Critically Evaluate Change at Marks Spencer - 5311 Words

Abstract Marks and Spencer (MS) p.l.c. is one of the largest retailers in the United Kingdom with a selling space of 12.5 million square feet, was established in 1884 as ‘Penny bazaar’. MS sells clothing, food, footwear, gifts and home furnishings in its 760 stores around the world. The company’s wholly own and franchise stores operates in Europe, Hong Kong, Far East, Australia, Middle East, the Bahamas and Bermuda making a total of 34 countries. This report critically evaluates the changes at MS from the mid 1980s to current day. Initially it assesses and outlines the macro and micro environmental factors. Under macro environment the substantial competitive growth is explained using internet technology and globalisation. Under†¦show more content†¦Figure 1: GDP growth of the UK since 2002 Source: National Statistics (2007) According to Turban and King (2003), internet technology renders retailers an additional channel for branding, transactions and customer relationship management, the adaptation of which may drive down retailers’ transaction costs, and ensuring faster and higher quality of customer interactions, resulting in enlarging the existing markets and consumer base. MS realizes this and have tried to sell clothing via high street stores as well as via internet though they have experienced cost cutting, rationalisation and management changes in order to revive their business in recent years. Internet technology might enable sustainable competitive advantage, but problems remain on how to physically organize their online retail operations. As argued by Eaton (2001), globalization is an enterprise management feature, which increases liberalization of international trade and international competition. Needless to say, nowadays most of senior managers tend to plan their companies to go worldwide. In the early 1970s, MS expanded its international operation to purchase a 50 per cent shareholding of three Canadian companies for the first step. In November 1997 the company announced a 2,100 million GBP plan for global expansion which would be across Europe, the Far East and the Middle East (Bevan, 2002). 2.2. Micro Environment This part adopts Porter’s (1985) five-forceShow MoreRelatedStrategic Role Of Human Resource Management1550 Words   |  7 Pagespracticed in UK’s one of most known retail brand Marks Spencer. The company has been performing consistently well since its commencement. The report also analysis human resource planning and the development methods used by the MS, Finally examining how organisations contribute in achieving organisational objectives and requirements in performance. Company Profile Marks Spencer also known as MS established in 1894 in Leeds by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer. It is one of UK’s leading retail brand andRead MoreMarks Spencer1929 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿bstract: This report critically analyses how the external and internal factors affect the strategies of MS and modifies its business strategies. Even though MS has good strategy and marketing plans they haven’t used it to their advantage. It also tells how the macro and micro environment affect their strategy and their plan. The report uses frame works like PESTEL, SWOT and porter 5 forces. It further investigates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of MS. This report highlightsRead MoreFinancial Management4387 Words   |  18 Pages An Investigation of Marks and Spencer and the Hermes principles DATE: 11/04/08 1. Introduction Marks Spencer Plc (MS) is an international retailer which is currently operating in 34 countries and has established over 600 UK stores as well as over 219 franchise stores. The company trades in clothing, home furnishings and foods. The company’s corporate objective is to increase long-term shareholder wealth. The aim of the report is to evaluate the financial managementRead MoreStrategic Development Report ( Sdr ) On The Princes Trust Charity983 Words   |  4 Pagesthe strategy of the charity and undertake a process of analysis, formulation and review of its implementation (AFI) as outlined by Rothaermel, F (2013, pg20). This report will then outline strategic recommendations for the charity and finally critically evaluate these recommendations. Strategy, strategic thinking and strategic process (AFI) for organizations is important. Porter, M.E (1980) outlined the strategy and competiveness and he developed the term of ‘Strategic competitive advantage’ (SCA)Read MoreMarketing3107 Words   |  13 PagesI. INTRODUCTION Marks Spencer Group Plc is an international organization which doing business through Europe, North America and Asia. The located headquarter is in City of Westminster, London. The company sales clothing, footwear, gifts, house appliances, and food in over 600 stores in UK and over 300 stores across more than 40 countries in the world (Source online: Web1). The consumer’s confidence in the Marks and Spencer brand remains second to none By the way, the company can achieve many opportunitiesRead MoreMarks and Spencer3678 Words   |  15 PagesEXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report critically analyses the impact of external and internal influences on the business strategies of Marks and Spencer (MS) between 1996 and 2002, evaluates the factors, and modifies its business strategies. The major finding is that MS has successful business strategies and marketing plans. However, the company does not maintain these advantages continuously. Indeed, it causes some disadvantages. The purpose of this report is to evaluate how MS survives in theRead MoreThe Key Issues That M S Faced Developing And Implementing Its Strategic Plan3473 Words   |  14 PagesLeeds Beckett University MA International Business Critically evaluate the key issues that MS faced in developing and implementing its Strategic Plan Corporate Strategy Name: Jay Patel Student ID: 77154870â€Æ' Contents Introduction 1 Company overview 1 Environmental analysis 2 PESTLE 2 SWOT 3 Governance and Alliance Structure 4 Key issues facing M S 5 Challenge of Strategy Development in a multiple stakeholder environment 6 Evaluation of the Strategic Options facing MS 7 RecommendationsRead MoreMarks Spencer Case Study6101 Words   |  25 PagesMarks Spencer Case Study Introduction........................................................................ Page 3 EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT 1.0 PEST Analysis................................................................ Page 3 2.0 Porters Five Forces Model................................................. Page 4 INTERNAL ANALYSIS 3.0 Auditing the Resources of MS.......................................... Page 5 4.0 Value Chain Analysis....................................................Read MoreMS Case Study2089 Words   |  9 Pagess Case Study: Marks and Spencer Where now for an icon of British retailing? History and background Early history Marks and Spencer (Mamp;S) was founded by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in 1884 - he called his business penny bazaars with signs reading Dont ask the price, its a penny (the forerunner of stores like Poundland today?) The company went public in the 1920s and by the 1970s Mamp;S had established itself as a British institution with locations in every major town andRead MoreIntroduction. This Essay Will Critically Evaluate The Adoption995 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction This essay will critically evaluate the adoption of International Accounting Standards by UK companies. IAS (International Accounting Standards) created by IASC (International accounting standards committee) are a set of standards stating how particular types of transactions and other events should be reflected in financial statements. Since 2001 the IASB (International Accounting Standards Board) succeeded the IASC to create the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) which

Analytical Paper Free Essays

Presenting the public with two â€Å"equal† sides and making the scientific community seem divided. The best way that constrains Interfered with a scientific consensus was to generate doubt within the American public by creating a delve between scientists. For example, the harmfulness of acid rain was questioned when Fred Singer 1 contradicted the factual evidence of his committee by claiming in an official government report that the causes of acid rain were not certain and that a reduction in industrial emissions would not necessarily help solve the problem. We will write a custom essay sample on Analytical Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Both of these statements were in direct contradiction with the international scientific community, which made the consensus seem wavering and the official White House-appointed panel seem divided. Fred Singer reemerges on the issue of ozone depletion by blasting the science community when claiming that the whole issue was an under- researched overreaction (1 26); he claimed that ozone depletion was due to natural stratospheric cooling (127). Several years later, Bill Emergencies created doubt over climate change when he lead a report asserting that rolling CA was a problem that loud be solved with technology and the government only needed to fund more research (183). Merchants of Doubt provides countless examples of contraction scientists chopping down the certainty of scientific findings. Constrains like Singer and Energetic are able to discredit the work of thousands of scientists because they are praised leading scientists who have served in distinguished federal science corporations. They have developed ties to the government through federal agencies, think tanks, and direct contact with congressman, senators, and presidents (7). Secondly, the people who are being arrogated by scientists are industries with lots of money, which have the resources to hire and provide funding to influential people who will defend their products. With strong reputations and money, contraction scientists are perceived as â€Å"experts† with â€Å"Informed opinions† and thus are granted a false sense of credibility and Influence. Tactic #2: Tagging scientist as â€Å"bad† and calling their findings â€Å"junk. † Fred Sister, an influential defender of the tobacco industry, invented a tactic of contraction scientists that targeted the EPA as a Junk organization whose science â€Å"is manipulated to fulfill a political agenda† (144) and â€Å"imposes enormous economic costs on all aspects of society† (142). Sites and Singer blasted their views of the EPA as â€Å"bad scientists† all over public media venues such as the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. Singer attacked the EPA for not considering that adverse health effects from second hand smoke could be due to outside factors when doing an epidemiological study; he claimed the EPA rigged their results and ignored other possibilities In order to dupe the public (144). I believe the â€Å"bad science† argument Is accepted by the public because science Is nearly misunderstood for a variety of reasons. Firstly, research results can be complicated and generally confusing to a nonscientific, therefore the public must credible counterargument and splitting the scientific consensus (Task #1). Most people have no scientific baseline from which to make informed opinions so they gather information from â€Å"experts† from both sides of a scientific story. Secondly, science in general is an objective project, scientists stress that their results are always falsifiable and that continued research is necessary to strengthen a scientific finding. For example, Roger Reveille started a talk to the AAAS about climate change by saying, â€Å"There is a good but by no means certain chance that the world’s average climate will become significantly warmer during the next century’ (191). Constrains used this ambiguous statement as a way to show that scientists are unsure of their work, when in fact there is no â€Å"certain chance† in any scientific trend. In order to remain trustworthy, scientists must always instill a sense of impartiality that is misconstrued as uncertainty. Tactic #3: Making the public believe that environmentalism is a threat to the American value system. One goal of scientific findings on acid rain or the ozone hole is to invoke political action that will ensure safety to humans and the environment. Contraction scientists claim that this goal is UN-American and that the corrupt political agenda of environmentalism is a threat to human rights. For example, a pro-smoking organization, FORESTS, claimed that if smoking was banned, â€Å"there is essentially no limit to how much government can ultimately control our lives† (164). As Singer and Sites would put it, it was individual liberty at stake. â€Å"Today smoking, tomorrow†¦ Who knew? (145). Science was also attacked for being uneconomic. Dixie Lee Ray in the 1992 Progress Foundation Economic Conference claimed â€Å"sustainability was replacing [economic] progress† (252). Constrains aimed to convince Americans that by protecting industry they were protecting their â€Å"liberty that depended on [economic] progress† (252). This tactic was made possible because constrains tapped into the American fear of the communist Soviet Union by claiming that environmentalism was a socialist endeavor. They pegged environmentalists as â€Å"Watermelons’: green on the outside, red on the inside† (248). When the Cold War ended, constrains funneled socialist fear into an anti-climate change movement, which revolved around the idea that climate change was against American’s liberty and prosperity. The attackers believed they were â€Å"working to ‘secure the blessings of liberty as if science was being used against those blessings?in ways that challenged the freedom of free enterprise† (238). Constrains put science under the fire by claiming that its agenda was to deny the rights of citizens, much like the Soviets did to their citizens in the Cold War. Conclusion: The players mentioned?singer, Suite, Energetic, Lee Ray, and FOREST ?among others have created organized patterns of doubt that misconstrue the validity of research and science. Using money and influence, they have dismantled any form of consensus within the scientific community and have used popular media outlets to echo their claims. 9 They understand the American emphasis on economic have attacked scientists as being politically incentive socialists that threaten citizen’s rights to freedom and prosperity. They have used these strategies to stunt political action in issues like acid rain and climate change and have caused the American public to lose faith in the credibility of science. How to cite Analytical Paper, Papers

Real Beauty Sketches free essay sample

In April 2013, Dove launched a â€Å"Real Beauty† campaign after performing marketing research and discovering that only 2% of all women consider themselves to be â€Å"beautiful†. In an effort to boost self-esteem and moral, Dove introduced a television ad in the form, which incorporated a powerful and touching social experiment. In this commercial, several different women are asked to describe their physical appearance to a forensic sketch artist, who cannot see them as he sketches their physical descriptions. They are told to use neutral terms, and to â€Å"stick to the facts† when describing their own self-reflections. Next, the same women are described to the same forensic sketch artist by a complete stranger, whom they had only met the day before. The strangers are given the same instructions. At the end of this unknown experiment, both descriptions are drawn by the artist and then compared. Upon comparison, it is incredibly obvious that the stranger’s physical descriptions of the subject are more flattering, and more accurate depict the subject’s true appearance. The commercial sends a very inspiring, real message to the women: to be less critical of yourself, and to embrace the natural beauty of womanhood. After the experiment took place, one woman admitted, â€Å"I should be more grateful of my natural beauty. It impacts the choices and the friends we make; the jobs we apply for; how we treat our children; it impacts everything. It couldn’t be more critical to your happiness. † To the same point, another woman added, â€Å"we spend a lot of time as women analyzing and trying to fix the things that aren’t quite right, and we should spend more time appreciating the things that we do like. † The commercial ends with a powerful and honest message: â€Å"You are more beautiful than you think. † The â€Å"Real Beauty Sketches† ad resulted in widespread reactions worldwide- some positive, some negative. Many praised the commercial for its ability to acknowledge and accept natural beauty and what society may traditional deem as physical â€Å"flaws†. But there were many negative critics as well. Despite the good nature behind the commercial’s intent, many