionally, distribution expenses and efficiency are regarded as factors which influence shopping decision. Actually, Zara indeed has set few policies in this area before. Besides those previous measures, Zara can recruit specialist and build logistics system to supervise online order, inventory management, and goods distribution. During the process, staff should check every order and deliver merchandise as soon as possible. This efficient distribution system not only helps Zara to satisfy current consumer, but also strengthen own competitiveness compared to other online rivals. Offering good consumer service The quality of online buying process affects consumer purchase decision, satisfaction and loyalty (Zeitham et. al. , 2002 and Wolfinbarger Gilly, 2003). Like other retailing approaches, transaction disputes happen inevitably across online shopping process, which mainly contains unpunctual order arrival, unqualified products and payment problem. To be competitive, sellers are not only required to supply high-class merchandise, but also offer a pleasant shopping experience via superior service to ensure whole process is responsive and convenient for consumers (Lqbal, et. al. , 2003). Therefore, it is necessary to improve relationship between buyers and sellers by improving consumer service. For this purpose, Zara should arrange personnel to answer questions before purchase, help consumer to complete complex transaction during purchase, and optimize after-sales service, especially respond or deal with consumer complains. For example, the website retailer can retrieve personal account information which is then automatically store in personal account of consumer for the sake of facilitating consumer to review past searching or purchase and track order in shipment. Favorable shopping experience should increase repeat purchase behaviour to some degree. Managing customer relationship In the highly competitive virtual marketplace where cost of retaining a customer is lower than recruiting a new one, relationship marketing take on an added importance. Zara can communicate with existing customers to advertise online, show updated products, and inform new promotions. For example, the website supplies the alternative of receiving reminder of special events or message about new arrivals. If complete payments, consumer will receive homologues voucher which can be used in next transaction automatically. Apparently, this act is available to increase repeat purchase, build customer loyalty and at least retain current market share. 3. Conclusion This article mainly discusses retailing marketing concepts which is contained in news as appendix. On the on hand, the essay explains the rationale why Zara launched online retailing store, which contains inherent superiority of online store and appropriate environment. On the other hand, writer proposes several recommendations, including merchandise assortment supply, distribution efficiency rise, consumer service improvement and customer relationship management. As predicted, with improvement in web retailing and economic resurgence, Zara’s virtual retailing will boom; and hence Zara will adjust current economic growth pattern to flourishing online marketplace. Furthermore, thanks to stimulate from success of several giants in virtual market, fast fashion industry will recombine resource allocation at a certain extent. The group already sells a home range online, but its revamped website will offer fashion lines which have only been available in its stores until now. The push into cyberspace is seen as a defensive move that comes amid fears of a decline in High Street spending. HM will follow in the next fortnight; Gap began online sales for the first time outside the US last month. Consumer confidence is waning and many fear a further economic slowdown. Online fashion sales, meanwhile, are proving resilient. At rival Next, for instance, first-half sales in stores fell 1. 5%, while its home shopping business saw sales rise 7. 8%. Further strength in internet trading has been reported by Asos, the online market leader, which said sales rose 54% during the January-to-March quarter when compared with the same period a year earlier. Online growth Online retail sales have boomed as more people get high-speed internet connections and time-pressed shoppers take advantage of shopping from home or work, according to industry observers. Shopping on the net is expected to see sales grow to ? 94bn ($144 bn) in Western Europe by 2014, from ? 56bn in 2009, according to consultants Forrester. But online sales still only make up a small proportion of total sales. In the UK, only 8% of total sales in July were made online, according to the Office for National Statistics. Shops that dont have an online presence have noticed rival stores enjoying a dramatic increase in online sales, while their sales in shops have been pretty flat, according to Jeremy Baker, professor of marketing at the ESCP business school. Complement to existing stores Zaras online shop will soon be followed by HMs online shop, which will go live on 16 September. Gap and Banana Republic are already there, having opened their online operations outside the US for the first time, on 26 August. Online stores add to rather than cannibalize physical stores, hence they tend to bring in additional sales, according to industry observers. There is clearly demand for Zara product online, said Simon Chinn, retail consultant at Verdict Research. It will comfortably complement its extensive store estate, adding an extra level of service for its customers. Rapid growth Online retail sales are set to double in next three years Zara is liked by more than 4. 5 million people who have signed up as fans on Facebook. The key now is to convert those fans into customers. Inditex, Zaras parent company, has overtaken Gap as the worlds biggest clothing retailer by sales. Inditex chief executive, Pablo Isla, said: Customers should expect the launching of online selling for the groups other brands in coming years. The success of retailers such as the dedicated online fashion site Asos hints at how rapid the migration of sales from traditional stores to the internet is, especially among the 18-34 age group. Zara made a small profit in the year to the end of January 2010, after recording a sharp loss during the previous year. It is hoping to see a 10% rise in revenue linked to its online store.

