Renault Nissan The Paradoxical Alliance Marketing Essay

Renault Nissan The Paradoxical Alliance Marketing Essay Individual Essay Contrary to common belief recent research suggests that, most often it is not poor strategic that causes mergers and acquisitions or alliances to fail but poor implementation. Common mistake can be identify in, for instance: lack of trust and communication, insensitive management, power struggles, slow execution or a leadership void following the deal. In this assay we will explain the points that have made what on the beginning was announced as a marriage of desperation is now considering one of the most successful alliance. The most fundamental challenge of any alliance or merger is cultural: if only one does not believe that something can be learned from new partners, the venture is doomed to fail said Carlos Ghosn. Renault-Nissan gave attention of the cultural people aspect, in fact Ghosn (Nissan and Renault CEO) created a specialize team combine both nationality together, in addition they chose a common language (English) and a common vocabulary, for some misleading words, with the purpose to avoid misunderstanding. A drive change, for the company has been the transparent valour and the strong leadership of the CEO; in addition a common vision, based on the Nissan Revival Plan, with the main purpose to be profitable in only three years, that has given a common point to reach for both the companies and what it is more the perfect goals to achieve. In this way, Ghosn had reinforced the value inherent in the organizations view and expressive a clear and appealing vision, such as using expressive, strong form of communication, show strong self-confidence and self-assurance in the attainment of the vision. Moreover, they transferred high expectations to the group and confidence in their abilities, showed role-modelling behaviours that emphasized and reinforced the values inherent in the vision and in this way empowering people to achieve the vision. From my point of view since the first meeting they create an alliance based on partnership and trust, rather than power and domination. The two companies utilize common synergies in numerous areas, apart from sharing the platforms on which vehicles are built; they also exchange research and technological innovation (transmission engineering, fuel and cell research, and state-of-the-art engines). In order to facilitate coordination and improve performance, they create a cross-cultural teams and functional task team, in fact some employee were working on the same time in Renault-Nissan alliance even though they continue to stay in their original company. Another important aspect is that the Renault-Nissan alliances have joining together people of various national cultures and different corporate society into one company. Moreover, the leader had capitalized on the cultural differences between employees and he minimized firstly the stereotype and secondly the psychological distances between them. Furthermore the company since the beginning invested a lot of money for training 1500 Renault employee about the Japanese culture and 400 Nissan staffs about the French culture. This one the first good step for create a cross-cultural alliance, studying the opposite company culture, habit and background, both Japanese and French could understand better the opposite point of view, in order to avoid misunderstanding and play together for a common plan. When Carlos Ghosh arrived to Nissan, he plan to cut 21,000 jobs (from 147,000 to 148,000) by March 2003, so basically in three years, in addition he closed five factories and interrupted the historical supplier rapport with the Keiretzu. He did all of these actions in order to give a strong signal to the company and reduce to the minimum redundancy and cost. Another important aspect that Carlos completely change was the management process, before he came to Nissan a younger employee could not managing and old colleague because of the age and the seniority, in fact promotion were related to the sonority of the employee. He creates a completely new promotion rules, based strictly on performance, without any relation between ages of the employee. In this way he creates common rules between the two companies and on the other hand he motivates young and not members of the team to work hard. This was completely different from the Japanese culture, but after a while, when the Japanese emplo yee understood the benefits of this action, it was easier for them accepted and gave them also, a huge motivation, because of the egalitarian style. Moreover, he established nine cross-functional teams; each was led by two executive members and headed by a pilot. Further, team members were selected by the leaders and the pilot. The purpose was to create a cross functional and international team, in order to share competencies, experiences and see the company as whole together. Moreover, Carlos Ghosn in 2001 hired a high-profile female Japanese executive for heading Nissan communication department; in fact she was the first woman to lead an important function inside the company. This new person did not create any contrast inside the company, because of the new mentality that step by step the CEO was trying to build inside the Nissan-Renault company. In the past, in Japanese culture an act likes that could create problems or just loose of power from the manager, but because of the lon g training and the new cross-cultural vision, what in the past would be a conflict, now it is a new benefit. Undoubtedly, there were some radical cultural differences between the two companies, Japanese culture is more collectivistic, as oppose to the French one that on the workplace is more individualistic. This two particular aspect of cross-cultural were explained by Hofstede before and Trompenaars later, even if with some differences. As a matter of fact, the former conceptualize the differences between individualism and collectivism as general differences between cultures. The author point out that on a scale of 50 different countries, with values between 91 and 6, the IDV value for France people are 71 so pretty high, as oppose to the Japanese with only 41, which show a more collectivistic culture instead on individualistic. The latter, on the other hand emphasis more frequent reference to managerial implication, even though the general sense is really close to what Hofstede set out. This last aspect can be a practical point that Renault and Nissan managers and