An Analysis Of Italian National Interests Politics Essay

An Analysis Of Italian National Interests Politics Essay National interest incorporates within it many things. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, events have shown us that Italy and many of its leaders and politicians have always found it difficult to opt for a particular direction in both internal as well as external affairs. Whilst fighting against the Hapsburg Empire for independence in the nineteenth century, various Italian politicians proposed several options and alternatives that Italy could take. All of this brought conflict of interests and ideas in Italy and no-one was sure which road Italy should follow. In the quest for independence, the Italians knew what to remove but not what to implement instead. In the twentieth century, national interest changed frequently and much of this depended on the leaders of the time and on external events. The fact that Italian governments have changed so frequently in the past century is a clear example of how Italian governments and politicians never agreed on where their national i nterests lied. This paper will focus on how hard the Italians have found it to agree on their national interests and the reasons behind such a statement. This paper will then analyse to what extent such a statement is true and whether agreements between the Italians and Italian politicians regarding the matter have been reached. Special focus will be given on Italys relationship with Europe and the US and certain domestic policies as well as on the Italians view on the Arab World and the Mediterranean. Italys national interests Italy has had a history of changing alliances at the opportune moment in order to suit its interests. This shows that the Italians were never certain on what they really wanted. In the First World War, Italy joined the Entente when it had been an ally of both Germany and Austria-Hungary for so long. On the other hand, in the run-up towards the Second World War, Italy was attracted to Germany and its way of thinking and, when Germany rearmed and was pictured by many as the current strongest power, Italy did not hesitate to join Hitler in an alliance  [1]  . When Mussolini came into power in the 1920s, national interest lied in that of expansion and irredentismo. Mussolini wanted to promote the grandeur of Italy by conquering territories in Northern Africa and in some parts of Europe. Such an expansionist foreign policy agenda changed abruptly with the fall of the fascist regime in Italy and a new direction of national interest became important. Italian national interest then chang ed again with the end of the war as the Italian population and government sought the help and friendship of the United States  [2]  . The two main rival parties in the period were the Communists and the Christian Democrats and both had very diverse interests and foreign policy agendas. Immediately after the war, Italy promoted its interests in the international arena and this is seen in its quests for European Integration and in that of joining the North Atlantic Alliance yet such notions and ideas had to wait until the arrival of De Gasperi for them to become the new direction of Italys foreign policy: Italy under the leadership of Alcide De Gasperi became one of the founding countries of European integration, when the European Community and NATO were the two main pillars in postwar Italian foreign policy.  [3]   Putting these agendas aside, many argue that, during the First Italian Republic, national interest was not focused on the international context. This statement is quite correct especially when seeing how the culture of national interests did not reach its full potential due to the political elites interest in domestic rather than in foreign affairs. Due to certain issues occurring in Italy today it may seem as though the Italians are more concerned about their domestic affairs rather than their external ones  [4]  . The huge importance given to issues such as Silvio Berlusconis scandals and personal life is a clear example of this. Some newspapers are more focused on these particular affairs rather than what is happening abroad. The fact that domestic affairs was important then and is still so relevant now, brings to mind the thought that, in certain aspects, the Italians have managed to find a compromise between them. Others will say otherwise especially after analyzing Italian foreign policy in the second half of the twentieth century. Italy opted for an active foreign policy agenda as it tried to restore the honour it had lost as a result of The Second World War. Upon joining the European Union, Italys economy flourished considerably as can be witnessed in the 1960s. This was a result of increased industrial development and new economic reforms. When analyzing such issues, it could be said, therefore, that Italys national interests lay mostly in Europeanism as Italy became a strong and active member in European affairs and integration and it benefited a lot from its membership. Most political parties in Italy were and still are very pro-EU and Italy was always amongst the highest in Europe which had a strong public opinion with regards to the European integration process. Though the Communist party was quite anti-European in its policies, it changed attitude during the 1970s when it saw European integration as a means to promote its national interests. Hence, this led to support for integration becoming nearly unanimous in Italy  [5]  . Many believe that Italian national identity was weakened because of the relations between the state and the church in Italy especially during the nation-building process  [6]  . The church has always maintained a strong