Free Essays on Mary Tallmountain

Mary Tallmountain is considered one of the greatest writers amongst the Native American community. Although she really didn’t gain much recognition nationally until the early 1980’s when she won the Pushcart Prize. She is mostly known as a spiritual and cultural writer for instance the poem, â€Å"There Is No Word for Goodbye.† In this poem she shows the conversation between an Athabaskan girl and her aunt. The girl is trying to find out how to say goodbye in Athabaskan. The aunt in the poem seems to be very old and wise. You see this when the girl was looking into her net of wrinkles and her wise eyes. Her wrinkles symbolizes her old age which also symbolizes knowledge. Her â€Å"Wise black pools of her eyes†(Tallmountain 177-178) symbolizes her immeasurable depth of wisdom. She is old, and at this point the niece asks her how to say goodbye in Athabaskan. The aunt says, â€Å"Ah, nothing†¦we just say, Tlaa. That means see you.†(Tallmountain 178) What exactly did the aunt mean? Do the Athabaskans’ not like the word goodbye, or do they imply that they feel no sense of separation when they depart from each other? Maybe they do not miss the person they are distant from. Perhaps they simply have faith that they will eventually be reunited. This is when Tallmountain’s spiritual part of the poem comes into play: We always think you’re coming back, but if you don’t, we’ll see you someplace else. You understand. There is no word for goodbye.(24-28) At this point Tallmountain is giving the impression that the aunt might be in poor health, and could be dieing. When the aunt says, â€Å"We’ll see you someplace else,†(Tallmountain 178) she may possibly be talking about heaven. In addition, when she tells her niece that they never really leave each other, she is giving a suggestion that she will always be there if not physically, then spiritually or in her memories. At this moment t... Free Essays on Mary Tallmountain Free Essays on Mary Tallmountain Mary Tallmountain is considered one of the greatest writers amongst the Native American community. Although she really didn’t gain much recognition nationally until the early 1980’s when she won the Pushcart Prize. She is mostly known as a spiritual and cultural writer for instance the poem, â€Å"There Is No Word for Goodbye.† In this poem she shows the conversation between an Athabaskan girl and her aunt. The girl is trying to find out how to say goodbye in Athabaskan. The aunt in the poem seems to be very old and wise. You see this when the girl was looking into her net of wrinkles and her wise eyes. Her wrinkles symbolizes her old age which also symbolizes knowledge. Her â€Å"Wise black pools of her eyes†(Tallmountain 177-178) symbolizes her immeasurable depth of wisdom. She is old, and at this point the niece asks her how to say goodbye in Athabaskan. The aunt says, â€Å"Ah, nothing†¦we just say, Tlaa. That means see you.†(Tallmountain 178) What exactly did the aunt mean? Do the Athabaskans’ not like the word goodbye, or do they imply that they feel no sense of separation when they depart from each other? Maybe they do not miss the person they are distant from. Perhaps they simply have faith that they will eventually be reunited. This is when Tallmountain’s spiritual part of the poem comes into play: We always think you’re coming back, but if you don’t, we’ll see you someplace else. You understand. There is no word for goodbye.(24-28) At this point Tallmountain is giving the impression that the aunt might be in poor health, and could be dieing. When the aunt says, â€Å"We’ll see you someplace else,†(Tallmountain 178) she may possibly be talking about heaven. In addition, when she tells her niece that they never really leave each other, she is giving a suggestion that she will always be there if not physically, then spiritually or in her memories. At this moment t...

