Why oriental simplistic styles can successfully in MUJI shop products Essay

Why oriental simplistic styles can successfully in MUJI shop products - Essay Example Based to a great extent on the noble concept of â€Å"simple, natural and fundamental†, all their products are designed by using this core theory. Another fundamental consideration is the term â€Å"plainness†, which is a cultural aesthetic idea that already exists in Japanese daily life for centuries. Through the establishment of Muji brand image, this Japanese unsophisticated oriental aesthetics has a chance to thrive. A research has been done so as to find more about Muji’s style and its product design in the quest of exploring the significance of its overall brand image. From the cultural point of view, this research also explored the oriental simplistic style of Muji, and its correlation to Japanese culture, as well as the connotation hidden behind this unique style. Another endeavor of this research was to find the essential elements of its oriental plainness and to make available an applicable method for design adaptation, which can be used as a reference for future design implementations on oriental unsophisticated Muji style. A practical design was put into practice after the results of the research and its feasibility was verified. According to the analyzed results, the perceptive degree of the oriental basic factors of the practical design was comparable to that of the studied samples of Muji which meant that the theoretical results and the actual practices had a significant degree of achievability. Aim In recent years, this oriental simplicity style has spread out with design fashion. For instance the Japanese brand "Muji" which is known for its modest style with the unique identity that emphasizes "minimalistic, natural, and basic ", is a concept that has become the core of all product designs; by taking "nativity" as the basis of its ideology in the aesthetics of life and culture that has triumphed since the ancient times of Japan. The establishment of brand image promotes the Japanese oriental modest aesthetic concept and Muj i carries the exact keynote of "nativity" forward and starts to carry out cultural exchange with the rest of the world. It is expected that this study, though the research of the design and style of Muji, investigates the brand's overall image and related brand definition, by progressing from the cultural aspect to discussing the oriental inconspicuous style under the Japanese culture its cultural connotations behind the brand. The early stage of the study will be devoted to the collection of literature associated to the brand image, which includes the brand’s definition, and the brand image of Muji, after which the study will move to the business concept, development principles, and the product characteristics. Based on this knowledge of the brand-related theories and the initial concept of image definition, the study moves from the perception of "minimalistic, natural, and basic" of Muji to investigate the modest design style and the nuance in the Japanese culture in an eff ort to trace the cultural distinction and vein behind the Japanese design. Objectives Through the enterprise of brand image, this Japanese unconventional oriental aesthetics then has a chance to advance. This research studied Muji’s style and product design in the quest of exploring the significance of its overall brand image. From the cultural point of view, this research also examined the oriental unconventional style of Muji, a brand filled with Japanese culture, and the conception hidden in this style. Another endeavor of this research was to get the indispensable elements of oriental simplicity and to make available an applicable method for design adaptation, which could be used as a reference for future design executions on oriental unsophisticated style. A practical design was implemented and the feasibility was

Home Depot Financial Income Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Home Depot Financial Income Statement - Essay Example Since the main purpose of business is to generate profits from its operations, the income statement is very important since it helps to show if the organization is in a position to achieve its goals. This helps the responsible authorities to make meaningful decisions that can help to improve the operations of the organization in the event that it has been recording losses. Decisions such as scaling down the operations of business if it has been making losses can be made using its income statement. On the other hand, a business can expand its operations if it has been operating profitably over a give n accounting period. For instance, the income statement of Home Depot’s Annual Report (2008, p. 18) shows that â€Å"Net Sales for fiscal 2008 decreased 7.8% to $71.3 billion from $77.3 billion for fiscal 2007.† On the other, â€Å"Gross Profit decreased 7.7% to $24.0 billion for fiscal 2008 from $26.0 billion for fiscal 2007 while operating expenses increased 4.7% to $17.8 billion for fiscal 2008 from $17.1 billion for fiscal 2007.† These statistics point a negative picture in the operations of the company and this is the reason why a decision to close underperforming stores during the first quarter of 2008 was made. Instead of making profits, the company has been recording losses in its operations. 2. The balance sheet of the company speaks volumes about its stock. The balance sheet of the company is mainly comprised of assets, liabilities as well as equity (Investopedia, 2014). The assets show things that are of value to the company and they can be converted into cash at any given period. On the other hand liabilities show what the company owes to others while equities represent earnings contributed by shareholders. A company’s balance sheet shows if the company is able to sustain its operations through creating a fine balance between what belongs to it and what it owes to others. In actual fact, a balance sheet is very important in

