Ethical Brand Management Strategies for Fashion Industry

Ethical Brand Management Strategies for Fashion Industry Though brand management is not limited to the apparels and accessories it is very evident that fashion industry has given the word a turnaround over the years. From brand fanaticism to Brand loyalty Fashion Brands have the tendency to create a strong Brand identity amongst the minds of the consumers. Many of their brand management strategies have been successful. The global fashion industry is a giant in terms of the impact it has on economy, trade and commerce of many countries, the reach and importance of its products and the strength of its employment. Over the century, growth of the industry has been astonishing in terms of technology and revenue. The innovations had been rapid and growth exponential. Though origin of branding dates back to historical times, fashion industry is one of the industries which capitalized the most of a Brands strength. Fashion industry has a strong affinity to brand management, and most successful brand strategies like retailers Zara, Mark Spencer and Luxury designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Armani, Dior and YSL. The Brand strategy of most fashion brands revolve around the concept of differentiation of products, target customer group and building brand-consumer relationship from which is derived a Brand Personality and Identity of each brand. This identity carves a niche for the brand in the market. But there arise a few questions about this glamorous industries brand management strategy. Does a successful brand management strategy mean ethical Brand strategy? Does having a good turnover a year make a brand strategy successful? Can Ethics be inculcated in a brand strategy in an effective way? In the recent years a new concern has developed for the industries worldwide, the Ethics of business. The London fashion week, 2008 states that the fashion Industry has been caught on the issue of ethical and environmental clothing. Though researches have been made widely on Ethics and Business in most of the fields and industries very few initiatives had been made for the same in terms of brand management ethics and in particular context of Fashion and Apparel Industry. This Proposal aims in studying this less frequented topic of research yet growing concern of ethical consumerism in fashion industry, the requirements and processes involved for a brand to identify itself as a Holistic and authentic ethical brand. Scope of the Study Research Objectives, Questions and Hypotheses Research Objectives To study the brand management strategy of successful and powerful brands To understand the importance of Ethics as a critical factor for any brand strategy To analyze the effects of integrating ethics into the brand strategy and the implications of the relationship Research Questions What is a Brand strategy management? What are the successful brand strategies? What is business ethics? What is the need of Ethical Brand strategy? What are the implications of integrating ethical business and brand strategic management? Research Hypotheses Hypotheses 1 Strategic management is significant for a successful Brand Hypotheses 2 Business ethics has become an essential factor for competitive advantage of a brand Hypotheses 3 The relationship between brand management and business ethics can form an authentic ethical brand Literature Review of the Project This chapter aims to analyze the theory of the research project which is basically categorized into three broader topics of the research, namely Fashion Industry Brand Management strategy Business Ethics FASHION INDUSTRY Definition and History While fashion can be defined as the style or custom prevalent at a particular period of time adopted by the vast population in terms of clothing or behavior, it has been around from the time when people begun clothing. From 10,000 BC when men discovered a needle and loom to cloth themselves, through the Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilization where clothing got a religious meaning through the roman and Greek civilization where clothing was given an symbolization of beauty through the evolution of modern Elizabethan and Victorian era and finally to the era of influence of designers like Dior, Chanel to arrive at the Great Fashion era of today, Fashion has been ever evolving. Evolution But technically an industry for the same flourished only with the mark of Ready-to-wear invention around the beginning of 20th century. Till then tailors made cloths specific to a person, until when they found similarities of body forms of people they developed patterns which would fit more than one individual. Thus came in the Ready-to-wear garments. With the mark of 20th century the tailor shops were being turned into workshops to factories, where pattern drafting, bulk fabric cutting and sewing began. Industrial engineering and quality assurance were introduced as in other industries to yield greater quality and quantity of goods. During the era of industrial revolution the industry flourished. Thus evolved a billion dollar industry. With market being flooded with apparel products, the industry learnt the means of survival is differentiation. That is when the fashion industry started to adopt branding strategy for differentiation and creating particular identity of products that could be held in the minds of the consumers which would make them to buy the products repeatedly. Thus evolved fashion brand management strategy. Successful Fashion brands and brand philosophies Nike Just Do It The brand philosophy portrays grit, determination and passion. The products of Nike send the statement of a detached, determined, unsentimental attitude. Nike is synonymous with Cool LV Symbol of sophistication and style LV brand philosophy is tradition in combination with modernity LV products are Elegant, Practical, Prestige, Luxurious, Desirable, Stylish, Value-for-money, High-quality and Ever-lasting LV signifies Pride, Luxury and elegance Giorgio Armani Epitome of Luxury Fashion The brand founded and owned by the designer Giorgio Armani is a luxury line created by the designer catering top-notch clients with exemplary designs, style and materials that differentiates it from the regular luxury brands. The Brand Philosophy of Armani brands are based solely upon the founders personality and idea since the unique selling point of the brand is that it is Armanis! BRAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Brand Definition According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. But in a more generic