Blue Moon Essay Research Paper Picture a

Blue Moon Essay, Research Paper Picture a cool summer dark cruising with your friends, the air current floging off your butt cheeks as you speed past multiple autos. Daydreaming person may look like a simple undertaking, but it is an art signifier that takes great accomplishment and pattern. Why, who, and where are three of the inquiries that must be answered in order to accomplish the ideal atmosphere needed to decently daydream person. The first measure to get the hanging this art is to make up ones mind why you want to daydream person. Many people choose to daydream others out of pure enjoyment. The boom laughter and mirth of exposing your hindquarters to an unsuspicious victim is a great beginning of amusement. Some people moon others to merely to make them off, but this by and large merely happens to grouchy older people who hate stupid childs, and to covetous fellows. I frequently moon people after being tailgated to exasperate them and acquire retaliation for them tailgating me. However, everyone has his or her ain ground to daydream person you have to happen your ain motive to do it work for you. After you have decided why, you must choose whom you are traveling to daydream. For me, this includes people I dislike. Just the expression of entire fury as an enemy undercover agents those two large jambons hawks winging past them in an inspiring sight to see. Then there are those who moon their household and friends ; this choice may be an easy mark but it is non as effectual. This is due to the fact that your household and friends are normally anticipating you to daydream them, therefore it loses its daze value. In my sentiment, the best people to Moons are entire aliens. Strangers have the greatest looks on their faces after person they do non cognize has merely mooned them. They either laugh and cheer, or they follow you on a high-velocity pursuit to catch you and crush you mindless. I have experienced both types of aliens and both are really entertaining, non to advert it angers them at the same clip. The last nonsubjective on your ocean trip to command is the location. In this determination, your options are illimitable. My personal favourite is the auto. You can daydream so many different people when in an car, everyone from old people to church coachs. A cat named Karl performed the best illustration of this type of daydreaming that I have of all time seen. One twenty-four hours while he was driving down the route, he managed to lodge his full butt out the driver side window to daydream a coach of older church members in Pensacola as they drove by him. Another friend of mine by the name of Justin enjoys daydreaming people from inside his house as they walk up to the door. Then there are those who, in a bibulous daze, Moon people at parties. They may believe they are cool when they do this, but these types are nil more than bibulous amateurs. Yet with the proper counsel and pattern these mean mooners can go as versatile in their mooning techniques, like myself. Many see daydreaming to be juvenile and a waste of clip. For me, daydreaming person is neither juvenile nor a waste of clip but an art signifier that few genuinely understand yet 1000000s exploit. Thus, I say, Knowledge is power. All you have to make is inquire and you shall have the replies to proper and effectual mooning. Therefore, now you have the tools to go a professional all you need now is the endowment.

Character comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Character comparison - Essay Example In this story , the character Paul rides his rocking horse with an undying passion to bring luck and money to him ,so that he can help is mother in becoming wealthy. The son being at a tender age, asks naively his mother as to the reason for her unhappiness. However the mother is unable to give an appropriate answer to the child as to her reason for her unluckiness and unhappiness. The mother is greedy, and wants to reach the status of artistrocracy and lead a wealth life style which she is deeply missing in the current situation.The son being naive and caring for his mother, attempts to fulfill the wishes of his mother. The character of mother is not living in realism, but is attracted to the pompous life and riches. She never understood that life is not a game of money but something to be bound with love and happiness. The Paul in his innocence and kind heartedness, deliberately and desperately tries to help his mother in winning money. He has lived in a situation where his parents crave for money and it is the only things echoes in the house. His character and attitude is different than his mother, who is greedy and materialistic. Paul is in a stressful situation wants to earn money to bring about a peaceful situation at home. The mother is selfish, less caring, and is not attentive to her duty towards home and children. She is not keeping interest in the happiness of her children, but is only concentrating on the luxurious life she would lead when money pours in. Being elderly and experienced, the mother is unable to understand the subtle attitude of her son and depicts to be ignorant and cold hearted. The son her is acutely aware of his mother’s relentless desire for leading wealthy life style .Even when he is deprived of love and caring from his mother , he thinks selflessly for her and providing her with what she dreams for. The boy being hearing the want of money from his mother since early years of childhood only hears the words â€Å"There mus t be more money†. The boy undoubtedly wants to help is mother but is not selfish like her. He is a giving person and continuously rocks the horse and also makes handsome money with his clairvoyance in betting. The mother instead is drowned in the dream of acquiring money and is utterly forgotten the demand of love firing in the hearts of her children. The character of the son is more inquisitive in nature, as he is dissatisfied with the answer of his mother regarding her unlucky situation. This shows that the son is more of a thoughtful nature and wants to know the thinks very deeply. The mother’s character is very shallow and does not give importance to aspects like emotions and relationships. Here the son is shown to be more loving, caring, understanding and soulful person. The son in his effort to make money indulge in rocking horse to attain a clairvoyant state where he get intuition about horse race winning .The son is only thinking of his mother and rides the hors e all time to foresee winning clue in a desperate move to acquire money. This shows how thoughtful he is about his mother and how much he cares for her. However, both the characters are closely connected as they share blood relationship and live in the same house. The son and

