Strategic and Organisational Analysis of Li Ning Co. Ltd. The WritePass Journal

Strategic and Organisational Analysis of Li Ning Co. Ltd. Introduction Strategic and Organisational Analysis of Li Ning Co. Ltd. Introduction1. Examine the problems associated with Li Ning trying to become a global brand. From a marketing perspective, what do you think Li Ning should do to address those challenges?1.1 The competition with local and international rivals in domestic market1.2 Country of origin (COO) effects and the brand image1.3 The product portfolio and RD 1.4 Price decision1.5 International marketing1.6 Distribution agreements1.7 Culture dimensions   2. Considering the current stage of the internationalization of the company, for a market of your choice, develop a foreign market entry strategy.2.1 The choice criteria for the market chosen2.2 The analysis of market entry strategy 2.3   Key marketing mix activities for initial entry to the US marketReferencesRelated Introduction Li Ning Co. Ltd., one of China’s leading sports-apparel makers was founded from a family business by the well-known Olympic gymnastics gold medallist, Li Ning (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). With the reputation of its founder, the extension of its product range, some influential sponsorships and the success of penetrating second- and third- tier cities in the Chinese market, Li Ning has gained the popularity and high brand awareness in China, also a high market share. However, when the international companies began to value and target at the growing Chinese sportswear market, Li Ning gradually faced an intensified competition from international firm like Nike and Adidas in Chinese market, as well as from few local rivals in terms of the price, such as Anta and Peak. Li Ning firm has made some internationalization efforts in recent years like export activities, building its RD centres abroad and other attempts, but it remains overwhelmingly China focused and all the actions aim to es tablish a global brand in Chinese consumers’ eyes. Besides, those internationalization attempts did not bring any considerable revenue. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the challenges which Li Ning may face in the process of establishing its global brands and put forward the feasible international brand strategy and the foreign market entry strategy by referring to some theories of international marketing. The paper proceeds first by discussing some problems associated with Li Ning trying to be a global brand respectively and rational recommendations will be raised during the discussion. Second, the suggestion about the market choice and a foreign market entry strategy will be illustrated in terms of three aspects: the choice criteria for the entry market, the selection of entry mode and some key marketing communication strategies. 1. Examine the problems associated with Li Ning trying to become a global brand. From a marketing perspective, what do you think Li Ning should do to address those challenges? Facing the fierce competition from international and local rivals, the company reaches an agreement to build its international strategy and its global brand apart from protecting the domestic market. However, Li Ning has to take some potential problems into account in the process of internationalization and seven related considerations will be illustrated in this part. 1.1 The competition with local and international rivals in domestic market It can be seen that some well-known international brand such as Nike and Adidas possess relatively high market revenue in Chinese sportswear industry, as well as Li Ning and Anta, two top domestic brands (appendix 1). As far as Li Ning concerned, how to block international brands and also successfully retain the local market is one of the key points to become a global brand. Looking at the entire Chinese market, Li Ning positions itself as a competitive rival in providing price-quality bargains product and penetrates different levels of Chinese markets through its extensive network of distributors, sub-distributors and retail stores, especially in second- and third-tier cities where about 76% of Li Ning’s stores are located (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). However, temporarily leading position may be weakened when global brands gradually shift their focus to less developed regions in China where incomes are rising and consumers’ brand loyalties and shopping preferences have no t been established (Burkitt, 2010). With regard to global sportswear marketers, Nike and Adidas have both aimed at China as their second largest market in the world and put a lot of efforts in first-tier cities of China, like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. They set up their own retail channels like flagship stores or brand centres respectively in Beijing to create strong brand and retail experience (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). With higher brand positioning and name recognition, international brands are more effective in capturing market share in major cities where Li Ning has not paid more attentions. In order to become a global brand, Li Ning realizes that more emphasis should be put on the market of top- tier cities, but the reality is that Li Ning may have to use lower prices to distinguish its brand in this stiff competition with international firms (Burkitt, 2010). Thus, Li Ning needs to rethink its brand positioning both in local and international markets rather than only rely on price-quality bargains and utilize marketing communications to boost its brand awareness which will be discussed in the later paragraph. 1.2 Country of origin (COO) effects and the brand image In the eyes of most Chinese consumers, Li Ning’s brand identity is always associated with its founder, a national sport hero, so it is easier for Chinese consumers to understand and recognize Li Ning’s logo design, ‘flying red flag and initials of its founder’. Taking consumer ethnocentrism into consideration, domestic consumers may have more favourable attitudes to this brand because of the company’s history and culture. ‘Consumer ethnocentrism’ which was introduced by Shimp and Sharma (1987), refers to the consumer prefers domestic goods due to strong nationalistic beliefs and feelings. As the chief executive of Li Ning Co. said, ‘we want people to look at our brand and feel proud that they are part of something- proud of China’s growth’ (Burkitt, 2010). In addition, with the potential growth and importance of younger segments, Li ning has moved its sight towards them However, using consumer ethnocentrism to affect the purchase decision of young urban Chinese may not work, because Javalgi and White (2002, p. 568) summarized that ‘younger, better-educated and high-income consumers seem to be less ethnocentrism to foreign goods and services’, as well as people who are more open to foreign cultures. Besides, country of origin (COO) also has a negative impact on product and brand evaluation among young Chinese consumers. Many Chinese young consumers, especially teenagers, are keen on the American culture and other western cultures, such as freedom, risky spirit and personality, so they are more likely to choose a global brand which originated from western countries. While in the eyes of international consumers, it is hard for them to make any resonance with Li Ning without related cultural background, and they may perceive its logo as being similar or a copy of Nike swoosh. Similarly, think of the effect of COO, international consumers will use COO cues when they meet the unfamiliar brand and the bias against products generally from developing countries, so some country-image stereotypes, such as low price or low quality may hurt Li Ning’s brand image. Thus, in order to weaken the negative COO perception, Li Ning should alter the consumer attitude towards the product and brand through marketing communication and give its brand a unique identity. Thinking of Nike and Adidas, they both have their unique global identities which are created and preserved by variety communications such as advertising, celebrity endorsement and marketing campaigns. Therefore, there is still a big gap between Li Ning and global brands in terms of brand awareness and brand image. In order to attract the younger generation worldwide, Li Ning need to find out and build its unique brand image through redesign a more differentiated brand logo and slogan, strengthen the product range and design, and also create more targeted marketing campaigns. 1.3 The product portfolio and RD Sportswear can be divided into the following categories: professional sportswear, casual sportswear and fashion sportswear (Euromonitor International, 2007) and there are some overlaps among these groups. Based on the statistic from Euromonitor International (appendix2), it is shown that fashion sportswear, which is the hybrid of casual sportswear and fashion wear, is growing more rapidly than other sportswear segments in China market, so the company which can rapidly discover this potential demand and launch the new products will differentiate itself from rivals. Nike and Adidas have experienced substantial growth after they introduced fashion sportswear series, and yet, in this segment Li Ning has left behind other global brands’ steps. Besides, the global sneaker company has also developed new technologies which would be introduced into high end product to differentiate its brand because international consumers believe that global brands usually develop new products and tec hnologies faster than rivals (Holt et al., 2004), such as the Nike Air max 360 (features a foamless mid-sole technology), the Adidas 1 (includes a microprocessor technology)(scribd.com/doc/39006282/Athletic-Footwear-Industry-Analysis accessed 22 April 2011). In short, there is still a long way to go for Li Ning to catch up with those global brands in new product development and the range of product line, especially in new technologies and high end products. Now Li Ning, which established two RD centres abroad, has recognized product research and development as one of important steps to its internationalization strategy. Making full use of that can help Li Ning develop high-end products which can stimulate its starting point for brand positioning, better satisfy customers’ needs for fashion or performance and also upgrade the brand image. It is also recommended that Li Ning could also try to get access to some professional and well-known designers who have rich experience of customers’ preferences and global fashion trends to design its product. 