Metaphysics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Metaphysics - Essay Example In this paper, the author examines the concept of metaphysics by surveying the changes in the use of the term, from the ancient, philosophic sense, to the contemporary esoteric sense, such as that found in New Age teachings. Ancient Metaphysics The term â€Å"metaphysics† was coined by Andronicus, the editor of Aristotle’s works, to refer to the collection of writings that dealt with a subject outside of physics, that is, Aristotle’s works on the natural or physical sciences. Aristotle himself did not refer to his works as being divided into the Physical and the Metaphysical. Instead, he somewhat classified his works as dealing primarily with the nature of the natural or physical world, and those that deal with first causes. But does it make sense to make such a distinction? It appears that it does make sense, because in seeking to understand the nature of the physical world, Aristotle argues that the latter is characterized by change. Thus, Aristotle’s ph ysics deals with change. Consequently, the â€Å"metaphysics† or those â€Å"beyond or after the physics† deals with first causes, or those that do not change. This latter point explains why the concept of Being is central to Aristotle’s metaphysics. ... In tackling the question of Being and existence, metaphysics deals essentially with the question of reality. In book 12 of his Metaphysics, Aristotle writes that â€Å"the subject of our inquiry is substance; for the principles and the causes we are seeking are those of substances. For if the universe is of the nature of a whole, substance is its first part† (â€Å"Metaphysics†). Indeed, if the observable world is subject to change, of what substance is this world made of? Could there be an unchanging, hence, metaphysical substance? In other words, he was preoccupied with examining the nature of reality. Modern Metaphysics In the e-book, Metaphysics (2006), Ethan Vorly states that â€Å"Metaphysics is the science of all realms, their laws and functions†(2). He defines metaphysics as the â€Å"study of multi-dimensional energies, forces and substances† (5). This view of metaphysics clearly delves into the esoteric interpretation of the term. In discussing m etaphysics along the lines of energy forces and dimensions of existence, Vorly has much in common with the Eastern philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism. For example, he writes of reality in terms of an Ultimate Reality, not very different from the Eastern concept of Tao. In this sense, an esoteric understanding of metaphysics is somewhat consistent with the ancient Greek conception of the term, to the extent that there is a search for an ultimate principle or substance, as Aristotle would refer to it. However, while the ancient Greek approach to the question of reality was meant to gain an understanding of the nature of reality itself, the modern esoteric interpretation of metaphysics tends

Good will definition Essay Example for Free

Good will definition Essay An account that can be found in the assets portion of a companys balance sheet. Goodwill can often arise when one company is purchased by another company. In an acquisition, the amount paid for the company over book value usually accounts for the target firms intangible assets. Goodwill is seen as an intangible asset on the balance sheet because it is not a physical asset like buildings or equipment. Goodwill typically reflects the value of intangible assets such as a strong brand name, good customer relations, good employee relations and any patents or proprietary technology. Method: There are three methods of valuation of goodwill of the firm; 1. Average Profits Method 2. Super Profits Method 3. Capitalisation Method 1. Average Profits Method: This method of goodwill valuation takes the average profit of previous years as its basis. This average profit is multiplied by the number of purchases made in that year. Goodwill = Average Profit x Number of Purchases in the year Before calculating the average profits the following adjustments should be made in the profits of the firm: a. Any abnormal profits should be deducted from the net profits of that year. b. Any abnormal loss should be added back to the net profits of that year. c. Non-operating incomes eg. Income from investments etc should be deducted from the net profits of that year. Example: An Ltd agreed to buy the business of B Ltd. For that purpose Goodwill is to be valued at three years purchase of Average Profits of last five years. The profits of B Ltd. for the last five years are: Year| Profit/Loss ($)| 2005 | 10,000,000| 2006| 12,250,000| 2007| 7,450,000| 2008| 2,450,000 (Loss)| 2009| 12,400,000| Following additional information is available: 1. In the year 2008 the company suffered a loss of $1,000,500 due to fire in the factory. 2. In the year 2009 the company earned an income from investments outside the business $ 4,500,250. Solution: Total profits earned in the past five years= 10,000,000 + 12,250,000 + 7,450,000 2,450,000 + 12,400,000 = $ 39,650,000 Total Profits after adjustments = $ 39,650,000 + $ 1,000,500 $ 4,500,250=$ 36,150,250 Average Profits= $ 36,150,250à ·5=$ 7,230,050 Goodwill = $ 7,230,050Ãâ€"3=$ 21,690,150 Thus A Ltd would pay $ 21,690,150 as the price of Goodwill earned by B Ltd. 2. Super profits method: Super profit refers to a situation where in the actual profit is higher than what is expected. Under this method, Goodwill = super profit x number of years’ purchase Steps for calculating Goodwill under this method are given below: i) Normal Profits = Capital Invested X Normal rate of return/100 ii) Super Profits = Actual Profits Normal Profits iii) Goodwill = Super Profits x No. of years purchased For example, the capital employed as shown by the books of ABC Ltd is $ 50,000,000. And the normal rate of return is 10 %. Goodwill is to be calculated on the basis of 3 years purchase of super profits of the last four years. Profits for the last four years are: Year| Profit/Loss ($)| 2005 | 10,000,000| 2006| 12,250,000| 2007| 7,450,000| 2008| 5,400,000| Total profits for the last four years = 10,000,000 + 12,250,000 + 7,450,000 + 5,400,000 = $35,100,000 Average Profits = 35,100,000 / 4 = $ 8,775,000 Normal Profits = 50,000,000 X 10/100 = $ 5,000,000 Super Profits = Average/ Actual Profits − Normal Profits = 8,775,000 − 5,000,000 = $ 3,775,000 Goodwill = 3,775,000 Ãâ€" 3 = $ 11,325,000 3. Capitalisation Method: There are two ways of calculating Goodwill under this method: (i) Capitalisation of Average Profits Method (ii) Capitalisation of Super Profits Method (i) Capitalisation of Average Profits Method: As per this method, Goodwill = Capitalized Value the firm Net Assets Capitalized Value of the firm = Average Profit x 100/ Normal Rate of Return Net Assets = Total Assets External Liabilities For example a firm earns $40,000 as its average profits. The normal rate of rteturn is 10%. Total assets of the firm are $1,000,000 and its total external liabilities are $ 500,000. To calculate the amount of goodwill: Total capitalized value of the firm = 40,000 Ãâ€" 100/10 = 400,000 Capital Employed = 1,000,000 − 500,000 = 500,000 Goodwill = 500,000 − 400,000 = 100,000 (ii)Capitalisation of Super Profits: Under this method, goodwill is calculated as: Goodwill = Super Profit x 100/Normal Rate of Return For example ABC Ltd earns a profit of $ 50,000 by employing a capital of $ 200,000, The normal rate of return of a firm is 20%. To calculate Goodwill: Normal Profits = 200,000 Ãâ€" 20/100 =$ 40,000 Super profits = 50,000 − 40,000 = $10,000 Goodwill = 10,000 Ãâ€" 100 / 20 = $50,000 Partial Goodwill Method In the partial goodwill method, goodwill is calculated as the difference between the purchase consideration paid and the acquirers share of the fair value of the net identifiable assets. In partial goodwill method, only the acquirers share of the goodwill is recognized. Goodwill under full goodwill method exceeds goodwill under partial goodwill method by the non-controlling interest share of the goodwill. Partial goodwill method is not allowed under US GAAP but it is allowed as an option under IFRS (besides the full goodwill method). Goodwill under partial goodwill method differs from goodwill under full goodwill method only in situations in which investment by the acquirer is less than 100%. Example Lets follow the same example that we discussed in full goodwill method. Company A acquired 75% shareholding in Company B for $20 million. Book value of net identifiable assets of Company B is $14 million. The fair value of Company Bs asset is the same as their book value except accounts receivables which are impaired by $1 million. Book value of assets is $54 million while book value of liabilities is $40 million. The purchase consideration is the cash paid to acquire 75% ownership and it equals $20 million. Fair value of net identifiable assets is $13 million ($54 million book value minus $1 million on account if impairment in accounts receivable minus liabilities of $40 million). The acquirers share of the net identifiable assets equals 75% of $13 million