GLOBAL CORPORATE STRATEGY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

GLOBAL CORPORATE STRATEGY - Assignment Example Google and Apple introduced Android and iOS operating systems, which provided greater functionality and app support than Nokia’s Symbian. As a result, Android and iOS gained larger market shares than Nokia within less than four years after they were introduced. Nokia lost its position as the leading smartphone company in the world. The alliance between Nokia and Microsoft did not achieve the intended purposes. Rather than help Nokia to regain market share, the alliance resulted in Nokia losing more market share as the Microsoft Phone OS started losing market share to Android and iOS. Ultimately, Nokia decided to sell off its devices business to Microsoft, marking the exit of Nokia from the smartphone industry. The failure of the Nokia-Microsoft alliance was based on various factors including poor leadership, organizational culture, and structure. The business environment is continually changing (Stangler, D. 2012). These constant changes influence industries and companies in various ways (Jain, Trehan & Trehan, n.d.: 16). Within the high-tech industry, the increase and emergence of new challenges such as declining growth, growing competition, and globalization have necessitated the integration and collaboration of the industry at the global level (Saksena, 2009: 1-2).In the recent past, major integrations and collaborations have been witnessed in the global smartphone industry. One such integration was involved Nokia and Microsoft Inc., which resulted in the two tech giants working together in the smartphone industry. In 2011, the two companies entered into a partnership where Nokia would produce its high end smartphones, Lumia, which would run on Microsoft’s Windows operating system. The partnership was motivated by Nokia’s threat of losing market share after the entry of new competitors including Google Inc. and Apple Inc. The entry of these new competitors into the smartphone sector resulted in