1.4 Price decision On the basis of pricing strategy prototypes (Solberg et al., 2006), Li Ning falls into the global price follower position. Its price decision can be summarized as follows: first, under the same quality but it is much cheaper than international competitors, meanwhile it provides higher quality, but more expensive than local rivals. Second, Li Ning has to lower down the price in domestic market when larger and more experienced global brands have put pressure on it. Third, Li Ning has limited preparedness for its international attempts and set the price slightly cheaper than Nike and Adidas on its direct access to the foreign market (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). Holt et al. (2004) mentioned that international people think it is rationale for global brand to charge premium price if offering more quality and guarantees than others, three opportunity for Li Ning to reduce the pressure from globally branded counterparts and set a better price to increase its profitability are to identify the ni che market or a new segment or to develop a new technology which is difficult for its rivals to imitate (Solberg et al., 2006). 1.5 International marketing As the increasing level of income and the improving quality of life, the purchase decision among Chinese people less depend on price and functionality, but more on brand image, product design and style (Euromonitor International, 2007). Similarly, the main competition for market share among global brand lies in non-price competitions and the brand loyalty is quite high in this industry, In retrospect to the success of two dominators brands in the sporting goods industry, Nike and Adidas, they have some things in common for their international marketing communication strategy: using extensive marketing campaigns, creative advertising and celebrity endorsements to establish a differentiated brand image (scribd.com/doc/39006282/Athletic-Footwear-Industry-Analysis accessed 22 April 2011). In addition, due to their leading roles in the global market, they have a financial advantage on marketing and advertising expenditures, also on access to endorsement. Even though Li Ning’s canno t compete with them for these marketing resources, it has also sponsored different international sport events and teams, as well as some world well-known sports stars (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). However, those efforts aimed to increase its brand awareness among Chinese consumers rather than international consumers. Facing those difficulties of establishing popularity with brand-conscious consumers, two feasible strategies may help Li Ning create more targeted advertising and marketing campaigns. First, with the growing fashion trend in sportswear, the celebrity in other areas, such as music or film could also produce the similar influence as sports celebrity on younger targets, so using music celebrity endorsement may rejuvenate the brand image and enlarge the potential buying groups which not only includes the sports fans. Second, Li Ning can sponsor some competition like basketball, soccer or running at region level to fit targets’ particular needs. After all, the quality and suitability to the wearer are more convincing than other factors. 1.6 Distribution agreements The management of existing domestic channel distributors and the access to distribution opportunities in global markets constitute another barrier for Li Ning’s internationalization attempts. In terms of the domestic market, Li Ning has took the leading role of establishing a national franchised distribution system in 1993 (http://brand.icxo.com/htmlnews/2008/08/13/1304126_0.htm accessed 26 April 2011) and this entry mode helps its open average 840 stores per year mainly focus on second- and third- tier cities from 2004 to 2008 (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). Second, Li Ning also has its wholly ownership retail stores- 11 flagship stores located in major first- tier cities, but they are only accounts for 7.8% of Li Ning’ total revenues, others generated from sales to franchised distributors ibid. Third, with the rise of e-commerce, Li Ning cooperated with two big online trade platforms, ‘taobao and tanyou’ to launch the online sportswear store in 2008 (http://bra nd.icxo.com/htmlnews/2008/08/13/1304126_0.htm accessed 26 April 2011). This marketing alliance gathers each advantage, and also let Li Ning gain the knowledge about e-channel which has laid a good foundation for setting up its official online store in 2010 and optimizing the new official website ibid. However, the network channel seems be lack of the interaction between customers and products, so the online shop could be better used to disseminate and strengthen its brand image rather than generate revenue. With regard to the global market, the big brand company prefer to select the local distributors with experienced management teams, nationwide distribution abilities and sufficient resources to help them expand its global market rapidly (Frost Sullivan, 2008). Besides, the prominence of a brand among global customers also has an important impact on retailers, so retail stores would be more likely to leave shelf space for the brand which has established a history of good sales (tttp://www.scribd.com/doc/39006282/Athletic-Footwear-Industry-Analysis accessed 22 April 2011). Therefore, the small scale of Li Ning means it has no position to compete with Nike and Adidas in local distributors when entering a new market. Li Ning has to work harder on overcoming the relationships with foreign retailers who may narrow its entry to the foreign market and having its goods seen comparing to its international rivals. Apart from that, franchising and running its own name stores could be considered, both of them can boost company brand presence and are high control of assets, but meanwhile the former one involves complex operation procedure and long time to select and the later relates a high risk and high investment. 1.7 Culture dimensions Hofstede (1994) defined that the category of people which shares the different cultures can be a nation, region , gender culture or age group. Foremost, it is important for Li Ning to assess the cultural differences among regions of China, first-tier cities versus other less developed regions. Consumes in different regions of China have their own distinct characteristics and shopping preferences. Second, ‘power distance’, one of Hofstede’s (1994) national culture differences dimensions, refers to the level of inequality between followers and leaders, should be considered among Chinese young urban consumers who are more fashion demands on sportswear and more brand-consciousness (Frost Sullivan, 2008). In order to display their identity and personal value among their reference groups, they are more likely to spend on global brand. Even one may feel ‘lose face’ if he or she wears with a local brand compared to others who wear the global brand. Thus, if Li Ning not redefines its brand image or just simply pretending to be western, it is unable to compete with those high-ended international brands among Chinese young urban consumers in first-tier cities of China. Additionally, organisation culture management is another factor should not be neglected on Li Ning’s way to be a global brand. The brand culture is derived from the company culture, so the primary task for a strong global brand is to build its unique company culture and transfer the company into a modern management enterprise. Originally, Li Ning grew from a family business which later becomes a big obstacle to the development of the brand. The incoherence between enterprise management mode and its business development urge Li Ning reform the enterprise personnel and recruit professional talents in production, research, marketing and other areas (http://pp.hw01.com/a/1003/10/1210467_2.htm accessed 24 April 2011). Soon afterwards the specialization and standardization of the management help the company experience a rapid growth in business.   2. Considering the current stage of the internationalization of the company, for a market of your choice, develop a foreign market entry strategy. Li Ning makes many efforts step by step and has gained a little experience in exploring the foreign market and during the period of 2008 Beijing Olympic Game, Li Ning has become a brand widely recognized in the west due to the fact that its founder lighted the Olympic flame wearing Li Ning’s shoes magically (English website). Besides, at the end of June, 2011, Li Ning launched its new logo and English slogan to refresh its global brand image. All those efforts make clear that Li Ning has fully prepared to expand to the foreign market and it is worth learning that all possible entry strategies must share one element which the essential for the success of internationalization, that is, commitment (Yip et al., 2000). Specifically, many aspects of the firm should be committed to the entry market: organization structure, human recourses, marketing mix strategies and market research ibid. The rest of this essay will respectively focus on the choice of which country to enter and the related entry mode and key marketing mix activities. 