definition it could be a means of differentiation a company has over their competitors who produce similar goods. For Example: Procter and Gamble produces dental tooth paste and so do Unilever. They both have to differentiate and offer some product for their customer base that would make them loyal to the company. Thus PG created Crest and Colgate brands of toothpaste and Unilever created the Pepsodent. The name is not the brand. But the logo, symbol, the product offering, the values on the whole is the brand a company creates. brands enable a buyer to easily identify the offerings of a particular company. Psychological perspective of brand From the psychological perspective a Brand is a perception held in the minds of the consumers. Perceptions are the psychological experience of humans. Hence a brand is actually the psychological experience or view a human has about what it has to offer to them. As Scott Bedbury, a leading branding consultant in his book titled, A Brand New World rightly states Brand has become psychological concepts held in the minds of the public, where they may stay forever Brand Strategic Management Strategic management in a Brand arena is the structured analysis, decisions and actions the brand takes in order to conjure the brand identity and value which gives the sustainable competitive advantage over its competitors. Decision Analysis Action Brand strategy is the foundation laid for the creation of the brand Identity which signifies the brand promise the customer expects. A brand strategy encompasses systematic planning at each stage of branding process. Right from Realizing the mission and vision of the company, Researching and defining the target customer segment, Zeroing on the Unique Selling Proposition of the company, Differentiating from competitors Giving a personality to the brand, developing brand values, Communicating the Brand values and brand promise to the customer Until Sustaining the Brand the strategic planning, decision making is termed as the brand strategy Management. The Zara Strategic Management Definition A firm to sustain in the current competitive market scenario should formulate and implement a value creating strategy, in order to achieve strategic competitiveness. Strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions designed to exploit core competencies and gain a competitive advantage. Strategic management process is the full set of commitments, decisions, and actions required for a firm to achieve strategic competitiveness and earn above-average returns. Zara has adopted what is termed as the integrated cost leadership and differentiation strategy. This strategy involves engaging in primary and support activities that allow a firm to simultaneous pursue low cost and differentiation. The Strategic Process Today a consumer has high expectations while purchasing a good or service. They demand low-priced yet differentiated products to suit their needs. To address these demands organizations engage in primary and support activities which will equip them to capitalize on both lower cost and differentiation. The objective of this strategy is to produce products of differentiated value efficiently. Efficient production provides cost leadership and the differentiation of products add unique value to it. The firms thus become strong in networking amongst the primary and secondary activities becoming competent. Zaras Strategic Process Zara has successfully adopted this strategy of cost leadership and differentiation to provide consumers with desirable fashion goods at relatively low prices. The sophisticated design team, effective managing of costs, flexible production system and total quality of management are the capabilities of Zara which gives it an strategic advantage over competitors ETHICS Definition While the world is facing the strength of business and commerce flourishing despite the economic slowdown, there is a silent movement amongst both the consumers and the organizations arousing concern for Ethical Business. Business ethics has now become the much debated topic not only because of its growing importance but also the complexity and difficulty in understanding and implementing them in a business. Human Beings have the power and ability to think and make a decision which other creations dont possess. This ability also comes with choices. And these choices require rational thinking. The humans thus should make the choice of which is right over wrong, using their knowledge, views and analytical skills. But the right and wrong are not explicit and requires tough decisions as the ethical decisions are not easy to make and demands more than what the individual or organization is ready to give. But such decisions are vital for the greater good of the organization, people and environment Evolution of Ethics Ethics is one of the few terms with no one fixed definition. It is an evolutionary concept. Its meaning and purpose is evolving as does the business. The following are the few views on ethics, The Initial definition for ethics was simple. Ethics was about doing right thing in context to morals, values and culture. This works for an individual who has personal instinct and acts according to that instinct. When it comes to an organizations perspective, defining what is the Right thing and whom or what should be the primary concern for ethical decisions the company, the shareholders, the stake holders or the whole society, ample questions arise. But inevitably men are greedy and as time progressed since 1960s various ethical issues arouse in business. From the Employee-employer relationship tensions, bribery, financial frauds and mis-management, human rights, transparency issues, environmental issues to the Intellectual property stealth and cyber crimes every issue has led onto a newer perspective and need for ethics in business. These needs were supported by various laws and codes passed on by the authoritative organizations. The developments include the earlier code of conduct and values established by companies, to the formation of ethics resource centre and corporate social responsibility movements and until the Sarbanes -Oxley Act of 2002 business ethics have fallen under strict scrutinization of these regulations. Need for Ethics Business ethics in text definition is The Principles, standards or rules that guide the organization and the organizers together in the business arena. The standards are the judging criterions for what is right or wrong and what is acceptable and unacceptable by the society at large. But various studies suggest that ethics is ever evolving