Formal Letter to a Producer Arguing About the Acceptance

Dear Producer, I address you on behalf of the committee on what should be done about the book ‘World Wonders’. The committee would like to revoke the book from stores, but as you can see the committee has perplexed feelings about the matter as when interviewing the editor, he supplied us with the intentions for creating the book. The following letter contains a dispute on which you, Sir, decide to put your faith in. The views of the interviewer are as follows; the educational message is misleading as well as feeding an un-presidential thrust for this kind of precarious information.Children and adults who are engorged in these books tend to do out of the ordinary stunts to get in the book and get famous. Often this leads to danger on one’s self and others which include animals and other personals. Sometimes these records lead to death, heart diseases, obesity, anorexia and other diseases that can inflict the body in some way. Most records that require skill and ris k are underestimated for those which have been won by no effort and have been treated equal. The editor stressed out his argument that his book is acceptable in society as an educational material.He defines that the book has an educational motive as there is not many resource materials of that sort. He also states that it recognizes the human endeavors and their limits. Records that inflict human life leading to an unhealthy or life threatening consequences are immediately stopped before any damage is done. As for the records that focus on human endeavors are recognized greater than others as a team of professional judges trial the records to see if they fit the criteria and if not they are not published in the book.In addition to his argument, the editor states that the book could serve as the perfect gift as it holds great educational references. In all I favor the option of keeping this humanitarian resource in the market as information will be taken as knowledge and without know ledge there will be no future. Human development should be remarked to state the limits of mankind and what are our weaknesses as well as our strengths. Please state your decision as soon as possible. Regards, Bob Hatfeild

Importance Of Energy Efficiency In Buildings Environmental Sciences Essay

The World Business Council for sustainable development ( WBCSD ) identifies edifices as one of the chief sectors where â€Å" megatrends † are needed to transform the manner is energy used. The International Energy Agency ( IEA ) estimates that current tendencies in energy demand for edifices will excite about half of energy supply investings till 2030. The fuel crises in 1972-73 generated worldwide attempts to conserve fossil fuel and research for the alternate beginnings of energy. The usage of energy in edifices has increased in recent old ages due to the turning demand for warming and chilling in edifices. Though betterments have been made towards accomplishing energy efficiency in edifices, nevertheless, there is a demand for a more incorporate attack.[ I ] Buildings are responsible for at least 40-50 % of energy usage in most states. The absolute figure is lifting fast, as building roars, particularly in developed states such as China, UAE and India. It is indispensable to move now, because edifices can do a major part to undertaking clime alteration.[ two ] Today in modern edifices Heating, Lighting, Ventilation and Air-conditioning systems are required to be more energy efficient while adhering to an ever-increasing demand for better indoor air quality and public presentation. Researchers believe that it is possible to obtain nest eggs of around 30 % through the usage of new and better design techniques and tools. Most of these nest eggs are based on an incorporate system design attack. The focal point of Architectural pattern has remained â€Å" object devising † and small attending is being paid to analysing the public presentation of the edifice. Though many tools are available to entree the energy public presentation of edifices, nevertheless, there usage has remained really limited.2.1.1 Importance of Energy Efficiency in BuildingsIntegrating energy efficient design features into edifices has become a top precedence in recent old ages. Because energy-efficient edifices cut down both resource depletion and the inauspicious environmental impacts of pollution generated by energy production, it is frequently considered to be the basis of sustainable design. Low energy edifice design is non merely the consequence of using one or more stray engineerings. Rather, requires protagonism and action on the portion of the design squad throughout the full undertaking development procedure. The whole-building attack is easy worth the clip and attempt, as it can salvage 30 % or more in energy costs over a conventional edifice design. Indeed, one of the cardinal attacks for energy efficient design is to put in the edifice ‘s signifier and enclosure ( e.g. , Windowss, walls ) so that the warming, chilling, and illuming tonss are reduced, and in bend, smaller, less dearly-won warming, ventilating, and air conditioning systems are needed. In planing energy efficient edifices, it is of import to appreciate that the underlying intent of the edifice is neither to salvage nor utilize energy. Rather, the edifice is at that place to function the residents and their activities. An apprehension of edifice tenancy and activities can take to constructing designs that non merely salvage energy and cut down costs, but besides better resident comfort and workplace public presentation. As such, low-energy edifice design is a critical constituent of sustainable, green & A ; energy efficient design. The energy efficient design procedure begins when the residents ‘ demands are assessed and a undertaking budget is established. The proposed edifice is carefully sited and its programmed infinites are carefully arranged to cut down energy usage for warming, chilling, and illuming. Its warming and chilling tonss are minimized by planing standard edifice elements windows, walls, and roofs so that they control, collect, and store the Sun ‘s energy to optimal advantage. These inactive solar design schemes besides require that peculiar attending be paid to constructing orientation and glazing. Take together, they form the footing of integrated, whole edifice design. Finally, by integrating edifice incorporate photovoltaics into the installation, some conventional edifice envelope stuffs can be replaced by energy bring forthing engineerings. For illustration, photovoltaics can be integrated into window, wall, or roof assemblies, and spandrel glass, fanlights, and roof become bo th portion of the edifice tegument and a beginning of power coevals.2.1.2 Scope of Energy Efficiency in PakistanPakistan faces really serious energy jobs particularly for the last one decennary. Its energy resources base is limited. Its domestic production will non maintain gait with the rise in demand. Energy sector experts estimate that by the mid of 2010, the demand of electricity would be about 22,000 megawatts. This figure points at the built-in deficit of about 3,000 megawatts even if the installed capacity performs the best. During the extremum season, this deficit could make anyplace from 4,000 to 6,000 megawatts. Pakistan produces electricity with three beginnings i.e. hydroelectric ( 6,463 megawatts, 33 % ) , thermic ( 12,580 megawatts, 65 % ) and atomic ( 462 megawatts, 2 % ) . Because of the H2O deficit in winter, the potency of hydroelectric powers falls dramatically. Load direction plan is traveling on during the whole twelvemonth ; the job has intensified in the last twosome of old ages. Besides the economic and fiscal attempt associated with the enlargement of the electricity sector, there is a demand to develop a guideline for the maximal use of the energy resources we have. As the edifice sector including Industries, Commercial & As ; Office Buildings, Domestic edifices, devour 76 % electricity ; the edifices should be addressed decently sing the energy efficiency. National edifice codifications that include energy efficiency considerations can be an effectual tool to guarantee the edifices efficiency for minimal energy ingestion.2.2 Focus ProblemIn Pakistan increased population, industrialisation and commercial activities has generated an energy demand. A However, a critical rating would uncover that most of the current edifices are non designed maintaining in position the local climatic conditions. Excessive usage of concrete and glass, high degrees of light and heavy trust on infinite conditioning equipment are a common characteristic of our edifices. These edi fices need excess energy to be made comfy for their residents. So there is a demand to turn to the energy issues related to these edifices at their conceptual phase.2.3 Area of FocusIn Pakistan a broad scope of commercial / office edifices, get downing from a individual floor construction to high rise multi floor edifices. Sing the range of work, it is non possible to spread out the research canvas for all edifice types. The current research will be focused to research the energy issues merely in high rise office edifices.2.4 AimsThe chief aim of the research is to look into the undermentioned schemes ; To look into which edifice constituents and systems are responsible for energy ingestion in high rise office edifices. To place how much energy is consumed in such edifices. To place tools that may used for the appraisal of energy public presentation in edifices.2.5 Research MethodologyMethodology or usage of different methods is needed to accomplish the chief aim of research. A wide scope of information was needed. Much of this was done from assorted books, literature, and research repapers. Some trouble was encountered in the hunt of suited energy imitating tool for the intent of energy simulation of the selected instance surveies. Finally â€Å" eQuest † was selected for energy simulation tool ; as it is really effectual for constructing energy simulation with friendly graphical user interface. A elaborate survey is carried out with the aid of the user ‘s manual to understand the package before its application on the instance surveies. An country in Lahore is identified for the choice of instance surveies. Two office edifices were selected on the footing of research aims. A field study was besides carried out to analyze the selected countries of the metropolis of Lahore The energy simulation procedure requires a informations aggregation from all related advisers of the selected edifices. Before the choice of a instance survey it was really of import that all concerned informations required for the package â€Å" eQuest † should be available from the related advisers.