2.1 The choice criteria for the market chosen Based on Whitelock’s (2002) summary of international market entry method, a comprehensive market entry decision cannot disassociate different approaches from one to another, so the choice criteria for the US market relies on the combination of experience-related, resource-related and competition-related considerations (Madhok, 1996). Experience-related considerations drawn from the Uppsala model will be assessed firstly. This model put an emphasis on a firm’s previous experience and the capabilities acquired from that (Madhok, 1996), also considers the concept of ‘psychic distance’ which refers to firms are suggested to entering the market which is psychically close and they have certain knowledge basis to reduce the uncertainties and risks in the process of internationalization (Whitelock, 2002). According to Hofstede’s (1994) summary of five dimensions of national culture differences, China and the Unite State have a big difference in cultural background, and the extended psychic distance seems more problematic for Li Ning in terms of understanding the American culture and being lack of local customers’ preferences and behaviours. However, if Li Ning enters into some cultural similar market, like some Asian countries, lower brand awareness and risks still exist. Besides, the ne gative effect of a Chinese brand also set a barrier to enter in those psychically close markets. Instead, if Li Ning could have a good performance in the US market, then its status of an international brand will not be questioned; at the same time, some previous efforts made in the US market, such as indirect export activities, the establishment of RD centre and a small retail store, can also bring a lot of feedback and information about the US sportswear industry and the local customers. Second, resources-related considerations mainly focus on the characteristic of the environment and interactive networks in it. From the tables in appendix 3, it is shown that US is the largest globally sportswear market and holds in the top position in the total sportswear expenditure per capita in 2008 (approximately $232.8) which was far more than that in China (approximately $7.4). Moreover, the sportswear expenditure in 2008 represented 0.49% of the US GDP per capita (Chu, 2010). On the other hand, the US sportswear industry seemed to be affected by the global financial crisis and increased by only 0.5% in 2010, but this industry may experience a promising rise after the economic recovery (Frost Sullivan, 2010). As far as the relationship with potential consumers is concerned, the prosperity of a good interaction lies in effective marketing strategies including celebrity endorsement, creative advertising and technological expertise in product design ibid. Similarly, those style- conscious and image-conscious consumers respond will them with more brand-consciousness and stronger brand loyalty. In terms of competition-related considerations, two elements should be addressed: the intensity of competition in the entry market and Li Ning’s strategic brand positioning. Undeniably, the sportswear industry of US market is a relatively mature industry which is dominated by a few large firms, such as Nike and Adidas who have already gained their strong brand image; Nike’s products are considered to be high quality and stylish, while superior performance and professional are associated with Adidas (copy). Additionally, there are some relatively high entries barriers set by them, such as higher brand awareness, unique brand image, and established agreements with big named athletes, celebrities and retailers. They even launch the product for every sector of the market in terms of price and intended purpose (for performance, lifestyle or fashion) ibid. However, some smaller firms which specialize in particular purpose of shoes can also successfully capture particular segm ent in the US market, such as K-Swiss in tennis, Vans in skate and lifestyle shoe ibid. In summary, there are three reasons to support Li Ning enter into the US market: First, previous efforts made and the network built in that market. Second, the big US sportswear market size and the potential market opportunity seem very attractive for Li Ning’s foreign expansion. Third, the success cases of sportswear firms who target at the niche market or design for a particular activity in such a competitive environment also contribute to Li Ning’s entry strategy. 2.2 The analysis of market entry strategy After deciding which market to enter, the firm should concentrate on how to go there, that is the selection of entry mode. Yip et al. (2000, p.15) stated that various entry modes-export strategies, licensing, franchising, joint ventures and others â€Å"differ in the degree of control the firm exerts on foreign operations.† Several recommendations on that will be given then. First, Li Ning has adopted a few entry modes to test the US market previously, including indirectly exporting its products to the American market at the beginning of the 1990s, building a small RD centres in Portland in 2008 and more recently establishing its first US retail stores in Portland (case) and the purpose of doing that is to acquire some local resources and experience to better understanding the US market. Because of the fierce competition in the US sportswear industry, great control on channels, high brand presence and local expertise should be Li Ning’s priority to select the entry mode, so the suitable entry strategy could be the combination of direct export through both company owned overseas facilities and some local well-known retailers, such as Footlocker, Finish Line, and franchising. Meanwhile, those entry modes involve relatively moderate control and investment in marketing channel activities by the parent firm (Goodnow and Hansz, 1972), as well as certain risks. Besides, the United States market which shows a greater equality among society level and has a more stable cultural environment could be an advantage to pursue an entry strategy involving greater control and investment in marketing channel activity. Second, the image and positioning of distributors or partners is a very important criterion. Based on Arnold’s (2000) seven rules of international distribution, it is not necessary to look for the best distributor who has already served major customers with similar product line. The choice of partners should regard the distributor with an image or strategy which is in line with the brand image Li Ning wants to maintain. For example, if Li Ning decides to position itself as mid- to high-end sportswear marketer in the US market, it should not choose any discounted retailer or other partners who may lower Li Ning’s brand image and may cooperate with some retailers who specialize in stocking goods with high price point and the newest trends. Third, the e-commerce of the United State is well developed, but online stores are only used by few shoes retailers and sportswear makers, so it is too early to evaluate its effects. However, making full use of the e-commerce can make up Li Ning’s limited access to local distributors and sports celebrities, and this business model is cost-saving and low risky. However, choosing the right entry mode is only the necessary condition due to the possibility of country-specific problems and contingency. In order to enhance the possibility of successfully entering a new market, some cultural dimensions between China and Unite State cannot be neglected. First, according to Hofstede’s (1994) summary of dimensions of national culture differences, China (20) and Unite State (91) lie in the two extreme sides of the individualism dimension which indicate China is a society with collectivist culture and strong relationships among members, families and groups, while the population of the United State are more individualistic and self-reliant attitudes and relatively loose bonds with others ibid. This difference may result in consumers’ various responds to promotion strategies. Word of mouth and reference groups seem more effective among Chinese consumers. Second, similarly, the comparison in power distance dimension also displays a big gap. There is a high level of inequality of power and wealth within the Chinese society that means consumers more prefer to choose the brand which is desired by many people or can represent their social status and high standard of living; however the United States shows a greater equality among society level and has a more stable cultural environment. Thus, an in-depth research about the real reason for US consumers’ brand loyalty needs to be conducted, whether the unique brand image, celebrity effects or the product design. 2.3   Key marketing mix activities for initial entry to the US market The related products and marketing mix activities should meet the common needs of local customers, so before achieving the US market, the firm should identify the US sportswear market segment and decide its product and brand positioning. Li Ning does not have clear targeted segmentation in China and the brand positioning is also very vague, but compared with other rivals in domestic market, Li Ning’ brand tends to focus on mass to mid-end markets both in sports footwear and apparel and the price also set in the middle level (Chu, 2010). Next, some specific suggestions will be given in the following aspects: product portfolio, brand positioning, price decision and the marketing communication strategy. First, sports products can be designed for various sports areas. Li Ning positions itself as the global brand for running and badminton because of the fact that Adidas covered football area and Nike firmly held the basketball area worldwide (case). Linked to the condition in the US market, running footwear has been experiencing the biggest growth and its sales accounts for 25% of total athletic shoe sales (copy). Thus, the running product is suggested to be the focused product category for Li Ning. Then according to the consumer-specific usage with the running product, consumers can be divided into three segments: performance-orientated, causal-orientated and fashion-orientated customers; and this division can also be used in the domestic market. Another point cannot be ignored is the unity of product size system with the target region must be implemented because normally foreign people have larger-size feet. Li Ning has experienced the consequence of this defect by closing its Maast richt store in Netherlands (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). Actually, Li Ning has learned from the former lesson and remodelled the size of its product with the same method which Nike and Adidas have used. Regarding the brand positioning, Li Ning needs a strategic brand positioning to break out the US market. Li Ning has currently developed a big multi-brand family in domestic market including the well-known Li Ning brand, the French top outdoor brand- AIGLE, the international leading brand in badminton and pingpang- Hongshuangxi and a hypermarket brand advocated fast fashion- ZDO. In order to avoid foreign consumers linking the low price to the brand and lower the brand image, it is better to only establish and launch the high-end brand in the US market at first. Thinking of the price decision of the US market, Nike, such a big global brand, also launches low price product to reach all