James M. Cain s Mildred Pierce - 765 Words

The process of converting a work of art from one medium to another often requires a significant alteration of the content to fit the form and standards of the new medium. Adapted from 300-page novel to a 2-hour movie, Michael Curtiz’s Mildred Pierce is a prime example of a loose Hollywood adaption that makes drastic changes in characters, narrative configurations, and framing structure to conform to the standards and expectations of American cinema. Most ostensibly, the movie employs murder as a framing device and a hook to draw the audience’s attention to Mildred’s story, therefore transforming the linear, chronological plot of the novel into an episodic and achronological one. As a result, in Curtiz’s film adaptation of James M. Cain’s Mildred Pierce, we see several plot points in the story abbreviated and diminished, and many of the themes in the novel either lost or reduced. Both versions of Mildred Pierce depict the struggle of a woman during the post-Depression era to become independent after separating from her husband. In the book as well as the movie, Mildred’s actions and trials are a result of her desire to please Veda. She struggles to find a job and hustles to keep her restaurant business together to become financially independent so she can afford Veda the lavish lifestyle she craves. Near the beginning of the movie, we see a heartbroken Mildred who just discovered that the dress she has worked so hard to buy for Veda is nothing more to her than just a rag.Show MoreRelatedJames M. Cain s Mildred Pierce And The Movie Version ``896 Words   |  4 Pagesdisloyalty to the original author and readers. However, in 1945 Warner Bros. produced the movie Mildred Pierce based on the same name novel written by James M. Cain. This film not only became an exception in this general view, but also amazed the audience and even Cain himself by extraord inary performances and unique edit technique and literary point of view. There are a few distinctions between Cain’s Mildred Pierce and the movie version, mostly with the ingenious use of different point of views in severalRead More Themes in the Novel and Movie Adaptation of James Cain’s Mildred Pierce1573 Words   |  7 PagesAdaptation of James Cain’s Mildred Pierce In contemporary film making, â€Å"Hollywood-ization† generally refers to the re-creation of a classic work in a form more vulgar and sexually explicit than the original in an effort to boost movie attendance. After all, sex and violence sell. However, from the mid-1930’s to the 1950’s, â€Å"Hollywood-ization† referred to the opposite case where controversial books had to be purified to abide by the Production Code of 1934.[1] This occurred to many of James Cain’sRead More James M. Cains Novel Mildred Pierce: Comparing the Book and Movie Version869 Words   |  4 PagesJames M. Cains Novel Mildred Pierce: Comparing the Book and Movie Version Mildred Pierce is one of the greatest novels written by James M. Cain. After the success of the novel, the Hollywood film came out, produced by Jerry Wald. The novel and the movie are very different from each other. â€Å"James M. Cain sent several letters of complaint to producer Jerry Wald, objecting to the changes Wald wanted to make, especially the dramatic idea of making Veda a washout musically and putting her inRead MoreThe Studio System Essay14396 Words   |  58 Pagescomplete control over design decisions, the personnel of the department, the assignment of tasks, and the attribution of credit. In the autocratic system that prevailed at MGM Gibbons had complete control. According to the director, Pandro S. Berman, He was the most influential person on the lot except for the owners, Nick Schenk in New York and Louis B. Mayer in Culver City (Affron 17). Gibbons was nominated for the Academy Award for Art Direction 40 times. He received

Teacher Expectancy Effect - 2016 Words

3.1 Teacher Expectancy Effect When we discuss about the interactionist (or symbolic interactionist) view in the context of educational institutions, teacher expectancy effect would be one of the major areas affecting the growth and improvement of students both in academically and in extra-curricular, mentally and physically. In other words, teacher expectancy effect is something that ties closely to the social development of the students as a whole. Teacher expectancy effect is defined as â€Å"the impact that a teacher’s expectations about a student’s performance may have on the student’s actual achievements† (Schaefer amp; Lamm, 1995, p. 461). However, before we look at what teacher expectancy effect really is, it is crucial for us to†¦show more content†¦Note that these classifications (â€Å"better†, â€Å"average† and â€Å"weakest†) were all defined solely by the teacher according to her impressionistic perception, with nothing whatsoever like a pla cement test. This categorization was also found to be based on the social classes of the students, whereby the â€Å"better† ones belong to a higher social class and the â€Å"weakest† one from lower social classes (Covington, 1992, p.140). Other researchers have also been carried out since then and the expectancy effect seems to thrive in all context of social life be it with university scholar at higher educational institutions or working adults at manufacturing company. This phenomenon has also been later coined as the â€Å"Pygmalion phenomenon† (Rhem, 1999). 