The Summer Song Essay Example for Free

The Summer Song Essay When youre are young, it feels like life will carry on forever, and youre very happy. Immortal is used to reveal the boys inflated egos, as they show off to each other and Linda. Price shell have to pay This is adding to the idea of repaying debts, which is mentioned throughout the play, referring to different characters. It could also be a slight mention of Mrs Johnstone, Mickeys mother who gave birth to them both. She is still attached to both of them, even going so far as to give a locket with her picture to Edward, who is now Mrs Lyons son. What fate the later seasons bring, This is adding to the metaphor of the lambs in spring. It is hinting towards the inevitable fate of the slaughter house that lambs face, which the boys soon will. It is mentioned to worry the audience. The lyrics that fit into the foreshadowing category are: Young, free and innocent, This is to emphasise that the boys are still children. Chippy This tells us that Mickey is nearing the end of his life. In the Its just a game scene, Mickey is threatened by frying in chip shop fat, so this is a signal that the boys he will die soon. Last cigarette Cigarettes are associated with death. Last cigarette is a prisoners last luxury before theyre hanged. Its also an allusion to the biblical last supper. Ferry boat This is the idea that the three are being taken to the land of the dead on the River Styx. Broken bottles in the sand, Broken bottles in the sand are hidden, and when you accidentally stand on them they surprise you. This is referring to how unaware the children are of their futures. Oil in the water This brings ideas of pollution, and corruption and spreading fate. Oil and water dont mix, they will always separate. This is like Mickey and Edwards friendship. The use of we in the final paragraph reminds us that we are powerless, and it is the narrator letting us know that hes in the same situation as us, unable to let the characters know of their fate. We do not know whether he is being sarcastic, or would actually like to let them know. Predict no changes in the weather, This reminds us that this happy summer will come to an end. The song is made up of rhyming couplets, which make it sound childish, and adds a sense of finality, so after the last rhyme, you know its over. For young, free and innocent, theres one word for each child. It also makes them seem vulnerable. You know that the innocence will be lost after the song. dreams and fifteen. Have a jarring Para rhyme which interrupts quickly, like what will happen to their lives. The tune of the Summer Song is the first and the last song, Tell me its not true repeated in different themes. Our minds are taken back throughout the previous moments of the play and the first scene when we see Mrs Johnstone with the two dead boys. This connects the audience more to the characters, making it feel harder when the boys die. It suggests that this has happened before, and will happen again. After the first verse there is a pause in the music, to emphasise the narrators last words, The price shell have to pay for just being there. The audience dwells on the idea of the debt that Linda will have to repay, to make up for Mrs Johnstones debt. The line after the pause: But leave them alone, let them go and play, implies that summer is the peak of the year, when everything is at its best, and by the end of it everything is fully developed. It makes you think of leisure, fun, warmth and life. Unfortunately its fleeting, and is soon over, giving way to autumn when everything is wasting away, withering. Some of the lyrics could be portrayed as sarcastic. The song starts in Paradise, and then goes to a chip shop, then darkness, then a filthy beach. The environment seems to get worse and worse. It makes you wonder where they will be next. The first verse is played with a guitar and fairground music and the second is a sleazy saxophone, which clashes with what the narrator is telling us about them being innocent. The last verse is said in a wishful tone, which makes us regretful because we know that these innocent, promising children will soon be dead. At the start of the song, when the children rush on, it gives you an idea of their carefree nature. The narrator interacts with the children throughout the scene. When he is the rifle range man in the first verse, he offers the gun to the children, as if he is slyly hinting at their future. When Linda takes it and misses all three shots, we realise how they have changed, because when they were younger Linda was an excellent shot. The narrator throws them a coconut, and they begin a game of piggy-in-the-middle and Linda gets caught in the middle, at which point they freeze. This is when the narrator talks about the girl in the middle of the pair, the price shell pay just for being there. It emphasises and foreshadows that she will have to choose between the two. The theme of debt shows through here, with the debt transferring to Linda. In the next verse we see them lighting a cigarette, leaning on the lamppost, and suiting their actions to the words. It has a much more grown up feel than the previous verse. In the fourth verse they are at the beach, taking pictures, the first of the two boys, the second of Edward and Linda and the third of Mickey and Linda. Edward and Lindas seem much more genuine and well matched. Then the narrator takes a picture of the three. This makes the audience wish that the children knew of their futures and it makes the picture look empty, and meaningless. When the three exit he says, and only if the three of them could stay like that forever, As if the picture he took could have been more than just a snapshot. It makes you wish time could have stopped. The music of the song is matched to the actions and words. The narrator is always hovering in the background, waiting for a chance to become part of the scene. He is a constant presence throughout so the audience are never relaxed. They are always waiting for him to introduce another twist in the story. Before the Summer Song, he is quite far away, usually in a corner. During it though, he is allowed to come closer to them, and his threats become much more dangerous. The devils got your number hes staring through your window changes to Hes screaming right inside you. The proximity of the narrator to the characters affects the tension of the scene. The overall message of the play is that the inequality of classes is very bad thing, which is enforced as we watch the brothers grow from babies to men, and watch them die. We become attached to them, and regret their death, almost as if its our own fault. The song is when they make the transition from boys to men, and when they become their own people and their true feelings begin to show. Mickey represents the lower class, and Edward the higher. Linda is temptation and the narrator is fate. We see the lower class and the upper class tear each other apart. The second act is darker, as the dream world of child hood, which is reflected in the first half of the summer song, becomes the cold harsh reality of the 80s. I think that the message that Russell wanted to imprint upon the audience is: class is a cruel thing, tearing family and friends apart. The play made me feel sad, and shocked by how Mickey was driven mad enough to shoot his own brother.

