Giordano assessing ways to expand a retail business Essay Example

Giordano assessing ways to expand a retail business Paper Successful global players have to create a virtuous cycle of self-reinforcing benefits that will give them the ability to redefine the economics of the retailing industry and, ultimately, to establish strategic control around the world. Many specialty retailers have established solid cross-border positions by building and transferring global brands. Clothing chains like Gap and Zara are following in the footsteps of veteran cross-border operators like IKEA, Hennes Mauritz, and CA. Retailers have attempted to expand across borders in the traditional way replicating domestic business systems and retaining full ownership, an approach that tends to be costly and slow to yield value, will be fail because they have not invested sufficiently in intangibles. Ways to expand across borders for Giordano Choosing sliver Giordano can leave manufacturing to other companies; a few outsource logistics; and some franchise store operations. As the advancement of technologies has proved, a globalizing economy drives more and more companies to specialize in ever smaller business slivers. In globalizing environment, Giordano will have to make more careful choices about slivers to own, which to control without owning, and which to off-load entirely. The choice depends on cash flow and capital requirements, risk, competitive advantage, and the importance of a sliver to a companys retail proposition. Gap, for instance, owns most of its slivers including product development, assortment planning, and branding which create enormous value for the company and probably couldnt be executed more satisfactorily by any partner today. Another example, Carrefour owns its assortment-planning sliver, but it relies on its vendors to develop and brand most of the products it sells. Both Gap and Carrefour tend to own the stor e operations sliver. On the other hand, McDonald sells it to franchisees because the company can do so without relinquishing control. We will write a custom essay sample on Giordano assessing ways to expand a retail business specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Giordano assessing ways to expand a retail business specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Giordano assessing ways to expand a retail business specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Giordano might able to make different choices in different market environments. For example, the company can have multiple ownership and operating structures such as franchises, joint ventures, and wholly and partly owned subsidiaries to reducing risk, in emerging one. Giordano will have to decide whether owning or off-loading their sliver is more likely to enhance their access, scale, and expertise and hence to raise returns for expand geographically. Get comfortable partnering Leading globalizers in industries have shown how to enter partnerships without losing control of the business. The concept of forming joint ventures or other kinds of partnerships have established. For example, Amazon.com are exerting themselves to build alliances with companies like LiveBid, Drugstore.com, and HomeGrocer.com to get leads, enhance their distribution systems, and build brand equity in new markets. But as the industry fragments into smaller slivers, these companies will have little choice but to entertain the idea if they want to endure and thrive. Giordano able to create a relationship with the global departmental stores like Sieyu, Isetan, and others for selling its products. As retailers get better at managing relationships and as stronger local partners emerge, the trend to form cross-boarder partnerships will accelerate. Such partnerships will become ticket to the global game. Invest in intangible assets Brands and reputation A global platform is built on powerful brands. Global brand need to create from a distinctive value proposition: benefits that appeal to consumers at a price they like. As the company move from a country to another, they must tailor their value propositions to address different consumer preferences, but without stretching their brands too far or destroying attractive profit formulas. Strong brands should have clear personalities that are relevant to consumers and reinforced at every possible point of contact with them. Strong brand requires presence; the brand must be made totally visible in the marketplace. Traditionally, retailers have used their store networks to do this, but the emergence of the Internet and global film, television, and magazine vehicle now makes it possible to do so more rapidly and efficiently. Proprietary technology, know how, and tools Retailers have to exploit know-how and technology for competitive advantage. Retailers invest only 1 to 3 percent of sales in IT and are therefore missing opportunities to improve customer access, to raise their service levels, and to develop critical global business efficiencies. For example, Carrefour now successfully exports tailored versions of its business model, including operations and accounting systems, across geographies. Giordano should make it possible for customers to try on clothing over the World Wide Web like Lands End. People, talent, and skills To support globalization efforts, Giordano will have to develop their skills: managing partnership, building global brands, renewing concepts, and managing people. Upon entering a market, the Giordano companies should have a team of local retail experts and corporate entrepreneurs. When the local operation has matured sufficiently, the company moves its entrepreneurial managers onward to newer markets, and the local team takes over the management of the store. Over time, such practices make people a true intangible asset and source of competitive advantage. Keep expenses and capital requirements low The physical complexity of retailing and local market conditions can drive up costs. Giordano have managed by their need for capital relatively low by franchising or renting rather than owing stores. They might able to consider creating turn key store operations that can be off-loaded to local partner, which would bear the capital costs of owning sites while reaping the benefits of world wide branding and economies of scale. But retailer capable of generating very high sales per square foot might find that it still makes sense for them to own stores, at least if they can sustain a lower capital-to-sales ratio. In the fashion industry, a high degree of complexity is a necessary cost of doing business. Indeed, manufacturing to a lot size of one is already a reality in fashion in a location. However, Giordano should keep complexity under control, allowing for it only when it makes a perceptible difference to the ultimate consumer and the consumer is willing to pay for it. The company s hould avoid changing the basic fabrics every season every new model, and limit the proliferation of variants to the product segments where the market is willing to pay for the extra choice. Rethink product development to cut time to market For fashion companies, getting this process under control has always been a must. Leading companies are rethinking their underlying product development technology to cut development time by up to 70 percent. At present, development can be a lengthy process in some of the short product life industries. In fashion, it ranges between 3 to 4 months. If your new fashion collection is not out in time for the trade shows, you go out of business.

