Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Essay

The Los Angeles Times recently ran survey results that found that four out of five teenagers suffer sex harassment at school. One in ten students said that he/she had been forced to commit a sexual act during school hours. The surveyors state that the findings provide evidence that sexual harassment in schools has reached â€Å"epidemic† proportions. Employment training programs now ten years after the sexual harassment prohibition and the well-publicized Thomas hearings begin with myths and facts about sexual harassment or pre-tests on knowledge of the prohibitions against the activity. These tests still come up with â€Å"true† for the answers to myths like, â€Å"Women working in a predominantly male job should expect to live with rough†¦show more content†¦The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct. Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, no individual may be discriminated against on the basis of sex in education programs receiving federal financial assistance. Peer sexual harassment is a form of prohibited sex discrimination where the harassing conduct creates a hostile environment. Harassment in the educational environment can occur in teacher to student, student to teacher, and student-to-student relationships. Sexual harassment can take on many forms such as unwelcome touching or interfering with movement, verbal epithets, derogatory comments, displaying of derogatory cartoons, posters or messages, graphic verbal commentaries about an individuals body, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, suggestive or obscene letters, notes or invitations, touching oneself sexually, or talking about one’s sexual activity in front of others. â€Å"Quid Pro Quo† sexual harassment in an educational or employment environment is conditioned on sexual behavior. Such things as sex for grades or promotions/raises fall into this category. â€Å"Quid pro quo† exists in the employment setting when submission to sexual conduct is explicitly or implicitly made a condition of a job, job benefit, or the absence of a job detriment.[1] â€Å"Hostile Environment† sexual harassment usually involves conduct that is subjectively andShow MoreRelatedPreventing Sexual Harassmen t At The Workplace978 Words   |  4 PagesPreventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace An anti-harassment policy should be set and published to every company by the employer; moreover, this policy should state and allow the employees to complain if the harassment and discrimination occur. However, employers are likely to be negligent about the important of investigating complaints of sexual harassment and appropriate solutions. (Tremblay, 2008) The most effective weapon against sexual harassment is prevention. It is impossibleRead MorePreventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace1166 Words   |  5 Pages Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Does the phrase â€Å"That’s what she said.† sound familiar? The phrase is from the popular hit television series The Office. The guy behind this popular quote is none other than Dunder Mifflin’s Michael Scott. This quote is not only inappropriate but it is also a form of sexual harassment and Michael Scott is the king of sexual harassment. Unfortunately sexual harassment is a problem that is occurring in the workplace. In another popular movie, HorribleRead MoreSexual Harassment At The Workplace990 Words   |  4 PagesIt is great to have a workplace where you are friends with your coworkers. But what happens when coworkers talk about other coworkers in a sexual context. Two male coworkers talking about female staff where coworkers in the area can hear. Your manager suggests that they can help you earn a promotion if you go out with them. This puts employees in awkward situations where they might not know if this is considered sexual harassment. If it is, an employee maybe unsure what to do about it. AccordingRead MoreSexual Harassment At An Organization Essay1485 Words   |  6 PagesSexual Harassment in an Organization By: Elsie Alex Organizational Behavior Professor Patricia Sokol September 15, 2016 Abstract This essay is based on sexual harassment in the workplace. It gives examples of what sexual harassment is and knowing how to identify sexual harassment in an organization. This essay takes information from different articles describing sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. It gives scenarios and examples of sexual harassment. It alsoRead MoreThe Legal Management of Employees in the Hospitality Industry1418 Words   |  6 Pagesaspects of legally managing employees in the hospitality industry. Generally, employment agreements in this industry are developed and established either through an offer letter or verbally. When properly developed, the offer letters can help in preventing the difficulties that are brought by the misunderstandings of employers or employees. This is primarily because the offer letters provide comprehensive details of the offer made by employers to employees. The details in the offer letter includeRead MoreIntroduction. The Purpose Of This Artic le Is To Provide1362 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The purpose of this article is to provide a concise summary of what sexual harassment is, discussing who it affects, and its prevalence in organisations using evidence and examples. A range of views will be provided to describe how sexual harassment affects organizations and employees. This article will examine the primary alternative interventions aimed at resolving for sexual harassment in the workplace. The alternatives are all considered to be preventions, rather than reactions toRead MoreThe Background of Sexual Harassment1799 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE: AN EMPLOYER LIABILITY Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: An Employer Liability Angela Brittain Bus310. Human Resource Management Professor Bucholz March 15, 2007 Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: An Employer Liability Sexual harassment in the workplace is among the most offensive and demeaning situations an employee can be subjected to. A recent study concluded that at least 40% of women in the workforce have at one time been the objectRead MoreSexual Harassment Within The Workplace1567 Words   |  7 PagesSexual harassment is a continuing, persistent occupational health problem in corporations and work environments. There can be extensive, negative consequences for individual victims and the corporations involved. Assailants and harassers can impact and hurt victims by affecting both their professional work lives and personal lives. The purpose of this paper is to heighten awareness and sensitivity to this important issue, recognizing that institutions, clinics, corporations, organizations and office-basedRead MoreThe Ethical Conduct Of The Physician Assistant1308 Words   |  6 PagesSafety (CCOHS) (2005), defines workplace violence as â€Å"any act in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated or assaulted in his or her employment.