Critically discuss the view that capital markets created the Essay - 4

Critically discuss the view that capital markets created the conditions that led to the new economy bubble and the banking crisis - Essay Example This essay aids, to discuss the view that capital markets created the conditions that led to the â€Å"new economy† bubble and the banking crisis. Old economy firms were or are large, well established firms that operate in a form of traditional sector. Old economy firms have small investment and less involved in the current technology era (Torre & Schmukler 2007, p. 88). These old economy firms were the ones, which dominated the entire economic activities before the introduction of the dotcom epoch. The current dotcom era ushered in the economy back in the 1990s, leading to the creation of new and high-growth firms hence improving the economic status of many countries â€Å"bubble† and causing banking crisis internationally. Old economy firms usually exhibit low volatility and suffer continuous dividends as they continue to participate in mature firm sectors, which tend not to provide potential investments for companies (United Nations Conference On Trade And Development 2009, p. 90). In contrast, new economy firms operate in advance technology industry sectors and the highly competing and successful firms have the opportunity of building value at a higher growth rate. Good examples of these new economy firms include primary firms, whose operations involve commerce and technology-based services such as Intel, Google, eBay, and Cisco. These new economy firms typically operate in environments, which are extremely different from of the old economy firms and have more volatile stocks (Stiglitz & Ocampo 2008, p. 30). New economy firms do not necessarily pay dividends since they opt to reinvest their profits into new businesses or expansion. Old and new economy firms not only differ in terms of their activities, but also they differ in the way markets value them. New economy firms tend to have strong volatility valuations since their modes of

Businesses desire to achieve a competitive advantage Essay

Businesses desire to achieve a competitive advantage - Essay Example The paper tells that companies that achieve a competitive advantage can exploit that edge in order to obtain higher sales than other companies in the marketplace. Organizations can achieve a competitive advantage by exploiting their brand value. A brand strategy is generated over time by investing a lot of money in advertising and marketing campaigns. Technological superiority, innovation, and patents are other ways to gain a competitive advantage. Companies that achieve a competitive advantage are able to increase their market share. These firms are also able to attract more customers than its competitors. Examples of companies that have been able to dominate an industry by gaining a competitive advantage are Starbucks Cafà ©, Microsoft, and De Beers. Microsoft utilized innovation to stay ahead of the competition. Starbucks Cafà © beat out the competition by providing a superior product and better customer service. The competitive advantage that De Beers enjoys comes from its supp ly chain superiority and access to greater sums of capital. Organizations that have a competitive advantage are able to retain more customers and build brand loyalty. Higher customer retention rates are desirable. Based on Pareto’s 80/20 rule approximately 80% of a firm’s revenues come from 20% of its customers. Most companies that are the market leaders in their respective industries reached that status by having some type of competitive advantage. Good business strategies are needed for managers to implement a competitive advantage.

HRM and Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HRM and Culture - Research Paper Example The issue of gender balance at the corporate level is still problematic and one that reflects the social dynamics that surround corporate or market environment. As one tends towards mature democracies, gains that have been made in this effort become more palpable. The reverse is also true with maturing democracies and developing economies such as South Korea. In South Korea, corporate gender balance has been still hard to come by, with very little progress having been made as late as 2005. In South Korea, leading organisations that excel in key sectors such as the telecommunication industry still have corporate leaders who fallaciously think that extending women employment opportunities can undercut organisational development. While this untrue standpoint may simply be dismissed as a sexist myth, the gravity of this standpoint is that it denies the corporate life, collective approach and plurality of views, and thereby subjecting an economy that practices it to underperformance. This may be seen in South Korea and the life and practices of leading organisations therein, such as SK Holdings. ... It is possible that this bias towards women in the recruitment of personnel was not so much caused by unequal gender business strategies than the society’s gender bias. Because of the society’s gender bias towards women, SK’s might have imperceptibly maintained the culture of hiring more men than women. Conversely, it is also possible that SK’s HRM practice (of not hiring women) may have been deliberate and can therefore be regarded as part of the company’s organisational or business strategy. This may be the case, since in the details preceding the case, one of the senior managers of SK Holdings had confessed of having eschewed employing women simply because he believed that women lacked tenacity. He divulged on his belief to the effect that when deadlines are tight and many people are thus required to work overtime, women may not be as reliable as men. It is therefore plausible that SK’s HRM practice of sticking to men may have been a delib erate business strategy, as an artifice to keep organisational production optimal and to meet strict deadlines. 2. How Hiring More Women and Promoting Them Could Improve the Competitive Advantage of This Company A myriad of competitive advantages characterises the hiring and promotion of women. One of the advantages that come with the recruitment and promotion of women has to do with the entrenchment of plurality of ideas in the company’s efforts. It is a fact that women and men think and see things from different perspectives and angles. This means that incorporating women into SK’s workforce is bound to help the organisation come up with more efficient and strategic policies and frameworks. This is well seen in the case of

