PLEDGE OF COTTON – Cheap Research Essays

Pledge of Cotton
Executive Summary
Throughout the world, companies have their own ways of running business operations in a manner that quench the interests of consumers and primary stakeholders. The Pledge for Cotton Company that operates under the cloth industry has for long been working closely with farmers, suppliers, and manufacturers in meeting its yearly profits and returns. The deterioration of the PfC Company in the current era of garment-making and marketing has drawn the attention of researchers to carry out studies and determine the way forward. This provided the motivation of this study. The intention of this study is to review the hazardous nature of the current PfC’s business environment that is characterised by a pool of environmental pressures. This exploration covers four main areas that range from SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, cultural web analysis, to force field analysis before concluding with a summary of the overall study. Additionally, the study generates a report whose ground is an independent critical analysis of the PfC Company. The targets of the report are the two CEOs, Franco Mancini and Maria Duncan, and this will equip them with the essential information in eliminating the current barriers. To achieve this, the report addresses the central issues affecting the company with an analysis of the current and expected implications for PfC and its social position. This will be followed by a suggestion of the appropriate solutions that the company needs to do in order to reduce the high operational costs. The major problems that have contributed the perilous nature of the business environment surrounding the PfC Company includes lack of funds to acquire enough resources and limited number of knowledgeable employees. Moreover, the force field analysis indicates the farmers with very little knowledge, skills, and experiences on farming activities, causing problems for the firm. The farmers are also facing an economic disability since very few manage to buy farming machinery, high quality crops, and bigger farms for large scale farming. Therefore, the PfC requires to solve both the external and internal problems in order to transform the perilous nature of its business condition into a favourable one.
Introduction
It is an obligation for companies to set their goals and objectives in alignment with their missions that would lead to a generation of more economic returns and profits. Thus, it requires such firms to form close relationships with the affiliated stakeholders such as suppliers, supporters, and manufacturers to enhance long-term equipoise. Evaluating the market pressure and emerging segmentation is equally crucial to the establishment of reliable strategies that may not compromise the entire organisational integrity as well as ethical principle (Bamford & West 2010, p. 15). This does not, however, express the overlooking habit of a firm towards its customers since outsourcing in such companies as PfC has become rife with an intention to gather new markets and improve profitability. Nonetheless, during the final launching of the SWOT and PEST assessment, the various strengths and weaknesses of such enterprises is put into account before significant actions are taken. The process also involves the consolidation of all critical marketing strategies such as managing low cost workforce, promotions and salary increment for high performing employees or knowledgeable workers. Regardless of the measures taken by various companies in heightening their rating of consumer attraction and retention in various geographical markets, difficulties are common. These difficulties include implementation of organisational social contributions in form of giving back the target being to meliorate the living standards of the poor. This study intends to explore the perilous nature of PfC’s organisational conditions that are characterised by a wide range of environmental influences. In addition, the study will generate a report based on an independent critical analysis of the PfC Company as required by the CEOs, Franco Mancini and Maria Duncan. The report will address the primary issues influencing the company, with an analysis of the existing and anticipated implications for Pledge For Cotton and its position in the society as well as an advice on an appropriate solution.
SWOT Analysis of the PfC Company
Strengths
Firstly, the PfC Company has managed to dominate the markets within the fashion industry over its competitors (Arbuckle & Sterlacci 2007, p. 5). Secondly, it has managed to retain a sole management resulting to success of the business in terms of production ability upheld by consistent manufacturers based in diverse segments across the globe. These and more strengths of the company are detailed on Appendix 1 below.
Weaknesses
Following the increased cost of production, the PfC Company has been coerced to increase prices for garments thereby damaging affordability of its consumers. Therefore, the company is facing a hard time of balancing customer loyalty and dedication with supply and manufacturing costs. The corporate social responsibility is also demanding within the PfC Company (Henry 2008, p. 102). A complete list of weaknesses of the PfC Company is provided on Appendix 2 below.
Opportunities
The available opportunities provide the PfC Company with a chance to improve the organisational profitability and returns. In addition, there is an opportunity for the company to undergird its competitive advantage as well as enhance a high competitive industry via business expansion (ElMaraghy 2011, p. 38). These opportunities are further detailed on Appendix 2 below.
Threats
The primary threats for the PfC Company comes from the new rivals that if not well managed can result to a shift in market choices. On the other hand, new entrants with similar products are a threat to the PfC’s production capacity and impacts the setting of prices that meets production cost and production processes (Karami & Analoui 2003, p. 35). These threats are further elaborated on Appendix 2 below.
PEST Analysis