Lord of The Rings/Kite Runner Compare and Contrast Essay Essay

What objects do you associate innocence with? Marriage, virginity, a childhood toy? When we think of dominance we think of war; we think of negativity. When the phrase ‘parental influence’ comes to mind, we go to our mothers tucking us into bed and watching the game with our fathers—at least that is what us lucky ones think of. Not everyone is lucky enough to have that innocence stored forever, violent free lives, and a mother and father by our side. The Kite Runner and Lord of the Flies have many similarities, particularly when comparing themes such as loss of innocence, power and dominance, and paternal influences and the ways in which they are depicted through symbolism and irony. From the beginning of The Kite Runner Hoseinni showed innocence through Amir’s passion and longing for kites, but not any kite; Amir longed for the winning kite in the annual kite flying tournament. Kites were constantly present during Amir’s childhood. They were his goodness and his purity; the goodness and purity of Afghanistan at that time. Amir’s innocence was stolen by him when he was twelve-years-old by the neighborhood bully, Assef. Amir longed for the winning kite, but at the expense of his friend, Hassan: â€Å"But there were two things amid the garbage that I couldn’t stop looking at: One was the blue kite resting against the wall,† (75). Amir witnessed the rape of Hassan, and after he took his trophy kite home and hung it up on the wall it mocked him, reminding him of his cowardice, and the purity and the innocence that were taken from him. When Amir returned to Kabul as an adult there were no kites. Afghanistan had been run over by the Taliban and everything had been destroyed, just like the innocence that was taken by Amir and the goodness and that was stolen from him. In The Kite Runner, Amir wanted the winning kite. After witnessing the rape of Hassan—witnessing his beloved friend sacrifice himself for the first place kite and seeing Kabul in ruin with the kites gone and the tournaments ended, he craves the innocence and goodness of his past. In Lord of the Flies, Golding used symbols very similarly to Hoseinni’s use of the kite as a symbol of innocence. Instead of an object or toy, Golding used Simon to show purity. Simon, the quiet and kind hearted boy, was murdered savagely by his peers. Simon had been the good and the innocent on the island; unlike the other boys he knew that the evil was inside of the others, though he himself had been too good for the evil. Simon was taken away from the boys but not by outsiders, like the Taliban; the boys themselves took Simon away, unlike The Kite Runner where Assef and the Taliban took the innocence away from Amir. â€Å"There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws† (153). The boys turned into savages and took Simon away from themselves. Unlike The Kite Runner, Simon and innocence were not wanted and were easily thrown away. As goodness was being murdered, the boys turned into monsters. Not once did they think of what was being depleted. Another theme shared by the two novels is the idea of power and dominance. In The Kite Runner, Hoseinni showed this through the bully Assef, who later became a Taliban official. Not only did Hoseinni use Assef and the Taliban as symbols of power, but he enforced them through irony. One example of dramatic irony in The Kite Runner took place when Baba was talking to Amir as a child. Baba said to him, â€Å"’God help us all if Afghanistan ever falls into their hands! ’† (17). Baba was referring to the Taliban and how he hoped they would never come into power, though consequently, the Taliban later dominate Afghanistan. Baba pleads to God for help if the Taliban run over, he pleads to a God that he doesn’t necessarily believe in, and ironically, the Taliban justify all of their actions with the word of God. Likewise, Golding used Jack and his hunters to illustrate power and dominance in Lord of the Flies. In order to assert their dominance Jack and his hunters murdered the pig in an ostentatious manner thinking that being flashy and strong will bring respect. Not only did Jack allege his power through conspicuous hunting acts, but he also imposed power with his violent mannerisms towards Ralph, Piggy, and the others. Jack is not the only power figure in this story. In turn, the British official that appeared to rescue the boys has a stature of power along with the British army. Golding expressed his love of irony with the British soldier on the island as well. The boys had been creating their own war on the island, and they were, in a way, mimicking the war that had been happening on a world-wide scale. Golding did not stop here, as the British soldier then observed the boys savagery, he reprimanded them for not being more proper and British. â€Å"’I should have thought that a pack of British boys—you’re all British, aren’t you? —would have been able to put up a better show than that—‘† (202). How ironic, that despite the soldier’s talk of being proper and â€Å"English,† he too was being a savage. He too, was in the middle of a war. Not only do The Kite Runner and Lord of the Flies share themes of innocence and power, but they both partake in the lack of positive parental influence. In The Kite Runner, Amir envied the father-son relationship that Hassan and his believed-to-be-father, Ali, shared. Like his stolen innocence, Amir yearned for his father’s approval, for these were the things he could not have. â€Å"He’d close the door, leave me to wonder why it was always grown-ups’ time with him† (5). Here, Hoseinni clearly illustrates that as growing up, and even as an adult, Amir never received the love and the affection that he so craved from his father. At every turn he would find a closed door; Baba would see Amir as a calamity. The one person who gave Amir positive parental influence was his father’s friend and business partner, Rahim Kahn. Amir did not take this influence to heart; his longing for approval from Baba and a mother he did not have created a hole that Rahim Kahn could not fill. With a deceased mother and apathetic father, Amir had a deep hunger for a father figure to such a degree that the lack of a parental influence caused self destruction and mental instability. In contrast to The Kite Runner, the boys in Lord of the Flies did not care for paternal influences as Amir did. In fact, they rejoiced because there were no adults on the island to keep them in check; â€Å"’Aren’t there any grownups at all? ’ ‘I don’t think so. ’ The fair boy said this solemnly; but then delight of a realized ambition overcame him’† (8). From the start, Amir wanted the parental influences that he grew up without; the boys on the island were more than happy to be rid of them. The consequences of the lack of parental influence did not make an appearance right away, but contrary to what the boys believed, not having a parental figure did have its repercussions. One can take Roger, in consideration. At first he could not bring himself to throw stones at the smaller, younger boys. The memories of civilization and punishments still had their hold on him, but as the story progresses, Roger finds himself becoming less and less humane; much like Assef, in The Kite Runner, who as a child, subconsciously knew he could be punished for his bullying, but as he grew older and as the influence of his parents lessened, he was able to use his wrath however he pleased. The lack of parental influence in Lord of the Flies through the immature, adolescent behavior of the boys and lack of adults residing on the island leads to destruction and chaos, similar in ways to that of Amir’s, but far more externally dramatic. Indeed, Golding and Hoseinni share many tastes when it comes to writing, and that becomes quite apparent when one looks at the themes of the two novels. Through the loss of innocence, power and dominance, and the lack of those positive parental influences Golding and Hoseinni manage to paint the picture of a life different than the life of the average American youth. Amir kept his innocence in a kite. In his homeland. The boys on the island never knew that their innocence lay within one small boy. They didn’t have a father to look up to, a mother to run to, and neither did Amir. Now, innocence is mocked. Parental figures are pushed away, but most don’t know what it is like to lose that innocence. To not have a mother or father there in times of need. Where is your innocence stored? Where do you find the comfort and protection that are craved through a mother’s love and a father’s adoring pride?

Choose two pieces of literature, one labeled fantasy and one labeled Essay

Choose two pieces of literature, one labeled fantasy and one labeled realistic fiction that treat the same important theme, such as family, getting along with your peer group, the value of imagination, etc - Essay Example However, Salinger’s book is ultimately more effective, because it must function in a world familiar to reality, rather than a fantasy world of whimsy. In Frank Herbert’s â€Å"Dune,† Paul Atriedes is a young prince whose family moves to a desert planet. After the death of his father, Paul must join with local freedom fighters to overthrow the Harkonnen spice empire. In the process, Paul becomes a sort of living legend, and a combination Muhammad- and Jesus-figure. He is able to do this because â€Å"Dune† is not a world that has to function familiar to the reader’s reality. In Salinger’s book, Holden Caulfield is also a sort of prince; his parents are wealthy, he is white, and he goes to an expensive boarding school. And like Paul, he must overcome his demons and become a man. But it is much harder for Holden, because he is intimately familiar with the crazy world that is close to New York reality (realistic fiction). And instead of earning the respect and women of freedom fighters through knife fighting, Holden is taken advantage of and beat up by a pimp. His story is funnier, and also more human than Paul’s; this is because his story has to function by the rules of

Geisha Girls In Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Geisha Girls In Japan - Essay Example The concept of geisha and geisha girls believed to be started from the 17 the century onwards in Japanese community even though the history of Japan shows that even in the 9 Th and 11th centuries some girls performed dances for warriors and other upper classes of the society. Young girls were forcefully sold into the geisha life by their families until the mid-20th century and their virginity was sold to the highest bidder. Prostitution was strongly associated with the geisha girls. Even the dance forms geisha girls perform were erotic and sex provoking. By tradition, Japanese society is not giving much importance to the one girl for one man concept. For them, sex was not a sin, but a much needed psychological need. It was quite possible for a person to have sex with the wife of another person if both of them were in love with each other. Japanese males had the habit of selecting their wives just for producing healthy children. They gave least considerations to the aspects of love an d sexual relationships when they selected their partners for marriage. The duty of the wives was childbearing and looking after of the children. Japanese males looked for geisha girls for their true sexual needs and love relationships. Thus geisha girls had more roles in Japanese male life than their wives. Moreover, they had more importance in Japanese social life also compared to the other normal females. The profession of geisha girls was considered as a glorified profession similar to the professions of current film celebrities.

Case memo Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case memo - Term Paper Example This strategy involves further research and development that will help the organization in maintaining a competitive advantage. The strategy entails giving loan and credit facilities to existing retailers that can embrace the use of low cost strategy. Since Benetton has been able to produce and market their products in an efficient way as compared to its competitors, then this strategy is appropriate for the organization. Additionally, their uniqueness and superior value to buyers gives them an advantage. This is evident with their united color scheme, quality of products among other special features of the organization. Opportunities The efficiency of the strategy is the reality that the retailers and licensees seeking support are familiar with the operations of the organization. Therefore, much of the resources will be directed towards giving support to the existing running businesses since they meet organizational goals and objectives. The productivity of employees is sufficient i n meeting customer demands. Furthermore, productivity is sustained due to the efficiency of capital and R&D collaboration. These elements are key measures that facilitate the high increase of profits for the Benetton. The quality of excellence shows that the organization has superior qualities because of their style, features and functions, design, level of service and aesthetic appeal of products. The reliability of the products has enabled consumers realize the value attributed to Benetton’s products. As such, the needs of customers are satisfied and hence, value is attributed to the product by the consumer of the product. Risks Apart from the opportunities, the external and internal risks involved in this strategy are the high level of imitators from competing organizations. This lowers the standards and quality of products produced. However, Benetton still has an advantage because the marketing strategy employed in the advertising of products covers this area. Therefore, the organization needs to ensure that other risks of selling at a lower market price are abolished. Current situation Currently, the organization has over 6000 stores sales and is listed in the stock market. This will mean that the company should engage in activities that are competitive because of high levels of competition. So far, the business is doing well, but needs to put in place measures that will assist it to attain sustainability and still be competitive in the market. The unique products assembled by the organization has enabled them maintain the majority of their customers. Additional support provided to retailers and licensees will enable Benetton to create differentiation and ultimately lead to a competitive advantage, which means higher customer response increases value of the product. For example, in Japan the group shows an increase in the number of stores in operation between 1986 and 1993. The profits and employees working in the organization has increased, which shows that the organization is running at a profit and is maximizing on the number of outlets available in order to foster values of products among consumers in a market niche. Recommendations In this instance, by providing additional support to the existing licensees or retailers strategy best suits the needs of Benetton because it matches with their goals and objectives. The input and output

