Clothing Store Case Study

29/1/2009 Executive Summary: This work is an introduction to the fashion industry of Pakistan which has made quite a lot of progress in just a few years. Ten to fifteen years from now, this industry was still unknown to actually exist to the masses. Later with the formation of fashion councils and education centers under the enthusiastic few who wanted to make a difference and promulgate this very institution of fashion, did the very fashion industry took its concrete contour from the old tailor culture that formerly existed. Today it is one of the most progressing industries in the country. The fashion industry too, is influenced by external forces be they social, political, economic, technological or even competitive, which serve as a main driver for this industry. Moreover, relations with stakeholders – mainly suppliers, distributors and customers, and the strength and width of its competitors also define activities in the business. However, the relative strength of impact of these external factors on the industry varies (as in every industry) and is computed with analytical tools like PEST-C analysis and Porter’s five forces model. Nonetheless, fashion industry assures new arenas of growth and development; new opportunities for employment. This industry promises a different national projection that is serene and contemporary. Later, an extensive internal analysis of the company of concern is carried out, which in this piece of work is Maria B. Maria. B. is one of the most well renowned brands of Pakistan. A company formed to revolutionize the tailor-culture of apparel making in our society. Maria B. s a brand that reaches to all sectors of both the traditional and urban female fashion demand through a unique combination of pricing and the diversity in the fashion lifestyles that she offers. She is the only designer to have all the needs of different segments of the woman’s demographic covered under one roof. (Randhawa) She has been adopted by the modern Pakistani women along with the hip crowd as the latest cult label in recent years. This country previously never witnessed a true international pret-a-po rter collection before Maria’s infamous â€Å"Paris Collection† in 2001. Her clothes are a reflection of her own style. Fashion Avenue Quarterly, 2003) The top student from the first batch of graduates from the Pakistan School of Fashion Design, Maria was selected in 1997 to represent Pakistan at the international competition in Belgium, Europe called ‘Les Etoiles de la mode’, an annual young designers award. She made a major international media impact, and was the first Pakistani fashion designer who created awareness of Pakistani Fashion on the world circuit, when she finished top 3 in the final rankings amongst 22 participating countries including global fashion giants like, France, Italy, Japan, and U. S. A. A media darling of the local press, Maria B. opened her first outlet in 1998 in DHA Commercial Block, Lahore at a time when her peers and seniors were still operating from their homes, or at rented houses. Today, Maria B is immensely successful and is the largest selling brand under a fashion designer’s label in Pakistan. (Randhawa) Her lines are so exquisite and Maria considers them her strength. With her financial strength and international presence, Maria B intends to bring a change in the local fashion industry. [pic] Introduction: Fashion in itself is a very abstract term yet it embraces our everyday lives. The term has many different definitions and interpretations. According to The American Heritage College Dictionary, fashion is: the prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior; something, such as a garment, that is in the current mode; the style characteristic of the social elite. (Forbes Inc. , 1997). Fashion is an extension of self, an expression of individuality, of art and modernism. It has no borders or divides. Its passion and it is the constant evolution of society (Ghafoor, 2002). Fashion is a social phenomenon common to many fields of human activity and thinking. To some, fashion is an art form. To others, it is life. For most people it is a method of utilizing clothing, accessories and hair. Fashion is a mode to express yourself, to serve as an extension of your personality, or even to disguise your true self (Nellis, 1999). Fashion is a term commonly used to describe a style of clothing worn by most of people of a country. A fashion usually remains popular for about 1-3 years and then is replaced by yet another fashion. Even though there are a lot of changes in fashion, most people do not easily except the changes. A clothing style may be introduced as a fashion, but its use becomes a custom after being handed down from generation to generation. A fashion that comes and goes is called a Fad. (Fashion Forever: What is Fashion? ) A lot has changed and evolved in the history of fashion since the 1900s. As the century dawned, fashion was an exclusive enterprise, the pursuit of wealth. The average person in society settled for garments that were usually stitched at home. With time, however, networks of neighborhood tailors began to evolve into a retail history and the boom was followed by boutique selling. The 1930s were influenced by socialism, communism and fascism and women’s fashion became more and more feminine in keeping with these conservative ideas. However, this period also saw the emergence of the culture of clubs and hence dresses became more body-hugging and colors went more deep and dark. The establishment of Indian and Pakistani cinema has proved to be the strongest influence on the fashion in the decade. Due to western influence, the use of angarkhas, choghas and jamas had diminished considerably by this time, although the ceremonial pugdi, safa and topi were widespread as ever. They had been replaced by the sherwani, which is still a standard item of formal dress for Indian and Pakistani men today. Even though women were accepting change, they continued to wear the peshwaz, kurta, ghaghra and odhni at religious and ceremonial festivities, which were even sometimes made of imported fabrics. The 1950s saw the dawn of art colleges and schools and due to the freedom struggle and the adoption of khadi by Gandhi, the dying and handloom industries got more business. The 1960s was one of the most shock-filled decades of the century, as it saw sweeping fashion and lifestyle changes. Tight kurtas and churidars competed with mini-skirts abroad and at the same time, designers began to understand the need for cheaper, ready-to-wear lines. The 1970s saw the export of traditional material with the result that export surplus was sold within the country itself and hence, international fashion came to the sub-continent. Synthetics became popular and the clothes even flashier. In the 1980s big money ruled. In Pakistan too, silhouettes became more masculine and the shalwar kameez was made with shoulder pads. The influence of cable TV became more prominent and the teenage market boomed with youngsters who were more fashion conscious. (Baig, 2004) Mid 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century was marked fashion designers that changed the way fashion was contemplated. Designers greatly influence what direction fashion will go. These designers design and define future fashion developments. They are the trend setters of change in a culture – through change in tastes and lifestyles of a community which is often characterized by changes in current trends and styles. And changes in fashion play one of the major roles in these transformations. The activities of these designers, collaboratively, form the fashion industry. The fashion industry of Pakistan is growing in volume with every passing day. The credit goes chiefly to the mainstream fashion people, who have been instrumental in this change. Nisar, 2004) The industry has witnessed quite a mature spurt in the last two decades evolved from a traditional darzi (tailor) culture into a mature and cutting-edge business (Imam, 2008). However the status of fashion designers in our country greatly owes to the fashion institutions, particularly the Pakistan School of Fashion Design (PSFD) – now called the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design which was played its role in bringing out the potential and imparting training to young designers who today enjoy a reputed name in the retail market. Some of these recognized names include Maria B, Hasan Shehryar Yasin, Deepak Parwani and Maheen Khan (Qureshi, 2008). These are some of the few names which the fashion industry identifies with. Though the industry had been operating for quite a time, it actually got its institutional shape after the formation of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council. This council was an attempt by twenty five of the country’s top and established designers to create an infrastructure, a platform on which everyone could collaborate and represent their ideas and designs at the national and international level; a place where they could: ? Give structure to the expanding vital industry. ? To liaise with the government bodies on matters pertaining to excise duty, taxation systems, preferential tariffs for cargo etc. , and to work towards creating a fashion districts. ? To create an interface between the fashion industry and textile and crafts industry which are one of the most well-knit industries , which could revitalize them and in turn, benefit the designers greatly by incorporating ethnic methods of weaving, printing and ornamentation to produce up-market, contemporary creations of standardized quality and subsidized rates. To address the changing needs of the industry as it evolves and of creatively show-case the work of Pakistani designers and find a commercial representation for them both, domestically and globally. (About Us, 2004) Some of the attempts that the council made was the initiation of a Pakistan Fashion Week essential for business and trade linkages as well as for publicity purposes; studying the pres ent distribution/reselling network to see how designers could benefit from it; creating a trend forecast for domestic and export markets, and standardizing the pret-a-porter industry by having uniform sizing, accounting and labeling norms. About Us, 2004) However, the council’s main attempt to collaborate the efforts of fashion designers failed partly due to poor projection of there vision and partly due to the difference in the views of designers in the East and South – Lahore and Karachi, the main fashion hubs. This led to the creation of two distinct councils, the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PDFC) in Lahore and Asian Institute of Fashion Design (AIFD) in Karachi. These two councils have carried out their separate activities despite unification efforts until lately. On December 1, 2007, a mall showcasing the creations of Pakistani fashion designers was inaugurated by the name of Boulevard in Lahore. It was for the first time in the city’s history that fashion designers from all over the country got to display their work under one roof (Rashed, 2007). Prominent designers displaying their work included Hassan Shehryar Yasin, Maria B, Nomi Ansari, Kamiar Rokni, Shafaq Habib, Karma, Shella Rehman of Unbeatables, Ammar Bilal, Asifa and Nabeel, Ahsan Nazeer, Sanya Qureshi, Sobia Nazir, Nickie Nina, Sana Shahid of Sublime and Naila Maqbool. It is hoped that such a platform will amalgamate the vital forces of our fashion industry making it the hub of Pakistani fashion houses as is envisaged (Farooq, 2007). An Industry Analysis By definition, industry analysis is business research that focuses on the potential of a firm. Basically, an industry analysis is conducted to addresses three important questions: 1. Is the industry accessible—in other words, is it a realistic place for a new venture to enter? 2. Does the industry contain markets that are ripe for innovation or are underserved? . Are there positions that will avoid some of the negative attributes of the industry as a whole? (Barringer & Ireland, 2006) A complete industry analysis of a firm will include its PEST-C analysis which will answer the first two questions, its Porter’s five forces analysis which will answer the latter question, followed by its External Forces Evaluation (EFE) matrix on the basis of the opportunities available and threats faced by the company of concern Maria B. PEST – C Evaluation In this industry evaluation, P stands for Political, E – Economic, S – Socio-cultural, T – Technological and C – Competitive forces that impact the activities and opportunities and threats affecting an industry. Political forces These include any change in government laws – tax laws, labor laws, patent laws, government regulation and deregulation etc, political stability, safety and environmental protection regulations, international trade regulations etc. (David, 2005) Changes in tax and labor laws, can directly affect an industry’s revenue and growth structures. A rise in the rates of these laws can increase business expenditures and may decrease revenues. Sometimes, with industries with low profit margins, such change can become a barrier to profitability. Political instability in the country in terms of political parties or weakness in governmental policy can prove chaotic for the industry. Under such condition, this business, like any other business can be severely affected and eventually shut down. For e. g. , national political parties like MQM and MMA reserve a very unfavorable attitude towards the fashion industry. In case of power, any of these parties can adversely affect or even lead to a ban on this industry which could prove distressful. Similarly strict trade regulations and excise policies can affect international exports and hence, increase the overall trade deficit. Environmental degradation posses a great threat to survival of any industry. Hence, being a socially and environmentally responsible corporation is an essential for projecting a positive public image. Economic Forces Economic forces that impact an industry’s activities include interest rates, income levels and earning patterns, price wars, oil, currency and labor markets, inflation, unemployment, availability of credit, fiscal policies, consumption and spending propensity – living standards, international trade and cooperation policies etc. (David, 2005) Nowadays, there is a growing trend toward two-income households. Individuals place an increased premium on time; immediate availability and improved customer service (David, 2005). Customers are willing to pay more if they can obtain it with ease. There is an increase in the average standard of living in the country with a decrease in poverty level of 10. 