phenomenon. From being Just doing the right thing to the standards and laws of judging the right thing now ethics has evolved to Business beyond profits and laws. Now Business ethics is about the Triple Bottom Line. Financial Social Environmental Ethics is now beyond just doing business without harming the society and environment. It is about doing business and also contributing to the society and environment from where they take resources for doing the business and also sell the end product or service. Thus the expectation is that while the business has growth there should also be the societal and environmental growth. This evolution of ethics gave rise to a new field in business namely the Corporate Social Responsibility. CSR is about an organization going beyond what is legal and makes most profit for the company to contributing and achieving societal benefits with interest of all stakeholders. ETHICAL BRAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY The New Concept While the business ethics is much debated and though complex organizations are trying to interpret and implement them in business. Research and studies are conducted in this field of business ethics. But unfortunately Brand management and integration of ethics into the foundation of branding still remains unobserved. The reason for the same could be many including the major misconception that branding is all about the powerful logo and name that enables organizations to sell products and rake profits. But that is only one part of the branding. The product branding is much regarded with importance that organization branding is overlooked. This study is to understand the importance of integrating ethics into organization branding and the strategic implementation of the same. Brands today have a powerful position in the minds of the consumer. The consumers associate themselves with the brand and studies claim that bran is a Personality in the minds of the consumer. This phenomenon leads to brand loyalty or in severe case to brand fanaticism. When brand has such importance amongst its consumers and has direct impact with its activities in society and environment, there is growing demand for Ethical brands. Case study: Apple Considering the Case of one of worlds powerful brand, Apple: Apple has a perceived personality of sophistication and uniqueness in the minds of its customers and the society. But a recently one of Apples supplier manufacturer have been found guilty for chemical poisoning of 49 employees and another supplier reported to have used child labor. Though Steve jobs of Apple claim that Apple is not responsible for the same, these reports highlight lack in ethical concerns in area of production of worlds popular devices. This might pose as a threat for the brand Image Apple has created over the years and its sustainability becomes questionable. Consumers have the access to information to realize Apples sophisticated product is an end result of unacceptable work environment and child labor. Then the Brand Personality in their minds might take a change. Thus to avoid such a situation it is not an option but a necessity for Ethical brand Management Strategies. The Ethical Approach Ethical brand is perceived as an oxymoronic term by business community at large. They are regarded as two contradictory terms put together. But the real sense in perceiving them is as two complementary words working in synchronization with each other. Both is of no use when the other is insignificant. While a typical Brand Strategy aims to Establish the brand values amongst customers Create Brand Identity and market position differentiating from competitors Create and sustain brand loyal customers To maximize profit by increased sales and expansion of brand These aims are basic and essential for any organization trying to establish and sustain a brand and make the organization profitable. But as the brand grows in size, power and financially, these aims are testified for their ethical commitments and that is when they flatter undoubtedly. The Ethical approach to the same brand strategy aims would possibly be, Establish the brand values amongst customers By not just stating the values but integrating those values at each and every stage of the organization. Brand values are promise made by the organization. Create Brand Identity and market position differentiating from competitors By competing fairly, without trying to override competition unethically at any means Create and sustain brand loyal customers Without fake promises, with transparency and sustainable brand practices. To maximize profit by increased sales and expansion of brand Without bringing about any harm to the environment, society and stake holders, and also contributing to the society and environment responsibly. The table does not follow any standard code of ethics but just a perspective in which the same aims can be redesigned for an ethical brand. ETHICAL FASHION BRANDS Fashion industry is undoubtedly ever flourishing industry not only because of its size and buzz but also since it produces one of the basic commodity for which there is a ever increasing demand: Clothing. Fashion Industry is characterized by Labor intensive, customer centric, fast changing trends, extensive raw material usage, and tedious manufacturing and marketing processes. Consumers of fashion brands are loyal followers of their brands. Be it high end fashion designer brands like Dior and Armani to the mass marketing fashion brand like Zara and MS, brand followers have very high expectation of their brands. From product quality to service these brands have to live upto their brand promise. With Globalization, a brands customers have access to informations of all forms. And the rising concern of the fashion consumer is not only about how cost efficient their clothes are but also how ethical are the clothes they wear? It has to be mentioned here that the same consumers who question about ethical status of the brands also demand lower costs of quality products. As discussed earlier in ethics there are always choices, whether to provide higher ethical products and the higher cost that accompanies it to make sustainable profits whether to give lower cost, lower ethical products and still make larger profit Unfortunately most fashion brands seem to have chosen the latter option which could be viewed as the immediate best solution for the brand and customers. But is the solution sustainable is the issue of the hour. Case of Ethical Brand Failure HM Originated in Sweden in the year 1947, HM now holds 2000 stores across the world. The brand has its own