3.1.2 Implications of teacher expectancy effect Hence, after we look at all these case studies, we could conclude that the students’ academic performance is clearly tied to teacher’s expectation. In other words, the students who were deemed as â€Å"better† or â€Å"good† ends up achieving better also due to the higher expectation that the teacher was giving to them. These result, especially Rosenthal and Jacobson’s, demonstrated extremely powerful self-fulfilling prophecy on the part of the teacher. This is because when a teacher forms certain expectations towards their students based on whatever characteristicsShow MoreRelatedExpectancy Violation Theory And Its Significance1650 Words   |  7 Pagesreviews expectancy violation theory and its significance in understanding interpersonal communication. The theory highlights the unexpected behavior of human being while interacting (Dainton, 2011). This theory is based on the reduction uncertainty where ambiguity on behaviors of others is reduced through interaction. Expectancy violations theory offers some prospect to compare the personality of traditional empiricism with humanism. The theory was developed from the Nonverbal expectancy violationRead MoreA Study on Operant and Classical Conditioning1477 Words   |  6 Pagesis made and increases tendency to make the response. A middle school teacher intercepted a note that contained personal information, read it out loud, and the student the note was intended for leaves the class and school, feels sick at going to school the next day, and becomes ill at the thought of the teacher. This is a classical conditioning case. (Daniels, 2009). If the students behavior had happened before the teacher intercepted the note and read it out loud, it would have been a case ofRead MorePiagets Four Stages of Cognitive Development1621 Words   |  7 Pages892 Describe the ‘expectancy cycle’ and outline the practical implications that this model holds for a coach in a sport of your choice. â€Å"Expectancies are defined as beliefs about a future state of affairs that allow individuals to develop rules and make predictions about the world around them†. (Manley 2009). Expectancy can have a huge impact on an athletes performance or careers. Expectancy was first implemented within the classroom by teachers. In the 1960s teachers started to have differentRead MoreEssay on Motivational Plan1257 Words   |  6 PagesDouglas C. Soles Grand Canyon University: EDA 575 January 12, 2011 There are five basic theories of motivation. 1) Self-determination theory states that people have three basic needs. 2) Attribution theory wants to know why things happen. 3) Expectancy-value theory is interested in a person’s beliefs about abilities. 4) Social cognitive theory states that human behavior comes from their attributes. 5) Goal orientation theory wants to know the reasons for doing tasks. Self-Determination Theory Read MoreSolutions for Low Life Expectancy Essay861 Words   |  4 PagesINVESTIGATE TWO POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO LOW LIFE EXPECTANCY Life expectancy is the average period of a person may expect to live. The life expectancy can be predict or calculate by the analysis of life tables which is also known as the actuarial table. The term that is known as life expectancy is most often used in the context of human population in a country. It also can be said that the average life expectancy of an individual depends on the importance they give on their health. CurrentlyRead MoreThe Theory Of The Expectancy Violation Theory1668 Words   |  7 Pagestakes into account pre-existing and external factors. Burgoon’s Expectancy Violations Theory analyses people’s reactions to unanticipated violations of social norms or expectations. This theory discusses many of the different factors that play a role when individuals form their expectancies such as context, relationship, communicator characteristics, and nonverbal communication. This paper analyses the pros and cons of the Expectancy Violation Theory. It argues why this theory satisfies enough ofRead MoreRewards And Punishment At School Learning1048 Words   |  5 Pagespunishment had a greater effect on behavior. Once analyzed, the results showed that punishment and reward do not have a symmetric law of effect. In fact, giving a punishment had a stronger effect on behavior than giving a reward. Introduction A staggering twelve years is spent in school learning about a variety of pertinent subjects. Teachers, the people that work in these learning institutes have used both reward and punishment to guide behavior. For instance, some teachers offer a prize to whoeverRead MoreThe Value Percept Theory : Job Satisfaction991 Words   |  4 Pages If direction, intensity, and persistence are high, motivational efforts to achieve a goal will be successful. Expectancy, instrumentality, and valence are used to determine how motivated an individual will be to pursue a particular goal, stated in Vrooms Expectancy theory. This theory is based on the mental process an individual has regarding their choice to apply effort. Expectancy is the belief that if an individual exerts the effort, it will result to the desired performance goal. Self-efficacyRead MoreHow Osteogenesis Imperfecta Is A Disease That Effects Children888 Words   |  4 PagesOsteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as Brittle Bone Disease, is a disease that effects bones and joints. Osteogenesis Imperfecta is a disease that effects child, and most often children are born with this disease. In some cases the disease may take a couple years to show symptoms, but more often than not the disease is recognized when the child is born. â€Å"Osteogenesis Imperfecta is caused by a defect in the gene which produces collagen 1, an important building block of bone† (Osteogenesis). The bonesRead MoreOperant Conditioning and Skinners Method1158 Words   |  5 Pagesbehavior could be explained both by internal and external factors. I. Examples of Operant Conditioning Examples of Operant conditioning can be found in all areas of life such as children who complete homework and earn a reward from their parents or teacher or employees who complete projects and receive promotions or raises in pay. Cherry (2007) states that the promise of the rewards results in an increase in a specific behavior or alternatively the decrease in a specific and undesired behavior. Operant

