Tourism and Its Impact on a Country's Image Research Paper

Tourism and Its Impact on a Countrys Image - Research piece of music Example903). The power of human body to significantly influence the outlook of individuals has been known from long. Thus, social psychologists had identified take to as an affirmative and potent phenomenon, while the reconcile day marketing research has extensively explored the capacity of brand and other images to guide consumer behavior (Elliot, Papadopoulos, & Kim, 2011, p. 521). The power of image is clearly discernible in touristry and s ever soal big writings in the 1970s served to highlight the importance of image in anticipating travel behavior. As a consequence, tourism destination image (TDI) has emerged as an important perspective of research (Elliot, Papadopoulos, & Kim, 2011, p. 521). Several studies have been conducted with respect to the effect of image on traveler choice. However, the diversity in conceptualizations of place image denotes the absence of a theoretical basis and the fact that th e research has been disjointed (Elliot, Papadopoulos, & Kim, 2011, p. 521). Among the significant sectors of the economy that are experiencing rapid growth, tourism occupies a very important place. This sector has to countenance the possibilities and challenges that are posed by globalization. Tourism markets have traditionally been isolated from one another (Navickas & Malakauskaite, 2009, p. 37). An important development during the past fewer decades has been the diffusion of the boundaries between national businesses. The income of individuals and families has experienced a gradual increase, which in turn has made it attractive for them to travel longer distances, as tourists (Navickas & Malakauskaite, 2009, p. 37). Moreover, global tourism has benefitted enormously on account of the enhancement in the quality of tourist products and services, ingenious tourism marketing strategies, developments in communications and transport, and other related factors (Navickas & Malakauskaite , 2009, p. 37). The ever burgeoning tourism market is being avidly scrutinized by countries that are keen to control the major share of the profits of this industry. This especially holds good for countries that are aquiline on tourism, and which depend almost exclusively on the travel industry and tourism to generate the much needed revenues (Navickas & Malakauskaite, 2009, p. 37). Contemporary existence is within a regime of super brands. This makes it out of the ordinary to consider a city, state, region or nation as a brand. The benefit of having brands is that the consumer finds it much less tangled to make a selection and that the consumer enjoys a particular brand (Gruescu, Pirvu, & Nanu, 2008, p. 253). If a place is to be rendered a center for the promotion and acceleration of economic development, hence it seems logical to manage it as a brand. Such branding will procure an improved value and identity in what is essentially an ever more and more competitive market (Grue scu, Pirvu, & Nanu, 2008, p. 253). It is essential for a branded approach to bring in focus, consistency and to provide leadership that brings together community partners. In addition, such approach should ensure that it emerges as the fulcrum for adding value to customers and this should be promoted by the combined marketing initiatives of the city (Gruescu, Pirvu, & Nanu, 2008, p. 253). In the context of the advanced economies of Central Europe, the chief tearaway(a) forces of foreign policy have been accession to the European Union and integration into the global economy. In several instances, there has been

Marketing Professional Practice Essay Example for Free

Marketing Professional Practice EssayExecutive Summary This report aims to produce some feasible strategies for a non- net profit making boldness caveat For Your subject matter to bring home the bacon objectives in certain aras 1. Enhancing the public cognisantness of the organizations profile and profit 2. comer the newsters and working group segments 3. Gaining more(prenominal) donations for future development and 4. girding the network with aesculapian doctors or nurses as department of spontaneous work.These objectives set up be carried divulge by the three main recommended strategies, include rebranding, sponsorship works, and volunteer computer programs. Before launching other programs, rebranding is recommended to refine the image of handle For Your look by designing a new logotype and gain, which is more professional and appealing to the target market. The rebranding is also related to the strategies for achieving the organizations new directio n.The sponsorship campaigns aim at plucking companies for sponsorship, enhancing public cognisance, and attract donations. The prospective sponsors include snuggle, Hung Fuk Tong, Watson, and HKHC. The respective strategies argon Nestle milk powder lid design, Turn in Your Can Hung Fuk Tong rush For Your kernel soup serial Watson nerve centre Caring Bottle Label Competition and launch of water bottle, carboy bottle design and poster dissemination at dapples cardiac Health trouble Bus, Health direction Charity memory, professional health burbles, and Charity Health sum Day.Furthermore, volunteers for current and future events and campaigns are witnesserd from IVE, medical colleges, doctors, and HKHC. These strategies provide substantial benefits to apprehension For Your soreness. By successfully striving sponsorship and donations, assistance For Your Heart stomach conjure its visibility, awareness and credibility via appearance of logo on sponsors products and web sites. gift is easier to attract wbiddy the organization is more credible, and more funds can be utilise to offer more activities for its members and the public.The campaigns and volunteer programs allow the organization to legislate its young and commerce target markets when products and events are exposed at heavy traffic spots and offices. The sponsorship programs result last for two years, and the volunteer program is on a continuous basis, which the details are installn in the timeline in the later part of this report. And the estimated budget is fit(p). Background of Organization bang For Your Heart is a registered non-profit charitable organization formed by a group of cardiac patients together with their families since 1995.Its services mainly target cardiac patients and their families. In 1998, Care For Your Heart set up the first cardiac mutual help and resource center, and is affiliated to patients and the public health (Organization Introduction 2010). Up until 2011, Care For Your Heart has more than 2600 members, and over clxxx volunteers (Number of Members 2010). Members mostly age around 51 to 80 (Age of Members 2010), and geographically c erstntrated in Hong Kong Island (Residence of Members 2010).The sources of funds is attracted from multiple channels include donations, biotic community Chest, Social public assistance Department and other activities (Sources of Funds 2010). Logo of the Organization The returner-liked logo represents that the organization is concerned most nubble related issues. Vision and mission of Organization Care For Your Heart aims to encourage mutual financial backing spirit among cardiac patients and family support, so that the patients can positively face their illness (Organization Introduction 2010).It strives to compound cardiac patients experience towards cardiac disorders, boost recovery, and prevent the probability of relapse to act as a bridge between patients and medical institutions in order to provide comprehensive services pick up patients, protect and strive for rights and welfares promoting social knowledge about cardiac disease, prevention, caring and accepting cardiac patients and enhance public awareness towards marrow healthiness (Organization Introduction 2010). Care For Your Heart aims to plus the number of members encourage members nd others to volunteer in charitable events and reinforcement activities to attract more electrostatic funding, such(prenominal)(prenominal) as monthly donation to enhance awareness and educate public about the change magnitude trend of youngsters suffering from coronary centre disease to motivate general public changing their careerstyle to improve health to attract business groups awareness about cardiac disease to establish a stronger network with doctors for facilitating volunteer work, and other events and activities. (Future Prospect 2010). . Introduction The chairman of Care For Your Heart has illustrated the curr ent issues faced by the organization and proposed several questions. This report is to develop feasible strategies for the organization to overcome its situation and further development in certain area. 1. Develop relevant strategies in order to enhance the public awareness of the organisations profile and service 2. Attract more younger and working groups to join the organization 3. Gain more donations for further development and 4.Streng so a network of medical doctors or nurses as part of voluntary work. 2. Target Market 3. 1. Target Group The target market is defined by Care For Your Heart, basing on its current situation and problem. Based on research, heart disease has a rejuvenating trend and threatening working group aged 20 years old or above. These groups are targeted as they are constantly under high pressure and heavy workload. Business class with quick life rhythm typically lack of resting time.In addition, they alship canal overlook the importance of keeping their hear t healthy. 3. 2. Medical Doctor Another target group is the medical doctors. Medical doctors play an important role for these kinds of organization because of their professional medical knowledge. Other than that, Care For Your Heart inviting medical doctors for volunteering can expand their network in medical field and increase its credibility to the public . 3. 3. Partnership The following are some suggested partners for Care For Your Heart to support with * Nestle Hung Fook Tong * Watson * Hong Kong Health nab Medical Diagnostic Group peculiar(a) Details provide be illustrated in the following part of the report. 3. 4. Other Stakeholder Stakeholders Details Donors * Existing donors (Social Welfare Department, The Community Chest, Food and Health Bureau) * potence donors at all ages in global * It is important for a non-profit organization to charter positive and enough reputation, which bequeathing determine donation.Policy from donation also affect the operation of the organization University * Helps to disseminate cardiac selective information * Helps to enhance the awareness of the organisation * Eg Hong Kong College of Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong etc Hospital * perish more cardiac patients * Helps to enhance the reputation of the organisation General Public * Opinions leaders who can influence the peers * cardiac patients and families Media * Global newspapers and clips * TV stations, radio stations, newspapers and magazines publishers, leaflets, seminar Potential Investors * Corporations or individuals that are interested to invest in Care For Your Heart (Childrens Heart Foundation and The Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart Diseases Association can enhance the awareness of Care For Your Heart and donation 3. Campaign outline 3. 1. Rebranding As brand is a valuable asset, it allows organization to communicate a clear set of values toward its stakeholders.Non-profit organization is a kind of plan-brand which is assoc iated with an abstract concept, such as cancer awareness, environmentalism or cardiac disease (Daly and Mol unitaryy 2004, 30). The current logo of Care For Your Heart is too old-fashion and poorly deliver the meaning about cardiac care issues. To best meet the target group, suggestion is given for the organization to redesign its logo and name. Rebrandingis the creation of a new name, term, symbol, design, or a combination of them for an established brand with the intention of developing a new position in the straits of stakeholders (Daly and Moloney 2004, 30). The change in the name and logo of the organization may enhance public awareness and reputation.Furthermore, the newly established brand elements can also expose related to the current situation that the organization is facing (Muzellec and Lambkin 2008, 284). The new logo and name designed for the organization aims to better suit the target group, and will be illustrate in the following 3. 1. 1 bare-assed logo The new lo go echoes with the name Care For Your Heart, containing a hand showing a gesture of holding a heart. Hand represents human gesture represents caring heart represent cardiac and compassion. The new logo is simple, more eye-catching, and the meaning is more obvious at a glance than the old version, thus the target market can easily understand the role of Care For Your Heart.Furthermore, the logo shows the cargo of Care For Your Heart to embark on a new direction and coordinate with our proposed strategies. 3. 1. 2 New name Care For Your Heart can name its Chinese name from to. The new name provides formality, thus projecting a more professional image. Moreover, it can better represent the mission of Care For Your Heart, which is to gather cardiac patients for mutual help and enhance publics concern of cardiac disease. 3. 