criticized the ad for its heavy emphasis on physical appearance. Critics claimed that Dove’s advertisement still focused too heavily on the physical appearance of woman, and its remaining influence as the single-most defining element of a woman’s worth; as opposed to her personality or personal achievements. Which led me to question: How could this advertisement be improved to focus on the â€Å"true beauty† and essence of a woman’s worth? The message is a refreshing change from the typical message that beauty supply companies often send; instead of shaming women into purchasing things to make them more â€Å"beautiful†, Dove takes a non-traditional approach by supporting the natural beauty, without the enhancement of material products. Although this may seem to counter-act their ultimate goal of selling beauty products, Dove gains seeks to gain more than just revenue- they seek to gain self-confidence and acceptance. But in order to overcome the heavy emphasis of a woman’s physical appearance as the defining element of a woman’s worth, I think it is important to emphasis how the woman achieved her â€Å"beauty lines†, wrinkles, or â€Å"flaws†. Perhaps pulling on the viewer’s emotional heartstring of laughter and love would prove to play a beautiful part in the development of a woman’s wrinkles around her eyes, or expression lines in her forehead. By approaching the beauty from this marketing angle, marketers are focusing on the internal beauty that a woman envelopes, and justifies their natural beauty with self-worth and personal accomplishment. By casting very â€Å"average† and â€Å"typical† looking women, marketers sought to appeal to the majority of women, in an effort to reflect a more realistic depiction of women. By refraining from using â€Å"traditionally† beautiful women, viewers and women find the message to be more relatable to themselves. Marketing Applications: In April 2013, Dove marketers applied a story-like short film to their Real Beauty campaign, in an effort to reveal each woman’s true natural beauty. Marketing Relevance: Marketing emphasis: to encourage the improvement of self-image and confidence among women worldwide. Dove marketers sought to prove that â€Å"we† are our own worst critics, and that our own self-image is often skewed and far less beautiful than our true natural beauty suggests. Intangible elements: Dove focused on producing a moral campaign that reflects the ideals and beliefs of their corporate personnel. In this powerful, thought-provoking message, Dove effectively used an emotional story to â€Å"make a culturally positive difference†. Marketers drew upon an emotional appeal in an attempt to attach these positive ideas to their own product line. In doing so, Dove successfully attached an extension of their own feelings to their product, as well as their corporate image. Many accredit the campaign’s success to its ability tap into deep-seated emotions and hit on a real human truth for women. Many women undervalue themselves and also the way they look. In this ad, Dove focused on the emotional appeal, rather than simply â€Å"communicating a particular product or service benefit. † As a result, consumers will be more likely to remember the positive emotions that the advertisement evoked, and thus, â€Å"associate them with Dove products. † Discussion Questions:

Volunteer Paper Essay Example For Students

Volunteer Paper Essay For my volunteer paper I wanted to volunteer at an animal hospital or shelter since I am majoring in Pre-Vet. Then I decided to do something different. I chose to student teach 1st graders at Mckinley Elementary. It is very surprising to me that I chose to do this. I always said that I hated kids and had no desire to ever work with them I even said I would never give birth to any kids because I hated them so much. The thing is that I actually enjoyed my experience very much. I chose this activity because I wanted to try something different that I thought I wouldnt like. We will write a custom essay on Volunteer Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The teacher that I did this volunteer work for was my 1st grade teacher at Mckinley Elementary when I went to school there back in 1986. The reason that I hate kids so much is because had a really bad experience with them. In the summer of last year I baby-sat these kids across the street from me that moved here from New York. They were the kids from hell. They were so annoying, and ungrateful. For instance they always asked me to buy them Taco Bell, and when I did, they would say, why did you buy me this? , or I want more, you better buy me more. I hated them. I was so stressed from them that I would cry at night. I really didnt want to baby-sit them anymore but I felt bad if I said no. So I thought I couldnt judge all kids on those three. I had to give others a chance, and didnt want to give up on having kids. I did many fun and exciting things while I was working with these kids at Mckinley. The first day Mrs. Aiken introduced me. She said, Boys and girls this is Taysha, and I was her teacher when she was your age. They were all in awe. They couldnt believe that I had her as a teacher. The first kid I helped was a black girl named Shontele. I helped her with her math work and reading. I taught her to group thins in Math when you are adding or subtracting. For example: Say you have ten subtract three. I told her to put ten into groups of five, then cross out three, and count how many there was left. She enjoyed that and thought it was now much easier to do her Math. I also learned the difference between what was right and wrong. The first day I went I had my eyebrow ring in and she didnt like it