Chile Political Parties And Organizations Essay Example For Students

Chile Political Parties And Organizations Essay Taking a look at Chile’s government and institutions it gives the idea that the average person is represented. Chilean people have a history of strong political ties and many private associations and organizations. This has been helpful in taking care that many interests and needs are expressed within the government. Perhaps even more helpful is the development of many different political parties, whom, for the most part represent many of these organizations and associations in the government. In order to evaluate these institutions a closer look must be taken at each to understand fully the amount of organization that is in place. In the 1990’s Chile had a strong, ideological based multiparty system with a clear division between the parties of the right, center, and left. Traditionally the parties have national in scope penetrating into other more remote regions. Party affiliation had been had served as the organizing concept in many leadership contests in universities and private associations, such as labor unions and professional associations. Political tendencies are passed from generation to generation and constitute an important part of an individual’s identity. By the middle of the twentieth century, each of Chile’s political tendencies represented one-third of the electorate. The left was dominated by the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista) and the Communist Party of Chile (Partido Communista de Chile), the right by the Liberal Party (PartidoLiberal) and the Conservative Party (Partido Conservador), and the center by the anticlerical Radical Party (Partido Radical) which was replac ed as Chile’s dominant party by the Christian Democratic Party (Partido Democrata Cristiano) in the 1960s. The Communist Party of Chile (PPCh) is the oldest and largest communist party in Latin America and one of the most important in the West. Tracing it’s origins to 1912, the party was officially founded in1922 as the successor to the Socialist Workers’ Party. It achieved congressional representation shortly thereafter and played a leading role in the development of the Chilean labor movement. Concern over the party’s success at building a strong electoral base, combined with the onset of the Cold War, led to its being outlawed in 1948, a status it had to endure for almost a decade. However by midcentury it had become a genuine political subculture with its own symbols and organizations and the support of prominent artists and intellectuals. The PPCh’s strong stand against registration of voters and participation in elections alienated many of its own supporters and long-time militants who understood that most of the citizens supported a peaceful return to de mocracy. The dramatic failure of the PCCh’s strategy seriously undermined its credibility and contributed to the growing withdrawal from its ranks. The party was also hurt by the vast structural changes in Chilean society, the decline of traditional manufacturing and extractive industries and the weakening of the labor movement in particular. The collapse of the Soviet Union and its East European allies represented the final blow. The Socialist Party (PS), formally organized in 1933, had its origins in the incipiant labor movement and working-class parties of the earlier twentieth century. The Socialist Party was far more mixed than the PCCh, drawing support from the blue-collar workers a well as intellectuals and members of the middle-class. Throughout most of its history, the Socialist Party suffered from a large number of factions. Resulting from rivalries and fundamental disagreements between leaders advocating revolution and those willing to work within the system. The Socialist Party’s greatest moment was the election of Salvador Allende to the presidency in 1970. Allende represented the moderate wing of a party that had veered sharply to the left. The Socialist Party’s radical orientation contributed to continuous political tension as the president and the PCCh argues for a more gradual approach to change and the Socialists sought to press for immediate conquests for the middle class. Prior to the 1988 election, the Socialists launched the Party for Democracy (Partido por la DemocraciaPPD) in an effort to provide a broad base of opposition to Pinochet. Led by Lagos, an economist and former university administrator, the PPD was supposed to be an instrumental party that would disappear after the defeat of Pinochet. But the partys success in capturing the imagination of many Chileans led Socialist and PPD leaders to keep the party label for the subsequent congressional and municipal elections, working jointly with the Christian Democrats in structuring national lists of candidates. The success of the PPD soon created a serious dilemma for the Socialist Party, which managed to reunite its principal factions the relatively conservative Socialist Party-Almeyda, the moderate Socialist Party-Nez renewalists, and the left-wing Unitary Socialistsat the Social Party congress in December 1990. Previously an instrument of the Socialists, the PPD became a party in its own right, even though many Socialists had dual membership. Although embracing social democratic ideals, PPD leaders appeared more willing to press ahead on other unresolved social issues such as divorce and womens rights, staking out a distinct position as a center-left secular force in Chilean society capable of challenging the Christian Democrats as well as the