employee had studied du ring the first months training, with the purpose to avoid problems inside the cross cultural team and colleagues indeed. Moreover, Hofstede explained the different point of view that some countries have about masculinity and femininity, in fact based on the authors fourth dimension, he underlined that the Japanese country is the first country for masculinity, such as competiveness and performance, with a score of 95 out of 5 and France only 45 out of 5, definitely with more femininity values, for instance relationship and a concern for the quality of life. This shows a huge difference between the two countries, but due to the high Japanese masculinity, for Carlos Ghosn (Renault-Nissan CEO) was the perfect synergy, in fact Nissan employees found a strong new management, which gave to the alliance new rules, with a continue demand of high performance and even more hard competiveness than before, because more egalitarian. On the other hand, we can find in Hofstede also same synergy; the first one is with the power distance, in fact following the author research France (68/104) is slightly more hierarchical than Japan (54/104) which is more equalitarian, even though the substantial difference with the two countries is really minimal. The second possible common point is with the last Hofstede dimension the uncertainty avoidance, where both countries show a closer score (92/112 France and 86/112 Japan), which underline a predisposition for the roles; which definitely prove an important aspect for a strong alliance. As Trompenaars and Hampden -Turner (1997, Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business) identified and analyzed seven different dimension, one in particular is the neutral/emotional dimension, where they describe the cultural contrast between countries where emotions are masked and others where emotions are exhibit openly, also inside a business situation. Moreover, the two authors emphasis the cultural differences between south European and Japan, the former in general tend to exhibit without any separation between emotion and reasoning. The latter, on the other hand, demonstrate that the 74% of Japanese do not want to express inside a workplace strong emotions. The points just mention above are absolutely a cultural difference, which can create discontent and fracture inside a new alliance, if the respective company do not know that it is more a behavioural aspect rather than a value in itself. Furthermore, Trompenaars and Hampden -Turner also wrote about the role of societal culture at the organization level, believing that corporate culture is shaped not only by technologies and market but by the cultural preferences of leaders and employees. This is another important point that links the two authors with the new Nissan-Renault vision. A common aspect that both Hofstede and Trompeenars mention in their studied is the negotiation aspect, in some cases if the two parts do not know the opposite habit respect the understanding and agreement phases, these can create some misunderstanding and emphasis the difference between a Middle East country and European or Western Countries (USA). Indeed, during Renault- Nissan negotiation the two CEO (at that time were Schweitzer and Hanawa) met dozen times, with the purpose to learn, trust and understand each other and in this way imagine a future alliance between their companies. Therefore, the second step was to put together for six months (before the alliance) some of the top executives, with the aim of forging a formal alliance between the companies. After that Schweitzer and Hanawa chose 100 engineers and managers from both companies to work together, with the intent to joint team study and without any formal objective and free from cultural stereotypes. Both companies have i nvested time, resources and money for a long period negotiation with the purpose to discover the possible synergies without pay attention to the economical aspect. According to Schwartz researches, the two core bipolar dimensions identified were: Self-transcendence/ self- enhancement and Conservatism and Openness to change, the last one is the first link for the two companies, in fact, even though in different way, both have been opened to change. Nissan had completely changed management structure, part of the company vision and it become more transparent and communicative; on the other hand, Renault brought to Nissan important key people (CEO C.Ghosn, product development P. Pelata and finance T. Moulonguet), in order to give to the alliance strong brick for the companys revival. Moreover, both companies since the beginning have been opened to share engineers, idea and platforms. The second point correlated with Schwartz (2000) studies is with the three indices and in particular with Mastery and Harmony, where according to the authors research the Japanese culture appear more focus for control and change the natural and social environment. On the Renault- Nissan alliance this has not been a problem, because of the common vision focusing to restore Nissans company. According to Hall (1990) search he point out in his model the difference between high and low context societies. In the high context societies are often stress the importance of establishes good social relations based on trust and respect, this is an useful link with the point already mention before about the negation period coped with the two associates. Further, Hall identify three distinct categories: High- context, Medium- context and Low- context. Japanese culture reflect for the author more a high-context model, as opposed to France culture which result more on the medium-context categories; some of the points mention of this model could create inside the Renault-Nissan alliance some problem, because of the different way to think and manage the situation. According to Hughes and Weiss (Harvard Business Review, 2007) -The number of corporate alliances rises 25% a year. And those partnerships account for nearly 33% of many companies revenue and value. Yet the failure rate for alliances stays close at 60%-70%, that is because too many firms trust too much on conventional advice for managing alliances- -such as Focus on defining a business plan or Minimize conflict. The idea in practice from my point of view is that companies need to focus not only on the business plan but also on the partnerships working relationship and, rather than suppressing disagreements, exploring conflicts to find sources of value in partner