base of customers and promise them fashion and quality at the best price. The corporate social responsibility of HM as stated in their sustainability report which states style and substance encompasses most of the ethical issues of fashion industry. Their sustainability vision as stated is that they follow a strategy for the business operations which ensures financial, social and environmental sustainability. But recent reports claim otherwise, Financial Times has reported that HM clothings organic cotton claims are deceptive as a test conducted on these so called organic cotton fabrics reveal a outrageous amount of genetically modified cotton, (DNA modified cotton for better productivity and anti-pest properties). It is well known that there is worldwide outrage against genetically modified crops as their ill-effects surpass the benefits they possess. Many countries have banned the cultivation and use of genetically modified cotton as they possess unforeseen threats to the consumers health, environment and the society. Here is the case of HMs failed promise. Their sustainability vision has lost its application as they committed financial, social and environmental sustainability but the reports claim the opposite. GAP Gap, claiming to be the worlds largest specialty retailer, was founded by Doris and Don Fisher in the year 1969 with San Francisco as the base. They include array of brands namely Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. Gap now operates 3100 stores worldwide. Interestingly GAP has dedicated a separate website for the cause of the Brands social responsibility and ethical practices. The Statements and claims are powerful and brings a positive aura about the brand. Gap states that they believe not only in the basics of ethical business practices but also to embrace a broader, deeper responsibility to people and the planet. The statement states that the brand stands up to care for the stakeholders, society and the environment at large and they make choices which bring no harm to them. They also ensure the GAP customer that every time a Gap product is purchased the consumer acknowledges a Brand which cares about people and planet. But the true depth of these statements becomes questionable when GAP is now caught in the middle of quality of the work environment GAP suppliers are subjecting their workers to. The Telegraph reports about child-labor in factories in India sewing GAP garments. The Saipan Islands of the pacific, Officially under US has a legal system for setting their own immigration system which facilitated garment manufacturers to bring in cheap labor from china and use labels stating Made in USA. The large Chinese owned garment factories bring in young female workers from china and mostly south-east Asia with assurance of good salary and work environment but contrastingly with sweat shop work environment. A critical analysis of what GAP has stated as their ethical policy is strikingly in contrast with these reports. If the ethics is as integrated into Gaps vision as they claim what could be possibly be the cause of these situations in factories supplying GAP clothing? The Need for Authentic Ethical Brand The cases of GAP and HM are just examples of ethical failures in Fashion Brand management. There are many other big brands associated with ethics failure the list including Nike, Abercrombie Fitch, Calvin Klein, Wal-Mart and more. These cases plainly illustrates these companies didnt lack a vision for sustainability. They had well-structured vision and mission for sustainable ethical strategy, but what they lacked was the implementation and monitoring of the same. It is also essential to begin this process right from the basics. That is ethics and brand strategy should integrate from the fundamental and progress upwards through all processes of the brand development. Research Methods This research proposal aims in laying the foundation for the detailed dissertation to follow on developing an ethical brand strategy framework for the fashion industry. The proposal aims in locating the problems of existing ethical strategies and their implementation and monitoring systems. RESEARCH FRAMEWORK Trend Analysis Design process Sampling DESIGN MERCHANDISE Ethical check point Ethical issue Ethical Solution Approved Rejected Scheduling resource allocation Supplier Analysis Raw material procurement Sampling PLAN SOURCE Ethical check point Ethical issue Ethical Solution Approved Rejected Garment Sewing Management Fiber to fabric monitoring Marketing Ads Management Sampling PRODUCE AND MARKET Ethical check point Ethical issue Ethical Solution Approved Rejected DISTRIBUTE Warehouse management Inventory Management Transportation to showrooms Ethical check point Ethical issue Ethical Solution Approved Rejected Floor planning VM Sales feedback Sales Trend analysis SALES, ANALYSE AFTER SALES Ethical check point Ethical issue Ethical Solution Approved Rejected Research Development Human Resource Management Administration SUPPORT ACTIVITIES Ethical check point Ethical issue Ethical Solution Approved Rejected PRODUCT OF AN AUTHENTIC ETHICAL BRAND The idea of the research framework Fig is to ensure the brand can be known to be practicing an ethical strategy if and only if code of ethics is integrated at each level of process flow of product development. Description of the framework The framework is structured to highlight six vital process categories for a brand to produce the end product. The categories include Design merchandise The design and merchandising is the first stage in a fashion brand process flow, as this where the product is conceptualized and given form. The trend analysis, feasibility of design, material selection, sampling and all merchandising coordination processes takes place at this stage. This is the mind work part of the fashion product development. Plan source Planning includes the pre-production scheduling, resource allocation, backward planning and ensuring commitments. Sourcing includes procurement of raw materials for the production process. This stage requires large supplier and buyer co-ordination and resource planning. Produce and market The apparel manufacturing is the most labor intensive of all levels of product development. However automated, the actual cut, sew and pack requires ample workforce management. Marketing is where the brand transports its values to the customers and involves PR Distribute The distribution is the most important of the supply chain activities, inventory and warehouse management of finished goods, allocation planning and transportation to the showroom. Sales, analyze