right on a series of critical issues. As the PPD grew, leaders of the Socialist Party insisted on abolishing dual membership for fear of losing their capacity to enlarge the appeal of the Socialist Party beyond its traditional constituency. By 1993 both parties, working together in a somewhat tense relationship, had comparable levels of popular support in opinion. The Christian Democratic Party (PDC), was formally established in 1957. It adopted its present name after uniting with several other centrist groups. It elected Frei to the Senate while capturing fourteen seats in the Chamber of Deputies. The party polled 20 percent of the vote in the presidential race in 1958, with Frei as standard-bearer. In 1964, with the support of the right, which feared the election of Allende, Frei was elected president on a platform proclaiming a third way between Marxism and capitalism, a form of communitarian socialism of cooperatives and self-managed worker enterprise. In the aftermath of the military regime, the PDC emerged as Chiles largest party, with the support of about 35 percent of the electorate. The PDC had been divided internally by a series of ideo;ogical, generational, and factional rivalries. The PDC, however, retained a commitment to social justices while embracing the fre-market policies instituted by the military government. Although the Ay lwin administration was a coalition government, the PDC secured ten of twenty cabinet seats. In the 1989 elections, the Christian Democrats also obtained the largest number of congressional seats, with fourteen in the Senate and thirty-eight in the Chamber of Deputies. In October 1991, in a major challenge to President Aylwin and the traditional leadership of the party, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle was elected PDC president, placing him in a privileged position to run for president as the candidate of the CPD. Another party that could be classified as centrist was the Radical Party, whose political importance outweighed its electoral presence. The Radical Party owed its survival as a political force to the binomial electoral law inherited from the military government and the desire of the Christian Democrats to use the Radical Party as a foil against the left. It was to the Christian Democrats advantage to provide relatively more space to the Radicals on the joint lists than to their str onger PPD partners. The Radicals succeeded in electing two senators and five deputies in 1989 and were allotted two out of twenty cabinet ministers, despite polls reporting that they had less than 2 percent support nationally. It remained to be seen if, over the long run, the Radical Party could compete with Chiles other major parties, particularly the PPD, which had moved closest to the Radical Partys traditional position on the political spectrum. In 1965, following the dramatic rise of the Christian Democrats, primarily at their expense, Chiles two traditional right-wing parties, the Liberal Party and Conservative Party, merged into the National Party (Partido NacionalPN). Their traditional disagreements over issues such as the proper role of the Roman Catholic Church in society paled by comparison with the challenge posed by the left to private property and Chiles hierarchical social order. The new party, energized by the presidential candidacy of Jorge Alessandri in 1970, helpe d the right regain some of its lost electoral ground. The National Party won 21.1 percent of the vote in the 1973 congressional elections, the last before the coup. The National Party was at the forefront of the opposition to the Allende government, working closely with elements of the business community. National Party leaders welcomed the coup and, unlike the Christian Democrats, were content to accept the military authorities injunction that parties go into recess. Until 1984 the National Party remained failing, with most of the party leaders concerning themselves with private pursuits or an occasional embassy post. With Pinochets defeat, the National Renewal partys prestige rose considerably. In the aftermath of the plebiscite, National Renewal worked closely with the other opposition parties to propose far-reaching amendments to the constitution. The National Renewal party, however, could not impose its own party president, having to concede the presidential candidacy of the ri ght to the UDIs B?chi. After the 1989 congressional race, the National Renewal party emerged as the dominant party of the right, benefiting strongly from the electoral law and electing six senators and twenty-nine deputies. Its strength in the Senate meant that the Aylwin government had to compromise with the National Renewal party to gain support for key legislative and constitutional measures. The National Renewal party saw much of its support wane in the wake of party scandals involving its most promising presidential candidates. While the RN drew substantial support from rural areas and traditional small businessmen, the UDI appealed to new entrepreneurial elites and middle sectors in Chiles rapidly growing modern sector. The UDI also made inroads in low-income neighborhoods with special programs appealing to the poor, a legacy of the Pinochet regimes urban policy. The assassination of UDI founder Senator Jaime Guzm?n Err?zuriz on April 1, 1991, was a serious blow, depriving the party of its strongest leader. Chileans have a remarkable facility for forming organizations and associations. In contrast to North Americans, however, Chileans usually take a formal approach to creating organizations. In addition to electing a president, a treasurer, a secretary, and perhaps a few officers, they prefer to discuss and approve a statement of purpose and some statutes. This is a ritual even for organizations that need not register