6% during the past four years (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008). This can serve as an opportunity for the fashion industry to enhance profit margins through ‘add-ons’ provided that the income levels remain stable. Changes in interest rates often occur due to changes in the exchange and trade market. A deficit in trade can account for rise in interest rates. Similarly and rise in the international price of oil (as witnessed in recent years) can drastically impact the value of currency. This leads to changes in fiscal policy like an increase in the interest rate translated by inflation. High inflation can slow down business activities and at time generate no profit at all. The inflation rate the year 2007-08 was calculated to be 10. 3% as compared to the 7. 9% last year which shows an increased inflation that disadvantaged business performance country-wide (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008). However, in an economically active country with lower trade barriers, resultant price wars can increase competition and even and industry’s profit margins provided the industry is dominant as well as has international presence. Similarly, increased unemployment can provide an industry opportunity to project a positive image and provide training and employment to the depressed, hence positively contributing to the economy. Socio-Cultural Forces Factors in the socio-cultural front that can influence an industry’s operations include demographic trends, cultural changes, environmental patterns, population growth, business attitude, change in tastes and lifestyles, education, ethical concerns, buying habits, religion, family, values and attitudes etc. Pakistan, with a population growth rate of 1. % is the world’s 6th most populous country with an estimated total population of 160. 9 million. (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008) Out of this 74% of the total population of Pakistan lies in age group 15 – 34. However, 70% of the population resides in urban areas. (Federal Bureau of Statitics, 2005). With this came in increase in the literacy rate of the country which increased to 55% in the l ast four years (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008). Business activities have also flourished quite in the recent years, partly owing to foreign competitors entering the market. This has led to an increased change in the lifestyles and mindsets of people. There is an increased trend towards nuclear and dual-career families which serves as great opportunity for the industry as the buying power of the consumer is enhanced. Moreover, with change in lifestyles comes change in tastes. Nowadays people prefer using customized products and this is an opportunity for the fashion industry to pursue its target marketing strategy. Fashion industry is an industry for the youngsters. With such a large and lucrative target market, this industry can earn huge profits, provided it sufficiently focuses of their needs and interests. In view of this, fashion industry collaborated with the PBA (Pakistan Broadcasters Association) to launch a fashion channel worldwide last year by the name of ETNL (Style Dunia & Youth) which is being launched soon in the country (Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), 2007). Religion and ethical preferences too, play a major role in shaping strategies and marketing products, especially if one moves from culture to culture. Fashion industry in Pakistan, therefore has to take into consideration the limitations that ethics, culture and religions imply on clothing nationally as well as internationally. Technological Forces Though fashion industry is not technologically driven, but is has now become a necessity; especially if an industry or company wants to maintain competitive edge or tap into international arena. The focus of today’s industries is on mass customization as well as mass production which are not possible to achieve if it is inept in technology. Several factors impact an industry’s technological consideration. These are, Government spending in research, changes in Information Technology, Internet and Mobile Technology, energy use and costs, and international transaction costs etc. Technology is one of the powerful sources of marketing in today’s era. The world is now a global village. Increase in technology, especially the internet helps cover a large number of consumers thus, helping a business reach a large target market in a short time span. According to estimates of 2006, the global internet usage accounts for 21. 9% of the total world population with Pakistan alone, having a total usage of 7. 2%. (UNDESA, 2006) This is a very attractive opportunity for the fashion industry in case fashion designers start e-selling. International marketing (e-commerce) is one of the major contributors to world economy. It not only helps in the development of the business but also helps in the development of the country’s economy. However, any business before tapping into international arena has to go through various study and research to adopt proper marketing mix, physical evidence and performance before launching itself worldwide. It also needs to be aware of all the rules and regulations (cyber) of its host country. Once capitalized upon, e-commerce can produce great profits. Competitive Forces This force is recently introduced in the PEST analysis. Keeping in view the growing competition world wide, analysis of one’s competitive forces has become an essential to success. Gathering information about competitors’ strategies and progress has become very important. Due to diminishing trade barriers, WTO, EEC, OPEC and collaboration with other world communities, national border are no more existent. Now every country is a part of a bloc. This in turn has fiercely increased competition as a result of lower labor costs, enhanced technology and internet facilities. Now production is done in one country, assembly in other, packaging and shipment in another due to advancements in transportation and e-commerce. Companies strive to achieve competitive edge as low-cost producers. In such a rapidly changing environment with international competitors invading every country, keeping pace with, in fact going ahead of ones competitors is the only key to progress. However, it is essential to have a track of strategies and policies of an industry’s competitors but ethical concerns in gathering intelligence data should not be neglected. Competitors of Maria B. The company that study under fashion industry is Maria B – the largest fashion house of Pakistan. The company when formed was the first to start business with a retail outlet while all her competitors were doing business from home. Today, after ten years in business, Maria B faces competition from direct as well as indirect sources. A list of her direct competitors include designers like Hasan Shehryar Yasin, Rizwan Beyg, Generationz, Deepak Perwani, Nomi Shahid, Nikki and Nina, Sehyr Saigol, Maheen Khan, Sonya Batla, Hajra Hayat, Nayna, Monica Piracha. With them there are indirect competitors too that pose a threat to Maria B. They include local textile shops, local tailors, and famous brands like Gul Ahmed and Bareeze that are dealers in un-stitched garments. PORTER’S Five (Competitive) Forces Evaluation Below a diagrammatic summary of the five important competitive forces is given: [pic] Rivalry among competing firms Fashion industry in Pakistan is yet in its progressing stages. It has moved ahead from being embryonic but hasn’t spurted. However, threat of competitors is still an important factor that govern the operations of this industry; particularly the rivalry between fashion designers of Karachi and Lahore in terms of ideals have prompted every company in the industry to strive to develop a competitive edge and nationally expand as large as possible. This is mainly because the few designers that exist at present are equal in size and capability. The internet is still not used as a primary source of doing business but there is a growing tendency among designers, particularly the established ones to use internet for trade purposes nationally and internationally. Inflation and changes in customers’ perceptions and attitudes is also a driving force toward increased competitive rivalry. In the beginning, fashion designers pursued all their efforts towards bridal dresses. But as customers are becoming more and more aware and demand of branded apparel is increasing, these designers are finding new areas of development by focusing more on casual outfits. However, this industry is still not mature enough in its life cycle that price cutting could be a common phenomenon. There is not much time before these few designers are faced with increased competition particularly as standards of living become high and international designers set up their business in the country. Competitive rivalry in this case is comparatively high. Threat of new entrants Threat of new entrants in Pakistani fashion industry is high. This is because the barrier to enter this market is quite low because no previous experience is required to start doing business in apparel, customers have low brand preference and loyalty, too is low. If a customer gets a better option else where and that too, for a lower price, s/he can switch to that option. Regulatory policies in the country are not very strong and hence achieving patents for a product or service is relatively easy. Moreover, the government itself promotes the setting up of new businesses. In regards to technological requirement, fashion industry does not require any cutting-edge technology to keep at pace. Therefore, if one needs to get into fashion designing, it is quite easy. Potential development of substitute products In an apparel industry, there is no substitute for clothes, but there may be a substitute on the procedure of processing them. Fashion industry, too faces threat of substitute methods of processing. People, especially in a growing economy can easily get ideas from designer outfits and get them stitched through a neighborhood tailor instead of buying it from that very designer due to its high price. On the other hand, local tailors can give you the same design, though maybe not the same quality at a comparatively low price. Hence, the threat of substitute is high. Bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power of suppliers is quite low in Pakistani fashion industry. The major raw materials required in this case are textiles and embroidery materials. These two industries – textiles and embroidery are one of the richest and profit producing industries of the country. Therefore a designer has the power and the choice to switch among suppliers and even negotiate prices as there are a large number of suppliers available to provide the same or even better raw materials at negotiable prices. Bargaining power of customers Bargaining power of customers is low in this industry. This is because there few choices to select from. Designers have there set prices that are quite high and fixed – they cannot be negotiated upon. If talked about competing brands, a buyer cannot easily switch to other options. Products are homogenous and the prices may either be uniform or else a buyer has to trade-off with quality of the product. External Analysis – SW(OT) OPPORTUNITIES |THREATS | |Expand into Emerging Economies |Competitors | |Enter New Product Markets |New entrants | |Acquire More Companies |Substitutes | |Ecommerce Sales |Economic Situation | |Expand Standalone Stores |Political situation | | |International Economies and trade restrictions | | |Brand Cannibalization | External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix This matrix evaluates a company’s external environment – the opportunities and threats that are faced by an industry’s companies in the external environment. Our company of concern is Maria B. A summary of all the factors that are faced by this company and its ability to capitalize on them or tackle threats is given: | |External Factor Evaluation Matrix | | | | | |Opportunities |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | |1 |Expand into Emerging Economies |0. 14 |3 |0. 42 | |2 |Enter New Product Markets |0. 12 |4 |0. 48 | |3 |Acquire More Companies |0. 