Decisions in Paradise Part II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decisions in Paradise Part II - Essay Example Despite the business risk associated with the Kava project there are also tremendous opportunities and benefits associated with the project if the company takes advantage it. At the turn of the second decade of the 21st century we have reached a point in our history in which society expects more from corporations than ever. A company that finds a special needs community such as Kava which has been forgotten by the rest of society can utilized their business investment as a catalyst for a global social responsibility campaign. The first alternative solution is to build a brand new factory in Kava to expand the production capacity of the enterprise. This alternative implies the highest capital commitment of any other alternative. The company is facing political pressures from the Kava government for greater involvement in the community. The solution would comply with the political factor, but it might not be the best alternative because there are other stakeholders to consider. The business risk associated with this alternative is high. Kava has a topography and geographic location that makes it susceptible to natural disasters such as tidal waves, tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes, floods, fires, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes (Decisions in Paradise: How to Be, or Not to Be, 2009). There are other issues in Kava. The population is at high risk for Avian Flu and the population faces an HIV / AIDS epidemic. The island is susceptible to petroleum spills, which is an undesirable business risk due to the pot ential ecological disaster in the entire island. The region has a high risk for both domestic and foreign terrorist attacks. The shareholders of the company that invested a lot of money in the firm must be considered, thus the philanthropic plan in Kava cannot exceed business logic. In order to provide an analysis utilizing critical thinking techniques a model that applies

