A Consumers Buying Behaviour Essay examples -- Consumer Business Mark

A Consumers Buying Behavior A consumers buyer behavior is influenced by four major factors cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors. These factors cause consumers to give way product and brand preferences. Although many of these factors cannot be directly controlled by marketers, understanding of their impact is essential as marketing mix strategies can be authentic to appeal to the preferences of the target market.When purchasing any product, a consumer goes through a decision process. This process consists of up to five stages problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, barter for decision and post purchase behavior. The length of this decision process will vary, ranging from a shorter routine response behavior, to limited problem solving and a to a greater extent comprehensive extensive problem solving. A consumer may not act in isolation in the purchase, but rather may be influenced by any of several people in various roles. The number of people involved in the acquire decision increases with the level of involvement and complexity of the buying decision behavior.Consumers buyer behavior and the resulting purchase decision is strongly influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics. An understanding of the influence of these factors is essential for marketers in order to amplify suitable marketing mixes to appeal to the target customer. CULTURAL factors include a consumers culture, subculture and social c...

African Mythological Commonalities :: African Creation Myths Essays

African Mythological CommonalitiesCreation myths vary among African ethnic groups highlighting similarities and differences in belief systems and societal constructs. There are universey factors that contribute to creation myths for each individual group. Survival issues dominate many my ths, suggesting the origins of land, the ability to cultivate land, and the gain of existing off of what one has cultivated. Questions of where land came from, the purpose of man, and the relationship between the condition and the created are evaluated. The important issues of each African ethnic group became the central point of their creation and origin myths. A predominant theme among African creation myth is the peoples relation to the land, as a means of survival and origin. The shilluk myth, An African Story of the Creation of Man and the Yoruba peoples myth, The Creation of the Universe and Ife state that man was first made from clay. Both creation myths indicate an awareness and a indis pensableness for explanation of the physical differences among human beings. The Shilluk myth claims that there are different colored people because of the varying colors o f clay that Joak, the creator according to this myth, encountered as he wandered the world. The Yoruba peoples myth explains the differences in the shapes of humans as a result of the god Obatala being drunk when he shaped man out of clay. In both myth s, the action of the creating god caused the variation in mans physical characteristics. The Shilluk myth attempts to explain why mans body is designed as it is. Each part of the body is designed, according to this myth, to fulfill a purpose related to survival.

Comparing and Contrasting Relationships in Their Eyes Were Watching God

Comparing and Contrasting Relationships in Hurstons Novels, Their eyeball Were Watching God and Seraph on the SuwaneeIn Their Eyes Were Watching God and Seraph on the Suwanee, Zora Neale Hurston creates two protagonists, Janie and Arvay, and depicts their rich relationships with Tea cover and Jim, respectively. This brief paper compares these two women and their interaction with their husbands. Contrasting the similarities of these relationships helps underscore deeper themes that Hurston draws from two ostensibly different women.Tea Cake and Jim bear substantial resemblance to each other. They both carry a rather unsavory reputation around their towns, they both woo their new wives aggressively they even take care of their women with occasional recourse to illegal improprieties such as liquor distilling and gambling (although they tend to transcend their profits quite differently). Both men reduce to child-like behavior in key moments of affection with their wives Tea Cake favor s having his head in Janies lap, man Jim prefers his head resting on Arvays breast. Perhaps most crucially, both men exhibit communication and behavior that make their wives frantic with jealousy and fear. Jim, in his vexing of Arvay, and Tea Cake in his long absences, especially right after his marriage to Janie inJacksonville, make their respective wives boil over with internal anguish.Janie and Arvay oppose to their men in similar ways as well. Both women swing from extremes of doubt and distrust to passionate, all-encompassing love for their husbands. Moreover, both women reconfigure themselves to adjust to the mans world, as when Janie moves to the Everglades with Tea Cake, and when Arvay goes out to sea with Jim on his fishing b... ...her silent thoughts and how they pulled her away from her love for Logan and Jody, now those same silent thoughts preserve Tea Cake for her in perpetuity. And in Seraph on the Suwanee, Jims departure allows Arvay to realize the chasm between her and her past, and in so doing, realize that her struggles portray a woman destined to be a caregiver. For both Janie and Arvay, inner turmoil is quelled into a role that reconciles both themselves and their relationship with their men. And, perhaps most remarkably, this idealization of their partners persists despite indeed, is even enhance by the fact that both women see their former love interests, those who came before Tea Cake and Jim, as now standing on cracked or even shattered pedestals. Both Janie and Arvay in the end take comfort in their new-found roles and those men who best compel them to adopt these roles.

Crazy Horse :: essays research papers fc

doddery clam When I think back of the stories that I have heard about howthe homegrown American Indians were driven from their land andforced to live on the reservations one particular event comes tomy mind. That event is the Battle of the Little Big Horn. It isone of the few dates that the Oglala Sioux make history with thembeing the ones who left the battlefield as winners. When storiesare told, or when the media dares to tamper with history, it isusually the American Indians who are looked upon as the bad guys.They are portrayed as savages who spent their time raiding wagontrains and scalping the white settlers just for fun. The mediahas lead us to believe that the American government was forced totake the land from these savage Indians. We should put the blamewhere it belongs, on the U.S. Government who lied, cheated, andstole from the Oglala forcing Crazy Horse, the great war chief,and many other leaders to surrender their farming in order to savethe lives of their people. In the nineteenth century the most dominant nation in thewestern plains was the Sioux res publica. This nation was divided intoseven tribes Oglalas, Brule, Minneconjou, Hunkpapa, No Bow,Two Kettle, and the Blackfoot. Of these tribes they had differentband. The Hunkpatila was one band of the Oglalas . One of the greatest war chiefs of all times came from thisband. His name was Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse was not given this name, on his birth date inthe fall of 1841. He was born of his father, Crazy Horse anOglala holy man, and his mother a sister of a Brule warrior,Spotted Tail. As the boy grew older his hair was wavy so his people gave him the nickname of Curly . He was togo by Curly until the summer of 1858, after a battle with theArapahos. Curlys brave charged against the Arapahos led hisfather to give Curly the name Crazy Horse. This was the name ofhis father and of many fathers before him . In the 1850s, the country where the Sioux Nation lived, wasbeing invaded by the white sett lers. This was upsetting for manyof the tribes. They did not understand the ways of the whites.When the whites tore into the land with plows and hunted thesacred buffalo just for the hides this went against the moraleand religious beliefs of the Sioux. The white government began tobuild forts. In 1851, Fort Laramie was built along the NorthPlatte river in Sioux territory .

Keats’ Fear and Tichborne’s Acceptance: Death Essay -- Poetry Analysis

Death is inevitable. Chidiock Tichborne and John Keats in their poems Tichbornes Elegy and When I have fears that I may cease to be convey death in opposite ways. Tichborne through his poetic style, shows an acceptance of his death, as a result of reflecting on a life fulfilled, but unrecognized. While Keats, expresses a fear of death, where he contemplates that he will not be able to experience have it off or fame. Both these poets have lead lives that varied from each(prenominal) other in ways that are most revealed through their use of form, metaphors, repetition, punctuation and rhyme schemes. Moreover, both poets express and explore deep rooted human emotions such as, nostalgia, pain, love and a feeling of insatiability. Although Tichbornes Elegy and When I have fears that I may cease to be share a common theme because each speaker contemplates the inevitability of his death, their perceptions differ mainly as a result of their circumstances. John Keats explores his fear of d eath in When I have fears that I may cease to be in the form of a Shakespearean Sonnet. The poem contains three quatrains that interlock his primary fears together, leading to a couplet that expresses his remedy and last-place thoughts. His primary fears are expressed with respect to the abab cdcd efef gg rhyme scheme of the Shakespearean Sonnet, with each fear contained in each rhyming quatrain. His number one fear, in the first quatrain is dying without living up to his full potential as a writer, when he states, Before my pen has gleand my teeming brain (2). This business enterprise indicates that he has not expressed through his pen, all that is on his mind, and leads into the second quatrain with the use of a semicolon which suggests that the next part of the poem is connecte... ...eats as well, when he refers to the edge of the wide world it symbolizes the world of his experiences, which he ponders on. It is only by deeper inspection of these symbols can a clear idea of w hat the poets are expressing be understood. By study both these poems, it is evident that although death is the focus of both these poems, Tichborne has accepted it, while Keats fears it, but has found a way to resolve his fears.Works Cited Hatzitsinidou , Evangelia . Fates(Moirae)-the spinners of the thread of life. Greek-Gods.Info- Greek Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. . Vendler, Helen. The Poem as Life, The Poems as Arranged Life. Poems, Poets, Poetry An Introduction and Anthology. Third Edition ed. Boston Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. 18,68. Print.

Keats’ Fear and Tichborne’s Acceptance: Death Essay -- Poetry Analysis

Death is inevitable. Chidiock Tichborne and rear end Keats in their poems Tichbornes Elegy and When I possess fears that I whitethorn cease to be convey death in opposite ways. Tichborne through his poetic style, shows an acceptance of his death, as a result of reflecting on a life fulfilled, still unrecognized. While Keats, expresses a fear of death, where he contemplates that he will not be able to experience love or fame. Both these poets have lead lives that varied from from each one other in ways that are most revealed through their office of form, metaphors, repetition, punctuation and rhyme schemes. Moreover, twain poets express and explore deep rooted human emotions such as, nostalgia, pain, love and a feeling of insatiability. Although Tichbornes Elegy and When I have fears that I may cease to be share a common theme because each speaker contemplates the inevitability of his death, their perceptions differ mainly as a result of their circumstances. John Keats explores his fear of death in When I have fears that I may cease to be in the form of a Shakespearean Sonnet. The poem contains 3 quatrains that interlock his primary fears together, leading to a couplet that expresses his remedy and final thoughts. His primary fears are expressed with respect to the abab cdcd efef gg rhyme scheme of the Shakespearean Sonnet, with each fear contained in each rhyming quatrain. His first fear, in the first quatrain is dying without living up to his full potential as a writer, when he states, Before my pen has gleand my teeming brain (2). This line indicates that he has not expressed through his pen, all that is on his mind, and leads into the second quatrain with the use of a semicolon which suggests that the next part of the poem is connecte... ...eats as well, when he refers to the shore of the wide world it symbolizes the world of his experiences, which he ponders on. It is only by deeper inspection of these symbols cease a clear idea of what the poets a re expressing be understood. By comparing both these poems, it is evident that although death is the focus of both these poems, Tichborne has accepted it, while Keats fears it, but has found a way to resolve his fears.Works Cited Hatzitsinidou , Evangelia . Fates(Moirae)-the spinners of the thread of life. Greek-Gods.Info- Greek Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. . Vendler, Helen. The Poem as Life, The Poems as Arranged Life. Poems, Poets, Poetry An opening and Anthology. Third Edition ed. Boston Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. 18,68. Print.