Rethinking Altruism Essay Example for Free

Rethinking Altruism Essay In answering the question of whether altruism exists or not, C. Daniel Batson together with his colleagues believe that altruism does exist. On the other hand, Robert B. Cialdini and his colleagues argue that there no such thing as genuine altruism, let alone altruism as we commonly it. Those propose that altruism exists suggest that human beings are oftentimes inclined to help other individuals out of genuine altruism primarily because of our empathy towards others. On the other hand, those who argue that there is no such thing as altruism tell us that it is not enough for people to simply have empathy to help others, especially those who are in dire need of help. More to empathy, Cialdini and his colleagues suggest that people sometimes help other individuals in order gain something in return—and that â€Å"something† is making the self feel better after doing the presumed altruistic deed. In the end, it signifies that at the bottom of altruism rests the inclination to satisfy ourselves such as our conscience through charitable decisions or actions. The concept of empathy—or the act of immersing into another person’s perspective and experiencing compassion along the way—is at the heart of the position of Batson and his colleagues. That is, people can be altruistic if they are able to empathize with those they help. Conversely, the lack of empathy can hardly push people to become altruists at some point in time. I think it is possible for people to empathize or to put their feet into the shoes of others, so to speak. Sometimes people may want to share the burdens of others and, after a while, they end up helping them anyway. The certainty of whether helping these people is an altruistic deed depends on whether or not those who empathized and helped expected something in return or anything at all. This leads us to the other side of the debate, namely the argument that empathy is never enough as people may help others so that they will feel better or be removed of any form of guilt or a heavy conscience. Cialdini and his colleagues propose that empathy is never sufficient in motivating people to help others. In effect, they are suggesting that our efforts to feel the suffering of others as if it was our own and to resolve the problem of other people without expecting anything in return cannot be maintained. Rather, it is the nature of human beings to do something because they are expecting something in return. I think that is true in so far as my experiences are concerned. I have personally experienced situations wherein I felt that I needed to help other people including my friends and my relatives. I tried to help them to the best of my abilities not out of altruism but out of one basic reason: I did not want to feel guilty if I am not able to help them at the end of the day. Although my conscience is pricked each time I am compelled by my sentiments to help them, my conscience is exactly the reason why I push myself to offer my assistance. I did not want to have a heavy conscience for not being able to be of any help. From that, I can say that I was not really being altruistic. Rather, I was seeking to evade a moral failure to help much as I was seeking to avoid keeping a heavy conscience. On the other hand, Batson and his colleagues maintain that there are times when people become altruistic in their deeds. Because of our empathy towards others, we are inclined to help others without expecting anything in return. I think that is partly true in times when our friends or our close relatives are the ones who need our help. We hardly refrain from helping them essentially because they are dear to us. As for strangers seeking our help, perhaps that is an entirely different matter. I think we are less inclined to help strangers because we barely have any idea about their identity unlike our friends and close relatives. I think that this disparity will only reaffirm the position that empathy is never sufficient and that human beings are generally far from being altruists. Since we are more inclined to provide our help to our friends and close relatives than to strangers, I think it is only safe to assume that the reason why we help them is because of our â€Å"ties† or relationship with them. The lack of an apparent connection with others does not strongly encourage us to be unselfish individuals who could only care about the welfare of others and whose personal welfare only comes secondary. I find it difficult to see myself empathizing with strangers because I barely know who they are. I may be able to relate to their experience or suffering but that is just it. Conversely, I am unable to completely empathize with them because I do not have a close association with them. Because we do not have any strings attached, so to speak, I am not inclined to help strangers. More importantly, I think that people are not genuinely altruists. On the contrary, people are still human beings who seek to preserve their own welfare whether or not other people will benefit from such an attempt. The main reason why we help others even though it might lead to our own suffering is that we seek to avoid carrying the burden of a heavy conscience or of the thought of not being able to help someone when they needed help the most. We can hardly stand seeing a person who is drowning because we fear our conscience will come to haunt us and deprive us of peace of mind. We can hardly stand watching someone be mugged to demise by street criminals because we fear that the same thing might happen to us with no one to help us. In other words, we want to help others because we expect something in return, be it in the form of the same help when we experience the same things or in the form of a conscience that is light. Reference Nier, J. (2007). Does True Altruism Exist? In Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Social Psychology (2nd ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Software Patents, Copyright, and Piracy Issues in India Essay -- Compu

Software Patents, Copyright, and Piracy Issues in India Introduction India has developed enormously in the field of science and technology. Information Technology has been one of the fastest growing sectors in the country and a major contributor to the economy. India's economy has boomed over the past decade due to Government's initiates. With it vast pool of educated population and its leading presence in the Software arena India is fast becoming a knowledge hub. This paper gives an overview of Patent, copyright and Cyber laws, software piracy issues, and analyses the economic benefits of reducing piracy and the ethical issues of piracy. Overview of Patent, Copyright and Cyber Laws The protection regarding Intellectual Property Rights differs from country to country. Beginning with GATT, WTO and TRIPS (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights) the economic focus of International trade and global policy has progressively moved from the tariff protection of goods to "Protection of Intellectual Property". The Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in India is a movement that is continuing to gain strength. There is a well established Statutory, administrative and Judicial Framework to safeguard Intellectual Property rights in India. India has enacted several legislation's and drafted amendments to several existing legislation's in order to fulfill the obligations imposed on it by TRIPS. Patent Laws: Patent rights give the owner the exclusive right to make the invention, use the invention, sell the invention and distribute the invention. These exclusive rights are obtained after the grant of the Patent by Registrar of Patents. In India the law governing Patents is the Patent Act, 1970("the Patents Act"). Th... ...ate people to buy legitimate software. Conclusion India has strict Intellectual property laws and Information Technology sector is one of the major contributors to the country's economic development. Therefore reducing software piracy will have a significant impact on the economic growth. Piracy can be curbed by a combination of raids, litigation, and educating users about the advantages of using legal software, the problems associated with copied software and legal penalties etc., Also global piracy cannot be won without addressing the draconian pricing policies of software proportionate to per capita by the software publishers. References [1] www.nasscom.org [2] Pavan Duggal, http://cyberlaws.net/cyberindia [3] Software Piracy: Understanding the larger picture - Express Computer , http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20030721/indtrend1.shtml

