Housing and Urban Regeneration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Housing and Urban Regeneration - Essay Example Housing reforms were also constant in the market as there was little dissemination of information to the public as Isobel Anderson ( 2010, p9) insinuates. In this paper, the main focus is on housing inequality in relation to the black minority ethnic group and other related groups which Harrison Malcom( 2003, 128) largely explains. This has been largely contributed by factors such as socio-economic and institution groups that are in control in the market platform. Currently market dynamics have emerged providing diverse range of housing that has increased the consumption levels. In contrast there were few choices in the previous past which limited the people from accessing housing. Huang and Clark (2002, p322) state that some housing units in countries such as China were set aside as welfare benefit especially on basis of non-monetary factors such as job rank, job seniority, marital status and household size. However, this situation is changing as privatization is taking ground in th e market corridors. Public housing was previously meant for institution groups such as the political status and those working in government agencies. Individuals working in these sectors had an advantage over the migrants and farmers. They were allocated public houses that were subsidized. It did not matter if they received low incomes. On the other hand the governmental heads and the political elite accessed considerably large housing with the best facilities. This pattern is however changing as market forces are gradually gaining ground. Even though this scenario is taking effect the black minority ethnic groups and asylum seekers cannot still afford better housing (Finney & Peach, 2004, p302). Public housing was privatized through selling at subsidized prices. Privatization also led to new private housing where real estate developers were constructing a wide range of housing to create diverse preferences. Households living in public houses had an advantage over the migrants and f armers as they were able to purchase public houses sold off. They were able to obtain home ownership while the minority such as single women with children could only afford rental housing ( Harrison, 2004, p128). Those working in government and organization agencies earned low income and had retired; they were able to purchase good and large housing. This was made possible by the housing policy reforms that were in place. On the contrary the minority could only enjoy poor housing as they were excluded from accessing these benefits. Therefore they were still constrained to small and poor housing. The political status had considerably great advantages as they used their position to gain control by purchasing public housing and investing heavily in construction of rental housing. The educated and those who had occupations had access to good housing and better standards of living individuals. Housing inequality increased continually due to income inequality. Individuals at top levels su ch as managers and heads of governments enjoyed the top cream. They had huge incomes as compared to those at low levels. This gave them great access to a wide range of varied housing. They had an upper-hand as they could invest in rental housing and developing of real estates. Therefore, they continued to get richer as those at lower levels were subject to rental housing. This was

Self reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Self reflection - Essay Example tion of leadership from a broad perspective that is a skill that can be learnt rather than a personal trait that always remains with a single individual. Although many individuals are born with qualities that allow them to become leaders in their domains, however, it is not something that cannot be learnt. In the past, whenever I used to act as a leader, I used to dominate the group members in order to control them; however, the course helped me in realizing that leadership is not about controlling others but it is more about understanding others and transforming group into teams and teams into learning communities. All this can happen with application of different tools and strategies and that is the reason nowadays, educational institutions are offering courses on leadership that indicates the validity of my earlier reflection related to leadership. While I reflect more, I believe vision and farsightedness is not something that is always God-given but it is something that an individual can learn by using tools of strategic planning and effective management of resources (Cheng, pp. 15-32). Unfortunately, these tools are usually overlooked and ignored by individuals at organizations and institutions, and which do not allow them to transform from managers into leaders. I am a confident person and love to accept challenges; however, I have mostly dealt challenges with emotions and most importantly, kept everything with myself to make it a one-man show. From deep reflection, I have come to an understanding that leadership is not about ‘me’ but more about ‘us’ (Taylor, Machado, & Peterson, pp. 363-386). Leadership focuses on motivating and appreciating members in the team rather than focusing on giving orders. In this regard, I surely will put efforts in ensuring such practices in the future and would surely involve strategic planning in my projects that was missing in the past. I remember an inspiring saying from the group discussions in the class and that

The Art Of Seduction And Notting Hill Film Studies Essay

The Art Of Seduction And Notting Hill Film Studies Essay The film The Art of Seduction is one of the well-known Korean romantic comedy films and was made in 2004 by Ki-Hwan Oh who is one of famous and influential film makers in Korea and also made Someone Behind You (2007) and Ogamdo(2009) . It is a film version of a book called The Art of Seduction and it is said to be everyones must-see film in order to understand the reality of relationships between men and women in todays lives. There are two protagonists in this movie is Ji-Won (Ye-Jin Son, a South Korean actress who got the best actress awards more than ten times in Korean Film Festivals and now one of top ten Korean stars), a fiercely pretty girl who always has had any guys that she wants. The other is Min-Jun (Il-Gook Song, one of popular Korean actors, who is the son of a Korean actress and a member of Korean parliament Kim-Eul Dong), a successful architect, and attractive young gentleman. Both of them have their own rules for 100% success in any dates. Ji-Won follows her own dating rules, she makes a fake car accident to get Min-Juns attention and approaches him successfully. However, although both are very attracted to each other at first sight, they start a game which seduces each other using their own