The Pledge For Cotton is influenced by factors based on four central backgrounds. These include the economic, political, social, and technological interventions (Fleisher & Bensoussan 2007, p. 2). The political influence often promotes the economical position of the PfC Company while the economic pressure causes Pledge For Cotton to achieve tremendous progress and performance in the global market. On the other hand, the social pressure offers the PfC Company with a wide close community engagement with a positive attitude for brand loyalty and status. Technological interventions on the garment manufacturing processes play an important role of high brand quality control. In addition, technological ideas influence the decisions made on outsourcing (Bensoussan & Fleisher 2008, p. 20). These four pressures are further detailed on Appendix 2 given below.
Stakeholder Analysis
The various stakeholders affiliated to the Pledge for Cotton Company play a significant role of project management, conflict resolution, and administration of the entire business. In broader meaning, the group of stakeholders consists of parties that are directly and indirectly affected by the organisation (Friedman & Miles 2006, p. 42). These stakeholders often determine the nature of the anticipated project strategies by carrying out certain activities intended to revamp the business operations. The other important role of the PfC’s stakeholders is to affect the tastes and choices of consumers and employees in the expected projects. Moreover, stakeholders determine the need to train and provide opportunities for career development by the staff members. The critical analysis of Pledge for Cotton stakeholders is provided on Appendix 3 below.
Cultural Web Analysis
The cultural web of the PfC Company incorporates certain suppositions and epitomes that have apparent manifestation in describing the organisational culture. Its cultural web operates to enforce the various practices that boost attraction and retention of consumers. These practices include setting of standards that prioritise production of high quality garments that are also highly affordable to the largest population of consumers. On the other hand, the cultural web of the Pledge for Cotton Company comprises of various features that symbolize its uniqueness and such things as abbreviations. In addition to the utility of the cultural web in the PfC Company, certain features are used to highlight the organisational goals and objectives related to attraction of clients in the lower monitory of the organisational chart (Wishes 2013, p. 16). The prevalence of control models at PfC organisation affects different parameters and obstacles that hinder the company from becoming successful when establishing new plans aligned with its emerging needs. The entrenched cultural web also helps the PfC organisation to create close relationships between the management department and fabric producer to promote the productive development of cotton in diverse regions across the globe (Schwalbe 2006, p. 10). A well-detailed cultural analysis of the Pledge for Cotton Company is provided on Appendix 4 below.
Force Field Analysis
The force of the field in the PfC Company has boosted the effectiveness of decisions and change implementation that undergirds the goals and objectives anticipated by the management and clients. The current problem affecting the force field is the inadequacy of funds to purchase chemicals and pesticides. However, farming machineries are also unaffordable to many cotton farmers, thus making most of the farming activities tedious. The other problem is lack of experiences by many farmers who often face discrimination and exploitation from the fortunate farmers. This problem, therefore, calls for the PfC organisation to take up the responsibility of training farmers on how to make cotton a source of both money and subsistence. This solution would not only refine their perception towards cotton but also encourage them to produce the crop in large scale. The other solution for revamping the force field is to initiate vital transformation particularly based on identification and elimination of hindering factors. The company also needs to persuade farmers to adopt important modifications based on technological advancement or innovation. This will improve production, ease farming activities, and even form inter-relationships between manufacturers and suppliers. A detailed force field analysis of the PfC firm is provided on Appendix 5 below.
Conclusion
Along with the PfC Company, modern organisations needs to identify the pros and cons of handling low cost suppliers as well as manufacturers before revisiting the extended projects. To achieve this, organisations need to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the force field, SWOT analysis, cultural web analysis, and overall pressures affecting a given organisation. Having determined these factors, it is easy for business owners or corporate managers to benchmark their ideas and make good decisions that would refine the current conditions unfavourable for a business (Weese & Wagner 2011, 85). Considering the current situation of the PfC Company, there is a need to solve the current problems and eradicate the hampering factors that drive the company towards the wrong direction. For instance, the production cost is very high in that it fails to meet the manufacturers and suppliers’ cost. Further, this problem has forced the PfC Company to set very high prices that damage the buying potential of consumers besides ruining their brand loyalty and commitment. Generally, the PfC Company is currently facing challenges coming from within and outside the organisation, thus hindering its success in business operations (Richter & Pahl 2009, p. 8). On the other hand, lack of experiences, knowledge, and skills by the key farmers has resulted to a decrease in supply of the raw materials, making the company to fail meeting the emerging consumer demands. In order to change the hazardous nature of the PfC organisation and that of the future projects, there is need to revamp its success factors. These incorporate training of the central farmers and promoting them acquire important farming machinery that would not only improve productivity but also ease their farm operations. The organisation also needs to embrace innovation and adoption of advanced technological ideas to lead their business operations into success (Moreau 2002, p. 2). More important, the managers in the PfC Company requires to improve its corporate social responsibility as it will lead the business to success.