legally, obtaining what is called a juridical personality that will enable them to open bank accounts and to buy and sell properties. Observers of Chilean society are rapidly struck by the density of its organizational life and the relatively high degree of continuity of its organizations and associations In any Chilean community of appreciable size can be found sports clubs, mothers clubs, neighborhood associations, parent centers linked to schools, church-related organizations, youth groups, and cultural clubs, as well as Masonic lodges a nd Rotary and Lions clubs. Virtually all of the nations fire fighters are volunteers, with the exception of members of a few fire departments in the largest cities. Government statistics greatly understate the number of community organizations because they refer mainly to those having some contact with one or another state office. According to the official estimate for 1991, there were about 22,000 such organizations, the main ones being sports clubs neighborhood councils, mothers clubs, and parent centers. Government publications do not report membership figures for these organizations. Most of the important urban areas in Chile also include a broad sample of the local chapters of a wide variety of occupational associations. These include labor unions and federations, public employee and health worker organizations, business and employers associations, and professional societies of teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, dentists, nurses, social workers, and other occupational group s. Membership in labor unions, which declined significantly under the military government, has been growing rapidly since the late 1980s, a change directly related to the transition to democracy. Affiliation with organizations recognized as unions in labor legislation was officially estimated in 1990 at 606,800, a 20 percent increase over 1989. That figure did not include individuals affiliated with public employee associations (including health workers). But these two groups usually have been closely tied to the labor movement through the national confederations of labor. Thus, about 19 percent of a total labor force of 4,459,600 was linked to unions or union-like associations in 1990. With the continuing increases in union affiliations, which are especially significant in rural areas, a conservative estimate is that the unionized population (in legal as well as de facto organizations) stood in 1992 at between 22 percent and 24 percent of the labor force. The most important union c onfederation, which encompasses the great majority of the nations unions and union-like organizations, is the United Labor Federation (Central ?nica de TrabajadoresCUT). CUT is the heir to a line of top labor confederations that can be traced back through various reorganizations and name changes to at least 1936, and perhaps to 1917. There are numerous business and employer associations in Chile. They collectively claim to speak for about 540,000 proprietors of businesses of all sizes. The most important business organization, the Business and Production Confederation, encompasses some of the very oldest ongoing associations in Chile: the National Agricultural Association, founded in 1838, groups the most important agricultural enterprises, includes large wholesale and retail commercial enterprises; the National Association of Mining, founded in 1883, affiliates the main private mining companies; the Industrial Development Association, founded in 1883, organizes the principal manufa cturing industries; the Association of Banks and Financial Institutions, founded in 1943, is the main banking-industry group; and the Chilean Construction Board, founded in 1951, organizes construction companies. Another important confederation of business groups is the Council of Production, Transport, and Commerce. In contrast to Coproco, this organization groups primarily medium-sized to small businesses, including many self-employed individuals who do not hire nonfamily members on a regular basis. Its main components are the Trade Union Confederation of Business Retailers and Small Industry of Chile, founded in 1938, and the Confederation of Truck Owners of Chile, founded in 1953. Professional societies are also well established. The largest ones, aside from the teachers organization noted previously, are those for lawyers, physicians, and engineers. Affiliation figures for most of the more than thirty professional societies were unavailable, but there are at least 100,000 membe rs in such associations aside from teachers. If these figures are added to those for membership in business groups and unions, it appears that about a third of the labor force is involved in occupationally based associations. The organized groups of Chilean society have long played an important role in the nations political life. The elections in some of themfor example, in major labor federations, among university students, or in the principal professional societies usually have been examined carefully for clues to the strength of the various national political parties. Most of the nations university and professional institute students belong to student federations. The various associations also make their views known to state or congressional officials when issues of policy that affect them are debated. Some associations traditionally have been identified with particular political parties. This was the case, to a greater or lesser extent, with Masons, fire fighters, teachers feder ations, and the Radical Party; union confederations and the parties of the left; employer associations and the parties of the right; the Roman Catholic Church, as well as its related organizations with the Conservative Party; and, in recent decades, the Christian Democratic