too much. She asked if it was OK with my mother. She said, Does your mother say you can have that? I told her no and she asked why I didnt listen to her. She then ! asked if I still live at home, and told her yes. She said that if I still lived at home, I had to respect her because it was her house and her right to tell me what to do. She said even if I was eighteen she still had the right to decide what I can do if I lived in her house. Well I listened and took the eyebrow ring out they next day. When it was time to leave they were all mad at me, they wanted me to stay longer, so I promised them I would come back the following week. The second day I went to the class I work with the class altogether. I work on some math problems on the computer, I had to help them work the problems out in their head and when they had the answer they got to type it in and it would tell you if it was right or wrong. As it turned out they got all of them correct out of three levels After that activity I helped them write out and sound out words that started ended with ck like tack or pack. If they were right they were allowed to color. After I finished I then corrected papers. .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f , .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f .postImageUrl , .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f , .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f:hover , .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f:visited , .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f:active { border:0!important; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f:active , .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud1c8882d8f5699ee772c3e54fa01b34f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drug and Alcohol Abuse EssayThe majority of them got all of them right and when they did I drew a smiling face on there paper. This week I was not able to go because I had a doctors appointment. Now I miss them, they are great kids. When I go next week I am going to bring them cupcakes and stickers for there papers. This volunteer activity was so exciting. I enjoyed it so much. I think I am going to have kids eventually. I realized I should not have judged all of them as one. I know now some kids are angels. They also like me. I guess I get away from my family problems when I go there, and I it makes me actually happy.

Nicomachean Ethics Essays - Social Philosophy, Virtue Ethics

Nicomachean Ethics Essays - Social Philosophy, Virtue Ethics Nicomachean Ethics Philosophy 11/15/99 Achieving excellence in terms of Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics Before actually focusing on the main details of Aristotle's Argument, we must pay careful attention to the opening remarks he makes in Book I about the nature of his inquiry. The first important point that he stresses is that the study of the character of human beings is dependent on what a human being is. Aristotle states that that a human is not a man that lives in isolation, but a man that also lives with parents, children, wife, and friends and fellow citizens generally, since man is by nature a social and political being. Humans, in other words, derive their identity and accordingly their moral purposes from their participation in their community, from the interaction with their parents, ancestors, friends, customs, institutions and laws. Because of this, every ethical uncertainty or question must be resolved by taking into account the essential and political basis of human life. If one is to discuss what it is that makes a man good, we have to really be considering which decisi ons will actually benefit or make the society good. Aristotle sees that individual as being a part as a part of a large and complex group of people with member of all sorts of capabilities. The purpose of each individuals life is evaluated in relation to the other members of the community. Although different communities live by different rules and strive for different goods, is possible to reach an understanding of what moral excellence is in any community by studying what it is that constitutes effective community membership. Another important observation made by Aristotle is the fact that to study human ethics, we must focus on the world around us. We must focus on the traditions of our community, the accepted theories of earlier philosophers, especially those most famous for their wisdom. These theories we must study, not so as to find inconsistencies in them, but to try to discover what it is they have in common and how they can affect our understanding of what the best way to live is. Aristotle also underlines the fact that everything we learn from the observations we make will be nothing more than an approximate approach for dealing with ethical questions. Ethics is not an exact science. One last introductory point is that this approach is intended only for those who already have some sense of virtue instilled in them. To understand some of the principals of moral conduct requires some existing sense of virtue. Aristotle then proceeds to explain that all human activities have a specific goal or end to them. Although not much proof is given to back this up, it is essential to his argument because it infers that the nature of goodness is linked to some final destination. The excellence of humans is linked to their growth towards to some realization of his best nature. Once he has established the notion that all human activities are directed by some final goal, Aristotle proceeds to define the final goal in human life should be. He searches for the most important activity that we pursue for its own sake, something