Executive decision-making in fashion retail: a phenomenological exploration of resources and strategies

PurposeDecision-makers must be well-informed to successfully impact the future of the business. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of US fashion retail executives when making business decisions to understand what resources and strategies are utilized within the decision-making process. Additionally, the role of academic research within executive decision-making process was explored.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized a phenomenological approach to understand the experiences of fashion retail executives when engaging in business decision-making. Fifteen US fashion retail executives participated in the study. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews and thematically coded to gain a holistic perspective of the decision-making process within the fashion retail industry.FindingsAs the result of the data analysis and interpretation, three topical areas emerged:: “Incredible Amounts of Information,” “Industry Specific Academic Research” and “Have a Clear Road Map.” The findings suggested that while the facts gleaned from internal and external data are of great importance to fashion professionals, insights gathered from social media are equally influential within the decision-making process. The authors identified five major strategies utilized consistently by fashion retail executives regardless of the type of business they represented: collaboration, adaptability, speed, gut instinct and creativity.Research limitations/implicationsThe results are important to fashion retail companies for improving internal decision-making processes. The identified resources and strategies of the decision-making process can be incorporated into fashion program curricula and considered as learning outcomes when preparing future industry professionals.Originality/valueLimited studies have explored the decision-making process specific to the fashion retail environment, an uncertain and ever-changing industry. Further, the study shed light on the opportunity for academic research use in fashion retail decision-making and contributes to the literature by developing a fashion retail decision-making model.

The Unmeritorious ‘Legality’/‘Merits’ Distinction in Singapore Administrative Law

The Singapore courts often state that judicial review of executive decision-making ought only to involve an inquiry into the ‘legality’ of a decision or the ‘decision-making process’, and not the ‘decision itself’ or its ‘merits’ – let us call this the ‘Distinction’. This article argues that the Distinction should be expunged from Singapore law. The Distinction has its roots in English case law which aimed to prevent the courts from arbitrarily substituting their decision for the executive's by reason of mere disagreement. But Singapore case law has gone further and treated the Distinction as a general principle applicable to all of administrative law. However, the Distinction is too vague for this purpose (as seen from Singapore cases which have interpreted the distinction inconsistently). It is conceptually problematic, incompatible with the practicalities of judicial review (particularly substantive review as recognised in Singapore law), and has occasionally been paid lip service but not followed in substance. The Distinction cannot form a coherent principle to guide the courts and ought to be replaced by a more nuanced application of constitutional principles relevant to determining the appropriate scope of review. Whatever these principles may be, and however they are to be balanced, the Distinction can be but an over-inclusive rough approximation of them which hampers the development of the law.

Parliamentary Scrutiny of the European Semester: The Case of Poland

The European Semester became an essential part of the revised governance architecture of the Europe 2020 reform strategy for the Single European Market under the conditions of the global financial crisis and the emerging eurozone crisis a decade ago. The article examines to what extent the European Semester offers channels to establish <em>throughput legitimacy </em>by granting national parliaments the ability to effectively scrutinise executive decision-making in the annual policy cycle. Poland is chosen as the case study for parliamentary scrutiny of the EU’s system of multi-level governance in the East-Central European region. The analysis adopts a liberal intergovernmentalist two-level approach. On the domestic level it concentrates on the involvement of the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, on the drafting of the Polish National Reform Plans for the annual Semester policy cycle between 2015 and 2020. The basis for the analysis are official transcripts from the plenary debates in the relevant committees, the European Affairs Committee and the Public Finance and the Economic Committee. The Polish case study illustrates that the European Semester represents a predominantly elite-driven process of policy coordination, which is strongly geared towards EU-level executive bargaining processes between national governments and the European Commission at the expense of domestic parliamentary scrutiny.