Party. Many of the most militant party members have also been active in social organizations. In addition, party headquarters in local communities often have served as meeting places for all kinds of activities. The Radical clubs of small towns in the central south are especially active, often sponsoring sports clubs as well as the formation of fire departments. Social organizations did not fare well under the military government. Those that were perceived to be linked, however loosely, to the parties of the left were subjected to sometimes severe repressive measures. This was particularly the case with labor unions, whose activities were suspended for more than six years. They were only permitted to reorganize u nder new legislation beginning in 1979. Moreover, most associations, including those of business groups, were hardly ever consulted on policy matters, and, in the absence of normal democratic channels for exerting influence, they found their opinions and petitions falling on deaf ears. Eventually, the most prominent social organizations joined in voicing their discontent with the military government through what was called the Assembly of Civility (Asamblea de la Civilidad), and their efforts contributed to the defeat of President Augusto Pinochet Ugarte (1973-90) in the 1988 plebiscite. The only organizations that thrived under the military government were the womens aid and mothers clubs, which were supported by government largesse and headed at the national level by Pinochets wife, Luc?a Hiriart. With the return to democracy, social organizations recovered the ability to pressure Congress and the national government. The new government opted for explicit solicitation of the opini ons of important interest associations on some of the policies it was considering. It also fostered negotiations between top labor and business leaders over issues such as labor law reforms, minimum wage and pension levels, and overall wage increases for public employees. These negotiations led to several national agreements between state officials and business and labor leaders, thereby inaugurating a new form of top-level bargaining previously unknown in Chile. Political Issues

Zara Fast fashion from Savvy Systems

Introduction Strategic management is defined as the set of managerial decisions and actions that determine the performance of the organization in the long run (Robert, 2002, p. 76). It includes scanning the internal and external environment, strategy formulation, and strategy implementation.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Zara: Fast fashion from Savvy Systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is carried out through evaluation of the firm’s internal environment and the external factors. These factors contribute in the determination of the internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats in the external environment (Frederick, 2001, p. 49). This report presents the Zara’s strategic plan that will play a key role in ensuring that its strategic growth ambitions are achieved. Vision, Mission and corporate objectives A corporation’s vision is a statement that presents the end picture of how it visualizes itself when all its targets have been achieved (Richard Colin, 2004, p. 23). Zara fashion Vision is â€Å"to be the world leading fashion company that will enjoy undisputed market share among all the nations of the world† An organization’s mission shows its reason for existence. Zara’s mission is â€Å"To be the preferred organization among the consumers of fashion products and to provide affordable yet high quality fashion products†. Objectives indicate what results are to be achieved and when (Maurice, 1995, p. 48). Objectives are usually stated as action verbs. Zara’s objectives are to achieve a gross margin of at least 50% of the cost of sales, to increase market presence and brand visibility in all countries of the world, to use environmental friendly production methods, and to maintain high standards of professionalism and ethical practices in all its operations. Situational analysis In the last decade, Z ara has grown to become one of the best fashion designers and retailers in the world. However, due to the recent global economic crisis, Zara was adversely affected with revenues reaching all time lows. The situation has been worsened by new market entrants that have brought stiff competition. This has compelled the organization to revisit its strategy so as to continue thriving. Environmental analysis It is a strategic management action that involves scanning of both the internal and external environment.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Internal analysis is aimed at identifying the resources within the organization that can be used to formulate organizational strategy to achieve competitive excellence (Comeford Callaghan, 2011, p. 63). External environment analysis presents the opportunities that a firm may have as well as the threats it may be facing (Richard Colin, 200 4, p. 52). The use of PESTLE analysis by Zara indicates various external factors. An analysis of Social/Political environment indicates that the company faces major social and political barriers in some countries where religious practices are strict. These countries have religious laws that dictate dressing code hence cut the fashion market. This is a threat to Zara’s expansion plan since it cannot penetrate these markets. Analyses of Economic factors also reveal that most of the people are still recovering from the global financial crisis that reduced the individuals’ propensity to consume because of the high costs of living. Analyses of the technological factors reveal that the company has a huge opportunity of increasing sales through internet such as the use of social media marketing such