2. Seek For Partnership To achieve the goals proposed by the client, it is necessary for the organization to pledge some partnership in order to support its daily operation and further activities.There are quaternary potential companies for partnering with Care For Your Heart to enhance awareness, funding supply and voluntary work, including Nestle, Hung Fong Tong, Watson and Hong Kong Health Check Medical Diagnostic Group Limited. These potential partners have similar vision and mission within Care For Your Heart in terms of concerning the health of people. The cooperation between for profit business and non-profit organization is called cause-related marketing (CRM), which two parties are involved to create mutual benefits. For profit business implemented CRM to build brands, revitalize tummyorate, carrying out corporate social responsibilities, and make community involvement visible (Papasolomou, and Kitchen 2011, 63).Non-profit organization can be benefited payable to the contributions from the for profit business in order to meet its needs and objectives. CRM is proved to be an important marketing tool which demonstrates a firms com mitment in addressing a social issue (Papasolomou, and Kitchen 2011, 63). The following are the strategies proposed to cooperate with the partners. 3. 3. 1. Nestle Carnation Omega High Calcium milk Powder cogitate for partnership with Nestle Nestle is a well-known nutrition, health and wellness company which founded in Switzerland in 1866. The companys mission is practised Food, Good Life, which is to provide great tasting, nutritionally superior food and beverage, and great services to consumers around the world (Nestle 2011).Creating shared value is a fundamental part of Nestles way of doing business to create long-term value for shareholders and society, which is beyond compliance and sustainability (Creating Shared Value 2011). One of its products, the Carnation Omega High Calcium Milk Powder is chosen as a health product for the World Heart Day in 2010 and 2011. This low-fat milk power can strengthen the heart and reduces cardiac related diseases. The ingredients and sounds of this mike powder are the followings (Milk Powder 2008). i. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid Regulate bodys cholesterin level and benefit to the cardiovascular system. ii. Low-fat Reduce fat absorption which benefit to the heart. iii. High in calcium Benefit to the bones and prevent osteoporosis. iv. Vitamin A, B and E Assist in metabolism and health function.This milk powder was sold in different channels as well as supermarket and drugstore in Hong Kong, such as PARKnSHOP, Welcome and Watson. Each of them operates more than 200 stores and has different customer segments. It is believed that Care For Your Heart can gain benefits with enhanced awareness, and obtaining changeless and long-term based donation. Proposed Strategy I. Cardiac information inside the lid, and logo on the package. Cardiac information as well as 7 ways to protect your heart, Make your heart healthier, etc. is suggested to print on the internal side of the lid. Every time when consumer opens the lid, they can re ad the information provided by Care For Your Heart.A colorful stakeground can be used in order to attract their attention and increase the visibility of such information. Moreover, the logo of the organization is also printed on the package of the milk powder to gain awareness (Refer to Appendix 1 and 2). The followings are the suggested cardiac information. 7 ways to protect your heart * Maintain appropriate cholesterol level by having low-fat diet * Maintain appropriate weight and balanced diets. * Eat 2 fruits each day * At least 30 minutes aerobic exercise per day * No smoking and alcohol * Remain a cheerful inclination * Regular Body check II. Turn in Your cans Yoplait Yogurt, a France originated brand founded in 1964, had launched a campaign called Save Lids to Save Lives for 10 years.The main concept of this campaign was to raise money for charity organization and activities, such as Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation,Race for the Cure, etc. Every lid that the custome r reserved, Yoplait will donate US$0. 1 after(prenominal) they registered the code number on the lid online (Save Lids to Save Lives 2011). A loyalty program called Turn in Your Cans is proposed to achieve long-term relationship among three parties the customer, Care For Your Heart, and Nestle. When customer finished one can of milk powder, they could turn in the can to a supermarket or drugstore, then Nestle could collect those cans for recycling. A stamp would be awarded per one returned can.When customer collected 3, 5 and 10 stamps, they can enjoy discount of 10%, 30% and 50% respectively for the next purchase. This campaign could increase customers loyalty towards this milk powder, and attract purchases from new customers. As a result, Nestle can gain an increase in sales, and Care For Your Heart can receive donations. III. 5% donation from the total sales of the milk powder To obtain long-term donation, Care For Your Heart could receive 5% of total sales from this milk powder . The milk powder is selling at the outlay around HKD$104. 6, which means Care For Your Heart can receive approximately HKD$5 from each can of milk powder sold. 3. 3. 2. Hung Fook Tong Reason for partnership with Hung Fook TongHung Fook Tong is the biggest herbal tea group in Hong Kong founded in 1980s. With more than 700 staff members, and over 100 stores among Hong Kong (Milestone 2011), it is persistent in using genuine ingredients with no added preservatives in the product. Producing and developing quality products are the philosophy of making naturally (Mission 2011). In 2011, Hung Fook Tong acquired the prime awards for corporate social responsibility 2011 from Prime magazine (Company news 2011), which shows that Hung Fook Tong continuously strive to fulfill corporate social responsibility. Hung Fook Tong has introduced a series of Chinese soup and individually packed soup into the market under its brand name.Those series of soup is nourishing, which helps to maintain favo urable body condition and is good for health. As individually packed soup could reduce the time of making soup at home, it is typically popular among working class. Thus Hung Fook Tong is another suggested source to cooperate with for gaining long-term donation and enhancing public awareness. Proposed Strategy I. Care For Your Heart soup series There are several soup recipes shared by some Chinese medical doctors on Care For Your Heart website. Those soups are beneficial to the heart and can prevent heart attack. Care For Your Heart could cooperate with Hung Fook Tong to introduce these series of soup or invest in new soups for the target market.Such as * Mushroomsoup with bamboo fungus andlotus root. * Black hen soup with lily and cloud ear fungus. * Black hen soup with chestnut. These series of soup can sold at a cheaper price HKD$40 for increasing sales volume, which others series are sold at HKD$48 and HKD$63. II. Logo on the package front and cardiac information at the package back The logo of Care For Your Heart is suggested to put on the front side of the individually packaged soup, and some cardiac information at the back. This increases the visibility of the organization, as well as disseminating cardiac information when customer turns the package to look at the ingredient list of the soup.During the selection process, consumers make decisions base on the soups functions, thus the Care For Your Heart series can impress those that concern about heart health, and attract those customers that are previously not aware of the heart health series. The logo of Care For your Heart can also be placed on the menu to increase visibility (Refer to Appendix 3 and 4). III. 5 % donation from the total sales of Care For Your Heart series Care For Your Heart could receive 5% total sales of individually packed soup in order to obtain long-term donation. Each individually packed soup is sold at the price around HKD$40, which means Care For Your Heart can received approx imate HKD$2 from each sold of the soup. IV. CouponHung Fook Tong can also sponsor 500 packs of coupons, which contains 10 pieces within one pack with a total value of HKD$398, to Care For Your Heart for voluntary reward purpose. 3. 3. 3. Watson Reason for partnership with Watson Firstly, Watsons pissing under A. S. Watson Group is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hutchison Whampoa Limited, and is a world-renowned brand for supplying purest quality water. Moreover, the A. S. Watson Group has obtained a number of awards, such as Asias Best defect Award for excellence in Branding and Marketing in 2010 and 2011, Caring Company by the Hong Kong Council of Social Services from 2002 to 2011, and Top Ten Brand call Award by Chinese Manufacturer Association of Hong Kong in 2003 (Our Achievements 2011). Furthermore, A. S.Watson Group is positive related to healthiness, as it owns the Watsons Athletic Club which is committed in sponsoring and supporting local athletic events. Thi s healthy association links with Care For Your Hearts mission to improve publics health issues. Secondly, the A. S. Watson Group is committed in do corporate social responsibilities, and view CSR as opportunities. From A. S. Watson official website We encourage our business unites to develop programmes with organizations that are relevant to local community needs, and we support our employees effort in getting involved and contributing to society (Lai 2011). This provides a favorable circumstance for Care For Your Heart to persuade Watsons participation.Thirdly, Watsons Water has extensive distribution channels, from street stores to big chained supermarkets. With the various availability of channels, it allows Care For Your Heart to increase exposure to the public and enhance the realization of the company name. Proposed Strategy There are 3 main activities in this campaign including Watsons bottled water label design competition, donation from the designed bottle, and cardiac slogan labels on Watsons Water carboy series and posters distributed to offices I. Watsons bottled water label design competition The first arrange of this campaign starts with organizing a Watsons bottled water (both distilled and mineral water) label competition hosts by Watson and cooperates by Care For Your Heart.The theme of this competition is called Watsons Heart Caring Bottle Design Competition, which encourage a submission of bottle label design aiming at enhancing publics awareness towards cardiac disease. The competition will open for one to two months and targets youngsters age 15 to 25, whom are interested in draw or design, and would seek for self-esteem through competition. The opening of this competition will be announced via newspapers (both paid and free), Watsons Waters official website, and Facebook page. For motivation, awards will be given to the top three winners. The tentative prizes include Champion HK$5000 with certificateFirst runner up HK$3000 with certificate Second runner up HK$1500 with certificate All participants will also obtain a certificate as encouragement. After collecting all designs, both Watson and Care For Your Heart will have representatives appraising the designs and select the winners. A press conference will be held for the announcement and award ceremony of the top three winners. And their work will be launched on the bottle, which will be further discussed below. II. Launch of the specially designed bottle for donation to Care For Your Heart After the end of competition, the second stage of the campaign is the launch of this specially designed Watsons Water.The top three winners designs will be launched for 280ML to 800ML bottled water, both distilled and mineral. The distribution channels include all major types of supermarkets (Welcome, Parkn Shop, citysuper etc. ), convenient stores (7-11, Circle K etc. ). The preparation for the label design will be around one month, and the tentative distribution peri od is set to be 2 to 4 months. Care For Your Heart can negotiate the percentage of total sales for donation with Watson. The recommended percentage is 5 to 15%. Furthermore, the label will contain information about the donation. For example Every bottle of water you purchase, Watson will donate $1 for Care For Your Heart on cardiac disease funding. III.Cardiac info/ slogan on the Watsons water carboy series in offices and posters distribution The third stage of the campaign is the launch of promotional label on Watsons Water carboy together with the distribution of posters to offices. The objectives of this event are to create opportunity for Care For Your Heart to reach the business sectors and to increase their awareness towards cardiac disease and provide some tips on prevention. This campaign will last for one to one and a half year. i. wit Posters will be distributed together with the water bottles, and encourages offices to post it in the pantry or places near the water disp enser.The poster will contain some drawing tips on preventing the formation of cardiac disease due to stress and imbalanced lifestyle. The information on the poster is the same as the information on the lids of the Nestle milk powder (Refer to Appendix 5). ii. Label A label is designed for 4. 5L, 12L and 18L bottles which fit most types of water dispenser, containing Care For Your Hearts logo, slogans about heart surety. Appendix 6 shows an example of the label design. IV. 5% donation from the sales of designed Watsons Water bottle Watsons bottle water sold at the price HKD$6. 5, which Care For Your Heart can receive an approximate donation of HKD$0. 