areas of the market (copy), so it is risky to compete with them in the US market by adopting a low price strategy. To be a global price follower is more appropriate for Li Ning to first enter the US market, so Li Ning need to obtain some formal marketing research about market intensity information and the average retail price of the US market from local agencies and rivals’ company reports, then picks up the leading competitor based on the product positioning and set the price which closely follows its rival’s price of similar product. Furthermore, the price decision should always be in line with the brand positioning. As Nagle and Holden (1995) claimed, price can be used as a competitive tool only when the company seeks more advantages by offering a less expensive product but with same values than its competitors. Thus, overall middle to high pri ce brackets should be applied in the US market due to the high brand positioning of Li Ning’s product. Finally, referring to the marketing communication strategy, creative advertising, celebrity endorsement and sponsoring events all play an important role in helping the company build a good brand image and gain the popularity in the US market. On one hand, the design of local advertising is very important. Li Ning can cooperate with some local professional agencies specialize in branding and advertising which may maximize their local resources, knowledge and experience to better deliver the brand message. On the other hand, although the excellent performance on 2008 Beijing Olympic Games has vigorously promoting Li Ning’s brand to the whole world, owing to those global brand’s unbeatable economies of scale and scope as well as financial advantages in their home market, Li Ning has to make use of some specific local collaboration or sponsorship to promote its products, such as the athletics competition at regional or national level, the NBA basketball competition, some lo cal running community. References Arnold, D. (2000), â€Å"Seven Rules of International Distribution†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. (Nov-Dec), pp. 131 – 137. Burkitt, L., â€Å"Li Ning takes on Nike, Adidas†, The Wall Street Journal, Index 18, September 29, 2010. Hofstede, G. (1994), â€Å"The Business of International Business is Culture†, International Business Review, Vol. 3(1), pp. 1-14. Holt, D.B., Quelch, J.A. and Taylor, E.L. (2004) â€Å"How Global Brands Compete†, Harvard Business Review, September, pp. 68 – 75. Javalgi, R.G. and White, D.S. (2002), â€Å"Strategic Challenges for the Marketing of Services Internationally†, International Marketing Review, Vol. 19, pp. 563-582. Meuer, J. and DiVito, L. (2010), â€Å"A Grand Entrance? Li Ning’s Emergence as a Global, Chinese Brand†. RSM Case Development Centre, www.ecch.com Solberg, C.A. (2008), â€Å"Product Complexity and Cultural Distance Effects on Managing International Distributor Relationships: A Contingency Approach†, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 16. (3) Whitelock, Y. (2002), â€Å"Theories of Internationalization and Their Impact on Market Entry†, International Marketing Review, Vol. 19(4), pp. 342-347. Yip, G.S., Biscarri, J.G. and Monti. J.A. (2000), â€Å"The role of the Internationalisation Process in the Performance of Newly Internationalising Firms†, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 8(3), pp. 10-35. Online Sources Chinese No.1 Sportswear Brand- Li Ning’s World [online]. 10 March 2010. Available from http://pp.hw01.com/a/1003/10/1210467_2.htm [accessed on 24 April 2011] Economics of Management and Strategy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, Athletic Footwear- Industry Analysis [online]. 01 May 2006, Available from scribd.com/doc/39006282/Athletic-Footwear-Industry-Analysis [accessed on 22 April 2011] Euromonitor International. Industry Overview [online]. 2007. Available from guococap.com/marketSensor/IPO_Prospectuses/01368/E113.pdf [accessed on 20 April 2011] Frost Sullivan. Industry Overview [online].   26 May 2008. Available from hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/20080526/03813_342257/E112.pdf [accessed on 20 April 2011] Frost Sullivan. Industry Overview [online]. 01 Feb 2010. Available from http://pg.jrj.com.cn/acc/HK_DISC/stock_NT/2010/02/01/00953_000934073_9.pdf [accessed on 20 April 2011] The History and Development of Li Ning’s Brand [online]. 13 August 2008. 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French Angelfish Facts

French Angelfish Facts French angelfish are part of class Osteichthyes and live in coral reefs in the Western Atlantic, from the Bahamas to Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico. Their scientific name, Pomacanthus paru, comes from the Greek words for cover (poma) and spine (akantha) due to their protruding spines. French angelfish are very curious, territorial, and often travel in pairs. Fast Facts Scientific Name: Pomacanthus paruCommon Names: French angelfish, french angel, angelfishOrder: PerciformesBasic Animal Group: FishDistinguishing Characteristics: Black scales with yellow rims in adults and black scales with yellow vertical bands in juvenilesSize: 10 to 16 inchesWeight: UnknownLife Span: Up to 10 yearsDiet: Sponges, algae, soft corals, ectoparasitesHabitat: Coral reefs in tropical coastal watersPopulation: StableConservation Status: Least ConcernFun Fact: Young French angelfish form symbiotic relationships with bigger fish. They remove parasites from other fish species and receive protection in return. Description French angelfish have thin bodies with protruding lower jaws, small mouths, and comb-like teeth. They have black scales with a bright yellow rim, and their eyes have yellow at the outer portion of the iris. Juveniles have a dark brown or black body with vertical yellow bands. As they mature, the scales begin to develop yellow rims, while the rest of the body remains black. French Angelfish, Pomacanthus paru, in Chichiriviche de la Costa, Venezuela, Caribbean Sea. Humberto Ramirez / Getty Images These fish commonly swim at depths of 15 feet, traveling in pairs in coral reefs near sponges. They are strongly territorial and will fight with neighboring pairs over areas. Due to their small bodies, French angelfish are able to swim into narrow cracks between corals to hunt and hide from predators. They swim by rowing their pectoral fins, and their long tail fins allow them to turn quickly. Habitat and Distribution French angelfish occur in coral reefs, rocky bottoms, grassy flats, and other places that provide coverage in tropical coastal waters. They have been found in the Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of Florida down to Brazil. They also appear in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and occasionally off the coast of New York. French angelfish can survive a wide variety of environments due to their salinity tolerance. Diet and Behavior Juvenile French Angelfish cleaning the tail of a Bar Jack underwater off the Yucatan peninsula. Alphotographic / Getty Images Adult angelfish’s diet mostly consists of sponges and algae. Many sponges have a V-shaped pattern due to French angelfish bites. They also eat cnidarians including zoantharians and gorgonians, as well as other aquatic invertebrate animals such as bryozoans and tunicates. Young angelfish eat algae, detritus, and ectoparasites cleaned off other fish. In reef ecosystems, young French angelfish set up â€Å"cleaning stations† for a variety of fish clients as a way for them to control parasites. They do so by touching the body of fish clients with their pelvic fins to remove parasites. This specialized function rivals other cleaners like gobies and shrimp. Client fish include jacks, morays, surgeonfish, and snappers, among many others. Adults form pairs, staying with their mate for life. These pairs search the corals for food during the day and hide from predators at night in cracks in the reefs. Despite being very territorial, adult French angelfish have been known to be very curious towards divers. Reproduction and Offspring French angelfish reach sexual maturity when they are around 3 years of age and about 10 inches long. Spawning occurs from April to September. They are nest non-guarders and reproduce in pairs via external fertilization. Unlike other fish that spawn in the open, French angelfish mate exclusively with their partner. The male and female will travel to the surface where they release both eggs and sperm into the water. The eggs are only 0.04 inches in diameter and hatch 15 to 20 hours after fertilization. These eggs develop in plankton beds until they can travel down to the coral reef. A hawksbill sea turtle feeds on a sponge while two french angelfish look on. Shot at the dive site Tormentos in Cozumel, Mexico. Brent Durand / Getty Images Conservation Status French angelfish are designated as Least Concern as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The organization found the population of French angelfish to be stable because the current collection for aquarium trade does not impact the global population. French Angelfish and Humans French angelfish are economically important because juveniles are collected using nets to sell to aquariums and are reared in captivity. Due to their high tolerance to environmental changes, disease resistance, and their curious personalities, French angelfish make ideal aquarium fish. Additionally, they are fished for food locally in some countries like Singapore and Thailand, although there have been reports of ciguatera poisoning. This type of poisoning is caused by eating fish that contain ciguatera toxins. Sources French Angelfish. Oceana, https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/french-angelfish.French Angelfish Facts And Information. Seaworld, https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/bony-fish/french-angelfish/.French Angelfishes. Marinebio, https://marinebio.org/species/french-angelfishes/pomacanthus-paru/.Kilarski, Stacey. Pomacanthus Paru (French Angelfish). Animal Diversity Web, 2014, https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pomacanthus_paru/.Pomacanthus Paru. Florida Museum, 2017, https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/pomacanthus-paru/.Pyle, R., Myers, R., Rocha, L.A. Craig, M.T. 2010. â€Å"Pomacanthus paru.† The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2010, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165898/6160204.

