Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Chance in Philosophy Essay - 846 Words

Chance in Philosophy Boethius â€Å"The Consolation of Philosophy† demonstrates many thoughts and ideas that Boethius had while he was imprisoned at Ravenna. Boethius wrote of his â€Å"conversations† with lady Philosophy, who came to help cure him during his sentence. Throughout the book, she explained (or reminded) Boethius of many things such as the nature of power and the nature of fame. Many things that she explains in the beginning of the book can be summed together with the thought that God governs everything. God, though not the afterlife, is a very important theme in â€Å"The Consolation of Philosophy†. One part of this theme that I have looked at is whether God orders the world totally, or there is chance in our lives. Boethius explained,†¦show more content†¦So, because someone at some time buried the treasure, does that mean one was meant to find it? Yes, I believe that someone was meant to find it, and it is that person’s chance that led him or her to do so. However, in quot;The Consolation of Philosophyquot;, the idea is that there is no chance in Gods point of view; that God has a supreme knowledge of everything, and things do not seem to be chance to him because he may foresee their occurrence. It is implied that God created the world and the order that it stands in, and that he knows everything that will ever happen to us. So, how is it, then, that we have free will if God already knows what will happen to us? Does he choose our destiny, or do we shape it ourselves? I believe that while God may know our destinies, we do shape them ourselves. It is possible for God to know our destinies because he â€Å"knows† the future. However, the future in God’s perspective is not really the future per se, it is just a depiction of sequence of things rather than a moment of occurrence. In the book, Philosophy explains that quot;It is not necessary, they say, that what is foreseen must happen, but it is necessary that what is destined to happen must be foreseen.quot; (p. __) This may help explain the idea that even though God knows something, it does not mean that he chose it. I believe that we do have free will in our lives. We canShow MoreRelatedWilliam James on Free Will1523 Words   |  7 Pagessubsequently dabbled in works of philosophy and psychology (in which he officiated as a formal study through lectures) (Goodman, 2009). As did many philosophers, Jamesian thinking seeded many discussions on various philosophical topics such as metaph ysics, morality, free will-determinism, religion and the afterlife; however, what truly made his ideas notable was his uncanny ability to borrow and integrate knowledge from branches of physiology, psychology and philosophy to weave new insights and dimensionsRead MoreWilliam James on Free Will1537 Words   |  7 Pagessubsequently dabbled in works of philosophy and psychology (in which he officiated as a formal study through lectures) (Goodman, 2009). As did many philosophers, Jamesian thinking seeded many discussions on various philosophical topics such as metaphysics, morality, free will-determinism, religion and the afterlife; however, what truly made his ideas notable was his uncanny ability to borrow and integrate knowledge from branches of physiology, psychology and philosophy to weave new insights and dimensionsRead MoreFree Will Vs. Determinism879 Words   |  4 Pagesinfluences their decisions. Evans, Jeremy. â€Å"The Moral Psychology of Determinism.† Philosophical Psychology 26.5 (2013): 639-661. Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 Sept. 2015. In his study, Evans presents the morality implications of the deterministic philosophy. The â€Å"Deterministic Conception of human Action,† referred as the DCA, is the refusal of agent-caused actions, thus humans do not have total control of their actions. The human behavior comes from physical causes, and it works similar to a chainRead MoreThe Dark Knight Harvey Dent Analysis974 Words   |  4 Pagesand ends as a murderer. This swing from pure good to evil is caused by Dent’s response to the adversity experienced from Rachels death. In Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Harvey Dent demonstrates how people are forced to change their ethical philosophy in order to pursue changing moral desires when faced with extreme tragedies. At the beginning of The Dark Knight Harvey Dent is presented as the hero Gotham needs and wants. Furthermore he is also shown as a replacement for Batman and a symbolRead More My Philosophy of Teaching Essay1400 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophy of Education Education is something that every person should be given the chance to attain. It is vital for all people young, old, mentally impaired, ADHD, or whatever characteristic they may encompass. I believe everyone has the right to learn and be taught in an school environment. The law passed in 1975, P.L. 94-142, made numerous changes in the way certain children with special needs was being treated in the public school system. With the update in 1991, IDEA (IndividualsRead MoreExistentialism And Progressivism : Which Educational Philosophy Do You Most Closely Identify With And Why?971 Words   |  4 PagesProfessor Julie Smith Sodey Education 2209 October 14, 2014 Educational Philosophies: Existentialism and Progressivism Which educational philosophy do you most closely