Management by exception Essay Example for Free

Management by exception Essay With the release of the new budget for year 9 from Competition Bikes, there are a couple of areas that are a concern that warrant being addressed. The first being the prediction of amount of bikes to be sold; Competition Bikes is expecting 3,510 units to be sold after a year 8 that sold only 3,400 units which was a 15% drop in sales from the year prior (which sold approximately 4,000 units) with zero drop in price point which may make it harder for customers to justify purchasing a bike in the current economy. Understandably, year 8 was in the middle of a recession and the economy could rebound for a productive year 9. However, with only an extra $984 being spent on advertisement, the expectations could fall short unless advertisement spending is increased to approximately the $2,000 range it was in year 7. Competition Bikes is putting themselves at risk for over ordering raw materials and a surplus of raw materials only takes up more storage space, which leads to extra money being spent for storage. There is also an issue with General and Administration Expenses. General and Admin expenses is the same amount as it was in year 8 ($170,000). However, in year 7, Competition Bikes spent $12,000 less and sold 600 more units then it did in year 8. Year 7 was proof that Competition Bikes has the ability to produce and sell a successful amount of bikes without having an extremely high operational cost. That extra $12,000 could be spread into other aspects such as: advertising, factory maintenance and even bonuses. 2. A flexible budget is a budget that adjusts or flexes for changes in the volume of activity† (Averkamp, 2013). A flexible budget is more useful than a static budget because it is based on actual output. The difference between an actual output and a budgeted amount is known as a variance. When the amount of the actual result is higher than budgeted, it is considered favorable, whereas when the budgeted amount turns out higher is unfavorable. Within the Competition Bikes flexible budget there are a few favorable variances, the first one of note being within Net Sales. The company had a budget of $5,247,250, with the flexible budget being $5,117,385, however the  final numbers were $5,096,847, which gives the company an unfavorable variance of -$130,065. Total Variable Cost however was a favorable expense. With a planned budget of $3,967,962 and a flexible budget of $3,869,612 the actual output was $3,805,400 the favorable variance came out to $98,349. Contribution margin was also an unfavorable variance (-$31,716). Advertising Expenses went over cost for an unfavorable variance of $3,754 from a standard budget of $28,412 and a flexible budget of $27,708. The extra money spent towards advertising may have been to help boost extra sales towards the end of the year. Transportation Out also went over its budget for an unfavorable variance by $5,607. However, there is more to the Transportation Out than what the budget says. The price of shipment is supposed to be $30 per unit and with 87 less units sold; there should be an extra $2,610 in the budget. This requires extra investigation. 2A. In terms of corrective action, the best course is to focus on where the points where there were unfavorable variances. A key point to that would be to also create realistic predictions of sales and budget. By predicting a high sales goal (one that exceeds the amount of units sold the year prior), Competition Bikes is potentially setting itself up for another down year. To prevent another unfavorable variance in Net Sales, which was affected by the unfavorable Actual Output of Units Sold. Although the projection output was missed by only 87 units, that totaled out to $130,065. It would behoove Competition Bikes to create realistic predictions (as stated above). Another idea would to be to examine the sales process. Compare and contrast what strategies were compared between the successful year 7 and the down year 8 to determine if any changes took place in the sales process and development. Competition Bikes should not have been as aggressive as they were following a down year. An improved variance here could also directly affect the Contribution Margin and Operating Income, which both were unfavorable. Advertising Expenses should be increased to the level of year 7. Competition Bikes lowered their budget for advertising but yet ended up spending more  anyway. With the economy still in a rut, the chances of hitting a high prediction is slim, especially with low advertising. Since fewer sponsors are using the products from Competition Bikes, it would be wise to advertise to a different market of users (i.e. college students, those who live in traffic congested cities (New York), bike cops, etc). Meanwhile, the transportation unfavorable variance could be fixed by determining what the additional costs were. Since the transportation cost per units is $30, with sales prediction 87 less than projected, that is $2,610 that could have put transportation costs into favorable. The additional costs could be because of rising fuel prices, toll roads, raises for drivers, etc. Many avenues have to be explored in the future to save money on transportation (renegotiate contracts, new source of transportation, new transportation company, etc.) 2B. â€Å"Management by exception is the practice of examining the financial and operational results of a business, and only bringing issues to the attention of management if results represent substantial differences from the budgeted or expected amount† (Steven Bragg, 2014). This practice can be effective as it leaves upper management with more serious issues. By utilizing accurate and up-to-date information, management can keep the budget on track and consistent with what was forecasted. One main target for Management By Exception is net sales. Breaking down the yearly goals into weekly or monthly targets will allow the company to better breakdown the trends and identify areas of need and growth. By monitoring the trend of sales, management can initiate discussions on how to improve sales and how to keep up with demand if sales are higher than expected. Competition Bikes would be wise to make start/restart contract negotiations to maintain consistent material and labor costs. Spending variance on materials was favorable but labor was unfavorable. If the price of the materials or labor increase substantially overtime, the budget could become more expensive, costing the company more money. Works Cited Averkamp, Harold. What is a flexible budget?. Learn Accounting Online for Free. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. . Bragg, Steven. What is management by exception? Questions Answers AccountingTools. What is management by exception? Questions Answers AccountingTools. N.p., 5 June 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. .