role in Italy and this is mostly due to the reason that the Vatican City is the centre of Catholicism. Hence, the church has been very influential in events happening both at the national level as well as on the international level and in fact, since unification and even in issues such as Italian-Arab relations, the church has always expressed its views and opinion on what Italys approach to such matters should be. Though Italys activity in European processes and activities was always present, it still wasnt recognized as a major power in the EU but was seen as a large member state among small ones, but incapable of taking its place among the big ones in the Union  [7]  . Italys inability to implement certain European legal norms, as can be witnessed in certain aspects such as that of freedom of expression, has reduced its credibility in the European context and even resulted in Italys less influential role when it comes to decision-making. Italy, however did try to promote its Europeanism especially in issues such as that of a European Monetary Union to which Italy gave much support. It was during Romano Prodis Italian Premiership when Italy became more credible as a result of its joining of the Euro-zone. This credibility was then again lessened with the arrival of Silvio Berlusconi who had a more Euro-skeptical attitude in his foreign policy. Many scholars and analysts believe that this attitude was a main reason of why national interest was seen as unstable and unclear. Until the 1990s, Italy was quite pro-European, however, when Berlusconi became Prime Minister, this changed. In fact, Berlusconi conflicted quite often with other heads of European states especially with the French President and German Chancellor. Further proof of this erosion of Europeanism can be witnessed in the resignation of Italys foreign affairs minister, Renato Ruggiero, who was a pro-European  [8]  . Berlusconi, apart from being Prime Minister, had been minister of foreign affairs and his motives and interests were clearly seen in his policies. Berlusconi preferred to maintain good relations with American President George W. Bush rather than focusing his strength on maintaining excellent EU relations. He wanted the American administration to see Italy as its closest European partner after Britain and that is why, Italy gave America its full support in many issues and crises. Italys conflicting interests between Europeanism and Atlanticism did not start with Berlusconi. Sergio Romano comments on how the Italians believed that the Second World War was not lost by the nation but rather by the fascist government and this explains why, after overthrowing Mussolinis regime, Italy was still willing to seek cooperation with other states. As from the late 1940s Italys cooperation with the US grew especially due to the Marshall Plan which, according to Romano, ebbe maggiore influenza sul profile internazionale del paese e sul sistema politico italiano negli anni seguenti  [9]  . In the meantime, Italy was very confident in the fact that it could play an important role in European as well as in Mediterranean affairs. The world order after World War II was very different than that prior to the war. Not only did countries like Italy lose certain territories such as Istria, Libya, Eritrea and Ethiopia but, now, there was the rise of communism and nation states suc h as Italy had to respond to such crises. The Marshall Plan wasnt only implemented for the restructuring of Europe, but also to combat the communist threat of the Soviet Union. The plan was also aimed to bring unity in Europe and this influenced the policies of Italian politicians and how they behaved at the international level  [10]  . National interest, in a few years, had changed radically from one being aimed to promote Italy and its grandeur to one which promoted Italys activeness and participation in an international community. After 1947, Italys policies started reflecting those of the United States of America. Hence, not only was it interested in economic development and restructuring, but was also intrigued by implementing a democratic government, rights and freedoms as well as having an anti-communist task force. Because Italy followed these concepts, it was also interested in having a united Europe and, as explained above, was among the first to promote cooperation am ong European states. Italys national interest was always divided between that of Europeanism and that of maintaining excellent cordial relations with the US and such a phenomenon may still be said to be going on today. Many countries were against Italy joining the Atlantic Alliance and the Italian government was particularly keen on changing the negative assumptions that these countries had about it. Such countries believed that: Se fosse stata ammessa avrebbe costretto lAlleanza a difendere non soltanto lAtlantico del Nord ma buona parte del mediterraneo, avrebbe dato un contributo insignificante alla difesa commune, e avrebbe probabilmente approfittato della sua partecipazione per avanzare una volta querule richieste coloniali.  [11]   De Gasperi and Sforza saw that these ideas had to change as Italy needed to develop economically as well as improve its security. Without the help of foreign powers it couldnt do much. Even if other countries had no faith in Italy, the latter knew that it could count on the US to provide for Italys needs. The USA was, and still is, considered as a super power and could provide for the security of others apart from itself. The transition that Italian national interest was taking clearly shows how Italian leaders realised that Italy should not be overconfident in its approaches and be as ambitious as it was in the time of Mussolini. Even nowadays, Italy is trying to maintain the best of relations with the US as the former knows that America can provide Italy with financial aid and security. Apart from this, by maintaining a relationship with the worlds superpower, Italy and Italian opinion could become more credible and attractive in the international arena. De Gasperi and Sforzas opposition and criticisms which were coming from within the mainland clearly proves how national interest differed from one party to another. Apart from being criticized by the national liberals, both statesmen found opposition in the Catholics of the left, the socialists and in the communists all of which had considerable influence in Italy  [12]  . Hence, national interest varied in Italy as some opted for expansion and the regaining of national prestige, others for the weakening of the Western front whilst others were willing to make Italy a determining power in international affairs. Nonetheless, both De Gasperi and Sforza tried to establish strong positions not only in the US, especially after joining NATO in 1949, but also in Europe and this is evident when analyzing the relationship Italy had with countries like France. Since the time of de Gaulle, and especially under Georges Bidault, France considered Italy as an important ally and friend. In this issue another phenomenon regarding national interest is evident. This is Italys interest in safeguarding the Mediterranean and Italy, since Mussolinis rule up until today, was one of the major players when it comes to security in the Mediterranean. France, who had interests in Northern Africa, agreed to help Italy in this task and, since EU membership, Italian statesmen, ministers and politicians have promoted the idea of Mediterranean security even more  [13]  . Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, as did many others, maintained good relations with Mediterranean countries including Malta so as to maintain a stable and secure Mediterranean region. Italys interest in the Mediterranean may be a reason why the country is so keen on maintaining stable relations with the Arab world. Since the era of Fanfani and Moro, and even before that, up till today, Italian relations with Arab countries have been quite positive. This can be seen in Italys involvement in the Suez Crisis and in the Six-Days War and also in the fact that Italy always expressed its opinion with regards to the Middle-East conflict and offered means to aid the people affected by the war  [14]  . Many say that Italy has boosted its market-share and maintained a high political profile in the Arab world and in the Persian-Gulf and this is evident in countries like Qatar, UAE, Oman, Kuwait and many others. Embassies have been set up in these countries, exports increased and relations with them have improved due to the issuing of new contracts. Also, with regards to some states, Italy is the only remaining European trading partner as can be seen in the case of Iran  [15]  . Many believe that, though Italy has had a strong pro-European perspective, European enthusiasm has fallen considerably in the past years. According to a survey last year, only a small percentage of the Italian population actually believed that Italy was benefiting from its relationship with the EU. Italy has indeed fought for the strengthening and widening of the European Union, however, with the acceptance of the Constitutional Treaty, the introduction of the Euro and with the incorporation of many new pacts and treaties allowing greater EU say in decision making, Italians are starting to question what role has the national sphere left to play. From the period 2001 till 2006 the European Union was rarely consulted and called upon when Italy discussed matters of policy and foreign affairs. Even though Prodi was a pro-European, the two years he spent as Italian Prime Minister following 2006 werent enough to change the European outlook towards Italy. It seemed that Italy was changing f rom being one of the most active and respected members in Europe into a country which acted as an obstacle to the European Union. Events such as Italys exclusion from key talks on important issues suggest that the above statement is true and that Europe and the European Union had lost faith in Italy  [16]  . In Italy there was always a diverging of interests between the centre-left and the centre-right parties. The issue of multilateralism in this context becomes important. Under Berlusconis centre-right government this process was threatened especially due to the fact that the Prime Minister had little faith in such a process. Berlusconi, always projected as being so Euro-skeptic, has always preferred to maintain bilateral relations with countries such as the US and with certain countries in Europe rather than having many relations on a multilateral level. This statement is clearly supported by the fact that international organizations have never regarded Italy under Berlusconi as an important asset especially since the centre-right participated mostly in multilateral agreements and in international organizations only if there was something to gain from them. Centre-left parties, on the other hand have always taken a different approach and have always preferred to maintain strong multil ateral bonds especially with the European Union and its institutions. On the other hand the centre-left was then skeptic on the relationship with the US and this is evident in the centre-left parties criticisms towards the US and some of its policies  [17]  . Conclusion The fact that so many different governments were set up after 1945 and the phenomenon that only nowadays is an Italian political party managing to stay in government a full term is a clear reason on the state of agreement on national interests is in Italy. The huge number of fragmented parties in Italy means that it is difficult for Italy to come to a consensus on both domestic affairs as well as on international affairs. All the parties have different national interests and this may be the cause of why many believe that the statement that there hasnt been agreement on where Italys national interests lied was and still is the reality of Italy. Even the events of 2008 when Romano Prodis government collapsed is a sign on how the Italians are still struggling to find an agreement on where their national interests lie. Never before in the post-World War II history of Italy, had a government been unsupported by its own majority because of disagreement (within that same majority) on how to run the countrys foreign policy.  [18]   Such an event, however, will not change the real aims of Italys foreign policy and will not affect the reasons of why Italy has acted the way it did in the international arena in the past years. Italian politics in the last decades has always been directed towards achieving a more peaceful world. What Italy has done in the Middle-East and in Europe was done to strengthen unity as well as to bring stability in societies. On this matter, national interest is quite concrete and everyone, starting from Italys political elite moving down to the lowest classes of society, has had the same ideology and realm of interests with regards to having peace in the world. Though this is a huge contrast to the Italy prior to the war, it shows how, though national interest in Italy does tend to change rapidly, the Italian population may find agreement on certain issues especially on matters which are considered important and vital to the international sphere. Hence, it can be concluded that the statement that the Italians have never agreed on where their national interests lie isnt entirely true. Though Italian national interest did change quite frequently along the years, there were times when it was stable and followed a clear path. The fact that Berlusconi was elected for the third time has resulted in national interest to become clearer. Before the end of the cold war, the diverging national interest between that of a pro-European and a pro-American agenda was more evident. Now, with Berlusconi as Prime Minister, it seems that the divide isnt as evident especially with Berlusconis close relationship with the US and his lack of faith in Europe. Agreement on national interest, however, was never entirely present in Italy and may still be seen like that nowadays. It is unclear if Italian politicians are more interested in domestic rather than in international affairs and. Apart from this, Italy still maintains good relations with Mediter ranean countries as well as with the Arab world and is always keen in intervening wherever there is an issue abroad and this further confuses scholars and analysts trying to come out with where Italian national interest really lies.

The Atomic Age Essay -- Atomic Bomb Atom History Essays

The Atomic Age The Atomic Age, composed of complex and controversial issues, has forever changed our world and the way in which we live. * What were the factors leading to the dropping of the atomic bomb? The answer to this question considers events dealing with atomic energy, the Manhatten Project, and controversial issues about when, where, how, and if the bomb should have been used. There are several events prior to the 1940s that led to the making of the bomb, but the majority of events and controversy snowballed during the 1940s. It is always important to examine the causes of world changing events so that the human race will learn from and be more aware of such issues in the future. Important factors prior to the 1940s: In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovers x-rays. Soon afterward, Marie Curie discovers radium and polonium, both radioactive elements, in 1898. Several years later, in 1905, Albert Einstein creates the famous theory about the relationship between mass and energy. When two German scientists, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, demonstrated nuclear fission in December of 1938, American scientists feared that Germany would begin to build an atomic bomb (Wainstock, 35). Because of this, Albert Einstein sends a letter to President Roosevelt in August of 1939. It is this letter that encourages the President to form a committee to investigate atomic research. American scientists, including Einstein, also persuaded the President to undertake the bomb's development. This secret government effort became known as the Manhatten Project. Factors during the 1940s: Abrupt, unexpected changes: On December 7th, 1941, the United States was suddenly brought into World War II when unexpectedly attacked by the Jap... ...orces alone, therefore making us appear more powerful. All of these events, both prior and post 1940, contributed to the dropping of the first atomic bomb. It was not one single event or person, but many that allowed this bombing to occur. These events should be looked at and studied so that they will not reoccur in the future. Works Cited: Dannen, Gene. "Atomic Bomb: Decision". April 25, 1997. <http://www.peak.org/~danneng/ decision/decision.html> (March 24,1998). Fogelman, Edwin. Hiroshima: The Decision to Use the A-Bomb. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1964. Wainstock, Dennis D. The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb. Westport: Praeger, 1996. Walker, Gregory. "Trinity Atomic Web Page". March 22,1998. <http://www.envirolink.org/ issues/nuketesting/index.html> (March 24,1998). Yass, Marion. Hiroshima. New York: G.P. Putman's Sons, 1972.