rules. What intrigues Ji-Won is that Min-Jun does not act the same as guys who always fall for her charm. Min-Jun also thinks Ji-Won is the perfect match and ideal type of woman for him but never shows his true feelings. They are both veteran players in the game of love but finally they fall in love with each other. It is interesting to see that the movie does not end with the two protagonists becoming boyfriend or girlfriend, they appreciate each others expertness and go for a new game of love. Notting Hill overview Notting Hill is a British romantic film which was produced by Roger Michell who also directed Changing Lanes (2002) and The Mother (2003) in 1999. William Thacker (played by Hugh Grant) is a bookseller in Notting Hill district in West London and shares his house with his Welsh friend, Spike (Rhys Ifans). Every mans dream comes true when Anna Scott (played by Julia Roberts), the worlds most famous and beautiful American actress who is in London working on a film, enters his travel bookshop. She buys one book from William and their relationship would end here if William did not go out for another cup of orange juice a few minutes later. He bumps in to her and spills orange juice over her top. William offers to clean up at his place which is very nearby and Anna agrees since he looks harmless. Anna thanks William and gives him a kiss, which surprises her even more than him. They eventually get to know each other better but they find it difficult to be together as Anna is the worlds well-known star. They get on fairly well with each other just before her American actor boyfriend flies to London to see her. Anna, one day, comes to William for help, she is upset because of harsh press and needs calm and comfort. Once again, being together with someone who is the worlds most wanted is definitely not easy. Williams close friends arrange dates for him, helping him to forget about Anna Scott and move on. After months, Anna visits his travel bookshop with little gift, asking to love her again but William replies to her with an answer no. He thinks what he said to her was the right answer and tells his friends who are shocked to hear the story and tell him to get her back before it is too late. William and his friends run into where Anna is having the last interview in London before she flies back to America. William pretends to be a journalist and asks her ques tions about their relationship and whether she will forgive him and give another chance for their love. Anna says yes with a big happy smile and the movie ends with their successful romance. Textual Analysis Both films The Art of Seduction and Notting hill are made in contemporary background and the two films are set in urban area. However, when looking at the main male and female characters in these films, there are some differences in character settings except the fact that male characters are heterosexual. Min-Jun, the male protagonist, is a successful architect in his 30s and he seems to have grown up in a high social family. It is shown by his father being a playboy and having many young women around him all the time not because of his charm but his money. Min-Jun in the film is described as handsome, rich, smart and fashionable. The main female character, Ji-Won, is also a successful fund manager and her character is what Korean womens image is all about, she is portrayed as independent, assertive and perfect face and body. The main male character in Notting Hill, William Thacker, is a divorced middle-aged bookseller in West London. He is portrayed as normal, little boring and incapable and he does not belong to high social class. Anna Scott, the female protagonist in the film, is one of the top actresses in the world, portrayed as rich, attractive and every mans dream. There are differences in constructing masculinity between the two films and the next section will look at different aspects of masculinity other than the character settings. Physique As Min-Jun appears to be rich, attractive and smart, he cares a lot about his clothes and fashion accessories which women used to care more than men in the past. It is called Metro sexual which was born in Europe with increasing male diversity and Min-Jun is also one of metro sexual men who is interested in fashion and invest money and time for himself. (à ­Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ Ã‹Å"à ªÃ‚ ±Ã‚ ´Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¬Ã‹Å" ¤Ãƒ ­Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ ¬Ã…  Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¬- Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ ¹Ã‹Å" à «Ã…’â‚ ¬Ãƒ ­Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ…“à ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, à ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã…“à ªÃ‚ ²Ã‚ ½Ãƒ «Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ «Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¬Ã…  Ã‚ ¤, www.kbizweek.com: 20 feb 2010) He goes for gentle, sophisticated and chic style of clothing and the suits he wears are mostly from DolceGabanna, Givenchy and Yohji Yamamoto. What is more, when women are obsessed with bags and believe that which brand or how much their bag costs shows the standard of living and lifestyle, men believe nice watches and shoes make them feel confident. Min-Jun also sells his precious watch, which costs over  ¿Ã‚ ¡3500 by Gio Monaco, in return for a fabulous night with Ji-Won. Not only has he cared about outfits, but he is also enthusiastic about his lifestyle and appearance. Min-Jun is confident about his looking but when he was asked to attend charity evening, specifically called Slave date auction, by Ji-Won, he determined to get fit by taking lots of exercise at gym. His aim to get a masculine body is successful and he waits to appeal his masculinity to Ji-Won but suddenly loses his confidence as soon as he finds out other participants with more masculine bodybuilder body. Since the beginning of 2000, a variety of mens types have positioned them as they are and it has become their competitive differentiations. (à ­Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ Ã‹Å"à ªÃ‚ ±Ã‚ ´Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¬Ã‹Å" ¤Ãƒ ­Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ ¬Ã…  Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¬- Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ ¹Ã‹Å" à «Ã…’â‚ ¬Ãƒ ­Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ…“à ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, à ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã…“à ªÃ‚ ²Ã‚ ½Ãƒ «Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ «Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¬Ã…  Ã‚ ¤, www.kbizweek.com: 20 feb 2010) His enthusiasm about appearance applies to female counterpart. Plastic surgery is very popular among women in Korea and men looking for