An experiment to obtain Zinc Oxide from Calamine Essay Example for Free

An experiment to obtain Zinc Oxide from Calamine Essay This will be repeated until the weight of the test tube with its contents is identical. E. g. 1st reading= 17. 24g, 2nd reading= 17. 18g, 3rd reading=17. 15g, 4th reading=17. 15g The underlined readings are identical; consequently I would stop and record these readings. I would do it like this because when the readings are the same it means that the reaction has stopped and there is no need to go any further. This is done for every amount. Fair Test There are many things that can be done to keep this experiment a fair one. Firstly the same test tube must be used as all of them have different weights. The amount of time you leave the test tube on the Bunsen burner is also crucial, as it would not be a fair test if you left one test tube in the heat longer than the others. You must measure the amount of mineral wool you put in the test tube so that you can deduct that and the weight of the test tube to get your result. Errors will be kept to a minimum with the use of digital weighing equipment. Preliminary work My preliminary work consists of an experiment titled Obtaining Copper Oxide from Malachite. Malachite is a mineral that contains copper. In the experiment we heated the Malachite in an attempt to obtain Copper Oxide. From the experiment I acknowledged that as the mass of Malachite increased so did the mass of Copper Oxide. The experiment was extremely similar to this experiment, thus I would expect the same to happen in this case. Therefore, in this experiment, the more Calamine that is used the more Zinc Oxide that will be produced. It doesnt take a genius to work that out though. -7- Jack Mariner Chemistry Coursework Results: Chart 1 Reading Amount of Calamine (g) Amount of Zinc Oxide produced (g). Shown above are the results from the experiment and below is a graph plotted from these results. -8- Jack Mariner Chemistry Coursework Graph 1 is a bar chart showing the amount of Calamine used, plotted against the amount of Zinc Oxide produced. Although this graph may look pretty, it is not very useful. From just using these results, it is difficult to explain and understand the graph, so something else is needed: The theoretical amounts. Chart 2. No. of readings Amount of Calamine (g) Theoretical amount of ZnO Predicted (g) Actual amount of ZnO Produced (g). These theoretical amounts have already been calculated. To add these to the graph like on the next page will help us to analyse the results in more detail. -9- Jack Mariner Chemistry Coursework Now this graph is worth looking at. It shows the theoretical amounts of Zinc Oxide produced, plotted against the actual amount of Zinc Oxide produced. So theoretically, in perfect conditions, with a perfectly fair test in practise, the theoretical results would be achieved. My experiment however wasnt done in these conditions, which is why the results do not resemble each other perfectly. -10- Jack Mariner Chemistry Coursework Graph 3 is a line graph, which I feel shows the information more clearly. From it you can see that the theoretical amounts are similar to the actual amounts of Zinc Oxide produced, however there is room for a lot of improvement. For instance, reading 2. This was done using 1. 5g of Calamine. Something definitely went wrong here because it is so out of proportion to the other results. Due to the obvious mistake I took the liberty of requesting a glimpse of another groups results, to compare with mine and to see their result for 1. 5g of Calamine. Chart 3 Reading Amount of Calamine (g). Actual amount of ZnO Produced (g) Other Group Comparison of ZnO Produced (g) From Chart 3, you can see that my results are in fact relatively similar to the other groups results that I have compared with. The reasons for the differences are probably due to spillages or how concentrated the substances were, etc. Analysing the Results To analyse my results I shall look back at them individually. Chart 1 shows only my results. These were very pleasing because they were nearly as I predicted. At this stage I wasnt aware of any anomalous results as the relationship between them looked good. I am still satisfied with my results but would like to redo the test for 1. 5g of Zinc Carbonate. This would give better results to analyse and to draw a conclusion from. The second chart, Chart 2, showed the theoretical amounts. I included these into my experiment so that I could see how accurate my results were. Comparing with another group is good, but their results could also be wrong. Comparing with these theoretical results would show me immediately the accuracy of my results. I have drawn the graph on the next page to demonstrate this. -11- Jack Mariner Chemistry Coursework So the graph is really a way of measuring your accuracy. To do this I worked out the percentage (%) yield. This was done by using the equation; % yield = actual amount theoretical amount From the graph you can see that the majority of my results were very accurate. I have done readings 2 and 4 in a different colour because they are obviously wrong. They both have a percentage yield of over 100%, which is impossible. The reason for this is probably due to contamination and impure Calamine. These two readings are therefore anomalous results. Chart 3 shows that my results are actually fairly similar to those from the other group. Apart from the obvious experiment error in reading 2, the thing that catches my attention most is the fact that my results are all higher than those from the other group. This could be resulted from a number of things, for example the use of different pieces of equipment, or the stopwatch counted seconds at slightly different rates, consequently that group leaving the test tube under the heat for a longer period of time. Or on the other hand these results maybe higher then the compared groups results as a complete coincidence. -12- Jack Mariner Chemistry Coursework Conclusion From graph 3, you can see that my hypothesis is of high quality stating that I predicted a graph with strong positive correlation. This was almost a perfect prediction. My conclusion really for this experiment is that as the amount of Calamine increases so does the amount of Zinc Oxide produced from this. Theoretically this is done proportionately, but actually anomalous results interfere, leaving the results strongly related with strong correlation as apposed to a theoretical graph with perfect correlation. Evaluation I consider this experiment to be a success. The plan was followed very well and the results were of good quality. The measurements were done accurately, and a fair test was achieved. The procedure used was also a very fair and efficient one. Although the experiment was a success, I am still bothered by the fact that anomalous results occured in my experiment. I think that the reasons for these results were because of time limitations. We had very little time to accomplish this task successfully, so mistakes were inevitable. The improvements, which could be made in doing this experiment, are to have a longer time to do the experiment so that isnt done making careless mistake and if mistakes were made, there would be enough time to redo what was needed. Secondly more high tech equipment could be used to get more reliable and accurate results. Also, an essential thing is for the Calamine used to be pure. This is important because impure calamine could react at a different rate to more pure Calamine. This would have a huge bearing on the final result. Lastly, more readings could have been taken. This would lead to averages being taken giving better results.