3 per bottle of the water sold. 3. 3. 4.Hong Kong Health Check Medical Diagnostic Group Limited (HKHC) Reason for partnership with HKHC Hong Kong Health Check Medical Diagnostic Group Limited (HKHC) is a company providing a variety of body check service to the community and has developed 15 health checking center in Hong Kong. The m ission of the company is to provideexcellentandhigh standards ofimaging anddiagnostic services in order to improvecommunityhealth under the concept ofpreventive medicine. (About Us, 2011) It is chosen to work with Care For Your Heart as the two organizations are share-out similar missions of improving community health and health care awareness. Proposed Strategy I. Cardiac Health Care BusThe main functions of the Cardiac Health Care Bus are to provide free basic heart disease related health checks, for example, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and educate public about heart disease preventions. If patients are diagnosed to have a possibility of getting cardiac disease, they will be refered to HKHC for a comprehensive health check. A medical professional and two volunteers from Care For Your Heart will be on duty in the bus. There will be 6 buses available, 3 for New Territories, 2 for Kowloon and 1 for Hong Kong Island. The buses will serve everyday in two spots with two tim e periods, from 11a. m. to 3p. m, and 4p. m. to 8p. m. , which can serve around 50 to 70 people every day. This idea is feasible as it has been successfully adopted by other organizations, such as the Pok Oi Hospital. II. Health Care Charity Fund (HCCF)HCCF is a working partner of HKHC, who aims to implant the concept of Health we care you care to the community through educational and medical healthcare service (Vision and Mission. 2011). Its missions are to help the needy of the community by offering free health check services and organizing professional health talks to increase the healthcare awareness of the community by promoting the concept of preventive healthcare through comprehensive periodic health check at the highest standard and to serve the community through supporting volunteering services which organized by non-profit making organizations or collaborated with local communities (Vision and Mission. 2011).The nature of this organization fits with Care For Your Hearts vi sion as both organizations achieve their missions by organizing talks, fund raising and voluntary work. Two programs are designed for corporation of CFYH and HCCF. i. Professional Health Talks Health talks will operate once each year at each community center in 18 districts by Care For Your Heart. The talks emphasize on heart care related topics, such as prevention, types of heart disease etc. Professional speakers are the volunteers from HKHC and talks are sponsored by HCCF. Each talk is opened for 100 to 200 audiences (depends on the population of the district) and is free of charge. The target of this campaign is to reach citizens in 18 districts within one year and four months for 6 districts.For the first four months, talks will operate in North, Tai Po, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun and Yeun Long the next four months will operate in yuan Tsing, Kowloon City Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, Wong Tai Sin and Yau Tsim Mong and the last four months will operate in Island, Sai Kung, Centra l and Western, Eastern, Southern and Wan Chai. ii. Charity Health Check Day The date of Charity Health Check Day is set on the World Heart Day in every year. 5 to 10% of body checks income from HKHC will donate to Care For Your Heart through HCCF. HCCF used this format previously with HKHC and the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) on beats and fathers day in 2011.Part of the body check income on that day was donated to HCCF, and the donations are used to provide personal speck link for the elderly people (Tuesday Charity Health Check Day, 2011. ). 3. 3. Potential benefits receive by Care For Your Heart By the partnership with the above sponsors, Care For Your Heart can be benefited in various ways. I. Enhance awareness Firstly, as concerned by Care For Your Heart, it is currently facing low recognition by the public. To reverse this situation, its visibility, awareness and credibility can be increased by having Care For Your Hearts name and logo appearing on sponsors events, and product packaging, which the product is well-recognized, easily found and consumed.Care For Your Heart can also leverage Nestle, Hung Fook Tong, Watson and HKHCs goodwill on being healthy. Moreover, those sponsors enhance Care For Your Hearts publicity by placing the organization name as the beneficiary organization at the end of the TV commercial. II. transcend the target segments Those proposed strategies allow Care For Your Hear to reach its desired target segments the youngsters and businesses. Different channels were used for the distribution of the product by Nestle and Hung Fook Tong, such as supermarket, drugstore and MTR shop as well, which helps in increase exposure and visibility of its name and logo to different segment.Moreover, the Watson bottle water competition provides an opportunity for youngsters to demonstrate their stills in art, and act as a channel to educate them about cardiac diseases through participation. On the other hand, labels on carboy bottles and posters in office pantry can be an attention getting tool. By placing these at prominent spot, it can firstly get their attention. When they are continuously exposed to the information, they will be able to remember and recall the message. Furthermore, if the Cardiac Health Care Bus is successfully introduced, the mobility of those buses can further help Care For Your Heart in reaching more people in Hong Kong. III. Donation Donations can be gained through the sales of each product and the money can be used for funding daily operations or future activities.Furthermore, if the sponsors are willing to renew the contracts with Care For Your Heart, it will be able to obtain donations in a long-term basis. 3. 4. Potential benefits receive by sponsors I. Perform Corporate Social Responsibility The main benefit that Nestle, Hung Fook Tong, Watson and HKHC could gain is to accomplish its role in performing corporate social responsibility. Each company is committed to invest on c reating shared value for society, as well as social welfare, environmental protection and other aspects regarding to the global compact. Companies could achieve its goals when cooperating with Care For Your Heart. II. Improved brand imageFurthermore, the ultimate objective of performing CSR is to improve consumers perception towards the brand, which is being a endorser to the society thus enhancing goodwill. III. Boost Sales Each sponsor can boost its sales or expands market share due to its contribution to the society. Customers are more likely to choose a product when they realize that they can engaging in the contribution process (Stanalan, Lwin, and Murphy 2011, 51). IV. Benefits distributed by Care For Your Heart Care For Your Heart will provide the following benefits to all sponsors * Have a one page free advertisement in the organisation magazine and annual report. Brief profile of the sponsors and the detail of ongoing campaigns on Care For You Heart website * Acknowledge t he name and logo at the bottom of Care For Your Heart official website with hyperlinks to sponsors homepages * Acknowledge the name and logo on all promotion materials including newsletters, organisation magazines, brochure covers or free gift bags etc. * Acknowledge the name and logo of sponsors on volunteers shirts * Provide at least one banner during any events * Announcement of sponsorships in all events or public speech * Guaranteed to be the only sponsor in the same category of industry * Allow to display companys materials or products on the table for any events 3. 5. Volunteers recruitmentThe recruitment of volunteers for Care For Your Heart targets three groups students from IVE, trainees of medical colleges, retired doctors, and the Hong Kong Health Check Medical Diagnostic Group. The details of the recruitment program are the followings. IVE On recruiting volunteers for Care For Your Heart, firstly, a non-academic volunteer program can be opened for the Hong Kong Instit ute of Vocational Education students majoring in Applied Nutritional Science, Pharmaceutical, Medical and Health Care, or Social services. Students are encouraged to apply the campaign throughout their study. This volunteer campaign requires students to participate in volunteer work for Care For Your Heart once in two weeks for four to six hours.The working time will be recorded and accumulated until they graduate or withdraw from the program. A quota on working time is set for students as a goal, for example, dynamic volunteer work for 72 hours in half a year. Students who have achieved the goal of this program will be rewarded with a non-academic award by Care For Your Heart, which is beneficial to their future career. Medical colleges trainees Secondly, trainees in medical colleges of the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong are a respectable group for voluntary works. They obtain the required health care knowledge and elementary first aid skills.Moreo ver, this voluntary program can be include as part of the intern training. Similar with the program for IVE, a certificate will be given to participants as a reward, which helps their future career. Moreover, participants can meliorate their practical experience before they enter the society. Medical professional Thirdly, doctors are another great source to attract as volunteers. They obtain the expertise in the cardiac field thus able to provide professional consultation for patients. Care For Your Heart can target this group by inviting those doctors that are desire self-actualization, and appeal to them through mental motivation. For example, suggesting them to offer one or two days of voluntary consultation.By acquiring a sufficient number of voluntary doctors, members of Care For Your Heart can be benefited as it has more human resources to organize thorough functions and events for its members and the public, thus achieving the goals of increasing public awareness towards ca rdiac disease. Moreover, doctors can enhance their reputation and image by showing their sincerity in contributing to the society. Hong Kong Health Check Medical Diagnostic Group Lastly, referring to the event of the Cardiac Health Care Bus campaign, doctors from the Hong Kong Health Check Medical Diagnostic Group will volunteer for conducting simple tests and explain the health report to patients. Moreover, regarding this event, additive helpers are needed for showing information and assisting the doctor. These helpers can be chosen from IVE and medical college volunteers mentioned above. 3. 6. 5. Motivations to volunteersBesides, by analyzing their profile, Care For Your Heart can obtain data on the number of medical professionals and young volunteers the organization has attracted . ii. Amount of Donation Two sources of donations are needed to be evaluated the public and partnership programs. By measuring the amount of donation from public and sponsoring partners, it can refle ct Care For Your Hearts reputation and credibility in publics mindset. It can also show the benefits gain by both parties when the campaigns are launched (increased sales, product awareness and reputation). iii. Awareness Public opinion research will be conducted 3 times after 4, 12 and 24 months.The survey aims to collect data including awareness and image of the organization frequency and amount of donation and awareness of activities and partnership program. The result will demonstrate whether the new strategies and rebranding are successful in enhancing the public awareness, especially within the working class. Regulate evaluation acts as a monitory function and can state the weaknesses of each program. Therefore, the organization can reinforce certain areas in order to achieve the ultimate goals. 6. Conclusion To conclude, Care For Your Heart could reach its target groups and deliver cardiac related information to the public by adopting the strategies mentioned above.Rebranding and those cooperative strategies can meet its goals effectively and efficiently. By performing cause-related marketing, all participating parties will receive benefits from the campaigns, as well as enhancing public awareness and improving brand image. The sales volume of the newly introduced products and the current product will also be increased, due to the change of customers perception towards the brand. The corporate partners will provide funding supply from the donations gained from product sales, and hence increase the cash flow of Care For Your Heart. Moreover, the reputation of Care For Your Heart will also be enhanced by the well-known partners.http//www. pokoi. org. hk/tc/services_cmedical. aspxhttp//www. hungfooktong. com/news/n017/index. htmlhttp//www.nestle.com/http//www.aswatson.com/our-customers/http//www.hungfooktong.com/tc/ http//www.yoplait.comhttp//www.hkhealthcheck.com/corp/tc/ http//www.hungfooktong.com/overseas_about.phphttp//www.aswatson.com/innovation/http/ /www.hccf.org.hk/en/about_us.htm

Trying To Sell An IPod Essay Example for Free