perfect-looking, which includes big eyes, small face and skinny body, can be one of the reasons why women get this surgery done. Sometimes men judge women by their appearances more than personalities and it is shown by Min-Jun thinking Ji-Won can be a perfect match for him a minute after looking at her outfits and appearance. Additionally, Min-Jun is looked as a sexual object by women. The film The Art of Seduction starts with him seducing a female psychiatrist by unbuttoning his shirt slowly and at the same time appealing his sexuality to her. Ji-Won, like Min-Jun, is assertive about her appearance. She attracts attention from many guys with her exceptional prettiness and her occupation as a successful private banker is a plus element in consisting of her charm. Unlike the male protagonist, Ji-Won tends to wear clothes in conservative style, but still shows her S-shaped body line. William in Notting Hill is rather very ordinary type of a British man who usually goes for classic and casual style of clothes, which perhaps match his occupation as a bookseller. Not only William does not take regular exercise to get fit, but also he does not seem to care too much about his appearance or his outfits and it is shown by a scene where he goes out to the cinema with Anna Scott. He looks for his glasses all over his house and realises he is likely to be late, he decides to take another option, swim-goggles. It looks funny that he wears swim-goggles while watching a movie but also shows that he prioritises practicality rather than obsession in styling. What is more, he seems lack of self-confidence and it is probably due to his social status compared to Anna and previous marriage failure which should have changed his lifestyle a lot. William is portrayed as heart broken and fragile and it definitely is opposed to Min-Jun who is always confident about himself. However, Anna, a big world star, slowly attracted by William who could have been just a guy who sold her a travel book while she was in London. Anna even has a boyfriend back in America and she has much higher standard of living compared to Williams. She is portrayed as independent and perfect looking to the public but no one except William truly understands her feelings or emotions. Although William is not what we call manly type of guy or an assertive and smart guy, he instead has true heart and naÃÆ' ¯ve personality which may be another important element to become a real man. Personality There are clear differences in which the two main characters behave and treat their female counterparts. Firstly, what Min-Jun does is all studied beforehand. His aims are to seduce and win over the woman who he thinks is the perfect match for him, though not necessarily as his girlfriend. Therefore, he does not show his true feelings about her at the beginning and pretend he has not set up anything in his mind. In fact, the main male character is a type of true carers and it is shown by many scenes in the film. For instance, he says to Ji-Won Yesterday, you were so out of wits so I have asked the doctor to take care of you. It was surprising for her because she crashed into his car and he should have been the one who needed to see if he were hurt. What is more, all of Min-Jun and Ji-Wons credits cards suspended by jealous Do-Chul who has loved Ji-Won for a long time and always gets rejected by her. They decide to stay in a Motel and Ji-Won starts complaining about its condition and dirtiness. Min-Jun lies to her that he will go to restroom and he goes out to a pawnshop to sell his expensive watch to get money for dinner and hotel room. Since he has much self-respect, he never says he feels ill all after running in the rain so many times at night in order to satisfy Ji-Won. He actually is a carer and nurturer but does not show his genuine personality to win her. This contradictory personality is what Korean women these days, especially younger generation prefers than nice and good guys. Though macho man has been the most classic and representative masculinity, macho man in 2009 is far from its perceptions that he is patriarchal and male superior but he is sexually attractive and what we call a real great man (à ­Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ Ã‹Å"à ªÃ‚ ±Ã‚ ´Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¬Ã‹Å" ¤Ãƒ ­Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ ¬Ã…  Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¬- Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¬Ã‚ ¹Ã‹Å" à «Ã…’â‚ ¬Ãƒ ­Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ…“à ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, à ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã…“à ªÃ‚ ²Ã‚ ½Ãƒ «Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ «Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¬Ã…  Ã‚ ¤, www.kbizweek.com: 20 feb 2010) Limiting expression their feelings and one step forward and two steps back date rule makes guys attractive. What the male character does impresses women as they do not expect a lot in the beginning. Min-Jun is gentle and smart and can be a bad boy to those women who he thinks do not deserve him at all. It applies the same to the female character in the film The Art of Seduction. Men usually act more bravely than women and Ji-Won is portrayed as the god of innocence which most of Korean women would become when dating with men. When there is a date for dinner, she hardly eats and says I am full already. She never shows her true feelings to Min-Jun because she strongly believes herself that she will lose out as soon as he senses that she likes him. How she behaves and talks to whom she likes is one of the typical characteristics of Korean women although it has been changing slowly by younger generation who respects honesty and are braver when dating with men. William Thacker, on the other hand, has the characteristics which are opposed to Min-Jun. He is nice, gentle and truthful although these can be seen as quite unattractive and boring to some women. William and Annas relationship begins when he offers to clean her clothes at his place and he continues to offer drinks and food to her. Everything he does to her is not studied at all but it might be due to the fact that Anna is a famous world star who is an unrealistic woman for him. What is more, even when she confesses him saying Im just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her, he could not have believed his ears. Women in Korea used to fall for nice and truthful guys and their preference changed to more bad boy type of men. It does not mean Williams character was not popular among them when the movie came out; his English gentleness is special and it is what they have not seen in Korean men. William, at first, was scared of showing his true feelings to Anna but as their relationship grows he is no longer shy and becomes more brave. He goes out with Anna for dinner