companies differences. Therefore, the authors recommend five different practices in order to managing alliances: Develop the right working relationship Peg metrics to progress Leverage differences Encourage collaboration Manage internal stakeholders. The suggestion for the first one is to define exactly how the companies will work together. For example, clarify what mutual trust and respect mean to each of the corporations. Articulate how they will make decisions, allocate resources, and share information. The second point is to Peg metrics to progress,  alliances require time to pay off financially and alliance does not reach significant result in the first period, (month or even in the first year). Third points that the authors underline are the Leverage differences,  companies can share advantage from partners different, for instance: know-how, markets, customers, and suppliers. Yet other types of differences (such as contrasting cultures) can direct to uncomfortable conflict. Instead of hiding conflict, surface it and find ways to use your differences to create value. Another important practical point is to Encourage collaboration in fact if a problem come up, rather than prejudge someone or something, it is always better try to analyse of how both parties contributed to it and what each can do to improve it. The last one is to Manage internal stakeholders, in a practical way most of the external alliances depend on cooperation from internal units in each company. The purpose i s to be sure that all internal players are involved in supporting the alliance and committed for the success. From my point of view, the two authors express some important guide for making a good alliance, such as encourage collaboration, uses the differences for create value or create inside the company mutual trust and respect, all the points mention before are well express also inside the Renault-Nissan alliance, as some of the core value of the alliance. In addition, Carlos Ghosn definitely represents a strong figure for the alliance, probably a part of the heart of the company. He begun Nissan COO in 1999 and with the Nissan Revival Plan (NRP) gave to the alliance immediately clear qualitative and quantitative targets, with the aim to achieve all of them in no more than 3-4 year. He imposed a common restructuring, with tangible but challenging mission and a share vision The return to profit. Nevertheless, the NRP as mention before Ghosn gave a lot of importance about cross-cultural team, link both of companies with the same rules, since the first moment he always tried to avoid cultural stereotype and created work teams with both nationalities together. Carlos is a charismatic business man, but is also a clever CEO, who knows that he could not overcome or transcended cultural differences, only with is personal quality. Therefore, he mixed both leadership quality and cultural synergies with the intention to create the perfect allianc e. J. Collin and W. lazier (Beyond 1992) wonderful explain the role of a Leader, all the first chapter of the book Entrepreneurship (turning your business into an enduring company) is dedicate in leadership style. The two authors identified a guide for an effective leadership function and style; for the former they specified that the purpose is catalyze a clear and compelling vision that is shared by the group and is acted upon. For the latter, they recognized seven common elements for consider an effective leader style, plus the individual personality characteristics: Authenticity, Decisiveness, Focus, Personal Touch, Hard/soft people skills, Communication Ever forward All the points mentions above are decisiveness for build a strong leadership; as a matter of fact most of them are easily connected with Renault-Nissan alliance. The first share aspect is that Carlos Ghosn gave immediately an authentic vision for the new alliance and he carries this authenticity out to the major strategic decision made by the company. Moreover, he is a role model of the value and beliefs through his day-to-day actions, in this way all the company should be a role model of its philosophy as exemplified by its major decisions. The second point is absolutely the decisiveness , in fact Carlos showed immediately the ability to decide what it was better for the alliance and what not ( an example could be the historical supplier Keiretzu that he cut off, without any doubt, because not anymore essential for the company). Other important point already amply discuss before are be focus, Personal Touch and hard/soft people skills for instance, He creates a completely new promot ion rules, based strictly on performance and new cross- cultural teams, with the purpose to used the common synergies and learn from the future conflict. Communication is a crucial point for this alliance, because Carlos Ghosn has completely changed the way of how to communicate inside Nissan, in fact he establish an absolutely transparent, open, precise and functional communication inside the company but also outside such as the media. The CEO believes that if people do not know the priority, do not understand the strategy, where the company is going, which one are the critical objectives. For his point of view confusion is the first sign of trouble; with large amount of different cultures and countries, it is important to be precise and factual, in order that people can see and measure. To sum up, more or less ten years ago Renault-Nissan was considered an impossible alliance, there were apparently too many economical problems, cultural and organizational differences. However, during these eleven years the two companies have become the number four and five profitable largest car manufacturer companies on the world. Therefore, I would like to emphasize the last element of effective leadership style: ever forward mentality. Since the beginning, Carlos Ghosn has always moving forward progressing- before as an individual and later transmitting this new values to the alliance. This new open-mind way of how to think, collaborate, cooperate between teams and share ideas, combine two cultures and languages together, broken any kind of stereotypes and avoid cultural shock. With the aim to achieve an unique common goal be profitable again and create a longevity alliance. Renault-Nissan from my point of view is the perfect example of the effective power of a strong and well establish cross-cultural alliance. Doriana Carlucci S00402667

How Are Youths’ Perceptions Contributing to Its Popularity?

