The Mask Of Command ( London ) - 2122 Words

John Keegan, author of The Mask of Command (London, 1987), is a British military historian, lecturer. Keegan is best known for his comprehensive works on military history, with particular focus on military figures and battles from fourteenth through twenty-first centuries. Keegan also worked on uncovering the psychology which was used in battle. In that respect, in the Mask of Command, Keegan points out effectively the broad aspects of warfare. The Mask of Command breaks into five parts. These include Alexander the Great, Arthur Wellesley Wellington, U.S. Grant, and Adolph Hitler parts. Each part is separate, but the parts are frequently compared each others. Each part gives excellent examination of military leadership. By these†¦show more content†¦But, leadership style transformed itself from pre-heroic to heroic, and wars began more bloody and commanders took a place in front to show themselves how they were brave, and aggressive to gain their followers trust. In other words, the modified themselves according to situation and common perception. This approach is emphasized by Keegan in the end of part as a; the mask -- the image, the spirit, of what subordinates needed to believe in order to fight and motivate. In the second part, Alexander the Great and Heroic Leadership, he details the life and conquests of Alexander the Great. He was a son of Philip II of Macedon whom Philip II had a great influence on Alexander and his methods as a soldier and commander. Throughout Alexander s childhood, he was well educated in many areas suitable to a young royal. Alexander s education included learning to sing and play the lyre, hunt and ride and how to debate, and to appreciate epic poetry, mostly as it related to Homer. On the eve of his march into Asia he was certainly one of the best-informed men in the Greek world. Alexander would become known worldwide for being the leader who did what no other could do before or since conquer states and entities on several continents and create a kingdom greater than any other. He was conquest of the Persian Empire and he marched with his men toward India. HeShow MoreRelatedThe Mask Of Command ( London )1843 Words   |  8 Pagesof The Mask of Command (Londo n, 1987). Keegan is best known for his comprehensive works on military history, with particular focus on military figures and battles from fourteenth through twenty-first centuries. Keegan is also known for uncovering the psychology used in battle. In that respect, Keegan points out effectively the technical aspects of warfare, particularly relates to Alexander the Great, Arthur Wellesley Wellington, U.S. Grant, and Adolph Hitler in the Mask of Command. The Mask of CommandRead MoreProtocol Stack, Subnetting And Results1356 Words   |  6 PagesWithin the subnetting section, I will produce a guide on subnetting an IP address. Within, the results section, screenshots of composing and receiving email will be shown, also screenshots displaying the webpage of web server and outputs of 2 show commands on routing and switching devices. Protocol Stack There are 2 different protocol stacks; TCP/IP and OSI protocol stacks. Both consists of multiple layers and the encapsulation process takes place within each layer. Encapsulation defines sending dataRead MoreVisual Representations Of Propaganda And Divinity1236 Words   |  5 Pagesreligious or about the rulers. Whether they depicted gods of pantheons or themselves as god kings, art wasn’t the art we think of today. Knowing this we can proceed with the examination of two very recognizable pieces of divine rulers, The Funerary Mask of Tutankhamun and the Head of an Akkadian Ruler. 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These are damaged wax figuresRead MoreDaniel Haddad The SR-71 Blackbird The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is an advanced, long-range, mach 3 +900 Words   |  4 Pages80.000 feet faced two main survival problems, incluiding maintaining consciousness at such high altitudes, and surviving the ejection in such a case. Even with a standard pressure demand oxygen mask , human lungs could not absorb oxygen quickly enough above 43,000 ft. The pressure difference inside the mask versus the cockpit pressure on the chest also makes exhalation extremely difficult. As it is easily fathomable, not getting oxygen under the trying circumstances of flying at mach 3 while flyingRead MoreCcna2678 Words   |  11 PagesThe prefix of the computer address is /27. The IP address that is assigned to the computer is routable on the Internet. The IP address that is assigned to the computer is a broadcast address. 2. As network administrator, what is the subnet mask that allows 510 hosts given the IP address 172.30.0.0? 255.255.0.0 255.255.248.0 255.255.252.0 255.255.254.0 255.255.255.0 255.255.255.128 3. Which OSI layers offers reliable, connection-oriented data communication services? applicationRead MoreCcna 1 Final Exam2820 Words   |  12 Pagesping a printer that is functioning properly on the local network segment. Which action will verify that the TCP/IP stack is functioning correctly on this PC? Use the ipconfig /all command at the hostï ¿ ½s command prompt. X  Use the ping 127.0.0.1 command at the command prompt. Use the traceroute command at the command prompt to identify any failures on the path to the gateway. Use FTP to check for connectivity to remote sites. Download a troubleshooting tool from the PC manufacturer s website. Read MoreThere Is No I in Government: George Orwell ´s 1984 Novel1230 Words   |  5 Pagesmystery, suspense, and futuristic universe. The book and the movie, respectively, are much more than simple narratives. Using dark dystopian settings, the authors show how futuristic societies are instead tyrannized by their fearsome governments who mask themselves in a utopian ideal. The protagonists, Orwell’s Winston Smith and McTeigue’s V, realize the corrupted totalitarian nature of their government as they plan to break free from their ruling power. While almost six decades separate these twoRead MoreEssay on Little Red Riding Hood 917 Words   |  4 Pages He gradually formulates a strategy to hoodwink the adolescent into entrusting him. By doing this, he reveals that the author subconsciously believes men to be of such evasiveness. He seems gentle and kind, but his true character lies under the mas k of kindness. 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Zara, Fast Fashion Free Essays