Sector Analysis of the Nigerian Clothing Market

Sector Analysis of the Nigerian Clothing Market INTRODUCTION This section of the report is divided into segments and Im going to look into the sector analysis of the Nigerian clothing market through online databases, company reports, magazines, journal and newsletters. Kotler Gartner (2002) claim that PEST analysis is a functional considered tool for understanding market growth or decline, industry position, potential and direction for operations. In this report PEST analysis of the macro environment will be carried out to explore the factors that influence company policies; and Porters five forces will be used to understand the competitive environment of the industry. PEST analysis illustrate the political issues of a country which has to do the rules and regulation governing; economic forces which encompass the bargaining power and consumer purchasing patterns, interest rates and taxes. Next is technology which comprises of product development, innovation and inventions in the industry, online advert and new distribution methods. Finally social forces consist of change in life style, religion, fashion and roles models. Macro-environment This consists of the companys business suppliers, market intermediaries, buyer markets, competitors and the public (Kotler 2004.p:107). The most general layers of these environments are industry or sector and organisation which are again referred to as macro-environment. Thus, this consists of broad environmental factors that impact to a greater or lesser extent on an organisation. It is important to build up an understanding of how changes in the macro environment are likely to impact on a sector. These symbolize the uncontrollable factors of a business and how these factors (PEST) affect the Nigerian clothing industry is discussed below. Political Force Political forces play a vital role in business and it can be refer to the total sum of political, consumer protection, environmental regulations, employment law, competitive regulations, political trends, legal and regulatory forces which are enforced by the courts and regulatory agencies and are capable of controlling a companys marketing decisions and strategies (Dibb S. et al 1997). In Nigeria precisely, there are three main forces that make up the political environment and they are: Executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch. It is necessary and mandatory for an organisation to stick to political rules and regulation governing their day to day business activities of the country (Brassington F. 2006) Nigeria today has an extended list of prohibited items. According to Business day (2009), Nigerian has up to 80 banned items in its prohibition list while countries like Sierra Leone, Congo and Guinea have none. Furthermore, Senegal has 4, Ghana 19, Republic of Benin 10, Cameroon 13 and Gambia 1. In Nigerias import prohibition list items such as sugar, sweet, soap, fruit juice, textile fabrics, shoes, tooth paste, envelopes, mosquito nets and biscuits. This is in short supply apparently because of inadequate capacity accounted for by the harsh operating environment. In the case of textiles, the most strong of them all, Nigerian had over 120 textile factories in 1980 and this period was refer to as the era of textile boom in Nigerian. But recently the figure has dropped to 45 as a result of productive capacity of the sector which is so low to the point that about 90 percent of textiles/fabrics needs of the country are being fed through importation (Business day 2009). According to the (Mail and Guardian 2009), Anyanwu, founder of the Ogodo label, said the industry began stirring only when Olusegun Obasanjo banned importation of foreign clothes in the late 1990s. Anyanwu further stressed that, this forced designers to look inwards and discovered their capabilities, and that the company Ogodo, meaning Igbo for clothing of â€Å"good quality† was founded and premiered at Nigerias fashion week in 2006 (mail and guardian 2009). The Nigerian government has banned the importation of printed fabric/textile products from entering into the country in other to guard its own ailing industries in Nigeria (BBC 2002). In spite of the outlaw on importation of fabric or clothing by the Nigerian government ever since the new democratic dispensation, there is still an increase in the purchase of foreign products like clothing by Nigerian consumers. Furthermore the law was implemented to enable the local industries to thrive in the very competitive clothing market and to discard increasing demand of foreign goods in the Nigerian market (BBC 2002). The Nigerian market is proliferated with the importation of foreign labels which already have global recognition, Okechukwu (1999). Importation of clothing goods into Nigeria often poses threat to the local manufacturers whose products are relatively unidentified in the country. However, there is no efficient regulatory body that governs designers. In the West and Southern part of Africa, stakeholders in any specialized industry form regulatory bodies whose primary tasks include: providing resources for members, engaging in public guidance principle and governmental relations with the regulation of makers of clothes, and establishing suitable industry practices to stay competitive both locally and abroad. Although, banning the importation of textiles/fabrics was meant to provide leverage for Nigeria in its dealings with its trading partners. In fact, the 1977 ban, for example, was the result of what the government deemed a self-sufficient Clothing and Textile industry. The government, arguably, got it right. As of 1980, Nigeria was ranked the third largest textile industry in Africa after Egypt and South Africa (Uduak 2009). Enforcing increased of government regulation in the Nigeria economy today, the rising price of oil, communication advancements and travel options have all led towards a growing market for brand names products in Nigeria. Moreover clothes is a prime product since it was geared toward customers in third world country where the per capital income was extremely low. From the continent of Africa, there was a war in Abeokuta, involving the Yorubas in western Nigeria. This war was the result of them [Yoruba] rejecting to wear items brought from the British Colonists and their preference to locally made Nigerian clothes and Yoruba outfits with the reason that it represented their culture and custom (Jean 2004:p.256). Bayfield cited in Jean (2004) argues that their act visibly illustrated to colonial authorities those elite were not only setting themselves apart from colonial authorities and values but also showing commitment both political and cultural to being Yoruba. Precisely, in Yoruba community, the types and quality of clothes they wear are significant and a Yoruba wardrobe includes imported textiles, Such as velvet and locally woven (Jean 2004:p.256). Economic force It is important for every firm to know the economy of the country were they operate in other for the business to expand. The factor of Economic forces