identify with and why? After taking the philosophic inventory I found that I scored highest with existentialism and second highest with progressivism. After researching both existentialism and progressivism, I concluded that I agreed with both of these philosophies. I agree with existentialism because I believe that being an individualRead MoreThe Theory Of Human Movement939 Words   |  4 Pagesleaves me wanting to tell them more about how Kinesiology. The concept of this major is so much more than just â€Å"sports† and exercise. From kinesiology being built on n the foundation of kinetics it gives us a chance to be able to move and use certain mechanics within the body to give us a chance to dance with our spouse, hug our loved ones and run with our kids. And when unfortunate evens happen were we can’t perform those simple activity of motion, kinesiology gives us the fundamentals on how to giveRead MoreConstructivism And Progressivism Are My Philosophies Of Education962 Words   |   4 Pagesand Progressivism are my philosophies of education, I am an art teacher and working to be an art professor and therefore have a progressive attitude with constructing art. As I began learning and traveling down this path to becoming an art educator, my main goal was to inspire and help students to structure themselves on the building blocks of the arts. This however changed as time went on, my passion grew and so did my philosophy of education. At first glance, my philosophy was more so of a constructiveRead MoreThe Principles Of Aristotle, Bertrand Russell, And Immanuel Kant1555 Words   |  7 Pagesconsidered to be his greatest achievement. Bertrand Arthur William Russell was a British philosopher, logician, essayist and social critic best known for his work in mathematical logic and analytic philosophy. Russell is generally recognized as one of the main founders of modern analytic philosophy. His most influential contributions include logicism which is the view that mathematics is in some important sense reducible to logic. Russell’s main contributions to logic include his discovery of Russell’sRead MorePolitical Philosophy And The Natural Law856 Words   |  4 PagesPolitical philosophy and the natural law are seldom reflected on in politics. Typically, persons in a political or civil society are often distracted by fiscal success or recreational leisure. In society today, there exists a consensus reality with the prospect of money and power. This reality emanates from a scandalous and corrupted political system. As a result, there lacks the recognition of idealistic values on liberalism, human rights, and the natural law. There have been several philosophers

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Sociologists Take Historic Stand on Racism and Police Brutality

The 2014 annual meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA) took place in San Francisco on the heels of the killing of unarmed black teen, Michael Brown, at the hands of a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. It also happened during a community uprising shrouded in police brutality, so many sociologists in attendance had the national crises of police brutality and racism on their minds. The ASA, however, created no official space for discussion of these issues, nor had the 109-year-old organization made any kind of public statement on them, despite the fact that the amount of published sociological research on these issues could fill a library. Frustrated by this lack of action and dialog, some attendees created a grassroots discussion group and task force to address these crises. Neda Maghbouleh, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto-Scarborough, was one of those who took the lead. Explaining why, she said, â€Å"We had a critical mass of thousands of trained sociologists within two blocks of each other at ASA—equipped to marshal history, theory, data, and hard facts toward a social crisis like Ferguson. So ten of us, complete strangers, met for thirty minutes in a hotel lobby to hash out a plan to get as many concerned sociologists as possible to contribute to, edit, and sign a document. I was committed to helping in any way possible because it’s moments like these that affirm the value of social science for society.† The document† Dr. Maghbouleh refers to is an open letter to U.S. society at-large, that was signed by over 1,800 sociologists, this author among them. The letter began by pointing out that what transpired in Ferguson was born of â€Å"deeply ingrained racial, political, social and economic inequities,† and then specifically named the conduct of policing, especially in black communities and in the context of protest, as a serious social problem. The authors and signatories  implored â€Å"law enforcement, policymakers, media, and the nation to consider decades of sociological analysis and research that can inform the necessary conversations and solutions required to address the systemic issues that the events in Ferguson have raised.† The authors pointed out that much sociological research has already established the existence of society-wide problems present in the case of Ferguson, like â€Å"a pattern of racialized policing,† historically rooted â€Å"institutionalized racism within police departments and the criminal justice system more broadly,†Ã‚  the â€Å"hyper-surveillance of black and brown youth,† and the disproportionate targeting and disrespectful treatment of black men and women by police.  