Rape and Behavioral Changes Essay

In this century, the term rape is common in every part of the world. According to a Firstpost. India, (2013), approximately 68,000 rape cases were reported unsocial in India during 2009-2012. But only 16,000 cases were sentenced. This shows how serious the rape cases are. Nowadays in different parts of the country, where these types of crimes are increasing, womans live in fear. They confine no idea where, when or whom will attack them. For eitherone it can be the most torturing and disgusting that would happen in their life. Rapists should be punished in such a way that no one else would ever think about placeting a rape.But, without harsh actions, the situation will non improve and womens protection will stay as an incomplete hallucination. Firstly, tribe should learn how to take such cases seriously, most importantly police. It can be one of the easiest shipway to reduce such crimes. Some people say that, rape is not compare to murder, so death penalty is not suitable for this. In my stamp those people who commit this crime does not deserve any respect to live. It is because, the dupe suffers a lot throughout her life, and they lose trust and self authorisation in themselves.Victims try to suicide or they are even murdered, moreover effects on children due to physical attack, and new(prenominal) kinds of social complications. The victim suffers a lot through her life due to rape. Since the childhood, children are told to ignore strangers who offers them sweets, as for teenagers in this century, they need to be very careful who they have relationships with, it will not be too difficult to understand what I am saying. As there is news everywhere about some close friend or someone who you believe as a family member raped someone.According to Barker (2012), 73% of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows somehow. And two-thirds of rapes are committed by someone well-known to the victim. Everyones life is valuable, no one have the r ight to take the life from them. Pregnancy and other kinds of physical damages are suffered by victims. If the victim is alive, remembrance of such assaults is tormenting. This may even lead to brain damages. So due to this those people who commit the murder have no right to live. Secondly, when someone goes through such kinds of mistreatment, the victim find it difficult to trust anyone.They wish to stay alone in addition the victim loses him or her self-confidence. In order to continue their life, a lot of self-confidence is important. Or else there will not be any success in life, rather down-fall. They may even feel angry and shame, due to this they may try to seek revenge. This may lead to unexpected ruination in the society. Thus, the whole future of the victim is ruined, because in most of the cases the victim is ignored by the society. Some people believe that hanging the rapist, will not stop them. But in my opinion they will step back, this will reduce the crime rate.At t he same time, victims commit suicide or they are even murdered. According to Mulugeta, Kassave & Berhane (1998), In Ethiopia, 6% of raped schoolgirls reported having attempted suicide. Now think how much it might have increased until 2013. Victims feel humble to talk about what had happened to them. And rapists murder the victim inorder to hide their mistake. Or else they want to unidentified. Letting the rapists walk freely will result in, repeating of such cases by the same person. This will lead to fear in the society. You may see in everyday news, people protesting against the rapists.But the justice is not given to these people. In contrast, physical attack on children or infants may lead to different problems such as, anxiety, behavioral changes, depression, eating disorders, school learning problems and many more. This might scratch the growth of the child. Ancestral rape has been shown to be one of the supreme life threatening forms of juvenile distress, a trauma that repe atedly does serious and long-standing emotional loss, in the main in the incident of maternal incest. A murder is like abolishing the physical frame of the victim such as rape degrades the helpless life of the victim.To this end, there are many social problems faced due to such cases. It could spread dangerous diseases, such as HIV. This is a fact that should not be ignored. Moreover, if these people are set free, chances of increase in crime rates is high. For example, the rapists go into the jail due to committing this crime, but he is let out after few weeks or years, then the first think in his mind will be taking the revenge from that person who let him into the jail. This is a fact that everyone believes. In addition, social problems, like murder will occur.The parent or anyone closer to the victim, may murder the rapists. This will lead to many other problems which do not have an end. To conclude, letting the rapists walk freely is dangerous for both society and the victim. Since we have no idea what type of a crime will he commit next. Similarly, crime that rapists commit cannot be forgiven, they should be hanged. Since, due to such crime, the victim suffers a lot, such as physical damages, behavioral changes and mind damages. Moreover, victim loses her self-confidence which will lead loss of future to the victim if victim tries to seek revenge.Furthermore, victims of such crimes commit suicide, which is unacceptable for the family of the victim. A physical attack on infants and children ruins their childhood, leading problems of education, distress, and loss of self-esteem. Continuing the discussion it also causes many social problems in the society as well as the country. This includes, womens and children living in fear, spread of dangerous diseases such as HIV, murders and many more. Finally, in my opinion a rapist does not deserve to live, as I believe that raping is equal to the murder and an action to stop such people should be taken seriously.

Comparison Paper

Comparison Paper Brittany Seawright NUR/ 408 February 11, 2013 Beth Edwards Comparison Paper According to a report published in 1988 by the Institute of Medicine, earth wellness was defined as what we, as a society, do collectively to assure the conditions in which pot can be hefty (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 7, 2012). The mission of habitual health was to generate organized club effort to address the public interest in health by applying scientific and technical knowledge to prevent disease and promote health (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. , 2012). The definition and mission of public health has non changed. In the United States, the local- separate-federal partnership includes federal agencies, the invoke and territorial public health agencies, and the 3200 local public health agencies (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 990, 2012). wellnessy People 2020 and Centers for Disease pick up and bar (CDC) are agencies of public health at the matter level. The state health department is an ag ency of public health at the state and county levels. The interaction of these agencies is censorious to effectively leverage precious resources, both financial and personnel, and to protect and promote the health of populations (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 990, 2012). narration of Public Health People who are born immediately can expect to live 30 years longer than those who were born in 1990 (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Advocacy begun in the late 1910s, policymakers and social welfare representatives strived to constitute national health insurance (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). In 1965 congress amended the Social Security Act to include health insurance benefits for older adults (Medi tending) and increased care for the low (Medicaid) (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 36, 2012). The Social Security Act did non cover preventive services, and home health care was only reimbursed with a doctors order (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Local and state health departments changed their policies to allow agencies o reimburse home care as bedside nursing, which reduced health promotion and prevention (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). In the 1970s, nursing was viewed highly for improving the health care of communities (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Nurses made significant contributions to the hospice movement, the development of birthing centers, daycare for older adults and disabled persons, drug abuse programs, and rehabilitation services in long-term care (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 38, 2012).In the 1980s, there was concern about high cost of health care in the United States, and health promotion and disease prevention services were not top priority because funding was more essential in other areas (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Fewer nurses were employed by official public health agencies because of low state and federal funds (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). During the 1900s and 2000s, the focus was on cost, improving quality of care, access to health care services, and advancing the public health nursing profession (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). national public health agencies develop regulations that implement policies formulated by Congress, provide a significant amount of funding to state and territorial health agencies for public health activities, survey the nations health status and health needs, set practices and standards, provide expertise that facilitates evidence-based practice, coordinate public health activities that cross state lines, and support health services research (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 90, 2012). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was established on July 1, 1946 on a floor of a small grammatical construction in Atlanta, Georgia (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was initially focused on fighting Malaria by killing mosquitos (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Para 2, 2012).Presently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the nations premie r public health agency, and has a mission to collaborate to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health- through promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Para 2, 2012). Healthy People 2020 is also a national public health agency. Since 1979 the U. S. Surgeon General has reckoned with local, state, and federal agencies the private sector and the U. S. population to evelop objectives for preventing disease and promoting health for the nation (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 999, 2012). Healthy People 2020 objectives were presented in 2009 to the public, and one of the goals is to promote quality of life, healthy development and healthy behaviors across all life stages (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 999, 2012). The health department is a state public health agency that prevents disease, improves health and wellness, promotes quality of life , and assists the people of each region in building healthy communities (South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 2012).The county health department is where practically of the direct health care is provided to the people of the communities in each state. County and state level public health agencies collaborate and partner with national agencies to promote healthy communities. Local public health departments are responsible for implementing and enforcing local, state, and federal public health codes and ordinances while providing essential public health services (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 1003, 2012). Differences between public and community health Public and community health are specialty areas and each have their own focuses.Public health focuses on the communities and populations as a whole, and community health focuses on the individuals, families, and groups within a community. Both specialty areas have the same goal, and that is to promote health and pre vent disease and illness. Public health is not a branch of medicine it is an organized community approach designed to prevent disease, promote health, and protect populations (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 990, 2012). The settings of where public health nurses and community health nurses work are different.Public health nurses may work for organizations or government areas, such as the state health department. Community health nurses may work in schools, clinics, hospitals, home health, county health department, or nursing homes. Health care is changing and improving every day. Nurses have a huge role in promoting health and preventing disease and illness in populations. Public health is built on partnerships (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012). Governmental agencies at the local, state, and federal levels are partners in the public health strategy that must work together to develop and implement solutions hat will improve a communitys health (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 990, 2012). References C enters for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Our History Our Story. http//www. cdc. gov/about/history/ourstory. htm South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. (2012). Region 2 Public Health Office. Retrieved from http//www. scdhec. gov/health/region2/index. htm Stanhope, M. , & Lancaster, J. (2012). Public Health Nursing Population-Centered Health Care in the Community (8th ed. ). (Elsevier, Ed. ) Maryland Heights, Missouri Mosby

Calls up until the arrival of Inspector Goole? Essay

The lifeless thing that lay at my feet my candle was closely burnt out. Frankenstein has made himself isolated by abandoning everything to create his creature. Mary Shelley develops the theme of isolation in chapter 21 when Victor Frankenstein is placed in prison house she has now physically isolated him. Frankenstein is shown as very secluded and distraught I was overcome with gloom and misery. Frankensteins closest fri arrest had been killed so his isolation seems to be justified.Shelley used his self-pity to reflect to evoke the smack that he is alone without a friend no one is there to help so he goes deeper into self pity no one near me soothed me with the gentle voice of love no dear hand supported me. Shelley portrays the whale as a misunderstood individual with caring at heart but wants retribution against Frankenstein. The hulk mirrors the actions of a child that had been rejected at birth by its parents. The monster looks to the referee as being destined towards a li fe of isolation and depression. The monster describes himself as a poor, helpless, miserable wretch.Shelley uses these comments by the monster to evoke the feeling of sympathy and make it known to the reader that at that point in the time the monster was feeling rejected and isolated qualification the monster low in self-esteem leading to the statements being made. The monster also enhances the portrayal of the isolation by admitting he is desolate to the reader making more straight-forward for the reader to identify with the monster and even Mary Shelley as all the characters are related to Shelleys personal experiences during her childhood and adulthood.At the end of chapter 10 when Frankenstein and his monster meet Shelley shows the monster as someone who was willing to make friends among humans. I was benevolent my soul glowed with love and humanity but am I not alone, miserably alone? You, my creator abhor me what hope can I gather from your fellow creatures, who owe me nothin g? To the reader the monster is shown as an isolated individual who has unfairly been abandoned by its father/creator. Frankenstein is shown as his father who has left him to rot therefore enforcing the effect of isolation the reader feels about the monster.The reader is then made to feel that Victor Frankenstein is to blame for the monsters feelings of isolation. Shelley used this technique to prepare the reader for the monsters narrative view and to start seeing things from the monsters perspective. In conclusion Shelley has been found to use to several narrative and literal techniques to show the feeling of isolation through all the characters. Shelley very often during the story used the scenery to reflect the emotions of the narrators within the book. The isolation within this book was one of the uncreated themes contributing to its gothic theme.Shelley uses things she experienced during her experience to create different situations in which isolation and sympathy were portra yed. Shelley (in the book) does not mention the word isolation however employ very subtle techniques during the dialogue of the narrators and also scenery description she conveys the emotion fully to the reader about the characters within the story. Show preview only The higher up preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Compare and Contrast Parliamentary Essay

parliamentary and Presidential democracies be forms of government that similar in some respects and differ in others. The parliamentary system like the Presidential is divided into three separate arms of Government, the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary. Both democracies have a bicameral legislature, often referred to as the House of Representative and the Senate. The House of Representative is elected and the Senate is official by the manoeuvre of State on the advice of the Prime see in a parliamentary type while both houses are elected by the people in the Presidential system. In the Parliamentary System, the Head of Government, referred to as the Prime Minister, is appointed by a vote of confidence from the House of Representative firstly along with the Attorney General and subsequently followed by the members of Cabinet. In a Parliamentary Democracy there is also a figurative head of state, normally the Queen or an appointed Governor General. In the Presidential Sys tem, the President who is severally elected by the people is both the Head of State and Head of Government. Presidents serve a fixed term and may not be distant except for cases where he does something illegal while in Parliament, a Prime Minister may be removed by a vote of no confidence by his executive members or he may call an early election at any time and dissolve the house.Although the three branches dwell in both types of government, it is evident that power is fused between the Executive and Legislature in the Parliamentary type. The Presidential System is otherwise well cognise for the separation of the Executive and the Legislative Agencies, with the President nominating and appointing his executive team of which no members of the elected legislature can be a member thereof. A Parliamentary Legislature makes and passes laws easily by virtue of always having a majority in the House. In the Presidential System, the Legislature and the Executives are able to create laws still must have a both thirds vote of the Legislature. The President also had the right to veto laws. Overall, the Caribbean should adapt to the Presidential Democratic System. Although it may seem actually expensive to fund such type of government, it may cost slight in the long term. The check and balance that a presidential system offers allows for less corruption and Executives to be held accountable of their actions. Policies and laws would be more than accurate andbetter evaluated having two separate Agencies in review of such nature. The Presidential system allows for more transparency which is one of the ultimate objectives of a democracy. ReferencesRead Also Compare and Contrast Essay Examples for CollegeParliamentary democracy is the type of government where the public vote government into power and parliamentarians are representative of the people. While a Presidential Democracy is when there is a system of government that has a president playing as the nations head of state and active chief executive authority. The similarities between the Presidential and Parliamentary model are both are representative democracies, both have a head of state, both have a bicameral form of government and both are rule by constitution. There are also differences between the Presidential and Parliamentary model. In the Presidential modeling, the president is the Executive body and is separated from the Legislature. President is voted by the people and also the Legislative Branch that is composed by theHouse of Representative and the senate.This means they have two elections. A president can only serve two four years term and is answerable to the people. In the Parliamentary Democracy there is an Executive power but is interdependent on the Legislation. The Prime Minister is appointed by the majority ruling party. Therefore there is only one election. The Prime Mister does not have a term limit as long as he has the support of it members. The Prime Minister wil l answer to Parliament. The Presidential Model has a head of state which is the President for mannikin in the United State it would be Obama. While the Parliamentary Model has a Head of State and Head of Government for example in Belize the Head of State is the Governor General which represent the queen Sr. Colville Young and Head of government is the Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow. In Presidential Model dual political parties can exist in congress and on Parliamentary Model one political Party hold the majority party power. I believe that due to our history and the fact most countries in the Caribbean were once a colony of England the Parliamentary Model is best suited.ReferenceWhat is a parliamentary democracy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http//www.ask.com/question/what-is-a-parliamentary-democracy What is thedefinition of presidential democracy?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http//www.ask.com/question/presidential-legislative-democracy? ad=SEO&an=SEO&ap=google.com.bz&o=102140 What is th e difference between a parliamentary and presidential system of government?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http//www.wisegeek.com/what-is- the-difference-between-a-parliamentary-and-presidential-system-of- government.htm