which equals $9.75 million. Goodwill is hence $20 million minus $9.75 which equals $10.25 million. Company A will pass the following journal entry to record the business combination. Goodwill| $10.25 M| | Assets| $53 M| | Liabilities| | $40 M| Cash| | $20 M| Non-Controlling Interest| | $3.25 M| Non-controlling interest is calculated as 25% of fair value of net identifiable assets. It equals $3.25 ($13 million multiplied by 0.25). It can also be arrived at the balancing figure: (goodwill under full goodwill method + assets acquired − liabilities assumed − cash paid). Total goodwill under full goodwill method was $13.67 and non-controlling interest was $6.67 million. The difference is non-controlling interest in case of partial goodwill is only because in partial goodwill method the non-controlling interest share of goodwill is not recorded which equals $3.42 million (0.25 of ($26.67 minus $13 million)). Weighted average profit method This method of goodwill evaluation can be explained as a modified side of the he average profit method. This method involves the relevant number of weights, i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4 multiples profit of each year so as to find out value product. The total of products is thereafter divided by the total of weights so as to calculate the weighted average profits. Goodwill = Weighted Average Profits x No. of years Purchase Weighted Average Profit = Total of Products of Profits/ Total of Weights EXAMPLE The profit of X Ltd. for the last five years and the corresponding weights are as follows. Calculate the value of goodwill on the basis of 3 years’ purchase of the weighted average profit. Solution: Weighted Average Profit = Rs. 21, 30,000 à · 15 = Rs. 1, 42,000. Value of Goodwill = 3 years’ purchase of weighted average profit: Rs. 1, 42,000 x 3 = Rs. 4, 26,000

tempnature Caliban as Representative of Natural Man in Shakespeares T

Caliban as Representative of Natural Man in The Tempest      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Tempest presents an argument against the concept of the noble savage through the character of Caliban.   Caliban is the main focus as far as the notion of "nature" and "natural man" is considered in the play.   Proof of this can be found in his name--"Caliban" sounds very similar to "cannibal," and hence serves to link him with primitive, natural man.   In the first scene of the play, Caliban's character is connected with the lower objects of the planet, including the "springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile."   Caliban thus appears to be beneath most human men because of his bestial nature.   His mother's background also indicates that there may be quite a bit of evil in him.   Characters in the play call him a "monster," however, at times, Caliban speaks some of the most beautiful and lyrical language in the play.   Thus, Caliban, as the representative of nature, emerges as a very complex character.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the first scene, it seems as if Shakespeare intended to present Caliban as a beast and a savage.   However, two items come across to reveal the fact that Caliban is more than just a monster, he is a human being with real emotions (Wagner 13).   First, the audience sees a sense of sensitivity when Caliban reflects on his previous relationship with Prospero, when Prospero spared him and attempted to educate him.   Prospero exchanged his teachings for lessons from Caliban about the island itself; because Caliban is so close to nature, he is the best person to teach Prospero about it:    When thou cam'st first, Thou strok'st me and made much of me, wouldst give me Water with berries in 't, and teach me how To name the bigge... ...gne would expect to see.   Not only does Caliban act instinctually, thus pushing him beyond the bounds of morality, but he is also spiteful and angry.   On the other hand, Shakespeare does not demonstrate a bigoted response, for if he believed that the natives deserved what they got, he would not have made Caliban so sympathetic.   Hence, Caliban becomes a natural representation of what Shakespeare believed the natives were: a complex mixture of various aspects.    Works Cited    Ferguson, Francis.   Shakespeare: The Pattern in his Carpet. New York: Delacourt Press, 1970.    Knight, Wilson.   The Wheel of Fire.   London: Oxford University Press, 1930.    Thorndike, Ashley.   How Shakespeare Came to Write "The Tempest."   Garden City: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1969.    Wagner, Emmar.   Shakespeare's Tempest.   Yellow Springs: Antioch Press, 1933.

Illinois Michigan Canal is Responsible for Chicagos Size Essay

"Didn't expect no town" -Early Chicago Settler Mark Beaubien The I & M Canal is universally considered the driving force behind the huge surge of growth that turned the tiny settlement on the banks of Lake Michigan named Chicago, in to a huge metropolis and bustling center of trade. Ever since Joliet first crossed the portage between the Chicago River and the Des Plaines River in 1673, explorers, investors, politicians, and farmers alike all agreed that constructing a canal across the continental divide could benefit them greatly. The canal would connect the two largest water systems in the United States, creating a continuous waterway between New York and New Orleans, but more importantly, place Chicago on perhaps the most valuable piece of real estate in North America and in the position to become an international city almost overnight. The plans to build the Illinois & Michigan canal began in the newly started Illinois legislature in 1818. It was driven forward by the new construction on the Erie Canal in New York. Once the Erie Canal was complete only a canal between the Des Plaines and Chicago rivers would be necessary to complete the chain of waterways connecting New York to New Orleans. In 1822, Congress gave Illinois a large portion of land on which to not only build the canal, but to sell to raise funds for its construction. The land contained the portage between the two rivers and about 100 miles of land to the south and west of it. It had just recently been coercively and dishonestly purchased from the local Blackhawk Indians in a treaty that ended the Blackhawk War. As soon as the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, eastern investors quickly realized Chicago's huge potential. The land around what would one ... ...ys to twelve days. The canal remained a profitable enterprise until the year 1866 when the newly completed railroad system proved to be a cheaper and more efficient alternative. Use of the canal did not disappear however until around 1900 when it began to fall into disrepair. The final deathblow to the Illinois & Michigan came when the big, wider, and deeper Illinois Waterway was completed in 1933. However, though no longer in commercial use, the Illinois & Michigan canal remains as a source of recreation and will forever be remembered as the spark responsible for Chicago's leap to prominence. In 1833 the population of the newly incorporated town of Chicago was 250 people, by 1854, only 20 years later, the population had swelled to over 75 thousand. The city of Chicago had ascended from a tiny trading outpost to a thriving metropolis at an unprecedented speed.

Community: Psychology and Graduate Educational Experience Essay

How do you think your graduate educational experience will be different from your undergraduate experience? How would you describe a graduate learning community? What would be the key components of a learning community and how might it be different from an undergraduate learning community? I believe that the undergraduate level guides the individual to become a better researcher. It also pushes the student to think at a more critical level. The undergraduate level will also change the thinking process within the individual by making them change their thinking principles. At graduate level we are held to higher expectations and we must have more discipline. The reason for this is because at this level the amount of knowledge we will be receiving is greatly expanded upon. This is the start of a form of mastery in the subject and allows us the ability to get a deep understanding and idea of the subject. The graduate learning community is a group of individuals along with the instructor that share the same passion and drive in the subject field of study. This allows everyone to gain knowledge from each other and gives us the ability to grow stronger in our field. The learning community is a concrete environment for instructors to pass on years of experience and knowledge to the student by following the class as it was designed to be taught. This allows students and instructors alike to input their perspectives on the subject, which increases the knowledge gained. In other courses that I have taken with other schools, participation was at your choice. As long as you meet the minimum requirements you still got a good grade. To be successful the more participation you have the more knowledge you gain, thus making you more successful in your field of study.

Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development

Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development Lawrence Kohlberg outlined one of the best-known theories addressing the development of morality in childhood. Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, which include three levels and six stages, expanded on and revised the ideas of Jean Piaget’s previous work on the subject. Key Takeaways: Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development Lawrence Kohlberg was inspired by Jean Piaget’s work on moral judgment to create a stage theory of moral development in childhood.The theory includes three levels and six stages of moral thinking. Each level includes two stages. The levels are called preconventional morality, conventional morality, and postconventional morality.Since it was initially proposed, Kohlberg’s theory has been criticized for overemphasizing a Western male perspective on moral reasoning. Origins Jean Piagets two-stage theory of moral judgment marked a divide between the way children younger than 10 and those 10 and older think about morality. While younger children looked at rules as fixed and based their moral judgments on consequences, older children’s perspectives were more flexible and their judgments were based on intentions. However, intellectual development doesn’t end when Piaget’s stages of moral judgment ended, making it likely that moral development continued as well. Because of this, Kohlberg felt Piaget’s work was incomplete. He sought to study a range of children and adolescents in order to determine if there were stages that went beyond those proposed by Piaget. Kohlberg’s Research Method Kohlberg utilized Piaget’s method of interviewing children about moral dilemmas in his research. He would present each child with a series of such dilemmas and ask them their thoughts on each one to determine the reasoning behind their thinking. For example, one of the moral dilemmas Kohlberg presented was the following: â€Å"In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her†¦ The druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. The sick woman’s husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about†¦ half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: ‘No, I discovered the drug and I’m going to make money from it.’ So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man’s store to steal the drug for his wife.† After explaining this dilemma to his participants, Kohlberg would ask, â€Å"Should the husband have done that?† He then continued with a series of additional questions that would help him understand why the child thought Heinz was right or wrong to do what he did. After collecting his data, Kohlberg classified the responses into stages of moral development. Kohlberg interviewed 72 boys in suburban Chicago for his study. The boys were 10, 13, or 16 years old. Each interview was approximately two hours long and Kohlberg  presented each participant with 10 moral dilemmas during that time. Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development Kohlberg’s research yielded three levels of moral development. Each level consisted of two stages, leading to six stages in total. People pass through each stage sequentially with the thinking at the new stage replacing the thinking at the previous stage. Not everyone reached the highest stages in Kohlbergs theory. In fact, Kohlberg believed that many didn’t move past his third and fourth stages. Level 1: Preconventional Morality At the lowest level of moral development individuals haven’t yet internalized a sense of morality. Moral standards are dictated by adults and the consequences of breaking the rules. Children nine years old and younger tend to fall into this category. Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience Orientation. Children believe the rules are fixed and must be obeyed to the letter. Morality is external to the self.Stage 2: Individualism and Exchange. Children begin to realize that the rules aren’t absolute. Different people have different perspectives and therefore there isn’t just one correct point of view. Level 2: Conventional Morality A majority of adolescents and adults fall into the middle level of conventional morality. At this level, people start to internalize moral standards but not necessarily to question them. These standards are based on the social norms of the groups a person is part of. Stage 3: Good Interpersonal Relationships. Morality arises from living up to the standards of a given group, such as ones family or community, and being a good group member.Stage 4: Maintaining the Social Order. The individual becomes more aware of the rules of society on a broader scale. As a result, they become concerned with obeying laws and maintaining the social order. Level 3: Postconventional Morality If individuals reach the highest level of moral development, they start to question if what they see around them is good. In this case, morality stems from self-defined principles. Kohlberg suggested that only 10-15% of the population was able to achieve this level because of the abstract reasoning it required. Stage 5: Social Contract and Individual Rights. Society should function as a social contract where the goal of each individual is to improve society as a whole. In this context, morality and individual rights like life and liberty may take precedence over specific laws.Stage 6: Universal Principles. People develop their own principles of morality even if they conflict with society’s laws. These principles must be applied to every individual equally. Critiques Since Kohlberg initially proposed his theory, many criticisms have been leveled against it. One of the key issues other scholars take with the theory centers on the sample used to create it. Kohlberg focused on boys in a specific United States city. As a result, his theory has been accused of being biased towards men in Western cultures. Western individualist cultures may have different moral philosophies than other cultures. For example, individualist cultures emphasize personal rights and freedoms, while collectivist cultures emphasize what’s best for the community as a whole. Kohlberg’s theory does not take these cultural differences into account. In addition, critics like Carol Gilligan have maintained that Kohlberg’s theory conflates morality with an understanding of rules and justice, while overlooking concerns such as compassion and care. Gilligan believed the emphasis on impartially judging conflicts between competing parties overlooked the female perspective on morality, which tended to be contextual and derived from an ethics of compassion and concern for other people. Kohlberg’s methods were also criticized. The dilemmas he used weren’t always applicable to children at the age of 16 and under. For example, the Heinz dilemma presented above might not be relatable to children who had never been married. Had Kohlberg focused on dilemmas more reflective of his subjects lives, his results may have been different. Also, Kohlberg never examined if moral reasoning actually reflected moral behavior. Therefore, it’s not clear if his subjects’ actions fell in line with their ability to think morally. Sources Cherry, Kendra. â€Å"Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development.† Verywell Mind, 13 March 2019. https://www.verywellmind.com/kohlbergs-theory-of-moral-developmet-2795071Crain, William. Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. 5th ed., Pearson Prentice Hall. 2005.Kohlberg, Lawrence. â€Å"The Development of Children’s Orientation Toward a Moral Order: I. Sequence in the Development of Moral Thought.† Vita Humana, vol. 6, no. 1-2, 1963, pp. 11-33. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1964-05739-001McLeod, Saul. â€Å"Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development.† Simply Psychology, 24 October 2013. https://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.html

Learning from the Fashion Industry Essay Example

Learning from the Fashion Industry Essay Example Learning from the Fashion Industry Essay Learning from the Fashion Industry Essay CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY ELEFTHERIA DIMITRAKOU LEARNING FROM THE FASHION INDUSTRY: A STRUCTURED LITERATURE REVIEW CRANFIELD CENTRE FOR LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT MSc THESIS CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY CRANFIELD SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT CRANFIELD CENTRE FOR LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT MSc THESIS Academic Year 2006-2007 ELEFTHERIA DIMITRAKOU Learning from the Fashion Industry: A Structured Literature Review Supervisor: Dr. Chris Morgan August 2007 This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science  © Cranfield University 2006. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright owner. ABSTRACT This research study is a Structured Literature Review focused on identifying the learning points which can derive from the fashion industry regarding supply chain management solutions. Manufacturing, distribution and marketing issues that enable a more robust analysis of the sector are investigated. A review of business models used by companies in the fashion industry is conducted to gain insights into the way that fashion firms manage demand. An extensive review of the literature reveals that the fashion industry is marketorientated and characterised by short life cycle products and low demand predictability. Lead time reduction enables the development of flexible manufacturing and logistics systems. Short lead times enable reduction of forecast errors and improvement of supply chain responsiveness towards volatile market conditions. The main supply chain solutions in the fashion industry are based on quick response, fast fashion, agile, lean and leagile concepts. Use of information technology, automated manufacturing systems, production and distribution planning based on real-time demand and transparency of information across the whole supply chain are some of the primary characteristics of the fashion supply chains. In the light of the unpredictable and volatile nature of the fashion industry, this is considered to be worth noting. Based on the segmentation of the industry in terms of volumes and varieties, a model presenting the structure of the sector and the different supply chain approaches is developed. The model allows a comprehensive analysis of the way that the fashion industry works, in terms of manufacturing, distribution and marketing operations, in different volumes/variety levels and product characteristics. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Chris Morgan, for his guidance and support. His willingness to discuss and advise benefited the completion of this study. I would also like to thank the members of the advisory group who contributed to this study. Especially, I would like to express my appreciation to Mr Sanaul Mallick, for his availability and contribution. I would also like to thank my friends at Cranfield University and in Greece for their support during this demanding year. Last but not least I would like to express my gratitude to my family for their everlasting trust and support. ii â€Å"True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing†. â€Å"And in knowing that you know nothing, that makes you the smartest of all. Socrates (469 BC 399 BC) iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.. 1 1. 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 2 BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH .. 1 1. 2. 1 Background to the fashion industry 1 1. 3 IMPORTANCE OF THE TOPIC .. 3 1. 4 AIM OF THE PROJECT AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH .. 4 1. 5 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT .. 4 1. 6 RESEARCH QUESTION .. 1. 7 METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH .. 5 1. 8 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS 6 CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY. 8 2. 1 INTRODUCTION 8 2. 2 DEFINITION OF STRUCTURED LITERATURE REVIEW (SLR) 8 2. 2. 1 Differences between Structured Literature review and Traditional Review. 9 2. . 2 Advantages of the Struc tured Literature Review 10 2. 3 STRUCTURED LITERATURE REVIEW PROCESS.. 10 2. 3. 1 Mapping the study field (Stage 1) .. 11 2. 3. 2 Developing the search strategy (Stage 2) 13 2. 3. 3 Assessment of the literature (Stage 3).. 20 2. 3. 4 Material Analysis (Stage 4) 2 2. 3. 5 Synthesis of the material (Stage 5). 22 CHAPTER 3 DESCRIPTIVE RESULTS. 23 3. 1 INTRODUCTION . 23 3. 2 CONTENT DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS ACADEMIC PAPERS .. 23 3. 3 HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF THE IDEAS ACADEMIC PAPERS 25 3. 4 JOURNAL CLASSIFICATION- ACADEMIC PAPERS .. 28 3. AUTHORS’ CRITERION ACADEMIC PAPERS .. 30 3. 6 TYPE OF STUDIES- ACADEMIC PAPERS .. 31 3. 7 GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN ACADEMIC PAPERS .. 34 3. 8 OTHER PAPERS SOURCES NEWSPAPERS/TRADE PUBLICATIONS/REPORTS/WHITE . 35 3. 9 OTHER SOURCES- BOOKS. 36 iv 3. 0 OTHER SOURCES CASE STUDIES .. 37 CHAPTER 4 LITERATURE REVIEW: ANALYSIS OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY 39 4. 1 INTRODUCTION . 39 4. 2 FASHION DEFINITION . 40 4. 3 THE LEVELS OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY.. 0 4. 4 APPAREL CATEGORIES .. 42 4. 5 FASHION INDUSTRY CHARACTERISTICS 43 4. 6 FASHION TRENDS . 43 4. 7 FASHION INDUSTRY SUPPLY CHAIN . 45 4. 8 FASHION LEAD TIMES. 46 4. FASHION SUPPLY CHAIN APPROACHES . 47 4. 9. 1 Quick response (QR). 48 4. 9. 2 Fast fashion concept. 51 4. 9. 3 Lean supply chain.. 54 4. 9. 4 Agile supply chain approach 55 4. 9. De-coupling point approach . 58 4. 9. 6 Leagile supply chain approaches 59 4. 10 GLOBAL VS LOCAL SOURCING . 61 4. 11 MANUFACTURING IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY 63 4. 11. 1 Definition of fashion manufacturing. 63 4. 11. 2 Manufacturing types.. 3 4. 11. 3 Manufacturing operations .. 65 4. 11. 4 New manufacturing trends . 72 4. 12 DISTRIBUTION IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY .. 72 4. 12. 1 Distribution channels 73 4. 12. 2 Retail buying process . 73 4. 12. Retail logistics 75 4. 12. 4 Supply chain relationships.. 78 4. 13 MARKETING IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY .. 83 4. 13. 1 Definition of fashion marketing .. 83 4. 13. 2 Fashion marketing in practice.. 83 4. 13. 3 Fashion marketing rocess. 85 4. 13. 4 The role of consumer behaviour in marketing.. 89 4. 13. 5 Marketing communication.. 92 4. 14 SUMMARY . 93 CHAPTER 5 BUSINESS MODELS IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY 96 5. 1 INTRODUCTION . 6 v CASE STUDY 1 96 GUCCI’S AGILE SUPPLY CHAIN . 96 CASE STUDY 2 99 MARKS AND SPENCER’S REFINED SUPPLY CHAIN 99 CASE STUDY 3 . 03 ZARA’S FAST SUPPLY CHAIN 103 CASE STUDY 4 . 111 TESCO: THE GROWTH OF SUPERMARKET FASHION . 111 5. 2 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CASE STUDIES 115 5. 3 SUMMARY . 119 CHAPTER 6 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION.. 120 6. INTRODUCTION .. 120 6. 2 DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODEL .. 120 6. 4 DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED MODEL .. 123 6. 5 DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS IN TERMS OF THE AIM OF THE SCOPE . 129 6. 6 CRITIQUE OF THE RESEARCH .. 134 6. 7 FURTHER RESEARCH 36 REFERENCES . 137 APPENDICES 148 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. 1: Thesis structure . 7 Figure 2. 1: SLR implementation process 11 Figure 2. 2: Field scope- main elements of the S LR 12 Figure 2. : Snowball search strategy 19 Figure 3. 1: Percentage of each content area. . 24 Figure 3. 2: Percentage of SCM/Logistics and marketing in the fashion industry. 25 Figure 3. 3: Percentage of SCM/Logistics and marketing in the apparel industry. 25 Figure 3. : Articles per year. 26 Figure 3. 5: Articles referring to apparel and fashion industry per year. 26 Figure 3. 6: The evolution of the fashion sector. .. 27 Figure 3. 7: The evolution of the apparel sector. .. 27 Figure 3. 8: Percentage of articles per Journal 29 Figure 3. 9: Authors who have written journal articles focused on the clothing/apparel industry and supply chain. . 31 Figure 3. 10: Theoretical/ Conceptual studies 32 Figure 3. 11: Theoretical/ Conceptual studies per year.. 32 Figure 3. 12: Analogy for studies per year for the fashion sector.. 33 Figure 3. 13: Analogy for studies per year for the apparel sector.. 33 Figure 3. 14: Types of empirical studies. . 34 Figure 3. 15: Percentage of articles per country. .. 5 Figure 4. 1: Route map of the chapter. .. 39 Figure 4. 2: The apparel supply chain 45 Figure 4. 3: Apparel business process. .. 46 Figure 4. 4: Generic supply chain strategies 48 Figure 4. 5: Cycle Time Compression through Quick Response 51 Figure 4. 6: Apparel supply chains.. 3 Figure 4. 7: The foundation for agility in a fashion business .. 56 Figure 4. 8: Approaches to agility in the supply chain 58 Figure 4. 9: De-coupling point locations.. 59 vii Figure 4. 10: Time compression methods in leagile supply chains .. 60 Figure 4. 11: Lead-time and forecast error relation. 62 Figure 4. 12: The fashion flow chart. . 6 Figure 4. 13: Production stage chart for the fashion supply chain. 67 Figure 4. 14: Sourcing types in the fashion industry 78 Figure 4. 15: Sourcing model for fast fashion. .. 81 Figure 4. 16: The fashion marketing process.. 85 Figure 4. 17: The marketing environment. .. 86 Figure 4. 18: Fashion internal market environment. 7 Figure 4. 19: Fashion ex ternal market environment. .. 88 Figure 4. 20: Fashion market environment strengths and weaknesses. .. 88 Figure 4. 21: A model of consumer behaviour .. 89 Figure 4. 22: Drivers of fashion change 90 Figure 4. 23: Maslow’s pyramid. . 91 Figure 4. 24: Brief summary of the literature results .. 5 Figure 5. 1: Business operations in the luxury sector . 98 Figure 5. 2: Gucci’s supply chain. .. 99 Figure 5. 4: Marks and Spencer revival.. 102 Figure 5. 5: Price-fashion brand positioning. .. 104 Figure 5. 6: Zara’s value chain. . 107 Figure 5. 7: Product pre-commitments: Zara vs Traditional Industry 108 Figure 5. 9: UK clothing specialists (Market positioning 2006). 111 Figure 5. 10: Non-food items bought from main supermarket in the last 12 months (January, 2007). .. 112 Figure 5. 11: Where consumers bought clothing from for themselves in the last 12 months (June 2006). 113 Figure 6. 2: Proposed fashion matrix .. 22 Figure 6. 3: Matching supply chains with products .. 128 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 2. 1: Differences between traditional and structured literature review. 9 Table 2. 2: Key words and search strings 13 Table 2. 3: No. of articles in each search string for ABI database 16 Table 2. 4: No. of articles in each search string for EBCO database. . 17 Table 2. 5: Relevant article results per database. . 21 Table 3. 1: No. f articles per Journal and star ranking. 28 Table 3. 2: Number of articles and year of publication per Journal. 30 Table: 3. 3: Number of articles per country 35 Table 3. 4: Other sources (newspapers etc. ) . 36 Table 3. 5: Book results. . 37 Ta ble 3. 6: Case studies results 38 Table 4. 1: UK fashion retail seasons. . 44 Table 4. 2: QR benefits 50 Table 4. 3: Differences between traditional and â€Å"fast fashion† retailing. . 54 Table 4. 4: Product characteristics for lean and agile supply chains 58 Table 4. 5: Agile manufacturing principals and benefits.. 71 Table 4. 6: Fashion supply chain relationships . 83 Table 4. 7: Two views of fashion marketing. 4 Table 4. 8: The fashion marketing concept. 85 Table 4. 9: Fashion industry levels 94 Table 4. 10: Product classification . 94 Table 5. 1: Marks and Spencer product ranges. . 103 Table 5. 2: Key differences between Zara and traditional retailer’s business model. . 110 Table 5. : Companies’ characteristics.. 116 Table appendix-A: No. of articles in each search string for Emerald database. 148 ix LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: Search Result of Databases .. 148 Appendix B: Questionnaire- Interview notes 149 Appendix C: Garment Production Process 152 x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CAD- Computer Assisted Design CAM- Computer Assisted Manufacturing CMI- Co-Managed Inventory DC- Distribution Centre EDI- Electronic Data Interchange EPO- Electronic Point of Sale IT- Information Technology JIT- Just-In-Time MRP- Material Requirements Planning NOS- Never-out-of-stock PDM- Product Data Management POS- Point of Sale QR- Quick Response RFID- Radio Frequency Identification SCM- Supply Chain Management SKU- Stock Keeping Unit SLR- Structured Literature Review SR- Systematic Review TQM- Total Quality Management UPC- Universal Product Code UPS- Unit Production System 3PL- Third Part Logistics xi Chapter 1 Introduction CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to provide a prologue to the research. The background and the importance of the research are presented. The aim, the objectives are stated and the research questions are developed. Finally, the structure of the thesis and the scope are covered. 1. 