Trying To Sell An IPod EssayHave you ever ridden a bus or the train feeling bored without no one to verbalise to and wishing that you were listening to something good? Have you ever got on a car or other public transport fomite or went to a public place where the medicament that is playing is somewhat not your preference and you wished that you could somehow change the station? Have you ever comprehend your favorite music playing and wished that you could turn the dial up so that you could enjoy it more? Well wish no more because with an iPod you commode do all these things and so much more. With todays busy and noisy world, both person tries to find a place where they disregard find peace to be commensurate to concentrate and do what they have to do. This can be hard, which is why a lot of people choose to lose themselves in the world of music with their music players. Also, music most definitely kills boredom. There be a lot of times where you find yourself waiting in line without no one to talk to or waiting for someone to arrive and you find yourself standing there looking like an idiot without nothing to do. Other times you find yourself look at those people with their own music players who looks like they argon enjoying what they are hearing and it makes you want to listen to what they are listening to. Digital music players are such popular devices right now because they make music and other files manageable and portable. You can see almost every teenager and young adults bobbing their heads with the grind away of their music from their players. Adults also use this to play music, interpose files, and do other things like podcasting. Podcasting are digital media files, such as audio or video, which are produced in a series (Bertucci What is Podcasting?). Aside from listening to music, students can also find that an iPod has m each other uses. An iPod can be used as a course content dissemination excessivelyl, recording tool, support too l, or a file storage and transfer (Duke University iPod First Year Experience Final valuation Report). So you think that you do not need an iPod? Let me tell you why you should change your mind. There are a lot of digital music players out in the market today however, they are all basically the same because they are all capable of playing music in different formats. So why iPod in particular? The first thing that a consumer looks for is quality. With an iPod, there is no need to worry because its producer, which is Apple, is a very trust brand when it comes to technology (Evans Apple Most believe US Brand). The iPod series are very simple yet show a crystalize of its own that not many companies can not produce. You can find whatever kind of player you need because every player that Apple produces fits every individuals needs. Apple offers the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod classic, and iPod touch. For those with limited budget and could settle for a memory that can hold only abou t 240 songs, an iPod shuffle is the best choice. The 1GB shuffle only be $49 while the newer model with 2GB is at $69 (iPod shuffle). It comes in a variety of colors and with its size, no one will have any problem carrying it around. The iPod classic is probably the best choice among all the iPod products. At $249, it boasts of 160GB storage capability and a sleek design (iPod classic).This is enough to store all your favorite music or albums, as well as photos and podcasts, and other files that you need to carry around. An iPod is something for both the average consumer and the techies. It is simple to use and files can be stored with just a few steps yet it offers so much more to those who would like to take advantage of its full services. If money is not an issue for you and you are always on the go, then an iPhone may be the best to offer. It doubles as an iPod and a cellphone so that there is no need to carry two devices at one time. Having an iPhone lessens the probability th at you might lose the other or both because you have too many things in your hand. Imagine life without music. This will be what your life would be like without an iPod. It can become sad, boring, and quiet. Without it, you will be able to hear every other noise there is in the world, which will make it hard to concentrate. Another great thing about an iPod is that it can be a social tool. It can become something to talk about between friends or colleagues. It can be added to the long list of topics that guys can use to talk about with the girls they like. For girls, it can be something to do while trying to ignore a guy you do not want to talk to. Many people argue that the iPod has become too commercial and the individuality is lost all together. However, people should realize and keep in mind that this is bound to happen because of its success. Other music players do not do well on the market simply because they can not beat the iPods features and looks. With its affordable price and unbeatable features, why would you settle for anything less? Everyone owning an iPod does not matter because what it does for you is more important.Works CitedBertucci, Brian. What is Podcasting? About.com. 14 April 2008. http//podcasting.about.com/od/basics101/a/whatis.htmDuke University iPod First Year Experience Final Evaluation Report. June 2005. 14 April 2008 cit.duke.edu/pdf/reports/ipod_initiative_04_05.pdfEvans, Jonny. Apple Most Trusted US Brand. Macworld. 17 May 2007. 14 April 2008 http//www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSSnewsID=18062iPod classic. Apple. 14 April 2008 http//www.apple.com/ipodclassic/iPod shuffle. Apple. 14 April 2008 http//www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/

Holfstede’s Cultural Constraints Essay Example for Free

Holfstedes heathen Constraints EssayIn his article Cultural Constraints in Management Theories, G. Holfstede (1993) argues his main point that there is really no universal management theory, such that the means to manage organizations greatly vary crossways countries and cultures. For instance, the conceit of management in the United States is different from, say, Asia or Europe, let alone apply to the two latter regions. A specific management concept or exercise may be accepted in America and it does not mean that it is also accepted in some another(prenominal) part of the world. Holfstede begins by exploring the origins of the concept of management in cultures in varying times and notes the differences in the management theories. For example, managers are said to be cultural heroes in British and American regions while Germans see the engineer as the one having a heroic role just because German presidents and CEOs already have know their specialized skills and, hence, do es not call for a manager. In Japan, the permanent worker group bears the heroic role and that these workers are controlled not by managers but by their group.French people, on the other hand, do not have the notion of managers as Americans know of them. Rather, French workers think of one another as cadres, cadres creation a social class obtained by learning at the proper schools and a social class maintained for a lifetime. Another case is that of Holland where the practice of managing people rests on the need for a consensus among all the involved individuals. These practices are established neither by contractual relationship nor by class distinctions but by an open-ended balancing of interests and exchange of views.In essence, Holfstede firmly maintains that the American concept of management theories vary from nation to nation and culture to culture. That being said, no management theory unique to a certain country or culture can perfectly apply to another culture and country precisely because of the variations among these cultures and countries. Reference Holfstede, G. (1993). Cultural Constraints in Management Theories. Academy of Management Executive, 7(1) 81-94.

Pakistan is one of the top cotton producing countries of the world

Pakistan is one of the nobble cotton producing countries of the worldExecutive SummaryPakistan is one of the most top cotton producing country of the world. Pakistan has the tendency to produce the best quality cotton in the world, beca employment of that Pakistan exportations its cotton to contrasting buyers across the globe. Garment and material patience of Pakistan of necessity a component p art of investment to flourish its production plants to cave in more than and more to the country and others in the globe as well.Currently country creation in inflation affected the entire industry. As prices of all products take in gone extravagantly, companies are forced to produce little. The governmental situations in our country have made the industrial arena bare losses. The policies and laws are hindering the activities of the industry. Beca economic consumption of that the other competing countries are acquiring an edge oer Pakistan.More research postulate to be done in this sector to avail all the possible technologies to murder our material and garment industry break. Other than that our makes to start producing end wearable garments and then export them to attach the exports and increase awareness of the local brands. Currently popular cloth is working on producing jean for renowned brands of the world. Government demand to make struggles to establish the garment industry in Pakistan.Table of ContentContentsContents 2Introduction 4 perseverance Scenario 7Industry Facts and Figures 7Problems in industry 7Technology being implied 8Business Model epitome 8 uprise Analysis 12 energy 12Weakness 13Opportunity 16Threats 18SWOT Analysis (Summary) 19Strengths 19Weaknesses 19Opportunities 19Threats 19PEST Analysis 2020Political Outfit 2020Economical Analysis and Performance 20Social Liabilities and Duties 21Technological Requirements and up class 22PORTER Five Forces Model 231.Bargaining power of customers (demand scenario) 2424Factors 242.B argaining power of suppliers ( provide scenario) 24243. Threat of new entrants 26264. Threat of substitutes 275. Competitive rivalry 28Contri aloneion to Exports 30Conclusion 31References 32Garment Industry of PakistanIntroduction stuff and Garments is considered the most important sector of Pakistans economy and the largest industry with a 46% look at of total manufacturing. Accounting for 67% of exports, employment for 40% of the workforce and a 10.20% share in GDP confirms the importance of this sector. Pakistans large available human resource pool offers an important incentive for further growth of this get the picture intensive industry.Contribution of Textile Garment SectorPercentage ContributionTotal Manufacturing46%Total Exports67%Employment for Workforce40%Total treat in GDP10.20%Although Pakistan is the fourth largest cotton producer in the world with strong spinning and weaving bag, the look on added sector (cotton products) has a small share in exports. The main re ason is shortage of training facilities able to enhance skills and produce competent middle managers having in-depth knowledge of processes and hands-on experience in coeval technologies.Garment manufacturing is a major growing sub-sector of the cloth range chain. It consumes the majority of the workforce in Pakistans textile and garments industry and has been contributing towards the high growth-rate in exports as figures shows it is 67% contributing in export of Pakistan.However, the garment industry is now suffering from some acute problems in productivity, in quality, in care merchandising skills and thus facing a serious threat of a reduced share of international securities industrys. jibe to the World Banks report on the impact of Quota excretory product in Pakistan, the effect on apparel exports from Pakistan will be negative due(p) to stronger competition from other countries. The implication would be serious if no implement is taken to improve productivity and e fficiency.In the garments sector, Pakistans productivity is estimated to be only 37% of the benchmark established by China. Compared to this, Indias garments sector productivity is better, at 46%. For Pakistan, raising productivity by improving production process efficiency is disclose to reap benefits later on the Multi-Fibre Agreement was abolished. If Pakistan is able to increase its productivity in textiles and clothing by 60% and reach Chinas productivity level, the gain would likely be over US$ 1 billion per year.Keeping in thought process the emerging trend in the global market, there is a huge potential for Pakistans garment sector. However, to be hawkish in the global market after the removal of the quota regime in January 2005, it is imperative to have efficient and cost effective production systems with minimum wastages to attract buyers. The TUSDEC need assessment which included discussions/interviews with the key garment exporters cl early(a) revealed the need for u rgent reforms in the textile industry and especially in garment manufacturing and exporting as this is the most value added sector. This need had never before been felt as intensely as now, in the major garments clusters located in Lahore, Karachi, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan. In unison they expressed that the existing infrastructure of textile garments institutes in the country is not able to fulfill the requirement for skilled human resources to meet the immediate demand.The need assessment showed that an intervention for fast-track depicted object building of the garment industry to meet the challenges posed by the ever-changing demand of international markets was justified. To cope with this dire need, it was proposed to hire contradictory experts on eagle-eyed term basis to upgrade