The Impact Of Ethical Sourcing Essay Example

The Impact Of Ethical Sourcing Essay The sourcing companies are preferred to source products at the lowest possible price, while at the same time ensure he suppliers produce the products With social and environmental considerations. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that products and raw materials purchase by or on behalf of a company consistent with the mission to develop and promote ethical responsibility at every stage in a fashion supply chain. In 1 9905, fashion retailers mainly focused on the economical aspect i. E. Sweet cost with reasonable quality, of achieving the products. While ethical issues are increasingly concerned recently in supply chain management. Globalization is likely one of the factors that contribute to the ransom, which many companies move the production lines offshore to those developing counties for the reason of lower production costs. Concerns on the human right of the workers and the environment protection have been raise in these countries. Change in consumer purchasing behavior may be another factor. This change may possibly increase pressure on fashion retailers or producers to sell or use products that are produced environmentally friendly and respecting human rights. Any failure would probably destroy the companies trustworthiness and even threaten corporate survival. International brands Gap and Nikkei are examples that suffered negative publicity as a result of failing to maintain the ethical issues in their production process. This appears to force fashion companies to adopt ethical sourcing and ensure their suppliers in all stages of supply chain act accordingly. 2. Finding and Discussion The impact of ethical souring on the selection of production sources can be divided into two aspects: the selection of suppliers and the selection of production materials. 2. 1 . Selection of suppliers Traditionally, under limited information about the suppliers, fashion buyers end to use price as a standard for selection Of suppliers in which the lower the price a supplier offered, the more likely the supplier will obtain the business in a pool of potential suppliers. In addition to price, quality, delivery time and services provided may also affect their choices. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact Of Ethical Sourcing specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact Of Ethical Sourcing specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact Of Ethical Sourcing specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Today, however, fashion companies take into account two additional concerns, i. E. Social responsibility and environmental sustainability, when selecting new suppliers. Price used to be considered as a critical factor in evaluating and determining suppliers as the price of raw materials contribute most in the production sots. Therefore to cut the production costs, fashion companies may choose the suppliers with the lower price. This low price, however, may reflect lower standards in response to the workers treatment and environmental protection. As to keep costs low, suppliers may pay low wages, require the workers to work long hours, provide poor working environment for their workers and employ child labors in order to gain the business and undercut other potential suppliers. These unethical social problems are now widely criticized by public and therefore trigger a change in supply chain management. Cooperate with those unethical suppliers may have a risk of reputation damage , and consequently many companies start to consider ethical issues when they are choosing suppliers. The main barrier for ethical souring On selection Of suppliers may possibly be the Costs. It seems difficult for the suppliers to produce products as cheap as before and at the same time adherence to ethical production, because they may have to increase the wage rate, improve working environment, and use safe and environmental friendly raw materials. This apparently lowers the opportunities for suppliers o gain the business unless they undercut other potential suppliers on cost. Also, the costs of sourcing ethical clothing, inevitably, will increase accordingly. A fashion buyer may face a tradeoff when selecting suppliers between lower costs and concerning ethical issues. When adopting ethical souring, fashion buyers may not be able to access to the interior of the suppliers and evaluate whether the products are produced according to code Of ethics and environmental standards. Evidence from third parties, therefore, may be required to provide advice for the companies. For example, United Nation Global Compact (UNC), requires companies to follow universal teeth kcal principles, is a standard to encourage companies worldwide to adopt sustainable social and environmental policies. Also, several non- government organizations (NAG) were established to encourage fashion companies to sourcing materials or clothing produced by manufacturers with ethical concerns. The Clean Clothes Campaign, the Ethical Trading Initiative (IT) and Fair Labor Association are the examples of NAG to promote ethical standards in clothing production. However, these organizations that help in ethical sourcing may be criticized as not reliable. For example, one of the members in the IT, Gap, had been found inconsistent with the ethical standards by employing child labors. Consumers, therefore, may need self- adjustment on the companies performance and the information on the companies official website may provide a way. Some of the fashion companies, such as Patagonia and People Tree, provide transparency of information about where the raw materials come from and where the production is carried out on their websites. This is because these companies recognize that any inappropriate and unethical corporate actions in supply chains may affect the companies image and reputations in the market. 2. 