make up marketing environment and it consists of issues ranging from effects of the present day economic situation in a country which are caused by the forces of buying power, consumption, supply and demand, and spending patterns. The factors mentioned determine the success and growth of any organisations marketing strategies but which are uncontrollable by the organisation (Dibb S. et al 1997). The Nigerian economy has been experiencing growth for the past 10 years which has brought light to Nigerian (GMID 2005). The Nigerian consumers are becoming fashion conscious due to the new fashion trends and development in the society today. A majority of adult and middle-aged consumers have developed tastes which are comparable to those of their counterparts in developed countries, as a result of the advent of satellite communication and internet which has further made the diffusion of information and knowledge easy to reach out to the Nigerian population. This reason partly accounts for the elevated spending on clothing as indicated in a study that was carried out by (GMID 2005). Again, GMIDs study in 2005 about the Nigerian consumers spending pattern revealed that a greater proportion of their total income is spent on clothing, which is ranked third, (5.36%) after food and shelter with 56.42% and 8.89% respectively. Realistically, Nigerian [locally] made clothes are cheaper as opposed to the imported ones as the cost of labour is comparatively low and the materials used are internal. Also, considering the cost of importing foreign good, and its associated duties at the countrys ports undoubtedly makes foreign goods including clothing deer to that of the traditionally made ones. One important factor which could influence the consumption pattern of the Nigerian consumers in the clothing industry is the income levels. As a developing country, with a per capita of $2,300 (Siakhenn, 2008), coupled with the current global economic crises, which has crippled employment, and making more redundant, Nigerian consumers might be Sceptical about spending, especially on more fashionable cloths, but which will be affected the most, local or imported? The Nigeria financial system is based on crude oil, agriculture and trades due to the transformation of colonial rules in late 19th century. The necessitate to pay taxes to the colonial government forced Nigerian farmers to restore food-producing crops with cash-producing crops, the Nigerian government decided to reduce their prices in other to resolve profit. Although the Nigerian petroleum industry developed in 1960 and 1970 has brought a massive increased exporting agriculture products, infrastructure, earnings, social service and huge investment in industry. In respect of this situation many large investments often joint venture with private corporations. The Nigerian gross domestic product was improving in 2007 with $165 billion. In respectively the gross domestic product has a wide range, most times depending on the oil market at that period because it varies like in 1985 it was $81 billion, $33.2 billion in 1994, $40.5 billion in 1995 this was increasing yearly and the total GDP per capital was $1,118.20 which was among the lowest in the world. The less privileged experience hard slap due to the Nigeria economic problems and importation of goods were expensive (Stock 2009). Company in Nigeria today are expending due to the fact that Nigerian consumer now patronize locally made clothes, this clothes are relative cheap and affordable which have good values for money, In respect of this the Nigeria consumer barging power of consumer have increase over time. Furthermore, the interest rate has an effect on different magnitude on each of the monetary total. Examples if there are high interest rates in different country of origin it will affect the Nigeria economic and price rates of product will be expensive, due to the fact that these goods are imported into Nigeria. Social force Social force is very necessary in business and it encompasses factors like culture, customer demographics, attitudes and how opinions are being formed (Brassington F. 2006). Thus, this social force has help marketer to study consumer buying pattern, motivation and consumer behaviour. In Nigeria Clothing symbolizes religious affiliation, in spite of the Nigerian limited disposable income; consumers are able to spend most of their income on amusement, holiday and fashion which are the things that are significant to working class. At this phase of their lives, they have no responsibilities and little or no savings. Thus, they can consequently spend all the income they earn. The young adults group in Nigeria has a relatively low purchasing power because most of them are just starting-off on their own. As a result, they tend to spend their income on more tangible goods such as cars, apartments and clothes. Though they are mindful of fashion, they are more conscious spenders than the studying age consumers. The middle-aged adults have higher purchasing power as they are more established in their careers and have attained some level of financial success. This group consequently are able to afford more luxurious clothing items (GMID 2007). These classifications will be u seful for evaluating the discrepancies between the various age segments. Generally in African fashion it is well known and it is treated more like as a cultural experience. The Nigerian society has frowned on fashion design as a serious profession. In reality norms and attitudes reveal a degrading â€Å"you cant be serious† attitude towards fashion. Clothing industrial in Nigerian society is blooming especially foreign label clothes because it differentiates the rich from the poor, due to the exposure of the western culture most consumers that go to other country of origin for schooling, working or business preferred their lifestyles and the ways they dress because it makes them expose (GMID 2007) The consumers buying pattern has change over time, they younger adults in Nigeria prefer to wear be best outfit and latest shoes due to the kinds of events and occasion they are attending, this reasons usually influence younger consumer to purchase. Furthermore most of the consumers in Nigeria are being influence by lifestyle trends and role models because in the society there are always news trends and development, this consumer want to meet up to standard by dress according to roles models. Technological Technology plays vital roles in an organisation and it is constant to change in nature, it is necessary for and establishment to follow the trends of technology so that the organisation will not be lacking behind. Technology has being so benefits to firms it terms of advertising, innovation processes and quality control. Technology has helped the fashion industry to improve tremendously. Since 1960 the Nigerian internet sector has suffered delay by the countries immature infrastructure, but recently things are changing as rivalry intensifies and new internet technology has been able to convey wireless broadband access across different state in