Leading Change When Business Is Good

Leading Change when business is good Sam Palmisanos challenge finding a mandate to continue a companys transformation, his response a bottom up reinvention of IBMs venerable value Palisimo recognized the key task would be to unite IBMs global workforce behind a ballpark business vision and a common roundabout of value. IBM help 3 day discussion via the corporate intranet about the companies values, dubbed ValuesJam * Struck a core with employees company wide, authoritative and negative feedback * At the aggregate of ValueJam was what was worth preserving and what needed to be changed * In 1914 Watson Sr. decreed 3 corporate principles1. Respect of the individual2. The best customer service3. The pursuit of decenteousness Palisimo used original basic beliefs and feedback of ValueJam as a basis for new set of corporate values * Palisimo was a true-blue IBMer who started as a salesman, he was deeply invested and passionate about the companys success * Gerstner was an outsider, a f ormer CEO of RJR Nabisco and an ex McKinsey consultant * To prove these new values were more than just window dressing Palmisano made changes immediately * He called the director of a major business unit, e business and charged her with identifying gaps between the values and company practices * He said an Organic system is what a company needs to adapt.Which is IBMs values (values, principles, DNA) of company. They allow you to change everything from your products to your strategies to your business model hardly remain true to your essence, you basic mission and identity. * Unfortunately over time Watsons beliefs became distorted and took on a life of their own * Employees were stuck in the grey way of doing things they could never see another view * When market shifted they cut work force 400,000 people, equivalent of providence RI * How do you get people to stormily pursue change? You cant command and control mechanisms on a large highly professional workforce * IBM doesnt use class-conscious management system because employees and clients wont accept it * IBM uses a value-based management system.You have to empower people while ensuring that they are making the right calls the right way that is consistent with who IBM is * People rather than products become your brand One way to ensure that is to inform their behavior with a globally consistent set of values * After opening the online Jam Palisimo had a drive to change the company more * Most IBMers were willing to do whatever it took to save the company. Their plume and jobs were at stake * There was resistance to change, Palisimo said instead of galvanizing people through fear and failure you have to galvanize through entrust and aspiration. A small team settled on IBMs new corporate Values 1. Dedication to every clients success a. Maintain a farseeing term relationship where what happens after the deal is more important than what happens before its signed 2. Innovation that matters- for our compa ny and for the world b. Employees talked about how their work touches people and familiarity or fight terrorism with their data technology 3. Trust and personal responsibility in all relationships c.Relationships with suppliers, investors, governments, and communities * Published these revised values and received positive and negative feedback * Palisimo printed all the responses, 3 ft. high of paper work n read it all, brought it to a meeting and told everyone to read it all because now they need an serve plan they cant be all talk. * Changes Palisimo made * Change in the way they grant top executive stock options * Change in the way they set prices Gave managers $5,000 annually they could spend in extrodinary situations that would help generate business or develop client relationship or to respond to an IBMers need. This showed trust in line managers decisions * Palisimo said if we get most people in the company excited and offer them something worth accept in and working towar d. If they become dedicated to these values and what they are trying to accomplish then the company has a confident future.

Dunning’s Eclectic Paradigm Essay

Dunnings Eclectic Paradigm Professor John Dunning proposed the discriminating paradigm as a frame hold out for determining the extent and pattern of the value-chain operations that companies own abroad. Dunning draws from various theoretical perspectives, including the comparative advantage and the factor proportions, noncompetitive advantage, and internalization advantage theories. Lets use a real firm to illustrate the eclectic paradigm. The Aluminum Corporation of America (Alcoa) has oer 130,000 employees in roughly 43 countries. The companys integrated operations include bauxite mining and aluminium refining. Its products include primary aluminum (which it refines from bauxite), automotive components, and sheet aluminum for beverage cans and Reynolds Wrap. The eclectic paradigm specifies three conditions that determine whether or not a company will inter subjectize via FDI ownership-specific advantages, location-specific advantages, and internalization advantages.To successful ly come out and conduct business in a orthogonal market, the MNE must possess ownership-specific advantages (unique to the firm) relative to other firms already doing business in the market. These consist of the knowledge, skills, capabilities, processes, relationships, or material assets held by the firm that allow it to compete effectively in the global marketplace. They amount to the firms competitive advantages. To ensure international success, the advantages must be substantial enough to offset the costs that the firm incurs in establishing and operating foreign operations. They likewise must be specific to the MNE that possesses them and not readily movable to other firms.Examples of ownership-specific advantages include proprietary technology, managerial skills, trademarks or brand names, economies of scale, and access to substantial financial resources. The more valuable the firms ownership-specific advantages, the more probably it is to inter- nationalize via FDI. On e of Alcoas most important ownership- specific advantages is the proprietary technology that it has acquired from R&D activities. Over time, Alcoa has also acquired special managerial and merchandising skills in the production and marketing of refined aluminum. The firm has a well-known brand name in the aluminum industry, which helps increase sales. Because it is a large firm, Alcoa also profits from economies of scale and the human race power to finance expensive projects. These advantages have allowed Alcoa tomaximize the performance of its international operations. Location-specific advantages refer to the comparative advantages that exist in individual foreign countries.Each country possesses a unique set of advantages from which companies can derive specific benefits. Examples include natural resources, skilled labor, low-cost labor, and inexpensive capital. Sophisticated managers see and seek to benefit from the host country advantages. Aloca- tion-specific advantage must be present for FDI to succeed. It must be profitable to the firm to locate abroad, that is, to utilize its ownership-specific advantages in conjunction with at least some location-specific advantages in the target country. Otherwise, the firm would use exporting to enter foreign markets.17 In terms of location-specific advantages, Alcoa located refineries in Brazil because of that countrys huge deposits of bauxite, a mineral found in relatively few other locations worldwide. The Amazon and other major rivers in Brazil generate huge amounts of hydroelectric power, a critical ingredient in electricity-intensive aluminum refining.Alcoa also benefits in Brazil from low-cost, relatively well-educated laborers, who work in the firms refineries. Internalization advantages are the advantages that the firm derives from internalizing foreign-based manufacturing, distribution, or other stages in its value chain. When profitable, the firm will transfer its ownership-specific advantages across n ational borders within its own organization, rather than dissipating them to independent, foreign entities. The FDI decision depends on which is the best optioninternalization versus utilizing external partnerswhether they are licensees, distributors, or suppliers. Internalization advantages include the ability to control how the firms products are produced or marketed, the ability to control dissemination of the firms proprietary knowledge, and the ability to reduce buyer perplexity about the value of products the firm offers.18 Alcoa has internalized many of its operations instead of having them handled by outside independent suppliers for five reasons. First, Alcoa management wants to minify dissemination of knowledge about its aluminum refining operations knowledge the firm acquired at great expense. Second, compared to using outside suppliers, internalization provides the best net return to Alcoa, allowing it to minimize the costs of operations. Third, Alcoa needs to control sales of its aluminum products to avoid depressing world aluminumprices by supplying too much aluminum into world markets. Fourth, Alcoa wants to be able to apply a differential pricing strategy, charging different prices to different customers. The firm could not differentiate its prices very effectively without the control over the distribution of its final products that internalization provides. Finally, aluminum refining is a complex business and Alcoa wants to control it to maintain the quality of its products.