after sales This is where the product is made into revenue through sales. The showroom management, floor planning, visual merchandising all enable shoppers trafficking the showroom while the sales analysts analyze the sales patterns and suggest on replenishment. The after-sales services and waste management of the Brands products are areas of concern. Support Activities The support activities form the backbone of the brand process flow, which includes the essential human resource management generating, training and maintaining workforce, research development bringing about new innovations for the brands portfolio and the general administrative department taking care of the overall functioning of the brand from conceptualization to customer care. The Ethical Checkpoint The research aims in finding the feasibility of having an ethical checkpoint at every stage of product development of an apparel brand. The purpose and functionality of the ethical checkpoint could be Aim To ensure only ethically sustainable products pass through different levels of brands production process. Process Each brand should define their own ethical standards and code of ethics to be followed at each level of the Brands product development. This code of ethics should be in compliance with both global and local ethics standards in accordance to the brands demography. The function of the ethical checkpoint is to ensure that at each level of process flow the ethical standards are met and if any ethical issues arise the suitable ethical solutions are arrived at before the product pass on to the next level of the process flow. In this way the product at each level is ensured to be sustainable. Thus the brand self-monitors itself for ensuring the sustainability promise it has made to its consumers End Result The end product is not just name sake ethical but holistically ethical made by ethical standards from the scratch to the finished goods stage. Positive Impact By adopting this strategy the brand not only ensures it stays committed to the people, planet and product but also they promote positive consumerism amongst their consumers. This is one of the possible frameworks of authentic ethical brand management strategy for the fashion industry. A descriptive framework for the ethical check point could be Ethical check point Ethical issue Ethical Solution Approved Rejected

Intelligence failure is political and psychological organisation

Intelligence failure is political and psychological organisation Intelligence failure is political and psychological more often than organisational. Discuss in relation to at least two examples of intelligence failure. In this essay I will illustrate, through specific examples, the human condition and the psychological roots of surprise, the actions of policy-makers and an examination of organisational defects of agencies, and how they contribute to intelligence failures. However in order to understand what constitutes ‘intelligence failure, some contextual definition must be provided. The phrase intelligence failure often has highly negative connotations in terms of national security. Although it is also been used to describe situations such as the 1998 Indian nuclear weapons tests whereby U.S and Western policy-makers were surprised by the international incident that took place, even when that surprise caused minimal impact to their national security. Using the word failure to describe situations where negative consequences for national security are minimal may seem unusual however it highlights the imprecise meaning of the word. The amassing of, interpretation and eventual distribution of information to those in power is an ongoing process that can occasionally fail to depict events on the international scene accurately or adequately in-depth to provide them with either infallible information or total certainty.As a result, when surprises like Pearl Harbour and the 9/11 attacks occur, intelligence agencies bear the brunt of the scrutiny. It is interesting to no te that in a study conducted by Dr. Robert Johnston within the U.S. Intelligence Community in 2005 he interviewed several CIA officials and requested a definition of the term ‘intelligence failure from several of the interviewees. Some of the responses disavowed the existence of ‘intelligence failure while others placed the terms in the broader context of policy and decision making. It is apparent that one of the most difficult elements in intelligence analysis rests in measuring up enemy intention and removing the element of surprise. Surprise is essentially a psychological phenomenon that has its roots in human nature.This process is not made any easier if the intelligence gathered is unreliable, incomplete or just plain absent. Furthermore, knowledge about capability does not supply a perfect clue to intentionas will be demonstrated below. A common failing is to create an interpretation of the enemys intentions yet base it on the ideology or belief of the analyst and his home nation. Hindsight reveals that the element of surprise in the majority of large-scale wars fought since 1939 was unwarranted and a considerable amount of evidence of an imminent assault was available to the victims before the fact. In 1941 a number of high ranking administration officials expressed the belief that as long as the U.S maintained overall military advantage over Japan, war was unlikely to break out. All the evidence indicates that they are more afraid of war with the U.S. than anything else. U.S policy-makers remained firm in their belief that Japan would base its decision to wage war on military considerations. It has been argued that, as Japanese/U.S. relations were on a steady decline and with a large number of reports being received regarding possible Japanese aggression and aggressive intentions, U.S. officials had almost certain knowledge that war was at hand. Roberta Wohlstetter attributes the failure to anticipate the attack on Pearl Harbour on the massive number of irrelevant material being accumulated regarding Japanese intentions, euphemistically termed ‘noise. In addition, not all intercepts were decoded and the intercepts that were, did not all travel along the same communication routes and so ended up not rising the chain of command; no single person or agency ever had at any given moment all the signals existing in this vast information network. Wohlstetter also believes that intelligence officers could perhaps have foreseen the attack years before, if the U.S. had concealed spies within Japanese military circles and expanded its code-breaking capabilities. Of course, it