Nigerian. Thus, Nigeria has experienced a large increase in Internet and broadband use over the past 10 years. And Improvements in technology has made broadband more available and faster through the use of communication industrial like mobile telecommunication network MTN, Nigerian mobile communication M-Tel and Globacom Glo which has increase the use of information search engines and has made it easier for consumers to search through different web sites and this makes it easier to reach customers as well as making it easier for customer to access competition. Therefore the technology has improved and the system and usage of communication in Nigeria. Statistics show that in 2000 the estimate population of Nigeria was 142,895,600 but the internet users were only 200,000. In the year 2006 there was a vast increase on internet usage and population growth in Nigerian. Thus, the population was 159,404,137 and the internet users rose to 5,000,000 (GMID 2005) which was a huge development. Technology is fast improving in the Nigerian economic with the effect of broad brand and wireless internet various purchase has being made and customer has also use this median to check what is happening in the fashion industrial and the new fashion trends. Furthermore companies like Collectibles in the fashion industry of Nigeria have been able to use the internet technology to publicize and advertise their different brands of Nigerian products and this has created awareness in the country. Thus, various consumer has made has made order for different verity of clothes through online because it is ease to access. Majority of the fashion industrial in Nigeria has an online shop in other to prevent query and crowd. An examples like during sales in Nigeria most consumer purchase their product online in other to reduce querying up in shop. Moreover, the impart of technology to the society of Nigerian has help the fashion industrials and other business in the countries in term of high volumes of production rates which has made establishment to grow and also companies has use the median of technology to advertise their various goods and service to the public which has created awareness and high volumes of sales. Thus, the impart of technology has made industrial to know the numbers of manpower to employ and be utilize per day. Competitive Environment The clothing Industries in Nigerian are faced with lot of competition. There are a lot of locally made fabrics that are popular in the market and also other retail sellers travel outside Nigeria to other countries to like china to shop. This is because they can get cheaper goods and other option when they come back they make their products cheap, affordable and enlighten in order to satisfy customer needs and wants. Thus, Nigeria likes fashion and there are lots of boutiques in the country meaning competition is quite high, though the quality of these goods does not match that of Collectibles the best fashion industry in Nigeria. Abe is huge market in Nigeria which is known for fashionable clothes outfits and accessories their product are usually called â€Å"Made in Nigeria goods†. In Nigeria, the community of Abe everyone has a sewing machine which the used in sewing clothing and consumer patronize them. A lot of shops in Nigeria get their clothing items from Abe, which is a local fashion market in Nigeria and they resell them in the other shops, these are Nigerian made clothes. There are also a large range of bigger Fashion outlets which has various branches across Nigeria such as Collectibles, Marbella culture, Charlotte Andrews collection, Bibis couture, De javu essence, Dee top choice, Wranglers and yeside fashion store. This means the level of competition in the fashion industry in Nigeria is very high. In analysing the competitive environment of clothing industry, Porters Five Forces model will be used. This model will help us have a better understanding of the competitive environment because the Porters five forces model does not just agree that competition is about direct competitors but it encompasses the entire possibility of all future indirect competitors (Brassington F 2006). Which are based on five factors and they include intensity of rivalry, new entrants, suppliers, buyers and substitutes (Jobber 2007). Intensity of rivalry in the Nigerian clothing sector In traditional economic model, Competition among rival firms drives profit to zero. The intensity of rivalry is a necessary factor when analysing the competitive environment because it deal with number of factors that companies have to understand before going into the industry for business and they include: structure of the competition, structure of costs, degree of differentiation, switching costs, strategic objectives and exit barriers. This made firms strive for competitive advantages over their rivals and this can be achieved through creation of relationships between quality, supplier and clothing industry. The intensity of the rivalry in the clothing sector in Nigeria market is really fierce. As theres free movement of goods to Nigeria from the African union, and also with the influx of Asian clothing shops, the competition for market share is intense (GMID2008). Collectibles has a number of rivals in clothing sector like Yeside fashion, Marbella culture, Charlotte Andrews collection, and De javu essence. Wranglers are seemed to be in serious competition with collectibles fashion industry. A wrangler has been able to attract consumers by creating its own brand clothing labels and stylish shoes which collectible has taken the lead in it. Through this median companies are obeying the laws passed on them by the government. This has increased the intensity of rivalry in the industry because most of the company are working towards common goals to become a market leader. Threat of new entrants New entrants in business have a way of raising the level of competition in a particular industry and in turn reduce its attractiveness. When an industry has too many companies competing against each other, this can be the reason for its unattractiveness and this can be as a result of the low entry barriers that some industries have which makes entry easy (Jobber D. 2004). Furthermore, Kotler 2004 in his writing stated that new entrants to industry bring new capacity and new ideas, the aspiration to gain market share. As a result of this the new entrants in industry the competition will be the higher and this could change major determents market environment like price, customer loyalty and market share. Furthermore, within the Nigerian clothing market, the possibility existing or new laws restricting new entrants seems bleak especially with current globalisation and the African Union enabling free movement of goods. Aside from external forces, there is also possibility that local investors will invade the clothing market, due to the lucrative nature of the sector (the collectible fashion). This is well explained by the rapid growth of Chinese products in Africa and more importantly, in Nigeria. A BBC (2005) article titled â€Å"should Africa