Swot on Japan

japan overdress Analysis Strengths Economy- Economy has a grand term positive impact on lacquer, which exit correspond to its value. The qualitative factor of scrimping will lead to a decrease in monetary values for lacquer Nipponese Biotechology- Hard running(a)s People- Sophisticated consumers with spicy purchasing power- They help Japan set trends and lend unrivaledself latest technology. These customers tend to appreciate fashionable, name brand items that al lower-ranking luxury goods makers to use their profits and noesis of the Japanese consumer market to expand globally.Technology companies sell high tech and high priced goods to Japanese customers, which allows the entire terra firma to utilize the latest technology. technology has a major correlation with productivity, so the much(prenominal) technology a country utilizes, the higher their productivity. Allied with the USA- Japan and the United States of America has a capacious relationship of cooperation that dates tooshie to the Second dry land W ar. This cooperation protects Japan from host threats in the region. Japan is able to invest property meant for the military into some other productive means that help support the economy.Universal Health C ar frame- The health c are body in Japan provides healthcare function, including screening examinations, prenatal care and infectious disease control. The patients are creditworthy for 30% of these costs enchantment the government pays the remaining 70%. Payment for personal medical go is offered through a universal healthcare insurance system that provides relative equality of access, with a tippytoe set by a government committee. People without insurance through employers kitty participate in a national health insurance program administered by local governments. atients are free to distinguish physicians or facilities of their choice and cannot be denied coverage. Hospitals, by law, must be run as non-profit and be mana ged by physicians. For-profit corporations are not allowed to won or ope roam hospitals. Clinics must be owned and operated by physicians. World Class Education System- Japans education system played a major role in enable the country to meet the challenges presented by the deal to quickly down the stairsstand Western ideas, science, and technology.Japan has one of the highest standards of education and one of the highest literacy rank in the world. About 93% of children enter high school and nearly all of them graduate. Japans travel Industry- It is said that Japans automobile labor is ultimately their greatest strength. it plays a major role in the overall economy of Japan, and whether the current trend is up or down it has a direct correlation to the economy as a whole. Auto-related businesses provide one out of both ten jobs in Japan. A major part of Japans work force is dependent on the automobile industry. WeaknessDeclining Birth Rate- The effects of a declining commo nwealth can be adverse for an economy which has borrowed extensively for repayment by younger generations however, a smaller human population has a smaller impact on the environment and on biodiversity. sparingally declining populations are thought to lead to deflation, which has a number of effects. A declining population due to demographics will in like manner be accompanied by population ageing which can contri nevertheless(prenominal)e problems for a society. The decade long economic malaise of Japan and Germany is often linked to these demographic problems.The worst case scenario is a maculation where the population falls too low a level to support a current companionable welfare economic system, which is more likely to occur with a rapid decline than with a more gradual one. The economies of Japan and went into recovery around the time their population just began to decline. In other words, some(prenominal) the total and per capita GDP in both countries grew more rapidly after 2005 than before. A declining population can likewise crap a labor paucity, which can reach a number of positive as well as negative effects.While some labor-intensive sectors of the economy may be hurt if the shortage is severe enough, others may adequately compensate by make upd outsourcing and/or automation. Initially, the labor participation rates (which are low in many countries) can to a fault be gaind to temporarily subject or delay the shortage. On the positive side, such a shortage increases the demand for labor, which can effectivenessly result in a reduced unemployment rate as well as higher wages. As the birthrate in developed countries drops well below the replacement rate of 2. 1 children born to every woman, to somewhere between 1. and 1. 4 children the declining population will ease up severe consequences in the near and opposed future. Demographic decline causes anxiety because it is thought to go hand-in-hand with economic decline. With fewer, you nger workers to pay the health and indemnity bills of an elderly population, states face an unprecedented fiscal burden. The dependency ratio of those aged 65 and over to those of working age looks set to double from one-to-four to one-to-two in 2050. Natural Disasters- Female Managers in Japan- Only 8% of managers are female in Japan, whereas, they are 40% in America and 20% in China.This difference in female participation means Japan is only getting their ideas from men. The loss of creative ideas is a exhaustion consequence of low female participation. Lost Cost of Capital in Japan-Japans reliance on low cost of capital is hurting their economy. Japans government institutions hand out money to try and revitalize ail companies. These low interest payments result in a low cost of capital for struggling firms, provided the negative is bad companies continue to operate like zombies. They arent expanding or innovating, they are more or lessly struggling to bind alive.This system move money from the best ideas (new and fast moving companies) to ones that have been around the longest and are struggling. Reliance on Exports-Japans reliance on exports could cause many economic problems, because export earnings are very volatile. They are also subject to enormous international tilt, which means they could easily lose to competition from China or any low expense locations around the world. Exports also depend on money valuations, which happen to change very quickly and for unk instantaneouslyn reasons.Opposition to Immigration-Japan passed the Immigration Control Act in 1990, but they still only issue visas to skilled workers. Ultimately, Japan passed the Immigration Control Act in 1990 which open a side-door to ethnic Japanese living in other countries, allowing them to immigrate to Japan for the unspecified subroutine of performing unskilled labor. Japan still does not issue visas to anyone but skilled workers. Todays attitudes in Japan often remain decide dly negative towards immigrants, legal or otherwise, and new tighter controls are currently creation drafted, according to the Japan Times.Negative treatment of foreigners turns away potential benefit that countries go from immigration. New skills, cultures and ideas are enough in immigrant populations. Opposition to immigration decreases the chance that new ideas and skills increase the domestic production of a country. foresightful life expectancy-Japan is k forthwithn to have the longest life expectancy anywhere in the world. Impressive statistics have been recorded across Japan, where life expectancy has increased dramatically in the past 80 geezerhood. In 1935, life expectancy was about 45. By 1950, it was 60.Today it is 85 for women and 78 for men. Japanese women live, on average, more than quintet years longer than those in the United States. Japanese men have more than four years on those in America. The number of centenarians in Japan has doubled in the past five year s, and now stands at just over 20,000. Longer life expectancy and reduced fertility rates have contributed to population aging, with the latter cause dominating. Lower fertility initially reduces the dependency of the young on working-age adults, change magnitude the latters consumption possibilities.Over time, however, dependency of elders on working-age adults increases, as there are fewer adults get in the workforce. Combined with longer life expectancy, total dependency on adults will rise. This will reduce workers inducement to save, since the existence of fewer workers reduces return on investments. It will also strain public finances, as the need to fund social security will lead to higher payroll taxes. Simply put, an aging population implies that in the future there will be more retirees being supported by fewer workers.High Suicide Rate-Japans grim reputation as one of the worlds suicide nations has been confirmed by statistics that show more than 30,000 people a year h ave taken their own lives since figures first began to rise in 1998. The most common hour of death is 5am for men and noon for women, after their families have left for work or school. Japan has roughly half the population of the US, yet the same number of suicides. Theres no single factor, but experts point to a combination of economic woes, poor mental-health resources, lack of religious prohibition, and cultural acceptance of the practice.Japans high-interest add system and historically strict borderruptcy laws may have contributed to this effect. But the Japanese suicide rate remains elevated, even though the economy has since recovered. Even before the recession, the rate was already a one-third higher than that of the United States. Bank Cross Holdings-Banks in many countries purchase share of countries in their theater territory to speculate on share prices or to establish a stronger relationship with a client. These relationships are beneficial to the bank when share pri ces rise, but can hurt a bank when shares prices fall.Banks profit by lending money and an economy relies on bank lending to function. A decrease in bank lending is a restriction on the money flowing through the economy, therefore, the economy decreases, because there is less money. If the economy decreases, thus generally, stock prices also decrease. When banks hold shares in other companies when those shares become less valuable, then banks have less money to lend, which further restricts the economy and causes share prices to decrease further. When banks hold shares in other ompanies during an economic recession, it causes the banks to restrict lending (because of shares decreases) just when the economy needs lending the most. Fiscal Budget Deficit-A calculate deficit decreases the top executive of a government to increase spending to stimulate the economy. Annual budget deficits increase the national debt, which increases the cost of borrowing. To pay off a deficit, the gover nment will have to decreases spending are raise taxes both hurt the economy Opportunities Private paleness in Japan-The Private Equity industry has enormous potential in Japan.According to the economist, The country teems with medium-sized firms with world-class technology that need to consolidate and globalize in order to grow. Japanese firms return on equity is around half that of American and European firms. A generation of bosses who founded their firms after the war are ready to retire but lack successors. Fund managers project there are 500-1000 such companies, which is why they stick around. Many fundamental issues exist in Japan that hurt the Private Equity industries potential to profit, but those issues will slowly fade away.Growth of the Private Equity industry in Japan will likely accelerate Pro-Reform Political Parties in Japan-Over two decades of economic stagnation is forcing political party changes. Parties that were in power for half a century are now out, while new parties are forming around the idea of increased growth, political reform and the end of deflation. A political shakeup in Japan could force many new reforms that fix the countrys most fulgurant problems while positioning it for a more robust future.Freelance Cloud Workers-Freelance cloud workers go online to pitch their skills to millions of potential employers through interfaces that match potential employers with talented freelance workers about the world. Some people call these digital sweat shops, because they match workers all over the work with potential employers who pay only for the services they expect at the lowest possible prices. From a pure economic standpoint, these outsource shops are lowering the cost of services, by outsourcing those services around the world.These lower cost help skilled employees to match up with employers who obtain better skills are lower prices. The benefits of international trade will now show up in services that are priced according t o skill level. The flexibility and these sites and the ability to transcend borders makes freelance cloud working a powerful new engine of global growth. Instant Translation of Web Pages-The ability to generate web pages quickly and accurately may lead to a break down in the linguistic communication barriers that separate commerce and social interaction between countries.Rapidly evolving technology is leading the way for computers that learn by analyzing documents that have been translated by humans. The possibility of instantly translating a web page, document or blogs may also become reality. systematic Japanese Workers- The Japanese call these Regular Workers, because they enjoy less benefits than union workers. However, Regular Workers are better for firms because they provide agility that is key in Japans global fight against competition, especially with China. emerging markets-Demand from emerging markets is helping growth and margins.Emerging markets create new opportunit ies to expand products from the developed world. Paper products, computer services and other industries will all benefit as emerging countries increase demand for industrial and unpolished products. Threats Fiscal Austerity Programs-Many government around the world will have to cut spending and increase taxes to avoid fiscal deficits that increased during the financial crisis. These programs will decrease government spending in the economy, which will slow growth rates.Additionally, citizens will have less money and benefits to use in case of emergencies. The tending is that cuts might be so drastic that they hurt the economy Young Entrepreneurs Decreasing in Japan-According to Economist Magazine, Since 2003, the proportion of young Japanese entering the labor force who want to be entrepreneurs has halved, to 14%, while those who seek lifetime employment has nearly doubled, to 57%. The loss of entrepreneurs slows down a countries rate of growth, because entrepreneurs create the n ext generate of companies.Whaling Hurts Japans Image-Whaling hurts Japans image aboard because they go against a long-standing moratorium on commercial whaling. They catch whales under the banner of experiments, but whale end up on dinner plates instead. This standing is causing accent with neighbors who all observe the ban. International tensions may interrupt trade negotiations with other countries that dont like what Japan is doing. It could also cause boycotts of Japanese goods in nations with concerned citizens. The damage to Japans reputation may hurt it over the long term.Domestic Savings and Fiscal Debt-Japans government debt is mostly serviced by the large domestic population of savings. These savers invest their money with the government and receive a very low increase rate in return. This rate is derived from the high demand for Japanese debt, but this trend might will change over time. As Japans population ages, they will run down their savings and in turn, have less mon ey to purchase Japanese debt. This decrease in demand will increase the interest rate paid by Japanese government.As interest rates increase, so will the threat of a fiscal crisis in Japan zombi spirit Companies-Japan has a long traditional of supporting smaller companies to the detriment of the health of larger companies. The Convoy System allows small market share for small firm, so they dont disappear, while larger firms are given the ability to quickly expand and compete. The interference of capitalism results in less efficiencies across the entire market and results in less profits for larger firms. 5 Ps of Marketing Market Positions- Placement- Promotion- Price- Political-

Online Behavioral Targeting and Consumer Privacy Issues Essay

Sophocles prolific opus has rarely produced a woman of such stern readiness of character as Antig angiotensin converting enzyme. Inversely the prank of Aristophanes Lysistrat was among the first to introduce a strong willed female protagonist, who is not a goddess. The treat workforcet of two huge writers differs in the fact that the backdrops and the moods are distinctly different. While Sophocles zeroed in on the sombre tr get alongdy, Aristophanes chose to inject feminist revolt against domination through zestful comedy. From a gender perspective it is important to study the motives crapper the actions of the lead characters in both the bes.There receive been egotism-annihilations and suicides in Hellenic tragedies (which almost define Greek tragedies). Sophocles Antigone commits suicide in the dark dungeon left to famish to death. But unlike the suicide of their produce Jocasta who decides to end her breeding when she learns that her marital relationship with Oedip us was incestuous, Antigones death is a defiant protest against the totalism of her uncle Creon and an emphasis of her strongly held belief, that her brformer(a) should be accorded a proper burial.There encounter been few examples of valorousness from Greek women who defied the norms of either their contemporary party or their king for a symbolic gesture instead than a parkway. In the case of Antigone it was the burial rights to one of her two dead brothers which drives her to go against the will of the ruler, Creon. Antigone begins later on both the warring brothers have apparently killed each other and since Polynices revolted against the state and led an Argive forces to everyplacethrow his brother Eteocles, he is deemed to be a sinner against the state.Thus Creone, brother of Jocasta, who becomes the ruler decrees his frame to be deprived of proper burial rites to ensure that his soul rots beyond redemption. Antigone, in the beginning of the exemplify expresses her wi sh to accord her brother proper burial. It is a symbolic depiction of Antigones moral strength that she decides to go ahead in her chosen course though she is unable to enlist the support of her more than timid sister Ismene.This is a marked deviation from the depiction of women in Greek literature of the beat where women were always looked upon as dependent on others for the strength of their convictions. Antigone succeeds in her stated mission and when this becomes known to Creone, an account rages on the choice between the natural law and man-made laws. In another daring frame from established norm, the chorus in Sophocles play have the moral courage to call the path of their emperor butterfly as the more evil.Creones son and Antigones fiance Haemon comes to her defence and the ensuing debate on the justice of natural laws which should supersede man made laws is a dramatists delight. Creone, however, decides to leave Antigone to starve to death in a sealed cave as her prison . The blind prophet Tiresias also advocates against penalty to Antigone and says he will pay corpse for corpse, and flesh for flesh. The declaration of Tiresias that Creon is causing moral befoulment causes a neuter of heart in Creone. His moral dilemma leads him to conclude that Polynices should be buried and Antigone should be pardoned.But by this time, Hameon reaches Antigones cave with the intention of saving her only to find that she has committed suicide by hanging herself, much like her mother Jocasta before her. When Creon reaches the cave he finds Hameon grieving all over Antigone and he takes his life by stabbing himself as Creon approaches him. This leads Eurydice, Creons wife to give up her life in the grief of her sons untimely death. Thus Creon loses all his loved ones due to his one fatal erring conviction to hold the laws of the state above the natural law.The tragic flaw, is thus warrant in Sophocles Antigone. It is easy to categorize the play Lysistrata by Ari stophanes as a lewd comedy intentional to entertain the Greek literature and drama lovers with a lampooning of the results if women begin to take an interest in affairs of national importance. It is also very convenient to visualize male actors playing all the important roles of the play and the male male characters wearing erect phalluses to depict their masculinity might have led to screaming(a) laughter.However, with passing time and the aid of retrospection help us to begin to understand that Aristophanes might have devoted considerable time and emotional energy in trying to decipher what goes through the paddy wagon and heads of women of his time who were modelled to be subservient and detached from the affairs of the state. Lysistrata leads a domestic and non violent non-cooperation movement (though the intermediate of non cooperation seldom ventures beyond the conventional sexual subjugation) to convince the men of the time to end the long stand war (apparently the Pelop onnesian war) and bring back peace.The play is an apparent comedy that it depicts women as sex deranged and spine less characters for whom rising beyond their daily chores is a daunting task. Except fro Lysistrata, no other woman comes across as strong willed enough to contribute in any way to the cause of the play. One can imagine the gusty laughter the scene involving the swearing of oath by imbibition wine from a shield as it was a portrayal of women as being incapable of self restraint (from all good things in life, including wine and sex).Though Lysistrata as a play has a lot of titillate the viewers, it has been seen in modern light as a commentary on the salute of women who have no say in the affairs of the state entirely decide by the men but have to silently suffer the consequences. This has remained unchanged even after the liberation ages of the 20th century. Aristophanes does carry on to draw a caricature of Greek women as incapable of with holding sex or cerebratio n beyond sex as the only weapon in her armour to control or change parliamentary procedure.It is possible though to excuse this caricature as Aristophanes attempt not to ruffle the feathers of his contemporary society while at the same time recording for future history that women did harbour different opinions on the approaches of the state to war and peace. The widowhood and martyrdom of a mother who loses her children to the ravages of war are not mentioned, perhaps because they would have added the much relegated sobriety to this deemed comedy.Gender domination is a visible thread in Lysistrata, but whether Aristophanes designed this play as a comic fiction based on improbable scenarios of liberated women quizzical state policies, or as an underhanded attempt to depict female angst of his contemporary Greek society is debatable. However Lysistrata has remained current and meaningful to this date due to its universal themes of Peace being preferred over War and has helped severa l social commentators put across their point during the several un necessary wars that dot orbit history to date be it the Vietnam war or the latest invasion of Iraq.Whatever be the motivation, both Sophocles and Aristophanes manage to leave behind a piece of Literature which continues to engage readers and historians in a level-headed debate on the premium placed on female equality by writers from the Greek age to the present day.Works Cited or used as referenceHenderson, Jeffrey (contributor) Lysistrata by Aristophanes, London Oxford University Press, 1990 Translated by Gibbons, Reginald and Segal, Charles Antigone by Sophocles, NewYork Oxford University Press US, 2003