Whole Foods case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Whole Foods - Case Study Example Tri-component model which is expressed through sequence cognitive-affective-conative can be utelised by Whole Foods Market towards this effect. This denotes that Whole Foods Market should first engage in informing the potential customers of the importance of the organic food and then work towards lowering the prices. This can be achieved by packaging its foods into different sizes that would enable such customers afford to buy. When this is done, the feeling of affordability will be created to the customers and they will be eventually buy Whole Foods Market foods. At the end, customers would buy the recommended products and succeeed in weakening any misconception that bar them from buying the products. In fact, when a few of them get the experience of the products, they would recommend the products to other customers. However, this has to be accompanied by other complementing strategies. The company should produce high quality products and offer good customer service. Customers are c onsidered to be rational in consumption. Therefore, they tend to purchase from stores that meet their current needs. If Whole Foods Market is unable to meet different customer needs, there is a high possibility of the customers would shift to other companies offering similar products. For Whole Foods Market to be able to change some of the negative attitude of customers that bars them from buying the organic food, the company should concentrate on changing the motivation function. This can be achieved by offering cheap organic foods that would negate the customers’ misconception that organic foods are expensive. Additionally, this can be done strategically by focusing on the group that has such misconceptions with the intent of proving that Whole Foods Market foods are of high quality and affordable to all. Additionally, if the customers have a different belief that seems to

North Indian American Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

North Indian American - Research Paper Example Democratically these nations like the recognized nations of the world are also declared to possess their own constitutional rights (Minahan, 2002, pp.20-23). History of the North Indian Americans The number of North American Indians in the region of North America is found to be declining in rapid manner from the past periods. With the formation of the first European colonies in Jamestown and Plymouth the number of American Indians residing in the region ranged for about two millions. With the arrival of the colonial people from European countries the American Indians were forced to intrude further into further interior regions of the country. The North American Indians were a bunch of great hunters who used to hunt on wild buffaloes and wolves. Hunting activities of the North American tribes were mainly done on horsebacks to render due efficiency (Joint Economic Committee, 230-245). These Indians used to dig holes in the ground to put their valuables and objects of hunt or interest a nd covered them fully in order to conceal such from others. Further the skin of the hunted buffaloes was used as clothing materials for women and men. Among the most popular tribes of the North American Indians the Seneca tribe holds a significant position. ... Verbal context spoken among North American Indians contained of specific sounds, which were closely observed by the European colonialists who fist developed contacts with these people. The European people started recording the sounds and alphabets spoken to form a new branch of linguistics to be researched upon. In the middle part of the nineteenth century the study of North Indian American languages was catered to a great extent to be both comprehended and written which helped to earn due clarity. (Sturtevant, 17-18; Murthy and Kamath, 26). The North American Indians also communicated amongst themselves on the basis of sign languages. These people used several gestures and body languages to communicate amongst themselves. Thus the North American tribes can also be held to be the significant contributors of modern sign languages. The practice of sign languages among the North American people earned such significance that it was observed more as a ‘lingua franca’ amongst them. However due to lack of patronage of such and recognition of it in purely primitive note they were relegated in back quarters (Davis, 17). Religion of the North American Indians The religious practices of the North American Indians are featured by simplicity carrying only some doctrines and some specific ceremonial events. North American Indians regard the ‘Great Spirit’ as their highest deity. The tribal people render their every success and failure at the feet of this supreme deity and regard their deity as the infinite power. Further these people also have created an inferior deity to which they regard all the misfortunes of their lives. The North

Comparative Industrial Relations Between France Germany And Sweden Management Essay

Comparative Industrial Relations Between France Germany And Sweden Management Essay The European systems of industrial relations exemplified by France, Germany and Sweden are fundamentally similar. Furthermore, the Japanese and U.S. systems of industrial relations are fundamentally different from those found in the three European countries. What is your view of these statements? How do you justify your view? Table of Content Introduction 3 Main Body Systems of Industrial Relations in France, Germany and Sweden 4 Labour Market 5 Trade Union 6 Employers Association 7 Collective Bargaining 8 Employee Participation and Works Councils 10 Government and Regulation 11 Compare Systems of Industrial Relations between France, Germany and Sweden and in the United States and Japan 12 Labour Market 12 Trade Union 14 Employers Association 15 Collective Bargaining 16 Employee Participation and Works Councils 16 Government and Regulation 17 Conclusion 17 References 20 Introduction Industrial relations generally involve employment relations related issues in the past and present and how the changes happened. It is dynamic and changing all the time (Salamon, 1994, p.3). According to Dunlop (1958), systems of industrial relations include three main actors and their representations. The three actors are employers and their representatives, employees and their representatives and the government. Within these three parties, there is collective bargaining which is usually conducted between trade union and employers associations; and in some countries government can directly interfere collective bargaining while some cannot. Governments roles in systems of industrial relations are very significant. Dunlop also mentioned that there are factors which can affect the three parties relations, and these factors are market of labour force and power of parties. Industrial relations systems involve varieties of institutional structures beyond just employer-employee relationshi p (Hyman, 2000). Because different countries have their own unique ways of development, systems of industrial relations should be different among countries. However, from a macro point of view, it is claimed that there is a European systems of industrial relations. The creation of European Works Councils and the social partners agreement of 1991 are evidence of European industrial relations systems (Jensen et al, as cited in Hyman). In this essay, I will analyse the European industrial relations systems which demonstrate by France, Germany and Sweden which have some similarities, but differ a lot. This essay also addresses the issue that systems of industrial relations in Japan and the United States are fundamentally different from those found in the three European countries. This essay argues the following: in the three European countries, there are some similarities on aspects of labour market, employers associations structure, high coverage of collective bargaining and the decentralised bargaining level. However, they differ a lot because the difference of trade union confederation, union density, reason of high coverage of collective bargaining and decentralised bargaining level, works councils and government intervention. There are huge differences between these European countries as a whole and Japan and the United States. They are different in terms of labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining, employee participation and works councils, and government intervention and regulations. In order to explain the above arguments, the essay concludes two main sections. In section one, I will explain the general European background for the three countries, followed by the systems of industrial relations in the three European countries. In section two, I will analyse differences between the three European countries as a whole and Japan and the United States. Within each section, the analysis is based on labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining, employee participation and works councils, and government intervention and regulations. Main Body Systems of Industrial Relations in France, Germany and Sweden Firstly, there is one thing to be notice, and that is both these three countries are operating under a common community-the European Union. Within this European Union framework, they have some common regulation and organisations. For example, the Maastricht Treaty on Monetary Union and European Works Councils Directive of 1994 are breakthroughs of European industrial relations systems (Streeck, 1998, p443-445). Through Maastricht Treaty, member states began to have their European single currency which they can benefit a lot, such as a more stable currency, low costs of trade and European identity (Europa.eu, 2010). For the European Works Councils, they need to meet at least once a year to share information and consultation on issues such as economic and social development (Schulten, 1996). There is even a transnational employers association in Europe. Although there is a common framework for European countries, there are some similarities in the systems of industrial relations in France, Germany and Sweden; but they differ a lot. This is probably because of path dependency, countries develop towards different directions based on their own situation. I will analyse it from the aspects of labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining and employee participation, and government roles and regulations. . Labour Market From the table below, we can see that unemployment rates of 2005 in France and Germany were quite similar and both are around 10%, while Sweden remained relatively low, at only 5.60%. The working time in these three countries are similar, around 40 hours per week. Unemployment rate (2005) Working time (weekly hours) France 10.10% 38.3 Germany 10.60% 39.9 Sweden 5.60% 40 Source: unemployment rate-Indexmundi; working time-eurofound Trade Unions About trade union confederation, according to Bean (1994), France, Germany and Sweden represent three different types of confederation. For France, confederation is considered as political unionism (p.20) because confederations are based on political affiliations and there are five main confederations in France. For example, CGT and CFDT affiliate with communist and socialist party separately (Labbe, 1994). Because the five confederations are not for specific industries or occupational groups, there are competitions among those five confederations (Freyssinet, 2003). The second type of confederation is the single dominant confederation (DGB) represented by Germany. Since there is only one confederation, confederation competition is not existed in Germany. The third type of confederation is confederations organised by occupational groups which is found in Sweden. There are confederations for blue collar workers, white collar workers and professional/ academic groups (Carley, 2002). Th is occupational division of confederations kind of follow the early union formation which was unions organised all workers, skilled and unskilled, who worked with a given material (Bean, 1994, p. 27). Union density also differs a lot through these three