Exploring the CEO-fashion trend: How are youths' perceptions contributing to its popularity? Introduction Ensuring garments are produced in an environmentally friendly manner in regards to its materials, consumer benefits and the condition in which employees are working is the essence of what CEO-fashion is all about (Hudson, 2012). According to Hudson (2012), 2011 was the leading year fashion industries realized a prosperous opportunity and need for venturing into the businesses of CEO-friendly clothing.CEO- fashion has increased in popularity as a global trend and Anne Salvatore Epstein was he one that discovered this concept in 2009, when she was pregnant. The reason for Epstein to embrace this concept was because of her desire to enhance the organic value in life for her new born. In order to create an organic fashion trend, Epstein first collaboration partnership was with Marc Jacobs (Smith, 2006). Generation Y, the main target market for sustainable fashion, enjoys the quick tr ends presented by fast fashion retailers (Martin ; Bush, 2000, as cited in Hill, 2011).However, the value of being socially responsible and taking into consideration sustainability issues is mongo their concerns as well (Yang, 2003). According to a study by a market research company, Marital, 47% of the participants from generation Y found that they are attracted to environmentally friendly services, products or brands and are often more agreeable to pay extra when purchasing. The explanations behind the enthusiasm of the vast majority were due to reasons such as â€Å"care about the environment†, â€Å"it's the right thing to do† or â€Å"so that people know I'm environmentally aware† (Barcelona, 2007). A significant figure of 47% of Generation Y is willing to shop at a retailer more often if they were environmentally friendly', was the outcome of the study, hence describing their attitudes towards retailers that positioned themselves as environmentally aware ( Barcelona, 2007). A result from another study also showed that a company's social and environmental commitments are factors to be considered by of Generation Y interviewed and 83% find a company more treatable if it practices the societal marketing concept (Kim, Change, Lee ; Huh, 2011).The improved public education that generation Y received in their early childhood consequently resulted in their heightened awareness and concern of becoming more environmentally conscious than previous generations (Meddlesome ; Polygons, 1995, as cited in Kim, Change, Lee ; Huh, 2011). Throughout their lives, Gene Y has faced detrimental issues regarding global climate change and ozone depletion. As a result, increased awareness through sound environmental education is an important element when teaching hence emphasizing the importance of protecting the environment.Additionally, younger consumers are more likely to be fashion leaders (Goldsmith ; Clark, 2009, as cited in Hill, 2011), therefore under standing generation Yes perception towards CEO-fashion may lead to a better understanding of owe they are contributing to its growing popularity (Morgan ; Bristle, 2009). Research Justification Despite the prominently growing trend of CEO-fashion and its popularity in the fashion industry, identification of factors influencing consumers' evaluations and perceptions of sustainable product requires further research.Lack of available options is one of the major barriers to CEO-fashion (Hillier Connell, 2010). Moreover, there is limited research directed towards consumers' views of fashion sustainability (Morgan ; Bristle, 2009). Thus highlighting the need to acquire further insight into generation Yes perceptions of fashion and sustainability. Fashion retailers are seen to have a unique position of being closer to consumers, as their business model and supply chain is driven by consumer demand (Bristle, Squid ; Frito, 2003).Therefore consumer's opinions concerning sustainability are es sential to how retailers conduct business in addition to the fact that they are able to respond quicker to the demand for sustainable products more appropriately. Owner and founder of Coming NYC and a fashion retailer that excelled in CEO-fashion, Anne Bernstein, has proudly dedicated to educating the public about the advantages of CEO-friendly fashion (Pietistic, 2009). According to Bernstein, there are three key factors that CEO-fashion designers take into consideration when creating pieces of fashion that is considered â€Å"sustainable†.They are the health of the planet, health of garments makers, and the quality of products in terms of sustainability essentially serving the purpose of long-term usage (Pietistic, 2009). Bridges & Wilhelm (2008) found a low level of knowledge of sustainability matched with a high level of interest in the concept among Generation Y. Hence, this research seeks to consider Generation Yes perceptions towards the sustainable line of fashion gar ments and how these perceptions will contribute to the expanding popularity of CEO-fashion.Taking the above mentioned into consideration, this study will aim at providing fashion designers and retailers the insight needed into factors Generation Y consumers consider in relation to the concept of CEO-fashion. Understanding this could better equip retailers when creating marketing campaigns when targeting consumers as it is based on their level of knowledge and understanding. Objective of Research This research paper intends to determine the factors that affect the Generation