2 Background to the research Recent business trends have been characterised by demand unpredictability, fast moving markets, expansion of product variety, short product life cycles, increased outsourcing, globalisation and explosion of information technology (Lee, 2002). Therefore, how to be successful in today’s rapidly changing environment is a key issue for many companies across different industries (Tang, 2005). According to Christopher (2005), today it is not companies that compete but supply chains. Supply chain management has been regarded as one of the main areas for companies to enhance competitive advantage (Lee, 2002). Consequently, companies have had to learn how to make critical decisions that would affect not only their present performance, but also their future success (Tang, 2005). 1. 2. Background to the fashion industry The fashion industry has faced many changes in terms of supply chain management during recent years. These changes emerged due to the characteristics of the market. In the past fashion retailing was dominated by several large retailers which increased the competition levels in the market (Barnes and Lea-Greenwood, 2006). 1 Chapter 1 Introduction During the 90’s, firms such as New Look and supermarkets s uch as Tesco, heavily influenced dominant fashion retailers’ markets and traditional market shares. Many retailers, in order to survive; moved production towards low wage, overseas countries. These countries offered cost efficiencies, and enabled these retailers to be focused on price competition. However, the overall result of this strategy has led to long lead times, and inflexible and complicated supply chains. This cost efficiency did not always ensure supply chain effectiveness due to the distance between the production and consumption points. Consequently, speed to market and quality levels were decreased (Bruce and Daly 2006; Barnes and Lea-Greenwood, 2006; Birtwistle et al. , 2003). The situation became worse due to the changes in the fashion market, such as consumers’ attitudes, lifestyles and the information explosion. The information explosion enabled consumers to be well informed of the trends around the globe and they became wiser about what they demanded. Entering the 21st century many firms such as Zara, recognising these changes, moved their focus from cost efficiencies to faster responsiveness to the trends and demand, and decrease of time to market performance (Hines, 2007b; Barnes and Lea-Greenwood, 2006). Nowadays, the fashion industry is characterised by aggressive competition levels. In the light of this high competition, fashion companies have to present not only price benefits for the consumer but also be focused on â€Å"newness† and constant â€Å"refreshing† of their product ranges (Hines 2007b; Hoffman, 2007; Barnes and Lea-Greenwood, 2006). Today’s retailers recognise that the customer is king. However, regarding the fashion sector, the customer is ever more fickle, impatient and fussy, and that leads to even more complications for the supply chain management. Michael Barrat, Retailer Researcher Director at AMR Research said that â€Å"information and trends are moving around the globe at speeds we have never seen before. As a result the consumer has more options and thus shops more often† (Hoffman, 2007, p. 1). Due to these challenges the supply chains in many cases have been reconstructed with the aim of serving the customer in a highly timely manner. 2 Chapter 1 Introduction 1. 3 Importance of the topic There are a number of factors behind the author’s decision to choose this topic as the thesis project. The decision was based on the fact that this sector presented interesting supply chains based on time dependence. Fashion markets have long attracted the interest of researchers. In terms of supply chain management there was a challenging sector which had been beset by the problems of volatility and demand unpredictability (Christopher and Peck, 1997). The fast pace of the fashion industry was a great challenge for companies involved in this sector. Across the seasons trends were changing. Thus the success or failure of a fashion company depended on effective purchasing decisions, inventory planning, manufacturing efficiency and product delivery. So in this case time urgent was fundamental. Those companies that assured product availability within days were regarded as the market winners (Worthington, 2006). In the fashion industry, pipelines have been notoriously long, inflexible and complex. Consequently, long buying cycles have been developed, resulting in inappropriate structures for the requirements of the modern fashion industry. Moves to improve supply chain responsiveness in the fashion industry have been made with the introduction of concepts such as quick response, Just-in-Time systems and agile philosophies (Bruce and Daly, 2007; Hines, 2007b). A review of business odels developed from companies such as Zara and Gucci and several others, has signalled that the fashion industry had successful supply chain solutions which were able to effectively meet consumer needs. Therefore, there were potential solutions and techniques that other industries might consider to improve the way in which they organised and managed their supply chain operations (Gutgeld and Beyer, 1995). 3 Chapter 1 Introduction 1. 4 Aim of the project and objectives of the research AIM: The aim of the research is to identify opportunities for other sectors to learn from the fashion industry. OBJECTIVES: The thesis has three objectives. Firstly, to review the literature on the theory and implementation of supply chain and marketing processes in order to identify the extent to which the fashion industry is able to create, anticipate and keep abreast of consumer demand. Secondly, to undertake case study reviews to identify the business models used by companies in the fashion industry, e. g. Zara and Gucci, that enable them to meet consumer needs. Finally, through analysis and synthesis to identify lessons that other industries can gain from such fashion retailers in how they organise and manage their supply chain operations. . 5 Scope of the project The fashion industry includes the design, manufacturing, marketing and sale of clothes, footwear and accessories. Nevertheless, in the literature or in the media, it is common when referring to the fashion industry to regard it as a clothing sector (Jackson, 2007). For that reason the focus of this research is on the garment ind ustry. Consequently, issues not related to the garment industry such as fibre, yarn and fabric manufacturing are excluded from the scope of the project. Whilst the research is primarily focused on fashion products, basic products that are not considered as fashionable are eviewed as well in order to develop a more comprehensive and holistic analysis of the total apparel product spectrum. The scope 4 Chapter 1 Introduction includes analysis of the fashion industry structure in general and the characteristics of several participants. Specifically, the analysis embraces common supply chain solutions in the industry such as quick response and agile approaches, as well as the type of relationships across the different actors in the pipeline. Referring to processes, a description of the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of fashion items is undertaken. Specific marketing issues are not included in the analysis. The scope of this project includes an evaluation of the theory through case study analysis. The purpose of this is to identify the ways that companies use in practice so as to meet demand. The case study review enables a comparative analysis across different investigated companies in terms of possible similarities and differences. Finally, the scope includes the development of a model which enables the author to crystallise the whole industry in terms of levels and products, and the related supply chain issues in each stage. 1. Research question Based on the objectives, the research question of the thesis is: â€Å"Why is the fashion industry able to provide lessons to other industries? † The fulfilment of this question is based on the answer of another question which is: â€Å"How do the several actors in the fashion industry organise and manage their supply chain operations? † 1. 7 Methodology of the research The logic of the research is based on a structured literature review. Descriptive analysis of the literature material is conducted along with critical review of the thematic contents of the literature findings, with he aim of discovering potential literature gaps. The literature review is based on academic papers and books. However, trade publications, 5 Chapter 1 Introduction newspapers and case studies are reviewed due to the nature of the topic. This enables the author to gain a more holistic and robust approach towards â€Å"real-world† issues. 1. 8 Structure of the thesis The thesis is structured as follows (Figure 1. 1) Chapter 1 The aim of this chapter is to develop an initial engagement with the reader of the broad field of the study and further focus on the research problem. The aim, the objectives and the scope of the project are outlined. Chapter 2 In this chapter the methodology adopted by the author in order to approach the research is outlined. A description of the implementation process is developed. Chapter 3 In this chapter, there is a descriptive analysis of the literature related to the fashion sector in terms of supply chain and marketing issues. The description particularly refers to the characteristics of the selected articles based on a set of criteria which are highlighted in chapter 3. Chapter 4 The content of this chapter is the review of the academic literature to gain insight into the fashion industry. This thematic section refers to the first objective of how the fashion industry works towards consumer demand. Chapter 5 In this chapter case study reviews are conducted. Identification of the business models used by companies in the fashion industry is developed. This thematic section aims to approach the second objective. 6 Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 6 This chapter is divided in two sections. Firstly, it aims to consolidate the main findings in the literature review (from the two previous chapters) and develop a comprehensive model of how the fashion industry is structured and works. Secondly, it refers to the reflection of the overall work in order to define the main supply chain strategies and related tools adopted in the fashion industry and can be the base for providing lessons to other industries. Furthermore, it includes evaluation and review in terms of strengths and limitations of the research and proposes further future research. Figure 1. 1: Thesis structure Source: Author 7 Chapter 2 Methodology CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY 2. 