Corruption and Bribery Essay Example

Corruption and Bribery Essay Example Corruption and Bribery Essay Corruption and Bribery Essay Essay Topic: Discipline and Punish the Birth Of the Prison Definitions Bribery is a white neckband offense in which money. a favour or something else of value is promised to. given to. or taken from an person or corporation in an effort to rock his or its positions. sentiments. or determinations. Corruptness – is the usage of public’s delegated power in personal or close standing people involvement in order to acquire personal benefit. Types of Bribery Bribery of a Public Official. Any public functionary ( anyone moving in involvements of a state. for illustration president. frailty president. juryman etc. ) who demands. receives. or accepts a payoff in exchange for doing an illegal alteration in his responsibilities will be fined up to three times the value of the inducement and/or imprisoned for no more than 15 old ages. The public functionary may besides be prohibited from keeping any political or authorities office in the United States. Bribery of a Witness. Conversely. anyone who offers a payoff to a informant will be fined and/or imprisoned for up to two old ages. Any informant who demands. receives. or accepts a payoff in exchange for altered testimony faces a mulct of three times the value of the payoff and/or up to 15 old ages in prison. while anyone who bribes a informant faces a all right and/or up to two old ages in prison. Bribery of a Foreign Official. In 1977. The U. S. Congress accepted The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. which made it illegal for an American corporation to corrupt a foreign authorities functionary with money or gifts in hopes of set downing or keeping of import concern contacts. Harmonizing to the act. all publically traded companies must maintain records of all concern transactions- even if the companies do non merchandise internationally- to guarantee that this act is non being violated. However. in the act. there are loopholes of which many U. S. corporations take advantage. For illustration. the act permits grease payments . which are inducements paid- without penalty- to foreign functionaries to assist hasten the completion of paperwork and to guarantee the reception of licences or licenses. Bank Bribery. Harmonizing to the Bank Bribery Amendments Act of 1985. 1 ) the solicitation of an employee. manager. etc. in any capacity in exchange for concern and 2 ) the credence of anything ( including repasts. amusement. and adjustments during travel ) but a legitimate wage. rewards and fees from anyone in connexion with the bank’s concern are prohibited. If any representative of a bank accepts a payoff. he will be fined three times the value of the inducement. or he will be imprisoned for up to thirty old ages. However. if the value of the payoff is less than $ 1. 000. the representative will be fined but sentenced to non more than one twelvemonth in gaol. If a bank functionary is offered a payoff. he must unwrap all information to the bank so that the state of affairs may be addressed suitably. Bribery in Sporting Contests. A featuring functionary who accepts a payoff in exchange for a promise to fix a clean event is guilty of graft and may be punished harmonizing to Torahs of a peculiar state. For illustration. if a referee is convicted of throwing a major featuring event. he will be fined. imprisoned for up to five old ages. or both. Negative effects of graft 1. Bribery corrupts the capitalist economic system. The capitalist system is based on competition in an unfastened and free market. where people tend to purchase the best merchandise at the best monetary value. Bribery corrupts the free-market mechanism by acquiring people to do purchases that do non honor the most efficient manufacturer. 2. Bribery is a sell-out to the rich. In any state of affairs ruled merely by money. the deeper pocket will predominate. If graft were universally practiced. adept testimony. justness in the tribunals. and everything else would be up for sale to the highest bidder. 3. Bribery produces cynicism and a general misgiving of establishments. It destroys people’s trust in the unity of professional services. of authorities and the tribunals. of jurisprudence enforcement. faith. and anything it touches. There is good grounds that societies which allow graft tend to hold societal agitation and possibly revolutions. 4. Bribery treats people as trade goods whose honors can be bought and sold. It therefore tends to degrade the regard we owe to other human existences. Corruption Perceptions Index Since 1995. Transparency International has published an one-year Corruption Perceptions Index ( CPI ) telling the states of the universe harmonizing to the grade to which corruptness is perceived to be among public functionaries and politicians . The organisation defines corruptness as the maltreatment of entrusted power for private gain . The 2003 canvass covered 133 states ; the 2007 study. 