can be further argued that success in warning can be indistinguishable from failure. If, for example, the defender acknowledges a warning and responds in time with defensive preparations then the attacker may cancel the operation. Thus the original prediction would be rendered invalid. The Japanese task force en route to Pearl Harbour had orders to abort if the element of surprise was lost. During the week preceding the Yom Kippur war, Israeli intelligence officers accumulated a substantial amount of credible information indicating unusual Egyptian activities along the Suez Canal. A memorandum was circulated to Intelligence Command which concluded that there was a high probability that Egyptian manoeuvres were only cover for an impending attack. The intelligence indicated a readiness for an offensive however on the eve of war; the intelligence material did not affect the strategic thinking of Israelis decision makers. They attributed their own line of reasoning to the adversary. Overlooking the possibility that the enemy might not follow the same line of thought the Israeli leaders displayed a fatal lack of imagination that separated them from their opponent and in this case, aided by hindsight, it is clear that when tactical facts differ from that of strategic possibilities, the former should be given increased weight in the decision making process. As established above, the cause of intelligence failure can be a result of an analysts own psychological condition influencing data, reports or opinions of others, likewise policymakers can be guilty of the same. In this next example I will demonstrate how not only the psychological condition can result in an intelligence failure. Since the 9/11 disaster public discussion has been focused strongly on the human causes of the tragedy and asking the question ‘What went wrong? And one of the failures of the intelligence community that had been overlooked in the beginning was the organisational structure of both the FBI and CIA. On closer examination, it is evident that the Bureau and CIA suffered from a litany of organisational weaknesses that can be attributed to being a major component of the 9/11 disaster. The structural problems the FBI faced were exacerbated by the fact the bureau was part of an Intelligence Community that had been be in opposition to information sharing, the CIA and FBI having a long history of poor communication added to divided responsibility geographically which invariably led to vast gaps in coverage of territory. Whilst the CIA was among the agencies charged with tracking terrorists abroad, the FBI had responsibility for monitoring terrorist suspects within U.S borders. There was however no clear distinction of responsibility for monitoring movement of terrorist suspects between the U.S and foreign countries. The bureau was considered so peripheral that previous to 9/11 the CIA neglected to put the Attorney General on its distribution list for the Presidents Daily Brief, the most important Community-wide current intelligence report. Consequently, terrorists could operate freely across borders but the U.S Intelligence Community could not. Whats more, J. Edgar Hoover had created a specific picture of FBI agents in a large publicity campaign that soon agents themselves began believing; they were glorified agents, in everything from movies to play cards with the ultimate goal for a striving ambitious agent was to work criminal cases and not sit behind a desk, and so this had an unfortunate side effect an aversion to technology and analysis. As one agents describes the ‘old-school mentality after the 9/11 attacks, ‘real men dont type. The only thing a real agent needs is a notebook, a pen and a gun, and with those three things you can conquer the world. With that perspective in mind, greater emphasis was placed on the more tangible criminal conviction, as opposed to a very absent terrorist attack. To further the argument, organisational incentives supplemented this way of thinking with opportunities for analysts promotion to senior positions highly restricted if permitted at all. Moreover, in terms of techno logy, the FBI computer system was so outmoded that it took up to 12 commands to store a single document, this coupled with an almost pathological distain for counterintelligence operations meant that billions of records were simply kept in paper files in shoe boxes and if reports did come in, they were not assigned a high priority level. The CIA also suffered from similar failings in its internal structure. When the organisation was created, it was charged with conducting missions to collect covert intelligence, engage in covert action and it also publishes National Intelligence Estimates (NIE). Thus in similar fashion to the FBI ‘bi-polarity of having duel missions law enforcement and intelligence- these tasks cannot be suitably carried out and the intelligence analysis can end up politicised. The CIA had not been particularly strong on terrorism since the late 1980s. William Casey and Robert Gates Director and deputy director respectively falsely believed that the Soviet Union was responsible for every act of international terrorism and formed the Counter-terrorism Centre (CTC). Even after the failed plot to bomb Los Angeles International Airport in December 1999, the agencies did not heighten concerns over the ability of Al-Qaeda to strike inside the U.S. Everyone has someone they want to hold responsible for 9/11 and although different people have found different culprits, their point is the same: that individual leaders are to blame for the World Trade Centre and Pentagon attacks. It is however, dangerous to place the entire burden of responsibility on single individuals, though it may be understandable, as it is a natural human response after a great tragedy. It does however suggest the wrong causes of failure and thus the wrong remedies in tackling them. For instance, well-meaning ‘intelligence reform advocates including members of Congress and families, of 9/11 victims mistakenly fixed their sights on measure recommended by the 9/11 Commission, most notably the creation of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). It would be ridiculous to say that individual leadership is irrelevant; it would merely be more prudent to examine the less noticeable aspects of organisational life. If it was the case that leadership determin ed counterterrorism success and failure, then resolution to the problems encountered by the intelligence agencies would be easy. To conclude, it seems that the enduring defects in the FBI and CIA organisational structure, culture, and