1 Introduction The underlying thinking of the overall methodology strategy adopted in this project is to critically review the literature in the light of the three objectives of the thesis (See paragraph 1. 4). This chapter presents the methodology which has been chosen to meet the stated objectives. As the title declared, the thesis is a Structured Literature Review (SLR) by nature. In so doing, the definition of the SLR is presented along with its differentiation from a traditional literature review. Finally, the advantages of the SLR and the implementation process are demonstrated. . 2 Definition of structured literature review (SLR) The structured literature view is an evolution of the Systematic Review (SR). These two approaches present similar characteristics, but their differences are based on the implementation process. According to Morgan (2007, p. 2) the systematic literature review is more rigorous than the SLR. Maylor and Blackmon (2005, p. 98) de scribe the literature review as â€Å"a process of finding more about a research topic, in particular a theoretical problem it is the record of other people’s research†. According to Morgan (2007, p. ), â€Å"a (Structured) literature reviews are a method of making a sense of a large body of information, a †¦ method of mapping out areas of uncertainty†¦ and a way to tell the difference between real and assumed knowledge. They are methodologically sound (and lead to)†¦ results (that give) †¦. a good representation of the ‘truth’†. Denyer (2002, p. 14) states that SR is â€Å"a review of the evidence on a clearly formulated question that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select and critically appraise relevant primary research, and to extract and analyse data from the studies that are included in the rearview†. Finally, Boaz, Ashby and Young (2002, p. 2) define that the SR approach â€Å"acknowledges the large body of existing research and seeks to synthesize the findings from all relevant studies†. 8 Chapter 2 Methodology 2. 2. 1 Differences between Structured Literature review and Traditional Review The Systematic Literature Review (and consequently SLR mentioned before as an evolution of the systematic) is based on spotting the phenomena and is focused on a more â€Å"replicable, scientific and transparent process, ( , that aims to minimize bias through exhaustive searches of published and unpublished studies † (Cranfield Online, 2007). In comparison, in the traditional approaches of the literature review, the author included merely subjective information and thus irrelevant information, which did not fit in the research content, was excluded (Denyer, 2002). Regarding the traditional literature review, it was focused on a specific investigated area and did not provide detai led critical analysis to the degree that SLR did. The following table (2. 1) illustrates the major differences between these two areas. Structured Literature Reviews Scope of study Narrow Review question Organising the study Identifying studies Selecting studies Synthesising study results Clear, well-developed question/hypothesis Structured, clear process Rigorous and comprehensive search of published and unpublished information Pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria of studies Conclusion based on the most methodologically sound studies Traditional Reviews Wide General discussion, often without a developed question or hypothesis Unplanned/unfocused, permits creativity Searching is probing. Usually doesn t locate all the literature. Reasons for the inclusion and exclusion of studies may not be explicit No differentiation between methodologically sound and unsound studies Table 2. 1: Differences between traditional and structured literature review. Source: Nikolaidi, (2006). So the main difference between the structure literature review and the traditional approaches of literature review is the systematic approach of the SLR. Furthermore, traditional approaches have been deemed as solely descriptive without providing any new information, as well as lacking of any critical assessment (Tranfield et al. , 2003). 9 Chapter 2 Methodology 2. 2. Advantages of the Structured Literature Review The main advantages of the structured literature review are, firstly, that the evidencebased approach offers a scientific and objective quality to the research. Secondly, there is an effective way to draw together and analyse extensive literature, as well as, eliminate any bias and error issues (Tranfield et al. , 2003; Denyer, 2002 ). The author chose the structured literature review as a methodology approach due to the fact it enables the connection of the existing research information and the development of an overall view of the research area via a reliable and valid route. A further reason for selecting SLR, apart from the fact that it constitutes a resourceful technique, is that it enables the integration of all the research areas under investigation, such as the fashion industry, general apparel sector and supply chain management. 2. 3 Structured Literature Review Process In general the steps followed to develop a structured literature review are: 1. Scope the field 2. Develop the research strings 3. Determine the research areas 4. Review the results 5. Conclude the findings The following diagram (2. ) depicts the implementation process of the SLR through which the research is developed and the thesis is accomplished. The sequence of the stages is continuous and each phase is interdependent with the following one. 10 Chapter 2 Methodology Stage 1 Focus of the Investigation Stage 2 Search Strategy High level Stage 3 Assessment of the Literature Material Analysis Low level Stage 4 Stage 5 Material Synthesis Figure 2. 1: SLR implementation process Sourc e: Adapted from Morgan, (2007), Lecture notes. 2. 3. Mapping the study field (Stage 1) The main elements of the structured literature review are supply chain, logistics and fashion industry. These three elements were the starting point in the attempt to explore and comprehend the objectives and border the research scope. The fashion industry was reviewed in terms of supply chain management and logistics operations with the aim of identifying the way that the industry is structured and operated and the main value points that might provide lessons to other industries. 11 Chapter 2 Methodology Supply chain Fashion industry Logistics Figure 2. : Field scope- main elements of the SLR Source: Author. The first objective, which is related to the fashion industry and the way of managing customer’s demand, was covered by reviewing the literature area where the three cycles (figure 2. 2), fashion industry, supply chain and logistics overlap. However, apart from a holistic review of the supply chain, particular issues such as manufacturing, distribution and marketing of fashion items were assessed in detail. The second objective which was related to the identification of business models followed in the fashion industry was approached through case study analysis. A model development enabled the synthesis and the analysis of the fashion industry in a comprehensive way. At this point, worth noting was that the term fashion industry was used with a broad meaning, including the general apparel industry as well. Finally, the above described step was considered to be fundamental in identifying the domains that the research covered, spotting possible overlaps between them; developing the research questions and justifying the investigating approach (Morgan, 2007). 12 Chapter 2 Methodology 2. 3. Developing the search strategy (Stage 2) The aim of this phase is to identify all the relevant studies for the issues investigated and develop a set of arguments with the aim of elucidating the design of the research and giving reasons for decisions taken. Identification of the search strings The literature research started by identifying key words and by developing the search strings (Tranfield et al. , 2003). The searching terms were derived by conducting an initial literature review and by discussing these with the supervisor and the sponsor of the thesis. After identifying the key words, the search strings were developed. The following table (2. 2) presents the key words and the search strings. SLR elements Supply Chain Key words Supply chain Demand chain Value chain Fashion industry Apparel industry Fashion goods Fashion items Fashion industry Textile industry Garment industry Clothing industry Footwear Fashion retail Fashion business Logistics Logistics Manufacturing Distribution Marketing Logistics or manufactur* or distribut* or marketing Fashion or apparel or textil* or garment* or cloth* Supply chain or demand chain or value chain Search strings Table 2. 2: Key words and search strings Source: Author 13 Chapter 2 Methodology Identification of the databases The prime resources in order to conduct a structured literature review were the electronic databases. For the purpose of this research three databases were used: ABI/INFORM Trade and Industry (ProQuest) EBSCO Business Source Premier Emerald Library Journals The academic databases ABI/INFORM Global/Trade and Industry (ProQuest) and EBSCO Business Source Premier were regarded as providing the most relevant literature after conducting an initial search with simple keywords. Emerald Library journals offered a narrower range of results. More specifically, after cross checking, the author figured out that the majority of the articles found in this latter database were included in the two former academic databases. These two top potential sources have the following characteristics: ABI/INFORM Global (ProQuest) This included subjects related to management techniques, theory and practice of business, marketing and business and economic conditions. It provided about 2,770 Journal titles (Proquest Online, 2007). ABI/INFORM Trade and Industry (ProQuest) This covered about 1,210 serials in areas related to companies, trends and products (Proquest Online, 2007). EBSCO Business Source Premier This daily updated database included about 8,800 Journal titles with more than 1,100 peer reviewed publications and full-text articles from high quality marketing and management articles. The main fields that it covered among others are management and marketing (Ebscohost Online, 2007). The research of the publications was narrowed down by overviewing only peer reviewed titles in order to ensure a higher level of research credibility. Peer-reviewed 14 Chapter 2 Methodology publications referred to the fact that the articles are reviewed and approved by experts in similar topic areas (Proquest Online, 2007). Search Results The following two tables (2. 