These troubling phenomena foster  suspicion about people of color, create an environment in which it is impossible for people of color to trust police, which in turn undermines the ability of police to do their job: serve and protect. The authors wrote, â€Å"Instead of feeling protected by police, many African Americans are intimidated and live in daily fear that their children will face abuse, arrest, and death at the hands of police officers who may be acting on implicit biases or institutional policies based on stereotypes and assumptions of black criminality.† They then  explained that brutal police treatment of protestors is â€Å"rooted in the history of repression of African American protest movements and attitudes about blacks that often drive contemporary police practices.† In response, sociologists called for â€Å"greater attention to the conditions (e.g., joblessness and political disenfranchisement) that have contributed to the marginalization of residents† of Ferguson and other communities, and explained that â€Å"focused and sustained government and community attention on these issues is required to bring about healing and a change in the economic and political structures that have thus far ignored and left many in such areas vulnerable to police abuse.† The letter concluded with a list of demands required for â€Å"an appropriate response to the death of Michael Brown,† and to address the larger, nation-wide issue of racist police policies and practices: Immediate assurance from law enforcement authorities in Missouri and the federal government that constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of the press will be protected.A civil rights investigation into the incidents related to the death of Michael Brown and general police practices in Ferguson.The establishment of an independent committee to study and analyze the failures of the policing efforts during the week following Michael Brown’s death. Ferguson residents, including leaders of grassroots organizations, should be included on the committee throughout this process. The committee must provide a clear roadmap for resetting community-police relations in a way that grants oversight power to residents.An independent comprehensive national study of the role of implicit bias and systemic racism in policing. Federal funding should be allocated to support police departments in implementing the recommendations from the study and ongoing monitoring and public reporting of key benchmarks (e.g., use of force, arrests by race) and improvements in police practices.Legislation requiring the use of dash and body-worn cameras to record all police interactions. Data from these devices should be immediately stored in tamper-proof databases, and there should be clear procedures for public access to any such recordings.Increased transparency of public law enforcement, including independent oversight agencies with guaranteed full access to law enforcement policies and on-the-ground operations; and more streamlined, transparent and efficient procedures for the processing of complaints and FOIA requests.Federal legislation, currently being developed by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), to halt the transfer of military equipment to local police departments, and additional legislation to curtail the use of such equipment against domestic civilian populations.Establishment of a ‘Ferguson Fund’ that will support long term strategies grounded in the principles of social justice, systems reform and racial equity to bring about substantial and sustained change in Ferguson and other communities facing similar challenges. To learn more about the underlying issues of systemic racism and police brutality, check out The Ferguson Syllabus compiled by  Sociologists for Justice. Many of the readings included are available online.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Lawrence Working Capital Program Lawrence - 1327 Words

Kimberly Hopkins Assignment #3 July 15, 2015 Lawrence Working Capital Program Lawrence, Massachusetts is an industrial city located 26 miles north of Boston. As Lawrence continued to grow over time, immigrants from Puerto Rico and Dominican Republican seek a gateway for employment opportunities within the United States. Once the population increased in Lawrence the job market decreased and the population was served as a source of low-wage labors such; as traditional manufacturing firms and small businesses. Lawrence Low-wage labor resulted in reconstructing the city’s economic development plan to meet the growing demand of the city. The city of Lawrence Economic Development goal is to create an environment within the City of Lawrence that is conducive to both business and residential activity, in turn attracting and leveraging additional private investment. The priorities of the Economic Development Division include: †¢ Building the vitality of the downtown core through the creation of new residential, business, retail, cultural and entertainment opportunities. †¢ Strengthening neighborhood centers with new residential and retail alternatives. †¢ Improving connections between and among the City s many economic generators. †¢ Marketing Lawrence’s assets to the region and beyond. Therefore, the Lawrence Minority Business Council (LMBC) and the Lawrence Working Capital (LWC) was organized to help generate multiple small businesses