Retreat Reflection

Last March 4-5, 2011, I had my retreat at the Capuchin Retreat Center at Lipa, Batangas. I treated it as a mini or short vacation from my busy and stressful everyday school life. Well, that was my initial take on my retreat day until I finally came to the realizations the recollection had offered me during my time there. It wasn’t just a vacation. It was a time for me to be able to take a break from my usual life and take a step back to take a look at where I am at the moment and where I want to be in the future. As I am about to finish my college degree with hopefully two terms left, I needed that time to know what God intends for me to do as I begin a new chapter in my life – professional/work life. The retreat was an eye-opener for me. I got to know myself better through the questions asked by the facilitator. Each of which had different intentions. An example would be the question â€Å"What is my passion?†. This made me think of what I would love to do or what I am interested in, disregarding the degree I am taking and what it is about. Honestly, I am not happy with where I am right now and knowing my passion could help me find another path that I could take because doing what I love to do could or might be the best thing. Another question asked was â€Å"What is my biggest or most important question in my life as of the moment?† My answer to it was â€Å"Why is there a need for suffering?† My reason for which was â€Å"I’m just curious to know why because why do we need to suffer if we can all just be happy instead†. I don’t know but my question sounds clichà ©. Maybe we are to suffer for us to remember that God is always there for us. We can always find refuge, security and rest in Him. The retreat also reminded me that in everything that I do, do it for the greater glory of the Lord. There are times when it is hard for me to be productive with God in my mind cause I get caught up with mundane things. The solution I was presented during the two days that I’ve spent in Batangas was to be in love with Christ. If I put God in the center of my life then the things that I’d do would come natural. It’s not forced. I do not need to over analyze the situations I am in because I will have direction. I believe that our paths are shown to us and He unfolds His plans to us when we decide to spend some time with Him.

Where You Keep the Secret

secret. something that can not be known by everyone, except the people who create the secret. secrets can be for the good and in the same time it can have a negative effect that long in one's life. based on the articles, the secret can be done by anyone who wishes to not let certain people know. example of the often secret didembunyikadalam this article also clearly tell whether the examples of the most popular places for some individuals who want to conceal something and what is the impact on individuals keeping it secret. etween the place of choice to hide something is in the books, any part of the house, letters from old flames are one of the usual items That people hide and do not miss keep secret computer use, by storing all files in the folder suites locked. in addition, the effect if concealing something will have an impact on a relationship. this is because the secret kept will not keep long, because sooner or later be discovered. important for every hubngan for secrecy are n ot mutually each other. f there is any weakness in the pair, it should be shared. according to Frank Warren, he stated that there is an edge if the spouse is concealing something it could create saspen elements while giving hope and be romantic partners. I agree with the ideas presented in the article. this is because each argument written about secrets definition, what is secret and concealed the impact if a relationship. in life is a lot to be withheld from a person unknown. it turns out to be good to ourselves or to someone who may be confidential or otherwise. es, I also strongly agree that sometimes the secret to be the cause of why a relationship falling apart. secret will lead to goodness if we know what our true intentions concealing something. I actually keep things in novels. for example money or old pictures. for my options proposed by the author shows that it is very creative. my suggestion, not all secrets can be kept at a place other than keep it in the heart. it's saf er than dismantled by certain parties.