2. Selection of production materials Selecting appropriate raw materials would be very important as the features of raw materials could have a great influence on the finished products. There is trend for fashion buyers to source clothing made from sustainable cottons and produced by Fair Trade manufacturers. For instance, Marks Spencer had sold clothing made from Fair Trade cotton since 2006; Monsoon sold Fair Trade clothing; New Look sold t-shirts made from organic cotton; Houses sold clothing made from recycled cotton fabric. Sustainable cottons refer to the cottons that are produced in response to social ethics and environmental protection. Examples are organic cotton, better cotton and recycled cotton. Organic cotton takes an important role in ethical souring and there are a growing number Of fast ion companies that start to take step towards using organic cotton. Timberland could be a typical example that does a lot to reduce damage to the environment in which 80% of the shoes are manufactured from organic cotton or recycled materials. HM, another example, is one of the leading users of organic cotton in the world. Cotton is regarded as the most popular fiber used in garment. Standard cotton farming is criticized for produce significant environmental problems as it is accounted for 1 1 % of the worlds pesticide consumption. Organic cotton, which is grown without pesticides and fertilizers, is therefore used to improve farmers health and reduce considerable environmental pollution. This kind of farming may possibly minimize the adverse effect on rivers or water source nearby. Better cotton, which is introduced by Better Cotton Initiative to promote good farming behavior, also growth with less irrigate water, chemical, and with more concern to the soil, natural environment and working condition for farmers. Recycled cotton, which is made from the scraps produced by textile mills or post-consumer cotton waste, is important to minimize unnecessary wastage and environmental impacts. Recycle cotton reduce waste to landfill and the use of virgin cotton, chemicals, water and land. Although it is environmental friendly to use sustainable cottons, there are several imitations regarding the usage of these cottons. There seems to be physical limitation for organic cotton and better cotton of having less output because of the absence of chemical pesticide and fertilizers. Apart from physical limitation, there is also economical limitation in which using sustainable cottons is very expensive. Cost of farmers will be increase as the certified organic seed is expensive. Farmers may possibly transfer these extra cost to manufacturers for producing sustainable cotton fabrics. The cost of fashion companies will increase accordingly as extra expense is resulted from using expensive cotton fabric, getting organic cotton certification and paying a Fair Trade premium to farmers. A huge investment of money, time and effort may be required to develop and train farmers skills for producing sustainable cottons in order to meet the international standard. 3. Conclusion Ethical sourcing may conceivably be the critical souring strategy for every fashion companies worldwide in the nearest future as it brings a great deal of benefit to the society while at the same time minimizes the environmental impact. It mainly affects the supply chain in the selection of suppliers and production materials. Although the change in criteria of selection production source may discourage the economic aspect as higher purchase price, it does promote the companys reputation and good image to be an ethical corporate as consumers concern. This may actually reduce operation costs of a company as more recycled materials are used and less effort may be put on promoting brand image. Reputation is a key to maximum corporate benefit and there is no other choice than employing ethical sourcing to maintain or improve reputation in the long term. With increase in reputation, new marketing opportunities could be found.

Pre-College Summer Programs Should You Go

Pre-College Summer Programs Should You Go SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're contemplating your summer plans, you may want to consider pre-college summer programs. These programs offerhigh school students the opportunity to live and learn on a college campus. In this article, I'll explain the different types of programs and let you know the benefits and drawbacks of attending them. Furthermore, I'll let you know if doing one of these programs can help you get into college. What Is a Pre-College Summer Program? A pre-college summer program offers high school students the opportunity to take classes at a college and experience college life during the summer. Many programs offer a residential and commuter option. Students can stay in dorms with their peers, or they can commute from home if they live close to the college. Typically, these programs range anywhere from one to eight weeks. During these programs, not only are students able to take classes from college professors or visiting scholars, but they’re also able to listen to lectures from alumni and participate in social activities. Many selective private colleges, including Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia, offer pre-college summer programs for high school students. Some of theseprograms are open enrollment (anyone can attend), and others require admission through an application process. The selective programs typically require teacher recommendations, application essays, and standardized test scores. Check a specific program’s website for its admissions requirements. Possible Benefits of Pre-College Summer Programs Spending part of your summer studying at college or a university may not sounds like the most fun, but it canoffer a number of potential benefits. Prepare for College Life For many students, adjusting to college life can be very difficult. A pre-college summer program enables you to spend time on a college campus and take classes from college professors. These programs can help ease the transition to college life when you go to college. You’ll be more familiar with the expectations of a college class, and you’ll be more comfortable navigating a college campus. Explore Your Academic Interests Pre-college programs allow you to take classes in subjects you’re interested in, or you can discover new interests. You can take courses in a wide variety of subjects like computer science, theater, economics, and