embrace china†, confirmed that developing countries are gradually becoming the real victims of Chinas economic progress with goods, especially clothing, being imported into counties including Nigeria. Collectible has a strong attendance in the Nigeria market and has gained the attention of large population of Nigeria consumer which make it very difficult for new entrants to break into. Threat of substitute products According to five porters models substitute refer to products in other industrials and when an establishment has lot of substitutes it makes it unappealing to the consumer because they can easily switches from one product to another. The main factor behind substitutes in clothing market is the price and the style. Majority of consumer are attracted and motivated by the price of the products in the shops because most of the shops frequently have offers and sales promotions on products which attracts customers. The current price war among various shops in Nigeria has left smaller retailers having a difficulty in setting prices to be as low as leading retailers like collectible. Most shoppers are motivated by price and will substitute their regular shop for the next which offers a more attractive price list. The free entry and exit within the Nigerian clothing market, coupled with the greater importation of foreign clothes and the greater number of local clothes traders gives the consumer a number of choices. Threats of substitutes are really high and this has a significant impact on the prices and more importantly the power the consumer has. More substitutes mean that the customer has options, which, as noted by Porter, means that one producer cannot influence the market by ruling prices. In order to match each others competition strategies, due to the threats posed by substitutes, shop owners resort to various promotional strategies, which are normally ‘prices wars. The bargaining power of suppliers Supplier power is a reflection of buyer power and it represent a vital roles in industry competitive environment because if the bargaining power of suppliers is high then this will have an effect on the firms profitability this is as a result of increase the in cost of raw materials and subsequently the cost of finished products(Jobber D. 2004). Clothing market are increasing the standard of quality on their products which they get from suppliers and this has affected the relationship between retail companies and their various suppliers who have not been able to keep up with the new quality standard they require. The bargaining power of suppliers in Nigeria is really low. As noted by Porter (1979) when the bargain power of the suppliers is high, prices go up. This is the opposite of the Nigerian clothing sector. This is because though suppliers may be limited in number; most clothing retailers have their own manufacturers which are an integral part of their business. Thus most retailers use own brand/label, and this further echoes why the customers have such a high bargain power. Buyers According kippenberger (1998) states that it is often useful to distinguish potential buyer power from the buyers willingness or incentive to use that power, willingness that derives mainly from the â€Å"risk of failure† associated with a products use. Thus, Buyers refer to customer who patronise an organization and usually have more buyers bargaining power. (Lynch 2006). The size and concentration of customer is very vital and also buyer powers are very necessary because it influence the factor in clothing market as a result of high level of substitution of retailers. With the huge daily influx of clothes as explained above from overseas and with the existence of locally made ones, the bargain power of the Nigerian customer is really high. This is again backed by the fact that the number of choices available to the customers tends to drive the cost of clothes down in the country. Conclusion of sector analysis The sector analysis comprises of pest analysis and porters five forces theory which been use in this framework and it has help to analyses the Nigerian clothing market and also able to check the barriers and limitation of the market. In this analysis, secondary data was used to find out more information of the industrial and the perception of consumers towards foreign and locally made clothes which has giving the research more ideas to carried on to the next chapter which is the literature review.

Essay --

Pengenalan Di Malaysia, perkara 3(1) Perlembagaan Persekutuan memperuntukkan bahawa Islam adalah Agama Persekutuan akan tetapi lain-lain agama boleh diamalkan dengan aman dan damai di mana-mana bahagian Persekutuan. Sebelum kedatangan Inggeris undang-undang yang dikuti di negeri-negeri Melayu ialah undang-undang Islam dan adat Melayu yang sesuai. Mahkamah dalam kes Ramah lawan Laton telah memutuskan bahawa undang-undang Islam adalah undang-undang tempatan dan undang-undang negeri. Akan tetapi pengaruh undang-undang Inggeris telah dimasukkan melalui perundangan dan keputusan hakim. Supaya undang-undang Islam dikembalikan sebagai undang-undang asas dan utama bagi orang-orang Islam di Malaysia, hendaklah dinaikkan taraf dan kedudukan Mahkamah Syariah dan membebaskan dari gangguan dan campur tangan Mahkamah Sivil. Pindaan kepada Perkara 121 Perlembagaan Persekutuan yang dibuat pada tahun 1998 adalah merupakan langkah permulaan kearah tersebut. Banyak lagi yang harus dilakukan untuk meninggikan Pentadbiran Undang-undang Islam di Malaysia dan untuk membolehkan Mahkamah Syariah menjalankan tugasnya dengan baik. Di negara kita, Malaysia, Undang-undang Syariah ditadbirkan di Mahkamah Syariah dan Common Law ditadbirkan di Mahkamah Sivil. Melalui perundangan, undang-undang berasaskan Inggeris telah diterima seperti Kanun Keseksaan, Akta Keterangan, Akta Kontrak, Kanun Jenayah, Kanun Acara Sivil dan Undang-undang Tanah. Kuasa mengenai perundangan Hukum Syarak ada di peruntukkan dalam Jadual ke 9, Senarai 2 – Senarai Negeri Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Dalam pada itu, telah terdapat perkara dimana Mahkamah Sivil boleh menjalankan bidangkuasanya sungguhpun perkara itu mengenai undang-undang diri dan keluarga orang-orang Islam. Umpamanya dalam ... ... merangka dokumen undang-undang, atau memberi bantuan guaman. Sejarah Perundangan Islam. Sebelum masuknya pengaruh kerajaan British di negeri-negeri Melayu, undang-undang Islam dan Adat Melayu ialah undang-undang asas atau undang-undang negeri. Undang-undang Islam yang diikuti itu meliputi semua bidang termasuklah Undang-undang Keluarga, Undang-undang Jenayah, Undang-undang Tanah, Undang-undang Mal, dan Undang-undang Acara dan Keterangan. Kumpulan undang-undang Melayu lama seperti Undang-undang Melaka atau undang-undang yang dikumpulkan untuk Sultan Pahang mempunyai peruntukan bagi Undang-undang Mal, Undang-undang Keterangan dan Undang-undang Acara. Di Turki, Majallat-al-ahkam adalah suatu kumpulan undang-undang Mal Islam, telah diterjemahkan ke Bahasa Melayu dan diiktiraf sebagai undang-undang yang harus diikuti di mahkamah-mahkamah di Johor pada tahun 1914.