Profile of Michael Skakel - Part One

Profile of Michael Skakel - Part One Michael Skakel: Michael Skakel should have had it all - wealth, security, friends in high places, but something went terribly wrong. Being a nephew to the Kennedy clan failed to protect him from himself and problems for Michael started early. In an autobiography proposal that he was trying to sell to a publisher, Skakel described his rage, his learning disability, alcoholism and sibling jealousy. Twenty-seven years later, a jury decided that his personal demons led him to bludgeon 15-year-old Martha Moxley to death with a golf club. Silver Spoons: Michael Skakel was born on October 19, 1960 to Rushton and Anne Skakel. He was the middle son of six siblings and grew up in a large home in the gated wealthy community of Belle Haven in Greenwich, Conn. Rushton Skakel Sr., the brother of Ethel Skakel Kennedy, who was married to the late Robert F. Kennedy, was chairman of the Great Lakes Carbon Corp. The Skakels were part of Americas elite, enjoying an exclusive place in society, wealth, and a home in one of the richest towns in the U.S. Anne Skakel: In 1973 Anne Skakel died from cancer. Michael was 12 years old and devastated at the loss of his mother. Anne was a central part of his life and Michael blamed himself for her death, pointing at his poor attention to his prayers as the reason. The balance that Anne had kept inside the Skakel household was gone and a kind of sibling chaos took over. Rushton Skakel spent much of his time at work, leaving the kids on their own or with hired tutors or live-in sitters. Michaels Miserable School Years: Michael was a terrible student, suffering from undiagnosed dyslexia. His father was constantly lecturing him on improving his study skills. He flunked out of numerous private schools and by the age of 13 he was a self described, full-blown daily-drinking alcoholic. Danger Signs: As a kid, Michael had earned the reputation as being violent and quick to lose his temper. He also was known for torturing and killing birds and squirrels then displaying them in an almost ritualistic way. His quick temper and spoiled nature effected his relationship with the neighborhood kids and often parents would disapprove of their children associating with the volatile Skatel boys. Brotherly Rivalry: Tommy, Michaels older brother, was more popular and had a way with the neighborhood girls. According to Mark Furhmans book, Murder in Greenwich there was a strong rivalry between the two brothers, with Tommy often coming out on the top. This was especially difficult for Michael to accept when he found himself attracted to the same girls as his brother. The Murder of Martha Moxley: In October 1975, Tommy and Michael became suspects in the murder of 15-year-old Martha Moxley, a friend and neighbor of the boys. It was mischief night the night before Halloween, and Martha Moxley and friends were out spraying shaving cream and ringing doorbells before stopping over at the Skakels. Martha left the Skakels for home between 9:30 and 11:00 p.m. but never made it. The Golf Club: The following day her bludgeoned body was found under a tree in her yard. Her jeans were pulled down, but no evidence of a sexual assault was found. The weapon, an expensive Toney Penna golf club, was found with a shattered shaft, with a jagged piece of it lodged in Marthas neck. Investigators traced the club to a set belonging the boys deceased mother, Anne Skakel. The Alibi: This discovery put the prime focus on the Skakel household. After interviewing Marthas friends, including the Skakels, the police ruled out Michael Skakel as a suspect because he was at a friends house during the time Martha was murdered. Tommy Skakel and a newly hired tutor, Ken Littleton,who was living at the Skakel home, remained on the top of the suspect list, but no arrests were made in the case. The Drinking Problem: Michaels daily drinking escalated and in 1978 he was arrested in New York for driving while intoxicated. In an agreement with the state to drop the charges, Michael was sent off to Elan School in Poland Spring, Maine where he was treated for alcoholism. Primal Screaming: The Elan School had a series of group therapy and private sessions where students were encouraged to participate in primal screaming and come clean about incidents in their lives which caused them guilt and sorrow. It was during this time at Elan that Michael supposedly admitted to his father and members of the Elan staff that he was involved in Martha Moxleys murder, (a point now denied by his attorney). Sobriety: After Michael left Elan, he continued to battle his alcoholism, entering different rehabilitation centers. In his early 20s he began living a sober life. He was diagnosed with dyslexia and entered Curry College in Massachusetts which focused on students with learning disabilities. After his graduation he married golf pro, Margot Sheridan and spent much of his time preparing and competing in speed skiing events. William Kennedy Smith: In 1991, the Moxley investigation was reopened after rumors circulated during the trial of William Kennedy Smith, that William was at the Skakel home on the night Moxley was murdered. The press was also interested in the case and many of the original principals were interviewed. Although the rumor of Smiths presence in the home proved to false, the public eye was once again focusing in on the Skakel boys, Tommy and Michael.

David Boring by Daniel Clowes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