Bell Hooks Class Matter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bell Hooks Class Matter - Essay Example Regardless of these movements, classism continues to exist in society and many authors are trying to create awareness by discussing the topic. This essay analyses classism in contemporary America as discussed by Bell Hooks in her novel, ‘Where We Stand: Class Matters’. The essay has further discussed measures that can be taken to counter socioeconomic oppression that is brought about by classism. Bell Hooks discusses the theme of classism in contemporary America by addressing issues concerning racism, gender and white-supremacist ideologies. Hooks introduces the book by discussing her poor upbringing. Her story is that of transformation from modest roots upper class echelons. Through Hooks’ biographical narrative, we are able to comprehend her beliefs concerning racism, classism and gender bias. Classism is a dominant theme through the novel, and has been highlighted by racism since racism is used in society to propagate classism. In contemporary America, whites are generally of a higher class while African-Americans and other non-whites are generally considered of being of a low class. Hooks discusses how whites from various classes try their best to assist African –Americans and non-whites of a lower class so that they are able to maintain the status quo (Mahony & Zmroczek 46). Gender has been discussed by the author in association with the theme of classism. Hooks has explained the role that gender has played in the society in various capacities. In her initial tale, Hooks explains about her patriarchal family, her serious relationship and the liberation movement of women. Hooks asserts that patriarchal exists in various homes and classism/ racism exist in many movements of women. When Hooks combines these issues, she concludes that white women are generally victimized by the social system and the general population (Mahony & Zmroczek 46). Hooks has asserted that almost American neighborhoods have undergone class and racial segregation

Media Ethics Column Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media Ethics Column Paper - Essay Example Creating unnecessary hype just to increase the viewership of the channel or a newspaper is not justified. Many channels, newspapers and magazines use theatrics when talking about certain issues and in this way try to gain attention of audiences. Media sensationalism comes in all forms. Documentaries and reality shows are also used to exaggerate things. Recently BBC was also accused of sensationalism when one of its documentary series showed twisted facts about the fish industry (Gray & Khan, 2010). Media also impact investor’s decision regarding stocks and commodities (Johnson, R. 2010). All these consequences cannot be ignored easily. Media has become a modern God who can bring fame or defame to anything or person. Sensationalism has also changed forms and with the use of emotional pictures public attention can easily be attracted (Bryant & Barton, 2011). Animated news is also used for attracting audiences (Hana, Albert. 2009). Media is an important pillar of society and it s hould take lesson from the utilitarian principle of ethics that call for the maximum benefit of the maximum people. The aim should be maximize the benefit by showing the true picture of the society. By creating unnecessary hype of news interest of the channel or the newspaper is served and this happens at the cost of the society.

Montessori - Revise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 29750 words

Montessori - Revise - Essay Example Resource books that cover this topic are Music books and art books. 106. The purpose of the Silence Game is about being able to pay attention to details. Its methods entail the use of hand demonstration to explain something without taking. Its benefits are that it enhances the child’s attention to details during demonstrations. 113. The presentation is considered both as a concrete and abstract presentation due to the senses involved in the activity. In this regard, the use of sight in the presentation is considered as abstract while the use of the sense of touch is what qualifies the presentation as a concrete presentation. 116. Explicit directions for presenting the variations have not been included in the presentation so as to enable the child to accurately distinguish items personally and also avoid confusion of the child. 1. The implementation of literary and rhetoric events were the important milestone events in the History of written language. In this regard, rhetoric devices were the devices incorporated in language manipulation so as to transmit the authors message in an effective manner to the reader. On the other hand, literary devices were used in literature that had a basic universal role of language expression to readers as an art form. 2. The term emergent literacy refers to how children interact with book through reading and writing. It is also a gradual process that takes place from the time a child is born to the time they know how to read and write. 4. Reading area is a very sensitive area for a child and therefore it is very important to make this environment comfortable, reading area can be enhanced by Promoting images or pictures. This provides an enjoyable environment for learning. 6. It is important for a children to start public speaking early because it develops their skills, through gaining confidence in their communication . This allow the child to join public

Interpretation of Family Life Education Essay Example for Free

Interpretation of Family Life Education Essay Family Life Education has endured multiple evolutions, definitions and criteria since its origins in contemporary family science between 1881 and 1920. Currently, Family Life Education has tightened the reigns of its purpose, created fundamental criteria and yet still leads itself to an assortment of interpretations. For the purpose of this paper, I will endeavor to give my individual definition of Family Life Education based on course readings and research, the guiding principle of FLE, a theoretical perspective that supports and, is most relevant to my definition of Family Life Education and, a personal philosophy of ‘education’. What does Family Life Education signify to me? Depending on the company you keep, this is a potentially loaded question. Within the realm of my present circle, the question does hold a realistic explanation. Family life education has been significant in the historical development of several educational enterprises (Arcus, vol. 1, 1993, p. 46); therefore, lending itself to the family life professional to select a track that best complements their own philosophies and professional preparation. The definition by the National Council on Family Relations (2006) sums up what FLE means to me, â€Å"Family life education is the educational effort to strengthen individual and family life through family perspective. The objective of family life education is to enrich and improve the quality of the individual and the family life. † As a future professional in this distinctive field, I strive to possess the many characteristics of a well-rounded practitioner, including, but not limited to, sound knowledge of the professional content and to function, when needed in a multidisciplinary approach. As the possibilities to individual and family composition are endless, the ability to draw from other disciplines is crucial. It is probable that when working with a family for instance that is struggling with an issue, the family life professional would need to utilize an approach that incorporated all of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (1983). In addition, it is also important to note Family life educators have used educational concepts as their solitary approach to ‘multidisciplinary’ intervention (Arcus, vol. 2, 1993, pg. 28) and this approach has created concern amongst scholars and professionals alike. To become multi disciplinary, Arcus (1993) offers that through the use of knowledge from a broader range of disciplines and through greater cooperation among the contributing disciplines, true multidisciplinary approach can be attained. As indicated previously, the composition of individual or family is infinite and special attention needs to be paid to issues of diversity. Within the profession of Family Studies, there is particular emphasis on valuing differences and respecting those distinctions (Arcus, vol. 2, 1993, pg. 28) furthermore, creating effective working relationships with persons served. Lastly, to complete the puzzle of the well rounded practitioner, one must be able to utilize their own life experiences relevant to family life topics and to honestly accept those experiences as not to furnish hypocritical recommendations. To further personalize my definition of Family Life Education, I have compiled some additional ideas. It is unlikely that a professional in the field of Family Studies is wandering aimlessly without purpose or direction. Typically, they are a part of an organization that is providing services to individuals or families with a set of defined needs. Even more likely it is the responsibility of the professional to design, develop and deliver the services needed by means of effective programming. The Family Life professional becomes the program and an effective program does not rest solely on content (Brindis Davis, et al, 1998, part IV). The professional must mobilize for action by increasing awareness and generating support of a program, assess the needs and assets of the populations served and build strong foundations that will serve to protect the potential of the program and last, but surely not least, design an effective Family Life Education program. Designing a new or adapted family life education program frequently entails many planning and management issues. The development is easier when the concerns are planned for at the onset. Think about how to advocate for the program, especially in the face of controversy. Expect controversy (Brindis Davis, et al. 1998, sect. IV). Controversy or conflict is seguing to the subsequent topic, the guiding principles of Family Life Education. Intervention, the anti-conflict: Being proactive in a reactive world. ‘Intervention by way of education’, this statement, in my opinion is the guiding principle to family life education. No matter how you slice it, the opportunity to impart an intervention is endless. Intervention can have many connotations. In day to day life it is regularly defined as an unwelcomed interference. For instance, a wife introduces an intervention for her substance abusing husband, of which does not want to admit to or take responsibility for his addiction. Therefore the husband would characterize the intervention as ‘unwelcomed interference’. For the purpose of family studies, the definition takes a neutral stance to denote the ‘taking of clearly defined actions to induce change’ (Encarta English Dictionary). The change is expected to be positive, indicating harmony or affirmation. Societies evolve along different cultural, religious, historical, economic, geographical, and political paths. At any time, members of different societies view themselves and the world from distinctive perspectives. Yet global trends in communication and information dissemination, entertainment, and other economic and commercial exchanges always affect local realities, sometimes more than people living in those localities fully understand. How children, adolescents, and adults are assigned roles ultimately reflects the convergence of such societal paths and global trends. The preceding statements have the potential to be segue ways and/or roadblocks to the family professional. The professional should establish family life education at an early age, to combat the notion of reaction and to introduce the idea of prevention, lessening the likelihood of ever intervening. The introduction of a program that would counter negative or damaging societal outcomes should implement age appropriate curricula, especially when working solely with school age children, which meets the developmental needs and matches backgrounds and life experiences of all individuals involved. What are â€Å"universal† interventions? As adapted from Family Health International (2001), †¢Offer education and skill-building †¢Engage youth caretakers, including parents, extended family, or other adults such as teachers and youth workers. †¢Engage youth themselves in program design, development, implementation, and evaluation. †¢Ensure access to counseling and other services that respond to the special needs of the individual or family †¢Augment collaboration and effective referrals among existing health and other development agencies and organizations. †¢Coach program site managers, service providers, and others to improve their interactions with individuals and families †¢Have clear goals, target populations, and indicators while building in monitoring and evaluation from the beginning of a project; use such findings to improve strategies and services. The family life professional should strive to maintain balance and realistic programming and to ultimately provide information and activities that encourage skill development that is relevant and useful. Imparting a value system and norms when they are lacking or completely absent to an individual or family is an asset to the overall program, especially when follow through is a potential issue. A basic skill set is at least in place. Last but not least, ensure that your program is based on a solid theoretical model. Ability, Desire and Potential: Why MI theory is relevant to Families â€Å"Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential. John Maxwell During the tenure of this course, Family Study Methodologies, we have encountered many theories and how they are or have been significant to the field of Family Life Education. The theories have run the gamut from their birthplace in social theory and social therapy to a current state of post modern, contemporary status. As indicated by Lavee and Dollahite (1991), there is a weak link between theory and research in modern family science and they go further to say, from multiple points of view, it is imperative to couple theory with research methods. There are multiple approaches to theory and research in the family sciences (Sourcebook, pg. 17) and there is not one that is committed as the ‘flagship theory’ to FLE. Rather the â€Å"interplay between scholars, families and the socio-cultural context that surrounds them† (Sourcebook, pg. 18). These connections should pay special attention to the unique quality of families in society and how these families function within their environment. It is necessary to confirm what I mean by theory within the field of family life education. As defined by Gibbs ( 1972, p.5),sourcebook p 20 theory is â€Å" a set of logically interrelated statements in the form of empirical assertions about properties of infinite classes of events or things†. This definition lends itself to the notion of a conceptual framework, a theory that has not come full circle. Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences fits this description. Although there are several intelligences define which possess a sound theoretical foundation, eight to be exact, there are additional ‘intelligences’ waiting in the wings for validation; therefore supporting the notion of the conceptual framework. Gardner’s theory is relevant to family life education, in part due to its flexible and expandable nature but mostly because the ‘family’ is a phenomenal, progressive body that needs room to evolve, just as MI theory continues to do. References Brindis, C and Davis, L et al. (1998) Designing effective family life education programs. Advocatesforyouth. org. Four sections. Retrieved April 13, 2008, from www. advocateforyouthorg/PUBLICATIONS Lavee, Y. , Dollahite, D. C. (1991) The linkage between theory and research in family science. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 53, 361-373.