Y consumer's perceptions towards the concept of CEO-fashion, and how these factors result in the mounting popularity of CEO-fashion.Therefore, the objectives of this study are to: 1 . Identify the stimulus affecting perceptions towards CEO-fashion among Generation Y. 2. Examine the relationship between Generation Y consumers' perceptions on CEO-fashion concept and the popularity of the concept in regards to the f ive variables that will be analyzed. Literature Review Price and the purchase intention of CEO-apparel Consumer's price sensitivity has attracted the attention of various researchers throughout the 21st century.The reason being is studies have shown that price is the cost that shoppers are able to best determine thus making it among the most important criteria when deciding to purchase (Dickson ; Hustled, 2009). To further elaborate, in a recent study of shopper's selection, price was consistently indicated as a major influencing factor (Sensei & Todd, 2003). This coincides with the findings of how retailers too, find price to be an important factor for shoppers thus emphasizing its relevance (Sensei & Todd, 2003).Studies have shown that the perception of higher prices may prove to be a barrier to purchasing environmentally friendly apparel and they may be unwilling to pay increased prices for sustainable apparel (Connell, 2010). However the way in which retailers are able to overco me this issue is by producing apparel on a global scale thus increasing sourcing options that allows manufacturers to compete on lower prices (Gamma, 2011). Another solution is sustainable fashion is encouraged to develop current styles and provide increased information to customers through labeling to inform them (Height, 2009).Levis have incorporated this concept into their trendy clothing proving how it can gain customers through style and ethics (Mesa , 22)). The concept is still emerging into the retail business hence showing its potential to grow. Furthermore, it was stated in green marketing literature that consumers that are environmentally conscious are willing to purchase green products that may cost more than the average (Halyard, Ogle & Dunbar, 2006). HI : Price positively affects the purchase intention of CEO-apparel. Perceived quality and the purchase intention of CEO-apparelWhen considering a product, consumers take into account their perceived quality of the products characteristics meaning its overall components that are physical and non-physical (Hill & Lee, 2012). Elements such as reliability, durability and performance are factors that lead to consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction in accordance with their expectation (Sheen, Wang, Lo & Chum, 2012). As CEO- apparel is still a young concept in the business, consumers may be reluctant in purchasing such goods although they are environmentally conscious.Another barrier that may be faced is the belief among consumers that apparel made of recycled eternal is of reduced quality. The large apparel industry leaves a large carbon footprint in the environment as it is ever changing and growing resulting in increased wastage (Chain & Wong, Wong). Through all stages of its product life cycle: from fiber growth, manufacturing, dyeing, transportation to end users each step leaves a harmful impact (Hill & Lee, 2012). Consequently, designers are taking initiative by engaging in CEO fashion by producing t heir clothes in a way that best suits the environment (Hill, 2012).Utilizing 100% organic fibers, bamboo and hemp are among the biodegradable materials used in the production process. The sturdy fibers of the plants increase the durability of the products promising that the garments made are of strong quality. In addition, for those that are hesitant as it is a new concept, reputable designers such as Guess Scares have altered methods of production to create more CEO-friendly garments (Volitional, 2009). Customers need not make trade-offs in terms of attributes that create quality when selecting CEO- apparel products to purchase due to qualities like 100% organic cotton (Sheen, Wang, Lo & Chum, 2012).By remaining stylish, entities have been able to promote Rene fashion without compromising their cool factor, thus enhancing their brand image to a larger pool of customers besides guaranteeing quality. H2O: Perceived quality positively affects the purchase intention of CEO-apparel. Ope nness to innovation and the purchase intention of CEO-apparel One of the main influences in determining the purchase of CEO-garments depends on an individual's personality and their openness to experience.Each person has a unique self-image they try to portray and remain consistent with in accordance to the type of good or service consumed (Sibilate ; Undervaluation, 2012). A significant indicator of the type of consumers that may be attracted towards this concept are those that indulge in innovative ideas (Cornell ; Heartfelt, 2012). As stated by Coworker , 2011, the CEO-apparel concept is fairly new and is gradually gaining awareness among consumers and businesses thus the need for consumers to be open to new ideas is vital in order for them to accept this idea (Coworker, 2011).Getting a further understanding of the degree to which consumers inhibit a desire to experience unique ideas allows marketers and CEO retailers the opportunity to take advantage increasing the amount of pot ential customers. However, research has shown that the level of generation Yes knowledge regarding this