180. A higher mark means less ( perceived ) corruptness. The consequences show seven out of every 10 states ( and nine out of every 10 developing states ) with an index of less than 5 points out of 10. Methods and reading Transparency International commissioned Johann Graf Lambsdorff of the University of Passau to bring forth the Corruption Perceptions Index ( CPI ) . The CPI 2005 draws on 16 different polls and studies from 10 independent institutions†¦The establishments who provided informations for the CPI 2005 are: Columbia University. Economist Intelligence Unit. Freedom House. Information International. International Institute for Management Development. Merchant International Group. Political and Economic Risk Consultancy. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. World Economic Forum and World Markets Research Centre. Early CPIs used public sentiment studies. but now merely experts are used. TI requires at least three beginnings to be available in order to rank a state in the CPI. TI writes in their Faq on the CPI that residents’ point of views correlate good with those of experts abroad. In the yesteryear. the experts surveyed in the CPI beginnings were frequently concern people from industrialized states ; the point of view of less developed states was underrepresented. This has changed over clip. giving progressively voice to respondents from emerging market economic systems. As this index is based on polls. the consequences are subjective and corrupt in itself. and less dependable for states with fewer beginnings. Besides. what is lawfully defined ( or perceived ) to be corruptness. differs between legal powers: a political contribution legal in some legal power may be illegal in another ; a affair viewed as acceptable tipping in one state may be viewed as graft in another. In former Soviet provinces. the term corruption itself has become a placeholder for the broader defeat with all alterations since the dissolution of the USSR. In the Arab universe. footings for corruptness had to be invented by advocators every bit late as the 1990s. Statisticss like this are. by nature. imprecise ; statistics from different old ages aren’t needfully comparable. The ICCR itself explains. †¦year-to-year alterations in a country’s mark consequence non merely from a altering perceptual experience of a country’s public presentation but besides from a altering sample and methodological analysis. Each twelvemonth. some beginnings are non updated and must be dropped from the CPI. while new. dependable beginnings are added. With differing respondents and somewhat differing methodological analysiss. a alteration in a country’s mark may besides associate to the fact that different point of views have been collected and different inquiries been asked†¦ despite anti-corruption reform†¦ or recent exposure of corruptness scandals†¦ it is frequently hard to better a CPI mark over a short clip period. such as one or two old ages. The CPI is based on informations from the past three old ages ( for m ore on this. see the inquiry on the beginnings of informations. below ) . This means that a alteration in perceptual experiences of corruptness would merely emerge in the index over longer periods of time . Criticism The Corruption Perceptions Index has drawn increasing unfavorable judgment in the decennary since its launch. taking to name for the index to be abandoned. This unfavorable judgment has been directed at the quality of the Index itself. and the deficiency of actionable penetrations created from a simple state ranking. Because corruptness is will to the full conceal. it is impossible to mensurate straight ; alternatively placeholders for corruptness are used. The CPI uses an eclectic mix of third-party studies to try public perceptual experiences of corruptness through a assortment of inquiries. runing from Do you trust the authorities? to Is corruptness a large job in your state? The usage of third-party study informations is a beginning of unfavorable judgment. The information can change widely in methodological analysis and completeness from state to state. The methodological analysis of the Index itself alterations from twelvemonth to twelvemonth. therefore doing even basic better-or-worse comparings hard. Media mercantile establishments. interim. often use the natural Numberss as a yardstick for authorities public presentation. without clear uping what the Numberss mean. The deficiency of standardisation and preciseness in these studies is cause for concern. The writers of the CPI argue that averaging adequate study informations will work out this ; others argue that aggregating imprecise informations merely masks these defects without turn toing them. In one instance. a local Transparency International chapter disowned the index consequences after a alteration in methodological analysis caused a country’s scores to increase- media reported it as an improvement . Other critics point out that definitional jobs with the term corruption makes the tool problematic for societal scientific discipline. Aside from preciseness issues. a more cardinal review is aimed at the