†5 (p 254) There are five behavior components in workplace violence: Threatening behavior, verbal or written threats, harassment, and physical attacks. Threatening behavior includes â€Å"shaking fists, destroying property or throwing objects.†5 (p 254) Verbal threats reveal intent to inflict harm to another. Harassment encompasses behaviors that â€Å"demeansRead MoreThe State Of Sexual Harassment858 Words   |  4 Pages Machin, L. (2012). The State of Sexual Harassment in America: What is the Status of Sexual Harassment in the US Workplace Today? Journal of Global Business Management, 8(1), 133-138. Unwanted sexual advances are inappropriate whether or not an individual is at work. This article speaks to the minds of people who have been sexually harassed at work in the 2000s. When written, the article explained that in the last two years sexual harassment in the workplace had actually increased. It also explains

The Role of Public Relation in Maintaining a Good Relationship between Assignment

Essays on The Role of Public Relation in Maintaining a Good Relationship between the Organization and the General Public Assignment The paper â€Å"The Role of Public Relation in Maintaining a Good Relationship between the Organization and the General Public† is an  engrossing version of an assignment on marketing. Public Relations basically deal with maintaining a good public image for an organization or business. Others consider it as a process of managing communication between the public and the organization. This is directed at ensuring that the organization maintains a good relationship with the community it serves as well as the general public. It is apparent that any organization that is associated with some level of discipline and good conduct, has taken some initiative to employ a good public image, which in essence defines what public relation is all about. However, Public Relations is not only applied in the organizations and business, but it can also be applied at personal levels as it basically concerns maintaining a good reputation. This paper will consider three cases in order to illustrat e how Public Relations are applied.Question 1The world of business today is very competitive and therefore most organizations are implementing practices that will make them stand out among the rest in the competing industry, as well as making them appealing to the media and the general public (Seitel, 2006). Looking at this case, for instance, one company, Mountain Spring Bottled Water has decided to sponsor the netball competition at the Forest Springs Community Sports Centre for a period of three years. Mountain Springs Bottled Water Company’s initiative to sponsor the race contains some significance both to the community and the company itself. First, such a process acts as a promotional strategy whereby the company can take the opportunity to market its products and make them known within the community. Thus, at the end of the race, the company will have increased its market share as its products will have been known within the community. It might as well acquire higher s ales. Second, the company will attain a good image of the community. The community will come to appreciate the efforts done by the company to sponsor the race and in turn, change the community’s perception about the company as most of them will view the company as a philanthropic one that is ready to support the community.How to research could be used to plan a campaign to launch and promote the relationship between the company and the communityThe research entails collecting information, and the amount of information determines the decision-making process. Effective decisions are built on extensive information. In this case, Mountain Spring Bottled Water Company can conduct research to identify the needs and priorities of the community so that it can launch a campaign that will be directed at meeting the identified needs and priorities. In this way, the community will appreciate the activities of the company and in turn, generate a good relationship between the community and the company. Therefore, research will enable the company to identify the needs and the priorities of the community, and thus the company can implement the necessary measures to counter the identified needs in order to build a good rapport with the community. The company can also use research to identify effective intervention strategies that could be used to establish a good relationship with the community (Seib and Fitzpatrick, 1995). For instance, the community might have its cultural and religious beliefs and thus the company can apply approaches that respect these beliefs in order to promote a good relationship.

Accounting Theory and Current Issues Performing Research

Question: Describe about the Accounting Theory and Current Issues for Performing Research. Answer: Introduction Development research industry has been doing well in the recent past and many firms have since joined the RD industry (JUCKER ROUCHOTA1998). Bio-sustainable Feeds (BSF) is one of the firms in the industry performing research in Australia in sector aqua food production and has been in the industry for decades. The company has been listed among others in the Australian stock exchange market. The company operation has been under criticisms by the environmentalists who view its operations negative. Based on the accounting and business arguments as well as theories all companies has got patent right to their products (KING,2006). Therefore a company must be also responsible for their products. Bio-sustainable industry produced a plant based aqua culture food products which never yield better results as per the expectations and ended up losing huge sum of money in the process. The scope of this paper investigates accounting theories in relation to the current issues such as BSF Ltd. The p aper exploits the current issues in relation to accounting theory in application to Bio-sustainable fish feed. Nature and value to society of the research being done by BSF Ltd The kind of research being conducted by the company is a developmental research. It is an RD research project which aims at improving food production in Australia as a whole if it succeeds. The aqua feed research is an experimental based research which requires a lot of experimentation to ensure its success (BERMAN 2009). BSF LTD research can also be seen as an applied research in which a party such as agencies and society must benefit from. It involves risks due to the fact that it is both field and experimental as well. The research