and hears people talking and laughing about her rumours and gossips. Since they are having dinner in public place, he tries to ignore them but becomes intolerable. He asks them to stop talking about her because he wants to protect her from getting hurt by a bunch of stupid people. The main male character appears to be nice, shy and sometimes dull, he is still a man who is not scared of protecting a woman and shows he does care about her. Anna Scott, the female counterpart of William, is more assertive about her and has much self-respect than him. She is tired of too much attention in her private life and relationship she has had in the past. However, she is, unlike Ji-Won in The Art of Seduction, not afraid of showing her feelings and an enthusiastic attitude to her male counterpart. Anna is brave enough to tell William that she loves him whereas Ji-Won waits for Min-Jun to say it first. Gender Roles There have been stereotypes of gender roles in our society, especially in Korea, men are still conservative about what they do or women do at home. Young students are conservative in their views on gender roles, often copycatting their fathers viewpoint and they stuck to the patriarchal system. (Kwon Mee-yoo, Staff Reporter, www.koreatimes.co.kr 20 feb 2010) Min-Jun breaks the conventional gender roles by showing domestic side of him such as his exceptional cooking skills to Ji-Won. What is more, he feels more attracted to independent career women such as his ex-girlfriend, a psychiatrist, rather than those who become financially dependant on their boyfriends because they have no intellectual ability. He is not embarrassed to show Ji-Won that he is interested in cooking or making tea at home. On the other hand, even though both of them have similar standard of living, he always want to look powerful and strong to her. As a man, he protects Ji-Won while they are in Jeju Island, trying to satisfy everything she needs or wants by whatever the methods he can do. The female counterpart represents an ideal woman in our modern society, being confident and enjoying a decent lifestyle. Though there still exists the ethnic stereotype, the percentage of working women has been increasing in Korea, especially as a consequence of more and more parents letting their children study aboard. This phenomenon is to break the traditional gender roles, especially of women and give them an opportunity to become independent and intellectual so that they can realise their career in the future. Gender roles are slightly different when it comes to William and Anna; it is less conventional and conservative. He is still a man protecting his love from agony and distress by letting her stay at his house even after she let him down. Shelter and protection that he offers show his male dominance. It is certainly differentiated from being patriarchal; it is a facet of a great man. Nevertheless, she is more in control of their relationship and acts in a way that she wants. It is due to a difference in their social status and of course William thinks it is surreal for him to meet such a beautiful world actress. Men are usually more brave when they approach to women who they are interested in but he is rather afraid and gets more emotional than her. Despite Annas dominance in relationship, she also shows feminine side of her such as making breakfast for him. In England their county has had a Queen that has political influence. The election and repeated re-election of Margaret Thatcher as prime mister show Englands desire to have people in leadership role according to ability and not gender. (Trey Hill, http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/10251/e08hill.htm 20 feb 2010) It means that people in England do accept women can also be in powerful position. Masculinity Index by Geert Hofstede It is one of Cultural Dimensions by Hofstede, looking at the degree to which masculine values like competitiveness and the acquisition of wealth are valued over feminine values like relationship building and quality of life. (http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/intercultural/masculinity.html, 22 feb 2010) It indicates the distribution of gender roles in a society and it can be masculinity versus femininity. (Geert Hofstede, http://www.geert-hofstede.com, 22 feb 2010) Korea MAS=39 (Feminine) .  In life the main priorities are the family, relationships and quality of life .  Conflicts should ideally be solved through negotiation .  Men and women should share equal positions in society .  Professionals work to live, meaning longer vacations and flexible working hours UK MAS=66 (Masculine) .  Lifes priorities are achievement, wealth and expansion .  It is acceptable to settle conflicts through aggressive means .  Women and men have different roles in society .  professionals often live to work, meaning longer work hours and short vacations http://www.kbizweek.com/cp/view.asp?vol_no=702art_no=31sec_cd=1037 date accessed: 20 feb 2010 http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/11/117_55813.html date accessed: 20 feb 2010 http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/10251/e08hill.htm date accessed: 20 feb 2010 http://www.geert-hofstede.com Geert Hofstede date accessed: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/intercultural/masculinity.html 22 feb 2010

Media and Plastic Surgery Essay -- Females Self Image Cause Effect Ess

Media and Plastic Surgery Images produced by the media will make people do almost anything to fit American standards of the perfect body. Plastic surgery offers a quick fix to help achieve this goal but no matter how much surgery nothing is perfect. Images produced by media, quick fixes and the outcome of the fixes are problems that women of all ages deal with. From the time of birth, images of physical perfection bombard young minds. When children are young their minds are fragile and mold to what they are taught. One of the first toys a young girl is given is a Barbie doll Girls are shown Barbie and parents tell the children that Barbie dolls are beautiful. So young girls are taught that Barbie is what a perfect female is. Eventually when the girls reach middle school they find Barbie what they still want to physically achieve but find talking about Barbie childish. So they turn to more life size Barbie dolls like Britney Spears and Destiny's Child. Teenage girls, who consider themselves individuals, all strive for the same goal to become what the opposite sex is attracted to. Teenage girls want to dress and look like young celebrities so they wear tons of makeup and dress in clothing that would have their great grandparents turning in their graves. Schools all over the country are taking the parents job by changing the dress code so that girls do not wear clothing that show their mid drifts and bare shoulders. Even when girls enter college they are still effected b...