David Boring by Daniel Clowes - Research Paper Example Critics judge his creations with a variety of comments and in my essay I will clearly specify my own personal critical view of the writer as well as the author. Born in Chicago in 1961, Daniel Clowes is a renowned author, screenwriter and graphic artist. In his early years, he was unable to find a decent job in his field of interest that is cartooning even with a BFA degree in hand and had to start his career as working freelance and underground. His first project was the comic book series Lloyd Llewellyn, which brought him little yet significant amount of recognition and encouraged him to adopt different types of storytelling ways. His natural talent and abilities have allowed him to set outstanding standards within the field for the past seventeen years. A lonely childhood sparked Clowes’s interest in drawing. He was sent to live with his grandparents at the age of four due to some major family issues and therefore, he had little company growing up. "I spent my whole childho od not saying a word," he explained to  Guardian  writer Craig Taylor. Therefore, drawing and comic writing fascinated him as they provided a channel he could use to convey his thoughts to others simultaneously, proving to be a good solution to his boredom. He possessed a natural artistic streak and therefore, spent innumerable hours drawing and creating comic book figures and characters.   Clowes’s comics majorly revolve around themes like action – based fiction and fantasies. His most famous works came at a time when the comic writing was undergoing serious transformational changes in the 80s and 90s. One of his popular works is the mysterious murder mystery of â€Å"David Boring’, which has been recognized as one of the ten best English language graphic novels ever written. The book portrays the catastrophes that occur from time to time in the life of David, an eponymous, young, American fellow who roams around looking for his soul mate, the perfect wo man for him, and instead came across his father, a comic artist whom he never had a chance to meet. Indeed, Clowes is an impressive writer whose capability of remaining both creative and entertaining is reflected in mostly all his works. According to a critic, David Boring is an exceptional work of skillful storytelling but lacks all kinds of emotional touches (Kannenberg, 2008). From his writings, we are now conversant with calm, composed and controlled Clowes. David Boring is quite an interesting and fascinating book, and Clowes exceptional artwork and character development techniques have made it worth reading. The contextualization of drama and action has been done using varied drawing styles, which change often drastically, as the story moves from one scene to the other (Marrone, 2009). Changes in the setting and the mood have been observed to be swift but smooth and effortless. The brilliance of Clowes is depicted by his frequent use of sharp and bold sketches when creating me lodramatic moods. On the other hand, he keeps his work simple and cute at other places to maintain the ‘cartoonish’ touch of his characters. The artwork in regards to color schemes is impressive. The comic has the traditional black and white color but touches of pale blue enhance the effects greatly, by reflecting the moods of the characters in light of the events happening. Moreover, it also signifies the changes in themes of the story as the story

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Essay Example In the opening sentences of his narrative, Douglass stated the fact that slave owners thought of slaves as animals (Douglass, 47). It was not just the slave owners who treated their slaves as animals but the slaves themselves also had the perception about themselves. The access to reading opened a new world for Douglass and casted a new light on the world he was already living. The dawning of self-consciousness was the outcome of the acquisition of reading skills, which made him capable to think independently. He also stated that learning to read was a curse rather than a blessing because after gaining knowledge he was able to see his miserable condition with no remedy to get out of it (Douglass, 84). Douglass occasional regrets regarding his wretched condition were due to the knowledge that self-education afforded him and was the main source to change his status from a slave. The ability to read and write was important in the eyes of Douglass because it was through this ability he w as able to describe his story in his own words and refuted the common misconception that slaves were not capable enough to communicate through the standard conventions of American literature. The ability to fully understand his environment and comprehend the hopelessness of the situation faced by him and other slaves was only because of the literacy which was the greatest tool to work for the freedom of slaves. This revolutionary incident of Douglass was the turning point in his career as a slave which revived a wave of manhood in his heart (Douglass, 113). There are no illusions that education plays a key role in setting slaves free because it equips them with the skills and knowledge to improve their lives. It helps in articulating the injustice caused by the slavery and awakens the consciousness to fight against abolition. In case of Frederick Douglass, he was able to reveal the strategy of his master, Hugh Auld, about how he used to manage to keep blacks as slaves and by which b lacks would be able to free themselves. This quote from his narration clearly depicts the importance of learning: â€Å"If you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master† (Douglass, 49). These ironic words were delivered to the Mistress, wife of Auld, who taught Douglass how to read and was strictly forbidden because they believed that education ruins slaves. The transformation of a kind-hearted woman to a harsh mistress made him realize that the institution of slavery has a major effect on well-intentioned people as well (Douglass, 82). This means that illiteracy and ignorance were the most important elements in the subjugation of slaves. The desire to gain more knowledge was not only a constant battle for Douglass as it was unlawful to teach a slave to read and had to be a secretive process (Douglass, 20). Douglas further said that his mistress ga ve him the start by teaching the alphabets and nothing was so powerful to prevent him from learning (Douglass, 81). The harsh attitude of mistress and vigilance to stop Douglass from seeking knowledge by many means made him clear that an educated slave is a dangerous notion for the masters. It can be noticed that when it comes to education, masters and slaves are inherently opposite to each other. The thing that changed the whole life