being done by the company is of a great to the society in several ways. Even though a lot capital is invested into the research, its fruits will help eradicate the world hunger in future. BSF Ltd has tried their best trying to provide continuous fish supply into the markets reducing the rate of hunger (KIESO, WEYGANDT WARFIELD 2010). BSF ltd current research is to the public rescue since it involves recycling of waste products in the creation of a bett er and fast growing fish. The research indicates that most of the ingredients required for such fish feed are waste products. The company intends to use bacteria in their manufacturing which may not be too much burden to the society. Wood chips are waste products, the use of woodchips is cheaper to acquire and readily available and has no biological effects on the consumers who are members of society. Another raw material for the production is a recycled methane gas which does not require much capital (COLLINGS, S. (2015). Production of these fish feed is safer to environment as many of the raw materials are environmental pollutants. Sugar residue, methane and wood chips are waste products of which their use helps in elimination of pollutants in the environment leading to elimination of infections as well. Production of aqua feed according to BSF ltd in such away has got a positive impact to members of the society. The kind fish kept with such kind of feed has its omega oil intact and matures faster compared to the normal. The faster growth of fish will result in increased food supply to the society reducing hunger levels in Australia in future. Success of this research will result into a bridge of the gap between the poor and the rich as witnessed in the previous farming method where only the rich could afford fish. The society values this research since it has resulted into prevention of human quality food waste. Conversion of human food product into fish meal was a great challenge to Australian society and resulted to malnutrition and starvation as quality human food was used to grow luxurious fish which majority could not afford. Biotechnological aqua feed production will lead to expansion of fish farming in the society (PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP 2013). Increase in fish farms mean s creation of employment which factor to growth and development in a given society. The research is substantial to the society as it facilitates its development as well as boosting its economy. Problems with the early research done by BSF Ltd. The $360 million AUD research investment performed by Bio-sustainable Feeds (BSF) Ltd has got a lot of drawbacks to the company itself, economy and Australian society (JARNAGIN 2008). The research was not conducted with the consideration of human, survival mechanism of various types of and finally the economic status of individual citizen. The shift from fish meal for other fish to planted produce was too expensive compared to bacteria production of aqua feed. Planted ingredients such as canola, corn, soya-bean, sunflower and other farm products were expensive compared to bacteria production which majors in recycling of waste products (RIAHI-BELKAOUI 2005). The company spent a lot in the purchases of raw materials without speculation of what may happen in future. The research never considered a deeper study on the diet of various types of fish which ended up dead resulting into a huge collapse of money (RIAHI-BELKAOUI 2005). BFS Ltd industry never considered the consequences of farm based fish feed to species of fish and to human nutrition as revealed by Jillian Fry, director of CLF's Public Health and Sustainable Aquaculture Project and a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins. Farm produced fish acquire omega 3 fatty acid from other products especially fish oil. The research produced expensive small fish which were only affordable for the rich. In any case where only a given part of a population can afford a product, market becomes limited due reduced demand. Such scenario leads to imbalanced equilibrium in the supply and demand as well as unstable economy. Another problem with BSF research is the failure to consider the importance of the raw materials to the third party and human nutrition (EVANS 2003). Most of the farm products used in manufacturing of aqua feed is basic and human high quality food crops. This kind of fish farming led to human starvation since their basic foods were being converted into fish meal. In consideration of human nutrition the end fi sh products from this shift were of low quality and could lead to health issues and complications. Nature, accounting and comparison between general research and RD Development is an application of already conducted research on a particular field. For instance, BFS company venturing into aqua meal production is application of developmental research. Development utilizes the research finding and outcome to come up with a specific end product as seen in the case of BSF ltd (REDDY 2004). The nature of development involves use of specific raw material in the line of production, specific systems and finally clearly identified methods. Development is a sub branch of a general research which deals with the generation of a more indispensable understanding and deigns important in manufacturing of the model. On the other hand research is defined as an indefinite investigation. It targets a more general field in comparison to development which is more specific. For instance if BSF Ltd was a general research facility it could have conducted a more broad research rather than plant based, fish based and bacteria based fish feed. Research works on a broad pers pective while development only applies to the last part and on a specific finding (PANDIKUMAR 2007). General research requires large amount of money while development is specific thus specific budget. The accounting in general research differs from that of development since only expenses are accounted. All company assets are not expenses as seen in development. Accounting in RD is the consideration of expenses and revenues over a given period of time (BONIN 2001). The cost allocated for development should match expenses and revenues. All assets purchased in development are expensed. This capitalization of assets in the development is considered as an expense since they are meant to generate income in future. Development expenditures are formed with the expectation of future profits and products of measurement. Development has a lot of benefits and advantages compared to general research and has attracted several investors in recent past (VONORTAS, 1991). General research is road and requires a lot of funding which has got no sure benefit in return. Investors enjoy tax breaks in which tax are often deductible but some are not deductible. General