Buyer and Seller Relationship in the retail industry Essay

1. Introduction For many years buyers and sellers in the clothing retail sector have been battling to answer the question as to why it is difficult to build a steady relationship with one another. This can be due to the knowledge gap that there is in a lack of understanding on the issue. We aim to thoroughly associate the concepts of Collaboration, Information Sharing, Joint Relationship Effort, Dedicated Investments, Commitment and Trust, Satisfaction and Performance with the different buyer – seller relationships that exist in the clothing retail sector. Thus the problem being investigated is the unsteady relationship that exists in the clothing retail sector between buyers and sellers. The study will be using a survey consisting of 37 questions that will be issued to buyers in the industry. A sample size of 500 clothing companies will be used in Cape Town, South Africa which was selected to answer the surveys. The research method is quantitative in nature. Thus the study aims to carefully examine how buyers and sellers interact within the supply chain relationship. Some papers have touched on supply chain relationship issues, but have not done the association with these particular concepts our study aims to use. The main objective of our research is to provide buyers and sellers with the necessary information to assist them as to why there are certain imperfections in the relationship. 2. Literature Review Some research has be done on the concepts collaboration, information sharing, joint relationship effort, dedicated investments, commitment and trust, satisfaction and performance, which gave an insight to how these variables develop, change and how they are maintained in the context of buyer-seller relationship. Therefore for the purpose of this study twelve (12) articles written in the context of buyer and seller relationship will be used to define and explain the above mentioned concepts and how it is used throughout our research study. Collaboration Collaboration can be defined as latest development in supply chain management which involves the process of working together with your suppliers, business partners or clientele in achieving a common goal that benefits all parties (McLaren, Head & Yuan, 2002). Ellinger, Daugherty & Keller (2000) observed what exactly links marketing and logistics within a company’s integration, as well as measures of performance that are both objective and subjective in nature. They found and identified collaboration as a variable that impacts a relationship in a progressive way in that it increases sharing information and ideas and leads to partners functioning together. Information sharing McLaren, Head & Yuan (2000) has identified information sharing as the exchange of important company information with your supply chain partner for purposes that would assist each partner in the future. McLaren et al. (2002) discusses how a partnership between the buyer and seller can be beneficial for both parties where information sharing is of key importance. Their findings were that, creating partnerships between buyers and sellers were beneficial for both parties and that the success of information sharing depends on the type and size of the company as well as which mechanism they used for information sharing. Joint relationship effort Joint relationship effort refers to the combined determination and drive that is put into collaboration between buyers and sellers. Monczka, Petersen, Handfield & Ragatz (1998) argued for example that when task organisation is performed between buyers and sellers, the buyer can then form a perceptive trust in their partner’s abilities which will later form a solid trust in their relationship. Dedicated investments Knemeyer, Corsi & Murphy (2003) defined dedicated investments as particular  resources and goods that are transferred to another party that is highly important towards producing services and products. They tried to prove that there are different levels of partnership development in logistics management by research done by previous researchers who have also done research on the existing topic and if there is in fact a difference between these levels. Their findings were that the more trust there is within the relationship, the more partners invest in the relationship which directly increases dedicated investment. Commitment and trust Commitment refers to buyers and sellers engaging themselves and maintaining a working relationship in a way that will benefit both their own organisation and the company they have an association with. Trust refers to the reliance, surety, confidence or ability in a person or thing. In this case, it is having the reliance, surety, confidence or ability in the working relationship of one or more organisations. Mohr and Spekman (1994) was the first to find that trust and commitment are of utmost importance in a buyer – seller relationship, and that these factors lead to the success of the relationship. Satisfaction and Performance Satisfaction can be defined as referred to Mohr & Spekman (1994) as the completion of a task by which the involved party is pleased with the quality and degree of work carried out and it meets the standard set by the partners. Performance on the other hand can be defined as the completion of a task by a degree higher than specifications set out by the individual involved. Mohr & Spekman (1994) argued that the buyer-seller relationship is a partnership which generates satisfaction when performance expectations have been achieved. A study had been conducted and showed that commitment and co-ordination are positively associated with satisfaction and an increase in profits would bring about satisfaction among those parties involved in the supply chain 3. Research Hypotheses The hypotheses are constructed with a purpose of assisting in answering the research question, which is seeks to find The Nature of Buyer-Seller Relationships in the Retail Sector. Based on the review of the relevant literature, our hypotheses are based on some of the important variables that exist in the supply chain relationships. The relationship variables focused on are: commitment and trust, performance, satisfaction, joint relationship effort and collaboration, and will be shown using the relevant hypotheses. These relationships form the basis of the research propositions that will be tested in the duration of this study. H1: Commitment and trust has a positive impact on collaboration. Since committed partners make an effort to achieve the goals of their business relationship, high levels of commitment are most likely to produce a good collaborated relationship. H2: Performance has a positive impact on collaboration. The strength of collaboration in a supply chain relationship depends on the power of the chain performance: short-term (performance within one year), medium-term (performance over one to three years) and long-term (performance over two to five years). H3: Satisfaction has a positive impact on collaboration. The extent to which the buyers and sellers in the supply chain relationship are satisfied, determines the strength of their relationship. Thus, when both parties are satisfied with the collaboration, their relationship will produce good results. H4: Joint relationship effort has a positive impact on collaboration. By engaging in a joint relationship effort that involves sharing resources and capabilities, buyers and sellers can achieve a profitable collaboration that they cannot create alone. 