above all other goods. This final goal is happiness. He gives a sense that happiness is derived from success. A full happy life will include success no only and necessarily for oneself, but for all of one's family as well. We do not achieve happiness by actively seeking it, but rather by following the pursuit of all the other goods. Aristotle then proceeds to explain that every object, living or dead has a specific function for which it is designed. The excellence of a person will be derived by how well he fulfills his function. Sine a human being is designed above all to be a social and political being, then excellence in humans should be measured by how well they can carry out their political or social roles. By putting together all of the above notions, Aristotle offers his listeners a fundamental moral principal. A good man is one whose life, which should consist of trying to achieve set goals, is in conformity with excellence or virtue. It is understandable that there is a difference between being successful

Biography of Anne Bonny, Irish Pirate and Privateer

Biography of Anne Bonny, Irish Pirate and Privateer Anne Bonny (1700–1782, exact dates uncertain) was an Irish pirate and privateer who fought under the command of Calico Jack Rackham between 1718 and 1720. Together with fellow female pirate Mary Read, she was one of Rackhams more formidable pirates, fighting, cursing, and drinking with the best of them. She was captured along with the rest of Rackhams crew in 1720 and sentenced to death, although her sentence was commuted because she was pregnant. She has been the inspiration for countless stories, books, movies, songs, and other works. Fast Facts: Anne Bonny Known For: For two years she was a pirate under Jack Rackham, and as a rare female pirate, she was the subject of many stories and songs and was the inspiration for generations of young womenBorn: About 1700 near Cork, IrelandPiracy Career: 1718–1720, when she was captured and sentenced to hangDied: Date and place unknownSpouse(s): James Bonny Early Years Most of what is known about Anne Bonnys early life comes from Captain Charles Johnsons A General History of the Pyrates which dates to 1724. Johnson (most, but not all, historians believe that Johnson was actually Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe) provides some details of Bonnys early life  but did not list his sources and his information has proven impossible to verify. According to Johnson, Bonny was born near Cork, Ireland probably sometime around 1700, the result of an affair between a married English lawyer and his maid. The unnamed lawyer was eventually forced to bring Anne and her mother to America to escape the gossip. Anne’s father set up in Charleston, first as a lawyer and then as a merchant. Young Anne was spirited and tough: Johnson reports that she once badly beat up a young man who â€Å"would have lain with her, against her will.† Her father had done quite well in his businesses and it was expected that Anne would marry well. Instead, at about age 16, she married a penniless sailor named James Bonny, and her father disinherited her and cast them out. The young couple set out for New Providence, where Annes husband made a meager living turning in pirates for bounties. Sometime in 1718 or 1719, she met pirate Calico Jack Rackham (sometimes spelled Rackam) who had recently wrested command of a pirate vessel from the ruthless Captain Charles Vane. Anne became pregnant and went to Cuba to have the child: once she had given birth, she returned to a life of piracy with Rackham. A Life of Piracy Anne proved to be an excellent pirate. She dressed like a man, while she fought, drank, and swore like one too. Captured sailors reported that after their vessels were taken by the pirates, it was the two women- Bonny and Mary Read, the latter who had joined the crew by then- who urged their crewmates on to greater acts of bloodshed and violence. Some of these sailors testified against her at her trial. According to legend, Bonny (dressed as a man) felt a strong attraction to Mary Read (who was also dressed as a man) and revealed herself as a woman in hopes of seducing Read. Read then confessed that she was a woman, too. The reality may have been that Bonny and Read most likely met in Nassau as they were preparing to ship out with Rackham. They were very close, perhaps even lovers. They would wear womens clothes on board  but change into mens clothes when a fight was in store. Capture and Trial By October of 1720, Rackham, Bonny, Read, and their crew were infamous in the Caribbean and in desperation, Governor Woodes Rogers authorized privateers to hunt and capture them and other pirates for bounties. A heavily armed sloop belonging to Captain Jonathan Barnet caught up to Rackhams ship when the pirates had been drinking and after a small exchange of cannon and small arms fire, they surrendered. When capture was imminent, only Anne and Mary fought against Barnet’s men, swearing at their crewmates to come out from under the decks and fight. The trials of Rackham, Bonny, and Read caused a sensation. Rackham and the other male pirates were swiftly found guilty: he was hanged with four other men at Gallows Point in Port Royal on November 18, 1720. Reportedly, he was allowed to see Bonny before his execution and she said to him: Im sorry to see you here, but if you had fought like a man you need not have hanged like a dog. Bonny and Read were also found guilty on November 28 and sentenced to hang. At that point, they both declared that they were pregnant. The execution was postponed, and it was found to be true that the women were pregnant. Death Mary Read died in prison about five months later. What happened to Anne Bonny is uncertain. Like her early life, her later life is lost in shadow. Captain Johnson’s book first came out in 1724, so her trial was still fairly recent news while he was writing it, and he only says of her, â€Å"She was continued in prison, to the time of her lying in, and afterwards reprieved from Time to Time, but what is become of her since, we cannot tell; only this we know, that she was not executed.