04 |4 |0. 16 | |4 |Ecommerce Sales |0. 06 |4 |0. 24 | |5 |Expand Standalone Stores |0. 03 |3 |0. 9 | | |Threats | | | | |1 |Competitors |0. 12 |3 |0. 36 | |2 |New entrants |0. 1 |4 |0. 4 | |3 |Substitutes |0. 12 |4 |0. 48 | |4 |Economic Situation |0. 07 |2 |0. 14 | |5 |Political situation |0. 5 |2 |0. 10 | |6 |International Economies and trade restrictions |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |7 |Brand Cannibalization |0. 09 |2 |0. 18 | | | |1 | |3. 23 | Fashion industry provides a promising future of growth and development in Pakistan. Once established, it has the potential to contribute positively to the national economy. Company Introduction Maria B’s entrance into fashion world can be summed up in adage â€Å"she came, she saw, she conquered†. (Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. , 2002) Maria B. was the first fashion house in Pakistan. She launched first outlet in Lahore in 1998. Since then, Maria B. has grown leaps and bounds. With her vision always clear – to make Maria B. Pakistan’s first international brand name in fashion, today, she is the first and only women wear brand retailed across countries. She is the only local designer with a franchise outlet in London. The Label is also internationally stocked in Manchester, Birmingham, New Delhi, Dhabi, Orlando, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Dallas and New Delhi. By the end of 2006, she had retail reach to 5 outlets nationwide over Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and Faisalabad. (Randhawa) In 2006, Maria B. also launched her first range of accessories of shoes and handbags. (Randhawa) Maria learned that there was tremendous scope for Pakistani fabrics in the international market and was determined to make her mark globally. As she said, â€Å"I’m a staunch patriot – I want to take Pakistan’s name in the international fashion scene. I want to show people around the world what a great heritage we have. That really is the core philosophy of my business. We want to go into the international market and prove ourselves as a Pakistani brand name. (Maria B. – Fashion Designer) For her, fashion is simply an extension of self, an expression of individuality, of art and modernism. It has no borders or divides. Its passion and it is a constant evolution of society. It is transient and global. (Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. , 2002) She changed the previous ‘begum darzun’ (societal tailoring) culture and brought new horizons in the fashion, rather the apparel industry as a whole with her pret-a-porter collection of exquisite and elegant dresses that defined femininity with style. She believes that, â€Å"Fashion today is not dictated to woman. The modern confident woman chooses what she wears†. Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. , 2002) As a designer, she always felt her responsibility to translate and enhance each person’s natural style into fashion statements according to current trends. She believes in talent and dedication – if a person is not talented enough or can’t make fashion his or her life, s/he should be in another field. She strongly suggests, â€Å"Don’t be in fashion because you want to be fashionable or make money– be in it because you feel that you can contribute to it– otherwise you’ll be just one of the thousands w ho have kaarigars (tailors) at home and think that they are designers!! † (Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. 2002) Recognized by BBC, in 2002, over a three month running program for Asian woman as the preferred label for modern professional working woman of Pakistan, Maria B has been hailed as the pioneer in redefining woman’s fashion modernity in Pakistan. (Randhawa) No doubt Maria B has brought a revolution is the local apparel industry. Today, after ten years in business, it is the largest fashion house in the local industry. Her company has risen and surpassed the semblance of mediocrity. A trend setter as Maria B. has always been, she is even more passionate and daring to set trends for the future and believes that she can go further than others in bringing Pakistan on the world map of fashion. Randhawa) â€Å"You have to aim high – and I do want to get to New York, Milan and Paris one day. † – Maria B. (Maria B. – Fashion Designer) In ternal Analysis of Maria B. : Zurain Imam, a renowned fashion critic said that Maria B. has become ‘a veritable couture quality household brand’. (Imam, The A to Z of Fashion, 2006) Maria B. has become a hot name with her exciting shoots and the rapid expansion of her outlets. Her success has single handedly shown that fashion can be successfully open in Pakistan as business. (Dawood, 2003) No doubt, Maria B. has put forward a splendid example a of successful business venture by expanding worldwide in just a short span of time. All of this requires planning and organizing strategically. Maria B. believe that it’s the company’s strategic vision of ‘promoting Maria B. as a Pakistani brand recognized world over’ has played a very important role in its success. She believes that with good management, marketing, leadership, research, cost and operative measures, a company can really go ahead. Management: Management at Maria B. like any other successful company is all about good planning, organizing, motivating, leading and controlling. The company has a strong management philosophy that believes is integrity, talent and dedication – if you can’t make fashion your life, choose another field. (Ghafoor, 2002) Planning: Maria B. irmly believes that good and forecasted planning is essential for achieving a desired goal. Planning is all about preparing for change by bridging the gap between the present and the future. It enables a company to gather the necessary resources and c arry out tasks in the most efficient manner. (David, 2005)At Maria B. planning is thoroughly done before the beginning of any new activity or the launch of a new product. The company also relies on competitive intelligence in order to make comparative decisions. With no fear on local competition from brands like Hasan Shehryar, Nomi Ansari, Ammar Bilal, Deepak Parwani, Rizwan Beyg and Nilofer Shahid etc. the company formulates strategies in view of the international market and international competitors like Armani, Prada, and Louis Vuitton etc. Organizing: Organizing is really important for defining task and authority and effectively and efficiently allocating resources for any company. (David, 2005) At Maria B. defining line of authority is important. The company started off with a functional structure with Maria being the CEO as well as the controller all designing and marketing activities. With the company’s expansion across the borders, Maria B. now is developing towards a more divisional structure with line of command spreading internationally. Since the Maria B. Accessory launch in 2006, and the company’s aggressive intensive strategies through market and product development, it won’t be long till Maria B. starts working at each production line separately at the organizational level. At present, the company employs more than 50 management staff in its outlets across Pakistan alone. (Randhawa) Allocation of resources is also another important decision for the company. The company is financed completely by the CEO –Maria. Moreover, the use of skilled labor for the job also is carefully selected to give every single piece of work ‘the designer finish’. Motivating and Staffing: Motivation means influencing people to accomplish specific objectives. Staffing, on the other hand is the essence of human resource management. It includes activities of recruiting, interviewing, testing, selecting, orienting, training, developing, evaluating as well as rewarding. (David, 2005) The Maria B. factory currently employs over 200 workers, all recruited after specific procedures that test there credibility to the profession. Because Maria B. wants to give the best in terms of quality and versatility, hence every worker needs to know how to give the perfect finishing to a Maria B. dress. Each employee is required to make a sample of embroidery or hemming etc that s/he specializes in. In case of training, the company’s HR manager is responsible for developing and grooming the workers for perfection. The company believes in Equal Employment Opportunity and every individual be it a man or a woman is selected merely on the basis of his or her talent/skill. (Shaukat, 2009) In terms of wage and safety issues, Maria B. conforms to the Labor Laws, be it in Pakistan or across the borders. In terms of motivations, the company always grants a pay rise every month on the basis of performance. Moreover, the in lieu of employee safety, every process in the factory is automated. Training is given to operate the machinery. (Shaukat, 2009) The production rate of the factory is the highest among the local designers for formal couture, pret-a-porter lawn on a monthly basis. (Randhawa) Controlling: Controlling at Maria B. is done through monetary incentives given based on performance. Employees are first trained and the standards of performance are set. Individuals meeting these standards are considered for the incentives. The company believes in its employees as an asset and retaining them is essential if it wishes to avoid further training and hiring costs. It believes employees become experienced with time and this increases their loyalty to the company which is very essential particularly in present times of economic slump. Marketing: Marketing can be described as the process of defining, anticipating, creating and fulfilling customers’ needs and wants for products and/or services. This is exactly what Maria B. invested upon. The company created the demand of branded designer clothes through awareness. Maria B. made people shift from the traditional tailor-culture to demand more. Its heavy marketing approach and use of appropriate mix of marketing made it develop a brand name, an identity which no other designer had before. Customer Analysis: It involves the examination and evaluation of customers’ needs and wants. At the time of the company’s start up, Maria B. researched on the need of fashion industry, found a considerable target market for her product and then launched the first Pakistani fashion house. She changed the concept of fashion from the dress of the working women to everyday wear. Today her clientele are spread across the globe and includes teenagers to 70 year-olds. Maria B. takes care of the need of each and every age group. Her contrast and selection of colors defines that each and every line is tailored to specific clientele’s needs – wild and bold prints for the youngsters and neutral and serene ones for adult target market. Her customization to the needs of the customer is an important variable of success of Maria B. (Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. , 2002) Planning and Selling Products/ Services: Maria B. has the designer need of ready-to-wear dress line for each age-group and every occasion catered effectively to. She take care of everyone’s needs and desires and relies on adequate promotion activities to retain previous as well as capture more market. Maria’s pret line of clothing includes formals, semi-formals, party line, Mafia line, bridal line and her new MGirl line. Together with this, she also started her own accessory and jewels line in 2006. Mafia line: this is a casual, ready to wear line. Mafia is made mostly in pure cottons, khaddars, lawn, linens and embroidered cottons. This line is primarily day wear which is affordable and trendy. Semi formals: This range is primarily evening wear- slightly more formal, it plays with exquisite embroideries in resham and crystals on chiffons, silks and georgettes. Formals: Perfect for wedding needs, this line consists of silks, jamahwars and heavy hand embroideries in crystals and salma dapka (traditional eastern embroideries) Maria. B Brides: A purely couture line which is available only at the bridal studio in Lahore. It is a made to order line for brides and their families. Mgirl: this is the new hip and trendy line by Maria B. offering everything from clothes to bags and shoes to accessories. It guarantees satisfaction to the woman who wants it all. It caters to the fun and fearless and is certainly not for the fainthearted. Maria. b Jewels: Introducing semi-precious jewelry for weddings, this jewelry in platinum coated with semi-precious stones such as topaz, tourmaline, amethysts and zircons. Official Facebook group of Maria B. ) According to a recent survey, Maria B. lawns have been the largest sellers in terms of number of units in all of Pakistan. (Mansoor, 2008) All this is the result of Maria’s daunting effort to promote her brand at every level possible. Being a media darling, she relied heavily on print media and PR activities for the promotion of her brand. Some the names in print media are Dawn News, Visage magazine, Instep magazine, Fashion weekly, SHE and others. For PR, Purple Arts have been Maria B. ’s official consultants. (Shaukat, 2009) Besides these, fashion shows, ramp events have also been another very important source of promotion. But due to governmental issues, these events are snubbed and not promoted to the adequate promotional level. However, the recent Lux Style Award’s Red Carpet and Ramp Events (Imam, 2005) and 2007 National Day Ramp Show held in Washington D. C. (Embassy of Pakistan, 2007) served as a very important awareness and marketing tool, provided they continue. Besides, Maria