Causal Judgement and Blocking Experiment

Causal Judgement and Blocking Experiment Michael Arruzza Abstract Recent results of studies which aim to gain a greater understanding of how blocking works and the mechanisms involved have led to some conflicting results. Some research suggest that blocking may be the result of assumptions about the additive nature of outcomes. Others think that it may have more to do with associative learning. This experiment investigates blocking in causal learning with human participants with the aim to addresses two main questions. Is blocking affected by encouraging or discouraging assumptions about the additive nature of the outcome? How do the results differ if we separately measure the memory for specific cue-outcome pairings? Results of the study show that there is evidence for both ideas and they may both contribute to the phenomenon of blocking. Introduction A model of the blocking effect was first developed by Kamin in his work with conditioning animals (Kamin, 1969). Kamin identified that training with one cue considerably reduced performance to another cue that was added to the first cue, in a second phase of training. A typical example of blocking would go something like this. Cue A is paired with an effect (A+). In a second phase a compound of two cues, the former cue A and new cue B is paired with the effect (AB+). Decisions on the strength of cue B are effected or â€Å"blocked† by information about the causal relationship of cue A. This has been described as the blocking effect. He theorised that learning may be driven by surprise, if a cue did not provide new information about the contingency between events and the environment it was ignored. Others researchers more recently such as Lovibond (Lovibond P, 2003) have tried to explain blocking in terms of inferential reasoning based upon a relatively simple set of propositions where the observer can deduce though logic that the blocked cue is not a cause of the outcome. Using an allergic reaction to foods as an example this would occur if someone assumed that the patients allergies are additive. When two foods are eaten which cause an allergic reaction they should cause a greater reaction then if only one of the two foods caused a reaction. If one does not observe an increase in the severity of the outcome when B is eaten at the same time as the allergenic food A, then one can deduce that B does not contribute to the allergic reaction. For example if eating a banana causes an allergic reaction rated as 5 and eating a banana and an apple causes a reaction of 5, then the apple has not made the reaction worse and is not the cause of the reaction itself. Lovibond (Lovibond P, 2003) and his colleges also observed that pre-training with explicit instructions that encourage outcome additivity assumption enhance the blocking effect. It is possible that the blocking effect is product of deductive reasoning and it sometimes unreliable response might be due to some participants assuming outcome aditivity while others do not. However a statistically robust blocking effect has still been observed even after explicit non-additive pre-training (Mitchell Chris, 2006). But his blocking effect is significantly smaller than after additive pre-training. In this study done by Mitchell et all multiple blocked use and control cues were implemented. The study only used a non-additive pre-training group and did not include an additive group. This would have been beneficial as it would have been great to contrast the two groups. After non additive pre-training participants were worse off at recalling the outcome associated with the blocked cue. Mitchell goes on to suggest from the data that the blocking effect that has previously been observed after non-additive pre-training may be the result of a non-rational process such as a failure to retrieve the outcome associated with the blocked cue. The ‘blocking affect’ may results from a failure to encode the B–outcome relationship during training. This concept tried to explain blocking as an associative learning theory. This research aims to better understand the blocking phenomenon. In particular to reconcile the two somewhat contradicting explanations outlined above that either blocking is the result of deductive reasoning or it is a part of a failure to encode cue-outcome associations. Is it the product of one of these two ways of thinking about blocking, can they co-exist or are they mutually exclusive? Based on previous research: It is hypothesised that both additive and non-additive groups would show reliable blocking in memory for both groups It is also hypothesised that there will be a weaker causal attribution for blocked cues with additive pre-training Method Participants This trial was done by 120 undergraduate university student who were separated into two groups numbering 60 students in each. Of the sample 78 were female and 42 were male. The mean age of students who participated in the study was 21.7 years of age. Procedure All 120 participants sat a computer trial to determine which foods were causing a hypothetical ‘Mr X’s’ allergic reactions. This initially began with a training phase. On a number of trial participant had to predict whether an allergic reaction would occur by click on of two or three options on the screen. Next participants were then told whether an allergic reaction had occurred and how severe the reaction was on a scale ranging from 0 to 10. This was Stage 1 was done by participants 8 times. In stage 2 compounds were also presented 8 times each. Participants could choose from no reaction, or one of two alternative reactions. In stage 2 a reaction occurred could have a severity of either 5 or 10. Next the 20 cues were presented individually and participants were to make two ratings for each cue. First to pair the cue with the allergic reaction that had occurred. The cues A-H were blocked cues, S-Z overshadowed control cues, and K-N no outcome cues. Next they rated their confidence on a scale of 0-100, 0 being not confident at all and 100 very confident. On the same scale they then rated the extent to which that same cue actually caused the reaction on another rating scale. Assumptions on additive logical reasoning were manipulated on two two levels: One group (Additive pre-training) were given training trials before blocking training, which showed the effects of combining to other allergenic food cues. They also received 3 explicit instructions stating that the addition of two causal cues resulted in a more severe outcome. The other Non-additive pre-training group received the same pre-training except that two options that cause and reaction gave the same medium allergic reaction of 5 as each of these options individually. This group also received explicit instructions stating that the addition of two causal cues resulted in an outcome of the same severity. The purpose of this design is to evaluate if scores show a lower causal rating for the blocked cues than the overshadowing cues. Also whether participants were less accurate in recalling the outcome for the blocked cues than for the overshadowed cues. It’s also to understand the effect of pre-training on blocked and control cues. Results The results of the study indicate that some areas of the study produced statistically significant results while when comparing other groups no statically significant data was found. When comparisons across groups were assessed it would appear that cue type had a significant effect on blocking (F (1,118) = 99.596 p Figure 1: mean memory accuracy across groups which show no significant difference of blocking between different groups. Figure 2: mean causal reasoning which show a significant difference between groups in terms of blocking. Discussion Prior to the conduction of these experiments due to the results of previous studies it is hypothesised that both additive and non-additive groups would show reliable blocking in memory for both groups. It is also hypothesised that there will be a weaker causal attribution for blocked cues with additive pre-training. Just like in the research done by lovibond (Lovibond P, 2003) pre-training influenced causal reasoning as blocked cues in the experiment were judged as less causal in the additive group. A significant difference in the strength of the blocking effect between groups. This adds evidence to the idea that deductive reasoning about the additive nature of causal events may contribute to the blocking effect as previously thought by other researchers. However the data does still show that even though significant difference in the strength of the blocking effect between groups Blocking still evident after non-additive pre-training, product of associative learning. Another significant result of the experiment was the data showed a strong blocking effect on memory for correct outcome. The outcomes associated with blocked cues were recalled less well than the outcomes associated with the control cues. Pervious idea about the blocking effect (Mitchell Chris, 2006) had proposed that the effect may be due to a failure to encode the B-outcome during training. The fact that data showed a blocking effect for the correct outcome shows that this may be the case. It also helps to explain why it a blocking effect has still been found even though non-additive pre-training had been part of the experiment. Previous research has shown that there are two separate ways of thinking about the blocking, the process as a result of outcome aditivty or a failure to encode the B-outcome. Our research has shown that blocking might be the result of several quite different mental processes. The fact that blocking was still evident after non-additive pre-training suggests that it may be the product of associative learning. Even when measures are taken to discount outcome aditivity a blocking effect it was still present. This means that it is likely that they both contribute to the blocking effect. This experiment needs to be replicate by other studies to ensure this conclusion is valid. It should be extended to different groups of people not just the limited selection of university students in a more scientific setting then a classroom test. It may be that a group of university student with a mean age of 21.7 may not be the best representative same of the population. It may be the lack of scientific setting effected the degree of seriousness when participant undertook the test. It might also be interesting to evaluate something other than blocking to hypothetical allergic reactions as this may in tale different assumptions about food that may have not been controlled for in this study. However students were randomly allocated to different classes for university at the start of semester so that does help with the reliability of the results. Student were also unaware what condition they were in and what was being tested by the experiment which would help prevent a selection bias . Further studies of blocking would be encouraged to eliminate some of the experimental flaws included in this study. This study does show the room needed for further research into the area of blocking as theories of blocking do not appear to be mutually exclusive but underly an associative process that has not yet been discovered. References Dickinson, Anthony. (1984). Judgement of Act-Outcome Contingency: . Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 36A 29-50. Evan, L. (2006). The relationship between blocking and inference in causal learning. School of Psychology, University of Sydney. Kamin, L. (1969). Predictability, surprise, attention, and conditioning. Punishment and aversive behavior. Lovibond, P. (2003). Forward and backward blocking of causal judgment is enhanced by additivity. Memory and cognition, 133-142. Mitchell, Chris. (2006). Forward blocking in human learning sometimes reflects the failure to encode a cue–outcome relationship. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 830-844.