4. Research Methodology An exploratory-descriptive study was conducted to write this research report. The context selected for this study focused on the clothing retail sector. The unit of analysis in this study was the nature of buyer and seller relationship in the clothing retail sector. We focused on the buyer’s perceptions of the relationship as we were unable to collect data from both buyer and seller. Even though having data collected from both parties would have been more beneficial, time and finances were a constraint and had to be taken into consideration; therefore it resulted in focusing on one side of the relationship. Internet searches of various clothing companies were compiled. Each company was contacted by telephone so that we would be able to speak directly to a clothing buyer. They were notified beforehand as to the purpose of this study and that their participation would be fundamental in completing this research report. The clothing buyer had the choice as to receiving the questionnaire via email or an interview. Most questionnaires were sent via email as buyers had other commitments as well and preferred this form of communication. A sum of 500 questionnaires was sent to various companies within the clothing retail sector, of which, only 106 (response rate of 21%) responses were received that was used for analysis. This response rate was lower than we had anticipated but we had to work with the data provided and continue the process as it was a busy period for most buyers at that time. The surveys were coded and then uploaded on a spreadsheet as it was simpler to analyse the data and descriptive statistics had been implemented to construct the necessary graphs that would conclude the findings. The following chart was designed to illustrate the response rate of the survey. Figure 1: Percentage of Responses Coded 5. Data analysis and Findings In this section of the report there will be a detailed discussion on the data collected in the survey as well as a representation of the findings. There will be a detailed analysis of the hypothesis tested and also an explanation of how the findings were derived. To complete the report 500 surveys were distributed to companies across South Africa. Only 106 of the companies responded but there were a number of biases. With regards to the nature of the relationship with supplier 5 respondents didn’t answer, under the sections joint relationship effort, dedicated investments and commitment and  trust there was 1 respondent who didn’t answer the questions. Under the satisfaction section 7 answers were left blank and 2 of the questions were answered with incorrectly. Under the performance section 8 answers were left blank. The following table was designed to displaying the mean, median, mode and range. Below is the table 1 showing all the data. MEAN MEDIAN MODE RANGE 1. NO. YEARS AT COMPANY 8.738095 7 5 38 2. NO. YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION 6.629482 4 1 37 3. NO. YEARS WITH SUPPLIER 12.016 10 10 60 Table 1: Mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation The first row in the table 1 above illustrates the number of years the respondent has been with the company. This information shows that the average amount of years a respondent has been with the company is 8.738095 years, the middle frequent response was 7 years, the most frequent response was 5 years and the difference between the respondent who has been with the company the least amount of years and most amount of years is 38 years. Since the respondents have a number of years with the company it means that they are familiar with the company’s way of business, how they deal with suppliers, who all the suppliers are and also the type of relationship they have with the suppliers. The second row illustrates the number of years the respondents have been in the company. It shows that the average amount of years a respondent has been with the company is 6.629482 years, the middle frequent response was 4 years, the most frequent response was 1 year and the difference between the respondent who has been with the company the least amount of years and most amount of years is 37 years. The high number of years that some of the respondents have been in their current positions gives an indication the information given is reliable and that it will aid in answering the question at hand. The third row depicts the number of years the company has spent with the supplier. It shows that the average amount of years a respondent has been with the company is 12.016 years, the middle frequent response was 10 years, the most frequent response was 10 years and the difference between the respondent who has been with the company the least amount of years and most amount of years is 60 years. The high number of years with same supplier shows that the information collected depicts a mature relationship between the buyer and the seller. Seeing that the relationship is matured the main focus of both the buyer and the seller would then be to continue to build on the relationship so that they can be in business for even more years to come. The following chart illustrates the position of the respondents which in turn goes with the number of years the respondents have been in their current position. It shows that 5% are CEO’s, 1% COO’s, 7% directors, 10% sales manager’s or supervisors, 12% other employee’s and 48% buyer’s. The fact that such a high number of the respondents are buyers displays that the questions answered are quite accurate since they have a good understanding of the relationship with the supplier. The buyer’s best understand the relationship with the supplier and since the study at hand is looking at the collaboration of buyers and sellers, the information gathered will have a great impact in answering the given hypothesis. Figure 2: Current position Commitment and Trust Figure 3: Degree of respondents to questions about commitment and trust Description The above data represents responses pertaining to questions about commitment and trust amongst buyers and their suppliers in supply chain relationships in the clothing sector. The graph illustrates whether the buyers agree or disagree to the extent of commitment they have with their suppliers. The x-axis of the graph represents the scales between strongly disagree and strongly agree. Meanwhile, the y-axis of the graph represents the response scores of the buyers. Analysis When assessing the data, it is evident that seven hundred and forty one (741) responses were obtained in the commitment and trust section of the questionnaire. Taking a closer look at the responses, it is evident that 4% of the respondents strongly disagree that commitment and trust have a positive impact on collaboration. Meanwhile, 6% of the respondents have a neutral opinion, and 90% of the respondents strongly agree to the questions. The low 4% might have been supported by the fact that their companies are in business on a short-term basis. Thus, they do not foresee the business relationship continuing for a long time, very little investment has been injected to their relationship, thus commitment is very low. The slowly rising 6% response rate could have been due to the fact that buyers are not certain where their loyalties lie with that certain supplier. Another factor could be