B. also holds her own fashion shows at the international level. Besides being business-minded, Maria B. is also a socially responsible person. She holds ramp events at the national as well as international level to help the deprived class of the society through foundations like Kashf. In 2001, on the launch of her Paris Collection, Maria B. held a fashion show in Marriot, Karachi for raising money for Afghan refugees in the country. (Malik, 2001) In a nutshell, Maria B. ’s success is a fusion of excellent dress designing as well as sophisticated promotion done nationally as well as internationally. Pricing and Distribution: This is an important decision in marketing. As for Maria B. this decision of pricing and distribution is a task well done. Maria B. always wanted to make her name in the international market. Since the launch of her fashion house, she has been constantly working to promote her product internationally. At the national level, Maria B. as expanded to almost all the major cities of the country – Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Faisalabad. She has plans of opening her outlet in every city of the country. But her main goal is to export her product around the world. She wants to make Maria B. the ‘brand of Pakistan’. And she has been very successful in doing that. Within ten years of business, Maria B. has outlets in U. K. , U. S. A. , India, and Dubai. But export being her strategic vision, Maria B. wants to expand to other cities of the world. â€Å"I want to send haute-couture items such as evening wear, bridal wear etc. to UK/Europe, and then eventually to the US/Canada, Singapore and Australia. She remains undaunted by the global competition and says â€Å"you have to aim high – and I do want to get to New York, Milan and Paris one day. † (Maria B. – Fashion Designer) As for pricing, it is well adjusted to the need of the local market. Maria B. has unit- priced her product very intelligently – neither very high nor very low – or ‘somehow affordable’ as on critic says. (Ghafoor, 2002) She believes her lines are of the top-most quality and hence, relies on skimming strategy for pricing. Regarding the international market, prices are decided in accordan ce with the trade regulations of the country, by adding a mark-up to it. (Shaukat, 2009) Market Research and Opportunity Analysis: Maria B. elieves in fashion as a constant transient change. New tastes keep on developing which gives rise to new demands in the product market. Research hence, is always critical to success. Maria B. no doubt has always successfully catered to the needs to its market through research. A recent example is her launching of the new M Girl line with its bold, wild and vibrant colors, keeping in mind the aspirations of the young women of today. (Official Facebook group of Maria B. ) Finance/Accounting Functions: With increasing divisional structure of the company, the need of a full-fledged independently operating financial department was necessary. Maria B. has fully handled that. The company has an independent accountant who is responsible for all the financial matters of the company. Thought most of the information was confidential, however, Maria B. ’s net profit margin was found out to be 6. 77% after taxes and interest. And the company’s gross profit margin was found out to be 98. 25% which is quite operative especially in today’s era of economic slowdown. With the pursuance of her already implemented strategies and adequate control, Maria B. , no doubt, can become one of the most successful brands of Pakistan. Research and Development: Research and Development (R & D) has become a necessity in today’s constantly changing era. Unfortunately, at Maria B. no specific R & D department exists despite its expansion. All research decisions are made during periodic meetings or by the CEO. However, in lieu of arising need and global expansion, Maria B. is making decisions on having an R & D department. Production and Operations: Maria B. works on all types of clothing, from cotton, linen, silk, hand woven khaddar and organdy garments. She prefers working on colors that are bold and vibrant. Colors and material that are bland are not her preference. The cloth is always acquired from the textile hub, Faisalabad. In case if the desired cloth or quality is not available, it is also imported. The production process at the Maria B. factory is highly mechanized and up-to-date. She does not fear local competition because her processes are highly automated and recent. 200 employees in the factory work on monitoring production and focusing on embroidery. Though no special MIS software is in place, the company plans to have one installed soon as market size and demand increases. (Shaukat, 2009)Moreover, all the activities in the company’s value-chain is covered by the cost of sale of goods. (SW) – INTERNAL ANALYSIS Below are a list of all the strengths and weaknesses that are faced by the company. The strengths are of an advantage to the company while the weaknesses pose threat and need to be minimized and converted in order to prove beneficial for the company. STRENTHS |WEAKNESSES | |Wide product line |No mission statement | |Strong Brand recognition |No written vision statement | |Almost all brands have a niche focus |Brand cannibalization | |Decentralized management |Lack of focus | |Diverse brand portfolio |Lack of Brand Idea Sharing | Int ernal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE): The IFE matrix evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the company in relation to the ability of its management to capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses. Company: Maria B. : |STRENGTHS | | | | |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | |Wide product line |0. 21 |4 |0. 84 | |Strong Brand recognition |0. 15 |4 |0. 6 | |Almost all brands have a niche focus |0. 08 |3 |0. 24 | |Decentralized management |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |Diverse brand portfolio |0. 03 |3 |0. 9 | |WEAKNESSES | | | | |No mission statement |0. 18 |4 |0. 72 | |No written vision statement |0. 16 |4 |0. 64 | |Weak advertisement efforts |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |Lack of brand idea sharing |0. 04 |2 |0. 08 | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 54 | Competitive Portfolio Matrix (CPM): The CPM identifies a firm’s major competitors and its particular strengths and weaknesses in relation to a sample firm’s strategic position. Company: Maria B. Local Competitors: Hasan Shehryar Yasin (HSY), Nomi Ansari, Rizwan Beyg, Nilofer Shafid, Deepak Parwani. |KEY SUCCESS FACTORS |W |Rizwan Beyg | |OPPORTUNTITIES |1: Expand to the northern areas of the country |1: Increase print advertisement and e-marketing | |1: Expand into emerging economies |S4,O2, O5 |to attract markets like India, China as well as | |2: Enter new product markets |2: Increase online selling to Italy and France |the local market. W4, 04, 01 | |3: Acquire more companies |S3, S4, 04 | | |4: E-commerce sales | | | |5: Expand stand-alone stores | | | |THREATS |1: Target niche markets in the country that is |1: Work on making a written vision and mission | |1: Competitors |not being targeted by competitors. S4, S1, T1 |statement and project it to make the MARIA B. | |2: New entrants |2: Advertise on brand quality and corporate |identity. W1, W2, T1, T6 | |3: Economic recession |social responsibility to increase customer |2: Increase collaboration, cohesion and idea | |4: Political situation |loyalty. S2, S4, T6, T1, T2 |sharing between local designers at the platform | |5: International economies and trade | |of the BOULEVARD. W3, W4, T3 | |restrictions | | | |6: Brand cannibalization | | | Conclusion: In a nutshell, Maria B. is conquering the land in the name of Pakistani fashion with her unique and bold styles. And one day, she surely plans to become Pakistan’s top international fashion label. Bibliography: David, F. R. (2005). Strategic Management – concepts and cases (11 ed. ). South Carolina: Prentice Hall. Dawood, T. U. (2003, May 1). The future of fashion. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from Dawn – The review: http://www. dawn. com/weekly/review/archive/030501/review1. htm Embassy of Pakistan. (2007, August 26). 60th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Embassy of Pakistan: http://www. embassyofpakistanusa. org/news269_260807. php Fashion Avenue Quarterly. (2003, October). Style Chronology. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from Maria B. : www. mariab. com/index. htm#chronology Ghafoor, B. (2002, June 5). All eyes on Maria B. Retrieved December 2008, 25, from Author's Den: http://www. authorsden. om/visit/viewarticle. asp? AuthorID=7807=5724 Ghafoor, B. (2002, October 3). Face to face with Maria B. . Retrieved January 11, 2009, from Author's Den: http://www. authorsden. com/visit/viewArticle. asp? id=7292 Ghafoor, B. (2002, October 3). Face to face with Maria B. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Author's Den: http://www. authorsden. com/visit/viewArticle. asp? id=7292 Imam, Z. (2006, December 8). The A to Z of Fashion. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from Zurain's Myriad of Magnificent Fashion Writing: http://blogs. myspace. com/index. cfm? fuseaction=blog. view&friendID=117772603&blogID=202859515 Imam, Z. (2005, August 14). The state of fashion. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Dawn – Images: http://www. dawn. com/weekly/images/archive/050814/images3. htm Index. (n. d. ). Retrieved January 10, 2009, from Maria B. : http://www. mariab. com/index. htm Malik, S. (2001, November 18). For a cause. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Dawn – Images: http://www. dawn. com/weekly/images/archive/011118/images4. htm Mansoor, A. (2008, April 6). Hot Seat. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Dawn News – Images: http://www. mariab. com/index. htm#chronology Maria B. – Fashion Designer. (n. d. ). Retrieved January 10, 2009, from Bargello: http://www. bargello. com/pakistani-fashion-designer/maria-b. asp; Official Facebook group of Maria B. . (n. d. ). Maria B. Entertainment and Arts Fashion. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from Facebook: http://www. facebook. com/group. php? sid=cf9e88b3d9e1c006f773bf72df9c7fd7&gid=11631901591#/group. php? gid=11631901591 Randhawa, T. (n. d. ). Home. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from Ma ria B. : www. mariab. com/index. htm#contact Shaukat, S. (2009, December 16). Internal Analysis. (M. Belal, Interviewer) About Us. (2004, November ). Retrieved December 22, 2008, from Pakistan Fashion Design Council: http://www. pfdc. org/pages/aboutus. html Baig, R. Q. (2004, December 25). From the dhoti to the shalwar. Retrieved December 27, 2008, from Dawn Young World: http://www. dawn. om/weekly/yworld/archive/041225/yworld2. htm Barringer, B. R. , & Ireland, R. D. (2006). Successfully launching new ventures. Entrepreneurship , 1st, 4-6. Prentice Hall. David, F. R. (2005). Strategic Management – concepts and cases (11 ed. ). South Carolina: Prentice Hall. Farooq, H. (2007, October 30). Daily Times. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from ‘Boulevard' to be the hub of Pakistani fashion houses: http://www. dailytimes. com. pk/print. asp? page=2007%5C10%5C30%5Cstory_30-10-2007_pg7_30 Fashion Forever: What is Fashion? (n. d. ). Retrieved December 27, 2008, from Think Quest: ht tp://library. thinkquest. org/J002932/What%20is%20Fashion. html Federal Bureau of Statitics. (2005). Population Survey. Forbes Inc. (1997). The American Heritage College Dictionary. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Ghafoor, B. (2002, October 3). Face to face with Maria B. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Author's Den: http://www. authorsden. com/visit/viewArticle. asp? id=7292 Imam, Z. Z. (2008, August 13). Pakistani Fashion: fact of fluff? Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Ozer Khalid Bloogspot: http://ozerkhalid. blogspot. com/2008/08/pakistani-fashion-fact-or-fluff. html ; OZER KHALID. Nellis, C. (1999). A definition of fashion – what it is, who decides what's ‘in'. Retrieved December 27, 2008, from About. om: http://fashion. about. com/cs/historycostumes/a/whatisfashion. htm Nisar, Y. (2004). Moazzam's Riwayat. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Pakistan Media Monitors. Nisar, Y. (2004). Moazzam's Riwayat. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Paksitan Media Monitors: http://pakistanmediamonitors. org/index. php? module=category&Cat egoryID=7&pageindx=3 Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA). (2007). Director's Report. PBA. Pakistan, G. o. (2008). Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008. Lahore. Qureshi, R. (2008, August 9 – 15). Rapid GROWTH in the Fashion Industry . Retrieved December 26, 2008, from MAG: http://www. magtheweekly. com/16/lahore. php Rashed, F. 2007, December 9). Unity at the Boulevard. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Dawn – Images: http://www. dawn. com/weekly/images/archive/071209/images1. htm UNDESA. (2006, December). Pakistan. Retrieved December 30, 2008, from Internet World Stats – usage and population statistics: http://www. internetworldstats. com/asia/pk. htm ———————– Salwa Shaukat – L1S06BBAM0001 Javeria Maqbool– L1S06BBAM0032 Sana Azhar – L1S06BBAM2024 Kanwal Tariq – L1S06BBAM2037 Submitted To: Professor Nasir Riaz |external and internal analysis |Industry : Fashion Industry | | | Company: Maria B. |