countries. The union density is 9.1%, 29.7% and 79% for France, Germany and Sweden separately (1999 Eurostat Labour Force Survey, as cited in Carley, 2002). What is worth notice is that although union density in France is very low, the mobilisation of French unions is quite high compared with its union membership (Gallie, 1980). Employers Associations Employers association is an organisation which is similar with trade union confederation, except that it is in favour of employers instead of employees. Employers associations structure is similar in these three countries. They all have a peak employers association which in France is SAF (SN), in Germany is BDA and in Sweden is CNPF (MEDEF); and those peak organisations cover their own entire countries in terms of geography and industries (Bean, 1994). In all the three countries, the peak employers associations do not conduct collective agreements and the member organisations that conduct collective bargaining and conclude collective agreements (Traxler, 2003; Wallerstein, et al, 1997). It is the sectoral employers organisations that have collective bargaining roles (Carley, 2002). However, the power of these peak organisations, control over member firms and the strength of affiliates are different for France, Germany and Sweden. As you can see from the table below (as cited in Traxl er, 1999), for France, the peak organisations power is above average; the control over member firms is average, and the affiliates are weak. For Germany, both peak organisations power and control over member firms are weak while the affiliates are strong. For Sweden, peak organisations power, control over member firms and the affiliates are all extremely strong. Although employers associations in Sweden are very powerful, the membership is in low level compared with membership in France and Germany (Traxler, 2000) C:UsersEllenDesktopà ¦Ã…“ ªÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ½Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ .jpg. Collective Bargaining Country Collective bargaining coverage (%) Key level of collective bargaining France 93 Industry towards company negotiations Sweden 90 Industry Germany 64 Industry (Source: Worker representation in Europe. Labour Research Department and ETUI-REHS: 2007, as cited in worker-participation.eu) As you can see from the table above, all the three countries have high coverage of collective bargaining. Both France and Sweden have high collective bargaining coverage which is above 80%. As discussed before, union density in Sweden is very high. So, we can say that the high coverage of collective bargaining is associated with high union density in Sweden. France has a high coverage of collective bargaining (but a low union density) is mainly because its government. Government in France encourages collective bargaining and provides some legislation for that (Bean, 1994, p.76). In Germany, compared with its collective bargaining coverage, its union density is relatively low; it is employers associations that ensure the coverage of collective bargaining is high (Waddington, 2009). The table also illustrate that the level of bargaining in the three European countries is at industry level. However, there is a trend of decentralisation of collective bargaining in these three countries. For France, it is the state that tries to drive collective bargaining downwards and there are legal frameworks to encourage bargaining at lower levels (Goetschy and Jobert, 1993, p.162). It is even towards company negotiations now. In Germany, there are agreed forms of opening clauses that allow decentralisation happens (Katz, 1993, p.7). Sweden moves from single framework agreement to industrial bargaining with more flexibility and bargaining leverage (Katz, 1993, p.5). For wage bargaining, Germany and Sweden mainly rely on sectoral level, while company level is the key bargaining level for France (Carley, 2002). In general, it can be concluded that collective bargaining is conducted mainly at industry level in those three countries; and the bargaining depends on state/ legislation, employers associations or union organisations for France, Germany and Sweden separately. Employee Participation and Works Councils The ways which employee participation and works councils operate in these three countries are different, but with some similarities as well. In Sweden, because most employees are union members (high union density), there is no works councils at workplace separately from trade unions to represent employees and it is trade unions and shop stewards that have similar roles of works councils in other countries (Hammarstrom, 1993). Works councils are available in both Germany and France, and works councils for both countries are in statutory form (Goetschy and Jobert, 1993; Fuerstenberg, 1993). In Germany, the participation system is considered as harmony of interest between management and labour. (Bean, 1994, p.167). In France, works councils have rights to be informed and consulted about general management of the firm, especially on issues related to employees; however, they seldom have decision-making power (Goetschy and Jobert, 1993, p. 158). For Germany, expect the rights to informati on and consultation, works councils also have the right of co-determination, such as on personnel selection and training; and for consultation right, worker representatives can also have some influence on outcome (Fuerstenberg, 1993, p. 186-87). For both France and Germany, work councils elected by employees which may or may not from trade unions lists (Carley, 2002). However, it is the dual system in Germany which is there is a formal separation between institution of workplace participation (works councils) and institutions engaged in collective bargaining (trade unions) (Hassel, 1999). For France, both collective bargaining and institutions of workplace participation (works councils) involve trade unions and trade unions have a formal presence within the workplace (Treu, et al, 1993). Government and Regulation Within these three countries, states play different roles on collective bargaining. In Germany, there is a very important constitutional principle about collective agreement-Tarifautonomie; it is about the state cannot directly interfere in the negotiation arrangement conducted by the employers associations and the trade unions; and parties conduct collective agreements are independent (Burgess and Symon, 2005). In contrast to Germany, state intervention is very important in France, and the French state plays some direct role in collective bargaining (Bean, 1994, p.155). The French government always tries to encourage conversation between employers associations and trade unions (Bean, 1994, p.76). The Swedish state is special because almost every economic and social policy issue is discussed between three parties-state, labour and business (Pontusson, 1991; Waddington, 2009). Compared with the other two countries, welfare provision in Sweden is huge with great public expenditure (Cas tles and McKinlay, 1979). Compare Systems of Industrial Relations between France, Germany and Sweden and in the United States and Japan From the analysis above, it can be seen that there few similarities among the three European countries-France, Germany and Sweden. However, when compare those countries with the United States and Japan, they are often considered as Europe and become quite similar. The Japanese and U.S. systems of industrial relations are different from those found in the three European countries. I will also analyse it in terms of labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining and employee participation, and government roles and regulations. Labour Market Unemployment Rate France Germany Sweden Japan U.S. 2005 10.1% 10.6% 5.6% 4.7% 5.5% 2006 9.9 11.7 5.8 4.4 5.1 2007 8.7 7.1 5.6 4.1 4.8 2008 7.9 9.0 6.1 3.8 4.6 Source: Indexmundi.com Nickell (1997) once argued that there is no relationship between Europeans rigid job market and the relatively high unemployment rate. However, from the table above, we can see that compared with these European countries, the Unites States which has a more flexible job market has relatively low level of unemployment rate from 2005 to 2008. Japan also has a low unemployment rate. European countries Japan U.S. Maximum working time/week (by law) France/ Germany48 hours Sweden40 hours 40 hours (but usually extension ) No statutory maximum working week (but must receive overtime pay if exceed 40 hours) Average weekly hours by full-time workers (in 2001) France 35.7hours Germany 37.7hours Sweden38.8hours __ 42.8 hours Minimum period of paid annual leave (by law) France 25 days Germany 20days Sweden 25 days 20 days No statutory annual leave entitlement Actual annual work hours (in 2000) France 1589 hs Germany 1525 hs 1970 hs 1986 hs Source: EIRO; Carley, 2004, eurofound From the table above, we can conclude that compared with the three European countries, Japan and the United States generally work more and have less holiday time. It is also argued that Japanese and American workers are more tolerant and tend to accept overtime and irregular working time; and therefore European workers are considered in lower work ethic (Streeck, 1992, p.312). The characteristic and economic aspects of labour market between the three European countries and Japan and USA are also different. According to Streeck (1992), there are two distinction of labour market between European countries and the other two countries. The first one is the skilled level of labour. Labour in European countries is identified as high-skill workers, and they also have relatively high wages and social benefits. The high-skill workers have a strong relation with training schemes in European countries. This also illustrates the difference between LMEs (USA) and CMEs (France, Germany, Sweden and Japan). The apprenticeship system in USA is not strong and has no institutionalised links with the general education system; while the apprenticeship system is better in CMEs, and especially in Germany which has new apprenticeship programmes in both manufacturing and service sectors (Bosch and Charest, 2008, p.429). Bosch and Charest also mentioned that vocational training pro grammes have minor roles in USA while in Germany, employers, trade unions and government drive occupational training together (p.433). Japanese workers tend to be trained on-the-job (Hashimoto, 1979). Japanese workers skills are also in high level but with low transportability which is the second distinction Streeck mentioned. Labour can be easily transportable in European countries and USA but in Japan, labour is firm-specific (p.311); and the low transportability of Japanese workers is mainly due to lifetime employment (Hashimoto, 1979). Trade Unions As mentioned above, Germany has a single dominant confederation (DGB), and this is similar with the United States because it has unified confederal arrangements (AFO-CIO) (Carley, 2004). A noticeable feature of U.S. unionisation is business unionism which focuses on economic aspects of the members and collective bargaining instead of concerning social reorganisation and political activities; and it has little direct connections with political parties (Bean, 1994, p.21). For Japan, it is similar with France because its two main confederations are based on political affiliations (Rengo links with left party and Zenroren links with further left party) (Kuwahara, 1993). One similar trend for those five countries is the decrease on number of trade unions and the merging of trade unions (Carley, 2004). Generally speaking, trade union density is declining in all the five countries; trade union density in Japan and USA is lower than the average of it is in those three European countries, but higher than it is in France (see the table below). Country 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 France 8.4 8.3 8.2 8.4 8.2 8 8 7.9 7.8 Germany 25.3 24.6 23.7 23.5 23 22.2 21.6 20.7 19.9 Sweden 80.6 79.1 78 78 78 77.3 76.5 75.1 70.8 Japan 22.2 21.5 20.9 20.3 19.7 19.3 18.8 18.3 18.3 U.S. 13.4 12.8 12.8 12.6 12.4 12 12 11.5 11.6 Source: OECD.Statistics Employers Associations As mentioned above, all the three European countries have their