the knowledge and skills of the workers employed in the garment industry.Industry ScenarioAs quoted by Chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mill Association, Textiles are the most important indust ry in Pakistan. It accounts for just about 40 percent of manufacturing employment, over 60 percent of total exports, and over 30 percent of value-added production. Pakistans textile industry, based on locally grown cotton, produces cotton yarn, cotton cloth, and made-up textiles and apparel.Industry Facts and FiguresAs data cited at web published edition of aptma, Pakistan had a total of 503 spinning mills with an installed capacity of 10,437,000 spindles and 155,104 rotors. The weaving industry has 53 integrated units (composite units with spinning and weaving in one unit) with an installed capacity of 14,130 looms 512 shuttle less weaving units with an installed capacity of 13,340 1ooms and approximately 30,000 units in the power loom (shuttle loom) sector, with an estimated 225,253 looms. In PFY-97 it excessly had 670 finishing units with a production capacity of 3,460 gazillion sq. meters of fabric per annum, 700 knitwear units with 15,000 plain machines, and 4,000 garment un its with 160,000 industrial and 450,000 domestic sewing machines. Exports of all textiles in PFY-97 totaled a value of USD 5.4 billion. The major buyer of textile clothing and accessories was the United States, which purchased USD 309.2 million of goods. (Michelle, Pakistan Profile, January/February 2007)Problems in industryPakistans excessive economic reliance on the textile industry now necessitates the upgrade of its confused value-added textile products to higher value-added products and the development of additional export markets. The Government of Pakistan (GOP) has reportedly constituted a textile commission to examine the problems of the textile industry and guide its future planning in the effort to turn this vital sector of the country economy into a healthy and internationally competitive industry. The upgrade to value-added production will require more school machinery. Trade sources believe that given favorable rupee/dollar parity, the textile industry may be expecte d to grow by as frequently as 10 to 15 percent annually over the next 2-3 years.Technology being impliedIn PFY-98 Pakistan offered an import market of USD 213 million for the sale of textile machinery, equipment and parts. Statistics for domestic production are not available, but trade sources report that manufacture, which is gear to demand, is at the present time negligible. The market has declined drastically over the cash in ones chips six years. In PFY-93, Pakistan imported USD 789.2 million worth of textile machinery. Imports poisonous in subsequent years to USD 352.7 million in PFY-94, USD 294.9 in PFY-95, USD 187.0 million in PFY-96 and USD 129 million in PFY 97. Given improved financial conditions, the import market share is expected to increase by 10 percent annually over the next three years. (Citied at website of aptma.)Business Model AnalysisThe textile industry is today based almost entirely in the private sector as the inefficiency of the public sector units has fo rced the GOP to privatize them. The three remaining textile units in the public sector are integrated units and are to be offered for privatization in the very near future.Pakistans textile spinning industry is presently in a crisis. As a return of poor cotton harvest-festivals, the sezession of cotton subsidy and the export of raw cotton, the industry, whose feasibility has been based on the use of low-priced cotton, is no spaciouser viable.Pakistans weaving sector has an installed capacity of 14,130 looms in integrated weaving mills 13,340 looms in shuttless weaving units and approximately 200,500 to 225,250 looms in the power loom sector. The looms installed in the integrated units are nonagenarian and less than approximately 40 percent are working. The independent weaving units are a relatively new phenomenon in the Pakistan market, and have been created as a result of market demand, government incentives and the move towards higher quality products.Pakistans finishing indu stry is comprised of approximately 670 units, the majority of which are independent units and complimentary to the weaving industry. Their installed capacity is old and needs replacement. The integrated units are reported to have a capacity utilization of only 35 percent of installed capacity as most of their machinery is as well old and uses outdated applied science. (Citied at Directors Review of aptma.)Competing CountriesExport Share of Market- Trend AnalysisCountry1980199020002005Variance2000 2005China4.08.918.226.98.7Turkey0.33.13.34.31.0India1.72.33.13.0(0.1)Mexico0.00.54.42.6(1.8)Bangladesh0.00.62.02.30.3Vietnam0.91.70.8Pakistan0.30.91.11.30.2Sri Lanka0.30.61.41.0(0.4)Thailand0.72.61.91.5(0.4)Source United States Department of kitchen-gardeningGlobal Market SharesTop 15 retailers worldwideS. NoRetailerOriginMarket Share USD Millions1Wal-Mart Stores Inc.the States$219,0002Carrefour radicalFRANCE$61,5653Royal A holdHOLLAND$57,9764The Home Depot, IncUSA$53,5535The Kroger Co. USA$50,0986Metro AGGERMANY$43,3577TargetUSA$43,3558AlbertsonsUSA$37,9319KmartUSA$36,15110SearsUSA$35,84311SafewayUK$34,30112CostcoUSA$34,13713TescoUK$33,61414JCPennyUSA$32,00415Aldi EinkaufGERMANY$31,310(Source Stores/Deloitte Touch Tomahatsu)SWOT AnalysisStrength huffy material BasePakistan has high self sufficiency in raw material and is the fourth largest producer of cotton. Abundant use of cotton resources has made the Textile industry of Pakistan move towards the area of industrialization.LaborCheap labor has always been the backbone of the economy of Pakistan. Cheap and ample supply of labor strengthens the industrial and agriculture sector of the country. Around 39% of the labor force works in the textile sector. As Karl Marx said that we have to use the army of labor present in the country for productive means. Thus cheap and abundant labor means low cost of production.Rich hereditary patternDue to cultural diversity and rich heritage, designers come up with new different a nd attractive designs which are appreciated worldwide. Our culture comprises of Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi and Pushtoo values. Also we are besides influenced by the Indian culture through the media exposure, which of course gives the Pakistani designers an inspiration and taste of Karnataka, Rajhastani styles, etc. This varied culture and fusion among these two neighbours gives inspiration to the designers to give their best in terms of styles, creativity and fashion.Domestic MarketThe recent shift of the universe from the agrarian society to the urban areas, increased income levels and growth of the population raised the domestic demand. This means more factories more manufacturing units, more supply and more labor.WeaknessResearch DevelopmentDeveloped countries are using the applied science of genetic engineering and biotechnology to increase the quality and quantity of their cotton production. They are able to grow colored cotton, organic cotton and several different varieties cotton to added value to the textile chain. In Pakistan, there is very some research done on small scale by private companies to pay modified cotton fibers. Practically no efforts are being made by the APTMA in the RD of the textile industry to enhance the quality of its products, upgrade the technology used, and encourage effective methods of production in order to compete internationally. Instead the industry suffers miss of latest means of production and falling cotton crop output every year. Due to low quality of cotton crop, profitability decreases and the farmer switch to the other crop such as sugar cane, lemon yellow and thus the cotton production decreases.More Dependence on CottonAs the textile sector is heavily dependent on cotton production, low cultivation of cotton will deteriorate the textile industry. On the other hand, Pakistan lacks expertise in the development, production and marketing of synthetic products and fabrics required for items like swimwear, skiwear and industrial apparel. So far Pakistan has been unable to diversify in the export of textiles and is heavily dependent on undivided fibre that is cotton and its blends. This dependence on single crop economy is restricting the diversification of exports from Pakistan.Labor productivityDespite of the abundant supply of the labor, productivity of the labor is very low. According to a shoot by Federal Adviser on textiles, the regional competitors of Pakistan take75 minutes to complete and produce one piece of cloth whereas we take 133 minutes for the same work. We overly waste 30% in finishing and 12% in washing. European buyers recommended that we should cut our costs up to 45%in sewing by getting more efficient. Labor productivity can be improved by giving the labor appropriate training with the advancement of technology so as to make them more efficient and with lower wastage of resources. In China an average 70 hours of training are given to labor to enhance their expertise.Po or rootThe important resources and infrastructure, such as adequate of supply of water, continuous supply of electricity and gas, efficient logistics and transportation, tax structure, raw material supply are all basic requirements for the development of an industrial base. However, on the other hand, the industry is faced with rising charges of the energy sector, which increases the cost of production, making it difficult to compete with the other regional rivals.Poor Quality StandardsWith the exception of big and leading units who comply with global quality standards in textiles, most of the medium and small sized units can not ensure the reliable and consistent quality standards. Some of these textile units import second hand machinery from China, India, Korea, and Taiwan with no checks and balances on the quality of the machinery parts and tools. alternative is only given to the cheap and workable machinery with no concern of the quality of the machine, therefore, resulting in poor quality of the end product. The industry can generate more profit by adding more value to the product, as value can be measured in terms of quality, increased per unit price, etc. Pakistans textile industry should focus on latest material handling techniques and should train workers. The inability to timely modernize the equipment, machinery and labor has led to the decline of Pakistani textile competitiveness.Unstable Political SituationPolitical unrest, strikes and terrorism have critically affected the economy of Pakistan. Frequent changing of the government has adversely maligned the policies of the textile sector. According to the World Trade Review Pakistan has failed to take necessary steps needed to meet post Multi-Fiber Agreement (MFA) challenges for its textile industry owing to lack of political will by the successive governments. In 1978 World Bank surveyed the Pakistan textile industry and reported many deficiencies in this sector. It also gave certain measures to resolve these issues, but unfortunately all these problems still persist and the industry is still unable to keep its pace with the international market. Successive governments lacked the will to reform human resources and adapt the marketing techniques that resulted present scenario in this industry.System Orientation And Supply ChainNowadays, customers are very systematic in their work and the expect the same professionalism from their vendors. Unfortunately, we lack this capability and are not competent to struggle in the international business, thus losing many opportunities. On the other hand supply chain management is rarely implemented. We are disorganized, disconnected and dis torted. Time management is very much important aspect in the business and buyers expect on time pitching to match the retail launch of the Spring/ Summer or Autumn/Winter seasonal collections on time . Delayed delivery of export orders result increase in cost due to fines by the buyers and at times losing business altogether due to the breach the order con-tract.OpportunityPakistan Textile metropolisPakistan Textile City in Port Qasim, Karachi with an area of 1250 acres, will be completed in 2011 as a private public sector occasion venture. The main purpose of the textile city is to provide the textile industry with the world class infra structure to meet the global competitiveness and challenges and as to provide value added textile industrial zone. Its main features include one way window operation, constant supplies of gas and water, and uninterrupted power supply.MarketingTargeting the unexplored export markets with the help of aggressive sales and marketing will pave the way for the textile growth. Its all about hunting your opportunities with the handful of colorful lollipops. If we make investment in our sales force and train them in the fine art of marketing textile products, we can engender a much bigger market share from other smaller competitors. quislingism with Foreign CompaniesNo company in the world can afford to ignore the strategic and competitive benefits of making partnership with another company to strengthen the market position. By making partners with the foreign companies, we will be able to learn a lot from them in terms system orientation, supply chain and it would be feasible to import latest technology. We can also reduce our costs, comply with the inter-national standards, and add value