development research such as market research and assessment research are not subject to taxation making many investors to get into development research. Development allow s more cost effective investment thus increasing the profit margin. In terms of financing RD enjoy the benefits of funding from other parties like established companies. Such companies enjoy qualified employees since many of graduates tend to join these companies (PORWAL 2001). The above reasons make several firms to RD industry to enjoy the benefits and exploit the available economies of scale. Fair market value patent assumptions and calculations Development based research companies like BFS ltd have patent for their products. Calculation of the patent value according to GAAP involves appropriate assumptions to come up with the fair values (WALLACE SCHRODER 1997). In the case of Bio-sustainable, the company received a lot of grants from Australian government research sector (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) the company agrees to spend the money in two years and the addition (THOMPSON 2010). The assumption based on the calculations of the patent value under combination of discounted cash flow and real option method. The method assumes that a sole biotechnology firm has ten years (KITT 2016). Since BSF ltd is among the biotech industry the sum of total year applies and addition two years of agreement. (10yers +2yrs= 12 years). The DCF market value* (1+factor %) = patent fair value indication. The value lies two methods as shown. The NVP = $ 700000000 *(1+8.0) = $630000000. Therefore fair pat ent value =Preliminary DCF value (1 + factor %) = Patent fair market value indication BSF journal entries for BSF LTD. Cash disbursement journal BSF Ltd. Raw materials and other facilities has cost BSF Ltd. $160 million date particulars Debit credit 2013 facility $160000000 Expected to use a cost another $200 million AUD in development costs to bring it to market. BSF Year Particulars Debit credit 2013 transport $200000000 Cash receipts journal BSF Ltd. received a $500 million AUD grant from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO, Federal Government of Australia) Year Particulars Debit Credit 2013 (CSIRO $500000000 In consideration of $500 million AUD grant from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO, Federal Government of Australia) the right place is the credit since the company is to refund back the money (ANDERSON ANDERSON 2012). All the liabilities such the grant is debited since it is the companies responsibility to refund back the money to the owners after the purpose is met (ROSTEN 2013). In the research and development a third party such as the agencies are beneficiaries thus any funding from them is a liability to the research company such as BSF Ltd. Management asserted in a prospectus of patent value Bio-sustainable Feed has the got the patent right to access to the bacteria since they had operated a food company before. The company had early operated aquaculture feed for the last period before venturing into the new technology where bacteria is used as a raw material for product (RIDLER 2001). The assertion is true since the patent rights allow RD companies to utilize complementary resources to bring their final idea into the market (RIDLER 2001). Therefore BSF ltd is permitted to access bacteria from the previous company. Conclusion A lot of issues and theories have been discussed in relation to the current. Research and development has been among the current issues discussed within the context of the paper. Development has become an issue in accounting sector has to be looked keenly to ensure that the sector is perfectly developed. The fair patent right is also an issue the company management should consider in relation to what has been discussed below. References JUCKER, A. H., ROUCHOTA, V. (1998). Current issues in relevance theory. Amsterdam [u.a.], J. Benjamins KING, A. M. (2006). Fair value for financial reporting: meeting the new FASB requirements. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley Sons. https://www.123library.org/book_details/?id=5798. BERMAN, B. M. (2009). From assets to profits: competing for IP value return. Hoboken, N.J., J. Wiley. https://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=29821 KIESO, D. E., WEYGANDT, J. J., WARFIELD, T. D. (2010). Intermediate accounting: IFRS approach. Volume 2 Volume 2. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. COLLINGS. S ,2003 ). Interpretation and application of UK GAAP for accounting periods commencing on or after 1 January 2015. https://site.ebrary.com/id/11031335. PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP. (2013). Manual of accounting: new UK GAAP - 2013. JARNAGIN, B. D. (2008). 2009 U.S. master GAAP guide. Chicago, IL, CCH. RIAHI-BELKAOUI, A. (2005). Accounting theory. London, Thomson. EVANS, T. G. (2003). Accounting theory: contemporary accounting issues. Mason (Ohio), Thomson/South-Western. PORWAL, L. S. (2001). Accounting theory: an introduction. New Delhi, Tata McGraw-Hill. BONIN, H. (2001). Generational Accounting: Theory and Application. Berlin, Heidelberg, Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=3098615. PANDIKUMAR, M. P. (2007). Management accounting: theory and practice. New Delhi, Excel Books. HENDERSON, S., PEIRSON, G., BROWN, R. (1992). Financial accounting theory: its nature and development. Melbourne, Australia, Longman Cheshire. REDDY, R. J. P. (2004). Advanced accounting: theory and practice. New Delhi, A.P.H. Publ. BERI, G. C. (1993). Research and development in Indian industry. New Delhi, Concept Pub. Co. VONORTAS, N. S. (1991). Cooperative research in RD-intensive industries. Aldershot, Avebury. WALLACE, L. T., SCHRODER, W. R. (1997). Government and the Food Industry: Economic and Political Effects of Conflict and Co-Operation. Boston, MA, Springer US. https://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=308145 KITT, M. (2016). Research and development tax reliefs. [Place of publication not identified], Bloomsbury Professional. ANDERSON, N. G., ANDERSON, N. G. (2012). Practical process research and development: a guide for organic chemists. Amsterdam, Academic Press. ROSTEN, T. W. (2013). Perspectives for sustainable development of Nordic aquaculture: the Paban-report. Kbh, Nordisk MinisterraÃÅ'Ã…  d. HALWART, M. (2005). Papers presented at the FAO/NACA consultation on aquaculture for sustainable rural development: Chiang Rai, Thailand, 29 - 31 march 1999. Rome, FAO. RIDLER, N., HISHAMUNDA, N. (2001). Promotion of sustainable commercial aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Vol. 1, Vol. 1. Rome, FAO. THOMPSON, T., BROWN, M. (2010). American Dietetic Association easy gluten-free: expert nutrition advice with more than 100 recipes. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley.

International Business †Superdry in India and China

Introduction Super Group Plc is a UK based retailing firm constituting of three brands; Superdry, 77 Breed and Surf Co California. The Super Group apparel takes its inspiration from the Japanese culture of designs and vintage American for its styling and thus provides a very unique manufacture that is targeted to wide demographics.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Business – Superdry in India and China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company further provides shoes, accessories and bags. The brand was formed in 1985 in London by Julian Dunkerton and started operations as a cult store in Cheltenham (The Telegraph 2011). It gained popularity with the celebrity endorsement by David Beckham and since then has expanded its operations in terms of standalone stores, cult and concessions, UK wholesale and e-commerce. It has expanded internationally through franchising and license in 40 countries including Japan, Belgium, France, USA and Australia and in 85 stores through its online operations. It has a total of 39 outlets in the UK and Ireland and has 60 concessions and standalone stores in the House of Fraser throughout the country. It is also listed in the London Stock Exchange (Superdry Group Plc 2011). Evaluation of Country Information The two countries chosen for an evaluation based on further expansion of Super Dry are India and China as both of these countries are emerging in terms of economics and the textile industry is significant contributor to the GDP in both the countries (Emme 2006). In case of India, the textile industry is the major sector of the economy; it accounts for 14% of the total industrial production and contributes 20% to the total exports and 5% to the GDP. It is also one of the largest employers of the economy, employing 38 million people in the country hence there is great potential in the Indian industry for further growth and development as it is one of the emerging economies (Balasubramanyam 2005). Although the Indian industry is plagued with bureaucracy and obsolete infrastructure in many cases and the investment is still limited to meet a global retail demand. However, the textile industry has evolved over time to become one of the most efficient industries in the world today, offering shorter production cycles, greater flexibility, greater value addition and a greater customization (Balasubramanyam 2005). The sourcing agents and the retailers have a greater propensity and willingness to invest. The country is inclined towards more efficient use of information technology and business process outsourcing making its supply chains more integrated and coordinated. It offers a complete vertical integration of the apparel manufacturing process, from the growing cotton and final tailoring of the ready garments.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More India a has a population of 1.1 billion with a large segment of young population with purchasing power and an acceptance for new western trends and fashion styles. At the same time, there exists a cultural diversity in India whereby there are 15 different national languages and the dialect varies from state to state. This presents a complex market situatin where the target market is fragmented and thus a consolidated expansion may not be the most appropriate answer. Organized retailing in India accounts for only 3% of the market, although this is lower than that of China at 20% but it represents under capacity utilization which means there is room for further development in this sector. There are 100 shopping malls in India today, as per the data of 2006 (Teck-Yong 2010). China is the leading exporter of textiles with the market share of more than 10% whereas India is third largest exporter with the market share of 4%. China’s population is on a de creasing trend owing to its one child policy thus it does not have a young population as large as India’s (Balasubramanyam 2005). The introduction of market system in China in 1970’s has changed the economic structure of the Chinese markets and industries; textile and apparel industry provides a similar example of these changes. â€Å"It has the largest apparel industry in the world which employs more than 3.9 million of the workforce and had 47,000 establishments in the year 1995. Chinese apparel production amounted to 9.685 billion garments (in units) and total apparel exports stood at a value of approximately US$24billion† (Gu 1999). Textile exports in china accounted for 29.38% of the total Chinese exports in 1994, soon after the economic reforms were implementing. This suggests the importance this sector receives. Although this number has reduced over time as China has expanded its markets incorporating a greater amount of electronic and other household ite ms, textile and apparel industries continue to be important in bringing foreign currency into the country. As per the 2008 data, Chinese textile industry valued 65.406 billion USD, an increase of 16.6% from the year 2007. However, the textile exports have shown a relative decline despite the tax rebates that were adjusted twice after the second half of 2008 (Gu 1999). A major chunk of this production accounts for foreign exports and thus made from imported fabric and cloth. Aimed at a mass a mass market, it has relatively less product differentiation and offers low prices. However, it has strategically divided its operations in production of high quality, high fashion international brands.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Business – Superdry in India and China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It thus has an extensive and advanced distribution systems and outsourcing agents. 80% of U.S. impor ts from china are transported through the use of intermediary trade. Apart from being a characteristic of immense significance, this also poses a threat to the Chinese export market as it hampers the accurate assessment impossible (Emme 2006). Furthermore, the sewing industry also experiences external economies of scale as much of it is concentrated along the coastal region making it easier for transportation and communication from its international markets hence it provides infrastructure to facilitate rapidly increasing international trade in apparel. However, on the other hand, the labour costs in China are increasing as well as the currency appreciation poses an inflationary pressure on the raw material procurement. These rising costs have resulted in a more dispersed sewing and apparel industry whereby many of the producers have moved to inland locations to benefit from cheap labor and raw material. This makes it a less attractive market for further expansion of Super Dry as co mpared to India where the labour costs are extremely low facilitated by a cheaper currency (International Labor Organization 1996-2011). Thus based on the above data evaluation, India is a more promising industry for further expansion and should be evaluated further. This is because although China is more developed in its operations, intermediaries and supportive infrastructure, it enjoys economies of scale but India still has a gap that can be filled with external investments. This vacuum can be filled with similar international expansions as it has the capacity to produce further, promoting the strategic aims of our expansion. PESTLE Analysis of India and China as possible markets for expansion Based on Michael Porter’s Pestle framework, we will now deduce the key external factors that we will have to consider to support the decision of further expansion of Superdry. Following are the most important factors, affecting this particular strategy: Political and Legal The Indian government introduced the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) in India that aimed to increase India’s Global textile market share. It has invested more than $11billion from 2000 to 2005 to increase the cotton production by 57% over five years. Further, Vision 2010, aimed to achieve export value of $50 billion for textiles growth in the economy. These steps have enabled it to promote investment and growth in this sector (Jing 2010). So if Superdry is to expand in India, it will benefit from favorable government policies and regulations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, Chinese textile industry also receives political and government support, but has experienced a persistent decline after the financial year 2008. The government passed the Revitalization Plans for the Textile Industry in 2009 which aimed at supporting the recovery of the textile industry from a downfall which imitated in 2008. Export rebates have also been increased and adjusted several times to stimulate the industry (Jing 2010). Economic The textile industry in India is operating below its capacity at 3% thus has room for further growth. There are fewer barriers to entry as the industry does not benefit from external economies of scale as does the Chinese apparel and textile industry. The increasing population and purchasing power in India is also a positive indicator of Superdry expansion. The Indian government in injecting significant amounts of money and providing support programmes for the industry growth. The tax rates are lower and so are the wages. The ava ilability of cheap labor is the most significant advantage Superdry will benefit from in India and the abundance of cotton resources makes it a feasible location (Jing 2010). Social The Indian society is rapidly adapting the western culture; the spread of western style clothing including jeans and t-shirts is common. English enjoys the importance as of the official language. The Indian lifestyle has evolved itself, creating more opportunities for international brand expansion. The population constitutes mostly of youth and Superdry is mostly targeted to that demographics. Youth is more prone to adaptation of western lifestyles and luxury consumption. Also, research shows that luxury consumption has increased in India since 2001; the extended family structure in India provides individuals with greater purchasing power as compared to china where members of the households usually earn for themselves and immediate family only. The Indian consumers are at the â€Å"show-off† stage of consuming international brands thus acquiring apparel from international brand is a status boost for average Indian consumer. Although Superdry, unlike other competitors like French Connection does not have a catchy logo, instead its logo is the unique prprostion as it is flexible in terms of writing, yet Indian society still likes to acquire international brands a sign of prestige (Teck-Yong 2010). Environmental Both India and China are amongst the emerging economies highly dependent on high- carbon fossil fuels and thus carbon emission in these two countries is considerably high. These â€Å"energy giants† require substantial energy to fuel a growing populations as well as a rapidly developing economy. The Chinese electricity consumption is expected to grow further and Beijing is heavily dependent on coal energy resources. It will incur very high fixed costs to expand Superdry in China as it would require a major structural change in order to introduce an environmentall y friendly production method of production while on the other hand, India has a vacuum and less production levels, it does not enjoy economies of scale yet. Thus these changes can be introduced with less costs incurred (Frauke 2009). SWOT Analysis of Chinese and Indian Textile Industry Based on the external environmental audit, the following opportunities and threats have been identified while the company analysis has enabled to identify the following strengths and weaknesses, useful in decision making for international expansion. SWOT Analysis of Chinese Textile Industry STRENGTHS Government has extended its fullest support to the industry by lower taxes, providing credit and easy access to foreign markets. Country has ample human and labour resources. Coordination between industry and financial institutions has allowed the industry to see great potential over the years. Worldwide acceptance of textile products produced by China. THREATS Restrictions under certain clauses of WTO still can be a threat to the Chinese textile products. Competition from developing countries such as Cambodia, India, Vietnam etc. could have adverse affect on the demand for Chinese products. WEAKNESSES There is a lack of strict intellectual property rights. Small and medium enterprises face difficulties to make entry into highly competitive market. The industry is still considered to be fragmented and much more effort is required. Technology being used in the industry requires revamping and high levels of investment may be required which could be difficult to achieve as the global economic conditions are uncertain. OPPORTUNITIES Textile liberation and expected abolition of export quotas can help the Chinese Textile industry. Foreign investment and cooperation will continue to play an important role in the Chinese textile industry as more and more brands and companies are shifting their production houses to China. financial institutions has allowed the industry to see great po tential over the years. Worldwide acceptance of textile products produced by China. Figure 1: SWOT Analysis of Chinese Textile Industry SWOT Analysis of Indian Textile Industry STRENGTHS Strong cotton base Cheap Labor Strong entrepreneurial class Flexibility in production and design Presence of intermediaries to serve as third party logistics Ability to handle value additions, embellishments etc. Good â€Å"cultural† comfort with US and Europe. Growing market for fashionable Western apparel Increased population Growing use of information technology THREATS Trade blocs and partnerships at the exclusion of India Location