and to help increase employments rate inShow MoreRelatedBuster Business Plan Essay1624 Words   |  7 PagesDebra J. Lawrence LA6525017 Management 190-SP Entrepreneurship Business Plan BUSINESS PLAN Buster’s Retail Store 1501 Maple St P.O. Box 2534 Tacoma, Washington 98453 * INTRODUCTION * DESCRIPTION * PURPOSE * OWNER/EMPLOYEES * FINANCIALS * SALES FORCAST * PRO FORMA STATEMENT * MARKETING * OPERATIONS * LEGAL/SUNDRY * MAJOR CHALLENGES Introduction and brief description of the venture a. Buster’s is currently a small store operatingRead MoreThe Cold War On The World948 Words   |  4 Pagesdemocracy broke out through proxy wars, but the USSR enforced communism on East Europe and on Afghanistan was spreading like wildfire . The Soviet Union ruled Eastern Europe from behind the so called â€Å"Iron Curtain†. â€Å"Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central, Eastern Europe. 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In this case, unfortunately, the Saigon movement was already losing to the Viet Cong. Then things worsened Hanoi, the North Vietnamese capital, began sending soldiers to the south via the famous Ho Chi Minh trail. Brief Communist Perspective: As many could speculate, it is difficult to fully understand why an event took place without really analyzing every single aspect of it. With thatRead MoreEarned Income Tax Credit Evaluation Essay4039 Words   |  17 PagesEarned Income Tax Credit Evaluation Meyer (2010) states that since the birth of the EITC in 1975 it has grown dramatically in size and is now the largest antipoverty program for the non-aged in the United States. Meyer (2010) continues that â€Å"in 2007, 25 million families received EITC payments totaling $49.7 billion.† Meyer (2010) avers that â€Å"as a result, the EITC lifted at least 4.0 million individuals above the poverty line.† Meyer (2010) further continues to explain that â€Å"in addition to directlyRead MoreThe Harshness Of The United States Criminal Justice System1567 Words   |  7 Pagesrather than news. Even more specifically, images from law related television programs contribute to this point of view. The typical television show documents a problem and solution within a thirty to sixty minute time frame giving many viewers a false sense of the workings of the way in which the criminal justice system actually operates. The more Americans are led to believe the falsities within these television programs, the more naive of crimes citizens become. Also, society will less likelyRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement And Gay Pride Essay1705 Words   |  7 Pagessetting into motion the beginnings of modern American LGBT rights activism and Gay Pride. Before this major shift in gay rights activism, during the Great Depression, several experimental programs, collectively known as The New Deal, created new jobs; and thousands of Americans came flocking to the capital in search of work. Many of these citizens were gay folks hoping to escape conservative small town life, and find acceptance, and a community in a more liberal urban setting. But this life ofRead MoreThe Modified Delone Mclean Model Includes User Satisfaction5253 Words   |  22 Pagesresponsibilities. These responsibilities include accounting services, capital works, petty cash, financial planning, rates, valuations, as well as the short and long-term budgets. 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The process for the creation of the new government continued when George Washington was unanimously elected the first president, and JohnRead MoreValues, Ethics, And Sustainability1049 Words   |  5 Pagesas giving schools a good education, providing libraries, museums, entertainment, and more. Communities have individuals called community relations manager. Their purpose is to communicate with local citizens of a community, develop community programs manage charities such donations of goods and services, and convince the community to do employee volunteerism. This kind of actions helps both the community and businesses because it builds relationships with one another. â€Å"Many businesses sponsor

Theravada Buddhism The Way Of The Elders Essay - 2442 Words

Theravada Buddhism, or otherwise known as ‘The Way of the Elders’, is the oldest form of Buddhism, and was formed just after 500 BC. It was established by the Second Buddhist Council, which was assembled 100 years after the Buddha’s death who died approximately around 483 B.C.E. During the time of the Second Council, there was plentiful controversy revolving around monastic beliefs and followers. Many monks were disagreeing with the set beliefs and interpretations of the Buddha’s teachings and were consequentially being expelled or leaving by their own will. In order to settle this controversy there was a split instituted in the religion, with the group of monks who remained faithful to the initially set beliefs deeming themselves ‘The Elders’ (or ‘Thera’ in Pali). The other group regarded themselves as ‘The Great Community’ (Mahasanghika in Sanskrit), and they interpreted the Buddha’s teachings more liberally o r openly, as they believed this was in fact more accurate to the Buddha’s beliefs. Over time, these groups evolved into Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism respectively. Today, Theravada Buddhism is active in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia and in other parts of Southeast Asia. Its origin language