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Appendix 1: SWOT Analysis
Strengths
• The PfC Company has managed to dominate the markets within the fashion industry over its competitors.
• The PfC Company has managed to retain a sole management resulting to success of the business in terms of production ability upheld by consistent manufacturers based in diverse segments across the globe.
• Its dedication and philosophy to the unfortunate individuals in the society has managed to elevate the company’s fashion and health to a social contributing entity.
Weaknesses
• The increased cost of production has coerced the PfC Company to increase prices for garments thereby damaging affordability of its consumers.
• The company is facing a hard time of balancing customer loyalty and dedication with supply and manufacturing costs.
• Marketing goals have been low particularly on assessment of the current strategies and advancement of emerging aspects that adapt with emerging consumer tastes and choices (Withey, Lancaster & Ashford 2013, p. 18).
• Ineffective remuneration policy for its employees working in various segments spread across the globe in Bangladesh and India continue to complicate the employee motivation approaches.
Opportunities
• New marketing opportunities in Latin America and Africa guarantee the PfC organisation to acquire new consumers with multiple tastes and choices in the fabrics industry.
• Identification of new markets provides an opportunity to establish a suitable market niche that aligns well with the company’s mission statement.
• Interested suppliers working closely with the PfC Company provides the company with an opportunity to acquire adequate and quality resources for better performance.
• The PfC has a fundamental opportunity to expand its supply chain for the firm to reach more geographical markets with quality cotton fabrics offered by reputable farmers.
Threats
• Small market entrants with reduced manufacturing costs might end up dominating the unexplored market segments by providing cheaper products to increase their corporate social responsibility. This will result to loss of consumers, consumer brand loyalty, and identity.
• The company’s current production capacity is a threat, putting into account the emerging industries that produce similar fabrics engaging in small scale ventures to evade overspending since this increases the cost of investment and production (Doyle 2010, p. 7).
• Low cost line may have discounting strategies that assimilates the increasing cost in the market share.

Appendix 2: PEST Analysis
Political Pressure
• In the UK, fashion stores provide consumers with PfC garments at subsidised prices. Consequently, the government expansion policy to its key cities ensured that elegant celebrities were ingrained with a feeling of sale of clothes and by reducing tax levy on adverts on newspapers and magazines (Miller, Vandome & McBrewster 2011, p. 10).
• Retention of rights of manufacturing certain products in specific cities such as Bangladesh gives the enterprise a platform to develop and venture in capacity production (Bamford & West 2010, p. 156).
• Reduced tariffs of processing cotton also provide manufacturers and distributors with a chance to extend services in production to their loyal consumers who purchase the garments (Miller, Vandome & McBrewster 2011, p. 5).
Economic Pressure
• Penetration of PfC to the European market with a low inflation rate enabled the company to form smart channels in key cities such as Madrid, Budapest, Lisbon, Athens, and Barcelona (Withey, Lancaster & Ashford 2013, p. 3).
• Identification of a sole control of PfC incorporates the moderation of price and quality of clothing design from various cities (Walters 2006, p. 58).
• Establishment of alliances and collaborations with other companies is instrumental for cotton farmers who have manufacturing and supply commitments (Bensoussan & Fleisher 2008, p.119). This entails that the existing supplies prevalent in countries such as India and Bangladesh have low exchange rates to facilitate development evenly.
• Exchange rates interrupt costs, particularly the cost of supply chain that result to a highly competitive nature of the retail industry when handling manufacturers and limited ventures (Mukherjee 2002, p. 48).
Social Pressure
• Extended close community engagement has positive disposition to brand loyalty and identity (Mukherjee 2002, p. 33).
• A sound competition promotes corporate social responsibility that favours the poor and those that can afford fashionable garments (Bamford & West 2010, 30).
• Current market trends dealing with the versatile labour force allows the company to market its services and brands in large scales (Brown & Grundy 2012, p. 100).
• Motivated employees not only perform highly but also reduce cost of operations and labour when the company enters the market with a new garment (Brown & Grundy 2012, p.189).
• Age distribution is a crucial feature to buying of cotton garments since the company targets young men and women (Fleisher & Bensoussan 2007, p. 15).
Technological Pressure
• Current machines cannot produce cotton clothes in large quantities that need to be distributed to the various segments with increasing technological incentives (Ward & Daniel 2012, p. 2). This manipulates the justification of outsourcing in Bangladesh, the UK, and India among other countries.
• The adoption of technology influences the quality of smart brands, thus adding costs while promoting innovation for markets that presently embrace technological transformation (Doyle 2010, p.156).
• Adoption of automated systems comes with certain challenges on market entry while increasing effectiveness as well as production that meet the demands of loyal customers (Patel 2005, p. 45). This balances the new technological changes that pose impacts on both the workers and consumers when buying garments from diverse PfC stores.