Compare and Contrast of the The Shang-Zhou River Valley and Egypt

Egypt and the Shang-Zhou Dynasty were both powerful and influential civilization who faced similar ideas in their government, and defense strategies, but differed when it came to cultural rituals, and the use of natural resources.A solid form of government is essential to any civilization, and although Egypt and Shang-Zhou were both successful, they both used different and similar methods to conform to their religious and social standards.Egypt used a Pharaoh as their king, which they claim the pharaoh was sent from a god in order to maintain ma’at, the distinctive order of the universe. On the contrary, the Shang- Zhou Dynasty followed their own theory of the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven served as a foundation for the Chinese government for three thousand years, and was used when a ruler had neglected his duties such as dishonoring gods, expressing tyranny, or ignoring warning signs of disasters; heaven could remover this â€Å"mandate† and put it in the po ssession of a more worthy ruler or family.After a ruler has fulfilled their duties and depart the physical world, both Egypt and the Shang-Zhou dynasty honor them in every way possible, however both have separate rituals and beliefs in how they should be honored. In Egypt, the Pharaoh is built a remarkable pyramid in which their body is mummified, and buried deep down in the structure. During the Shang-Zhou Dynasty, the royal family and the elite families were not buried in a pyramid, but rather in tombs with many of possessions they might need in the afterlife.To run a successful government, there has to be order and record keeping to keep from conflict and having all property, belongings, etc. needs to be officially stated. The Egyptians developed their own writing, known as hieroglyphics, on papyrus to records all their statements. Instead of hieroglyphics and papyrus, the Shang-Zhou also developed their own writing of symbols which they wrote on oracle bones to keep order in the ir society. A significant connection between the two is that both civilizations were a theocracy because they both believed that their leader was divine and the closest to God. Both Egypt and the Shang-Zhou Dynasty shared the idea of charging taxes in exchange for landowning and service in the military.Charging taxes influenced many civilizations because in order to be a resident, some sort of service or duty had to be given in exchange. In retrospect, Egypt and the Shang-Zhou dynasty both shared similarities in their government which helped them grow as a large, powerful society, but also varied in some methods mostly because of religion beliefs.Environment plays an intense role in any region of the world because it determines the lifestyle for how that civilization will prosper over time. Being located in Africa, near the equator, Egypt has the consistent face of a hot, dry, and sunny climate. The Shang-Zhou dynasty territory is located  east of Africa and slightly towards the n orth. Therefore, Southern China gets heavy rainfall due to the monsoons in India and surrounding areas, and the northern part of China gets rainfall as well, but is inconsistent. Being that China gets a fair amount of rain, most of their agriculture is dependent on that rainfall. Instead of depending on rainfall, Egypt is primarily dependent on the Nile River which is the longest river and provides the best source of irrigation.A benefit to both the Shang-Zhou Dynasty and Egypt is that they both are in some way surrounded by natural barriers which serve as a mechanism for defense. Egypt has the Nile River which makes it difficult for invaders to get across to attack. The Shang-Zhou area has the Himalaya mountain range to the southwest, the Pamir and Tian Mountains and the Takla Makan Desert to the west, as well as the major rivers, the Yellow and the Yangtze, to also help to protect their society. Natural barriers are a huge advantage and blessing because they can distinctively mark territories as well as serve each civilization in a way as to help them advanced and develop while lowering the likelihood of getting attacked and weakening a civilization.The natural elements are what make a society capable of flourishing and both Egypt and the Shang-Zhou Dynasty used all of their resources to their advantage to prosgress into a sophisticated and highly respected culture and society.

Sovereignty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Sovereignty - Essay Example se to examine if one is paying attention in issues like the altering nature of limitations and the potential of constructing following communities further than sovereignty (Waltz, 2003, pp. 10-12). This research focused on this truth that certainly; it is hard to believe that anybody ever asserted the "statecentric" sight of international politics that is today so intentionally rejected by those who look for to emphasize the role of "the novel international actors (Paul Piccone, 2001, 174-184)." What was extensively asserted concerning European international family members from the time of Vattel in the mid-eighteenth century awaiting the finish of the First World War was the lawful fiction of a political cosmos that consisted of states unaccompanied, the policy that only states had human rights and duties in international law. Both following leaders and academics often maintain outstanding times. But what does it mean to converse of outstanding politics in international relations? In one intelligence exceptionality is a evocative category referring to a fundamental alter in the systemic circumstances of international politics. Furthermore, inside this piece of writing a different idea of exemption is examined. It refers to an exacting method of conceptualizing the natural world of international following order (Jens Bartelson, 2003, pp. 209-227). Therefore, the exemption defines political arrange by income of constitutional-legal way of thinking in which dissimilar understandings of the natural world and rank of international law and its following transgressions explain competing visions of international following order. The focal tip of this international politics of exemption is not the customary distinction flanked by liberal and practical human being views of international politics but the constitutio nalist harmony of normativism, decisionism, and institutionalism. In one sense the notion of exception is a evocative group referring to a fundamental change

Shirley Chisholm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8250 words

Shirley Chisholm - Essay Example She was active in the League of Women Voters, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Political League, and the Brooklyn branch of the NAACP, and served in the New York State Assembly from 1964-68, the first black woman from Brooklyn to serve in the Assembly. In 1968 Shirley Chisholm ran for U.S. representative from the Twelfth District under the slogan, "Unbought and Unbossed" and won the election by 788 votes. She attended the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago as a New York state national committeewoman. The first black woman to serve in the U.S. Congress, Chisholm voted against the anti-ballistic missile and the SST, co-sponsored a day-care facilities bill with Bella Abzug, supported the Equal Rights Amendment and the right to abortion, and helped to found the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971. Chisholm entered the presidential campaign in 1972 and earned 152 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach before withdrawing her candidacy. She served in Congress until 1982, continuing to work for equal rights for blacks, women, and other minorities. She was married to Conrad Q. Chisholm in October 1949. Chisholm commented on her 1972 campaign for the presidency: "I ran because someone had to do it first. In this country everyone is supposed to be able to run for President, but that's never really been true. I ran because most people think the country isn't really ready for a black candidate, not ready for a woman candidate. Someday. . . ." ( The Good Fight, Chapter 1, 1973) When Shirley Chisholm decided to make a historic run for Congress in 1968, her candidacy was greeted, once again, with dismay by black male politicians within her district. Publicly they voiced concern about Chisholm's "independence" from the local Democratic leadership, but privately they objected to her because she was an uppity woman. Chisholm won the primary only to discover that her Republican opponent James Farmer (the former director of the civil rights organization Congress of Racial Equality) planned to make a campaign issue of her gender. His strategy backfired; and Chisholm, who had cleverly responded by organizing the women of her district, beat Farmer by a margin of 2.5 to 1. Four years later when Chisholm entered the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, she faced an even more uphill battle. First, the Democratic front-runners had more money and larger, professionally trained campaign staffs than did Chisholm. Second, Chisholm's race and gender made her candidacy "suspect" in the eyes of the press, the political elite, and among many voters; few people were willing to see her as a "serious" candidate (a point she laments in her account of the 1972 campaign, The Good Fight). Third, Chisholm's candidacy created a political dilemma for two groups, feminists and the civil rights establishment, predisposed to support her. Should they support her because of her strong congressional record on women's rights and civil rights, or should they use their political clout to extract promises of support for their issues from someone (like George McGovern) who stood a better chance of capturing the Democratic party's nomination In the end, although

Involving Parents Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Involving Parents - Coursework Example This will lead to immensely corporative children as they feel they have caring and considerate parents. This will lead to a society that has enhanced core values and ethics, which are deemed important. The desired outcome in this plan is to enhance partnership between parents and their children. It is a confirmed belief that children need care, protection and guidance from their parents. However, this can only be ascertained from close relationships. First, this will be an approach of parents noting the progress of their children. It is decreed that close monitoring and association with children will enhance their focus on their performance. Parents will be able to note areas of strength in their children. Similarly, the parents will be able to note the children’s weak areas. As such, there will be a better approach into rectifying the weak areas while enhancing their strengths. Secondly, parenting and corporation is a long-term activity, which is not propagated overnight. The refore, there should be initiation of some activities that will enhance the bond between parents and children (NCPIE, 2010). This could be an initial plan of the frequent activities that will enhance partnership between parents and their children. ... This is done through perfect communication and understanding. Therefore, this activity will be an initiation of corporation between parents and their children. This will have long-term results in enhancing trust and honesty in children. A budget is fundamental in this activity. First, there will be budget allocations for snacks and food. During the event, the children will serve their parents with a series of drinks and snacks. This is to teach the children the responsibility of serving their parents. Apparently, this will be a step to enhance the relationship between parents and their children. Secondly, there will be a budget allocation for entertainment. It is noted that the concentration of an audience is enhanced when there is a series of entertainment. Entertainment for both parents and children will evidently enhance the concentration of the meeting. In essence, the entertainment will help ease the audience as they are expecting a bonding session with each other. Thirdly, ther e will be a budget allocation for a venue. In essence, it is an inclusive meeting between parents and their children (NCPIE, 2010). This will help in ensuring all the people in attendance are comfortable with the environment. Fourthly, there will be a budget allocation for the meals. Sharing meals is one activity that many parents do not have with their children. This is partially due to the scope of their work. Some parents spend allot of their time working, which reduces the time for having meals together. Therefore, this dedicated day will be sharing most of the basic activities together. The plan is to have a whole day dedicated to corporation between parents and their children. This will be a day to enhance the relationship between the parents and their