own national peak employers associations and the subsections of the peak associations conduct collective bargaining. Japan also has a national employers association-the Japan Federation of Employers Associations (Nikkeriren) which does not engage in collective bargaining and collective bargaining is usually conducted at company level (Bamber and Lansbury, 1993). But, Nikkeriren do have formal conversation with the government and trade unions; although Nikkeriren cannot force companies to follow its guidelines, its member associations play a behind role which influence member companies (Carley, 2004). However, this is not the case in the United States. Employers organisations are less important in USA and no national employers confederations have ever been engaged in collective bargaining (Wheeler, 1993). Collective Bargaining Country Coverage of collective bargaining Level of collective bargaining France 93% Industry Germany 67% Industry Sweden 90% Industry Japan 20% Company U.S. 15% Company Source: Eurostat Labour Force Survey 2002 From the table, we can see that the coverage of collective bargaining in both Japan and USA are very low compared with the three European countries. As mentioned before, France, Germany and Sweden have high bargaining coverage depend on the government, employers association and high union density separately. For Japan and USA, the low bargaining coverage matches their low union density (Carley, 2004). The table also demonstrates the level of collective bargaining. For the three European countries, collective bargaining conducts mainly at industry level, whereas for Japan and USA, it happens at company level. It is noticeable that USA employers tend to oppose to unions since mid-1970s, and employers opposition to collective bargaining is more spread in USA than in other countries (Bamber and Lansbury, 1993). In Japan, both unions and employers organisations satisfy with company bargaining because firms rely mainly on internal market and employees tend to stay in the same company (Kuwahara, 1993). Employee Participation and Works Councils While in France and Germany, there is legislation for exchanging information and cooperation negotiations between employers and employees; by law, Swedish trade unions have the rights of information, consultation and co-determination; both USA and Japan, there is no legislation for works councils and employee participation, but Japan does have a high level of employee-management cooperation (Carley, 2004). Government and Regulation Because USA is a typical country of LMEs, government intervention is relatively less compared with it is in CMEs. In France, Germany, Sweden and Japan, there are clear legislations that support collective bargaining, but legislative support of collective bargaining in USA is very limited (Bean, 1994, p.124-26). For new forms of work, such as part-time work and temporary agency workers, European countries tend to regulate them with legislation; USA leaves them unregulated; and Japan is in between (Carley, 2004). Compared with Japan and USA , European countries provide high level of basic social rights for employees; and European industrial relations also provide publicly guaranteed status to strong, independent unions both in the industrial and the political arena (Streeck, 1992, p.314). Conclusion The systems of industrial relations are mainly about the three actors which are employers and their representatives, employees and their representatives and the state. When looking at systems of industrial relations in France, Germany and Sweden as a whole as European countries and comparing them with systems in Japan and the United States, it is believed that the three European countries are similar while fundamentally different from Japan and the United States. However, when compare the three countries separately, they have many differences. Trade union confederations in France, Germany and Sweden are under three different systems-political affiliations, single dominant confederation and divided by occupational groups separately. The high coverage of collective bargaining mainly depends on government, employers associations and high union density in France, Germany and Sweden. Sweden has a single channel system and has not works councils at workplaces while works councils are avail able in France and Germany; and in Germany, trade unions and works councils are separated from each other by law, but this is not the case in France; French trade unions involve in collective bargaining and have formal presence in workplace. For labour market, Japan and the United States tend to have lower unemployment rate than it is in European countries; those European countries workers work less and have more holidays compared with Japan and the United States; labour in European countries with wider range of training programmes is in high-skill level while in low-skill level in the United States; Japanese workers are also well trained, but the transportability in low compared with it is in European countries and the United States. Trade unions in European countries concern with social issues and have some relations with political activities, whereas focus on economic issues and has little relations with political activities. National employers associations are available in Japan and the three European countries, but absent in the United States. Legislative support of collective bargaining is placed in European countries and Japan (CMEs), but limited in the United States (LMEs). Both union density and the coverage of collective bargaining are high in the three European countries while low in Japan and the United States. The bargaining level in European countries is mainly at industrial level, but at company level for Japan and the United States. When there is no legislation on works councils in Japan and the U.S., it is available in European countries. European employees enjoy higher social rights than employees in Japan and the United States. Word count: 3661

African Americans Civil War Essay

This paper is fundamentally about the influence African Americans had on the Civil War. The subjects being addressed include black soldiers, the Underground Railroad, Frederick Douglass, religion, and the abolitionist movement. The integral importance of African Americans in the Civil War is that they changed the meaning and action of the war from being about unification to being about slavery, and the emancipation of slaves. In the areas of participating in the war in both battle and lecturing, the paper delves into the reasons behind such action, and the national consequence of African American participation in all of the aforementioned areas. We were at times remarkable buoyant, singing Hymns, and making joyous exclamations, almost as Triumphant in their tone as if we had reached a land Of freedom and safety. A keen observer might have Detected in our repeated singing of O Cannan, sweet Canaan I am bound for the land of Canaan, Something more than a hope of reaching heaven. We Meant to reach the North, and the North was our Canaan. -Frederick Douglass Introduction The importance of the black culture during the years of the Civil War cannot be expressed without a discussion of slavery, abolition, and the freedom the African American race faced. In the South as well as the North, prejudice abounded, and in that fact is found the fettered movement of the African Americans. In this paper, the issues of freed blacks in the Civil War will be addressed; these include but certainly are not limited to slavery, abolition, religion, black soldiers, the Underground Railroad and of course Frederick Douglass. In the course of the next pages, these topics will be discussed with brief historical accounts using textual evidence, and the sentiments of the tension between, not only the master-slave relationship, but also the relationship of white officers and black soldiers. It is the duty of history to extol the accounts of the brave men and women who made freedom possible for an entire race; in this paper, a glimpse of those people and the adversity they challenged will be aggrandized and the essence of black culture and their contribution to their own rebellion will be dissected. In the influence of African American mores and values and their command in history over a few decades during the Civil war, it is freedom and the right to express themselves without prejudice, that makes them a strong people, and in this paper those influences on America will be made explicit. Why are African Americans at War The idea of African Americans at war during the Civil War is an answer that can be found in the crescendo of abolitionist speeches. Freed blacks wished to be at war to free their brothers and sisters who were still slaves; they were at war for many reasons. The call to war could not have been met with any more gusto than it was meet in the black community, as McPherson (1965) quotes You, white fellow-citizens, constitute a very large majority of the voters†¦ Therefore we appeal to you to stand by us, and see that we are not unjustly punished†¦We are weak-you are strong. We are few in numbers – you are numerous. O, men of Massachusetts! Tell us not that there are two kinds of rights; rights of the rich, which you respect because you must; rights of the poor, on which you trample because you dare†¦ Freedom has been your legacy from birth; by some of us it has been achieved. We know what oppression is; protect us from this political oppression†¦Some of us have experienced the unutterable anguish of leaving our dear ones for the sake of freedom. We appeal to you to secure and protect us in the freedom which we have sought. Let us not be exiled form the State of our adoption†¦ (15). McPherson goes on to state that in the freed blacks their was a ferocity to be done with the injustice delivered to them, and the outlet for such animosity could be found in Lincoln’s call to arms for volunteers to staunch the south rebellion. The Union could only be re-united through war; African American roles were pivotal in the outcome. There could be no compromise in the issue of slavery; men were born free, not sold, not bartered. The African American influence in this regard was their quick approval of such sentiment and their quick action to restore themselves as human. McPherson further emphasizes the innate reaction for action on the part of free blacks, As we sympathize with our white fellow-citizen at the present crisis, and to show that we can and do feel interested in the present state of affairs; and as we consider ourselves American citizens and interested in the Commonwealth of all our white fellow-citizens, although deprived of all our political rights, we yet wish the government of the United States to be sustained against the tyranny of slavery, and are willing to assist in any honorable way or manner to sustain the present Administration. We therefore tender to the state the services of the Hannibal Guards (20). There should be not question as to why African Americans so whole-heartedly participated in the Civil War. In the following pages, their participation as soldiers, as Underground Railroad conductors and as a race ready to be educated and rid of the fetters that shackle them, will be explored, explained, and expounded upon. Black Soldiers It is often misjudged the amount of free blacks who participated in their own emancipation. As slaves, African Americans were subject to ineffable amounts of torture and pain: Mothers and sisters were forced into prostitution, men were separated from their families and the entire race was thought of as less than human, a savagery of mankind. With these sentiments and the labor forced upon them, the simple act of combat in rebellion against such strife and animosity should come as little surprise when reading the history books. The driving force of export in the South was built upon black labor, and the disillusionment that such labor could be forever enslaved was ludicrous. The types of influence that African Americans had during such a time were found in the ever-popular blues music, and gospel. While working in the fields it was song that men, women, and children would turn to, to pass the time and feel