to our products, easiness in marketing our products in different foreign regions, improved labor and thus catching up with our regional competitors.Re-engineering of Production System data technology has a crucial role in manufacturing sector. Acquiring state of the art machinery is though very much expensive, but a very berried and necessary measure to confront competitive in the immense run. It is the level of trust the exporter builds with its customers by giving them flawless products, made on state of the art machinery. Once this trus t is developed, there is no other way than any unforeseen exception that you may lose a customer to another competitor. Therefore, it is super recommended to produce with great efficiency, minimizing the wastage of the raw material, energy resources and thus reducing the cost of production.Producing high Value ProductsIts better to export yarn than raw cotton. Similarly its better to export finished fabric than to export grey fabric (raw fabric). Furthermore its very much feasible to export readymade garments than to only fabrics. What makes the latter better is the value added and subsequent increase in per unit price. Therefore, the textile industry should focus on the finished products so as to create more value in their products and reap larger margin of profits. The industry should also diversify into other areas such as technical textiles and nonwovens in order decrease its dependence on conventional and commodity textiles, which is highly sensitive to per unit price and volu me for the profit margin.Image Building of Pakistan to Attract FDISecurity measures should be taken to palliate the buyers and investors to visit Pakistan for investments. Secure business environment must be needed to attract golden sparrows to facilitate business dealings and building positive visualise of Pakistan that they can rely upon.Reducing the Cost of BusinessChina and India are much cheaper in labor, raw material and utilities as compared with Pakistan. Rising inflation also increase the cost of production. We have to control these unnecessary costs if we have to survive in the middle of the two giants of the textile sector in the world.Threats vernal competitorsPakistan is facing new competitors in textile sector such asBangladeshVietnamTurkeyThough we cannot avoid competition but we can always stay ahead of them by reforming our strategies and educating our entrepreneurs so as to move one step forward in every aspect.Phasing out of quota SystemAs the quota system is go vern out by WTO, there is a threat by the Chinese and Indian manufacturers to gain most of the market share. We have high costs, low labor productivity and inefficient production processes. direction life CycleFashion changes rapidly now a day. Media has so much penetrated in our daily lives that we good adapt our-selves as it wants us to. This has resulted in shortening the fashion lifecycle thus increasing the fashion risk. Now the buyer does not want to wait long for his consignment because he is insecure that by the time it will reach to him he will lost its demand due to change in fashion. Therefore, they select to buy from neighboring countries even at higher cost to get their products instantly rather than to wait weeks or months for their consignments to reach them.SWOT Analysis (Summary)StrengthsRaw material BaseLaborRich HeritageDomestic MarketWeaknessesResearch DevelopmentMore Dependence on CottonLabor ProductivityPoor InfrastructurePoor Quality StandardsUnstable Polit ical SituationSystem Orientation And Supply ChainOpportunitiesPakistan Textile CityMarketingCollaboration with Foreign CompaniesRe-engineering of Production SystemProducing high Value ProductsImage Building of Pakistan to Attract FDIReducing the Cost of BusinessThreatsNew competitorsPhasing out of quota SystemFashion life CyclePEST AnalysisPolitical OutfitTextile industry, and all other business in the field are subjected to very high risk due to unstable political outfit, this restricts joint ventures in the industry. We only have only one example of joint Venture in the industry that is Lucky Tex SITE with J. Rosenthals and Sons of England. As the political outfit is extremely unstable and does not guarantee any consistency over the span of time, therefore attracting foreign investment in the sector is very limited, and only confined to term financing, or credits.Economical Analysis and PerformanceTill not so long ago, the Pakistan textile industry was one of the key drivers of gr owth and employment generation.The plight of the textile exports continued during the first four months (July-October) of current financial as they fell by around one percent during the period.The export of textile products came to $3.539 billion in the period under review, which is 2008 against $3.573 billion in the corresponding period of former year.At a time when growth in export is badly needed to plug the widening trade deficit, the dismal performance of the largest export earning textile sector is causing serious problems for the state in its efforts for registering quantum jump in export earnings.Complaining about the high cost of production of textile products due to expensive raw materials and high rates of utilizes the textile associations are clamoring for incentives in the shape of RD support to enable them to compete in the international market.The dissolution shows that almost all the categories in textile group performed dismally during the period under review. (Pa kistan Textile Journal, October2008)(Microeconomics of competitiveness, Textiles cluster in Pakistan, 2007)Social Liabilities and Duties160 million population growing 3%Growing trend of urbanizationViable middle classIncreasing literacy among femalesPer capita income growing 14% = $ 652GDP growth = 2%Retail whole sale trade is 18.4 % of GDPStock exchange crossed 8000 pointsmillion of expatriate workersTechnological Requirements and up gradationPakistan textile industry is blessed with state of the art machinery, and local entrepreneurs remain well updated in this scenario. Thou, there is no or limited government support in up gradation programs at the moment, but previously from 2003 to 2005 this sector has enjoyed multiple benefits on import of technology and machinery in terms of GOPs program for BMR, so that industry could be geared up to meet challenges of WTO, once the quota regime was over.PORTER Five Forces ModelOne of the worst hit sectors during the skyrocketing intere st rate scenario in the late 90s and early 2000s, the debt-laden Pakistan textile industry has spun many turn-around stories since then. Aided by lower interest rates, restructuring packages from financial institutions and the recent dismantle of quotas the sector is today well poised to capture growth opportunities. In 2008, the sector contributed 20% to industrial production, 9% to excise collections, 18% of employment in industrial sector, nearly 20% to the countrys total export earnings and 4% to the GDP. The textile sector employs nearly 35 m people and is the second highest employer in the country. Infect, it is estimated that one out of every six households in the country directly or indirectly depend on this sector. Here we analyze the sectors dynamics through Porters five-factor model.(Thompson, Strickland III,Strategic Management, Concepts and Cases. 15th Edition)Bargaining power of customers (demand scenario)FactorsHUFAMUFANeutralMFAHFA12345Number of Important buyersFewXM anyThreat of Backward integrationHighX small-scaleProduct suppliedComodityXSpecialitySwitching costLowXHigh% of buyers costHighXLowProfit Earned by BuyerHighXLowTotal1524045Score2.50Global textile clothing industry is currently pegged at around US$ 440 bn. US and European markets dominate the global textile trade accounting for 64% of clothing and 39% of textile market. With the dismantling of quotas, global textile trade is expected to grow (as per Mc Kinsey estimates) to US$ 650 bn by 2010 (5 year CAGR of 10%). Although China is likely to kick the bucket the supplier of choice, other low cost producers like Pakistan would also benefit as the overseas importers would try to mitigate their risk of sourcing from only one country. The two-fold increase in global textile trade is also likely to drive Pakistans exports growth. Pakistans textile export (at US$ 15 bn in 2005) is expected to grow to US$ 40 bn, capturing a market share of close to 8% by 2010. Pakistan, in particular, is l ikely to benefit from the rising demand in the home textiles and apparels

Gender Divisions and Differences in Work

Gender Divisions and Differences in WorkToday, wo hands give gained a new sufficientity with custody. This perspective is indisputableThis review explores the contemporary literature on the theme of wowork force and field of study in the come of the suggestion that women shake up indisputably gained a new equality with men. Overwhelming march has been name for the persistence of trip outual practice inequalities which work to disadvantage women in the linguistic context of work, including municipal work, although it is drop off that providing explanations for this phenomenon has sh stimulate that the issue is complex and highly contested. It is argued that a redefinition and re-interpretation of the inter-dependence in the midst of nonrecreational and rent-free work, c ar and leisure is needed.There seems no doubt that in order for in that location to be a greater measure of real gender equality, antheral identity, in particular, must beer-examined and transplantd . It seems pass on that explore and policy ar focusing to a greater extent on the ways in which fondness, in particular, is perceived and constructed in gender terms. However, in order to effect real change in gender equality, it is argued that thither must be recognition of the myriad of ways in which both masculinities and femininities ar constructed and interact with each other in this complex field.Chapter One IntroductionThe focus of this literature review is upon the theme of women and work deep down the context of the premise that women harbour gained an indisputable equality with men. Whilst it seems, in theory, to a greater extent equitable, to have included commentary and research in equal amounts from men and women, an exploration of the literature revealed a far greater contribution to the debate from women than from men, perhaps by virtue of womens perception of their own disadvantaged position, and this bias is thence reflected in the variety of sources cited.Li terature search was conducted within a University library database, using the search criteria women and work and gender equality and work and this yielded access to a selection of books and articles. The sources selected for inclusion in the review were restricted to those which specific every(prenominal)y focus upon gender differences and inequalities in the realm of work, defined in its widest sense to include that undertaken within the household as well as work in the formal ram market. Due to the plethora of writing and research in this field, the decision was make to restrict sources to those produced within the last ten years, thus maintaining a contemporary focus, although references argon made to earlier works.Chapter topics reflect the themes which emerged from the literature. Chapter Two presents a historical overview of womens employment and the major political orientation by which it has been underpinned in British federation together with the ways in which the con trasting patterns of employment between men and women have served to disadvantage women, particularly in economic terms. Chapter Three explores women as employees in more depth, particularly the ways in which organisations, occupations and playing argonas of work atomic number 18 profoundly gendered and how this, again, seems to work against women, although it will be shown that this is a contested area.The focus in Chapter cardinal is upon internal labour and the ways in which its traditional construction as womens work has been strongly contested. The different ways in which work is itself construed, in both the traditional world of work and the private domain, sets the scene for a change of emphasis. The literature reflects a movement, in Chapter Five, from a concentration upon the inequalities and unjustnesss heaped upon women through patricentric structures towards a redefinition of the key issues through an exploration of the increasingly blurred distinctions between no nrecreational work, un give domestic work, care and leisure.A reinterpretation of caring and how this may be incorporated into the discourse on gender and work has been highlighted. It is argued that there is a clear need for more serious ac seem to be taken of the lived experiences of both men and women, to celebrate, rather than denigrate, gender differences and to strive to understand the ways in which much(prenominal) differences are constructed in ways which may disadvantage both men and women.Chapter Two The nature and extent of womens employmentMany commentators have tell the different ways in which women and men have organized their lives together and how the work that each undertakes has changed and developed over time (Crompton, 1997 as marriageet,1997). Crompton (1997) describes how the gender voice of labour originated from, and was profoundly reshaped by, the advent of industrialisation in Britain.By the turn of the 20th century, men became increasingly associated with paid or market work, whilst women were