incentive systems proved to be a major debilitating factor once the Cold War was over and the terrorist threat emerged. These weaknesses ultimately prevented the agencies from exploiting 12 separate opportunities that might have disrupted the 9/11 plot. These agencies may be charged with preventing surprise but not all surprises can be prevented, such as the abrupt end of the Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union. Furthermore it seems the danger of defining ‘intelligence failure by example resembling those above is that each case is contextually unique and can be argued with no end in sight. The important recurring element through the examples illustrated is the significance of surprise, regardless of if it is intelligence surprise, military surprise in the case of Pearl Harbour and the Yom Kippur war, or political surprise. Even if the intelligence community itself was not surprised by them, it was unable to convince the military and political consumers of intelligence, these events might occur; in which case it suggests the failure is one of organisational and specifically of communication and persuasion. Marrin, S., ‘Preventing Intelligence Failure by Learning from the Past International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence 17/4 (2004) p. 657 Marrin, S., ‘Preventing p.656 Johnson, R. Analytic Culture in the US Intelligence Community: An Ethnographic Study (Centre for the Study of Intelligence 2005) ch. 1- https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/analytic-culture-in-the-u-s-intelligence-community/full_title_page.htm (accessed 18th March 2010). Harkabi, Y., Nuclear War and Nuclear Peace (Jerusalem: Israel Program for Scientific Translations, 1966) p. 51 Kennan, G. F., Russia, The Atom and the West (New York 1957) p. 21 Betts, R. 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Piller, C. ‘Without a Clue: How the FBI Lost Its Way, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, (11th August 2002) p. 1 Cumming, A. Masse, T. ‘FBI Intelligence Reform Since September 11 2001: Issues and Options for Congress Congressional Research Service Report No. RL32336 (6th April 2004) http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL32336.html (accessed 17th March 2010) p. 13 Federal Bureau of Investigation, ‘The FBIs Counterterrorism Program Since September 2001 Report to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the US (14 April 2004) p.51 Goodman, M.A., ‘9/11: The Failure of Strategic Intelligence p. 62 TRACES OF TERROR: THE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES; C.I.A.s Inquiry On Qaeda Aide Seen as Flawed New York Times 23rd September 1998 p. 11 Russell, R.L., ‘A Weak Pillar for American National Security: The CIAs Dismal Performance against WMD Threats, Intelligence and National Security 23/3 (September 2005) p. 478 Zegart, A. ‘9/11 and the FBI p. 179 Zegart, A. ‘9/11 and the FBI p. 165 Treverton, G. J., Reshaping National Intelligence for an Age of Information (New York Cambridge University Press 2003) p. 32

Essay --

Systematic use of black slaves in New Netheriands began in1626,when the first carge of 11 Africans was unloaded by the Dutch West India Company. The company had been founded in 1621,and it operated both as commerical company and as a military institution with quasi-state-like powers.the company had originally tried its colonial experiment in New Netherlands with agricultural laborers from Holland,but this plan went nowhere.Most ofthe Dutch who came to America sought to pile up money in the lucrative fur trade and then hurry back to the comforts of Holland to enjoy their wealth.So the company increasingly turned to slaves,which it was already importing in vast numbers to its Caribbean colonies. From the 1630s to the 1650s,the WIC "was unquestionably the dominant European slave trader in Africa." In 1644 alone,it bought 6900 captives on the African coast.Most of these went to the company's colonies in the West Indies,but the company also imported slaves to New Netherlands to cut the forests.buld roads, constructs house,and grow food.It was company-owned slave ...

osmosis :: essays research papers

Aim: The aim of this experiment is to investigate the movement of water into and out of plant cells by osmosis. The cells chosen for study will be taken from potato tubes as they provide a ready supply of homogeneous material. I did the investigation in two parts, the first part of my investigation was my preliminary investigation and then I did my official investigation. In both of my investigations there are several similarities, such as fair testing, variables, key variables, reliability of evidence and safety precautions. In both of my investigation there were obviously some differences which were in the method, apparatus, results and means of measuring etc. Essential Background Reading Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules across a partially permeable membrane from a high concentration of water to a low concentration of water. Movement of substances takes place through the cell membrane, which separates the different substances in the cell from its surroundings. This type of membrane allows small molecules such as water to pass through it, but it denies entry to large particles to pass. This membrane is called a partially permeable membrane. The amount of water inside a cell is called water potential. Turgor is the name given when osmosis takes place between the cytoplasm and the solution outside the cell. This happens when a plant cell is placed in a high concentrated solution of water, water then passes through the cell wall, the cell membrane, and the cytoplasm and into the vacuole. The increased pressure of water inside the vacuole is called Turgor pressure. Then the cell becomes turgid. Plasmolysis is the opposite of turgor. This happens when plant cells may be placed in a less concentrated solution of water, although this is very unlikely to happen in nature. Water passes out of the vacuole, the cytoplasm, the cell membrane and the cell wall and into the solution outside the cell. The pressure of the vacuole on the cytoplasm decreases until the cytoplasm pulls away from the cell wall. Diagrams I have illustrated the diagrams of turgor and Plasmolysis on a separate page. Fair Testing This is when the result is only related to the variable being tested. For e.g. if there are six variables, five variables must be kept identically the same and only one is changed/tested to see how this affects the outcome. This is ensuring that this investigation shall only be testing one variable (Key Variable).