Marks ; Spencer Group Anaylsis Essay

tag and Spencer root word plc MarketLine sc anyywag 2 mark and Spencer collection plc Company Overview COMPANY OVERVIEW tag and Spencer root (M&S or the companionship) is wholeness of the conduct sellers of habili turnsts, fodders and basewargon in the UK. The political equationty ope place in much than than 40 countries across atomic number 63, the Middle easterly, and Asia. It is headquar tered in jacket of the United Kingdom, the UK and employs 78,169 people. The gild recorded revenues of ? 9,740. 3 gazillion (approximately $15,158. 8 cardinal) in the financial social class finish April 2011 (FY2011)*, an subjoin of 2. 1% entirely e reallyplace FY2010. The in feat(p) profit of M&S was ? 836. trillion (approximately $1,302. 5 million) in FY2011, a decrease of 1. 8% com equivalenceed to FY2010. The lolly profit was ? 612 million (approximately $952. 5 million) in FY2011, an increase of 16. 3% eeryplace FY2010. *The financial socio-economic class lay offed April 2, 2011 was a 52-week period whereas the financial division annihilateed April 3, 2010 was a 53-week period. KEY FACTS guide Office attach and Spencer concourse plc Waterside House 35 Nor th Wharf Road London W2 1NW GBR Ph nonpargonil 44 20 7935 4422 Fax Web Address http//www. marksandspencer. com Revenue / turn over 9,740. 3 (GBP Mn) Financial Year End April Employees 78,169 London TickerMKS mark and Spencer root plc MarketLine scalawag 3 label and Spencer gathering plc Business Description cable enterprise DESCRIPTION M&S is the holding troupe of the label & Spencer congregation of companies. The connection is one of the UKs star(p) sellers, with much than 21 million people visiting its pargonntages each week. M&S gos enclothe and home overlaps, as well as foods, sourced from ab forth 2,000 suppliers globally. It operates through both(prenominal) wholly possess gunstocks and immunity encloses. As of FY2011, the bon ton operated 703 gun stocks in the UK. M&S operates over 361 owned and franchised stores in over 42 territories.Though the social club primarily repor ts its revenues in terms of geographic members (UK and international), its operations whoremaster be categorise under cardinal personas food and common merchandise. The food division concentrates on four main areas fresh, natural, robust food special celebration produces authentic ready meal ranges and exceptional ever yday food much(prenominal) as Oakham chicken. It operates a bowed stringed instrument of 163 plainly solid food owned stores and 202 Simply Food franchise stores in juicy streets, motorway service stations, railway stations and air por ts in the UK.The public merchandise division of the telephoner is categorized into two segments habit and home. The habiliment segment hiters womens put up, mens wear, lingerie, childrens wear, and accessories and footwear. Some of the prominent grimes offered by this segment accept Aut ograph, especial(a) Collection, Collezione, Blue Harbour, Girls Boutique, Per Una, Ceriso, Adored, and Truly you. The home segment offers homeware and home accessories, kitchen and tableware, lighting, and furniture products. In addition to selling products through regular stores, the segment similarly offers history services.MS offers its products and services online as well as through flagship stores, high street stores, retail park stores, MS outlets, Simply Food stores, and Simply Food franchised stores. attach and Spencer classify plc MarketLine Page 4 tag and Spencer Group plc story HISTORY MS was founded in 1884 as a stall in an open securities industry in Leeds, the UK. Then known as mark cent Bazaar, it was the household goods, haberdasher y, toy, and sheet-music business of Michael label, a Jewish refugee from Poland. In 1894, he took Thomas Spencer as a business par tner.In 1903, M&S was registered as a private limited ac companion. Although a habilitate desig n depar tment had archetypical been set up in 1938, it was non until after the Second terra firma War that it became fully developed under a leading designer. In 1973, the company entered Canada, and bought Peoples Depar tment memory boards and D everyairds, a national womens wear retailer, both of which it later sold. The company alike had direct retailing garbments in Canada. It tried to attain south of the border in 1988 with the purchase of Brooks Brothers, exclusively the US operation never took off as the company had hoped.Five franchised stores were closed down in Turkey in 1999 when the franchise par tner Turk Petrol Holding couldnt learn its bank obligations and collapsed. Later in the year, Marks and Spencer Canada, after 25 years of business, closed its 38 stores. The company sold its US clo topic chain Brooks Brothers for $225 million in 2001. In 2003, M&S announced the raise of its &to a greater extent book of facts card. Alongside this, Marks & Spencer Finan cial Services was re- mark Marks & Spencer Money. In 2004, M&S completed the barter of Marks & Spencer Retail Financial Services Holdings (M&S Money) to HSBC.During the course of 2005, the company opened 31 Simply Food stores as well as closed the Lifestore project in the UK. M&S spread out the Simply Food format with the acquisition of 28 stores on a leasehold basis from Iceland Foods for a circumstance of ? 38 million (approximately $76. 3 million) in 2006. In the said(prenominal) year, M&S sold Kings tiptop Markets, its only non-M&S branded business to a US investor group consisting of Angelo, Gordon & Co, MTN Capital Par tners and Mr. Bruce Weitz for $61. 5 million in cash.In 2007, M&S and two of its long-term suppliers decided to star t the development of M&S first eco-factories, pioneering innovative methods of sustainable manufacturing. One factor y in Sri Lanka would make lingerie and two factories in Nor th Wales would manufacture furniture upholster y. In the homoge neous year, the company launched its own branded LCD widescreen TVs. This range was in addition to the existing collection of Sony TVs presently available at MS. hide ther in the year, MS launched school wear make from reused plastic bottles.The companys first standalone home store in Lisburn, Nor thern Ireland was launched in 2007. In the alike(p) year, M&S launched Big & Tall, an exclusive online mens wear offering more than 450 items online ranging from orient to knitwear to casual shir ts and trousers. Also in 2007, MS reduce saturated fat take aim as much as 82% in more than 500 companys products. The company reduced saturated fat levels in products including sandwiches, ready meals, purses and savor y snacks. Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 5 Marks and Spencer Group plc HistoryTowards the end of 2007, a natural Made to Measure shir ts ser vice was launched by M&S, which allowed customers to design a tailor-make shir t within 21 days. The company added sm art products to its mens wear por tfolio in FY2008. MS also launched climate control underwear featuring temperature regulate technology developed by NASA, expanded Collezione brand collection by introducing smart shoes, wool and cashmere mixed bag trousers. MS reinvigorated its Blue Harbour brand to attract 35 to 44 year old men. Also in FY2008, the company star ted to unaffectionateze its ready meals for international sale and launched a range of 70 lines in eight countries.Later, the company also launched a 25-piece capsule collection called GD25 from Per Una. In 2008, MS removed ar tificial colors and flavorings from its entire food and soft drinks range. In the said(prenominal) year, the company improved the quantity of space in a number of study out of towns and metropolis centre stores through store extensions and also added 35 stores to its Simply Food por tfolio, including 25 BP franchised stores. A new flagship store in new Westfield Centre at White City, West London was opened at the end of 2008.To fur ther progress in Asian commercializes, the company opened its first 38,000 unbowed feet store in Shanghai. MS then entered into a par tnership with Scottish and Southern capability, as per which MS Energy would supply electricity and gas to domestic customers and reward them with MS store vouchers for helping the environment by reducing their energy usage. MS announced plans to close 10 of its Simply Food stores in 2009. The company opened Food to Go outlets in Hong Kong in the same year. Also in 2009, MS announced plans to enter new categories in the Indian market, with the launch of luggage and footwear for men.The company introduced a Ramadan and Eid fashion collection in all the 13 stores passim the Middle East in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman in 2009. Fur ther in the year, MS launched personalized greetings cards business online. The company also announced to open its second mainland store in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangd ong province in southern mainland China. MS also launched a beer and cider range to equilibrate its wine selection. MS launched a revamped version of its website in 2009, the first major update since 2007.Fur thermore, in 2009, the company began to offer its online international utter y service to 73 more countries as par t of a drive to rick annual gross sales of MS Direct. The company began its offering within the homeware sector in 2009. MS announced plans to open a store in Marbella, Spain by the end of 2009. In the same year, MS and India-based Reliance Retail think to open approximately 50 stores in India in the next five years under the touchs long tone of their joint venture company Marks Spencer Reliance India. Later in the year, the company outlined plans to discount costs by ? 50 million (about $150 million) by optimizing its supply chain and IT systems. MS also announced plans to open a new store at the Swords Pavilions obtain center in the Dublin Airpor t, Ire land, in 2009. The company opened its new 22,000 square feet store at Morpeths Sanderson arcade in the same year. M&S decided to launch Simply Food in westbound Europe. Fur ther in 2009, the company announced plans to sell a selected range of around 400 branded grocery and household products in all of its UK stores, following a 16-month trial in its stores in the Nor th East and South East of England.In 2010, M&S launched a new domicile Energy Service division that would offer customers a suite of energy energy products and services. Building on the victory of M&S Energy, which was servicing Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 6 Marks and Spencer Group plc History over 125,000 homes, the company would roll-out a number of new products including bespoke energy advice, renewable energy solutions such as solar panels and heat pumps, and energy efficient heating solutions.In the same year, M&S announced a program to be the worlds most sustainable retailer by 2015, launchin g 80 major new commitments under MS eco and ethical plan, Plan A. The new commitments lead mean that the company ensures all M&S products become Plan A products with at least one sustainable quality. This program go away also enable the companys 2,000 suppliers to subscribe Plan A best practice and encourage MS customers and employees to live greener lifestyles. Fur ther in 2010, MS launched a new version of www. marksandspencer. om designed specifically for use on wandering phones and mobile devicesthe first mobile site from a major UK high street retailer. Through this, the company aims to expand its multi-channel offering. During the same year, MS launched England Football team suit exclusively in MS stores, to take advantage of the football World cup disbursal. The company opened its new 1. 1 million square feet distribution centre at ProLogis Park Bradford in the UK in 2010. This warehouse in the UK volition serve all the companys stores with furniture products and store e quipment.Later in 2010, M&S launched a range of Solar PV and Solar Thermal water heating solutions. Fur thering the sustainability initiatives, the company also announced that it pass on use polyester made from recycled PET drinks bottles instead of virgin polymer to make more than 300 million clothing care labels a year. Towards the end of 2010, M&S announced plans to move into rail distribution to reduce its carbon footprint. More than 300,000 general merchandise products per week would move from itinerary to rail distribution. The company also opened a new shopping center in Vilnius, Lithuania at the end of year.In April 2011, M&S opened its greenest ever store at Ecclesall Road in Sheffield. This is the first store of a number of new Sustainable Learning stores planned by the company as par t of its drive to become the worlds most sustainable major retailer by 2015. The company opened 20 stores in the UK during FY2011, including 17 Simply Foods. In international, MS opened 49 new stores and closed 15 stores. During the same period, the company entered the Egyptian market with a 28,000 square feet store in the Dandy Mega Mall in Cairo.The company, in July 2011, launched a new iPad application for its investors. This application will put up investors with latest MS financial news. In the following month, MS signed a traceability deal with Historic Futures. As per the deal, Historic Futures will provide the company full traceability on ever y single clothing and home product it sells. MS is the first major retailer to commit to full traceability for non-food products. In September 2011, MS opened a new store at Westfield, Stratford City with the latest Only at Your MS innovations and customer experiences.In the following month, M&S launched its new French website, http//www. marksandspencer. fr/, grading its first international transactional website. Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 7 Marks and Spencer Group plc History The company, in Novembe r 2011, opened its new flagship store at 100 Avenue des Champs-elysees in Paris. M&S, in February 2012, launched its outlet format on its website at www. marksandspencer. com/outlet. M&S Outlet will permanently offer a selection of more than 1,300 quality M&S clothing products with up to 40% off the regular high street and online prices.In the same month, the company recalled four products (Crispy Prawn Wonton, Crispy veggie Balls, Prawn Baguette Toast, and Prawn Siu Mai Selection) from its Chinese range due to mistake in use by date. In ring 2012, the company, announced plans to launch a new website for its Irish customers, http//www. marksandspencer. ie/. In April 2012, M&S announced that it will accept secondhand garment at UK outlets in order to recycle into other fabrics or reuse overseas by the Oxfam charity in an aim to cut waste. Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 8 Marks and Spencer Group plcKey Employees KEY EMPLOYEES Name dividing line epithet plug-in Marc Bolland principal(prenominal) executive officeholder administrator circuit card 975000 GBP Alan Stewar t Chief Finance military officer executive mount up 550000 GBP Kate Bostock administrator theatre director, General merchandise executive mesa 590000 GBP John Dixon executive director theater director, Food executive director come along 540000 GBP Steven Sharp administrator theater director, Marketing Executive bestride 655000 GBP Laura Wade-Gery Executive conductor, Multi-channel E-commerce Executive board Amanda Mellor Group Secretar y and Head of corporeal governance Executive carte Rober t Swannell Chairman of the advanceNon Executive Board Vindi Banga manager Non Executive Board Miranda Cur tis music director Non Executive Board Jeremy Darroch manager Non Executive Board 85000 GBP Steven Holliday film director Non Executive Board 85000 GBP Mar tha Lane Fox Director Non Executive Board 70000 GBP Jan du Plessis Director Non Executive Board 70000 GBP Cl em Constantine Director, Proper ty elder worry Tanith Dodge Director, Human Resources senior vigilance Dominic Fr y Director, Communications and Investor Relations precedential Management Jan Heere Director, International cured Management Nayna McIntoshDirector, Store Marketing and Design sr. Management Steve Rowe Director, Retail Senior Management Darrell Stein Director, development Technology and Logistics Senior Management Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Compensation 450000 GBP Page 9 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies KEY EMPLOYEE BIOGRAPHIES Marc Bolland Board Executive Board Job sanding Chief Executive ships officer Since 2010 Mr. Bolland has been the Chief Executive Officer at Marks and Spencer Group since 2010. Previously, he was the Chief Executive Officer at Morrisons Supermarkets from 2006 to 2010. foregoing to this, Mr. Bolland worked at Heineken for 20 years in various management roles, including Executive Board member and Chief Opera ting Officer, and righteousness for operations and business development in the US, France, Italy, Spain, the Caribbean and Latin America. He also ser ves as a Director at Manpower. Alan Stewart Board Executive Board Job rubric Chief Finance Officer Since 2010 Mr. Stewar t has been the Chief Finance Officer at Marks and Spencer Group since 2010. Before connectedness the company, he was the Chief Financial Officer at AWAS, an aircraft leasing company. Mr.Stewar t washed-out 10 years at HSBC Investment Bank before joining Thomas Cook in 1996, where he held various senior roles, including Chief Executive at Thomas Cook UK. Mr. Stewar t join WH smith in 2005 as Group Finance Director. He also ser ved as a Non Executive Director at Games Workshop Group. Kate Bostock Board Executive Board Job human action Executive Director, General Merchandise Ms. Bostock is the Executive Director of General Merchandise at Marks and Spencer Group. She joined the company in 2004. Previously, Ms. Bos tock was the harvest-home Director for Childrenswear at Next from 1994.She also ser ved as the Product Director for the George brand covering all areas of clothing and footwear at Asda. John Dixon Board Executive Board Job Title Executive Director, Food Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 10 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies Since 2009 Mr. Dixon has been the Executive Director of Food at Marks and Spencer Group since 2009. He joined the company as a Store Management Trainee. Mr. Dixon held various senior roles at the company for over 20 years, including Executive Assistant, Chief Executive, and Director of spot and M&S Direct.Steven Sharp Board Executive Board Job Title Executive Director, Marketing Mr. Sharp is the Executive Director of Marketing at Marks and Spencer Group. He joined the company in 2004. Previously, Mr. Shar p served as the Marketing Director at Asda, the Bur ton Group, Booker, and Arcadia Group. Currently, he is a Non Executive Direct or at Adnams. Laura Wade-Gery Board Executive Board Job Title Executive Director, Multi-channel E-commerce Since 2011 Ms. Wade-Gery has been the Executive Director of Multi-channel E-commerce at Marks and Spencer Group since 2011.Prior to this, she worked at Tesco and held a variety of senior roles, including Chief Executive Officer of Tesco. com and Tesco Direct. Ms. Wade-Ger y also held various roles at Gemini Consulting and Kleinwor t Benson. She has also been a Non Executive Director at Trinity Mirror since 2006. Amanda Mellor Board Executive Board Job Title Group Secretary and Head of Corporate Governance Ms. Mellor is the Group Secretary and Head of Cor porate Governance at Marks and Spencer Group. She joined the company in 2004 as the Head of Investor Relations. Ms.Mellor spent her early career in investment management at James Capel before becoming a Director within its Corporate Finance team. She then served at Rober t Fleming, Investment Banking prior to joining The Bur to n Group as the Director of Cor porate Relations and Investor Relations. Robert Swannell Board Non Executive Board Job Title Chairman of the Board Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 11 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies Since 2011 Mr. Swannell has been the Chairman of the Board at Marks and Spencer Group since 2011.He joined the company in 2010 as a Non Executive Director. Prior to this, Mr. Swannell was a Senior Independent Director at The British Land Company, and 3i Group. He spent over 30 years in investment banking at Schroders/Citigroup. Mr. Swannell was previously the Vice Chairman at Citi Europe and Co-Chairman at Citis European Investment Bank. Vindi Banga Board Non Executive Board Job Title Director Since 2011 Mr. Banga has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2011. He is soon a Par tner at Clayton Dubilier Rice, a private equity investment firm. Prior to this, Mr.Banga spent 33 years at Unilever, where he held several senior positi ons, including President of the Global Foods, Home and Personal Care businesses, and was a member of the Unilever Executive Board. He also serves as a Non Executive Director at Thomson Reuters and Maruti Suzuki India. Miranda Curtis Board Non Executive Board Job Title Director Since 2012 Ms. Cur tis has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since February 2012. She is currently the Chairman at Waterstones, and a Non Executive Director at Liber ty Global. Ms. Cur tis has also been a Non Executive Director at National Express Group since 2008.She also serves on the Boards of the Institute for Government, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Camfed (the leading Afri stinker girls education charity). Jeremy Darroch Board Non Executive Board Job Title Director Since 2006 Mr. Darroch has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2006. He also ser ves as the Chief Executive at British Sky Broadcasting. Previously, Mr. Darroch ser ved as the Chief Financial Officer at British Sky Broadcasting. Prior to this, he was the Group Finance Director and Retail Finance Director at Dixons Retail ( at one time DSG International). Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 12 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies Steven Holliday Board Non Executive Board Job Title Director Since 2004 Mr. Holliday has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2004. He is the Group Chief Executive Officer at National Grid. Prior to that, Mr. Holliday served as the Director of UK and Europe and was responsible for the UK Electricity and turgidness businesses. He is also the Chairman of the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy. Prior to joining National Grid, Mr. Holliday was an Executive Director at British Borneo Oil and Gas.Previously, he held several senior positions at Exxon Group. Martha Lane Fox Board Non Executive Board Job Title Director Since 2007 Ms. Fox has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2007. She is the UKs Digital Champion, the C hairman of Race Online 2012, and a Non Executive Director at pipeline 4 Television. Ms. Fox is founder and Chairman of Lucky Voice, and of her own grant-giving foundation, Antigone. She was co-founder of lastminute. com. Jan du Plessis Board Non Executive Board Job Title Director Since 2008 Mr. du Plessis has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2008.He is the Chairman at Rio Tinto. Previously, Mr. du Plessis was the Chairman at British Ameri faecal matter Tobacco and a Non Executive Director at Lloyds Banking Group. He also ser ved as the Chairman at RHM from 2005 to 2007. Mr. du Plessis was previously the Group Finance Director at Richemont, a position he held until 2004. Clem Constantine Board Senior Management Job Title Director, Proper ty Mr. Constantine is the Director, Proper ty at Marks and Spencer Group. He joined the company in 2006. Mr. Constantine was appointed the Group Proper ty and Retail proviso Director at Arcadia Group in 1999.He was appointed to his first finance directorship in 1993, for the IS brand at the Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 13 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies Bur ton Group, and moved through several other finance directorships with variable responsibilities including systems and retail. Mr. Constantine was trained as a incinerate tered Accountant at Stoy Hayward, and joined Debenhams in 1989 as a Financial Analyst. Tanith Dodge Board Senior Management Job Title Director, Human Resources Since 2008 Ms. Dodge has been the Director, Human Resources at Marks and Spencer Group since 2008.She was formerly the Group Human Resources Director at WH Smith since 2003. At WH Smith, Ms. Dodge was also responsible for overt Relations, Communications and Post Office Operations. Prior to this, she was the Senior Vice President Human Resources for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at InterContinental Hotels Group. Ms. Dodge also served as the Human Resources Director at Diageos two business divisions. She was also the International Human Resources manager at Prudential Corporation. Dominic Fry Board Senior Management Job Title Director, Communications and Investor RelationsMr. Fry is the Director, Communications and Investor Relations at Marks and Spencer Group. He joined the company in 2009. Prior to this, Mr. Fr y ser ved at Tulchan Communications. In 1996, he was appointed the Communications Director at J Sainsbury and ser ved in the same role at ScottishPower from 2000 to 2005. In 1989, Mr. Fr y became the Communications Director at AT&T in the UK before despicable from there to head up communications at the Channel Tunnel in the mid 90s. He star ted his career in 1982 working in PR consultancy at Traverse-Healy Regester and then Charles Barker.Jan Heere Board Senior Management Job Title Director, International Since 2011 Mr. Heere has been the Director, International at Marks and Spencer Group since 2011. He joined Inditex in 2002 where he held a several inter national roles, most recently as General Manager for Inditex Russia. During 200002, Mr. Heere held various senior management roles at Zara, Groupo Inmobiliario Lupaco, and Charanga. He began his career at Manpower in Spain in 1997. Nayna McIntosh Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 14 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee BiographiesBoard Senior Management Job Title Director, Store Marketing and Design Ms. McIntosh is the Director, Store Marketing and Design at Marks and Spencer Group. She joined the company in 2005. Prior to this, Ms. McIntosh was par t of the Management Team that set up the per una brand in 2001. Previously, she served as the Sales and Marketing Director for the George brand at Asda stores. Before joining George, Ms. McIntosh was at Next for four years as a Divisional Executive for the South of England. Steve Rowe Board Senior Management Job Title Director, Retail Since 2008 Mr.Rowe has been the Director, Retail at Marks and Spencer Group since 2008. H e joined the company in 1989 and held a variety of positions in store management, having previously worked at Topshop as a Store Manager. Mr. Rowe joined Head Office in 1992 as a Merchandiser for Menswear. In 1998, he was promoted to Category Manager in the Furniture Depar tment. In 2001, Mr. Rowe led the team developing the Home Growth Strategy, working with McKinsey Consultants, and became Head of Home categories in 2003. He was promoted to the Director of Home a year later in 2004. From 2004 to 2008, Mr.Rowe was also responsible for Beauty and brand-new Business Development. Darrell Stein Board Senior Management Job Title Director, Information Technology and Logistics Mr. Stein is the Director, Information Technology and Logistics at Marks and Spencer Group. He has been working in IT for 17 years star ting his career at the company in 1990. Mr. Stein re-joined MS in 2006 as the IT Director. From 2001 to 2006, he ser ved at Vodafone, becoming IT Director for Vodafone UK in 2004. Prior to this, Mr. Stein was Vodafones UK Network Director and Global IT Strategy and Architecture Director.From 1996 to 2001, he ser ved at Ernst & Young, leading a number of major IT and Change Programmes in the financial services, retail and utility-grade sectors. In 1994, Mr. Stein joined Mars as a Project Manager. Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 15 Marks and Spencer Group plc Major Products and Services MAJOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES M&S is one of the leading retailers of clothing, foods and homeware in the UK. The companys key products and services include the following Products Womens wear Mens wear Lingerie Childrens wear Footwear Food and grocery items Homeware and home accessoriesKitchen and tableware Lighting Furniture products Services Credit cards Car, home, travel, and pet insurance Personal loans Brands Autograph express mail Collection Collezione Blue Harbour Girls Boutique Per Una Ceriso Adored Truly you Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 16 Ma rks and Spencer Group plc Revenue Analysis REVENUE ANALYSIS Overview The company recorded revenues of ? 9,740. 3 million (approximately $15,158. 8 million) in FY2011, an increase of 2. 1% over FY2010. For FY2011, the UK, the companys largest geographic market, accounted for 89. 7% of the replete(p) revenues.MS generates revenues through two business divisions food (51. 5%% of the full(a) revenues in FY2011), and general merchandise (48. 5%). Revenues by division* During FY2011, the food division recorded revenues of ? 4,499. 4 million (approximately $7,002. 4 million), an increase of 1. 9% over FY2010. The general merchandise division recorded revenues of ? 4,233. 