The global apparel market is a buyer-driven market. Along with the globalization and technology development, consumers are easier to access to fashion. As a result, the customers are changing and the companies are evolving to deliver customers satisfaction. We will write a custom essay sample on Zara, Fast Fashion or any similar topic only for you Order Now Zara, the most profitable brand of Spain clothing retail group Inditex, has leveraged its unique strategy to achieve success and will be expected to maintain a sustainable growth in the fashion industry. Zara’s core competencies can be divided into four areas: process development, distribution, marketing and integrated business structure (referred to Appendix 1). Zara’s unique process development allowed Zara to produce in a shorter cycle time and more quickly response to the customer’s needs than other competitors. When the fashion season started, Zara’s designers attended trade fairs and ready-to-wear fashion shows to translate the latest trend of fashion into their design. Zara’s product development staff, at the meanwhile, researched the market through different retail stores and university campuses to understand customer’s preferences. Zara’s IT system, on the other hand, played a key role on the internal communications. This helped Zara’s managers constantly track the sales data and therefore capture the customer’s desire. Moreover, Zara’s centralized distribution facility gave the chain efficiency. Both internal and external products passed through the distribution center, and were inspected and shipped immediately. Then, to increase the delivery speed, Zara scheduled shipments by time zone. Products were shipped by truck or air and were usually delivered to worldwide stores within 24-48 hours. In contrast to other companies’ outsourcing activities, Zara’s in-house manufacturing created a rapid product turnover since its products were limited and the inventories were strictly controlled. This rapid turnover created an opportunity to Zara’s retail stores and a sense of scarcity that â€Å"buy now because you won’t see this item later†. This increased the frequency of the customer visit and also allowed Zara to sell more products at full price. Zara’s business structure was very imperative to help the company develop its business strategy successfully. Each business function under this structure could be narrowly defined and management teams could frequently communicate across the functional departments. In addition to provide training, Zara enhanced Managers’ performance on store operations by the use of standardized reporting systems. This allowed Zara to work horizontally in an open communication environment. Moreover, Zara’s country managers were almost selected from locals. They transferred the information between top management at headquarters and store managers and thus making Zara adjust to the market quickly. This, in turn, would deliver customer’s satisfaction and boost the sales. Vertical integration, Zara’s distinctive business system, provided Zara with the competitive edge in the fashion industry. Zara manufactured its most fashion-sensitive products internally. About 11,000 distinct items were produced during the year, variations in color, fabric and sizes. This allowed the company to supply a broader product line into the market and to align with its business strategy. Furthermore, this vertical integration helped the company reduce the â€Å"bullwhip effect† in the chain. Products took place in small batches, flowed into the central distribution center and were shipped directly from the central distribution center. This helped the company not only keep low inventories but also avoid the potential amplification of the final demand. More importantly, Zara’s vertical integration shortened its cycle time of entire design to four to five weeks and two weeks for modifications, compared with traditional companies’ up to six months and three months, respectively. Such integration system provided Zara with the flexibility to constantly update its design and also reduced its working capital intensity, thereby maintaining a sustainable growth in the fast fashion market. Zara positioned its brand on the fashion-conscious market and offered fresh assortments of designer-style clothes and accessories with relatively low prices. Zara had a cost advantage over other competitors due to its low advertising costs. Zara spent only 0. 3% of revenue on the media advertising, compared with other retailers. Zara promoted its brand by offering rapid changing product lines and creating customers’ positive word of mouth that resulted. In addition, to target at the ages between 18 and 34 with middle to middle-high income, Zara mainly relied on its attractive stores which located in highly visible locations to project its image. Zara’s frequent refurbishing of store, creative window display and varied staff uniforms also allowed Zara to position its image in the elegant, high-end and fashion-driven market. However, Zara implemented a different positioning strategy for Zara overseas. In contrast to Spain, where all of Zara’s stores were company-owned, Zara used three different methods to enter into the international markets: company-owned stores for high-profile countries, joint ventures for important countries where there were barriers to direct entry, and franchises for small countries. This helped Zara reduce operational risks and gained a detailed insight into local demand. Although pricing was market-based, prices in other countries were higher than in Spain, for example, 70% higher in Americas and 100% higher in Japan. The higher retail prices implied a different positioning for different countries. For example, while Zara targeted at 80% of Spanish citizens, it aimed at the upper and middle class in Mexico, and presented a high-end image in South America. It also implied that Zara promoted its image of â€Å"made in Spain† to emphasize the local produce, whereas built its image of â€Å"made in Europe† to emphasize its high-end and prestigious positioning. Although Zara had a successful business module in the fashion industry, its strategy also had some weaknesses to prevent its future growth. First of all, Zara’s vertical integration couldn’t create the economics of scale, which means, Zara couldn’t supply a larger quantity of products. This, in