Obesity in children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obesity in children - Essay Example (House of Commons Health Committee, 2004) For this study, the researcher will determine the main causes of obesity as well as its negative effects on a child’s health, psychosocial and cognitive developmental. Prior to the conclusion, the researcher will provide some recommended strategies that could effectively counteract obesity. Obesity is not only a serious health condition such as eating disorders but also a lifestyle problem that is visible within a person, family, and the society. (House of Commons, 2004) In fact, several studies show that obesity is caused by abnormal food intake or poor diet (Styne, 2005), genetic factor such as a metabolic defect (Roth et al., 2004; Rosmond, 2002) or the leptin deficiency and the use of steroids (Link et al., 2004). Lifestyle and sedentary behavior like ‘playing computer game or watching TV while eating’ is also associated with obesity. (Tremblay & Willms, 2003; Swinburn & Egger, 2002) The major cause of obesity is not certain because each person has different capacity of burning calories. (Jebb & Prentice, 1995) Binge eating or the habit of being unable to control over eating could lead to obesity. Due to the inability to control the amount of food they eat, individuals who have binge eating problems have a frequent episodes of eating significantly large amount of food all at the same time. (de Zwaan & Mitchell, 1992) For this reason, obese individuals tend to continuously eat even when they are already uncomfortably full. The health consequences of people with binge eating problems are related to the diseases that can be observed among the obese individuals. This includes health problems such as: (1) high blood pressure; (2) Type 2 diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM); (3) high blood pressure; (4) atherosclerosis; (5) high cholesterol levels; (6) gallbladder disease; (7) atherosclerosis; (8) cerebral hemorrhage; (9)

Tort law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Tort law - Essay Example One of the requirements of offer is the offeror’s intention to be bound by the made proposal and elements of seriousness are necessary. Terms of the proposal must also be definite to the involved parties and the court must be able to ascertain the terms. In addition, the proposal must be communicated to the target party in order to constitute an offer. Another essential element of a contract is acceptance of the offer and this must be consistent with terms of offer and within a reasonable period. Offer and acceptance constitute an agreement (Miller and Jentz 2010, p. 208- 218). Another element of a valid contract is existence of consideration for the offered benefits. Consideration must be a valuable object, recognized by law, and can be present or be a promise to be executed in future. Parties to a contract must also have legal contractual capacity such as majority age, sound mind, and freedom from intoxicants. In addition, the subject matter of the contract must be legal, no t contrary to any existing law or repugnant to natural justice or humanity (Miller and Cross 2012, p. 189- 190). Annabel Constructions Ltd. builds residential flats. In one of its ventures, it entered into agreements with clients to complete and deliver apartments to the clients. The agreement stipulated date of delivery and included a penalty clause for any delay on delivery. Annabel contracted different suppliers for deliveries and completion of its apartments and Murray & Co. won the contract for supply and fixing of double-glazed windows. The company had however under quoted its bid, realized its inability to complete the work, and communicated this to Annabel before Annabel agreed to pay additional  £ 20000 for completing the work in time. Murray the completed the work within the original schedule but Annabel Constructions refused to pay the additional  £ 20000 as had been agreed between the parties. A breach of contract exists if a valid contract

What higher food prices mean for both consumers and producers at your Essay

What higher food prices mean for both consumers and producers at your own country Which are the factors that drive the food prices higher What, and for whom, are the costs and benefits of such an increase - Essay Example Consequently, the producers’ increases food prices to the consumers so that they can manage continuous food production. This paper will discuss the impacts of increasing food prices to both the producers and consumers. Additionally, it will discuss the factors that drive the food prices high and what or for whom, the cost and benefits of such increase are. Increase in food prices may affect producers positively or negatively. High food prices may affect the demand of food negatively. When the food prices goes high, the demand may go low since consumers may decide to go for cheaper substitutes or may decide to entirely forego that kind of food. For instance, increase in soft juice prices, meat and juices reduce their consumption, since people will opt for alternative food that is cost friendly2. On the other hand, producers may benefit directly from the high prices of food since they will be making more profit. Food prices hikes due to increase in demand hence producers will be able to produce in bulk which will also earn them a lot of sales which in turn increases their profits. To the consumers higher food prices have detrimental effects since some people will be spending more money on food in such a way that they will not have money to spend on non-food items. People who are below average financially, might not afford some food if the prices are hiked hence they might opt to skip some meals which is dangerous to human health. Additionally, the chronic diseases will be in the rise since consumers cannot meet the required dietary needs3. Most people will buy food for general satisfaction without looking into the nutritional value of food. High food prices interfere with the consumer preference. If the consumers visits the market and find that the preferred food is expensive than usual, they shift their preference towards the

Problems of Industrialization in Pakistan Essay

Problems of Industrialization in Pakistan - Essay Example To improve production, the country is attempting to industrialize her agricultural activities by adopting modern farming practices and use of technology implements. However, as a developing country, Pakistan has problems of industrialization that stem from different factors. These problems encompass the social, political, and economic aspects of the country includes factors like the country's poor infrastructure, the low level of literacy characterized by lack of skilled labor, poor governance with unstable political environment, as well as the unfavorable fiscal monetary and fiscal policies that may discourage industrial investors. This paper expounds on the different factors undermining the efforts to industrialize the operations in the country and not the negative effects that may result from industrialization in a given country. The factors were identified from the responses in a survey that was carried out to seek information from a variety of industrialists in the country in re lation to the industrialization problems they have encountered, or the factors they consider detrimental to the process. Thesis Pakistan is a developing nation that is dependent on agriculture as the country is endowed with fertile lands fit for the economic activity. Nonetheless, the process of industrializing her agricultural activities has been faced by several problems impeding the whole process. Industrialization Problems in Pakistan Electricity and energy shortages One of the major problems cited to impede the industrialization process in Pakistan is insufficient supply of electricity and energy in the country. Electric power and other energy supply are essential requirements for industrialization. Electric energy is used in driving most of the machines in an industry. Similarly, the mechanized systems also use other forms of energy like fuel from the petroleum products and biofuels in combustion to move machine parts in the lubrication of some moving parts. Just like the situ ations witnessed in many other developing countries, the country has insufficient supply of electricity. Frequent energy shortages in the country are a barrier to industrial development in the country (US Library of Congress, para.2). The power generation capacity of the country cannot support the required economic development prompting for outsourcing of energy resources (Khan, para.1). Her energy supply is among the lowest even in the category of the developing nations. The country has a per capita supply of 0.19 ton petroleum equivalent (Khan, para.1). The issue of poor energy supply as a hindrance to industrialization has been cited by the local industries like the textile industry (Khan and Khan, 21). The industries complain non-guaranteed and thus unreliable energy supplies. Lack of trained and skilled workforce The other important factor that was identified that undermines industrialization in the country is low level of education resulting into lack of skilled manpower. A la rge proportion of the Pakistani firms (about 70%) cite shortage of skills as one of their major challenges (Pakistani Development Forum, 19). There is a large mismatch between the required skills and technology in the country and what is available. The country has a high proportion of low-skilled laborers (about 60-75%), a relatively high proportion of medium-skilled laborers and very low proportion highly-skilled personnel (Pakistani Development Forum, 22). This last category comprises the skilled professionals like

John Adams Mini Series Essay Example for Free

John Adams Mini Series Essay The epic HBO miniseries John Adams is far more than a simple historical drama or biographical account of the life of one of the United States’ founding fathers. The series is a glimpse of a period of American history of which many Americans today are unfortunately ignorant. When most modern Americans think of the period of the Revolutionary War and the birth of the country, barring those that study history during school or as an occupation, they think merely of stilted figures that are more myth than reality. When they think of George Washington, they think of a stoic, almost superhuman figure, that is best known for being so honest that he could not tell a lie as a child when he chopped down a cherry tree. When they think of Thomas Jefferson, they think of a genius that so poetically created the country’s most important documents and made the Louisiana Purchase that doubled the country’s size. When common Americans think of Benjamin Franklin, they think that he invented electricity. And, when they think of John Adams, most Americans unfortunately do not really know what to think, and more than anything else, the miniseries sets forth to enlighten the masses. John Adams, while a seminal figure in the birth of the U. S. , is largely unknown by so many of young and old citizens that can rattle off facts of popular culture faster than American history. Like many of the other founding fathers, he is viewed less as human and more as a mythological figure in history, though his actual contributions are not as pronounced as Jefferson, Washington, and even Franklin. The miniseries sheds light on the mystery of John Adams by showing him as he was: a man. Not only do they portray him as a man, they portray him as flawed, awkward at times, easy to anger and to feel slighted, but always honest and upright. He is also ceaselessly prudent and refuses to shy away from work or duty. If anything, this is the main attribute that allowed a hard-working self-made man like John Adams to elevate himself to the level of president, despite all the odds that seemed to be stacked against him. He lacked the charisma of his cousin, Sam, the finances of many founding fathers like Jefferson, and the leadership skills of Washington, but he still managed to elevate himself through hard work and his sense of duty. By portraying John Adams as a regular man that elevated himself through reason and duty, the makers of the miniseries are trying to remove the myth from the founding fathers and replace it with something far more valuable: the truth. Adams, like Jefferson, Washington, and Franklin were merely men at a pivotal time in history with strong ideals and the courage to not back down from them. Adams was also portrayed as having many of the problems and home life of common Americans today. Though his children were on the whole upstanding, he still experienced problems with his son Charles, who drank and caroused and felt neglected by his father. This aspect of Adams’ duty was portrayed excellently in the miniseries, as his wife Abigail and his children often felt the pain of having their father and husband away so often. Adams, too, was not devoid of feeling the absence, and his love for his wife often kept him grounded, if not feeling lonely on the long journeys to Europe. The relationship between Adams and his wife is one of the most humanizing aspects of the film, and it portrays the intimate life of a founding father without any romantic idealization. The Adamses loved each other deeply, and Abigail would often soothe her husband’s doubts and insecurities, while also instilling in him the confidence to succeed. As a strong, intelligent woman in a time where women were expected to live nothing more than a domestic life, the miniseries portrays Abigail as contributing a great deal to her husband’s views, and therefore a great deal in his actions concerning the founding of the country. At times, she would take a hard line with him, though never browbeating him, and she would remind him of his abilities when he would sometimes forget. This helps make modern viewers understand the humanity of life in America over two-hundred years ago, with a reality previously unseen in historical films and television shows. There are also many intricacies of Revolutionary society which are rarely portrayed, but dealt with so well in the miniseries. Fashion is a huge issue, and the wigs that men wore make a modern person wonder about such trends, possibly even questioning current fashion trends. Today, successful men wear suits with ties around their necks, and rarely wear hats. While in Adams’ time, no men went out without their hat, and few men went out without their wigs. While this could be a substitute for male pattern baldness, it seems more like a status symbol, where men can be judged by the elaborate nature of their wigs and their curls. The time spent on such things like the fashion of the French court, the powdering of the wigs, and the white wigs worn by the King of England and those in court seem to suggest an intricacy that most modern Americans may find strange, but can be no stranger than the Windsor knot. This, like many other things in the miniseries help modern viewers understand that while things like fashion changes throughout time, men do not. The miniseries John Adams is about much more than a man or a myth, but it serves as an adept chronicling of history that personalizes events significant to the founding of America. Not only does it humanize John Adams, it helps explain to modern Americans that might not know the contributions he made and how much everything they take for granted is owed to his hard work and sacrifices. The ideals that Adams held sacred are still echoed in the fabric of America, even if Americans cannot see it. The hard work, the individualism, the sometimes inexcusable lack of diplomacy in exchange for brutal honesty are all characteristics that have been respected and emulated by Americans throughout the past two centuries. Adams had few pretensions, and though he had more than a few character flaws, he was human. More than anything else, the miniseries adeptly portrays that history is not merely words in a history book or romanticized in film, but history is the collected actions of humans throughout time, warts and all. History is created by men that are flawed, all the problems and benefits of family and love are the same, and sometimes, a few regular men rise up and change the world, like John Adams.