united. This however is only a small scope of the participation African Americans played during the infant conception of our country . During the Civil War, blacks were enlisted as soldiers. The sentiment was very diverse in this subject. Some Northern whites did not agree with blacks participating with them, they held a dichotomy of views between wanting the blacks to be free and having them serve with them. In this regard, black regiments were incepted and it was agreed that the commanders of these regiments would be retired white military leaders so that the general populace still felt the commodity of ‘safety’ when thinking about blacks serving in the war with whites. Thus prejudice is proved to be very much alive even in the cultured North. In McPherson’s book The Negro’s Civil War (1965), he states, Despite the fact that Negro soldiers had fought for the United States in the Revolution and in the War of 1812, a federal law barred colored men from serving in state militias, and there were no Negroes in the regular United States Army. A group of Boston Negroes met in the Twelfth Baptist Church on April 23 to call for the repeal of laws that kept colored men out of the army. Robert Morris, a Negro lawyer in Boston, declared that ‘if the Government would only take away the disability, there was not a man who would not leap for his knapsack and musket, and they would make it intolerable hot for Old Virginia’. On April 29 a Negro drill company was organized in Boston, and in subsequent weeks the colored men of Massachusetts sent several petitions to the legislature praying for the repeal of discriminatory militia laws (20). In this quote is found the discriminatory actions of the side of the war that is supposed to be sympathetic towards the plight of African Americans. Though it could not considered direct hostility, the fact that at first blacks were denied to participate physically in their own emancipation was a deterring event in the process of freedom. During the course of the war it should also be cited the black regiments proved themselves with valor and without trepidation. It is documented that the Secretary of War denied the right of blacks to participate in fighting . The general fears of the Northern states were negated, and this fact is found especially true for the victory in Port Hudson. Colonel Higginson’s regiment on May 27, 1863 (a black regiment) fought against a Confederate stronghold, and though they were not victorious, they gained the accolades of the white regiments for their bravado during the battle. As McPherson quotes of this episode, â€Å" ‘The self-forgetfulness, the undaunted heroism, and the great endurance of the negro, as exhibited that day, created a new chapter in American history for the colored man’† (185) . In this event, prejudice was all but vanquished from the white soldiers’ minds. The influence witnessed and recorded here proves undeniably that African Americans were essential in the fight against slavery, and the eventual event of their own freedom as well as staunching the belief system of the majority Northern sentimentality. To further expound on these heroic traits brought forth by black regiments, and the clouded judgment of white soldiers and officers, McPherson offers these accounts on the prejudice and the overcoming of such bigotry, A white officer of engineers who had witnessed the assault declared that ‘you have no idea how my prejudices with regard to negro troops have been dispelled by the battle the other day. The brigade of negroes behaved magnificently and fought splendidly; could not have done better. They are far superior in discipline to the white troops, and just as brave’. And the moderate New York Times, commenting on the reports of the battle, said that ‘this official testimony settles the question that the negro race can fight†¦It is no longer possible to doubt the bravery and steadiness of the colored race, when rightly led†¦A Philadelphia Negro wrote privately on June 11, 1863, that ‘public sentiment has undergone a great change in the past month or two, and more especially since the brilliant exploits of the several colored regiments (185-187) Indubitably, the values the Northern states once held about blacks quickly vanished with word coming from the battle field of the African American’s own fortitude in fighting against their former oppressors. Prior to the war, Northern states held similar attitudes that the Southern states exuded; that of African Americans being a weaker race, and thus justifiably enslaved, as Glatthaar expresses in Forged in Battle (1991), â€Å"Yet like Southerners, Northern whites had powerful prejudices against blacks†¦It was one thing, most Northerners reasoned, to regard the enslavement of the black race as cruel and inhumane; it was another to ask Northerners to regard blacks as their equals or welcome them as neighbors and friends† (11-12). The small earthquake that the blacks gave to the whites during the Civil War was their unflinching determination during battle. To remedy the unjustified sentiments of the Northern populace, black regiments were mandated with white officers. This structure retarded the advancement of worthy black soldiers, and further impressed upon the African American race that they were oppressed. However, the struggle to be allowed to be soldiers was such that when granted the opportunity, the qualms of the arrangement were shadowed by the joy to actually be allowed to fight in battle. Though the influence of black regiments during the Civil War is concrete in history, the conclusion of such an arrangement was debilitating to the idea of ending slavery. Black regiments were not at first allowed to be commanded by an African American officer, but as Glatthaar states, From the very beginning it was evident that white men would officer these new black units. Lincoln and the War Department believed they must make this program as palatable as possible to the Northern public and soldiery, to diminish the controversy in an already controversial proposal. One of the best means to do that was to reassure Northern citizens that white men would always be in charge (35) In the false reasoning of these displays of military obstinacies, blacks were commanded by (as said prior) retired white officers . This arrangement furthered the absurdity of the assumed inferiority of blacks, as Glatthaar further extrapolates, Because most Americans had doubts about the innate ability of blacks to fight effectively, they hoped that highly competent white officers would significantly upgrade black units. Here again, blacks felt the severe constraint of prejudicial contradictions. On the one hand, casting aside the numerous examples in American history in which blacks had fought well, substantial numbers of both soldiers and civilians believed that blacks were inferior humans, more akin to savages, and therefore would be extremely difficult to control once in a killing frenzy†¦the conclusion was that the best white men could handle the immense responsibility of commanding black soldiers†¦Of course, barring blacks from command positions stifled their opportunities for advancement, but ideally the selection process would secure quality officers , who in turn would help build outstanding black units†¦To ensure its continuation and success, for the benefit of all blacks, many believed it was best to give them the finest officers available-who happened to be whit veterans. Once the public began to accept black soldiers and acknowledge their wartime contributions, then they could resurrect the idea of black officers (35-36) In the influence that black soldiers had on the Civil War it is apparent that the strides taken with the community of African Americans had an overwhelming effect on the preconceived notions both the North and the South had about blacks, and in this discovery is shown the strength of that race to prove not only to these sides but to themselves that united they could share in battle the fighting as well as the victory. The Underground Railroad With any discussion concerning the influence African Americans had on the Civil War and by extension on America it is in the Underground Railroad that a true staple of American history was ignited. African Americans not only found their way to freedom through the succor of sympathizers but were themselves strongly involved with aiding other slaves onto the road to a new and free life. There was a great throng of religious peoples involved in the success of the Underground Railroad but African Americans were the third pillar of this unique system . In the Free states of the Union, especially those that bordered the Ohio River, their strength in numbers was overwhelming . The rivers surrounding Northern states were very reliant upon the water as a means of transportation and it helped escaped slaves cross over from Kentucky. Along with helping to aid the recently freed blacks, fellow African Americans were conductors, and agents helping to signal when and where a man should go, and other black hamlets, which abounded near the rivers, were key holding areas where fugitives could rest, and eat, regaining strength before continuing onto the next leg of the journey. As Bordewich writes in Bound for Canaan (2005), â€Å"In the Sardinia area, north of Ripley, reputedly the most reliable conductor for many years was a freed slave named John D. Hudson, ‘a man of good intellect and powerful physique and when enraged of no more fear than a mad bull’ as Beck described him† (200). One extraordinary account of freed slaves is witnessed in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. This county was home to conservative Germans, Amish, and Mennonites as well as Quakers. This county was home to hundreds of fugitives, who were either just arriving or leaving to find their homes up North as far as Canada. Most of the fugitives, however, found themselves gainfully employed, and had even made houses for themselves. Since the population was growing with fugitives, the spot was a magnet for slave hunters. As Bordewich states of Lancaster County, â€Å"In 1851 Lancaster’s blacks lived in a state of permanent high alert against gangs of night-riding kidnappers who broke into cabins without warning, seized men and women in their sleep, and carried away entire families† (326). 1851 was a year for great influence in the African American culture. Their work with the Underground Railroad had verified that their strength in numbers could bring about great change. Bordewich brings to the forefront of the railroad system the efforts of Lewis Hayden, Jermain Loguen, and William Parker and states, These men knew instinctively that the tide of history was running in their favor. The Christiana resistance had been planned and carried out entirely by African Americans, who had faced down the federal government and won, showing for all to see that blacks could and would defend themselves on a field of battle†¦Blacks had always played an assertive and sometimes dominant role within the clandestine purlieus of the underground, but this was the first time that they had done so in the open, and in the heart of two major cities, no less (343). Bordewich describes the Underground Railroad, not as a fixed system that does not alter to changing needs, but as a diverse system abundant in adaptability and the precursor to rapidly change in a threatening event. These changes were house, and shelter changes, as well route changes that the fugitives could travel to safety by. The immense influence the African Americans had in altering the Civil War is found not just by their escaping and using of the railroad, but also by their integral roles in aiding other fugitives in escape. Bordewich states, â€Å"The Underground Railroad is often visualized as a fixed system that , once established, was rarely altered. In actuality, routes were always in flux†¦Levi Coffin stated that during his lifetime he had directly and indirectly aided about thirty-three hundred fugitives to escape from slavery† (230). This number is just a small amount compared to all the fugitives aided by the Underground Railroad .

The Billing Of Billing Medicare - 1587 Words

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