is Pali, while Mahayana’s is Sanskrit. Theravada is known to be the stricter and more traditional division of Buddhism, and therefore has a smaller number of followers compared to Mahayana. The belief system of Theravada Buddhism follows the traditionalShow MoreRelatedDifferences Of Theravada And Mahayana Buddhism1181 Words   |  5 Pages There are two major divisions of Buddhism. These two major divisions are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Both of these divisions of Buddhism are similar but also different in some aspects. Theravada Buddhism is known as the traditions of the elders and Mahayana Buddhism is known as the expansive way. I will talk about three difference in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. There are also many little differences in both they will also be brought up in the describing the two divisions. OneRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between Mahayana And Two Major Branches Of Buddhism1281 Words   |  6 Pages In Buddhism, the two major branches are the Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada is known as the â€Å"tradition of the elders.† Mahayana is called the â€Å"large vehicle.† Mahayana Buddhist came about after the first Buddhist council split. The second Buddhist council began a hundred years after the death of the Buddha. The councils came together to discuss the differences in buddha orders in which some Monks believed. They talked about the true meaning behind the Buddha teachings and certain practices. MonksRead MoreTheravada Buddhism767 Words   |  4 Pages Theravada Buddhism Angela Dodd REL/133 03/14/2016 Melissa Singer Theravada Buddhism Buddhism is one of the oldest and most influential religions in the world. It has had a great impact on an array of societies in eastern cultures. Buddhism began in India from the experience of one person originally named Siddhartha, who later became known as Buddha. It can be said that religion can help people to grasp and understand reality better. It can give inspiration to people and bring them together asRead MoreThe Impact Of Theravada Buddhism On Myanmar1288 Words   |  6 PagesTheravada Buddhism is one of two major sects of Buddhism and is practiced primarily in Southeast Asia. Its practice began in Sri Lanka and spread to Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and has influence in the West today. In the eleventh century C.E., King Anawratha established The Myanmas kingdom, it was at this time that he converted to Theravada Buddhism, despite a large Tantric Buddhist population in the kingdom. From then on, Myanmar has been known as a Theravada Buddhist country. As with most religion sRead MoreEssay about The Evolution of Buddhism 1182 Words   |  5 PagesBuddhism is a unique religion that bestows upon its members that their actions accumulate karma and too much bad karma leads to rebirth. A person reaches Nirvana (also known as heaven) when achieving enlightenment and is no longer subjected to rebirth. Buddhism also believes there is no one almighty god, but rather many gods, which they refer to as deities. Dharma is commonly known as the sacred teachings of a deity. The Buddha is only born in certain situations that members are in need of re-teachingRead MoreBuddhism And Its Views On Buddhism973 Words   |  4 PagesBuddhism is one of the major religions of the world; it was founded in India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha, or the Enlightened One/Awakened One. Buddhism is non-theistic and is not based on any concept of a supreme or one ruling God. A Buddhist approach is a naturalistic one and the sole purpose of the followers is to end or reduce suffering (dukkha) and attain a state of liberation or enlightenment and the freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth (Nirvana). BuddhistRead MoreTheravada And Mahayana Buddhism And Buddhism1433 Words   |  6 Pagesschisms of Buddhism due to different outlooks on the fundamental teachings and ideas of Buddhism. The two that have survived and are still current today are Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism is often found in southern locations, which include Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and parts of Southeast Asia (Mitchell, pp. 91). Mahayana Buddhism, however, is found in the northern areas of the world, such as: Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, and more. These two schools of Buddhism bothRead MoreA Brief History of Buddhism1417 Words   |  6 PagesBuddhism is one of the major religions of the world. It was founded by Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) in Northeastern India. It arose as a monastic movement during a time of Brahman tradition. Buddhism rejected important views of Hinduism. It did not recognize the validity of the Vedic Scriptures, nor the sacrificial cult which arose from it. It also questioned the authority of the priesthood. Also, the Buddhist movement was open to people of all castes, denying that a persons worth could beRead MoreReligion Is Not A Single Term1613 Words   |  7 Pageshence the reason why Religion is not a single term. However, the following paper will only focus on Buddhist religion. Buddhism is said to have existed for more than 2,500 years, which surrounds a variety of beliefs, traditions and practices. All of which gives sentiment beings the true meaning and purpose of life. Particularly about death, rebirth and suffering (Strong 2008). Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who is also known as the Buddha. Siddhartha Gautama is considered theRead MoreEssay on Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism2768 Words   |  12 Pages There are two forms of Buddhism that are still prevalent in society today, these are Theravada and Mahayana. Both these traditions have existed for many centuries and encompass important beliefs derived from the Pali Canon and other ancient Indian Buddhist literature. They revert back to the o rthodox teachings presented by the historical Gautama Buddha such as The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. Both these forms of Buddhism stay devoted to the traditional beliefs that the religion