philosophy. Enhance Your College Resume Colleges do like to see that you’re taking advantage of your summers to participate in meaningful activities. By attending a pre-college summer program, you can demonstrate your interest in academics and show that you’re motivated to do more than what’s required to pursue your academic passions. Exposure to a Specific College If you're strongly considering attending a certain college, going to its summer program can help you figure out if it's the right place for you. You'll get a feel for the campus and its location, and you may get the opportunity to interact with current students and professors. You'll come away with a better sense of whether you can see yourself thriving in that environment. Make New Friends You shouldn’t discount the social benefits of attending these programs. You can meet people from around the world and form meaningful relationships that will last beyond the program. Keep in mind that there are potential costs of attending these programs. Possible Drawbacksof Pre-College Summer Programs Though many students really enjoy attending these programs, there are some issues to consider. Cost Pre-college summer programs are expensive. For example, an 8-credit course at Harvard’s seven-week secondary school summer program costs $5,900 for tuition and $5,400 for housing. That doesn’t even include transportation costs if you don’t live near Harvard. However, Harvard does offer some financial aid that covers partof the tuition forstudents with outstanding academic records who demonstrate financial need. The all-inclusive cost for the three-week Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes is $6,300. That includes room and board and transportation between Stanford and San Francisco International Airport. These Programs May Not Help You Get Into College Many college experts believe that going to a pre-college summer program may in fact hurt your chances of getting into a selective college. If you go to a summer program at Brown and you apply to Cornell, Cornell may assume that you’re more interested in Brown. Also, due to the cost of pre-college programs, some admissions counselors believe that these programs are basically summer camp for wealthy students. Many advise students tofind more creative and low-cost ways to explore their passions. For example, you can volunteer to do research with a local college professor or work at an art museum. However, there are summer programs that will undoubtedly impress college admissions officers. Free, highly selective summer programs like Research Science Institute and the Young Engineering and Science Scholars will greatly enhance your college application because they only admit a limited number of exceptional students. Perfect Zero/Flickr Is a Pre-College Summer Program Right for You? I won't advise you whether or not you should do a pre-college summer program. That's your decision. However, if you can afford to attend one of these programs and feel like it would be a good option for you, I recommend tailoring it to your interests. Take courses that are related to your intended college major, or go to a program at a college that you may want to attend. Also, I don't think that doing a costly program will substantially hurt or help your college applications. However, it can be helpful if you excel in the program and get an outstanding recommendation from a professor. Additionally, if the program stimulates an academic interest or prepares you to do well in school, it can indirectly help your chances of gaining admission to the most selective colleges. What Are Some Well-Known Pre-College Summer Programs? If you do decide attending one of these programs is a good choice for you, here are some popularoptions to check out: Duke TIP Duke TIP serves students as young as 4th grade. It's meant to provide opportunities for academically gifted students. We've written articles on Duke TIP 7th grade Talent Search and Duke TIP SAT requirements. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes and High School Summer College These are two different summer programs at Stanford. At the High School Summer College, you can take a quarter of Stanford classes with Stanford students. The Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes offer a three-week residential program for students to live in Stanford housing and take a class not often given at the high school level. Summer Institute for the Gifted This program is conducted at colleges across the country. It is designed for gifted and talented students from 5-17 years of age. There are residential and commuter programs. Summer@Brown Summer@Brown offers nearly 200 courses that range from 1-4 weeks. They are designed to reflect Brown's liberal arts curriculum, and they're taughtat the level of first-year college courses. To find the right program for you, there are a number of factors to consider: your budget, the length of the program, the available courses and credit options (some programs offer courses for college credit), and the location of the program. If there's a college that really intrigues you, check the school's website to see if it offers a summer program. You can use the Summer Program Finder to identify a program that fits your needs and interests. You can spend your summer at the beach or college. Or both. Recap Pre-college summer programs provide you with an opportunity to experience college life, explore your academic interests, and make friends. Even though these programs can help prepare you for college, just going to one won’t significantly impact your chances of getting into a selective college. If you’re interested in a pre-college summer program, you can find one at colleges across the country. You’ll be able to take classes in many subjects that aren’t usually offered at the high school level. What's Next? Find out what you need to get into Ivy League schools and the most selective colleges. Are you still uncertain if a pre-college program is right for you? Get some more ideas onhow you can spend your summer. If you're going into your senior year of high school, maybe your summer plan should include preparing for the SAT/ACT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: