Organizational Evaluation of Zara Cloth Company Essay

Organizational Evaluation of Zara Cloth Company - Essay Example The Company is an active member of the Inditex group (Tungate, 2008). The chain store was founded and is currently owned by Amancio Ortega and Rosalia Mera. Zara produces quality cloths that have attracted customers in the entire globe. This paper evaluates certain organization functions of the organization. Physical Assets, Products, Manufacturing and Distribution Success of Zara Chain Store has been attributed to extensive utilization of its opportunities through online services (Badia, 2009). To enhance sale of its products, Zara uses both offline and online shops, which increases its customer-serving capacity and physical market coverage. The company has not only used online communication to contact its clients, but also to advertize its products. The chain store has successfully opened several online shops and plans to launch several services in all its outlets. According to Badia (2009), branches of Zara are vertically integrated retailers. That is, though the branches use diff erent production processes, they are united by a common goal (Harrigan, 2003). Different products produced are, consequently, integrated to satisfy a common need. The Clothing Store produces large quantities of clothes of different fashions, styles, or designs and covers all groups of people. Sale of the products is done either locally or exported to foreign market. Zara products are manufactured in various stores in Spain, Europe, Asia, and Africa (Tungate, 2005). As another vital asset of the organization, recent success of Zara is attributed to the launching online boutique by the Inditex in September 2010. The online shopping provision was first initiated in Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and France markets. Launching of the boutique website was preceded by creation of a cyberspace due to high demand for online shopping (Tungate, 2008). The two sites function like physical shopping stores in, which a wide range of products are provided at fair prices. The onlin e service also provides different payment methods from which a customer can select a method that best suits him/her. In addition, the website provides a variety of delivery methods a customer can use after ordering a shipment. A customer can either pay for a postal delivery or be free to pick his/her purchase from the store (Badia, 2009; Tungate, 2008). Human Resource Management in Zara In Zara Chain Store, existence and functionality of Human Resource Management (HRM) depends diversity within a workforce, employee relations, and training and skills development (Tungate, 2008). Expansion of the organization has triggered the need to design appropriate ways of obtaining and maintaining quality performing employees. Resource managers in various Zara stores, therefore, concentrate on maintaining good relationship between employers and employees and among employees. Resource management in Zara, in effect, focuses on satisfactory productivity, improved motivation, and high morale upkeep of workers. In Zara Stores, diversity in HRM reflects variations present in its workforce. Workforce diversity in Zara is attributed to differences in various demographic factors. Such factors include age, gender and social class. With the increasing need for employees due to advances in technology, management teams in Zara constantly strategize on ways of

Investigate osmosis in blood cells Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Investigate osmosis in blood cells - Lab Report Example The cellular geometry, that is, the biconcave disc shape of red cells, is critical for the cells' survival. This cell surface shape provides a high ratio of surface area to cellular volume. The normal volume of the erythrocyte is approximately 90 m3. The minimum surface area that could encase this volume is a sphere of approximately 98 m3. The surface area of a biconcave disc enclosing this volume is approximately 140 m3. Thus, shape alone provides the red cell with a considerable amount of redundant membrane and cytoskeleton. This feature provides the extra membrane surface area needed when red cells swell. More importantly, this geometric arrangement allows red cells to stretch as they undergo deformation and distortion in response to the mechanical stress of the circulation. The consequent reduction in tolerance of these cells to osmotic stress explains why anaemias resulting from membrane defects often are accompanied by osmotic fragility, the basis for the clinical laboratory te st. Similarly, if erythrocytes are engorged with water, they become macrospherocytic and less deformable (Dacie, J. V., Lewis, S. M., and Luzzatto, L., 1981). Red Cell Membrane Permeability: The normal red cell membrane is nearly impermeable to monovalent and divalent cations, thereby maintaining a high potassium, low sodium, and very low calcium content. In contrast, the red cell is highly permeable to water and anions, which are readily exchanged. As a result, erythrocytes behave as nearly perfect osmometers. Water and ion transport pathways in the red cell membrane include energy-driven membrane pumps, gradient-driven systems, and various channels. An important feature of the normal red cell is its ability to maintain a constant volume. The mechanisms by which red cells "sense" changes in cell volume and activate appropriate volume regulatory pathways are unknown. The effects of disruption of the red cell permeability barrier are illustrated by complement-mediated hemolysis. Complement activation on the red cell surface leads to formation of the membrane attack complex, which is composed of terminal complement components embedded in th e lipid bilayer. This multimolecular complex acts as a cation channel, allowing passive movements of sodium, potassium, and calcium across the membrane according to their concentration gradients. Attracted by fixed anions, such as hemoglobin, ATP, and 2,3-BPG, sodium accumulates in the cell in excess of potassium loss and of the compensatory efforts of the Na+-K+ pump. The resulting increase in intracellular monovalent cations and water is followed by cell swelling and ultimately colloid osmotic hemolysis (Dacie, J. V., Lewis, S. M., and Luzzatto, L., 1981). Rationale of the Test: Osmotic activity in the red cells is tested by adding increasingly hypotonic concentrations of saline solution to red cells. As a result of osmosis, more and more water from the increasingly hypotonic solution will enter the red cells leading to increased volume of red cells by swelling. If the concentration goes beyond threshold, more water will enter into the cells which already are at maximum volume for surface area, and will burst at the most hypotonic normal saline concentrations. However, after incubation at 37C (98.6F) for 30 mins, these red cells will lose membrane surface area more readily than normal because their

Addictive Properties of Sugar

Addictive Properties of Sugar Sugar is naturally present in most foods, but with an increase of both modified food and sweet cravings, people have become addicted even more than cocaine users are addicted to cocaine. Overtime, several people have grown to be health conscious and have committed themselves to eating healthy foods. Some have even gone to the point where they do not eat any type of sugar whatsoever. Before one completely removes sugar from their diet, it is crucial to understand what sugar is exactly. Sugar is a carbohydrate made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Although those who cut out sugar from their diet completely have good intentions, a certain amount of sugar is still needed for the body to have energy. But when is it too much? Several doctors recommend to intake 55 to 60 percent of your daily caloric intake from carbohydrates. This has become increasingly difficult for some, especially those that exceed that amount. Studies have shown that some people have become heavily dependent on dail y sugar intake, with some even becoming addicted to it. Some doctors have gone against that claim, saying that in order to become addicted to sugar, they have to meet certain criteria and most people are not technically addicted. On the other hand, drugs like cocaine are known to have an addictive property to them. Most people that are users of cocaine become addicted and dependent on it. The question that many people are asking is if sugar is as addictive as drugs. To understand what makes people want sugar so much, researchers have to go all the way back and understand the principles of sugar. In essence, sugar is a carbohydrate that is split into several categories of identification. Not all sugar is the same; similar to how not all drugs are the same. There are several types of sugars such as beet sugar, white sugar, powdered sugar, malt sugar, etc. ‘Simple carbohydrates, or simple sugars, are composed of monosaccharide or disaccharide units. Common monosaccharides (carbohydrates composed of single sugar units) include glucose, fructose, and galactose’ (James). Fructose is the sugar present in fruits. Lactose is present in milk sugar. Maltose is present in grain products. And sucrose, one of the most common, is present in sugar cane and sugar beets. All of these types of sugar differ in the amount an individual should eat. They also differ in taste, with some sweeter than the other. â€Å"Any food where sucrose, fructose, gluco se, corn syrup, honey, or other sugars are listed as the first ingredient on the packaging can be defined as sweets† (Schmitt). Just as there are different types of sugars each having different qualities and properties, in the same way drugs, specifically psychoactive drugs, can be divided into four main categories. Those are: stimulants, depressants, opiates and hallucinogens. All of them are addictive and induce dependence. Stimulants, like cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy, stimulate the central nervous system. Depressants have an opposite effect by slowing down the central nervous system (CNS). Examples of depressants are alcohol and cannabis. Opiates also act in the same way as depressants and slow down the CNS. Some well-known opiates are heroin, morphine, opium and methadone. Hallucinogens change a person’s perception of reality and time. Commonly used hallucinogens are LSD and psilocybin (magic mushrooms). Addiction has both a biological and behavioral component. Our brains instinctively find certain things pleasurable, such as eating certain foods and having sexual intercourse. The brain has a specific reward circuitry that makes us want to do what we need to survive. The brain interprets anything that stimulates the â€Å"reward pathway† as necessary for life and needs to be repeated. Many things, however, that aren’t necessary for life can stimulate this reward circuitry, including drugs, sugar, junk foods, and even behaviors such as gambling and exercise. (Rettner) The reason we get pleasure from these substances, that aren’t in fact crucial for survival, is because they cause the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine in an area of the brain called Nucleus Accumbens. Dopamine helps control the brains reward, pleasure and motivation centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to t ake action to move toward them. (Frances) Another hormone called serotonin is also responsible for the euphoria that’s felt after ingesting certain substances. Studies have shown that after ingesting drugs and eating certain foods, especially those that are high in sugar, serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain significantly increase. This leads the individual to feel pleasure and euphoria and motivates them to repeat this process. This is the mechanism that causes addiction. Both sugar and cocaine cause a temporary high soon after they enter the bloodstream but only to cause many debilitating problems after their effects wear off. An intake of sugar that exceeds the recommended daily amount can lead to very serious side effects. That includes an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, several types of liver disease, an increased probability of developing cancer, obesity, depression, increased risk of yeast infections, a weaker immune system, tooth decay, etc. The side of effects of cocaine include, but are not limited to; permanent damage to blood vessels, high blood pressure (leading to heart attacks, strokes, and possibly death), liver, kidney and lung damage, malnutrition and weight loss, severe depression, severe tooth decay, etc. Besides the addiction they cause, both sugar and cocaine have several side effects in common. On the other hand the methods of treating a cocaine addict and those for treating a sugar addict differ greatly. Most professionals agree that the best solution for any addiction include sugar and cocaine addiction is prevention. Prevention of the development of an addiction is the most effective way to tackle the problem, due to the fact that after an addiction develops, treatment is quite hard and psychologically challenging. Sugar addicts are advised to increase their protein intake because protein-rich foods like meat, nuts, and beans provide a steady and balanced source of energy for your body, which can help eliminate cravings for sugar-containing foods. Taking probiotics is also helpful because excess bacterial growth in the body creates sugar cravings since bacteria thrive on sugar. Eating healthy saturated fats is also a method that quickly yields results since saturated fats like coconut oil; raw, pasture-based butter, grass-fed milk and cream are all excellent healthy fats that will provide solid sustenance for your body thereby eliminating sugar cravings. There are a number of treatments for cocaine addicts including pharmacological approaches and behavioral interventions. Although there are not any FDA-approved pharmaceuticals to treat cocaine addiction, several medications designed for other diseases like vigabatrin, modafinil, tiagabine, disulfiram have been reported to reduce cocaine use in controlled clinical trials. Behavioral treatments for cocaine addiction can be divided into two categories: motivational incentives and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Motivational incentives use an exchange system where participants receive prizes for drug-free urine screenings. In other words individuals are encouraged to not use cocaine in order to qualify for a prize. Cognitive-behavior therapy treatment involves helping addicts to replace their drug-seeking behaviour with other, healthier, ways of dealing with their everyday issues. This type of treatment is designed to help the recovering addict understand the cause of their addiction and d rug use and to create a healthier lifestyle. After analyzing several studies on sugar, it is concluded that sugar can become addictive when overeaten, but is it more addictive than cocaine? Statistics show that the effects of sugar addiction is to a lesser degree than that of cocaine. Works Cited Carbohydrates. Nutrition and Well-being A-Z. Ed. Delores C.S. James. New York: MacMillan Reference USA, 2004. 2 vols. Frances, Allen. Dopamine. Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. Psychology Today, June 2013. Web. 04 Dec. 2014. Rettner, Rachael. Is Sugar a Drug? Addiction Explained. LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Dec. 2014. Schmitt, B.D. Sugar and Sweets. RelayClinical Education. Cengage Learning, Feb. 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 20Sugar 101. Sugar 101. American Heart Association, 19 Nov. 2014. Web.24 Nov.. 2014. Schmitt, Barton. Sugar and Sweets. Pediatric Advisor:. Childrens Health Network, 15 May 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. Taubes, Gary. Is Sugar Toxic? The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Apr. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. Venuto, Tom. Is Junk Food As Addictive As Heroin? Basilandspice.com. Cengage Learning, 3 Nov. 2009. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

Let Bolton Battle :: essays research papers fc

Let Bolton Battle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What if you had just got off work early and decided to fly home to surprise your family, but just as you take off the screaming starts. Your plane was just hijacked by an extremist terrorist group that hates the United States and is going to take the plane down in a city for maximum casualties. Do you think something should be done to prevent this? It is horrible that after 9/11 no one could agree â€Å"on something as basic to the war on terror as a comprehensive definition of terrorism† while other innocent people died. The author, Newt Gingrich, recognizes these dangers and presents a strong argument for the election of John Bolton, Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, to become ambassador to the United Nations. With a tough tone, Newt Gingrich presents his unyielding position on an urgent cause.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have chosen to analyze Newt Gingrich’s article because it is so influential and steadfast to his cause. The article is on a website at â€Å"www.newt.org† and is unrelenting throughout both pages. Gingrich does not vacillate from his objective in the article and remains sturdy in his stance on Bolton’s need for election. The way that Gingrich sets up his position generates a decision for the reader: Why not elect Bolton?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Newt Gingrich knows politics; he has served on Congress since 1978 till he was elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995. During his four-year term, the Washington Times called him â€Å"the indispensable leader† and Time magazine named him â€Å"Man of the Year† for 1995. Not only was he influential on the floor, he has written nine books including two best sellers, Contract With America and To Renew America. Furthermore, he has become a sought-after public speaker, and just finished a keynote address at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at Harvard University. Through Gingrich’s website he responds to questions and concerns about pieces that he has written and states that he will even have an open debate about his articles. This is an ethos appeal for the reader since they know that Gingrich is well respected and knowledgeable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, Gingrich opens with the powerful statement that contains demanding diction, such as â€Å"right choice† and â€Å"without further delay† to propel his argument for confirming Bolton to the United Nations. Then he states the reason that Bolton needs to be elected by stating that Americans are at uncertain times and face serious threats, and that the â€Å"U.

Kevin Phillips criticizes the Reagan administration

Kevin Phillips criticizes the Reagan administration for grossly redistributing wealth from the poor to the rich. He refers to this phenomenon as the â€Å"upward redistribution of wealth†. He feels that the country’s current economic climate continues to give an unfair advantage to the rich, by means of tax-code restructuring and deregulation of private enterprises. Phillips maintains that the tax burden on rich people has to be considerably increased and tax benefits for corporation has to be cut down to facilitate fair distribution of wealth.Phillips draws up on statistical data to reiterate his views on economic inequality; one percent of Americans belonging to the rich elite class own more than 40 percent of the nation’s total wealth, according to a 1997 study. Such striking diversity in wealth distribution was witnessed before only during the Great Depression of late 1920s. Citizens from middle income group have experienced a meager increase of 2.8 percent i n stock market during the 90s, while being responsible for 38.7 percent of the rise in debt. A majority of people in this group are religious and conservative voters. According to the Wall Street Journal, 90 percent of private stocks are owned by the affluent 10 percent. This trend has resulted in widening of the economic divide and slow degradation of the middle class in America.Middle-class Americans becoming wealthier in the 1980s was primarily due to a surge in the economy, and certainly not due to the Government’s redistribution of existing wealth (National Review). The eighties also marked a period of decent employment opportunities of the poor and minority groups. During the 80s, a CEO’s salary was 93 times that of a normal worker, and this figure has leaped to 419 times in the 90s (Phillips 1991). The wage distribution patterns of private corporations clearly indicate the extent of income disparity and explain difference in lifestyles.The Cold War marked the pe riod between the post war 1940s and 1991, when the USA and USSR were competing in a virtual war comprising of arms race, creating espionage and forging strategic alliances. This also included fighting proxy wars such as Korean War, Vietnam War and Afghan War by using political pawns. America was spending a great sum of money to gain strategic advantage and political pride over the Soviet Union.The two-tier wage system is policy adopted by corporations, by which newly hired employees are paid much lesser wages compared to regular employees (Kebler). Although this results in a lot of cost saving to the employers, it leads also to discrimination discontent among one class of workers. This system also encourages companies to lay off senior employees through retirement schemes and buyouts, thereby leading to insecurity among senior workers. Bargain basement is also short term credit plan concept which was prevalent during this period wherein money comes at a lesser value, but helps to im prove the economy since the inflow of money is consistent.Trickle-down economics is characterized by tax benefits for rich citizens and corporations (Wikipedia). This policy is justified by the assumption that business will use tax savings to further contribute to economic growth. Reagan's economic policy was aligned towards trickle-down economics and also vouched for deregulation. It also concentrated on cut down on government spending, so as to control the money supply and bring down inflation. Trickle-down economics, also know as Reaganomics, led to problems such as tax evasions for the government. Kevin Phillips suggests that these policies did more harm rather than good to the US economy.Reference:Kebler, Harry. Unions Accepting a Two-Tier Pay System are Giving a Major Concession to Bosses. Retrieved 14 December, 2007, Phillips, Kevin. (1991). The politics of the rich and poor: Wealth and the American Electorate in the Reagan Aftermath. Harpercollins.National Review. (1991). Th e Eighties Economy. Retrieved 14 December, 2007,Rast, Ben. Book Review: The Politics Of Rich And Poor. Retrieved 14 December, 2007,  Wikipedia. Kevin Phillips. Retrieved 14 December, 2007,Wikipedia. Trickle Down Economics. Retrieved 14 December, 2007,

Race & Ethnicity: Effects on Life Essay

Ethnicity and race has had a big influence on peoples’ every day life choices. In some way or another, most people will be judged according to their color of their skin or their ethnic background. We live in a society full of different races and cultures affecting the way we interact with each other, as well as influencing our views on equality and differences among the many different races in our society. Often influential media groups and social standards shape our beliefs, also affecting how we interact with cultures different from our own, and how various groups interact with each other. Race and ethnicity may be defined as a type of grouping or classification based on a persons origin of birth and includes their racial appearance, language, religion and culture. Ethnicity can be defined as a social construction that indicates identification with a particular group who share common cultural traits, such as language, religion and traditions. Terms like ethnocentrism, racism, stereotyping, and ethnicity can affect our health status, our economical status, and just basically our status in society. Race defines who we are, and in some cases it is the root of discrimination problems. Individuals dislike other people because they do not like how they are; whether it is physically or the way they think and act. We look at people and experiences through race and culture. I was raised with family that had introverted personalities. This is one of the reasons why my personality is also like that. I grew up recognizing differences in races and ethnicity and it never affected my way of being, I simply saw everyone the same, with the same potential and equal opportunity. I have been taught by the spoken and unspoken ways of my parents, teachers, friends; I have simply grown up recognizing what is wrong and what is right among society. I was born in California but both my parents are Mexican, which makes me Hispanic. My experiences of racial profiling or prejudice due to my ethnic background or my Hispanic look have not been too common or extremely racist. My high school was about 99.99 percent Hispanic student body, so there was very little if any racial tension among students. It was when we would go out of that part of town that I would actually see racial comments made and shown by others. I was involved in the baseball team and tennis team at my  high school, and I would see some sort of labeling or stereotyping aimed at me and my teammates when we would play in other schools with Anglos or Blacks. Since we were one of the poorest schools in the city they would automatically assume we weren’t adequately prepared to be playing a team like them. Their stereotypes of us would make them think that we didn’t speak English and our playing abilities would be very novice since we didn’t have the tools or money to afford good equipment or a coach at a young age. However, I will admit that we would also judge them as being too cocky, and with the conventional ‘white people’ stereotypes. Though most of the time we were right because these were rich kids with almost everything handed to them. Being in the minority has its disadvantages, but people, specifically students can be smart and use those stereotypes to their advantage. I honestly never paid attention to my lack of resources, instead I knew that if I wanted something I was going to try and get it. A big misconception that surrounded our school or the part of town that I lived in was that we were not going to make it to college, in fact, we would be lucky if we actually graduated from high school. The name of our high school was very much and icon or a symbol. I knew some friends that wouldn’t give out the name of our school because they were afraid of being labeled a â€Å"loser† in some way. Basically, going to my school meant that we were low IQ destined to work at low paying jobs, simply because many were Mexican immigrants or first generation American born. For our advantage, now a day being in the minority can actually help you enroll into colleges of your choice and get scholarships to help pay for college. Perceptions play a great roll on judging others; many times it is influenced by race and ethnicity. It is clear to me that if lived in a more diverse part of the city; my experiences would be the very different. As society grows more with different cultures, races and ethnics, tension grows and people start disliking others ways of being that are not like theirs. But it is important to understand that it is not healthy to have prejudice feelings towards others, it only makes one bitter.