Shanghai Tang free essay sample

The lights go up, the beat of â€Å"Tainted life† fills the temple, and the parade of Chinese model begins. On display is an array of sumptuous clothing: Brocaded parkas with fur trimmed hoods, S49,000 chinchilla-lined silk coat, silk jackets topstitched in cloud patterns, tweed skirts festooned with crystals in a dragon-scale design, and cardigans embellished with jade. When the final outfit, a full-length shearling coat encrusted with Swarovski crystals, is shown, the crowd applauds de Chermont and his creative director Joanne Ooi. The glitzy event was a gamble for Shanghai Tang, which has had a rocky history since its launch. Birth of a Brand Shanghai Tang was founded in 1994 by British-educated David Tang in Hong Kong. It was a positioned originally as a custom-tailoring business leveraging on the talents of Shanghainese tailors. In 1996, anticipating a robust market selling Chinese souvenirs to well-heeled tourists attracted by the handover of the city of China, Tang expanded into ready-to-wear. At precisely 6. 8pm on November 1997, a time chosen into by a feng shui (geomancy) master, Shanghai Tang opened a palatial outlet on Madison Avenue in New York just opposite Barneys, welcoming the city’s glitterati for a bash that featured roast suckling pig, lion dancers, and Fergie, the Duchess of York. It was such a hot ticket that many party goers couldn’t get in, as the NYPD, citing New York’s tough fire codes, turned them away. However, the fashion world at the time seemed mystified about whether Tang was launching a new era of global fashion or peddling assorted Chinese merchandise. Nineteen months later, it was clear that Tang had miscalculated American’s appetite for expensive Chinese fashion, silver rice bowls, and painted lanterns. â€Å"It was not the ideal way to start a business. But unlike Europe, America is tolerant of mistakes as long as you learn. And we have learned from this huge mistake. We needed to be more modern,† concedes de Chermont. The lessons from the New York disaster were clear: To compete in the high-end fashion business, you need a continuous array of fresh collections to keep customers coming back. Clothes must be wearable and relevant to modern lives, not costume designs. And you need to know your market before you make a big real-estate bet, particularly in the most expensive cities in the world. Shanghai Tang moved to a smaller outlet farther up Madison Avenue, and rethought its marketing strategy. Back in Hong Kong, mired in the Asian financial crisis, things weren’t going well either. By the time de Chermont was hired in 2001, revenue stagnated. The SARS hit in 2002, effectively shutting down business in Hong Kong for six months. Shanghai Tang also lost market share to rivals including Ooi, who opened her outlet across from its flagship store on Pedder Street in Hong Kong’s Central District. China was chic, and international fashion editors loved qi pao dresses. â€Å"I thought I’d launch my own ready-to-wear line based on the idea on innovating this iconic symbol,† said 37-year-old Singapore-born Ooi, an Asian American with a law degree. â€Å"To underscore my point, I even made one qi pao out of African kente cloth and put it on my window. I thought I would eat Shanghai Tang for lunch. However, personal problems led Ooi to seek a new life. A Brand Reborn Enter de Chermont, who met Ooi through a headhunter friend. Both realized they shared a passion for an authentic Chinese luxury brand and the need for constant innovation in the fashion industry. Ooi surveyed Shanghai Tang’s outlets and concluded, â€Å"It’s an overpriced Chinese emporium that has no credibility with local Chinese people, let alone with fashion people. Its very narrow market is high-end tourists. It’s once-in-a-lifetime destination shopping experience, a kind of fashion Disneyland. Plus, it’s unwearable and eccentric. † de Chermont offered her the job of marketing and creative director. Both worked on repositioning Shanghai Tang. They believed the label had to be modern and relevant. It couldn’t be kitschy. It had to be luxurious, since prestige is more important in the Asian market than creativity. They decided to focus on women’s ready-to-wear, since that was likely to be the highest profile part of the line. For a year, they launched collections that over-corrected the problem. The clothes were fashion forward but still out of touch with the market. the brand had no depth, no sincerity, no differentiation,† Ooi concedes. Then Ooi hit on idea: each collection would reflect a China-related theme. The fall/winter 2003 collection, inspired by the traditional costumes of a Chinese minority group called the