Types of power supply and their applications

Types of power supply and their applications Types of Power Supply and their applications Power supply is a device used to provide the electric energy to operate the devices running on electric power. It has many special ways to provide electric energy to a specific system â€Å"it is mother of the system† ( Brown, 2001, p.1 ). The basic functionality of power supply is to convert Alternative Current voltage to regulated Direct Current voltage required by electronic devices. A typical power supply has four different modules each of them has a specific function. (Source: http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/powersup.htm) Transformer is the first module and its function is to convert high voltage Alternative Current to low voltage Direct Current. The second module is Rectifier and its main function is to convert low voltage Alternative Current to Direct Current. The third module is Smoothing, the Direct Current produced by the Rectifier is varying, so Smoothing reduces this variation to small rippling. Last module is Regulator, it sets the Direct Current voltage to fixed value by removing the ripples. This is a basic design of power supply. The design can be huge and complicated based on the requirements. This essay will present the four major types of power supply which are Linear Regulators and Switching Mode Power Supply, Programmable Power Supply, Uninterruptible Power Supply. The first type of power supply is Linear Regulated Power Supplies. They are the basic type of power supply. they produce the regulated output voltage by dropping the input voltage. To achieve this, it relies on variable conductivity of an electronic device. Hence, the lot of power wasted in the form of heat. â€Å"it is though, a very electrically quiet power supply† (Brown, 2001, p.11). they are often used in ground based equipment and distributed power systems. Linear regulated power supply function by converting varying Alternative Current input to regulated Direct Current output. The typical circuit used in this type has two range. One allows more voltage at lower current and the other allows more current at lower voltage. Linear regulated power supplies come in two basic forms called series regulators and shunt regulators. Series regulated power supplies are most common form of linear regulated power supply. The power dissipated in series regulated device is the product of power supply output current and the voltage drop. Shunt regulated power supplies are the simpler form of Linear Regulated power supply, but they are less efficient. Simplicity is the main advantage of linear regulated power supplies. They have been widely used in industry for a long time. They are used in systems that require extremely low noise. They are more suitable and cost effective for low power applications. They are used in ground based applications and distributed power systems. Since the linear regulated power supply has very low power output voltage ripple, it is used in low noise / low ripple applications such as communication and radio device where noise is very critical. It is more efficient in the application which output voltage is almost equal to input voltage. The second type of power supply is Switching Mode (SMPS). It operates in ON-OFF mode. It uses switching circuits and energy storage elements such as capacitors and inductors to get the regulated output voltage. â€Å"These circuits are ideally lossless with 100% energy transfer† (Johnny, 2006, p.1). The main advantage of Switching Mode Power Supply is the higher efficiency because of low power dissipation. It is simpler and light weight because of the elimination of heavy low frequency transformers and generates low heat. It is used in domestic products which often have universal inputs. Mobile phones have changed their power supply technology from linear regulated to Switching Mode Technology. It is widely used in aircraft electric power such as airplane ground support. The third type of power supply is Programmable Power Supply. It provides the power through a computer interface. It generally depends on both Linear regulated and Switched Mode technologies to produce accurate output power. A Programmable power supply typically consists of microcontroller, current, voltage programming circuits such as analog to digital convertors, serial peripheral interface, keypad and a LCD display. The desired voltage parameter is given as the input to microcontroller through key pad. Intern, microcontroller convert analog voltage from a voltage source to digital through analog to digital convertor. This digital voltage is regulated through serial peripheral interface to get the desired voltage which is inputted to microcontroller through keypad. The main advantage of programmable power supply is that accurate required voltage can be produced which is not possible from either linear regulated or switching mode power supply. It is mainly used in automated equipment testing. They are also used in ultrasonic vibration measurement tools. The last type of power supply is Uninterruptible power supply. It is widely known as UPS or power back up. It is widely used as backup power to protect the devices from crashing due to sudden power loss. There are three major categories of Uninterruptible power supply, offline -standby, online and line-interactive. The first category is Offline /standby Uninterruptible power supply. It provides surge protection and battery back-up up to 20 minutes. When the input power supply falls below the threshold level, then Uninterruptible power supply turns on its power circuit providing power backup to the device up in certain time (In this type 20 minutes). Line-Interactive Uninterruptible power supply is the second category. It generally uses only one main power convertor to generate the power. â€Å"With its low cost and durability, the line-interactive UPS has been used successfully in millions of IT installations worldwide† (Hoff and Samstad , 2004) . The typical protection time varies from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. The last category is Online, the operation of Online Uninterruptible power supply is very similar to Standby or Line-Interactive type. The typical protection time varies between 5 minutes to 30 minutes. But, it provides electrical firewall between incoming utility power and sensitive electronic equipment. The main purpose of Uninterruptible power supply is to provide the protection to devices from crashing due to sudden power loss. Some of the Uninterruptible power supplies are also capable of correcting the common utility power problems such as, total loss of input voltage, momentary increase or decrease input voltage, spikes , noise. They are mainly used for surge protection and back power for computers, data centers and telecommunication equipment. They are used to provide the electric isolation for the equipment which are sensitive to power fluctuations. In conclusion, there are various sources of power being used to provide the power to the systems effectively and efficiently. For example, solar energy and wind power are being converted to electric energy to provide the power to large industrial applications. Power supplies are the heart of any system which requires electrical energy. They not only provide power but also provide the protection to the system against outside disturbances. Therefore, design and development considerations of a power supply are more important. As technology is growing, more advanced power supplies are being invented to provide best protection and efficient power to the devices.

Essay --

Jane Eyre-- Life at Lowood In â€Å"Jane Eyre†, a classic by Charlotte Bronte, the little girl Jane lost her parents and was adopted by her uncle Mr. Reed who also died soon after. Poor Jane was left to be taken care of by her selfish and cruel aunt who viewed her as a burdensome and wicked child. At Gateshead, none of her cousins were nice to her, and therefore getting bullied was usual. As a result of their conflicts Jane was sent to Lowood, an institution for orphan girls where they could receive strict education and be trained to become disciplined young women. The bad conditions there did not let Jane lose faith as she made a genuine friend whose name was Helen, and met a kind teacher called Mrs. Temple. They gave Jane love and hope in such a cold world, which made her harsh life endurable. By the end of the essay it will be proven that Jane’s life at Lowood has shaped her development as a young woman and bildungsroman. At first, Jane’s life at Lowood was no better than her life at Gateshead. According to the author, â€Å"Many a time I shared between two claimants the precious morsel of ...

Are We Now Becoming the Terrorists? Essay -- September 11 Terrorism Es

Are We Now Becoming the Terrorists?    Terrorism is a weapon of the weak. Shut out of the great conversations that shape our histories and unable to control the grand forces that shape our destinies, terrorists strike out in angry desperation to force those they have identified as their oppressors to pay attention to the plight of the alienated and to hear the terrorists' demands. The events of September 11 were just such a gesture. The horror we felt watching a jet flown deliberately into a tall building and watching people leap to their deaths to escape the flames and collapse of the ruined skyscrapers filled us with a strange awe and a feeling of helplessness. We felt forced to pay attention.   The first question on everyone's lips was: what can we do? What can we do to prevent this from happening again? What can we do to punish those responsible? How we answer these questions will decide whether we live in a civilization worth defending, or if we, too, are weak.       This unprecedented attack on American soil brings into focus the connections between our freedoms, our security, and the international system. Our choices over what to do are constrained by the ways these parts of our lives are connected. Our leaders and representatives, responding to the theories and analyses of their advisors and of the think tanks that dedicate themselves to studying such questions, have already begun to speak of September 11 as this generation's Pearl Harbor and the need to prepare for war, and of the trade-offs we will have to make for our security. Their first responses - and those of many of us - are to lash out at those who have wronged us.       However, to lash out now is a path fraught with n... ...saster relief and peacekeepers, but we are the single largest supplier of arms to the already intensely violent Middle East. And because Israel is our strategic ally in the region, we won't even allow discussion of whether its policies towards Palestinians are racist.       If we are to do anything, we must be ready to take a path more difficult than anyone has suggested so far. We must be ready to be thoughtful and sober, and to look for political solutions to the problems in the world that are now producing the threats to our security. Today, we feel like now is the time to act. Our pain, our helplessness, our frustration at discovering we are vulnerable makes us want to take control over our lives again. We are ready to retaliate against acts of angry desperation with anger and despair. But now is not the time to become terrorists ourselves.   