Snake Symbolism in Cleopatras Suicide Scene :: Egypt History Essays

Snake Symbolism in Cleopatra's Suicide Scene Abstract An asp bite creates a particularly awkward, excruciating death. The asp venom causes blood poisoning and an intense burn at the site of the wound. This burning is quickly forgotten, however, as the bite victim fades into a state of giddiness accompanied by nausea and extreme thirst. Blood clots form as the skin becomes speckled with purple spots, and there is usually a considerable amount of swelling. The victim then goes into convulsions, vomiting, urinating, and defecating uncontrollably (Hughes-Hallet 106). This is not a death suitable for a Queen, let alone Queen Cleopatra. Nonetheless, writers throughout history have designated the asp to be Cleopatra's suicide weapon. Her death is described as either an ecstatic orgasm or a serene slip into eternal slumber. Analyzing her death with an eye for accuracy, we can see that it is highly unlikely that Cleopatra would have chosen to kill herself with an asp. "Asp" is an imprecise term, which referred to many various African vipers, all of which would have left her corpse looking less than beautiful. The death that Cleopatra is described to have experienced resembles the death caused by a cobra sting, not an asp bite. A cobra would have had to be at least four feet long to excrete enough venom to kill Cleopatra and her two maids (Hughes-Hallet 107). Since writers have taken liberties with their descriptions of Cleopatra's death scene, representing the asp in various ways, we should ask, "What does the snake symbolize in Cleopatra's suicide, and how does this representation affect the overall portrayal of the Queen and her suicide?" The snake has acted as a diverse symbol throughout history, representing immortality, evil, femininity, and masculinity. In the book Dream Animals, Marilyn Nissenson and Susan Jonas further reveal the awe that the snake has inspired throughout the centuries, "They [snakes] were believed to mediate between life and death, earth and sky, this world and the next" (19). The snake slithers through our subconscious, evoking varying associations. Cleopatra identified with the snake during her life, and it becomes even more highly symbolic in her death. By examining three movies (DeMille's Cleopatra, Mankiewicz's Cleopatra and the ABC version of Cleopatra) and two dramas (Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and Mary Sidney's Tragedy of Antonie) different symbolic representations of the snake emerge along with contrasting depictions of the Queen of the Nile. These varying representations of the asp and slightly contrary portrayals of Cleopatra prove to us that we know very little about the eni gmatic ancient Queen. Snake Symbolism in Cleopatra's Suicide Scene :: Egypt History Essays Snake Symbolism in Cleopatra's Suicide Scene Abstract An asp bite creates a particularly awkward, excruciating death. The asp venom causes blood poisoning and an intense burn at the site of the wound. This burning is quickly forgotten, however, as the bite victim fades into a state of giddiness accompanied by nausea and extreme thirst. Blood clots form as the skin becomes speckled with purple spots, and there is usually a considerable amount of swelling. The victim then goes into convulsions, vomiting, urinating, and defecating uncontrollably (Hughes-Hallet 106). This is not a death suitable for a Queen, let alone Queen Cleopatra. Nonetheless, writers throughout history have designated the asp to be Cleopatra's suicide weapon. Her death is described as either an ecstatic orgasm or a serene slip into eternal slumber. Analyzing her death with an eye for accuracy, we can see that it is highly unlikely that Cleopatra would have chosen to kill herself with an asp. "Asp" is an imprecise term, which referred to many various African vipers, all of which would have left her corpse looking less than beautiful. The death that Cleopatra is described to have experienced resembles the death caused by a cobra sting, not an asp bite. A cobra would have had to be at least four feet long to excrete enough venom to kill Cleopatra and her two maids (Hughes-Hallet 107). Since writers have taken liberties with their descriptions of Cleopatra's death scene, representing the asp in various ways, we should ask, "What does the snake symbolize in Cleopatra's suicide, and how does this representation affect the overall portrayal of the Queen and her suicide?" The snake has acted as a diverse symbol throughout history, representing immortality, evil, femininity, and masculinity. In the book Dream Animals, Marilyn Nissenson and Susan Jonas further reveal the awe that the snake has inspired throughout the centuries, "They [snakes] were believed to mediate between life and death, earth and sky, this world and the next" (19). The snake slithers through our subconscious, evoking varying associations. Cleopatra identified with the snake during her life, and it becomes even more highly symbolic in her death. By examining three movies (DeMille's Cleopatra, Mankiewicz's Cleopatra and the ABC version of Cleopatra) and two dramas (Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and Mary Sidney's Tragedy of Antonie) different symbolic representations of the snake emerge along with contrasting depictions of the Queen of the Nile. These varying representations of the asp and slightly contrary portrayals of Cleopatra prove to us that we know very little about the eni gmatic ancient Queen.

The Movie Wit Essay -- Wit Movies Films Film Essays

The Movie "Wit" In the movie Wit, English literary scholar Vivian Bearing has spent years translating and interpreting the poetry of John Donne. Unfortunately, she is a person who has cultivated her intellect at the expense of her heart. Both colleagues and students view Bearing as a chilly and unfriendly person lost in her private world of words and mysterious thoughts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the age of 48, she is diagnosed with stage-four metastatic ovarian cancer. Dr. Kelekian wants her to take eight high-dose experimental chemotherapy treatments for eight months. He warns her that she will need to be "tough" to rely upon large reserves of inner courage and willpower.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vivian tries to remain tolerant as she suffers through questions and tests from technicians; "grand rounds," where she is prodded by medical students and treated like a specimen rather than a human being. Through her whole ordeal she has to face the loneliness of the hospital not to mention of grueling time spent in an isolation ward. She had no visitors, and the hospital was no place for fun. There is even a part in the movie where Vivian speaks about the dull and tedious hospital atmosphere. Most regrettably, through all of this she is dealing with the terrible side-effects of the chemotherapy; and then the pain of the still spreading cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through several flashbacks we gain insights into Vivian's life: an encounter with her mentor E. M. Ashford, who warns her to spend more time with friends; a ...