because they are still in early business with the supplier, so the supplier’s commitment and trust to the buyer’s company have not reached maximum levels yet. The very high response rate of 90% can be influenced by various factors. The supplier is genuinely concerned that the buyer’s company succeeds; buyers expect the business relationship to continue for a long time; the buyers are committed to their supplier; effort and investment have been made to build their relationship; they expect the relationships to strengthen over time, etc. These factors prove that these buyers support the hypotheses stated, that commitment and trust have a positive impact on collaboration. Therefore, this data proves Mohr and Spekman (1994) correct when they found that trust and commitment are of utmost importance in a buyer – seller relationship, and that these factors lead to the success of the relationship. Performance Figure 4: Degree of respondents to questions about performance Description The graph depicts the responses of clothing buyers to four questions relating to performance being a factor of a successful collaboration among buyer and seller relationships. The horizontal axis(x – axis) illustrates the Likert scale from 1 – 7 which ranges from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The vertical axis(y – axis) depicts the score, which is the cumulative responses received from the clothing buyers. The above graphical representation shows the movements of responses to a set of questions aimed at performance and just by glancing at the graph; one can already notice that most respondents (about 74%) strongly agree that performance has a positive impact on collaboration. Analysis When assessing the data it can be seen that four hundred sixteen (416) responses were received that answered this section of the questionnaire. However on a scale of 1 – 3, 12% respondents strongly disagreed with the notion of performance enhances collaboration, 14%(scale 4) were neutral and 74 %( scale 5 – 7) strongly agreed on most of the questions that had been asked. The reasons that may have led to a 12% response rate could be that the buyers never had one focal supplier or were not in a long business relationship to determine if the relationship affected the business’s overall performance. Furthermore, the 74% response rate may have led to buyers agreeing with H2: performance has a positive impact on collaboration, as their relationship with the seller may have contributed to the increased performance of the overall relationship and company. Other factors contributing to the 74% response rate might have been that the relationship, reduced cycle times, improved order processing accuracy as well as punctual delivery of goods, this in turn increased the accuracy of forecasts that may have been conducted. According to Ellinger, Daugherty &Keller (2000) performance may be conceptualized as the extent to which the firm’s goals are achieved, and as illustrated in the above graph the percentage of respondents that strongly agreed already indicates that performance aids in positive collaboration which in turn would allow firms goals to be met effectively. Joint Relationship Effort Figure 5: Degree of Respondents to questions about joint relationship effort Description The above bar graph describes the number of respondents (clothing buyers) that disagree or agree that joint relationship plays an important factor in the buyer and seller relationship in the clothing sector. Respondents had to choose between a scale of 1 till 7 by which 1 stipulates strongly disagree and 7 refers to strongly agree. Thereafter the data was grouped together according to the number of individuals that did choose between the scales of  1 till 7. Respondents were asked three questions relating to joint relationship effort. These were as follows , whether the firm and supplier has: 1) joint teams 2) conduct joint planning to anticipate and resolve operational problems and whether they make 3) joint decisions about improving overall cost efficiency. When looking at the results, one can see that 49 respondents had a neutral view regarding joint relationship and 74 of the respondents strongly agrees that joint relationship plays an important role in the buyer and seller rel ationship. Analysis When assessing the data it can be seen that 307 responses were received that answered this section of the questionnaire. However on a scale of 1-3, 25% respondents strongly disagreed with the notion of joint relationship that enhances collaboration, 16% (scale 4) were neutral and 62% (scale 5-7) strongly agrees on most of the questions that had been asked. The reason that has led to a 25% response rate can be due to buyers and suppliers does not have joint teams and thus do not plan together as a team. Therefore they do not know the benefits of having joint teams. Therefore this data show case a broad view regarding joint relationship effort as being an important variable as the graph has an upward trend. Furthermore, the response rate of 62% may have led to buyers agreeing with H4: joint relationship effort has a positive impact on collaboration, as their effort and commitment in creating joint teams and planning together might have improved collaboration between buyer and supplier. Satisfaction Figure 6: Responses to Satisfaction in the Clothing Industry Description The above graph describes the number of respondents (clothing buyers) that disagree or agree that satisfaction plays an important factor in the buyer and supplier relationship in the clothing sector. Respondents had to choose  between a scale of 1 till 7 by which 1 stipulates strongly disagree and 7 refers to strongly agree. Thereafter the data was grouped together according to the number of individuals that did choose between the scales of 1 till 7. Respondents were asked eight (8) questions relating to satisfaction. The questions were as followed: whether the buyer was satisfied with the relationship in terms of 1) coordination of activities 2) participation in decision making, 3) level of commitment 4) level of information sharing 5) management of activities 6) profitability 7) market share and 8) sales growth. When looking at the results, one can see that 153 respondents had a neutral view regarding satisfaction and 448 of the respondents strongly agrees that satisfaction plays an important role in the buyer and supplier relationship. Analysis When assessing the data it can be seen that 1508 responses were received that answered this section of the questionnaire. However on a scale of 1-3, 6% respondents strongly disagreed with the notion of satisfaction enhances collaboration, 10% (scale 4) were neutral and 84% (scale 5-7) strongly agrees on most of the questions that had been asked. The reason that led to a 6% response rate can be due to buyers and suppliers having a young business relationship and thus not reaching satisfaction levels as yet. When looking at the data, the response rate of 84% may have led buyers agreeing with H3: satisfaction has a positive impact on collaboration. This can be due to respondents identifying market share and sales growth as being two of the most important factors being satisfied by the supplier. This relates to a study done by Mohr & Spekman (1994) as they identified the completion of a task by which the involved party is pleased with the quality and degree of work carried out and it meets the standard set by the partners, market share and sales growth being the standard set by the buyer. 