Challenges Facing Fashion Industry in Ghana

CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY The environment in which the fashion industry operates the world over has become turbulent, unpredictable and therefore, difficult to exert managerial control. Cultures around the world are constantly influencing each other; hence, the world’s cultures are changing fashion constantly. Also, social, economic, political and legal factors keep changing than before. Competition in the fashion industry is so rife such that the survival of fashion organizations cannot be guaranteed (Stuart, 1995). During the last decade, the developments of new technologies all over the world and growing globalization of countries economies have produced the fastest changes ever. The fashion industry in Ghana, especially, the clothing sub sector (which is the focus of this study) has not been without the effect of economic, political, social, cultural and legal pressures brought to bear on all organizations. In recent years, protectionism has given way to globalization. With that change, Ghanaian clothing sector of the fashion industry has had to compete with imports from low wage countries. Retailers, unencumbered by protectionism, have also seized on the opportunity, often choosing to go directly to offshore manufacturers. As retailers become larger and more globally connected, they continue to build global brands marketed around the world. In doing so, they eliminate many Ghanaian clothing companies from their supply chain. The result has been major market share declines and job losses in the industry. Aug The Ghanaian clothing sector of the fashion industry faces many challenges. he rise of low-cost goods from Asia, a slowdown in consumer spending, difficulty in accessing capital, lack of innovation from entrepreneurs, relatively high prices of products due to high unit cost, poor distribution channels and inability to promote local brands. It is without doubt that low-cost Chinese imports have increasingly dominated the local fashion scene. As a result some local manufacturers, in an attempt to remain competitive, have subcontracted their production processes offsho re. The issue of access to capital for the industry is not new. For years, industry players have indicated that they feel there is a lack of support for their industry from the banking community. Under these circumstances, it is not a surprise that many companies cannot secure financing. as a result of banking formula-based lending practices, financing remains a challenge to many well-run clothing companies and small businesses in general. Brand DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN A MJOR ISSUE IN THE clothing sub sector in the fashion industry in Ghana. Many Designers have not been able to design unique Ghanaian designs that would bear their own brand name in order to project their business. However, a few creative ones have had their product design copied wrongly and produced cheaply from China, thereby destroying the brands they have developed. These and other factors have created serious marketing challenges for the clothing sub sector of the fashion industry in Ghana. This study would go into detail to look at the nature of the marketing challenges facing the industry in Ghana. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM There are growing signs Ghanaian garment and fashion industry is approaching a serious crossroad. Increasing numbers of mainland Chinese manufacturers are taking Ghana’s role of mass-producing quality fashion items at reasonable cost. Industry players, also have difficulty securing financing from other lenders. For example, asset based lenders often require substantial premium interest rates. Other larger non-traditional lending institutions and professionals that can assist prefer working with larger companies where greater fees and returns can be earned. The traditional financing problems will likely become further exacerbated as companies implement new models that do not generate assets that can be collateralized. The problems enumerated above, as well as western cultures, globalization have created internal marketing challenges for the clothing industry in the area of promotion, pricing and distribution of products. The study seeks to unravel the challenges and make recommendations to solve the problems. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of the study were: 1. To investigate how foreign cultures have influenced the Ghanaian brands in the clothing industry. 2. To assess the challenges associated with clothing design ( product development) 3. To investigate the challenges industry players face in their pricing of products . To assess how they promote their products. RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY It is hoped that the study would benefit clothing sub sector of the fashion industry in Ghana. Also, it will serve as a pedestal upon which future researches in the area would be based. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Eusebio (2007) carried out a research on the topic â€Å"Internal key factors in export pe rformance: A comparative analysis in the Italian and Spanish textile-clothing sector† The purpose of this paper is to analyze the key factors in the international performance of textile manufacturing companies. The study provided a comparative study of the main factors that have affected the export performance of the Spanish and Italian clothing sub sector of the fashion businesses. A wide range of factors has been studied, such as size, dispersion of sales and export experience. In order to compare Spanish and Italian cases, the empirical study used a standardized questionnaire for collecting data. The cases analyzed were respective geographical zones with a great tradition in textile-clothing industry in their country, Catalonian (in the Spanish case) and Lombardian business (in the Italian case). It was found that international experience was the main factor in the export performance for both cases but the investment in R&D and the export experience have been the keys for explaining the major export performance of the Italian businesses. The paper explained why the Lambardian textile-clothing companies exported more, in relation to total sales, than the Catalan companies in the same sector. . Research limitations – The sample was formed basically for small textile-clothing businesses (with less than five employees). Eusebio (2007) STUDIED Top of Form Management perception and marketing strategy in export performance: A comparative analysis in Italian and Spanish textile-clothing sector The purpose of the study was to focus on the key factors in the international performance of textile manufacturing companies. In order to compare Spanish and Italian cases, the empirical study used a standardized questionnaire for collecting data. The cases analysed were respectively geographical zones with a great tradition in textile-clothing industry in their country, Catalonian (in the Spanish case) and Lombardian business (in the Italian case). Research limitations/implications – The sample was basically from small textile-clothing business (with less than 500 employees). It was found that international experience was the main factor in the export performance for both cases but investments in R&D and export experience have been the keys for explaining the major export performance of the Italian businesses. The study was of value in that it provides a comparative study of the main factors that have affected the export performance of the Spanish and Italian businesses. A wide range of factors has been studied, including characteristics of the business, such as size, dispersion of sales and export experience. Freeman (2007) carried out a survey on the topic â€Å"Fashion marketing to women in Kazakhstan†The purpose study was to explore consumer behavior regarding women's decisions concerning fashion in the emerging marketing of Kazakhstan. Literature review formed the basis of the questions asked to several focus groups and in-depth interviews of 48 Kazakhs representing the average age of Kazakhstan. The approach of the paper was exploratory as there was not a lot of research concerning the Kazakhstani marketplace. The work revealed that Kazakhstani women were becoming aware of their rights to choose clothing and location of purchase. They expected to be treated with respect. The women were value conscious, thinking brand names enhanced the value of clothing and will shop sales regardless of the actual discount. Kazakhstani women we extremely fashion conscious and looked to the media current fashions. They were wary ything coming out of China. There were five market segments into which these women can be divided. Practical implications – Kazakhstan is opening as a marketplace. In order to understand how to market in Kazakhstan, firms must understand what is wanted and this paper begins this exploration. This market is unexplored both academically and by many clothing manufacturers. This market is opening and thus information concerning the marketplace is necessary. Chong (2007) carried out a survey on the topic â€Å"Central and Eastern European countries and North Africa: The emerging clothing supplying countries to the EU†. The purpose of this study was to examine the delocalization trend of the EU's clothing production to Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) and North Africa, focusing on the geographical shift of outsourced clothing production pattern within the two developing regions. In total, 14 CEECs and North African countries were selected and classified into 1st-tier and 2nd-tier regions according to their GDP/capita values. Clothing trade statistics were obtained from the Eurostat database, and the clothing trade pattern was examined during 1995 to 2004. Trade Specialization Coefficient (TSC) was employed to measure the international competitiveness of clothing exports of the selected CEECs and North African countries. Results concluded that the EU's clothing production had significantly delocalized to the proximate CEECs and North African regions, with further geographical shift to less-developing 2nd-tier clothing supplying countries in recent years. The TSC analysis reflected that the competitiveness of clothing industry in 2nd-tiers had outperformed the 1st-tier economies, indicating Western European firms had shifted their sourcing practices to those lower-waged countries. Koksal (2007) studied on the topic† references regarding children's clothing in Turkey† The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the consumer preferences and behavior in the children's clothing market in Turkey, a country where the majority of the population is under 18 years old. Whilst the study investigated the purchasing preferences and behaviour of parents, such as shopping frequency and period, type of retailer and the effect of reference groups in the children's clothing market, it also explored some children's purchasing characteristics, like shopping decision age. This study offered some academic results on consumer behaviour and preferences in the children's clothing market: There is no set shopping period; consumers prefer shopping from independent shops; in the selection of retailers, consumers consider payment conditions, pricing, and range of merchandise; in the family the parents mostly make the buying decisions for their children's clothes; the age of children making their own clothing decisions varies between six and ten; the most important factors affecting consumers' decisions towards shopping for children's clothing are the price, quality, convenience, payment conditions, and size of the clothing. Kilduff (2007) carried out a research on the topic â€Å"Analysis of comparative advantage in the textile complex: A study of Eastern European and former Soviet Union nations† This research aimed to present an exploratory investigation into ten-year (1995-2004) patterns of trade specialization among Eastern European and former Sovie t Union Nations, assessing patterns of comparative advantage across the textile machinery, man-made fiber, textile, and apparel sectors of the textile complex to determine whether these conform with both trade specialization and industry evolution theories. A revealed symmetric comparative advantage index was employed to evaluate international competitiveness for 27 Eastern European and former Soviet Union Nations over a ten-year period. A repeated measure ANOVA was used to determine the significance of the observed patterns across four income-defined groups of nations. Overall, the pattern of export development and RSCA generally reflected expectations regarding factor proportions theory and industry evolution models. The RMANOVA partially confirmed the observations. The analysis indicated that income group did not independently affect comparative advantage; however, the nature of products was the significant factor influencing national comparative advantage. According to the researchers, the established models may be better at understanding those nations which have established relatively stable political and economic environment, and been experiencing earlier stages of industry development, but appear less useful in predicting development patterns for those nations experiencing dramatic transitions from regulated to de-regulated markets. The patterns of national comparative advantage in a vertical textile complex are identified for Eastern European and former Soviet Union Nations. The dynamics of change over a ten-year period following economic reforms are revealed. Karpova et al (2007) looked at the topic â€Å"Making sense of the market: An exploration of apparel consumption practices of the Russian consumer†. The purpose of this study was to examine and interpret post-socialist consumer xperiences in relation to clothing consumption practices when consumers shop, acquire, and wear clothing and other fashion-related products. Th e in-depth interview was the primary data collection tool. Data collection was conducted during summer 2004 in St Petersburg, Russia. College students formed the sample for the study. In total, 17 students (four males and 13 females) were interviewed. The hermeneutic approach was used to interpret the meanings of the participant life experiences. In comparison to consumers in an established market-based economy, consumers in this post-socialist market have unique perceptions of clothing attributes (quality, brand name, country of origin, retail channel) critical for buying decisions. Overall, appearance and clothing play a special role in the emerging Russian market as they help construct and communicate new identities more than any other product category. Identified challenges of the Russian apparel market