Scientific Method Allows to Uncover Truth

The scientific method consists of five steps: first, observing and recollecting information. Second, creating or formulating a hypothesis. Thirdly, scientists experiment, with the information and the observations they have made so as to reach to a conclusion, which is the fourth step. Finally, the last step consists in the communication, which is when you tell society about a new discovery or theory and the verification of this conclusion, in order to see if it is valid or not. Along this method there are lots of perceptions which are made, such as sense perception or induction, which may limit this method. What I will try to analyze along this essay is if the scientific method allows us or not to uncover truth. In order to do so, I will analyze whether the scientific method gives us absolute or provisional truth and how it gives us that truth. To start with, the scientific method can allow us to uncover truth. It is needed to say that it allow us to uncover provisional truth. Related article: Disagreements in Science Examples Truth can be provisional because we accept it may change over time, as new discoveries are made and the supposedly â€Å"truth† is no longer but it’s replaced by another and new â€Å"truth†. We accept one statement as true or not according to its degree of objectivity. Scientific method recollects empirical evidence, which is measurable and comparable and allows for the application of consistency tests. The application of consistency tests reduces the impact of subjectivity and the limitations of sense perception in the recollection of evidence. This allows us to construct explanations that are objective enough for society to define these explanations as provisional truth. Furthermore, as the scientific method is a very rigorous and complex method. Scientists do observation, formulation of a hypothesis, experimentation, they reach a conclusion and they then communicate and verify this conclusion. These steps are followed thousands of times, in order to be as objective as possible and in order to prove or create a theory. But these steps are followed not by just a scientist but by many, under different circumstances and places, again in order to be as objective as possible. All this repetition of the steps and the analysis made by lots of different scientist allows the scientific method to be, in part, objective and, in consequence, to give us a provisional truth. Finally, we can say that natural sciences objective is to build up provisional truths which are accepted by society and which predict future phenomena but not to build up absolute truth. During all times there have been many theories about evolution, which were replaced one by another and, the last accepted one is Darwin’s but before his theory there had been others theories of evolution which were â€Å"true†, so the ideal of the scientific method is to allow us to uncover provisional truth, as we know there are going to be, afterwards, new theories or changes in older ones. On the other hand, the scientific method doesn’t allow us to uncover absolute truth. When scientists observe, experiment, formulate a hypothesis or reach a conclusion, there are, mainly, two ways of knowing used: sense perception and intuition. These ways of knowing have limitations which don’t allow the scientific method to give us absolute truth. As regards sense perception, our senses have a limited range and they are selective. This means they can’t perceive everything which goes around us and that out of what we perceive (which isn’t everything) we remember or pay attention to some stimuli, according to our expectations, interests, culture and past experiences. Furthermore, as our senses are limited and there is variability in the ability of individuals to capture stimuli, we’ll never be sure if what we perceive is the real reality or just an interpretation of it. As regards induction, which is when from a variety of particular premises we get to a general conclusion we also have some limitations: As there’s no magical number that tells us how many people or things we’ve got to analyze to reach a generalization, we’ll never be sure that a generalization is right. Also because we need just one case in order to contradict a generalization, so we’ll never be sure a theory is right, as there’s nobody who may be able to analyze each particular case in every part of the world. So the scientific method is limited, as it doesn’t analyze each particular case and as, the observation made by scientists is limited. So, as from the beginning of the scientific method (observation) there are limitations, it will probably have failures along all the method. Secondly, there’s a limit to what science can explain. There are things which science can’t explain. As the scientific method uses empiricism and rationality to give us truth, it denies the mystical knowledge, such as the religious beliefs. So how can we say that scientific method allows us to uncover truth if it denies many things, such as religious beliefs, which many people believe are true? As we’ve said before it gives us provisional truth, as it gives us about natural or social sciences, but not absolute, as it doesn’t give us truth about religion or any similar theme. Moreover, as sciences are based on assumptions, looking for patterns in nature assumes nature is regular. Here we can clearly see that scientific method doesn’t allow us to uncover absolute truth, as nature evolves and changes, so it will never be regular. Finally, the scientific method doesn’t allow us to get truth, as there are some scientists which first get to a conclusion or make a hypothesis and then look for the information or patterns which suit their conclusion or hypothesis. So, they may look for patterns in nature which only fit with their conclusion or, in order to fit their conclusions, they’ll avoid certain features or patterns of nature which will contradict or which won’t fit to their hypothesis. So, this idea together with the limitations that sense perception and induction has, makes the scientific method unable to uncover truth. All in all, I strongly believe that scientific method can’t allow us to uncover truth, if we consider truth as absolute. But what is necessary to clarify is that there’s not any way of knowing which will allow us to uncover absolute truth. In this case we should take truth as a provisional concept and, if we take truth as provisional then the scientific method allows us to uncover it, as it takes us to discover truth in a provisional way. We can then say that the scientific method can take us to a provisional truth, but that it will never lead us to absolute truth, as it will always have some limitation.