turn, would increase its production cost. Moreover, the higher pricing in oversea markets was a barrier for Zara to gain more market share. HM, Zara’s competitor, also focused on the fast fashion market and adopted a lower price strategy to the international market. In the end, Zara could not explore well in the U. S. and Asia markets. The U. S. is the key market to North America, which required a larger size on average and exhibited considerable internal variation. Therefore, the best way for Zara to maintain its sustainable competitive advantage is to re-position in the U. S. nd Asia markets. For the U. S. market, which was less fashion-forward than Europe, Zara can focus on the design that specifically caters to the American preferences, for example, emphasizing on the natural, casual style. In addition, Zara can seek the opportunities on the large emerging markets in Asia, like China and India. China has a large population and similar fashion preferences to Europe . Through opening flagship stores, Zara can build its image at the middle to upper class in Chinese big cities to create shopper traffic. Another way to expand its business is setting up internet retailing model. More and more youngsters prefer to shop at home at anytime. Therefore, the form of direct retailing will help Zara to gain more customers and reach them faster. In conclusion, Zara’s unique business model demonstrates a strong success in the fashion market. By expanding internationally and focusing on different geographical preferences, Zara will maintain a sustainable competitive advantage in future and enjoy its increasing profit margins from oversea retail markets. Appendix 1. VRIN Valuable| Rare| * Rapid product turnover * Relatively low price| * HM| Inimitable| Non-substitutable| Fast response * Short cycle time of entire design * Unique organizational culture (staff, communication, etc. )| * Process development (in-housing production, IT system, distribution, etc. ) * Vertical integration| 2. Value Chain * Inbound logistics * Zara’s designers attended trade fairs and global ready-to-wear fashion shows to translate the latest trend of fashion into their design; * Z ara’s purchasing offices connected store managers to understand customer preferences; * The 100%-owned subsidiary of Inditex Comditel managed the entire dyeing process and supplied to production in only one week. Operations * Most fashionable items were produced in small lots or under contract by suppliers located close by, and recorded if they sold well; * More price-sensitive items were likely to be outsourced to Asia; * Zara’s factories were heavily automated and focused on the capital-intensive parts of the production process, finishing and inspection; * Unique IT system allowed employees to quickly transfer information and track sales record; * Long term relations with about 450 workshops. Outbound logistics * Distributed garments by a dual-shift basis and featured a mobile tracking system; * Scheduled shipments by time zone to increase efficiency; * Products were shipped by truck or air, and typically delivered within 24-48 hours to worldwide stores; * Started to build a second distribution center with a 120,000 square meters of warehouse space that had direct access to local airport, the railway and road network. * Marketing and sales Emphasized broad, rapidly changing product lines, relatively high fashion content and reasonable quality to be a quick fashion follower; * Spent limited revenue in advertising (0. 3%); * Created rapid product turnover and offered customers with limited products to create a sense of scarcity that â€Å"buy now because you won’t see this item later† * Expanded internationally and opened the flagship stores in worldwide main cities. * Service * Located stores in highly visible locations; * Invested more heavily in store refurbishing to provide customers with superior shopping experiences. 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Alatriste free essay sample

As has been already noted, Arturo Perez-Revertes Captain Alatriste is for the reader who enjoys a good swashbuckling read thats deeply imbued with the history and spirit of early 17th century Spain. However, Id have to say that it is not the most breathtakingly fast paced read, because things do sag a little about a third way from the end, as our whimsical narrator, Captain Alaristes page, Inigo Balboa, goes into great detail in order to give the reader an idea about the history, politics and culture of Spain in the 1600s. This, in itself, is not a detraction. But because it came right about the time when things picked up and became rather exciting and suspenseful, the break in the action in order to give a more vivid picture of Spain at that moment, felt like an intrusion. Which was a rather strange reaction for someone like me to have because I for one always appreciate it when an author takes the time and effort to paint in the historical realities of the moment. We will write a custom essay sample on Alatriste or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The problem was that Captain Alatriste is the first installment in a series of adventures, and it is a short novella. And because it is the first installment in a series of five adventures, the author spends quite a bit of time setting things up for future books the politics and intrigues of the period, as well as thumbnail sketches of the various characters who figure in this adventure, and who will obviously figure in the subsequent adventures. So that what actually occurs in Captain Alatriste is a very short accounting of how the gallant Captain manages to make so many enemies, and yet survives to fight another day. And as I noted all this is great fun and makes for very enthralling reading. However, the narrators musings and ruminations do get in the way, especially when they come at the point where the Captain is about to face another attempt on his life, and all I wanted was to read on, instead of which I was treated to a few pages of stanzas from the period. And while this added to the charm of the novel, I found myself skimming these bits in order to get to the action. All in all, however, Captain Alatriste was a very fantastic read, and one that I would recommend wholeheartedly to anyone who enjoys heroic historical novels. I just cannot believe however, that I have to wait till January of 2006 to read the next Captain Alatriste installment!