disadvantage: long transit time to key markets. Projected to have increased carbon emission by 2020, decreasing its popularity as a key investment opportunity Enhances competition from other countries similarly constrained by quotas Pricing pressure, following opening up of quotas. WEAKNESSES Poor work practices resulting in higher labor cost component i n many staple garments, in spite of low labor costs. Rigid government labor policy and lack rationalization of duties in MMF. High transaction and power cost. Too much emphasis on cotton, synthetic fiber base not equally developed. Fabric/processing still to gear up to meet international standards. Technological obsolescence and lower efficiencies. Lack of strong linkages between raw material supplier and the apparel manufacturer. Highly fragmented markets, unit production capacities very low in international standards. OPPORTUNITIES Quotas carried on in China after 2005. Good political equation with EU and US. Improvements in infrastructure and regulations Research and product development Buyers preferences for India, after China Understanding buyer needs because of language advantage Figure 2: SWOT Analysis of Indian Textile Industry India has significantly lower raw material costs, wastage costs and labor costs when compared to other countries as estimated India’s labo r costs to be amongst the lowest as $3 a day (www.labour.nic.in) whereas in China its $18 a day (International Labor Organization 1996-2011). India can offer flexibility in manufacturing as it is largely a fragmented market with average scale of operations smaller than that of China, meaning India has greater capacity to offer variations and postponement in design at the later stages of production. This facilitates mass customization as well helps to bridge the gap between mass customization and repetitive methods of production. India has fully developed textile value chain extending from fiber to fabric to garment exports. The capability across the entire value chain within the country is an advantage as it reduces the lead-time for production and cuts down the intermediate shipping time, which means a shorter through put and hence loyal clientele (Balasubramanyam 2005). India has large growing domestic market, as the disposable income level is increasing as well as consumer awaren ess and propensity to spend. General consumer mindset is changing that led to increased consumption of personal care and lifestyle products that again offer great growth opportunities for companies across various sectors including textiles. Further, the increasing preference for Western style apparel, including silhetous and leather jackets etc will make the market very receptive to the new brand (Teck-Yong 2010). India has built adequate infrastructure throughout the various stages in textile development, that is, design, sourcing, merchandising and production that enable companies for quality product design and development (Emme 2006). Despite a large and growing market, the presence of large number of small-scale players makes the Indian textile industry highly competitive. The high level of competition in the textile industry makes the firm to work efficiently by increasing productivity and innovation which results in manufacturers focusing on quality improvements, cost reductio n and high productivity. Quality can be ensured at all levels of production through a trained and motivated workforce. While at the same time, external pressures of environmental controls is likely to result in its conformance with the environmental regulations, which will also precisely mean a reduced popularity of Indian market as an investment opportunity (Balasubramanyam 2005). Porter’s Diamond Analysis for Chinese Textile Market China supports lucrative affairs. China has advanced international relations, expanding economy and effective government reforms, and these all factors support the textile companies to expand their businesses in China. The Chinese Textile Industry promotes structure adjustments and actively upgrade international and domestic markets and resources to provide a rapid and constant growth. The textile industry of China has always been one of the conventional pillar industries of the country. According to Chinese Council of International Trade,  "The outputs of Chinese cotton yarn, cotton cloth, woolen cloth, silk, chemical fiber and clothing have topped the world, and the export of clothing has been holding the first ranking in the world for many years†(CCPIT 2007). Porter’s Diamond Analysis for Indian Textile Industry Figure 3: Porter’s Diamond Analysis Indian textile industry Textile industry is a strong base for Superdry expansion as it has abundant cotton resources, cheap labor; wage rates are considerably lower than in the rest of the world and most importantly, the communicating is easy as most of the population is familiar and fluent with the use of English (Teck-Yong 2010). The industry is strengthened by government policies that allow greater opportunities in domestic and international market. Abundant raw material availability helps industry to control costs and reduce the lead-time across the operation. Low cost and skilled manpower availability provides competitive advantage to industry. L arge varieties of cotton fiber are available in large quantities and have a fast growing synthetic fiber industry. Government subsidies and export promotions in the industry create high growth potential and would provide Superdry incentives to enter and grow in India market. Hence there are fewer barriers to entry, as government promotes investments in this sector through extended credit terms and a subsidy of 10% with reimbursements of 5% as shown in the figure above (Emme 2006). India is also amongst the greatest users of information technology and benefits from an efficient flow of information throughout its production processes, making its supply chains integrated and coordinated. India’s strong performance and growth in the textiles sector is aided by several key advantages that the country enjoys, in terms of easy availability of labor and material, afloat and large market demand, presence of supporting industries and supporting policy initiatives from the government. T he textile industry is undergoing a major reorientation towards non-clothing applications of textiles such â€Å"as technical textiles like thermal protection and blood-absorbing materials, seatbelts, adhesive tape and multiple other specialized products and applications† (Kasturi 2010). Key Strategic Organizational Issues The form of business for Superdry would be a private limited company and the company will have a divisional structure of hierarchy. This division will be by geographic reach. Figure 4: Proposed Organizational Chart As shown in the organizational chart above, Superdry has many divisions and thus follows a multidivisional structure. Thus the span of control can be altered