indicate opportunities for domestic and foreign apparel businesses. The meanings Russian consumers attach to clothing attributes can be used to develop product positioning and promotional strategies. Discussed implications of the research findings can be extended to other post-socialist emerging markets. This study explored how Russian consumers have adjusted to the new economic reality after almost fifteen years of transition from a socialist to a capitalist society from the perspective of the consumer. Whereas previous research findings were confirmed, the present study provides rationale for perceived importance of quality and unimportance of brand name in the Russian apparel market. Curran (2007) studied the topic â€Å"clothing's big bang: the impact of the end of the ATC on developing country clothing suppliers†. Prior to the liberalization of the clothing and textiles sector under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) fears had been expressed about the potential impact on developing country suppliers. This study sought to establish the actual impact of the liberalization of the EU and US clothing markets. Comparison of trade figures pre and post liberalization. Was the basis for the research design The research revealed that, as forecast, significant changes occurred in sourcing patterns in the EU almost overnight. The big winners were India and China. Almost all other developing countries lost market share, although often not as much as had been feared. The impact of the liberalization was mitigated somewhat by the new quantitative restrictions negotiated with China half way through the year, which resulted in a redistribution of market share to other developing countries. Comparisons with the USA indicated that trends are rather similar, although on that market more developing countries saw increases in their exports, partly canceling out losses in the EU. Johnson (2007) carried out a survey on â€Å"The role of focal suppliers in strategic networks for internationalization: Perspectives from small and medium-sized Italian and Thai silk suppliers† The purpose of this research was to examine the role of focal suppliers in strategic networks for internationalization from the perspectives of small and medium-sized Italian and Thai silk suppliers. Multiple case studies of small and medium-sized suppliers within the silk industries of Italy and Thailand were undertaken. In total, seventeen interviews and three observations were conducted with directors or managers of silk suppliers and a range of government agencies, associations and institutes involved with the silk industry, to identify significant current issues within the sector. Conceptually clustered and role ordered matrices were used as coding frameworks to reduce, structure and analyze the data. The research showed that Silk suppliers' networks may be co-ordinated by a focal supplier that assumes the role of strategic leader. The involvement of a focal and strategically-focused supplier may strengthen and integrate the resources and capabilities of silk suppliers in their networks and enable them to improve their international network development and position. Further investigation is needed on the details of specific roles of focal suppliers in strategic networks. In the view of the researchers, Silk suppliers, their customers and government agencies involved with silk suppliers should: advocate and actively support the development of focal suppliers in their networks to enhance the effectiveness of their internationalization process and strategy. The researchers also indicated that there tends to be a consensus in the literature about the influence of focal customers and larger organizations in strategic networks. This study highlighted how small and medium-sized silk suppliers adopt the roles attributed to focal firms and gain positioning advantages for themselves and other suppliers in their network. Karmenidou (2007) carried out an exploratory study on the reasons for purchasing imported high fashion apparels: The case of Greece. The purpose of the study was to examine the reasons that Greek consumers purchase imported high fashion apparel over Greek designers high fashion apparel. The specific objective of the research was to detect the underlying factors that affect their purchasing behaviour. Qualitative research was conducted through discussions with consumer focus groups, all purchasers of imported high fashion apparel. Quantitative research was undertaken by means of a questionnaire with 28 items referring to the reasons for purchasing imported high fashion apparel. The sample consisted of 200 high fashion consumers from the city of Larissa, Greece. Data analysis includes descriptive statistics, reliability, as well as factor analysis by principal component analysis with Varimax rotation. This research was exploratory in nature and employed a non-probability sampling method. Results indicated that the consumers perceive that the imported high fashion apparel have better aesthetics, a better line and are produced from quality textiles, compared to the domestic high fashion apparel. Four factors derived underpinned the purchasing reasons of imported high fashion apparel: â€Å"status and image†, â€Å"quality of the product†, â€Å"marketing reasons† and â€Å"in fashion†. This study provided a useful source of information, which can be used by Greek high fashion apparel designers regarding the reasons why Greek customers of high fashion apparel purchase imported over domestic ones. The study suggests which elements Greek designers of high fashion apparel should focus upon in order to gain a larger market share. This study was important in terms that it was the first one to explore the reasons for purchasing imported high fashion apparel over domestic ones in Greece. It highlighted 28 reasons (items) derived from qualitative research. In addition it suggested appropriate quality and marketing actions to be undertaken by Greek high fashion apparel designers. Baker (2006) looked at the topic â€Å"Fashion industry facing challenges†. According to him, the Australia’s fashion industry faces many challenges including the rise of low-cost goods from Asia, a slowdown in consumer spending and the need to respond quickly to changes in trends. crippling household debt and low-cost Chinese imports increasingly will dominate the local fashion scene. â€Å"With house prices stagnant and the ongoing threat of an interest rate rise, people are readjusting their spending habits. Having spent beyond their means for many years, the debt to income gaps need to diminish, which means shrinking the value of goods bought on credit. According to him, the clothing industry is set to bear the brunt of a consumer slowdown in spending which would spell disaster for some local manufacturers. The ability of local production to respond quickly to changes in fashion trends is also crucial for survival. In his view, manufacturers will need to build closer relationships with retailers to help them respond more appropriately to consumer demand. Another challenge came from rapidly rising imports, particularly from China which accounts for 59 per cent of industry imports. Smaller, independent operators should always be on the lookout to increase efficiencies, develop effective branding and market strategies and attack key niche segments to make financial gains. One growth area for smaller players was on line selling, or e-tail, with its low set-up costs. Online sales currently account for just two to five per cent of retail sales in Australia but predicted that figure will increase with rising levels of broadband penetration. Revenue is leaking from our fashion industry as retailers who have been slow to catch on to building an online presence are losing out to overseas labels that are selling direct to the Australian public online. A survey undertaken by logistics group DHL found that the trend for local designers to go offshore could have a negative effect on the Australian fashion industry. The Business of Fashion survey showed that 90 per cent of respondents, which included designers and manufacturers, believe more garment manufacturing is headed offshore. The survey found that the industry needs better business training and more help to export if it is to remain competitive. Kalman (1999) wrote an article on how globalization has affected the fashion industry in the West Coast. While the West Coast sewn products industry is not exempt from downward domestic production trends faced by the rest of the United States, the region continues to stay one step ahead of the game thanks to its strengths in quick-turn fashion and flexible production. Suppliers to the market are focusing on these strengths as well as the challenges facing West Coast producers – namely the lure of low-cost sourcing south of the border – as they prepare to participate in the 1999 Sewn Products Expo – Los Angeles, which takes place April 22-24 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Looking at the factors that have driven the West Coast industry's growth, Lectra Systems Inc. vice president of marketing Rick Ludolph observes, â€Å"As West Coast firms have always been more fashion-driven, they have adapted better than more traditional manufacturing regions of the country to the need for fast, flexible production. †¦ Southern California, in particular, maintains a favorable value proposition with good labor availability at relatively low labor costs when compared to other U. S. regions. † Likewise, Mike Grogan, vice president of Apparel Machinery & Supply Co. notes that despite the migration of production offshore, the We st Coast apparel industry â€Å"still [has] a good core of smaller manufacturers, particularly in the Asian community, which can offer quick response to sudden fashion trends and short production runs. † The source of most West Coast production is California, which continues to lead U. S. apparel industry employment with a 1998 work force of approximately 168,700. The state is home to some 7,400 fashion-related companies that account for $47. 7 billion in annual wholesale sales, the California Fashion Association reports. Yet the growth of manufacturing activity in Mexico has had deleterious effects on apparel jobs, even in California. â€Å"This is particularly true in the most basic product line. People on the lower-priced budget end are almost completely forced out of the U. S. It's very difficult for them to make the high-volume, low-cost products here anymore. Moreover, From anywhere in Mexico you can be anywhere in the United States on the ground in four days, so transportation issues aren't really a problem anymore either. † Tight retail margins also are driving more production to Mexico. As Byte Systems director of sales and marketing Brad Mikes asserts: Retail price points are still the defining issue. Sewn products will continue to move to Mexico because of its proximity to the U. S. , the industry growth in Mexico, and because of the labor cost reduction [associated with] manufacturing there. Still, California has assets, such as its highly skilled work force and quick-turn manufacturing capacity that Mexico has yet to match. With regard to the state's growing apparel work force, Ludolph emphasizes: â€Å"This is a result of the strong demand for skilled labor, which is required to produce much of the women's wear and sportswear that is dominant in the region. †¦ [Subsequently] the availability of skilled, efficient labor is key to maintaining the apparel industry on the West Coast. † As the region's labor pool is fueled by an influx of Latin American immigrants, it promises to have a positive impact on maintaining jobs that might have otherwise moved to Mexico. With regard to flexible manufacturing, Robison-Anton Textile Co. president Bruce Anton notes that streamlined logistics and just-in-time production are playing an increasingly important role in the success of California's apparel industry, whereas â€Å"Mexican manufacturers have not adjusted to this yet. † Isenberg adds that with fashion-oriented orders, California contractors can maintain an edge over those of Mexico, which has very few â€Å"fashion factories,† as well as Asia, which requires long lead times. While â€Å"the days of having big runs come into domestic factories are all but over,† he says, California firms can still win if they are willing to run many different styles and small cuts. Indeed, without the security of big runs, many West Coast companies have had to become more acutely attuned to the caprices of the marketplace. As Joe Hollander, president of AC/Automated Components observes: â€Å"We have noticed that some factories are downsizing their operations and gearing themselves toward smaller production runs with an emphasis on quality and quick turnaround. We also see an emphasis on the ability to make subtle changes in the product to customize it for specific stores, chains, etc. † From a financial perspective, JBA International's Joe Facenda, senior consultant for apparel and footwear, concludes: â€Å"Our region is more influenced [than others] by the constant flow of new companies. Our designers and supplier network make us the Silicon Valley of the apparel industry,† he emphasizes, and this status breeds â€Å"a great need for more capitalization† so that start-ups and established companies alike don't â€Å"stay behind the capit al curve. † AHRC (2007) IN THE STUD OF Key Challenges in Adapting to New Models in the fashion industry ASSERTED THAT While companies are managing to adapt to offshore sourcing, they are slow to become world class in other parts of the value chain. Challenges are both company specific and general to the industry. The Study indicated that most participants had â€Å"operating basics† right, including being able to produce a value for money product that meets the end consumer needs at the right quality level, delivered on-time, with the proper service that retailers demand. However, the same study noted several weaknesses. A startling 58 percent of companies did not have the financial acumen, information or general expertise to identify the true profit drivers in their company. Without this information, these companies have been unable to distinguish profitable versus unprofitable segments of their business, and thus often unable to identify the most profitable niches to grow;58 percent of companies did not have a strong management team, implying that their own internal management competencies may be preventing them from reinventing themselves;While 67 percent of apparel companies operate within a niche, 62 percent do not offer the customer anything that differentiates them from the competition. Contractors were specifically noted to have even greater internal challenges, including:Extremely