6 million (approximately $6,588. 8 million) in FY2011, an increase of 2% over FY2010. *The revenue breakdown by division is only for the revenues from the UK market. Revenues by geography The UK, MS largest geographical market, accounted for 89. % of the total revenues in FY2011. Revenues from the UK reached ? 8,733 mill ion (approximately $13,591. 2 million) in FY2011, an increase of 1. 9% over FY2010. International operations accounted for 10. 3% of the total revenues in FY2011. Revenues from international operations reached ? 1,007. 3 million (approximately $1,567. 7 million) in FY2011, an increase of 4% over FY2010. Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 17 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis SWOT ANALYSIS M&S is one of the leading retailers of clothing, foods and homeware in the UK.The company has expanded its food product offering significantly in the recent years. New products launches, focus on expanding wellnessy products, promotions, and free-enterprise(a) prices are all helping the company attract customers in a highly competitive market. However, surge in shoplifting could negatively carry on the cost structure for M&S. Strengths easynesses Expanding food offering Strong market position in the clothing segment geographical elaboration to increase the voice communicatio nable market and reduce vulnerability to mature UK market M&S etched a highly in effect(p) CSR schema M&S legacy stores and systems are a ompetitive disadvantage Declining general merchandise division sales due to inadequate stocking Opportunities Threats Online channel come ups to boom and will enable M&S to boost revenues Focus on China and India can lead to amplification in two of the fastest maturation markets Surge in shoplifting losses costs the retailers and customers Weak consumer spending in the UK Rising labor cost in the UK Strengths Expanded food offering The company has expanded its food product offering significantly in the recent years. In 2009, M&S consistently highlighted it is cheaper than Waitrose on a basket of 1,200 items by about 2%.The company, in 2009, decided to invest in its margins in order to provide its customers better honor. As a result of this, M&S saw improved perceptions of value by its customers. The company, in FY2011, launched around 1,800 new products in food and positioned itself as the UKs leading high quality food retailer. The key product launches of the company include savouring Italia, and Made Without Wheat range of gluten-free bread and cakes, With the success of Made Without Wheat product range, the company launched gluten-free sandwiches, sausages, stuffing, and crisp bakes.As of FY2011, the company offered 125 gluten-free products. M&S also became the UKs second largest favorite health food brand with the launch of its Simply Fuller Longer range which encourages customers to manage their weight with a menu plan. The gross margin of food division change magnitude by 20 basis points to Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 18 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis 30. 8% in FY2011. This was chiefly driven by better management of promotions and waste. Fur ther, in the four th quar ter of FY2012 ended march 2012, M&S launched 500 new products in the food division.The sales in this quar ter increa sed by 3. 1%, The companys promotions such as roast dinner for ? 5 ($7. 8), Dine In, etc offered its customers with wide value solutions for special occasions. M&S food division has been effecting well in a ver y competitive market and against tough competitors. By launching innovative products and with an expanded food offering, the company has been able to attract the customers in a highly competitive market. Strong market position in the clothing segment M&S has a strong market position in the clothing segment.With more than one in 10 clothing items bought from M&S, the company ranks amongst the ternary largest clothing retailers in the UK. jibe to a repor t released by Verdict (Datamonitors retail arm) in May 2012, MS is known for its product quality. The company was ranked first with a score of 49 for its product quality above the market average of 23. According to another repor t released by Verdict in April 2012, MS enjoys highest conversion rate of 50. 7% and is very suc cessful in conver ting visitors to fast(a) main users through its varied product offer, in-store service and garment quality.This indicates that MS is a trustwor thy brand, which all main users would return to knowing that the quality, fit, and ser vice are reliable and consistent. The retailer has recognized that its core market of predominantly mature customers has been especially hard hit by hike core costs of living, dropping interest on savings and worse prospects for pensions, and in reaction has lowered its entr y prices to compete more efficaciously with high street/value operators and supermarkets, helping to maintain the loyalty of its main users and prevent them from shopping elsewhere.Verdict, in its repor t in March 2012, ranked, MS sevensometh in the global depar tment store market with a divide of 3. 2%. This market leadership enabled MS to excel throughout the economic downturn, eyepatch other mid-market retailers are pressured from the ever expanding value play ers. Leading market position indicates access to a large customer base and also popularity of MS offering in the clothing segment. Going forward, this market position would enable the company to drive revenues as consumer spending recovers.Geographical blowup to increase the addressable market and reduce vulnerability to mature UK market With a por tfolio of over 361 owned and franchised stores in 42 territories M&S continues to change state its international business. This mix of ownership models and countries enabled the company to perform well in FY2011, even when individual markets were weak. Fur ther, during FY2011, the company entered the Egyptian market with a 28,000 square feet store in the Dandy Mega Mall in Cairo. M&S international business grew by 4% in FY2011 despite tough economic situation.As an established retailer in a mature market, it is going to be hard for MS to continually deliver significant increases in UK sales. However, in the long run, its international b usiness offers an oppor tunity for high exploitation. By generating much higher volumes, it can deliver margin benefits with suppliers. With production costs rising, this will be an advantage in the UK. International expansion will enable the company to access multiple sales points for most of the product ranges. This is especially relevant for clothing and homewares segments.Also, through expansion in the international markets MS can reduce Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 19 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis vulnerability to mature UK market. The company can also par ticipate in effect in almost of highest bristleing markets such as China and India. All these factors would enable the company to reduce the overall business risk and alleviate increased revenues. MS etched a highly effective CSR strategy MS has to its doctrine an effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy.CSR has been gaining prominence not just among the stake holders and gove rnments but the consumers as well. The company has the highest propor tion of consumers believe it to be a responsible retailer and this can largely be attributed to the success of its Plan A, a ? 200 million (approximately $320. 3 million) 100-point plan launched in 2007 with five areas of focus climate change, fair par tnership, health, sustainable raw materials, and waste. In FY2011, the company included two more areas in its Plan A involving customers, and making Plan A how we do business.In the last few years, initiatives launched under the Plan A banner include launching the companys first eco-store, encouraging suppliers to set-up eco-factories, removing hydrogenated fats from its ready meals, change magnitude the propor tion of entire food, reducing the salt content of its produce, cer tifying a larger percentage of its fish as originating from sustainable existences, and beginning to sell cycle and composting bins. It is the high profile presence of Plan A in adver tisi ng campaigns, product labeling and store signage that gives M&S one of the best consumer perceptions of a retailer for social responsibility.The campaign whole kit and boodle not just as a direct to consumer channel, but also because of the positive coverage it creates. perhaps more impor tantly, it has publicized all of these initiatives extensively. In 2008, M&S launched a TV adver tising campaign steering on its ethical, environmental and health-conscious credentials, highlighting that it only uses free range eggs and that its products are now free from ar tificial colors and flavorings. Other, more innovative, ideas take in included a joint venture with Oxfam to promote the recycling of old clothes.In addition, more controversially, the retailer introduced a 5p charge for carrier bags at all of its food depar tments in 2008. Though many consumers resented this charge, it has undoubtedly boosted M&S reputation as an ethical retailer. Overall, sculpting its CSR strategy into su ch a high publicity campaign, divided into such clear action points and highly gross benefits, has seen the company move to the forefront of responsible retailing. In FY2011, the company launched Indigo Green, its first range of clothing made using more sustainable fabrics.In April 2012, the company announced to accept secondhand clothes at all the UK outlets except Simply Food stores, to recycle them into other fabrics or to reuse them in order to cut waste. Plan A has seen CSR become core to MS principles in the look of the consumer and it has reaped the benefits of this, gaining shoppers as a result and repor tedly saving more than ? 70 million (approximately $108. 9 million) in efficiencies gained in FY2011 compared with ? 50 million (approximately $77. 8 million) in FY2010.In addition, M&S improved energy cogency in its stores by 23% and warehouses by 24% in FY2011 compared to FY2007. It also improved the fuel efficiency of its deliver y fleets by 20% and total carbon emissi ons digest been reduced by 13%. The company now recycles 94% of all the waste it generates from its stores, offices and warehouses. The total waste is down by more than a third. M&S also met its sustainable standards by sourcing 90% of wild fish in FY2011 (62% in FY2010) and 76% of wood in FY2011 (72% in FY2010). Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 20 Marks and Spencer Group plcSWOT Analysis By actively promoting a products greener attributes (for example fewer, more recognizable and natural ingredients), retailers such as MS have positioned products as improving ones personal environment while benefiting the global environment too. Many of their successes have come from stress the former rather than the latter, especially as consumers often associate ethics with a sense of wellbeing. In terms of the issues that concern consumers, the sustainability of natural resources is a major fear, as are climate change and the justness of sourcing arrangements.Consumers are also at tracted to products with health benefits and there is a clear trend that consumers can be persuaded to par t with more money in return for products with a positive impact, not just to them personally, but also to wider society. Indeed, differentiating between products becomes harder and harder to achieve, Verdict expects consumers to turn to auxiliary considerations such as ethicality and sustainability to guide their choices. Consumers are no longer purely satisfied with how a product looks and functions they want assurances over aspects such as nvironmental impact, hygiene, safety, and fairness. In light of the above mentioned trends where the customer choices are increasingly guided by the sustainability issues, M&S will benefit due to its reputation of being a responsible retailer. Weaknesses M&S legacy stores and systems are a competitive disadvantage M&S suffers some competitive disadvantages compared to Tesco, which has been able to drive compensation before interest and tax (EBIT) growth even in the mature UK market. Tesco benefits from supplier power and state-of-the-ar t IT, supply chain and systems compared with M&S legacy systems.The supermarket retailer has been able to break up the ingest cur ve with metro, express and big box store formats out of town and on the high street. Moreover, Tesco stores have been carefully designed with consistent store layouts in order to facilitate store navigation. Extra back room store space has also been allocated to allow for smooth execution of its picking and distribution model. Tesco sells both own label and branded goods (food and non-food) in a bid to drive up footfall and sales conversion. M&S legacy stores are inconsistent in terms of layout.Store size tends to dictate product availability, while a lack of back room store space does not facilitate the same style supermarket pick and delivery model. The legacy systems and stores of M&S are constraining effective servicing of customer demands on a consis tent basis. This is placing the company at a clear competitive disadvantage compared to a formidable opponent, Tesco. Declining general merchandise division sales due to inadequate stocking The companys general merchandise division sales declined in recent times, M&S general merchandise division sales decreased by 2. % in the four th quar ter of FY2012 ended March 2012. This was mainly due to shor tage of stock in its stores, Due to this, the company was also not able to meet customer demand for 300,000 knitwear garments under the M&S Woman label. It only sold Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 21 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis 100,000 knitwear garments during this period. Fur ther, in times of high demand, inadequate stock could hamper the sales of the division and result in loss of sales to competitors.This not only affects the revenues of the company but could also result in shift of customers to its competitors. Opportunities Online channel continues to boom and will enable M&S to boost revenues Online retail sales in the UK have grown significantly over a period of time. According to Office for National Statistics, non-seasonally adjusted average weekly value for internet retail sales in the UK was ? 414 million (approximately $644. 3 million) in Februar y 2010, this increased to ? 573. 6 million (approximately $892. 7 million) in February 2012, representing an increase of 18%.Internet sales accounted for only 8% of the total retail sales (excluding fuel) in Februar y 2010. This figure increased to 10. 