but the flow of information will be hindered because of a vast structure and hierarchy. Apart from this, operations concerns may also exist in the Indian division as just in time production methods may be difficult to employ. Firm must decide if it wants its supply chain to be responsive or efficient and will have to employ infrastructure to facilitate the strategic goals. Political risks and location of major markets will also be a concern for the firm (Kasturi 2010). Human resource issues include assessing the staffing needs and costs for adopting alternative strategies, motivating employees and developing a strategy supportive culture which would induce employees to support Superdry’s strategic goals. Research and development issues include hiring the trained and qualified employees to shorten the product life cycles by technological improvements in the products. It is a challenge to implement a well formulated RD plan. However, as the information technology is taking an up surge in India, this process is likely to be less difficult (Kasturi 2010). Information collection and retrieval is of immense importance for the firms and can be a determining factor for firms to gain competitive advantage. Efficient flow of information not only develops a coordinated an d integrated distribution networks and supply chains but also considerably reduces inventory costs and enhanced quality (Paul 2001). Recommendations Superdry must implement strategies from an environmental perspective as India is amongst the top countries emitting the highest carbon foot prints. Hence it could conduct regular environmental audits, offer bonuses for favorable environmental results, and provide environmental training to the employees and managers. It should invest in cross training for its employees in order to gain a competitive edge over its rivals in the form of better operations management. An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) should be introduced in the Indian division, to motivate the employees in developing a strategy supportive culture. The employees will be more inclined towards maintaining the quality standards and performance benchmarks of Superdry Group Plc. The RD should be centralized in the head quarter in order to align the business activities more closely to the organizational objectives and in order to mitigate the conflict that may arise between different departments or divisions. Information systems should encourage direct communication between all production agents. PDA’s, retrieval systems, material requirement planning should all be used to gain efficiency in inventory management, cross docking and management. The organization should be relatively flat, allowing for a two way communication between the employees and the top management. This will facilitate a better understanding of the workforce culture in a new country that will further. List of References Balasubramanyam, N.V., 2005. Textiles and Clothing Exports from India and China: A Comparative Analysis. Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies. 3(1), pp. 23-37. Emme, Kozloff P., 2006. India’s Textile Industry; Asia’s Second Sleeping Giant. Bernstien Research. Frauke, Urban., 2009. Climate- Change Mitigation Revisited: Carbon Energy T ransmissions for China and India. Development Policy Review. 693-715. Gu, Qingliang, 1999. The Development of China Apparel Industry. Harvard Centre of Textile and Apparel Research. International Labour Organization., 2011. Statistics and Databases. Web. Jing, Ma., 2010. On Trade Barriers to China’s Textile Industry.International Journal of Business and Management. Kasturi, Das., 2010. Prospects and Challenges of Geographical Indications in India. The Journal of World Intellectual Property. 13, pp. 148-201. Paul, Joyce., 2001. Strategic Management. Great Britain: Bookcraft (CPI Group). Superdry Group Plc., Super Group Plc. 2011. Web. Teck-Yong, Eng., 2010. Psychological and Cultural Insights into Consumption of luxury Western Brands in India. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 9 (1), pp. 55-75. The Telegraph., August 27, 2011. How Superdry became 2010’s  £1bn fashion success story. Web. Appendix: Reflection The research has allowed the researcher to explore different asp ects of evaluating a business decision to expand in the international market. Selecting a target country requires a detailed and comprehensive investigation of the conditions prevailing in that market and what factors could determine the faith of the future of the project that is being considered for expansion. Different models and strategies have been developed and their detailed discussions are available in different books, articles and published reports. These models include PESTEL, SWOT, and Porter Diamond Model which have been used in this report. These models provide an opportunity to explore the target market by carrying out micro and macro level analysis. By considering external factors prevailing in the industry and evaluating company’s own capabilities and challenges to deal with these factors, these models thus provide a good way of understanding the market mechanism. The information to be collected for completion of these models and their analysis can come from di fferent sources including primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are more appropriate where the company aims to acquire first hand information which is not available through any other already existing source. However, this requires careful planning and investment to ensure that the purpose of primary research is achieved in the best possible manner over a period of time. Most of the academic business reports including the one presented above make use of secondary sources which could include books, journals, articles, reports, websites, and published research papers etc. Various secondary sources have been explored for acquiring information for completion of different parts of this report. Overall, the report writing project has been a challenging one which did require a significant amount of reading and then summarizing the findings in the most appropriate to form a case for India being more suitable for the expansion, as it has abundant cotton resources, cheap labor; wage r ates are considerably lower than in the rest of the world. An expansion of Superdry in India more profitable as apparel industry requires a greater level of customization in terms of color, size and fit as the nature of the business is variable and diversified. Further, India’s cheap currency will make it a profitable place for Super Dry to expand its operations as its exports will become cheaper and the cost of production will also be cheaper as compared to the Chinese Yuan. So Super Dry can have exposure to a more diversified set of capabilities and skills in terms of diligent workforce and an aggressive increase in the thrust for investments. 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