matter is low, yet it also indicates that they put great emphasize on their concern of this issue (Sensei ; Todd, 2003). Their willingness to educate themselves will essentially result in an increased desire to indulge in CEO-friendly goods (Ma, Littered ; NIMH, 2012).Targeting generation Y in an effort to gain increased supporters of CEO-garments is key to its success (Connell, 2010). However, capturing those individuals that are more ailing to engage in such products enables this concept to gain popularity more rapidly. HE: Consumer innovativeness positively affects the purchase intention of CEO- apparel. The socio-cultural impact and the purchase intention of CEO-apparel When discussing the environment as a whole, several factors can be taken into consideration in accordance to an individual's life.CEO-fashion is currently considered to be a niche market hence appropriately tar geting those consumers that are environmentally concerned with products that are designed to fit their lifestyles (Bruno, Mindedness, Reid & Yanks, 2008). Moreover, generation Y consumers that enjoy shopping generally have specific lifestyles, motivations and opinions in relation to shopping (Serbia-Sanchez, Vagary & Hot, 2011). Their motivations to purchase certain goods tend to reflect their social and recreational identities (Serbia-Sanchez, Vagary & Hot, 2011).Hence by purchasing specific goods such as CEO-apparel allows them to communicate to their peers that they are able to incorporate their values and beliefs of being socially aware through the clothes they purchase. Moreover, segmenting research has shown that lifestyle profiles of customers are a more beneficial meaner to differentiate green consumers than demographics thus highlighting the importance of understanding their daily lives (Hill, 2012). In addition, as generation Y makes up a large segment of the retailer busi ness, their interest in fashion and shopping is dominant.They are more prone to seeking new knowledge regarding clothing products which can lead to greater curiosity concerning CEO-garments (Sheen, Wang, Lo & Chum, 2012). They find a sense of self-fulfillment when purchasing CEO-made goods as it promotes an CEO- lifestyle (Macaroon, 2009). Research has shown that by combining an CEO-friendly production process with fashion-orientated behaviors may identify the degree to which consumers are more willing to purchase CEO-apparel (Cornell, Hester & Richard, 2011).For those that want to express their values in regards to being CEO- friendly but also want to be stylish, top designers such as Archie Rich, was able to feature a â€Å"stunning pink and yellow skirt† made entirely from corn fiber. This shows the potential of such raw materials hence allowing them to further advance consumers beliefs and perceptions regarding this industry (Larry, 2012). Moreover, designer he stated how people often perceive the fashion world as superficial. Therefore this could be a stepping stone that proves to the world that by utilizing such resources in their clothing shows their willingness to help (Larry, 2012).Businesses are able to undergo certain actions in their business that allows consumers to form certain perceptions about this issue. This results in the target market discovering certain attitudes, beliefs and values they own that translates into their daily lives. HE: The socio-cultural positively affects the purchase intention of CEO-apparel. Corporate persona and initiatives and the purchase intention of CEO-apparel Throughout the last decade, corporate social responsibility (CARS) has gained incredible momentum across diverse businesses globally as it is being considered as a main objective for firms.This is done in an attempt to emphasize their commitment to environmental, social and economic goals that go beyond their commercial activities Cones, Comfort & Hill ier, 2006). Studies have shown that the generation Y consumer does appreciate activities retailers practice and prefer to purchase from companies that are making a difference in society (Hill & Lee, 2012). As the participation in CARS and sustainability initiatives gains popularity in the market, companies also gain a competitive advantage (Career & Valor, 2012).Companies such as Wall-Mart are confident enough to report the environmental footprint on products it sells to prove to consumers that they are causing lesser damage annually (Hill, 2012). Furthermore, various designers such as Stella McCarty, Gap, Levis and Guess Scares have recently debuted sustainable clothing lines highlighting short-term sustainable acts (Hill, 2012). Barneys NY, a famous U. S. Retail outlet, invested in a green luxury' campaign whereby studies found that it was well received by consumers that expressed interest in the â€Å"green themed window displays† (Hill, 2012).This shows various ways in wh ich companies show their consumers how they are involved as well as how consumers are positively responding. It represents a relatively smaller portion of the marketplace however each step taken to help the sustainable fashion market place grow is effective (Chain ; Wong, Wong). Practicing CARS is an option and not an obligation for entities therefore it verifies that those that practice do care about their consumers and the environment therefore allowing them to improve their value to consumers, enhance their reputation and own a competitive advantage.Finally, another study showed that numerous participants mentioned the proactive measures taken by companies