3 and 2. 4) illustrate the search results for titles of each database in relation to each search string. The tables refer to the two main academic databases ABI/INFORM Global/Trade and Industry (ProQuest) and EBSCO Business Source Premier. The relevant table for the Emerald database is cited in appendix-A. These tables aim to present all the likely combinations among the literature review elements and search strings by ensuring a higher possibility for appearing relevant to the investigated articles. â€Å"Refine† refers to the number of titles which were peer reviewed. The tables presented the potential articles from each database. However, the author, in order to proceed to the assessment of the literature which consisted of one of the following steps, decided to focus on one search string which was: (a) Supply chain (or) demand chain (or) value chain AND Fashion (or) textile* (or) garment* (or) apparel (or) cloth*. The reason for that decision was that the number of the resulting titles of this search string was manageable by allowing the search to remain broad but not out of scope. So there was no need to narrow it down further. Indeed, by including the additional search string of â€Å"Logistics (or) distribut* (or) manufact* (or) marketing† the resulting titles became even fewer (figures 2. 3 and 2. 4). However, in order to ensure that no valid information was missing these titles were reviewed in brief, during the literature assessment process, and it was discovered that the majority of them were included in the former (a) search string. 5 Chapter 2 Methodology Source: ABI database Supply chain (or) demand chain No. of articles in each search string Supply chain (or) demand chain (or) value chain Fashion Fashion (or) textile* (or) garment* (or) apparel (or) cloth* Logistics (or) distribut* (or) manufact* or marketing 39, 702 Refine: 6436 315 Refine: 71 54,005 Refine: 3,524 177,020 Re fine: 8140 1,291 Refine: 184 (or) value chain Fashion Fashion (or) textile* (or) garment* (or) apparel (or) cloth* Logistics (or) distribut* (or) manufact* or marketing 16,922 Refine: 2972 9,684 Refine: 953 34,616 Refine: 2227 1,164,875 Refine: 110,267 Three search strings together Supply chain (or) demand chain (or) value chain Fashion (or) textile* (or) garment* (or) apparel (or) cloth* Logistics (or) distribut* (or) manufact* or marketing (ABI) Total 719 articles Refine: 120 articles Table 2. 3: No. of articles in each search string for ABI database. Source: Author 16 Chapter 2 Methodology Source: EBSCO database No. f articles in each search string Supply chain (or) demand chain (or) value chain Fashion 30,526 Refine: 7,127 210 Refine: 84 33,458 Refine: 4,063 Fashion (or) textile* (or) garment* (or) apparel (or) cloth* Logistics (or) distribut* (or) manufact* or marketing 104,139 Refine: 9245 885 Refine: 179 Supply chain (or) demand chain (or) value chain Fashion Fashion (or) textile* (or) garment* (or) apparel (or) cloth* Logistics (or) distribut* (or) manufact* or marketing 18,918 Refine: 4, 988 10,920 Refine: 1,403 39,435 Refine: 3,555 ,774,721 Refine: 267,820 Three search strings together Supply chain (or) demand chain (or) value chain Fashion (or) textile* (or) garment* (or) apparel (or) cloth* Logistics (or) distribut* (or) manufact* or marketing (EBSCO) Total 543 articles Refine: 140 articles Table 2. 4: No. of articles in each search string for EBCO database. Source: Author Other sources Other non-academic sources, such as Google scholar and Mintel reports were investigated in order to approach the researching areas more effectively. Furthermore, due to the difficulty of finding enough sources related to the supermarket clothing departments and fashion marketing, these sources, along with books, provided further information. The additional sources that were used were: 17 Chapter 2 Methodology Google scholar Trade Publications (e. g. Traffic World) Newspapers (e. g. Financial Times) Mintel reports Case studies (e. g. Zara, and Marks and Spencer) Reference/ Reports (e. g. Just-Style) White papers (e. g. CFPIM Intentia Americas) Mintel offered efficient information for the clothing and supermarket sectors. Furthermore, books provided very useful information about the examined issues covering both theory and examples from the practice. The latter enabled the author to decide the case studies to be studied. Google scholar, apart from providing some efficient publications, facilitated a first overview of the issues investigated. Furthermore, it provided a good link to a college (London College of Fashion) which deals with the fashion industry. At this point, regarding the process of searching for relevant information about the issues investigated, apart from the development of the key words search, a â€Å"snowball search† was conducted. According to Maylor and Blackmon (2005), â€Å"snowball search† is the review of the reference and the bibliography list of a relevant article in order to discover any previous useful researches and information (figure 2. 3). 18 Chapter 2 Methodology Snowball search Original reference A References to A B C References to B D E F G Figure 2. 3: Snowball search strategy Source: Maylor and Blackmon, (2005). Case studies According to Yin (2003) the case study, as a method, enables researchers to preserve the holistic and meaningful attributes of real life events. These could include, among others, organisational and managerial processes. The primary aim of examining a case study was to identify the business models used in the fashion industry in terms of their supply chain management and the extent to which they enabled them to meet consumer requirements. As mentioned above, books provided information regarding case studies for some companies. Nevertheless, the majority of the case studies were found in the site of ECCH (European Case Clearing House) (ecch. com). Advisory groups The main advisors in the research were the supervisor and the sponsor of the research project. Furthermore, a formal presentation of the progress of the research was conducted on the 6th of June 2007. During this presentation useful recommendations were given by a panel of academics in terms of the issues investigated. Apart from the above mentioned advisors; the group included an academician (Sanaul Mallick, lecturer in corporative strategy) from the London College of Fashion, who contributed to the 19 Chapter 2 Methodology progress of the research by offering useful information and expertise. The interview was based on a semi-structured questionnaire, which was conducted on the 25th of July 2007 at the London College of Fashion. Finally, librarian staff provided assistance in terms of the source searching. 2. 3. 3 Assessment of the literature (Stage 3) In this stage, evaluation of the articles found in the electronic databases was conducted. For the purpose of this process, inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed. The latter was enabled by the initial search which was conducted in the first stages of the research as mentioned before. These pre-determined criteria which were slightly refined during the whole process enabled the avoidance of any bias and possible errors of judgment. According to Morgan (2007), this phase of the structure literature review is divided into two stages: â€Å"high level assessment of the literature† and â€Å"low level assessment of the literature†. High level assessment of the literature Firstly, the high level assessment of the literature review refers to an initial screening of each article’s title and abstract. In this point the inclusion criteria are: Empirical and theoretical studies. No time-frame restrictions. All the related sectors, for example in the broad meaning of apparel sector apart from fashion, basic clothing was taken into consideration as well. No strict geographical restrictions. Respectively, the exclusion criteria were: No relevance to the investigated area. Not written in the English language. The resulting numbers from this brief screening for each database are illustrated in the following table (2. 5): 20 Chapter 2 Methodology Databases ABI (Proquest) EBSCO Emerald Table 2. 5: Rele vant article results per database. Source: Author. No. of possible relevant articles for fashion industry 67 81 37 The above results were referred to the search string (a) and duplications were included. As mentioned before, from the 81 possible relevant articles founded in EBSCO only 49 articles were not included in ABI’s results, and the majority of the articles in Science direct and Emerald were found in the two former databases. As a result, the total relevant articles for the fashion industry which proceeded to low level literature assessment were around 115. Low level assessment of the literature Low level assessment of the literature is regarded as a more detailed and full text screening of the remaining possible relevant articles. In this stage the previous screening of the abstracts enabled the development of more restricted inclusion and exclusion criteria, closely related with the research scope. Inclusion criteria: Fashion industry background. Fashion industry related only to clothing. Supply chain strategies in both sectors and approaches such as Quick Response (QR) and agile. Related logistics operations in each sector including manufacturing, distribution and marketing. Geographical areas: UK, US, Australia; and generally developed countries. Exclusion criteria: Focus on corporate responsibility. 21 Chapter 2 Methodology Focus on related environmental issues. Geographical restrictions. Exclude countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong. E-retailing related to internet sales For the fashion industry exclude fabric industry. The estimated final number from academic journals is 51 academic articles. Regarding other information sources the final number is 8 books, 11 case studies, 5 newspapers, 6 trade publications, 2 reference/ reports (including Mintel) and 1 white paper. 2. 3. Material Analysis (Stage 4) The material analysis included the presentation of the chosen articles in a descriptive way. The descriptive analysis referred to the categorisation of the articles in a number of comprehensive ways in order to present the overall analysis of the investigated issue. The descriptive findings are developed in Chapter 3. 2. 3. 