weak sales and marketing capabilities: Many companies tend to be dependent on relatively few longterm customers; These companies do not have an owner or key employees with significant sales capabilities;Weak financial and costing which impede their abilities to determine profitable contracts from unprofitable ones;Poor workforce cross-training capabilities / flexibility. A World-Class Focus of Excellence Key challenges per company will also vary based on the model being pursued. In general, the following table illustrates the key challenges depending on whether a company intends to maintain an element of the value chain in-house and make it a core focus or whether it intends to outsource it: Beyond specific business model challenges as noted above, certain general challenges will impact industry players as well:Decreasing Domestic Supply Chain As manufacturing continues to move offshore, domestic apparel manufacturer suppliers (textile companies, label producers, thread companies, etc. ) will face greater challenges; In all likelihood, these suppliers will continue to face consolidation and closures; As the supply chain erodes, it will become increasingly difficult for those apparel companies wishing to manufacture domestically to do so. The 2003 AHRC LMU noted that while most industry executives were aware of the coming industry restructuring, 87 percent did not have a strategic plan to deal with the issues. The 2007 AHRC Study confirmed this still to be the cases at the onset of the program, some three years later. While the 2007 AHRC Study provided assistance to 130 apparel companies, presumably there continues to be many apparel companies without well-rounded management teams. Beyond specific value chain shortcomings, key weaknesses tend to be in the areas of strategic and financial management. Of all participants in the 2007 AHRC Study, 27 percent will face a succession issue within the next 5 years; 42 percent within the next 10 years:Most of these companies do not have succession plans;There is a strong correlation between companies that have succession plans and strategic plans; i. e. , if a company does not have a winning strategy in place, it likely does not have a succession plan;Without succession plans, many of these companies will face business continuity issues in the short to mid-term. The issue of access to capital for the apparel industry is not new. For years, apparel companies have indicated that they feel there is a lack of support for their industry from the banking community. While there may be some truth to this, it may be for good reason. As previously noted, consider that of the 2007 AHRC Study participants: 56 percent did not have a strong management team in place; 58 percent were not able to determine the true profit drivers of their business; 87 percent did not have a strategic plan that could be acted upon; 61 percent were not willing to reinvest in their businesses. Under these circumstances, it is not a surprise that many companies could not / cannot secure financing. Nevertheless as a result of banking formula-based lending practices, we believe that financing remains a challenge to many well-run apparel companies and small businesses in general. SMEs at times, also have difficulty securing financing from other lenders. For example, asset based lenders often require substantial premium interest rates. Other larger non-traditional lending institutions and professionals that can assist prefer working with larger companies where greater fees and returns can be earned. The traditional financing problems will likely become further exacerbated as companies implement new models that do not generate assets that can be collateralized. Consider: Soft cost expenditures are often required to implement new models (i. e. esigners, marketers, sales and service personnel, increased travel, training and marketing costs, These expenditures offer no collateral security to lending institutions and as a result, are difficult to finance; Inventory financing costs are increasing, often as a result of shifts to imports; Requirements to fund export receivables are increasing. To further exacerbate the issues, many executives appear to often strip equity from their companies as opposed to maintaining this capital for future reinvestment. Employment will shift from predominantly production jobs to balanced or predominantly white collar positions. New models will require companies to hire world-class talents in areas such as design, marketing and logistics. According to the 2007 AHRC Study, positions to be most in demand include: Sales professionals (sales managers, brand managers, sales representatives); Marketing professionals (marketing managers, marketing analysts, merchandising technicians); Designers (product developers and design technicians); Import / export specialists; This talent appears to be in short supply and in demand by other industries as well. Apparel companies will be challenged to recruit, train and retain these key personnel. Financing such salaries will also be a challenge to companies. According to the 2003 AHRC LMU, 87 percent of Canadian apparel companies had less than 50 employees. Less than 7 percent of companies employed more than 100 personnel. This SME industry structure partly explains the lack of management sophistication in the industry. In order to reinvent themselves, many companies will need to increase their size in order to support greater white collar needs. We believe that this will lead to: Further industry consolidation; Continued merger and acquisition activity (for companies that have established a niche but need greater volume to expand and operate on a larger scale); Partnering / allying / creating joint ventures with world class specialists in order to remain competitive. Such partnerships are likely across the entire value chain in the areas of design, marketing, manufacturing, sales, logistics and distribution. As in the banking sector, much of the professional expertise in this area (business brokers for example) may be out of reach to many SMEs. Professionals in these areas prefer to work with large organizations whereby they can generate substantial fees as opposed to the SME marketplace. There are relatively few barriers to entry in launching an apparel company. As a result, the industry is constantly regenerating. Consider that nearly one third of all participating companies in the 2007 AHRC Study were established within the last ten years. Many of these companies are being founded by new designers graduating from colleges or individuals who have identified an underserved niche. Unhindered with the baggage of yesteryear, many of these companies have viable new business models. In these cases, the challenge is often to secure adequate industry specific managerial talent and financial resources to grow the company. CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY 3. 1 RESEARCH DESIGN The research used the survey design. Independent variables which were assessed cultural, globalization, pricing, product design and promotion challenges in the clothing sub sector of the fashion industry. Assessment was made to see their effect on the industry. Both qualitative and quantitative tools were used for the research. The design factored in large scale fashion designers, medium scale designers and tailors/seamstresses. The stratified and simple random sampling methods were used. 3. 2 POPULATION AND SAMPLING 3. 21 Population and Sample The research targeted large scale cloth designers, medium scale designers and tailors/seamstresses in Accra. The large scale designers are those who produce on large scale for the Ghanaian market and still export some. The medium scale are those who produce for the Accra market and a few for other regions. The tailors selected were those imitate and create designs based on the specifications of others. A sample of 120 was chosen. It was made of 10 large scale, 50 medium scale and 60 tailors/seamstresses. 3. 22 Sampling Strategy The research stratified the population into 3: large scale designers, medium scale designers and tailors/seamstresses. Simple random sampling was then used to select the sample in each stratum. A List was obtained from the Association of Fashion Designer and the Association of Tailors and Seamstresses. They then given codes and put in a basket. The sample was then selected randomly through the lottery approach. 3. 3 RESEARCH PROCEDURE A letter of introduction was taken from the Methodist University College. Copies were made and addressed to the leaders of Associations to seek approval for preliminary interview to have insight into the challenges of the industry. The leaders of the associations gave out the list of members, location and telephone numbers. With the help of the leaders, 120 respondents were selected. The researcher upon meeting the respondents explained the topic under study, stated the purposes, relevance and benefits of the research. Upon the approval of the Heads, the respondents were given the questionnaires. The researcher and his research assistants used a period of four (4) weeks to collect the questionnaires from the respondents. Out of the 120 individuals identified and given the questionnaires, 108 responded to the questionnaires, representing a response rate of 90%. 3. 4 RESEARCH INSRUMENT The primary data was collected through the administration of questionnaires based on our aims and research questions The questions were in †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The questions used in this research were two types: open-ended and closed-ended questions. The reason for the open-ended questions was to allow respondents to express their views in the way they desired. The closed-ended ones were used to ascertain specific answers. 3. 5 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this research. These two methods complement each other. Qualitative research can be used in all disciplines and subject matters and its main aim is to gather an in-depth understanding of reasons and human behaviour. It investigates the why, what, how, where and when of decisions making and human behaviour. The research used bar graphs and frequency tables to analyse the data. The researchers also used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for the analysis. REFERENCES APPENDIX 1 METHODIST UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING QUESTIONNAIRE INTRODUCTION I am a student of the Methodist University College, Department of Marketing, pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration. I am carrying out a research on the topic â€Å"Marketing challenges of fashion industry in Ghana: perspectives of clothing sector. in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree. It is the aim of this research to find out the challenges of the fashion industry in relation to globalization, cultural influence, product development, pricing, distribution and promotion. The information you provide would be treated with the confidentiality and anonymity it deserves. You are assured that the information would be used for purely academic purposes and nothing else. I would be grateful if you respond to this questionnaire as objectively and honestly as possible. SECTION A : Demographic Data 1. Age†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2. Gender: Male†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Female†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3. Educational background: Basic Education†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Secondary education†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Tertiary education†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4. How long have you been in the fashion industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5. Industry classification: Seamstresses/Tailors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Medium scale†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Large scale†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ SECTION B: Cultural Challenges 1. Clients like European designs Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2. American designs have adulterated indigenous Ghanaian designs Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3. Women mostly like western clothes that expose their bodies Yes†¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4. Cheap foreign clothes are collapsing the Ghanian fashion industry. Yes†¦ No†¦.. SECTION C: Challenges of Globalization 5 Unfair global trade affects the fashion industry in Ghana. Yes†¦ No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6. The fasion inudtry in Ghana uses very little IT in its operation. Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7. Designs on the net has a lot of influence in the choice of clothes. Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8. Globalisation has changed the taste and preferences of consumers in the fshion industry in Ghana. Yes†¦.. No SECTION D: Product development Challenges 9. the industry has innovative designers with a sense of originality. Yes†¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10. The clothes designed are of high quality. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11. Clothing brands do not have trademarks. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12. Designs and clothes are durable. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. SECTION E: Pricing Challenges 13. Consumers compain about the prices of clothes. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14. Prices of Ghanaian clothing designs are higher than that from the west. Yes†¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15. Chinese clothes of the same quality are less expensive than Ghanaian clothes. Yes†¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16. Designs do not have standard prices. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ SECTION F: Promotion Challenges 17. Industry players cannot afford to advertise clothes on TV. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 18. Medium scale clothing producers do not take part in trade exhibition. Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19. Most clothing designers are not known. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20. Stakeholders do radio advert to advertise new designs. Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. SECTION G: Distribution Challenges 21. Cloth designer do not have many sales outlet. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 22. There are not many retailers who deal in made Ghana clothes. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ No†¦. 23. Made in Ghana clothing designs are not easily accessible on the local market. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.