Invisible Man Essay: Values of the Invisible Man -- Invisible Man Essa

Values of the Invisible Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is the story of an educated black man who has been oppressed and controlled by white men throughout his life. As the narrator, he is nameless throughout the novel as he journeys from the South, where he studies at an all-black college, to Harlem where he joins a Communist-like party known as the Brotherhood. Throughout the novel, the narrator is on a search for his true identity. Several letters are given to him by outsiders that provide him with a role: student, patient, and a member of the Brotherhood. One by one he discards these as he continues to grow closer to the sense of his true self. As the novel ends, he decides to hide in an abandoned cellar, plotting to undermine the whites. The entire story can be summed up when the narrator says "I'm an invisible man and it placed me in a hole- or showed me the hole I was in...." During the novel, the narrator comes to value several intangibles that eventually help to shape his identity. Throu gh his experiences and the people he has met, the narrator discovers the important value of his education, his invisibility, and his grandfather's advice.    From the very beginning of the novel the narrator values his education. His education first brings him a calfskin briefcase, when the superintendent rewards him for his success, saying "Take this prize and keep it well. Consider it a badge of office. Prize it. Keep developing as you are and some day it will be filled with important papers that will help shape the destiny of your people." The narrator treasures the briefcase so much because it symbolizes his education. He carries it throughout the whole novel, and it is the only object he takes into the cellar fro... ...ture and History. 1996 ed. Kelly, Robin D.G. "Communist Party of the United States." Encyclopaedia of African-American   Culture and History. 1996 ed.      Internet Sources: Bellow, Saul. "Man Underground" Review of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Commentary. June 1952. 1st December 1999<http://www.english.upeen.edu/~afilreis /50s/bellow-on-ellison.html Earl, Gerald. "Decoding Ralph Ellison" Essay obtained from IGC.org Summer '97. 30 November. <http://www.igc.org/dissent/archive/summer97/early.html Howe, Irving. "Black Boys and Native Sons" English Dept. at Univ. Penn. 1 December 1999 <http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/howe-blackboys.html. Howe, Irving. "Review of: Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man" Pub. The Nation. 10 May 1952. 30 November 1999. <http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/howe-on-ellison.html.   

What is the Origin of Mankind? :: essays research papers fc

What is the Origin of mankind?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mankind’s origin is from God through creation. The Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 1 verse 27; So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him: male and female created He them. The Bible also says in Genesis chapter 2 verse 7, And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Truth about creation is found only in the Bible (Ryrie 206). The first verse of the Bible Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth, is an absolute statement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mankind’s origin was not a result a ridiculous theory that a big bang occurred, causing life to begin. Neither was mankind a single cell organism floating around in the ocean. Mankind was not formed by a mutation of organisms in the sea. Man’s origin did not come from another life source from another planet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mankind’s origin was premeditated from God, formed from the dust of the earth, and made in His image and likeness. God confers with Himself and rouses Himself to make man in His own image and likeness (Bavinck 1). Because man is made in God’s image and likeness, he is set apart from any other creature or angel ever created. Man has a relationship with God that no other creature will ever have.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mankind is given authority over all the creatures of the earth. Mankind is also given authority over himself to make his own choices. Man is to populate the earth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We should understand that Jesus was our creator first, then our savior. Mankind is nothing without our creator and savior. For mankind to grasp the realization of his origin, he must have faith that his life begins with God and ends with the decisions that he makes on this side of eternity. Mankind should not take the task of having dominion over every living creature lightly; this job is an honor and should be treated as one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mankind should live according to his origin. Mankind should follow God’s commandments by reaching and educating all men on earth, telling them of their origin, and showing proof of God’s will in their lives. They should also be told that their decisions should be made on this side of eternity.