5 Synthesis of the material (Stage 5) The approach of the first objective was based on ac ademic articles and books. However, newspapers, trade publications and white papers were used in order to approach the issue in a more robust way. Furthermore, the second objective, the assessing of business models followed in practice, was approached through case study review. Regarding the third objective, based on the literature and case study findings, a conceptual model was developed based on Hayes and Wheelwright (1979) model. The model presented the structure of the fashion industry and the way that the supply chains were organised and managed. This overall process enabled highlighting the learning points from the fashion industry in terms of supply chain strategies and tools. 22 Chapter 3 Descriptive Results CHAPTER 3 DESCRIPTIVE RESULTS . 1 Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to present a description of the finally selected articles. The descriptive analysis is regarded as findings and contributes to more robust overview of the further thematic analysis. The majority of the descriptive analysis is focalised on the academic papers (total 51 articles). However a brief presentation of the rest of the sources such as case studies and books is undertaken. 3. 2 Content descriptive analysis Academic papers A first review of the papers allowed a classification of the selected articles in terms of content. The four categories that the articles could be categorised into were fashion industry, apparel industry, supply chain management and logistics, and marketing. Supply chain management included manufacturing, suppliers, information issues, relationships and strategies. The following figure (3. 1) presents the percentages of each of these four categories in the total number of articles. Analysis of the fashion and apparel industries separately was conducted. Nevertheless, articles in which the title, the abstract and the keywords referred to apparel or clothing or textile, sometimes referred to fashion, as well. For that reason the classification regarding those two categories was based on the title, the abstract, the descriptors and the main points referred to in the article, reflecting in that way the focused area of each author. 23 Chapter 3 Descriptive Results 4% 29% 31% Fashion Apparel SCM/ Logistics Marketing 36% Figure 3. 1: Percentage of each content area. Source: Author Figures 3. 2 and 3. 3 present a further descriptive analysis of the fashion and apparel industry in terms of supply chain/ logistics and marketing. Regarding the two industries, the majority of the articles referred to supply chain and logistics. However, the percentages of the articles that referred to marketing were more in the fashion than in the apparel industry. But was there a reason for that? The market oriented nature of the fashion industry and the need for effective demand management, indicated that supply chain and marketing issues were both important. In so doing, marketing could be considered as an important factor to the success of a fashion firm; thus attracting the interest of researchers. However, the supply chain management seems to have been the area that has attracted the researchers’ interest more than marketing. This could be explained by the challenging nature of the industry in terms of manufacturing and general logistics issues. 24 Chapter 3 Descriptive Results 25% 75% Fashion SCM/ Logistics Fashion Marketing Figure 3. 2: Percentage of SCM/Logistics and marketing in the fashion industry. Source: Author 6% 94% Apparel SCM/ Logistics Apparel Marketing Figure 3. 3: Percentage of SCM/Logistics and marketing in the apparel industry. Source: Author 3. 3 Historical evolution of the ideas Academic papers In this section the characteristics of the selected articles were described based on chronological criteria. Figure 3. 4 presents the distribution of the articles both in number and percentage during the years. The majority of the selected articles were found after 2000, with more focused on 2006. Figure 3. 5 presents a comparison between the fashion and apparel sectors across the years. 25 Chapter 3 Descriptive Results 14 12 No. of Articles 10 8 6 4 2 0 1979 1989 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 Year No. of Articles Percentage 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Figure 3. 4: Articles per year. Source: Author 00% 90% Percentage of Articles 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1989 1993 1995 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Years Apparel Industry Fashion Industry Figure 3. 5: Articles referring to apparel and fashion industry per year. Source: Author The following figure (3. 6) presents the distribution of the â€Å"fashion† articles per year. The evolution of the ideas during the years could be that in the 90s most of the articles were referring to general supply chain/logistics and marketing issues whilst in the beginning of the next decade concepts such as quick response and agility became more aggressive. Over the last years, i. e. towards 2005 and 2006, concepts of fast fashion, customer driven, customisation and demand management were deemed as more popular. 26 Chapter 3 Descriptive Results Fashion Industry 60% Percentage of aticles 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1989 1993 1995 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Years Fashion Industry Figure 3. 6: The evolution of the fashion sector. Source: Author The following figure (3. 7) presents the apparel industry evolution during the years which could be characterised as more mature. Whilst the majority of the articles referring to fashion were found in 2006, the apparel sector presented a more â€Å"smooth† distribution both in number of publications and content. Quick response was always an area of focus. In the recent years, and a reflection on networks, the integration and explosion of technology use was found. Apparel Industry 30% Percentage of articles 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1989 1993 1995 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Years Apparel Industry Figure 3. : The evolution of the apparel sector. Source: Author 27 Chapter 3 Descriptive Results 3. 4 Journal classification- Academic papers The following table (3. 1) and figure (3. 8) present the number and the percentage of selected articles in each journal. The ranking in terms of stars was given based on the â€Å"Academic Journal Quality Guide of The Association of Business Schools in 2007†. The majority of the articles, especially for the fashion industry, were derived from the  "Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management†. Journal Title Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management Journal of Enterprise Information Management International Journal of Operations and Production Management Business Strategy Review Supply Chain Management: an International Journal Industrial Management and Data Systems Management Science International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management Supply Chain Europe International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management International Journal of Agile Management Systems The McKinsey Quarterly International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology European Journal of Marketing California Management Review Competition and Change Harvard Business Review Industrial Relations Integrated Manufacturing Systems International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications International Journal of Production Economics Journal of Marketing Management Technology in Society International Journal of Logistics Management The International Review of Retail, Distribution a nd Consumer Research Total No. of Articles 10 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 1 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 4 1 1 4 1 51 Ranking 1* * 3* 1* 3* 1* 4* 1* N/A 1* 1* N/A N/A 3* 3* 2* 4* 2* 2* 2* 3* 3* N/A 2* 2* Table 3. 1: No. of articles per Journal and star ranking. Source: Author 28 Chapter 3 Descriptive Results 8% 2% 2% 8% 2% 2% 2% 6% 2% 2% 2% 4% 2% 20% 2% 6% 2% 2% 2% 2% 6% 4% 4% 6% 2% Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management Journal of Enterprise Information Management International Journal of Operations and Production Management Business Strategy Review Supply Chain Management: an International Journal Industrial Management and Data Systems Management Science International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management Supply Chain Europe International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management International Journal of Agile Management Systems The McKinsey Quarterly International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology European Journal of Marketing California Management Review Competition and Change Harvard Business Review Industrial Relations Integrated Manufacturing Systems International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications International Journal of Production Economics Journal of Marketing Management Technology in Society International Journal of Logistics Management The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Re search % of Articles per Journal Figure 3. 8: Percentage of articles per Journal. Source: Author The following table (3. 2) presents the journals in combination with the year of publication of each article. In the brackets are the numbers of the articles published each year for each specific journal. At this point it should be noted that there was no exclusion of papers that were a certain number of years old. The reason that most of the papers were published in 2006, especially in the â€Å"Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management† (where the majority of them were found), might be due to the end of the quota system in 2005; which encouraged even more the sourcing in low wage overseas countries such as China (McKee and Ross, 2005). So there might be an interesting investigated area from several authors on the fashion industry. 29 Chapter 3 Descriptive Results Journal Name Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management Journal of Enterprise Information Management International Journal of Operations and Production Management Business Strategy Review Supply Chain Management: an International Journal Industrial Management and Data Systems Management Science International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management Supply Chain Europe International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management International Journal of Agile Management Systems The McKinsey Quarterly International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology European Journal of Marketing California Management Review Competition and Change Harvard Business Review Industrial Relations Integrated Manufacturing Systems International J

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