Miao, came first. It outsold the two previous collections. A strategy was born. Ooi now roams China, visiting antique markets, art galleries, museums, and historic sites, making notes, sketches, lists. She reads Chinese history and stays abreast of Chinese pop culture. Twice a year, she defines a theme for the next season’s collection and emails the concept brief to 16 designers and consultants worldwide. It specifies the collection’s intellectual underpinnings and suggests various elements to be incorporated into the design. For example, the theme of the fall/winter 2005 collection, Beijing’s Forbidden City, had design motifs which included elements such as symbols from the emperor’s robes and embellishments fir for an imperial court. For the spring/summer 2006 collection, the theme was contemporary Chinese art. Chinese artists were commissioned to create designs and students of China’s, most prestigious art academy created artworks based on fabrics from the collection. Ooi’s role is to gather, distill, disseminate, and synthesize sketches form designers in Paris, London, New York, and China. â€Å"I allow the designers to pollinate themselves. The trick is to make it look like it all came from the same person,† she says. Local Dream, Global Ambition As China enters the modern economic market, it has gone from being a low-cost producer to the purchaser of big name brands like Lenovo’s acquisition of IBM’s PC division. The third phase will be for China to create its own brands, becoming a center of design and innovation, capable of launching products that can compete in quality, style, and prestige with Western offerings. â€Å"The opportunity for Shanghai Tang right now is hug,† says David Melancon, North American president of brand strategy firm FutureBrand. â€Å"They could be the first big luxury brand out of Asia. † And in it, too. While the luxury market is already big at S168 billion a year, according to Bain amp; Co, and growing at 7 percent annually, it is developing even faster in China. By end-2004, there were over 236,000 mainland millionaires, compared to zero 25 years ago. Patrizio Bertelli, CEO of Prada, estimates that China could overtake the U. S. as a market for luxury goods by 2020. The winds of fashion seem to be blowing in Shanghai Tang’s direction. â€Å"Asian fusion is the top of the style wave†, says Michael Silverstein of the Boston Consulting Group. That put Shanghai Tang in a fashion sweet spot. â€Å"What Shaghai Tang does is translate two cultures†, says de Chermont. Early signs show that the strategy is working. Shanghai Tang’s New York store’s revenues were up 50 percent in 2005. Overall, the company grew 40 percent in 2005, mostly in Asia, home to 70 percent of its stores. And it’s profitable, though not quite yet in the U. S. This success has led to more ambitious expansion plans away from its Asian stronghold. Shanghai Tang aims to launch five stores a year worldwide. As it emerges on the world stage, though, it must pull of a delicate balancing act: It must create a look that both Chinese and international, authentic yet sophisticated enough for a global audience. Too much Asian kitsch, and its dead.

Organizational Behavior Business Simulation Game

Question: Discuss about the Organizational Behavior for Business Simulation Game. Answer: Introduction: BSG (business simulation game) is a strategic tool that attracts consumers working together on a technology based platform for economic processing (Sloan et al., 2013). The team had adopted one of the most efficient cohesive business strategies that are recruiting with care, training program etc. The process is well developed for the evaluation of this activity. The recruitment process is the base of any business plan. During team formation, pure business simulation has been adopted regarding construction of management simulation. In order to achieve establishment in the competitive business marketing field five primry key goals such as EPS, ROE, Credit, image rating, the stock price are considered (Whiteley, Leduc Dawson, 2014). Focus on all the relevant aspects is needed for strategic business planning. The measurement of investor expectation defined that the rate of ERS is less comparatively than others. Thus if the team does not achieve meeting, one of the less important metric image ratings will be sacrificed for its sophisticated measurement. In order to reach the goal of the firm the adopted strategies are well implemented. The things turn out as per the expectation, but some available matrices need certain changes and improvement. The measurement of credit rating is little difficult (Sloan et al., 2013). In order to mitigate this issue, the firm is hiring expert employee team. After the completion of 11 years certain changes required to be obtained. These are as followed: Expert Recruitment Training and development programs Technology improvement Reward function Yes, I have done some strategic changes such as recruiting new employees, technical improvement and by arranging well-organized training and development programs. References Sloan, D., Robson, A., Charity, I., Nguyen, T., Purdie, T. (2013) Can a business simulation game provide support and address learning and assessment criteria. Whiteley, T. R., Leduc, R., Dawson, B. (2014) A cognitive investigation of the internal validity of a management strategy simulation game. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning,31