and how it makes a more positive impact thus practicing initiatives has a direct affect towards their purchase intentions of CEO-apparel goods (Regional, 2010), HE: Corporate persona and initiatives positively affects the purchase intention of CEO-apparel. Methodology Three hundred female university students are to participate in this research by completing a self-administered questionnaire.University students are targeted for the sample because they share similar characteristics with fashion leaders and are exposed to a variety of fashion information (Workman ; Kid, 2000). The sample for this study contained only female consumers due to previous research noting that there is a high propensity of female consumers towards fashion (Morgan ; Bristle, 2009). Additionally, research on environmentally conscious consumers has found females being more apt in supporting environmental issues (Mariner, Barnett, Balder, Nubian ; Osama, 1997, as cited in Nodding, 2003).Therefore, in order to eliminate potential sampling biases due to gender, this study utilized data only from female respondents. To guarantee reliability and validity, the large amount of samples used will better reflect reliable results. Data is collected in the Klan Valley area as this area consists of most universities as well as being convenient for the researchers, thus making it a strategic location to gather a large amount of data (Miller ; ROR, 2004). To achieve the objective of this research, non-probability sampling method was adopted, as the focus of the research is only on Generation Y assign consumers.The questions used to measure the variables were adopted from a wide range of relevant past research with the following components: 1. Price (Darker ; Freedman, 1992, as cited in Madman ; Sure, 2001; Vaudevillian ; Gradual, 2008). 2. Perceived Quality (Estimate, 1988, as cited in Joy ; Cigarillos, 2007; Sarasota, 2012). 3. Openness to innovation (Hill, 2012) 4. Socio-cultural (Bruno, Mindedness, Reid ; Yanks, 2008). 5. Corporate person and initiatives (citation) Participants were asked to rate, on a seven point Liker scale.In terms of rating scale, seven point Liker scale will be used to identify categories in the questionnaire where 1= strongly agree, 4= neither agree nor disagree, and 7= strongly disagree. According to Sigmund, Ward, Lowe, WinZip ; Bin (2007), the Liker scale is also known as a popular method to measure attitude because it is easy to administer. Data processing and analysis SPAS 18. 0 will be used for data analyses. Reliability will be estimated by using Cockroach's coefficient alpha for all multi-item scales.Others statistical analyses are such as descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, factors statistics and associative analysis. Functions of these statistics are to reduce the sturdy sum of data matrix collected from the large array of respondents (Burns & Bush, 2006). Tasks such as describing measurable characteristics for entities such as median, range, standard deviation, etc could be performed using descriptive statistics (Wally's, 1978). According to Stephen ; Horny (1995), inferential statistic is using a one-sample test to obtain data for standard error analysis and hypothesis testing to determine population parameters.While associative analysis will determine wh ether the proposed variable in the report are interrelated in a logical way (Pappy ; Sequester, 2006); factor analysis will be used to describe variability among observed, correlated variables in terms of a potentially lower number of unobserved variables (Rumen, 1970). Limitation of the research Few limitations in the research are barriers that might limit the findings of the research but overcoming these weaknesses of the study would be the direction of future research.Firstly, the research only focuses on the perceptions of the Generation Y consumer, thus not being a proper representation of the entire population of CEO-fashion consumers although this target consists of consumers that could be most interested in CEO-apparel. Studying other generational groups of consumers would further build the knowledge of consumers' perceptions toward the CEO-fashion concept (Hill, 2011). Furthermore, the research only analyses university students within the Klan Valley area thus it may not be most applicable in terms of different cultural contexts.To elaborate, consumers react differently to prices across countries 00 & Cigarillos, 2007). Compared to individualistic culture, any changes in price in a collectivist culture tend to have greater corresponding perceived laity differences. Hence, a larger sample covering other distinctive areas would be suggested to provide more accurate results (Cooper, 2005). Additionally, this study is limited in that it only covers variables such as price, perceived quality, openness to innovation, corporate person and initiatives and socio-cultural impact that influences consumers' perceptions toward the CEO-fashion concept.The inclusion of other related features such as personality and family could also influence the consumers' perceptions toward CEO-fashion concept. According to Fernery, Park & Brandon 2005), these factors play a unique role in the perception towards fashion retailers and are especially salient in apparel purchases. Th us, further study into other influences on consumers' perception is needed. Lastly, this research is limited as it focuses only on female respondents. Therefore, this may lead to gender bias in the results.