Airline Employee Work-Life Balance

Airline Employee Work-Life Balance CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW A literature review is a concise overview of what has been studied, argued and establishes about a topic, it also entails about the major findings as well as reviewing the tools and techniques used by the previous studies. This chapter provides review of related literature associated with Work Life Balance of individuals employed in Nepalese Airline Companies. This chapter is divided into two sections. The first section consists of an in depth review of major literature and related theories. The second section presents a brief review of empirical works associated with perception of WLB and work satisfaction of employees of Nepalese Airline Companies (work-family conflict, family work conflict, family satisfaction and psychological health). The literature review has been organized under: a. Review of major literature and related theories b. Review of Nepalese Literature 2.1 Review of major literature and related theories Table 2.1 Summary of major finding Author Major Finding Greenhaus and Beutell, 1985 Work and family role interference suggests that responsibilities in separate domains such as work and family compete with each other in terms of limited time, psychological resources and physical energy, which leads to negative outcomes in both areas. Participation in the work role may interfere or enhance the performance in the family role, and vice versa, participation in the family role may interfere or enhance performance in the work role. Barnett Rivers, 1996 Work and family role enhancement suggests that participation in multiple roles can lead to better functioning in other life domains. Hill, Hawkins   and Miller (1996) High integration of work and family domains can lead to negative consequences, as high flexibility can blur the boundaries between those two domains Clark (2000) WLB is satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home, with a minimum of role conflict. Presented a border theory according to which family and work domains are separated by borders which could be physical, temporal or psychological. Domains of work and family are essential, as family and work are the most important elements of everyones life. Higher flexibility and lower penetrability between work and family domains can result in lower work-family conflict. Any competing demands of work and family life will cause conflict and negatively affect the wellbeing of workers Edwards et al., (2000) Referred to compensation theory according to which workers try to find more satisfaction in one domain to compensate for the lack of satisfaction in the other domain. (Grzywacz et al, 2000) Studies examining WLB and workers wellbeing were mainly conducted in the United States. Work-family studies have been dominated by role strain and role enhancement perspectives Work-family experience is a joint function of process, individual, time and context characteristics, and does not restrict the experience to either negative or positive. Barnett Hyde, 2001 Family is individuals who are married with children Greenhaus (2003) WLB is the amount of time and the degree of satisfaction with the work and family role. Balance between family and work domains also involves time balance, involvement balance, and satisfaction balance. Frone (2003) Presents a four-fold taxonomy of work-life balance(work-family conflict, family-work conflict, work-family enhancement and family-work enhancement, in which WLB is described as low levels of inter-role conflict and high levels of inter-role facilitation. WLB can be measured by work-family and family- work conflict as well as work-family and family-work enhancement Wise et al.,( 2003) Studies examining WLB and workers wellbeing were mainly conducted in the United Kingdom Bochner ( 2003) Studies examining WLB and workers wellbeing were mainly conducted in the Australia and New Zealand Collins et al., (2003) While assessing relationships between work and family domains, family life is considered as time spent with a spouse and children, ignoring other important aspects of family, such as time spent with parents, siblings and other relatives. Rothbard et al., (2006) Refer to spill-over theory according to which any feelings Allan, et al.,(2007) Research in sociology has been popular area of study for Work Life Balance. Sullivan et al., (2007) Research in gender studies has been popular area of study for Work Life Balance. Grzywacz et al., (2007) WLB is an accomplishment of role-related expectations that are negotiated and shared between an individual and his/her role-related partners in the work and family domains. There are different beliefs on how work-life balance should be defined, measured and researched Lambert et al., (2007) The majority of research on the correlation between work and family life refers with WLB and organization policies/ organization culture/ Human Resource management/ work commitment/ absenteeism/gender equality/ family life. Grady et al., (2008) Research in human resource management has been popular area of study for Work Life Balance Kelly et al., (2008) Research in organization studies has been popular area of study for Work Life Balance. Grady et al., 2008 Work-life balance is vital for individuals wellbeing, organizations performance and a functioning society. WLB is more comprehensive and includes family, community, recreation and personal time. WLB in its broad sense captures all aspects of employees personal and work life; this suggests that WLB should be focused on individuals, families, workplaces, communities, and society as a whole Casper et al.,(2011) Employees experience more conflict between work and family. Employees experience more conflict between work and family as they continue to follow the quality of life that they need therefor, Work Life Balance has been a necessity (Casper, Harris, Taylor-Bianco,   and Wayne, 2011). For business practices and academic research Work Life Balance has been an important topic. Research in different fields such as sociology (Allan Loudoun, R. Peetz, 2007), psychology (Greenhaus , 2008); (Frone, 2000), Human resource management (Grady, McCarthy, Darcy, Kirrane, 2008); (McDonald, Pini, Bradley, 2007), organization studies (Kelly, et al., 2008) and gender studies (Sullivan Smithson, 2007); (Hill Buchan 2005); (Sullivan Lewis, 2001) has been popular area of study for Work Life Balance. The literature review demonstrates some of WLB definitions. Clark (2000) describes WLB as satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home, with a minimum of role conflict. Clarke, Koch and Hill (2004) stated that WLB is an equilibrium or maintaining overall sense of harmony in life. Greenhaus, Collins, Shaw (2003) defines WLB as the amount of time and the degree of satisfaction with the work and family role. Frone (2003) presents a four-fold taxonomy of work-life balance, in which WLB is described as low levels of inter-role conflict and high levels of inter-role facilitation. Grzywacz (2007), Yavas and   Babakus (2010) believed that WLB is an accomplishment of role-related expectations that are negotiated and shared between an individual and his/her role-related partners in the work and family domains. The majority of research on the correlation between work and family life refers to WLB and organization policies or organization culture or Human Resource management or work commitment or absenteeism or gender equality or family life (Casper, et al., 2007). There are a number of studies examining WLB and workers wellbeing. These studies however were mainly conducted in the United States (Grzywacz Marks, 2000) the United Kingdom (Wise, Bond, Meikle, 2003), Australia and New Zealand (Bochner, 2003). In addition, several researchers (Greenhaus, Collins Shaw 2003); (Grzywacz Marks, 2000) noticed that work and family literature, while assessing relationships between work and family domains, considers family life as time spent with a spouse and children, ignoring other important aspects of family, such as time spent with parents, siblings and other relatives. According to Seligman (2012) and Hill (2005) the common consequences of poor WLB are depression and distress, leading to lower productivity, poorer work quality, higher absenteeism and staff turnover .Work-family research has generally been dominated by the study of family and work role interference. However, work and family role enhancement studies seem to be growing in recent years (Grzywacz Marks, 2000). Work and family role interference suggests that responsibilities in separate domains such as work and family compete with each other in terms of limited time, psychological resources and physical energy, which leads to negative outcomes in both areas (Greenhaus Beutel, 1985). In contrast, work and family role enhancement suggests that participation in multiple roles can lead to better functioning in other life domains (Bond, Galinsk Swanber, 1998). This study focuses on work and family role interference, measured by work-family conflict and family-work conflict. However, study on work and family role enhancement is suggested for further research. Bronfenbrenner (1979) insists that Work-life balance is vital for individuals wellbeing, organizations performance and a functioning society. There are different beliefs on how work-life balance should be defined, measured and researched (Grzywacz Carlson,   2007). Different terms are also used by different researchers while referring to work-life balance. Frone (2003), Greenhaus (2003), Clark (2000) refer to the term work-family balance whereas, Clarke (2004) refer to work-family fit, while Clarkberg (2001) refers to work-personal life balance and Grady (2008) refer to work-life balance. As work-family balance is often associated with traditional families which is   individuals who are married with children (Barnett Hyde, 2001), and this study refers to a family in both its traditional and non-traditional form; in order to avoid any confusion, the term work-life balance is used throughout this paper. Grady, McCarthy, Darcy and   Kirrane (2008) stated that the term work-life balance is more comprehensive and includes family, community, recreation and personal time. As stated by Dhas (2015) WLB in its broad sense captures all aspects of employees personal and work life; this suggests that WLB should be focused on individuals, families, workplaces, communities, and society as a whole. Several theories have been proposed by researchers to explain WLB. Clark (2000) presented a border theory according to which family and work domains are separated by borders which could be physical, temporal or psychological. Whereas, Edwards and Rothbard (2000) and Lambert (1990) referred to compensation theory according to which workers try to find more satisfaction in one domain to compensate for the lack of satisfaction in the other domain. However, Rothbard and Dumas (2006) and Grzywacz and Marks (2000) refer to spill-over theory according to which any feelings, emotions, attitudes and behaviors generated in one domain can be transferred or spilled over into the other   domain. Repetti and Crosby (1984), Rubin and Babbie (2010) and Grzywacz and Marks (2000)   proposed   more conceptual models where WLB can be measured by work-family and family- work conflict as well as work-family and family-work enhancement. Grzywacz and Marks (2000) implemented Bronfenbrenners   ecological  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   model which suggests that work-family experience is a joint function of process, individual, time and context characteristics, and does not restrict the experience to either negative or positive (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Clark (2000) explains that focus on the domains of work and family is essential, as family and work are the most important elements of everyones life. Any competing demands of work and family life will cause conflict and negatively affect the wellbeing of workers (Persons Bales 1955), (Frone, 2000). Piotrkowski (1979) and Clark (2000) agree that measurable aspects of WLB are satisfaction, lack of role conflict and an overall sense of harmony. Greenhaus, Collins, and Shaw (2003) and Pallant (2013) believe that balance between family and work domains also involves time balance, involvement balance, and satisfaction balance. Frone (2003) and Piotrkowski (1979) states that the measurable four aspects of the balance between work and family roles are: (a) Work-family conflict (b) Family-work conflict (c) Work-family enhancement (d) Family-work enhancement. As these components have bi-directional effects on work and family domains, participation in the work role may interfere or enhance the performance in the family role, and vice versa, participation in the family role may interfere or enhance performance in the work role (Eagle, Miles Icenogle, 1997), (Frone, 2003), (Grzywacz   Marks, 2000), (Frone, 1992), (Greenhaus Beutell, 1985), (Grzywacz, Almeida McDonald, 2002).This study refers to the definition of WLB presented by Clark (2000), Eisenhardt (2012), Wilmot and   Hocker (2001) who believed that WLB is achieved when there is no role conflict, and when people are satisfied with their work and family roles. This definition seems to be the most relevant to this paper, as participants WLB and work satisfaction was measured using work family conflict, family-work conflict, family satisfaction and psychological health. Any competing demands of work and family life will cause conflict and negatively affect the wellbeing of workers (Frone, 2000), (Clark, 2000). Clark (2000) explained that WLB is influenced by physical borders (workplace walls), temporal borders (working hours) and psychological borders (behavior and thinking patterns) between work and family settings. People cross these borders and make daily transitions between these two settings, often tailoring their focus, their goals, and their interpersonal style to fit the unique demands of each. Clark (2000) argues that keeping work and family lives separate enables the management of work and family borders; however integration of work and family lives eases transitions between those two domains. Each of these two approaches can improve employees well-being. This however is influenced by individuals preferences in terms of separation or integration. Clark (2000) found that higher flexibility and lower penetrability between work and family domains can result in lower work-family conflict. This again depends on individuals preferences regarding segmentation and integration. Research conducted by Fink (2009), Hill and Buchan (2005), Grandey, Cordeiro and Crouter (2005), Grandey and Cropanzano (1999) showed that high integration of work and family domains can lead to negative consequences, as high flexibility can blur the boundaries between those two domains. Flexible, integrative work-family arrangements can improve WLB by enabling employees to spend more time with their family . At the same time, when these integrating arrangements are so high that they blur work-family boundaries, they can worsen WLB and lead to higher work-family conflict, higher dissatisfaction with work and family life, and higher levels of stress or depression (Clark, 2000), (Hill et al, 1996). 