† So what happened to Anne Bonny? There are many versions of her fate and no truly decisive proof in favor of any one of them. Some say she reconciled with her wealthy father, moved back to Charleston, remarried and lived a respectable life into her 80s. Others say she remarried in Port Royal or Nassau and bore her new husband several children. Legacy Annes impact on the world has been primarily cultural. As a pirate, she did not have a large impact, because her pirating career only lasted a few months. Rackham was not an important pirate, mostly taking easy prey like fishing vessels and lightly armed traders. If not for Anne Bonny and Mary Read, he would be a footnote in pirate lore. But Anne has gained great historical stature in spite of her lack of distinction as a pirate. Her character has much to do with it: not only was she one of only a handful of female pirates in history, but she was one of the die-hards, who fought and cursed harder than most of her male colleagues. Today, historians of everything from feminism to cross-dressing scour the available histories for anything about her or Mary Read. No one knows how much of an influence Anne has had on young women since her days of piracy. At a time when women were kept indoors, barred from the freedom that men enjoyed, Anne went out on her own, left her father and husband, and lived as a pirate on the high seas off and on for two years. Her greatest legacy is probably the romantic example of a woman who seized freedom when the opportunity presented itself, even if her reality was probably not nearly as romantic as people think. Sources Cawthorne, Nigel. A History of Pirates: Blood and Thunder on the High Seas. Arcturus Publishing, September 1, 2003. Johnson, Captain Charles. A General History of the Pyrates. Kindle edition, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, September 16, 2012. Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: The Lyons Press, 2009 Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004. Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. Mariner Books, 2008.

The business of fashion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The business of fashion - Case Study Example But fashion is not only associated to women always! In ancient times of Cleopatra, Scissors always wore clothes that were royal, expensive, stylistic, attractive and special. At the same Egyptian soil, the Pharaohs were never behind. The great Biblical Character of Moses, if taken as an Egyptian Prince, was always a portrayed, in tales and later in movies, in a charismatic outfit. While in the Western part of the globe, the Greeks and Romans not only marked high standards in Art, Architecture, and Warfare, but their unique and intricate concepts of a perfect and godlike human body, especially of males, supported the appealing army uniforms and court-wears. These ancient models are still the greatest sources of inspiration for modern day fashion designers and the origins of the evolved form of cultural trends prevailed through continents from Australia to America and from Asia to Africa. River Island is a UK based modern brand, spread over continents if not over centuries. It deals with everyday life in different ethnicities with diversity in cultures. It also considers the popular demands of its customers though this brand is wise enough to consider all aspects of cultural influences. Cultural influences are stronger when we consider the economic aspect of the fashion industry. Business needs market where it can present fresh ideas and products in every new day. Although in this global age, acculturation is very much on. But even then there are many cultural aspects that can instigate or impede certain trends. A colourful bikini is a great fashion market item in Western or secular and modern cultures, but it is almost a taboo in some rigid and fundamental areas. Contrary to that, a veil is popular in fundamental countries, but has no market in secular or modern world. However, so many fashion articles could get the status of cross-cultural ambition. Especially in ornaments, there is not much difference across the globe with exception of little diversity in shape, material and style. Earrings, bracelets, pendants, bangles and rings are always, and everywhere, in fashion since ages having big market scope in all societies and cultures. On the individual level, fashion is not just a simple word or an uncomplicated attitude, or even an overwhelming desire. Fashion is a multifarious dogma that can influence an individual in many ways. "As process it is [fashion] sustained through some complex amalgamation of inspiration, imitation and institutionalization, all of which seem necessary, even though the nature and degree of their fusion is, as we can infer from fashion history, quite variable." (Davis 123) Therefore, the multifaceted incorporation of fashion, where force an individual at the same time, it also institutionalise itself on many grounds. This institutionalisation is not only at the academic level, but due to its capacity of holding an individual, society, or even the whole world has created a huge market for investors. River Island, at the marketing end, developed