6. Conclusion As mentioned above the problem being researched was the knowledge gap between buyers and sellers perspective of the nature of the supply chain relationship. The research study conducted on the nature of buyer-seller  relationship in the clothing industry was a lengthy procedure that involved plentiful of consultations and analysis of the data obtained. However, we have concluded that our data findings have committed to the hypotheses mentioned in the research report. As previously mentioned time and finances were major constraints for the duration of the study hence the weak response rate of 21%. Some of the other constraints were the buyers having their own responsibilities because of the short time frame given in which to complete the survey. In addition, 50% of the buyers were reluctant to answer some of the questions as they contained confidential company information. Furthermore, the report only focused on the buyers’ perspective of the relationship. The sellers’ perspective was not taken into account therefore a future study using this report in combination with conducting a survey of the sellers’ point of view can lead to a better understanding of the buyer – seller relationship. Bibliography Cannon, J.P. Doney, P.M. 1997. An Examination of the Nature of Trust in Buyer-SellerRelationships.Journal of Marketing, April, pp.35-51. Dahlstorm, R. McNeilly, K.M. Speh, T.W. 1996. Buyer – Seller Relationships in theProcurement of Logistical Services.Journal of the Academy of MarketingScience, 24(2), pp.110–124. Disney, S., Holweg, M., Holmstrom, J. &Smaros, J. (year unkown). Supply chaincollaboration: Making sense of the strategy continuum. Ellinger, A., Daugherty, P., Keller, S., 2000. The Relationship BetweenMarketing/LogisticsInterdepartmental Integration And Performance In U.S.Manufacturing Firms: AnEmpirical Study. Journal Of Business Logistics, 21(1),pp.1-22. Handfield, R., Monczka, R., Petersen, K., &Ragatz, G., 1998. Success Factors inStrategic Supplier Alliances: The Buying Company Perspective. DecisionSciences, 29(3) pp.553-577. James, A.E. et al., 2004. An Assessment Of Supplier – Customer Relationships. JournalOf Business Logistic, 25(1), pp.25–62. Kauser, S. & Shaw, V. 2004.The influence of behavioural and organisationalcharacteristics on the success of international strategic alliances.InternationalMarketing Review.21(1): 17-52. Knemeyer, A. M., Corsi, T. M. & Murphy, P. R. 2003. Logistics outsourcing relationships:Customer perspectives. Journal of Business  Logistics.24 (1), pp.77-109. McLaren, T., Head, M. & Yuan, Y. 2002. Supply chain collaboration alternatives:Understanding the expected costs and benefits. Internet Research: Electro nicNetworking Applications and Policy. 12 (4), pp.348-364. Moberg, C. R. &Speh, T. W. 2003.Evaluating the relationship between questionablebusiness practices and the strength of supply chain relationships.Journal ofBusiness Logistics.24 (10), pp.1-19. 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Child labor Essay

Children are the future of the nation. They are flowers of our national garden. It is our duty to protect these flowers. Child labour is a socio-economic problem. Child labour is not a new phenomenon in India. From ancient times, children were required to do some work either at home or in the field along with their parents. However, we find in Manusmriti and Arthashastra that the king made education for every child, boy or girl, compulsory. In those days there was a system of trade of children, who were purchased and converted to slaves by some people. The problem of child labour was identified as a major problem in the 19th century when the first factory was started in mid-19th century. Legislative measures were first adopted as early as 1881. Since independence there have been several laws and regulations regarding child labour. Child labour has been defined as any work done by the children in order to economically benefits their family or themselves directly or indirectly, at the cost of their physical, mental or social development. Child is the loveliest creation of nature. But it is the circumstances which force them to hard labour. They have to earn livelihood from early childhood, stopping their mental development. The nation suffers a net loss of their capacity as mature adults. Child labour is a global problem. It is more common in underdeveloped countries. Child labour, by and large, is a problem of poor and destitute families, where parents cannot afford education of their children. They have to depend on the earning of their children. The prevalence of child labour is a blot on society. It is a national disgrace that millions of children in this country have to spend a major part of their daily routine in hazardous works. The problem of child labour in India is the result of traditional attitudes, urbanisation, industrialisation, migration, lack of education, etc. However, extreme poverty is the main cause of child labour. According to the UNICEF, India is said to have the largest number of world’s working children. Over 90% of them live in rural areas. The participation rate in rural urban areas is  6.3% and 2.5% respectively. According to a recent report, 17 million children in our country are engaged in earning their livelihood. This constitutes 5% of the total child population of the nation. It is about one-third of the total child labourers of the world. In India, working children are engaged in different organised and unorganised sectors, both rural and urban areas. In rural sector, children are engaged in field plantations, domestic jobs, forestry, fishing and cottage industry. In urban sector they are employed at houses, shops, restaurants, small and large industries, transport, communication, garages, etc. In India, working children are also self-employed as newspaper, milk boys, shoeshine boys, rag pickers, rickshaw-pullers, etc. About 78.71% of child workers are engaged in cultivation and agriculture, 6.3% are employed in fishing, hunting and plantation, 8.63% in manufacturing, processing, repairs, house industry, etc., 3.21% in construction, transport, storage, communication and trade and 3.15% in other services. Child Labour is exploited in several ways. Preference of child labour by many employers is mainly due to the fact that it is cheap, safe and without any liability. Many children take up the job just because of the non-availability of schools in their areas and thus rather than sitting idle, they prefer to go to work. Illiteracy and ignorance of parents is also an important factor. These parents do not consider child labour as evil. Child labourers have to work more than adult workers. They are exploited by their employers. There are several constitutional and legal provisions to protect working children. At present there are 14 major acts and laws that provide legal protection to the working children. Notwithstanding, the evils of child labour is on the increase. The biggest cause behind its spread is poverty. It cannot be completely eradicated from society unless its root cause is not addressed. Child labour perpetuates poverty. Child labour is economically unsound, psychologically disastrous and ethically wrong. It should be strictly banned. The general improvement in socio-economic conditions of people will result in gradual elimination of child labour.