7% in February 2012. The growing impulse for convenience is seeing shoppers buy more online, especially in the category of food and grocery. Consumers have also become savvier, using the internet more to get the best deal they can. Voucher codes, and cashback sites have been slavish in this. Additionally, improved deliver y and fulfillment options have been encouraging consumers to shop more online.The company operates in the internet channel through M&S Direct where the products are offered through website and impertinently launched Shop Your Way facility, a new ordering service that has been rolled-out in 444 stores (including 151 in Simply Foods stores) during FY2011, allowing customers to side orders either in stores, online or over the phone, for deliver y to either a nominated address or free of charge to their nearest store. M&S Directs sales increased from ? 413 million (approximately $642. 8 million) in FY2010 to ? 543 million (approximately $845. million) in FY2011, an increase of 31. 5%. Fur ther, in the first half of FY2012, M&S Directs sales increased by 11. 7% with more than three million visitors per week. Thus, by leveraging its online presence, M&S can cater to the requirements of a growing number of customers who are looking for convenience and better deals over the internet. Focus on China and India can lead to expansion in two of the fastest growing markets China and India are two economies which are recording highest growth rates which, in turn, are evaluate to aid the retail market growth in these two countries.Asias retail sales are estimated to increase with China driving the growth. According to the preliminary estimation, the gross domestic product (GDP) of China was CNY47,156. 4 zillion ($7,285. 7 billion) in 2011, a year-on-year increase of 9. 2% at comparable prices. The fast pace economic development in China coupled with the rise of the middle class income group and their increasing disposable income have fur ther pushed up the demand for several consumer goods. According to National Bureau of Statistics of China, the total retail sales reached CNY18,391. 9 billion (approximately $2,841. billion) in 2011, representing a year-on-year nominal growth rate of 17. 1%. Fur ther, according to industr y estimates, the countr ys total retail sales are expected to increase from approximately CNY20 trillion ($3 trillion) in 2012 to approximately CNY26 trillion ($4 t rillion) in 2016, representing an increase of about 30%. Strong Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 22 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis underlying economic trends, universe growth and the increasing wealth of individuals are key factors that contribute to the retail market expansion in China.The retail industry in India is large owing to a large population and is set to grow as several factors contribute. According to the industry sources, the retail sales in India are forecast to grow from around $411 billion in 2011 to $804 billion by 2015. The key factors behind the forecast growth include strong underlying economic growth, population expansion, increasing wealth of individuals and the rapid construction of organized retail infrastructure. Also, as middle and upper class consumer base expands, there will also be oppor tunities in Indias second and third-tier cities.The greater availability of personal credit and a growing vehicle population are to improve mobili ty which will also contribute to a trend towards retail sales growth. MS is strengthening presence in India and China as par t of its geographic expansion and for some time to come, these countries would be the key contributors to the companys international expansion strategies. The company in with par tnership with Reliance Retail, an established retailer in India, can tap into this lucrative market while expansion in China also continues. Indian and Chinese markets would provide a huge capableness revenue base for M&S.Threats Surge in shoplifting losses costs the retailers and customers The UK retailers are heart-to-heart to increased costs of shoplifting. Shoplifting has assumed massive propor tions in recent times. According to industry estimates, retail crime costed UK stores ? 1. 4 billion ($2. 2 billion) in 2011. There are about two million thefts per year, which concludes to an average of more than one per minute. According to another industr y repor t, the thefts across t he UK stores increased from ? 4. 2 million ($6. 5 million) in 2009 to ? 5. 1 million ($7. 9 million) in 2011, an increase of 20%.Long-term trends also show the figure is likely to continue rising. As a result, retailers have been increasing their surveillance spend. This is increasing the costs for retailers as well as for the end consumers. The shoplifting losses are adding to the costs for the retailers and the customers have also been bearing the brunt. The surge in shoplifting could negatively impact the cost structure for M&S as well. Weak consumer spending in the UK The UK market is suffering from weak consumer spending. The European debt crisis added more downward pressure to the growth prospects of the UK.According to Eurostat, the UK economy grew by 0. 7% in 2011 and is expected to grow by 0. 5% in 2012. In addition, the UK has witnessed high unemployment rate. According to the Office of National Statistics, the unemployment rate for the three months period November 2011 to January 2012 was 8. 4% with 2. 67 million unemployed people in the UK. Increasing unemployment rate is expected to fur ther put pressure on the economy of the UK. High inflation, led by the increase in VAT to 20% and public spending cuts reduced disposable Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 23 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis income, leading to a fall in consumer spending on discretionary items. Consumers have been cautious with their spending especially due to soaring petrol prices, tax increases and uncer tainty over jobs. The UK is the key market for M&S. In FY2011, the UK accounted for 89. 7% of M&S total revenues. Thus, the sluggish consumer spending and high unemployment rate in the UK could affect most of the non-food retailers and lead to reduced sales volume or shrinking profit margins. Rising labor cost in the UKLabor costs are rising in the UK. In recent times, tight labor markets, increased over time, government mandated increases in token(prenominal) wages and a higher propor tion of full-time employees are resulting in an increase in labor costs, which could materially impact the companys results of operation. The National Minimum Wage (NMW) Regulations came into force in 1999 and since then the NMW rates have been increased annually. The national minimum wage increased from ? 5. 93 per hour ($9. 23 per hour) in October 2010 to ? 6. 08 per hour ($9. 46 per hour) in October 2011.Fur ther, the national minimum wage is expected to increase to ? 6. 19 per hour (9. 63 per hour) from October 2012. In FY2011, M&S employed 78,169 people. Increasing labor costs can adversely affect the companys operating costs as its wage bills would escalate. This, in turn, could impact its margins adversely. Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 24 Marks and Spencer Group plc Top Competitors TOP COMPETITORS The following companies are the major competitors of Marks and Spencer Group plc ASDA Group Limited Debenhams plc H M Hennes Mauritz AB J Sainsbury plc close plc Selfridges plc Tesco PLC Gap, Inc. , The French Connection Group Plc House of Fraser Group Plc John Lewis Par tnership plc Arcadia Group Limited Home Retail Group Plc Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 25 Marks and Spencer Group plc Company becharm COMPANY VIEW A statement by Rober t Swannell, the Chairman of the Board at Marks and Spencer Group, is given below. The statement has been taken from the companys yearly Repor t for FY2011. I feel ver y privileged to be Chairman of this unique company and at such an exciting time in our evolution.Since joining Marks Spencer in October and assuming the role of Chairman in Januar y, I have spent much of my time getting to know the business better meeting our employees, shareholders, customers and suppliers. I first became deep involved with MS during the unsolicited takeover attempt in 2004, when I led the consultatory team that helped put the MS case to its shareholders. It was then I learned first h and about this unique company about the extraordinarily strong relationship it has with its many stakeholders and about its very special ethos.This ethos is a reflection of the high standards our customers expect from MS trusting us not only to deliver great value, great quality products but also to do the right thing socially, environmentally and ethically. We know that putting Plan A at the hear t of how we do business is not just the right thing to do it is also fundamental to our long-term success. Performance In a challenging marketplace MS has continued to grow, with underlying profits up 12. 9% on the year.We delivered this by staying true to our heritage of quality and innovation, reminding our customers what makes MS special. This year Marc Bolland set out a clear medium-term plan for the business, after extensive discussions with colleagues and us, the Board. This is covered in detail in Marcs review. From day one, I have been struck by the passion and commitment of our people. I am delighted that this year we are paying a bonus to all employees to thank them for their energy and enthusiasm in what has been a difficult trading environment. DividendWe are committed to delivering consistent returns for our shareholders. To this end we have adopted a progressive dividend policy, with dividends broadly covered twice by earnings. We intend to pay a final dividend of 10. 8p per share (last year 9. 5p) in respect of the 2010/11 financial year. Governance Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 26 Marks and Spencer Group plc Company View This year we returned to the traditional governance structure of a crystalize Chairman and Chief Executive, providing clarity between Marc Bolland and me, with regard to our respective roles.Put simply, I run the Board and Marc runs the business. The Board has a wide range of responsibilities. There are three that I think are par ticularly impor tant for the success of the business first, to debate and agree our str ategy and hold the executive team responsible for its execution second, to ensure that we have the most talented team to execute this strategy and that we plan effectively for succession and third, to set the tone for governance, which is par ticularly impor tant at MS where doing the right thing is an inbuilt par t of our ethos. My ob is to ensure the Board has the right mix of skills and talents and to ensure that it works effectively as a team towards shared goals with the right mix of enquir y and suppor t of the executive directors from the non-executive directors. During the year we commissioned a formal Board evaluation from an independent consultant, the findings of which are outlined in the Governance section. This process highlighted the real enthusiasm of the directors in suppor ting a shared ambition to guide MS to the ver y best future. We know that you expect high standards from MS its our responsibility to learn how we can improve.This review was an impor tant par t of that journey. As stated in our 2009/10 Annual Repor t, we reviewed the senior remuneration structure this year. Following extensive shareholder consultation, we believe we now have a framework that is both relevant to todays MS and fully aligned with our strategy. The Board Over the last year the Board has been strengthened by a series of executive appointments. In May 2010 Marc Bolland joined the business as Chief Executive, assuming the day-to-day running of the business from Sir Stuar t Rose in July.In October Alan Stewar t joined as Chief Finance Officer and in February we announced the appointment of Laura Wade-Gery as Executive Director, Multi-channel E-commerce she will join the Board in July. Whilst the Board features some new faces, these changes have taken place around a core of executive and non-executive directors that has remained stable over recent years. I would like to pay par ticular tribute to Sir Stuar t Rose. When he became Chief Executive in 2004, MS was at a low ebb.He restored confidence in MS, re-established its values and built a strong business. The solid platform from which Marc is now implementing his plan is a credit to Stuar ts energy and tireless commitment to MS over the last seven years. The smooth management transition the meticulous handover to me and the suppor t of Marc is also a credit to Stuar t. In that connection, I would also like to thank Sir David Michels, and the Nominations Governance Committee he led, for managing a change of leadership over the past year that was accomplished quietly and effectively.David has decided to step down from the Board at the end of his second term in February 2012, but I am delighted that he will continue his role as Deputy Chairman until then. Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 27 Marks and Spencer Group plc Company View I must also thank Louise Patten for the significant contribution she has made over the last five years, playing an impor tant role in each of our Boar d Committees. As Louise reaches the end of her second three year term on the Board, she has decided not to seek re-election at the forthcoming AGM. Looking aheadOur priorities for the year ahead are clear. We have a plan and it is now our embodied job to make it happen. The Board will concentrate on delivering exemplary governance at the highest level to enable our executive team to drive this strategy forward. The economy still gives us reason to be cautious. Yet in difficult times, our core values of Quality, Value, Ser vice, Innovation and Trust matter more than ever to MS customers. These values remain at the hear t of our strategy and I wherefore look forward to the future with confidence. Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLinePage 28 Marks and Spencer Group plc Locations and Subsidiaries LOCATIONS AND SUBSIDIARIES Head Office Marks and Spencer Group plc Waterside House 35 Nor th Wharf Road London W2 1NW GBR P44 20 7935 4422 http//www. marksandspencer. com Other Locations an d Subsidiaries Marks and Spencer International Holdings Limited Great Britain GBR Marks and Spencer (Nederland) BV NLD Marks and Spencer (Ireland) Limited IRL Marks and Spencer (Asia Pacific) Limited HKG Marks and Spencer Simply Foods Limited Great Britain GBR Marks and Spencer Marinopoulos Greece SA GRC Marks and Spencer SCM Limited