Zaras Business Model Essay Example for Free

Zaras Business Model Essay When I saw the first announcement of their ecommerce launch I ran home and dug through my undergrad course work and quickly produced a case study I’d read in 2003. â€Å"Zara: IT for Fast Fashion† a Harvard Business School case study that examined Zara’s IT infrastructure and how it supported their unique business model. Two important caveats from this case study stuck out in my mind. Zara’s business model closely linked customer demand to manufacturing and distribution. Inventory depended largely on the location of the store and what particular customers were buying. They understood that their consumer had a penchant for trend driven pieces, and that marketing and advertising efforts lengthened the lead-time. Thus their marketing budget was usually .3% of revenue, and Zara was able to get high fashion looks in stores while they were still hot. Zara didn’t need to convince their consumers to buy with advertising and marketing efforts, rather they changed 75% of their inventory every three to four weeks, so consumers knew to constantly frequent the store for up to date items. Secondly, Zara had decided not to retail clothes online because of the high rate of returns (retail mail order rates were 50-60% whereas in store was roughly 5%), and because their distribution centers were not configured for small pick and pack orders. If you think about it, Zara’s business model is actually perfect for online retail. Their vertically integrated manufacturing operations allowed for the perpetual introduction of new pieces with short lead times. For the fickle online consumer that wants newness all the time, its heaven! In fact, the top right hand corner of their site pays homage to this brand ethos with a â€Å"new this week† link standing out from the pack. So what took them so long to make the move?

Rights for Homosexuals Essays -- Gay Marriages Homosexuality Equality

Rights for Homosexuals Gay marriage is a hotly debated issue in today's society. Andrew Sullivan and William Bennett offer opposing views in the June 3, 1996 edition of Newsweek. Sullivan's article, â€Å"Let Gays Marry,† offers several arguments supporting the issues of same sex marriage. Bennett counters in his article, â€Å"Leave Marriage Alone,† that same sex marriages would be damaging to the sanctity of marriage. Each author presents several reasons for the positions they defend and bring up valid points to defend their opinions. William Bennett and Andrew Sullivan share a mutual respect for the values and sacredness of the bond of marriage. Their disagreements stem from who they believe should be allowed to marry. Bennett’s article states that there are two key issues that divide people on the idea of same sex marriages; the basic understanding of marriage itself and whether or not same sex unions would strengthen or weaken the institution (29).His concern is that by allowing same sex unions, the rules which govern behavior in the conventional definition of marriage would be shattered (29). He fears that broadening the definition of marriage any further could stretch it beyond recognition (29). The well known promiscuity among homosexual males, Bennett feels, would conflict with the values of marriage. He believes that â€Å"marriage is not an arbitrary construct which can be redefined simply by those who lay claim to it† (30). Bennett sees marriage as a ...

Emergent Properties Essay

Emergent Properties Emergent properties are properties that come about when smaller components combine together to form a large unit that works together for a common purpose. The idea of emergent properties is based on the fact that the whole combined unit is more efficient than the sum of all of the units. These properties cannot be seen when the organisms are separated from one another, the organisms must be together for the properties to take effect. Emergent properties have come about for the fact that when combined, these organisms can perform much more complex and advanced tasks that the organisms would not be able to complete on their own. In nature we see many emergent properties arise from evolution. When birds branched off from reptiles during their evolution, they developed feathers instead of scales. These feathers do not enable flight on their own, however when combined to form a wing they become much more efficient. When these two wings come together to form a pair of wings the result is an extremely efficient form of transportation that is not only light but also water resistant. Another example of emergent properties would be evident in our brain. Which each brain cell does not possess much computing power, however when billions of them are combined together, the result is a very efficient computing unit that can provide us with such things as thoughts emotions and character. Each brain cell alone would not be able to do these things. Emergent properties exist all around us and we even display some of these properties. One example of emergent properties would be the collaboration of many human beings. Separated, our minds are powerful, but nearly limited. Once combined we can collaborate with each other and perform many tasks efficiently, such as running a county, for example. It is not a coincidence that dictatorships are notoriously unsuccessful. There are also many emergent properties that exist beyond living things. For example when you have a hurricane, essentially all you have is air and water at various different temperatures. The randomness of this collection of air produces a large air mass that has a specific circular motion which is very powerful and devastating to anything that comes into contact with it. The air itself and the water vapor would not be able to cause this force on their own. It is the random order that makes this hurricane so powerful and hard to predict. Another example of emergence away from biology is currency. Currency or money came about as people wanted to trade with one another, but had no medium to do so. Alone, a single person would not need money. It is only useful and evident as many people come together to form a group. Without this group the money would have no value because it’s value is determined by people who are willing to trade with it. In conclusion emergence is evident throughout nature and even past it. It is the way  complex systems  and patterns arise out of a  multiplicity  of relatively simple interactions. Emergence is central to the understanding of communities and ecosystems where it be in living organisms or beyond biology.

5 Situations the Art of Critical Thinking Can Come In Handy

The art of critical thinking which is an objective analyzing of ideas and opinions in order to gather fact-based and reasonable conclusions is pervasive in various areas of our life. This ability to engage in independent and reflective thinking shouldnt be limited to the classroom but prevail further to the outside world. Most students fail to improve their critical thinking art while at school and tend to find it difficult utilizing it during after-school situations. Here are various life situations where you will get to benefit from critical thinking. 1. While Working as a Team In a team, there is the necessity to understand other peoples point of view and values. However, you cant get to work with other people with different values and opinions if you dont understand them. Instead of waving away their stance, you will be able to analyze their perspective, gather meaningful judgment, and adapt. In addition, critical thinking also makes it possible for you to provide effective solution to complex problems. 2. While Making Decisions People often make a decision out of emotions rather than based on facts especially if you have so much at stake. Critical thinking can allow you to mitigate the possibility of allowing your emotions to obscure your sense of reasoning. It allows you to create an appeal using your emotions in order to convince others to buy your point of view. This can be seen during political debates where each opponent voices out their stances backed up with reasonable facts and with emotions to make it appealing to the audience. 3. While Tackling Problems Problem is an inseparable part of life. One is bound to come across myriad of problems which can be tackled by coming up with the right solution. With critical thinking, one would have the ability to analyze, evaluate, and invent a plan to arrest the issue. This particular benefit is one of the reasons why most employers subject potential employees to series of critical thinking tests to ascertain their problem-solving capacity. 4. For Enhanced Communication People have a different point of views towards a subject. Without relevant logical evidence to back up your assertion, you will end up making non-sequitur statements. This wont help in swaying your audience into buying your idea. In becoming adept at how to analyze logical texts of opinions of others, communication becomes better. 5. For Improved Creativity In the world that we are in today, creativity is highly-needed to circumvent certain problems. This can only be done by providing solutions using new ideas. Critical thinking allows you to joggle new ideas and take the one that will best address the present problem and bring the needed solution. Seeing the areas critical thinking matters in our lives, it is important to develop your critical thinking skills. Before you arrive at a conclusion, ensure that you have done a thorough research in order to gather relevant details concerning a topic. The more information you have allows you to make a better judgment. Ensure that you ask questions. Question your assumptions; don’t assume that you are always right. Try to know why things are the way they are. This way you will be able to develop your braining in becoming effective at critical thinking. Critical thinking is very important in every corner of our life. Individuals should be subjected to situations that will help them enhance their critical thinking mindset towards making better use of it in the future.