Managing Creativity of Shanghai Tang Essay

Shanghai Tang was founded by David Tang in Hong Kong in 1994. It was a retail store selling high quality product made in China, such as traditional Chinese costumes, Chairman Mao wrist watch, qipao, traditional Chinese silk products with Chinese design. Its target customers at the first place were those high ended tourists. Taking around 1 year, instead of 2 year which is typical period a new retailers need to make business in break even, Shanghai Tang turned its first profit in October 1995. Shanghai Tang later entered an agreement with the Richemont Group which is a famous Switzerland-based luxury goods maker. David Tang thought Shanghai Tang would become China’s first international luxury brand. Like other ambitious entrepreneur, in Nov 1997, Tang opened the first Shanghai Tang store on Madison Avenue in New York USA. However, things were not going the way it was supposed to. Not many people liked what Shanghai Tang was selling. Unfortunately, the financial crisis worsened the situation, and it had to scale down the business. By 2001, Tang had reduced his stake in Shanghai Tang to near 5%, so the Richemont Group took control of the company. Appointing executive chairman of Shanghai Tang in September 2001, Raphael Le Masne, who then employed a new creative director, Joanne Ooi, having intensive experience in international garment business. With correct insight and vision, hired more in house designers, and fixed the right directions, they were successfully turning Shanghai Tang around. Image of Chinese-themed high-end fashion and lifestyle emporium had been established. Sales and global coverage had been increased a lot from 2001 to 2008. By summer of 2008, company had more than 40 stores in 14 countries all over the world. Things will never run smooth, at the same time, Joanne had handed in her resignation. An increasing conflict within company between creators and commercial departments also gave big headache to Raphael who always relied on Joanne to smooth things out. During that time, the global financial crisis was striking the whole world economy again, while China, still with double digit increase in GDP every year, was considered a shelter and gold mine for every business. Shanghai Tang has no exception, but tried to expand its business in China market. Should Shanghai Tang hire a new creative director under this uncertain economic time? How to strike a balance between creativity and the  profit? How the company can maintain its success? How the company should adapt its strategy to make it successful in China market and other potential global markets? These were the main challenge Shanghai Tang were facing. Analysis Conflicts between Creativity/Innovation and Business Sense As a business, the past success factors are always considered as a critical factor. Business people have a tendency not to deviate this much in order to maintain the success. On the other hand, it will certainly jeopardize the creativity and innovation from designers especially it is considered it is too much different from the successful factors or past evidences already prove it had not worked out. For creative people, they always tend to be very trendy and creative, so they try to make something completely new which is of course totally different than the past. However, like Shanghai Tang, it had experienced a very bad time, and a new design strategy set by Le Masne and Ooi, had made the company turn around. It just likes an endless cycle – company having a success factor, makes itself become successful in terms of profit and image, then it will resist to change and the success may last for another couple of years. At the end, with emerge of new competitors, change in economy or whatever reason, past success factors may no longer work. The company may be forced to think deeply in creativity and business innovation, but it is always too late. A real successful company must be able to continue its success factors, but new elements must always be needed to be added in its business. In Shanghai Tang, from design process to the start of mass production, there was heavy involvement from a Product Committee which comprise the designers, executive chairman, the creative director and key business managers like retail /marketing/ merchandizing directors. To help designers to understand how different products perform in the market, they received reports from the retail and marketing departments regularly. Those reports mainly revealed the sales and customer feedback to different items. Designers also had to follow the company norm â€Å"Shanghai Tang DNA† which contains 2 major elements – Chinese-ness and the use of bright color. Excellent design but expensive to produce will be eliminated. Designers are also paid a salary plus bonus based on KPI such as its generating revenue and