as face-book and twitter. Industry Analysis Carrying out industry analysis ensures that the researcher is aware of the prevailing market conditions and industry practices. The fas hion industry has been saturated with many substandard fashion products. This has dealt a blow to genuine fashion retailers since their products are always copied and sold at a lower price per unit. Some countries such as China do not have copyright laws. This has led to companies from such countries enjoying competitive advantage over Zara since they do not invest in research and development. This costs the company a lot of revenues since its products are easily copied, reproduced, and sold at lower prices. Zara’s internal analysis Zara has maintained a relatively amiable internal environment that has enabled it to gain a competitive advantage over the other firms. The use of resource based view as a management tool of internal analysis reveals that the company prides in various resources that help it stand out from others (Robert, 2002, p. 52). The company’s physical resources include human personnel who are very competent. The company’s human resource has bee n useful in innovation and research of new fashion products and improvement of the existing ones. The firm also enjoys distinctive capabilities since it has an invested a lot of resources in research and development. This gives it a competitive edge over other industry players.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Zara: Fast fashion from Savvy Systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Summary of the current Situation Analysis A study of the situation analysis reveals several positive and negative factors that are available in the internal and external environment. The internal environment of the company presents resources that can be used to formulate strategy which would help the company to achieve competitive advantage (Barney, 1991, p. 36). This would be done through the resources which provide the company with distinctive capabilities and key competencies (Henk, 1999, p. 51). The company prides itself in having t op fashion designers, innovative personnel and competent and professional employees. This helps it maintain high levels of efficiency thus low production costs. The main negative factor affecting Zara is the copying and subsequent sale of substandard products by the competitors. This act reduces their cost of production since research and development costs are excluded from the cost of production. These substandard products then retail at cheaper prices thus offering stiff competition to Zara’s original and genuine products. This is a major threat to the company’s profitability. Strategic Options and Choices Strategies form a comprehensive master plan of how the company will achieve its objectives (Elspeth Peter, 2002, p. 23). There are three types of strategies that Zara can adopt; corporate, Business, and functional strategy (Michael Charlotte, 2003, p. 41). Corporate strategy is meant to help the company in the overall direction. This strategy can therefore be ach ieved through expanding to specific countries first and then slowly moving to harsher markets. The business strategies occur at the product level and emphasize on the improvement of the competitive position of the company (Jerry, 2003, p. 42). This can be achieved through product design and innovations. Functional strategy deals with functional areas and aims at achieving unit objectives. To achieve this, the company may nurture and develop the distinctive capabilities that will help it stand out from the rest of the competitors. Implementation issues The most important stage in strategic management is strategy implementation (Robert, 2002, p. 198). Employees may object to the implementation of the new strategy due to various factors. Resources may also be insufficient to implement planned actions that require cash outlays. The processes of implementation and change are also tedious and thus hinder cooperation by the employees. Proper communication by the top management should be do ne to all the employees. This would ensure that each and every member of the organization owns up to the actions decided upon.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion Strategic management has become an important management area in the modern day world. Organizations should therefore keep on looking for new ways of doing business so that they may not only survive but also thrive the in the current day business environment. References Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management , 99-120. Comeford, R., Callaghan, d. (2011). Environmental, industry, and internal analysis. London: Prentice Hall. Elspeth, J. M., Peter, R. R. (2002). fast Forward: Organizational Change in a 100 Days. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Frederick, B. (2001). Executive Strategy: Strategic Management and Information Technology. New York: John Wiley Sons. Henk, W. V. (1999). Building the Flexible Firm. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Jerry, N. L. (2003). Competing in The Information Age: Align in the Sand. London: Oxfor University Press. Maurice, E. (1995). Electronic Technology, Corporate Strategy, and World T ransformation. New York: Quorum Books. Michael, B., Charlotte, B. (2003). Big in Asia: 25 Strategies for Business Success. London: Palgrave MacMillan. Richard, M. W., Colin, G. (2004). Strategic Marketing Management: Planning, Implementation and Control. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Robert, H. L. (2002). Strategic Operations Management: The New Competitive Advantage. London: Routledge. This report on Zara: Fast fashion from Savvy Systems was written and submitted by user Azaria A. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.