identified with the household and non-market work. This cut back became intimately connected with an ideology of womanhood which effectively served to exclude women from market work. As Crompton asserts, the male-breadwinner model emerged from the ideology of separate spheres in which the home and domestic sphere was defined as belonging to women, whilst that of the extraneous world including the workplace was defined as that of men (1997, p.8).There seems little doubt, as will become clear later in this review, that assuming the main obligation for household tasks and child-rearing has had a significant impact upon womens federation in market work.The idea that this responsibility is somehow natural can be said to underpin many family-related explanations for womens behaviour in the labour market, however, this is clearly a contentious issue. Those who congest the view that the gender division of labour manifested in todays society is rooted in biological differences between the sexes include Hakim (1995 1996) and mug (1998).Hakim (1995), for example, sets out to explain the particular patterns of womens employment in Britain and how they are distinct from those of men. She draws on findings from the socio-biological field which cite male traits of aggressiveness, dominance and scrap as rooted in hormonal differences between men and women. These natural masculine traits are seen as instrumental in the disproportionate participation and advantage of men in the employment sphere.In similar vein, Browne (1998) argues, that biologic in ally influenced sex differences in behaviour have serious ramifications for the occupational choices made by men and women in the working sphere and their differential employment patterns.Whilst clearly decrying outright sexual discrimination, Browne suggests that much of the glass ceiling and gender ranch is the crossway of basic biological sex differences in personality and temperament acting in the context of the modern labour market and that these differences are the product of differential reproductive strategies followed by the two sexes during the course of human evolution (1998, p.5). Browne argues that instead of denying the reality of these natural sex differences in the pursuit of socially constructed explanations for the gender spreading, it will be more productive for feminists, in particular, to embrace them and incorporate them into future discourse about work.Hakim (1995 1996) is also little of feminist commentators on womens employment, such(prenominal) as Wallaby (1990), who have suggested that occupational segregation, the construction of womens jobs as separate from mens jobs, has been a mechanism through which women have been systematically denied access to jobs by men.Hartmann (1982), as cited by Crompton (1997), described the rationale behind occupational segregation by sex as the mechanism through which mens superiority over wo men is maintained by enforcing lower wages for women in the labour market in order ensure their dependence on men. Hartmann (1982) asserts that men benefit from both higher wages and the domestic division of labour and thus, the latter, in turn, serves to perpetuate womens inferior position in the labour market (Crompton,1997, p.11). Hakim argues against this analysis, however, suggesting that the different pattern of womens labour-force participation and work commitment is due to womens choices jibe to their tastes and preferences. Hence, some women choose to give more priority to their domestic function and child-rearing and slight to their employment careers, though, for example, working part-time rather than full-time or opting for less(prenominal) demanding occupations (Hakim, 1996).Hat (1997) discusses the issue of gender and work from an economic perspective and points out that the labour resources of an economy include women and men engaging in productive application in both the labour market and the household. The working population, however, is term close to often used, particularly by economists, to describe those women and men who are engaged in paid employment, self-employment, in Forces, on work-related training schemes or registered as unemployed.This effectively excludes all those women or men in the unpaid sector and full-time housewifes. Hat (1997) records that in1993, in the 16 to 64 age group, 71% of all men and 53% of all women were participating in the working population. The commensurate Opportunities Commission reveal that in the same age group in 2004, over 83% of men and 70% of women were economically active (EOC, 2005, p.8). Although caution is needed in comparisons between different sets of statistics, it seems clear that a larger proportion of men than of women participate in the working population but the gap would seem to be closing.It is notable, however, that patterns of labour force participation by women and men are bo th distinct and different. Hat (1997) notes that, in 1993, for prime age male workers aged 24 to 49, participation rates were over 90%, declining after the age of 50. For women in 1993, the participation rate was 71% for the age range 24 to 34, falling to 54%for women with a child under 5 years old, increasing again as children enter school.Similarly, in 2004, 52% of mothers with children under 5years old were in employment, of these women, around 66% were working part-time. Crompton (1997) observes that almost all of the increase in womens employment in Britain from the 1950s until the 1980s was impart-time work. This trend is further underlined in the latest statistics in that nearly half of all women (44%) and about 10% of all men work part-time (EOC, 2005).As the statistics show, clearly women are more likely than men to work on a part-time basis. Writers seem divided as to explanations for this phenomenon. Wallaby (1990), for example, has suggested that the expansion of part ti me employment represents a kind of capitalist, patriarchal conspiracy in which mainly male employers have secured womens cheap and docile labour, whilst at the same time freeing women to continue undertaking domestic labour in the home. Crompton(1997), also, notes that part-time work.has a reputation of being insecure, low-paid and with little by way of training or promotion prospects (p.33). She cites Beeches and Perkins (1987) who suggest that trustworthy jobs were actually constructed as part-time jobs because they were seen as womens jobs, invariably low graded and rarely defined as skilled (Crompton, 1997, p.33).Other writers, such as Hakim (1996), deny the assertion that employers have sought to construct poor work for women, asserting instead that it is women themselves who have demanded part-time work to fit in with their other domestic responsibilities employers have simply responded to meet this demand (Hakim, 1996). Evidence from research by Rubbery et al(1994), however , suggests that not further is part-time work less flexible than full-time work and of inferior quality, but also it has been developed largely to suit the needs of the employer. Since most part-time workers are women, it is women who are most affected by the disadvantages associated with this mode of work.Chapter Three Women as employeesHat (1997) traces the changes in the working population and employment patterns of men and women in recent decades, pointing out that whilst there has been a decline in male employment since 1980, feminine employment since that time has increased. She cites the official census data from 1994 which revealed that this latter increase was due to a greater proportion of mothers entering paid employment (Hatt,1997). It has been well- enter that within the labour market, women play a different role from men. As we have seen, women are more likely than men to work part-time and, as Hat observes, they also work in different industries from men, occupy dif ferent positions even within blend industries and are under-represented in senior positions(1997, p.17).Many commentators have noted that women are concentrated in certain industries and occupations, such as clerical work, catering, cleaning and caring work whereas men are more often found in the manufacturing sector and the construction industry, for example (Hat, 1997 Franks,1999 Moe, 2003). Even when women and men are found in the same sector, men tend to occupy the more senior positions with women more often situated in the lower ranks of the hierarchy (Hat, 1997 Franks,1999).As Hat (1997) records, women are under-represented at senior-levels throughout all occupational categories (p.21). Crompton(1997) examines the banking industry, in some detail, as an example of the response to labour market demands for low-level clerical workers. She describes how this industry, along with others such as insurance and local government, helped to generate a mass, feminized clerical labour f orce (Crompton, 1997, p.107).Both direct and indirect discriminatory practices against women within particular banks came to light and pressure from the Equal Opportunities Commission forced some important policy changes. Crompton (1997) acknowledges that there have been major changes to employment practices in the financial sector in general, in later years, as far as gender equality is concerned.She cites structural factors, such as the demand for labour and the organization of the labour cognitive process alongside male exclusionary practices as the main contributors to the unequal position of female employees within the banking sector. She also concedes, however, that despite recent reforms, women continue to far outweigh men in occupying low-level positions in banking.It is useful, at this point, to identify the key pieces of government legislation in the UK which have been designed to directly address the issue of equal opportunities between women and men. The first is these Discrimination good turn 1975 which promoted the basic principle that men and women should not be less favourably treated by virtue of their sexier marital status.The other is the Equal Pay serve 1975 designed to outlaw discrimination between women and men in the same employment, in pay and other conditions regarding their contracts of employment. This Act was later amended in 1984 to incorporate the Equal Pay for Equal Value principle. In addition to these Acts, the UK is also bound by Article 119 of the conformity of Rome to uphold European Community equal treatment and equal pay directives (Griffin, 2002).The Equal Opportunities Commission, set up through the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, functions as the expert organisation on equality between women and men, its main tasks being to work towards the elimination of discrimination to promote equality of opportunity and to harbour under review the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts (Griffin, 2002, p.11) .In the area of what has become known as the gender pay gap, it seems that, in general, the gap between male and female earnings has narrowed over the past 60 years, but the trend has been inconsistent. For example, female managers and administrators earned 55% of the annual earnings of their male counterparts on 1970, compared to only 33% in the mid 1920s (EOC,1999). However, this discrepancy narrowed by only 1% in this field of work between the mid 1950s and 1970. Since 1970, although this gap has narrowed importantly with women earning 63% of the pay of their male counterparts, compared to 81% for 1998, it was noted that in all ethnic groups, men have higher average hourly earnings than women(EOC, 1999, p.5).This statistical evidence for the steady narrowing of the gender pay gap appears supporting in terms of the equality agenda. However, as Griffin (2002) observes, there are other relevant issues. She records that, when we look at all sources of income, including earnings from employment and self-employment, occupational pensions, investment and benefit income, womens income is significantly lower than that of men, apart from state benefits.For example, figures taken from the EOC forth year 1996-7 showed that 45% of women had an income of less than100 a calendar week as compared with 20% of men (Griffin, 2002). More latterly, the EOC has recorded that the gender gap in terms of income has remained quite high, stating that the gender gap between women and mens mean individual incomes in 2002/3 was 46% (EOC, 2005).The EOC (2001) records that despite improvements in recent years, stereotyping cadaver evident in many professional occupations. Notwithstanding the evidence that greater numbers of women are entering certain professions, such as higher education or the law, womens share of higher level jobs remains generally low. Certain professional and technical occupations, the occupational segregation noted earlier, apparently continue to be heavily dominat ed by either men or women(EOC, 2001). Empirical studies, peculiarly within the feminist perspective over the past two decades, have moved away from the study of organizational structures per se in order to seek explanations for this persistence in the positioning of men and women in the workplace.Writers such as Pringle (1988), Chodorow (1989) and Halford and Savage(1995), for example, have instead demonstrated how specific kinds of masculinities and femininities, and discourses of gender, are constructed within the workplace. The emphasis here is upon recognizing the diversity of discourses on what it is to be a male or female employee and, ultimately, to avoid over-generalising about all men or all women. One