ability to innovate. It can simply observe  that there were too much constraints to the design process. Potential generating revenue becomes a very important element to determine the success of the new design. New design which is not similar with past success factors is unlikely to survive. The consequence is that it will eliminate some new elements which make the company even successful in future. Shanghai Tang has 2 main business streams – core collection and seasonal collection, which about 50/50 in terms of revenue. In fact, for its seasonal collection, extra room should be given to the design teams, and more deviation from Shanghai Tang DNA should be allowed. It can let the company to test the water temperature in the market and to get more insight how the market is changing. It would not impact to its core business. Shanghai Tang could even think of the 3rd stream which more innovation would be allowed. The bonus scheme for designers would also be linked to the recognition of their design. The Shanghai Tang DNA should be reviewed from time to time to keep pace with the market trend to make sure the new fashion elements will be captured. Thus, those designers will be motivated and encourage to participate in the theme of their design. As Shanghai Tang is a high end fashioned product, it should not be limited to high manufacturing cost as well. Margin can be set higher for products with nice design but higher manufacturing cost. Replacement of Creative Director Ooi was going to leave Shanghai Tang, but the global economy was in the tough situation. Le Masne was in a dilemma to hire a new replacement or let the whole team to continue the work. Considering the fact that the Creative Director is the soul of the company which can define the main frame of the products and company direction, it is indeed an urgent matter that they have to hire the new replacement or promote internally. Promoting internally may create conflicts inside the team, and it doesn’t add any new element to the team. Unless there is someone very outstanding, Shanghai Tang could look for a competent replacement externally. Working a whole team without leader is not going to work especially there are too much conflicts between the design and commercial teams and no one is able to resolve it. Expanding China Market Shanghai Tang had around 10 shops in China. It also had 9 shops in Hong Kong which can be considered crossover between eastern and western culture, not pure Chinese taste. The Chinese society accounted totally half of its total shops all over the world. However, looking deeply to its customer profiles, its major customer group was still USA and Europe. The Chinese customer in mainland China market was just over 50%. American and European might be in favour of existing product design in Shanghai Tang. However, it doesn’t imply that the Chinese customers are with the similar taste. Foreigners may be in favour of design with fashion and absolute Chinese styled, but Chinese may desire the design with mix of Chinese and Western style, and do not want it to be too Chinese. They may be even reluctant to accept the goods â€Å"Made in China†, as there was a trend wealthy people tend to buy foreign luxary brand. Shanghai Tang had experience that different culture may have different taste. Design had to be fine tuned somehow to fit different culture. In terms of customer age group, excluding Mainland China market, the target age group was those between 36 to 45. However, in China market, there’s also 40% of customer from age group 26-35. Among the 7 key in house designers in Shanghai Tang, though 3 of them were Chinese, they did not really have exposure in China. For the rest, they were foreigner but had certain exposure in eastern fashion industry, not much in China yet. It was proven their design can quite hit the western market with age group 36-45, but it did not imply it will work perfectly in China market and younger age group. It is advisable that Shanghai Tang should conduct a thorough research in China to define the Chinese taste. Moreover, they should also bring in some designers with Mainland Chinese exposure. They should also add in innovation elements into the business in order to compete the market shares in China. â€Å"Jacket in Chinese, skirt in more western† may not work for US/European customers, but it may work perfectly in China market. Using the famous western celebrities to promote its brand in China may increase its awareness effectively. Chinese may not perceive Shanghai Tang as â€Å"Real Chinese Stuff† only, but also an icon of western fashion. Conclusion Though Shanghai Tang had been quite successful in the past years, it cannot simply stick to it. It has to keep its creativity and innovation, and bring new elements to the company. Thorough preparation is essential for its battle in Mainland China Market.