Appendix 3: Stakeholder Analysis
PfC Stakeholders
• Modifications in control of the PfC will pose direct influences in initiating practices that manipulates the main principles within the company.
• The IT Director and HR Director serves as the backbone of the cotton firm since they comprise of a pool of central stakeholders (Kimmich & Janetschek 2012, p. 6).
• Transfers and retrenchment denies leaders the accountability to play key roles and responsibilities that efficiently highlight the dissemination of the fabric brands.
• PfC utilises the monopoly of tastes and choices to draw attention of sponsors and to explore new market regions based in different parts of the world such as the new Bangladesh and Indian markets.
• Stakeholders have modeled policies and operations that develop the overall stakeholder management.
• Replacing manufacturers to reduce cost affects stakeholders since it reshapes the supply chain when handling new management in a reduced cost market.
• Market dynamics for branch players such as Cortefiel and Zara cuts the increasing costs facing the production, possibilities of discounting strategies in quality garments, and a crisis in a poor economic profile.

Appendix 4: Cultural Web Analysis
Cultural Web Analysis
• The power models are instrumental to assist in setting of trends that manipulate central suppositions such as the need to design new channels that correspond with those prevalent in popular fashion houses but affordable to the poor.
• Exemplification of the cultural web is apparent in PfC fashion stores based in London and Bangladesh.
• A new epitome shift that enforces a new conduct in handling leaders and employees also creates an integral part of PfC’s cultural web in which the less fortunate individuals are the primary helm in defining the development of their ventures worldwide.
• The critical sustained inheritance of an embedded cultural web has been the close partnership between the management and fabric producers to promote the production of cotton in diverse parts of the globe.
• Management systems at PfC affect different reward parameters and obstacles that overlooks the firm’s success when forming new strategies aligned with emerging demands.

Appendix 5: Force Field Analysis
Force Field
• Handpicking of cotton results to tiresome work for fabric producers in conjunction with inexperienced farmers who receive exploitation from the middlemen.
• Vulnerabilities affiliated with pesticide disclosure are equally existent and perpetrates calamities such as reproductive disorders, deformation, permanent memory loss, and enfeebled immune systems among others. In contrast, this has not pressurised farmers to quit practicing organic cotton farming that consolidates the application of compost manures, cover crops, and limited less toxic pesticides.
• The current force field calls for PfC to engage in providing cotton farmers with civic education that assist them in understanding how to employ technology and other innovate techniques of cost-effective labour while increasing their means of production.
• A decrease in the clothing retail due to the 2008 to 2009 recession made the PfC enjoy capturing the low cost markets especially those based in the Middle East.
• There are hampering forces such as resistance to change and the establishment of partnerships with low cost manufacturers and suppliers.
• In creating a comprehensive modification plan, PfC needs to make few obligations.
• First, it is required to create a new relationship with cotton farmers as well as producers to contemplate the market trends including tastes, choices, and trading stability.
• Second, the company needs to streamline the driving pressures that promote relationship between farmers and middlemen in seeking equity, particularly if other restraining forces are extinct.
• Farmers are not trained on how to use cotton to satisfy their subsistence and economic goals.
• Extension of the retail industry equally helps workers and store managers when acquiring new market segments that are geared towards increasing profits.

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PLEDGE OF COTTON