Environmental History Of The Oceans And Seas - 1692 Words

Environmental history of the oceans and seas are daunting topics, either because of the vastness of the oceans and seas, the artificial boundaries, or their seemingly changelessness. Until about 1990, with Arthur McEvoy’s The Fisherman’s Problem: Ecology and the Law in California Fisheries, 1850-1980, historians largely ignored marine ecosystems as areas of research. Focusing instead on inland fisheries, environmental historians have still had to be â€Å"exhorted†¦ to embrace this opportunity† of expanding the discourse of human impacts on marine environments. Scientists, anthropologists, archeologists, and historical ecologists have thus far dominated the production of knowledge concerning historical and current marine ecosystems. In†¦show more content†¦Through a compilation of scholars, Human Impacts on Ancient Marine Ecosystems attempts to show how human disturbance of marine ecosystems in ancient populations. Ranging from Caribbean, North Amer ican Pacific, North Atlantic, and Mediterranean, Human Impacts examines archeological and historical ecological data and case studies from â€Å"around the world to summarize the history of human coastal occupation, environmental change, and human impacts in their area.† Similarly, in Historical Overfishing and the Recent Collapse of Coastal Ecosystems, Jeremy Jackson et al. highlights through paleoecological, archeological, and historical data that aboriginals extensively fished coastal ecosystems, resulting in damaged ecosystems. Through the use of archeological and historical data, these scholars challenge the â€Å"supposedly superior ecological wisdom of non-Western and precolonial societies.† These scholars highlight the damages and exploitation of early human societies on marine ecosystems. However, the data surrounding aboriginal impacts on early marine ecosystems is scarce resulting in fewer scholarly articles on the subject. Beginning in

My Father Was An Alcoholic - 844 Words

We all know the typical meaning of Monday; a new week starting, going back to school or to work, dealing with stress, following a schedule. I go through all these steps every week; however, the day-after Sunday has meant much more to me than a simple week starting again. Astrid, my mother, was living in Cayenne during the Twenties, more specifically in 1987. She followed her parents when they moved because my grandfather was in the army and had been transferred to Guiana. She went through tough moments in her life; her dad was wicked, cold and often away. During the time my mother was a teenager, women were not treated equally as men, most of the time they would stay home, bring the children to school and prepare dinner while the husband would go to work in order to earn money and make live his family. My grandfather was an alcoholic; therefore, he had unacceptable behavior toward his family. My grandmother could not leave with her children because her husband was the only one working and bringing food on the table. It was the end of the weekend. Her dad had been drinking a lot, so she decided to leave for the night with her friends. When she came back on Monday at dawn, he was sitting on her bed waiting for her daughter to enter the room and gave her a lesson that she would never forget. The next day she decided without telling anyone but her mother to leave the house and never come back, not until my grandfather would still be a part of this world. Weeks later, sheShow MoreRelatedEssay about alcoholism1234 Words   |  5 Pages(NIAAA). An alcoholic separates them self from almost all social situations and consumes his/her self in having another drink or thinking about their next drink. Seventy six million Americans, about 43% of the U.S. adult population, have been exposed to alcoholism in the family (NIAAA) . 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In my research, I found recent studies, performed on father-child relationships, and how secure attachment bonds are developed, when the father is not only present, but positively active in the child’s life. The active presence of a father during the first years of a child’s life are importantRead MoreWhat Is the Appeal of Alcohol?1662 Words   |  7 Pagesa tough day in the office or being laid off from the company. Alcoholic parents do not mature decisions and should not be parents. Alcohol makes dealing with children tough, thoughts are slowed and the tendency to overreact to normal actions increases. By partaking in alcohol consumption, risks develop that ordinarily would not be there. Alcoholic beverages are not difficult to come by; they can be found at nearly every store. This was made possible by alcohol distributor’s pow er to export their product