Chilean Mines

Knowing Your Audience & Com. Release Michelle Jones OXBOW/275 April 28, 2013 Dry. Monica Gallant The Chilean Mine Collapse On August 5, 2010, a main access tunnel of a mine in Chile, owned by Companion Mineral San Stefan Primmer, collapsed and trapped 33 miners. There are very serious risks when it comes to mining and the control of those risks determines the safety of the miners. Crucial Considerations and the Audience When you have a tragic situation like this, there are so many people who are affected which include the families of the miners and their co-workers.The miners families as well as the co-workers are obviously close to them will be saddened and troubled so they are going to be extremely sensitive by the event. Dealing with this type of audience, it is imperative that you pay attention to how you word the intended information, watch your tone when you are making an announcement concerning all Involved and consider your audiences emotions and their concerns. Potential Nee ds of the Families of the Miners It would be terribly difficult knowing that I had a family member who was trapped in a mine and there was nothing I could do about It.I would want to know every detail possible about the incident and if everything was being done to rescue these poor individuals. It is imperative that as family members, we understand what caused the Incident, which miners were Involved. If any perished. Is there a way to contact them and to keep us informed of any new occurrences. Above all else, I feel it is important to be honest and to not leave out any details. The sooner what is known is easier to deal with. Potential Needs of the Miner's Co-workers As an employee who works for the mines, you understand the risk that is involved.It s important to deliver such news in a professional and appropriate manner; not to mention, reassure the other employees they are not In any danger when they return to work. It is also important to treat the co-workers as family members because in a sense, this is their home away from home. They wish to know all that is going on. Actions that are taken before and after the Message Is delivered In a situation such as this, I feel it is best that you understand who your audience is before any message is delivered. To me, a prepared statement should be given both in person and through the media.Speaking to the people face-to-face lets the family members and the co-workers know that they matter and the trapped miners are important enough to meet with these individuals. Giving a statement through the media lets others know that they are doing all that they can to make sure these miners are rescued safely and keeps family members that are not in the area caught up in the latest developments. To the Families (through media) T ay at moon, a tragedy occurred in one our mines. From what we know, the mine has collapsed due to a rock failure and there are 33 miners that are trapped approximately 2000 feet below.At this time, our rescue operation is in progress and they are drilling boreholes to pinpoint the precise location of your family and co- workers. Unfortunately, we have not confirmed their exact location, and we are asking everyone to please be patient with us as we do everything in our power to locate the miners. Once it is determined where they are positioned, the necessary water and food, as well as medicine will be sent down to them. We are fully aware that this is very difficult time for everyone but please understand that we are doing all that is accessory to bring these miners out safely.We are confident they will all be rescued and returned to us safe and sound. We will keep everyone posted as information becomes available to us. If you have any questions about updates or concerns, we have set up a hotlist for you to call. That number is 11-56-555-5454. To the Co- workers (face-to-face) As all of you are aware, a tragedy has happened within our company. At approximately 2:pm today, one o f our mines collapsed due to a rock failure and 33 of our men are trapped about 2000 feet below.

Girl Power Essay

Sensitivity analysis helps to test the sensitivity of the optimum solution with respect to changes of the coefficients in the objective function, coefficients in the constraints inequalities, or the constant terms in the constraints. For Example in the case study discussed: The actual selling prices (or market values) of the two products may vary from time to time. Over what ranges can these prices change without affecting the optimality of the present solution? Will the present solution remain the optimum solution if the amount of raw materials, production time, or storage space is suddenly changed because of shortages, machine failures, or other events? The amount of each type of resources needed to produce one unit of each type of product can be either increased or decreased slightly. Will such changes affect the optimal solution ? The Input or Arrival Process †¢The input process is usually called the arrival process. †¢Arrivals are called customers. †¢We assume that no more than one arrival can occur at a given instant. †¢If more than one arrival can occur at a given instant, we say that bulk arrivals are allowed. †¢Models in which arrivals are drawn from a small population are called finite source models. †¢If a customer arrives but fails to enter the system, we say that the customer has balked The Output or Service Process †¢To describe the output process of a queuing system, we usually specify a probability distribution – the service time distribution – which governs a customer’s service time. †¢We study two arrangements of servers: servers in parallel and servers in series. †¢Servers are in parallel if all servers provide the same type of service and a customer needs only pass through one server to complete service. †¢Servers are in series if a customer must pass through several servers before completing service. Queue Discipline †¢The queue discipline describes the method used to determine the order in  which customers are served. †¢The most common queue discipline is the FCFS discipline (first come, first served), in which customers are served in the order of their arrival. †¢Under the LCFS discipline (last come, first served), the most recent arrivals are the first to enter service. †¢If the next customer to enter service is randomly chosen from those customers waiting for service it is referred to as the SIRO discipline (service in random order). †¢Finally we consider priority queuing disciplines. †¢A priority discipline classifies each arrival into one of several categories. †¢Each category is then given a priority level, and within each priority level, customers enter service on a FCFS basis.