utilizations of the Index. Critics are speedy to profess that the CPI has been instrumental in making consciousness and stimulating argument about corruptness. However. as a beginning of quantitative informations in a field hungry for international datasets. the CPI can take on a life of its ain. looking in cross-country and year-to-year comparings that the CPI writers themselves admit are non justified by their methodological analysis. The writers province in 2008: Year-to-year alterations in a country’s mark can either consequence from a changed perceptual experience of a country’s public presentation or from a alteration in the CPI’s sample and methodological analysis. The lone dependable manner to compare a country’s mark over clip is to travel back to single study beginnings. each of which can reflect a alteration in appraisal. The CPI produces a individual mark per state. which as noted above. can non be compared year-to-year. As such. the Index is about useless as a tool for measuring the impact of new policies. In the late 2000s. the field has moved towards unpackable. action-oriented indices ( such as those by the International Budget Partnership or Global Integrity ) . which typically measure public policies that relate to corruptness. instead than seek to measure corruption as a whole via proxy steps like perceptual experiences. These alternate steps use original ( frequently locally collected ) informations and are limited in range to specific policy patterns ( such as public entree to parliamentary budget paperss ) . Recent Bribery Scandals Siemens Case. twelvemonth 2008. German technology pudding stone Siemens. rocked by the worst graft dirt in the country’s history. won a tribunal inquiring the company for a $ 56 million mulct. Previously. a lower tribunal ordered the company to pay back 1000000s of dollars in net incomes after two former directors pleaded guilty to paying payoffs to win orders from the Italian Enel Group. Now the highest court in Germany. the Federal Court of Justice. instructed a lower tribunal to retry the instance against the former executives. who forwarded $ 8. 9 million to staff of the Italian electricity company in 2000. The tribunal threw out the judgement against Siemens and lifted the graft strong beliefs. The tribunal didn’t challenge that the payments were made. However. before 2002. graft was merely a offense if it harmed competition between German companies. the Judgess said. As no other German company command for the order and Enel was non a authorities bureau. the payments didn’t constitute corruptness at the clip. the Judgess said. Siemens faces probes in the United States and at least a twelve other states over claims its employees used payoffs to win contracts. The company has found $ 1. 9 billion of unclear payments made from 2000 to 2006. Daimler Case. Daimler. the keeping company of Mercedes-Benz autos and commercial vehicles. has agreed to pay a $ 185m mulct in an effort to avoid revelation of alleged payoffs the company paid in 22 states. Amongst the states implicated are Croatia. Latvia. Russia. Hungary. Serbia. Montenegro and Turkey – where good authorities contracts were awarded to Daimler subordinates between 1998 and 2008. In one illustration. it was claimed Daimler gave an armored Mercedes as a birthday gift to an functionary at a clip it was in negotiations to sell about 200 vehicles to the Turkmenistan Government. Possibly the most damnatory statement is that Daimler made payments to functionaries in Iraq under the Oil for Food plan. Hewlett Packard Case. At issue is the sale of some $ 47. 8 million worth of computing machine systems to the office of Russia’s prosecuting officer general. who besides happens to be the 1 that investigates corruptness instances in his state. Talk about a turn of sarcasm if. as studies suggest. HP is found guilty of paying about $ 11 million in bribe money to set down the contract. This is an probe of alleged behavior that occurred about seven old ages ago. mostly by employees no longer with HP. We are collaborating to the full with the German and Russian governments and will go on to carry on our ain internal probe. the HP spokeswoman said via electronic mail on Wednesday. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. telegraph. co. uk/comment/columnists/danroberts/3557215/Bribery-is-bad-for-business. hypertext markup language hypertext transfer protocol: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bribery hypertext transfer protocol: //www. transparence. org/news_room/in_focus/2008/bpi_2008 hypertext transfer protocol: //blogs. wsj. com/law/2008/08/29/in-germany-bribery-doesnt-always-mean-corruption-siemens-finds/tab/article/ hypertext transfer protocol: //www. delna. lv/lat/page/2220/ hypertext transfer protocol: //www. lawyershop. com/practice-areas/criminal-law/white-collar-crimes/bribery-kickbacks/ hypertext transfer protocol: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index hypertext transfer protocol: //www. wheels24. co. za/News/Industry_News/Huge-bribery-scandal-hits-Daimler-20100324