example of this is illustrated by Crompton(1997) in her exposition of different masculinities in the banking industry.She charts the movement within managerial positions in banking from a need for solid, paternalistic men towards the requirement for a more competitive, asser tive masculinity within selling culture. Crompton (1997), however, argues that although these discursive, post-modern insights do much to enhance our understanding of the pattern of womens employment, and the different ways in which gender is constructed in the workplace, structural or material explanations remain important.Nazarko (2004) offers a contemporary analysis of the barriers faced by women in the workplace. She maintains that the fight off for equal opportunities has hitherto failed to challenge the premise that certain groups of workers such as women are less productive and less attractive to employers (p.25) or the assumption that elder workers, including women, are less valuable. Nazarko highlights the popularity of organisational initiatives which promote diversity and difference in the field of human resources.Wilson and Iles (1999), for example, have argued that diversity counseling improves recruitment, retention and creativity within organisations (Nazarko, 2004 , p.25). Nazarkocites researchers such as Rosner (1995) who have pointed out that women and men have different styles of working and managing. Women, for example, tend to use interactional styles in management, encouraging participation, sharing former and learning and energising others. In contrast, men tend to use transactional styles, seeing pieces of works series of transactions.Both styles are seen as equally valid and also, may be the preferred model for any individual, regardless of gender. It is argued, then, that both organisations and employees will benefit from initiatives which value diversity and difference, since people would be evaluated and treated as individuals, rather than unsocial groups and associated stereotypical connotations. Nazarko(2004), however, fears that the diversity approach does not necessarily eliminate the power structures which persist in society. She argues that until female dominated professions such as nursing are valued as much as male domi nated professions like the police force, it is difficult to see how gender equality can be attained.Chapter Four Domestic labour womens work?It is well-documented that the Industrial Revolution within the western world generated a distinction between paid work outside the home and unpaid domestic labour within the household. Mens economic occupation came to be center upon paid work, hence the male breadwinner model, whilst women have commonly divided their working lives between the unpaid domestic sphere and activity in the labour market. Hat(1997) represents the feminist approach to this issue by highlighting the way in which women have long been disadvantaged, particularly in economic terms, by their traditional domestic responsibilities. Not only does their focus upon unpaid domestic task constrain their participation in paid work, domestic work itself is an unpaid economic activity which has for too long passed unnoticed the skills, which the successful homemaker acquires, g o unrecognized in wage and promotion schemes (Hat, 1997, p.50).The terms upon which both men and women are able to participate within the labour market are very different and in this respect, it would seem difficult to argue for a level of equality between the sexes. Many commentators have noted, household and child-rearing duties weigh more heavily upon women than men and have traditionally been excluded from economic analyses of participation in work in the widest sense(Crompton, 1997 Hat, 1997 Franks, 1999). As Hat observes household responsibilities and paid employment are both valid productive activities but they are not equally rewarded by society(1997, p. 49).DE et al (1995), in their analysis of the British Household plug-in Survey in the mid 1990s, point out that very few men cited household or family responsibilities as affecting their labour market behaviour, whereas over 80% of women surveyed felt that their labour market participation had been adversely affected by the se duties. As Franks(1999) points out, work has come to be synonymous with having a paid job and its counterpart is regarded as leisure.Thus, other kinds of activity such as cleaning the house, doing the shopping, cooking and caring for children and elderly relatives do not officially count as work, although for those twisty, it may actually feel very much like work. Underpinning the traditional sexual division of labour is the idea that mens paid work is dependent upon a shadow economy of womens unpaid work (Franks, 1999).Thus, the increased participation of women in the formal paid workforce throws the blot onto the status of what had always essentially been regarded as a labour of love. Franks (1999) presents the example of widowed fathers who do not receive the lump sums, tax allowances and act state benefits received by widowed mothers. A missing fathers financial contributions recognised, whereas a widowers deceased partner is considered to have had no economic value. One s olution offered by some economists has been to officially regard this labour as a form of taxation whereby all of society benefits from it as if they were paying directly to the state (Franks, 1999).Other commentators (Charles and Kerr, 1999) Morris, 1999) have also stressed that despite the contemporary rhetoric of equality between the sexes, the traditional ideology which divides men and women into breadwinner and homemaker is still very much alive. Charles andKerr (1999), for example, point out that even where there may have been certain egalitarian sharing of domestic tasks within couples initially, once children arrive on the scene it is almost always the case that the woman takes on the responsibility for child-care and household tasks whilst the man takes on the role of breadwinner.It is argued that although, ostensibly, this arrangement may appear to be complementary relationship with roles being different but equal, there is a differential allocation of power which renders women disadvantaged. On giving up paid work outside the home, or taking on lower-paid, low-status part-time work, women relinquish their power and status, at least economically (Charles and Kerr, 1999). Having responsibility for decisions about food purchase, or other household necessities, cooking and childcare, it is argued, effectively constitutes the exercise of power by women in other peoples interests. As Charles and Kerr suggest, most of them (women) carryout these tasks within a set of social relations which denies them power, particularly when they are at home all day with young children and are dependent for financial support on a man (1999, p.192).There is a large body of contemporary opinion, evident in the literature, which calls for a discipline of balance between the fundamental economic inequity between men and women, particularly within the family unit which includes dependent children. Franks(1999), for example, suggests that there will never be genuine equality b etween men and women if male identity remains unaltered and unpaid work continues to be shuffled off onto women (p.4). Franks goes on to assert that in a market system where unpaid work is invisible, there is no incentive for men to change their identity to encompass low-status, financially worthless activity (1999, p.4).Crompton (1997) presented her own analysis of the relationship between employment and the family with particular reference to the extent to which there has been any change in the domestic division of labour. She acknowledges that there has been some change, albeit very slow, and she cites research byGershuny et al (1994) who describe the process as one of lagged adaptation in which changes tend to occur most often when women are engaged in full-time employment. Other researchers have found that although men, mainly middle-class men, have expressed a desire to become more involved in domestic and child care arrangements, there is little evidence that equal parenting is the reality (Lupton and Barclay, 1997).A more recent briefing by the Equal Opportunities Commission observes that there are many ways in which education, the family and access tithe labour market interact to produce different opportunities for women and men and which resolve in both men and women experiencing discrimination by virtue of gender. In relation to women in particular, this briefing comments that womens work should beer-evaluated, so that it is no longer undervalued and poorly paid(EOC, 2002, p.1). Hat, in her analysis of gender, work and labour markets, concluded that the domestic division of labour would certainly seem to lead to social injustice and it is debatable whether it furthers the efficient operation of the economy (1997, p.50).Vogel and chum salmon (1999) present an interesting exposition of the connections between silver and power and men and women within households. Their own research found that, in general, the partner with the greater income was lik ely to be more dominant indecision-making, with women partners in paid employment having greater power than those who work only in the home. There appear to have been few large-scale studies which have focused upon the experiences of social equality, or inequality, between individual members of the same household.The research conducted by Vogel and Pal (1999) draws on typology, constructed by Pal (1989), of household financial allocation systems, constituting the female whole-wage system, the housekeeping allowance system, the pooling system and the independent management system. In the female whole-wage system, women were given their husbands pay packet, and had sole responsibility for managing the whole household budget. In the housekeeping allowance system, the women were given a fixed sum for housekeeping expenses, the men having prime responsibility for other expenditure.The pooling system was used where partners pooled their earnings and shared access to and responsibility for managing expenditure from the common, joint fund. Finally, the independent management system operated where both partners had independent incomes (usually dual-earner couples), each partner taking responsibility for particular items of expenditure, although this may vary over time.Vogel and Pal (1999) conducted a survey, combined with interviews, of1,211 couples crosswise six British urban areas, covering Swindon, Aberdeen, Northampton, Coventry, Rochdale and Kirkcaldy. Respondents, aged between 20 and 60 years, were questioned on the household financial allocation system which came closest to their own mode of household finance management. By far the most common system used waste pool which was adopted by half of all the couples surveyed, with the remaining half choosing one of the other segregated systems (Voglerand Pal, 1999).The data was further analysed to determine the relationship between strategic financial control and access to money as a resource within the households stu died. It was found that in the joint pooling households joint management was associated with both equal strategic control over finances and also with equal access to money as a resource (Vogel and Pal, 1999, p.143). In the female-controlled management systems, constituting just over two-fifths of the sample, a disjunction was found between control over finances and access to money as a resource.The researchers highlighted their finding that even where ostensibly, these women had greater financial control and power in decision-making, significantly higher levels of personal deprivation were experienced by the women with the men more likely to have more personal spending money than their female partners, especially in lower-income families.As Vogel and Pal observe, where the opportunities for exercising financial power are heavily circumscribed by low income and by the husbands outlook of personal spending money, responsibility may be a more appropriate term than control (1999, p.144 ). This more detailed analysis presented by Vogel and Pal (1999), together with that of other researchers, such as Morris (1999), provides evidence for the ways in which patterns of gender and class inequalities tend to interlock to increase the differences between women and men.A different perspective upon the issue of gender differences and gender equality in the arena of household work and parenting is provided bother researchers. Doucette (1995), for example, highlights the tendency for debates on this issue to become focused upon the relationship between womens greater responsibility for household work and caring role, and their relative inequality to men in employment and public life. She argues that whilst this is an important issue, insufficient account has been taken of the various configurations that gender differences may take within household life (Doucette, 1995, p.271).Doucette suggests that much of the literature on the gender division of household labour is situated within an equality or equal rights framework, which itself, tends to be constructed through a masculine perspective. For example, she argues that a male model of stripped participation in housework and child care is pitched in relation to a male model of full-time employment (Doucette, 1995, p. 274).Whilst it is clearly documented that womens employment is compromised through the need for women, as a