Private School Vouchers Essay -- essays research papers

Proposals to use private school vouchers, a marketplace strategy, as a mechanism by which to improve the general quality of public education have produced a lively debate. Frequently, that debate has degenerated into a disagreement about whether public schools are as good as private schools or whether a given private school is better than a certain neighborhood public school. Other issues raised in these discussions include the appropriate use of public funds, the role of competition in improving public education, and the right of parents to choose a school for their children. Although these issues are of interest, they are not the fundamental questions which must be raised about the future of public schools in a democracy.Two Core Issues In their rush to the marketplace, the proponents of private school choice supported by public funds have chosen to ignore two core issues. First, the advocates of private school choice studiously avoid any discussion of the relationship between pub lic schools and the common or public good in a democracy. As an example, the Governor of Wisconsin asserts that "any school that serves the public is a public school" and should therefore receive public funds through a voucher system. There is no recognition in this proposal of the distinct and unique purpose of public education in serving the public good. This rhetorical sleight-of-hand does not mean that a private school of choice becomes a public school in purpose simply by so defining it. The claim is merely a device to divert public funds for private purposes.The failure to recognize that public schools have a central responsibility in a democratic society is further evidenced by the work of John Chubb and Terry Moe, who argue that improving the efficiency and quality of public education will require the replacement of democratic governance by market mechanisms. The authors state, "The most basic cause of ineffective performance among the nation's public schools is their subordination to public authority. ... The school's most fundamental problems are rooted in the institutions of democratic control by which they are governed".Chubb and Moe deny the historic purposes of public schools when they reject the idea that educational policy should be directed by a common vision or purpose. They assert, "It should be apparent that schools have no immutab... ...t serve them simply cannot endure and thrive in a climate of economic abandonment. Private school choice is a diversion sponsored by those whose collective economic decisions have made life in our urban community a daily struggle for survival. ReferencesChubb, John E. and Moe, Terry M. Politics, Markets, and America's Schools. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution, 1990.Elam, Stanley, M., Rose, Lowell C., and Gallup, Alec M. "The 26th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools." Phi Delta Kappan (September 1994): 41-56.Henig, Jeffrey R. Rethinking School Choice: The Limits of the Market Metaphor. Princeton:Princeton University Press, 1994.Kelly, Elizabeth A. Education, Democracy, and Public Knowledge. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995.Kozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities. New York: Crown Press, 1991.Plank, David N. and Boyd, William Lowe. "Antipolitics, Education, and Institutional Choice: The Flight From Democracy." American Educational Research Journal (Summer 1994): 263-281.Witte, John. Third Year Report: Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Madison, WI: Robert La Follette Institute of Public Affairs, 1993.

Ivy’s Essay

Travel Broadens the Mind Saint Augustine once said â€Å"the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page†. Traveling, like reading, broadens the mind. It enriches life experience, sparks inspiration and makes people poised. Travel enriches life experience. It is a process of feeling the world: enjoying beautiful sceneries, tasting different food, meeting interesting people and experiencing new cultures. I traveled a lot when I was a kid.I remember once when I was in the Liangshan yi autonomous region, Sichuan, my parents took me to the Torch Festival. People dressed in clothes with Yi features, surrounded a big torch, dancing and singing with great joy. I was highly affected by the atmosphere, my face was reddened and my whole world was lighted up. I can still remember those smiling faces and joyful cheers. Travel offers us a shot to better understand the world and make us more open to embrace the new things which could make our life more exciting and meaning ful.Travel sparks inspiration. Whiling traveling, we enter a totally different space, the air we breathe; the language we hear; the food we try can always arouse our love for life and give us inspiration. San Mao, a famous Chinese writer, composed most of her works while traveling. One of her best known work The Story of Sahara is about her experience in the northern Africa. This book vividly described the lifestyle, culture and native people in the Sahara Desert.If she had never been there, there would be no such a wonderful work. Besides writers, musicians and artists often get inspired through travel. On the journey, we might meet obstacles. A flat tire, a landslide, or extreme weather may make us feel scared and panic, but somehow we can tough it out. After all those experience, we will be awed by nature and be brave and poised no matter what happens in our life. Life is a book, and with travel, we can read through the pages and make our life rich and beautiful.

Why People Attend College Or University?

While some people prefer to find a job right away after graduation from school, others make a decision to continue their education at college or university. This way is not easy because it requires some sacrifices – financial and personal. But people choose this road in spite of high expenses and other obstacles. For many people, attending educational institutions such as college or university is a path to obtain knowledge, skills, and contacts for realizing (in order to realize) their professional dreams and ambitious.First of all, by taking courses or program at college, students gain strong knowledge in their fields of professional interest. They comprehensively study subjects including theories, laws, regulations, and practical exercises. Also, practically, all colleges and university organize workshops and seminars where recognized experts from particular field share their experience with participants. In addition, all students have an access to a wide range of learning r esources such as libraries, special internal databases, additional courses, experiential classes and much more.Beyond knowledge, students should learn several important skills which allow transferring well-built theoretical knowledge into the professional life. One of such skills is ability to present ideas clearly, and every college and university train students to make a presentation and speak on public. Another essential skill is ability to communicate with different people properly. That is why during educational process students have a lot of discussions and do several group projects. Besides, working together, students encounter some problems which take place in a real workplace and learn to solve them.Undoubtedly, one of the most significant reason for attending college or university is an opportunity to build professional network and get a job in the future. Because educational institutions organize many events with professionals and often offer a placement, students have a chance to demonstrate their abilities and get in touch with potential employer. This is the one sure way to find a job. Moreover, student who has already found a job might recommend his or her former classmate if his or her company needs to hire one more.Thus, contacts made at college or university help students to enter into the professional field. It might take a lot of time and efforts to become a professional and achieve career goals. However, college or university can make this road significantly easier and smoother. By getting a fundamental theoretical and practical basis, training communication skills, and establishing a professional network, future professionals obtain an excellent start which makes their dreams closer.