2.1.1 Review of related theories.In this section, theories and concepts developed previously relating to Work Life Balance and its sub factors will be reviewed. Conflict Theory: In the social sciences, conflict theory refers to the theoretical approach that views social phenomena as the result of conflict between individuals or groups (Sidanius, 1993). The emergence of work life balance is due to work-family conflict and family work conflict generally. Conflict theory has developed at both micro and macro levels (Klein, 1996). Coser (1993) stated that the micro level studies the individual, and from his or her behavior seeks to draw inferences about collective behavior. Psychologists, social psychologists, and socio biologists locate the cause of conflict behavior in human nature either in the imperatives of survival that have programmed forms of aggressive and defensive response, or in individual aggressive impulses triggered by personality dynamics, such as ego need, frustration, and the projection and displacement of inner anxieties onto others (Levine, 2015) Sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, and organization and communications theorists adopt the macro approach to conflict (Giddens, 2003). They hold that collective conflict behavior is not the product of individual behavior, but behavior socially induced either by a sense of collective grievance or by national leaders for purposes of defending the national territory or defeating another nation (Adorno, 2002). Tajfel (1979) explained that two groups may compete for scarce status, power, or resources without being in conflict. According to Coser (1993), conflict may have a positive social function. Some political scientists have asserted that conflict may be an unavoidable characteristic (Pondy, 1967). Conflict theory must take account of the motivation and perception of individual leaders and decision makers and to the extent that individual employees are engaged in the conflict by conscious appeals to their beliefs, the micro-level approach to conflict theory remains highly important to any comprehensive theory of conflict (Robbins, 2001). Gender Role Theory: One of the early Work Family Conflict (WFC) theoretical articles (Grandey A. C., 2005) proposed that WFC is intensified when the work and family roles are salient or central to the persons self-concept and when there are strong negative sanctions for noncompliance with role demands. WLB and gender role theories are interconnected as the perception of male and female are different (ONeil, Good Holmes, 1995). According to Grandey, Cordeiro and Crouter (2005) gender role theory, women are more likely to see the family role as part of their social identity than men do. Moreover, as womens roles in the workplace have increased, the expectations placed upon them in the family role have not diminished. Thus, when work imposes on family demands (WIF), women are more likely than men to develop a negative attitude toward the work because the job is more likely to be viewed as threatening a central social role (McLoyd, 1989). On the other hand, according Grandey, Cordeiro and Crouter (2005), men are unlikely to use this information to form work attitudes, because they are less likely to experience a threat to self if the job interferes with family time. Alternatively, at the turn of the twenty-first century, when dual-earner couples are common and women make up between 45percent and 50percent of the workforce in Westernized countries (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2002), (UK National Statistics, 2002). Waldron (1989) emphasied that the context-specific role expectations for men and women have changed.   The studies conducted by Grandey (2005) in US, college students have been gradually less likely to endorse traditional gender role views about work and family. In fact, the extent of WIF and FIW have been found to be similar for men and women, despite gender role theory hypotheses that women experience more WIF and men more FIW (Eagle, 1997); (Groves, 2008); (Gutek, 1991); (Halpern, 2005). In contrast, perhaps men and women do not differ in their reactions to WFC, perhaps when both partners are working; they will equally resent their jobs if work interferes with family (WIF) and appreciate their jobs if this is not the case (Grandey A. C., 2005). Consistent with gender role theory, several studies have supported the proposition that the relationship between global WFC and job satisfaction is stronger for women than for men. This may be spurious, however, because work characteristics may be different for women than for men on average, influencing both WFC and lower job satisfaction (Wayne, Musisca Fleeson, 2004). Gendered-Division of Employment: Gender plays an important role in shaping our lives as even the attitudes and social structures are gendered. In Nepal, the bread winner-home maker model is the fundamental principle of any household. Nepali society greatly believes on the gendered division of labor (Cameron, 1995). Mens and womens preferences are strongly influenced by the interplay between their own gender and the nature of the social structures they encounter (Bussey, 1999). System of domesticity that relies on male breadwinners and female home-makers is largely intact (Cameron, 1995). A substantial minority of U.S adults still believe that men and women should have different work and family responsibilities (Pew research center,2013). Spillover theory: Spillover theory assumes the conditions under which the spillover between work and the family is positive or negative (Korabik, 2009). Research documents that if work-family interactions are strictly structured in time and space, then spillover in terms of time, energy and behavior is generally negative (Grzywacz Marks, 2000) . Research also supports the notion that work flexibility, which enables individuals to integrate and overlap work and family responsibilities in time and space, leads to positive spillover and is instrumental in achieving healthy work and family balance (Hill, et al., 2003). Compensation theory: Compensation is the set of valuable things that is given to employees in exchange for their labor (Sass, 1997). Usually compensation is money which is given to employees as an hourly wage or salary (Lazear, 1996). However, in addition to pay, some organizations offer benefits, stock options, bonuses, profit sharing, commissions, allowances and other rewards (Gerhart, al.,1995). 2.2 Review of Nepalese Literature Table 2.2 Summary of major finding Author Major Finding Tamang (2008) Role ambiguity influences WLB negatively; More ambiguous at work place lower the level of work life balance. Role conflict is positively related to work life balance Negative relationship between role overload and hours spent on paid work with WLB. Positive influence of all family stressor with WLB. Hours spent on household work is most influencing variable Positive effect of WLB on organizational commitment. Employees in the Nepalese hospitality industry do not feel any adverse effect of family domain to work life balance. Yadav and Rani (2015) The most significant issue to influence and develop WLB is organization commitment and individuals commitment. WLB strategies can help organizations in generating stress free environment. The study completed by Tamang (2008) seeks to explore the causes that influence individuals work life balance and its effect. This study was performed due to increasing number of day care centres in Kathmandu which shows Nepalese employees are looking for balancing their work and life domain. The researcher found that in one of the day care centres located at Kathmandu named Stepping Stone Pre-School takes care of 30-35 children some of them aged below 1 year as well. Children arrive early in the morning stay there till evening. With this regard, the researchers primary focus was to explore the condition of work life balance in the Nepalese context. The study examines the work life balance and its cause and effect through a survey conducted during 2008 in nine different stars hotels of Kathmandu, Nepal. Employees of these hotels were surveyed to determine the level of work and family stressors as antecedents, balancing between work and family, and organizational commitment as consequ ence of work life balance. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the condition of work life balance. Regression analysis was also used to examine the cause and effect relationship of work life balance (Tamang, 2008) In the study of Tamang (2008) the following theoretical framework was used:   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Source: Tamang (2008) Figure 2.1 Theoretical framework for work life balance by Tamang. According to Tamang (2008), the following has been discovered: The study found first variable, role ambiguity, as important variables from work domain to influence on work life balance negatively as per theoretical expectation in the context of Nepalese hospitality industry. More ambiguous at work place lower the level of work life balance. Second variable role conflict has been found positively related to work life balance. On the other hand, the study found negative relationship of both variables role overload and hours spent on paid work with work life balance. However, the relationships discussed earlier except of role ambiguity were found statistically insignificant. The study found the positive influence of all the family stressors under study with work life balance in contrary to prior theoretical expectation. Among them the relationship of hours spent on household work alone appeared statistically significant representing most influencing variable from family domain, meaning that engaging in household work leads to feel having good balan ce between work and family in the Nepalese hospitality industry. At the end, the study found the positive effect of work life balance on organizational commitment as per theoretical expectation. In conclusion, the study explores the condition of work life balance in the context of Nepalese hospitality industry. The result shows low level of work and family demand, and good balance between work and family. In fact, employees in the Nepalese hospitality industry do not feel any adverse effect of family domain to work life balance. Especially employees feel good balance between work and family when they get involved in household activities more. On the contrary, ambiguous role at work alone was likely to feel imbalance between work and family for employees in the Nepalese hospitality industry. Finally, the present study provides evidence that the organization can be ensured the increased level of commitment among those employees having good balancing between work and family (P. 96) Another study by (Yadav, 2015) on female work force in Nepal concludes that the most significant issue to influence and develop Work-Life Balance is organization commitment and individuals commitment. The suggested work-life Balance strategies such as appropriate compensation and benefits, better employee relations, challenging job description, employee support plans, suitable employee Grievance Cell, creating productive work environment, family friendly policies, organizing workshops, can help organizations in generating stress free environment for working people and help improved Work life balance.