Hemispheric Dominance for Task Dependent Frontal Lobe Function & Its Relationship to Language Lateralization and Handedness

The present study investigates a potential method to optimize effective functional localization strategies for both language regions and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) while in a scanner. This functional task combines elements of creative problem solving, executive decision making based on an internal rule set, and working memory. Retrospective analysis was performed on a total of 58 unique participants (40% female, Mage = 42.84 years, SDage = 16.51). Of these participants, 47 were classified as right-handed, 7 were classified as left-handed, and 4 were classified as “mixed-handed” or ambidextrous according to the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. The imaging data was judged by two blinded investigators to assess language and dlPFC dominance while using the motor cortex activitation to confirm that participants engaged in the task. We show that 25% of right handed individuals seem to have a dominant dlPFC localized to the right hemisphere rather than the assumed left, and more than a quarter of left handers were dominant in their left hemisphere. Given the clinical relevance of dlPFC dominance, this task appears to be an evidence-based technique for determining appropriate dlPFC target for the purposes of neuromodulation (e.g. TMS).

Protección de los derechos fundamentales en la pandemia del coronavirus

¿Ha cambiado la situación de los derechos fundamentales en tiempos de la pandemia provocada por el coronavirus? Lo cierto es que la protección de los derechos fundamentales no es una vía de un solo sentido que comienza con el individuo, sino una promesa de la Ley Fundamental que debe ser implementada por todos los poderes estatales. Todo el ordenamiento jurídico en sí debe ser libre, no solo el estatus legal del individuo. En los últimos meses, incluso la jurisprudencia de los tribunales inferiores y del Tribunal Constitucional Federal ha demostrado ser bastante débil. En opinión del autor, el mérito de haber provocado un cambio fundamental en la cultura de ejecución de toma de decisiones dentro del poder judicial corresponde al Tribunal Supremo Administrativo (en adelante OVG) de Münster, que en su «decisión Gütersloh» (OVG Münster, decisión de 29.06.2020-13 B 940/20.NE-Lockdown Gütersloh) volvió a la aplicación correcta de la prueba de proporcionalidad.Has the situation of fundamental rights changed in times of the corona pandemic? One thing is certain: the protection of basic rights is not a one-way street that begins with the individual, but a promise of the Basic Law that must be implemented by all state powers. The legal system as such, not just the legal status of the individual, should be a free one. In the last few months, even the case law of the lower courts and the Federal Constitutional Court has proven to be rather pale. The merit of having brought about a fundamental change in the executive decision-making culture within the judiciary belongs in the perception of the author to the Supreme Administrative Court (OVG) Münster, which in its «Gütersloh decision» (OVG Münster, decision of 29.06.2020 - 13 B 940 / 20.NE - Lockdown Gütersloh) showed the way back to a normal proportionality test.

Educating Nursing Students Through the Pandemic: The Essentials of Collaboration

Introduction Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, meeting regulatory educational requirements and graduating students competent for nursing practice was essential. Competent graduates were needed to support a strong nursing workforce in Connecticut during this chaotic time in health care. This paper describes the powerful impact of statewide collaboration toward meeting this goal. Methods The Connecticut League for Nursing Council of Deans and Directors (Council) organized six work groups to address the practice issues brought about by COVID-19 to continue educating nursing students and ensure a robust nursing workforce for the state. Volunteers from the Council offered to lead the groups and members joined based on interest. The six work groups were: (1) enhance communication with the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (BOEN), (2) examine academic progression policies across programs to ensure academic rigor, (3) examine integration of nursing students into professional practice and the provision of support for new graduates, (4) Strategize on transition to practice issues, (5) ensure APRN students meet the required 500 precepted direct client care hours, and (6) examine summer clinical experience options for RN and LPN students. Conclusion The Council's top priority was to graduate competent nursing students ready for practice. This necessitated the establishment of a framework for ongoing deep, timely discussions among Council members and with the BOEN regarding the new education imperative for creative patient care learning experiences. Through collaborative efforts, the Council was able to enhance robust and timely sharing of strategies, policies, and other guidelines. The Council has partnered with the Connecticut Nurses Association, Connecticut Hospital Association, and the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce to provide a strong united nursing voice for executive decision-making and within the political arena in support of the role of nursing students and faculty, and their continuous involvement within direct caregiving environments.

System of key performance indicators as a method for executive decision-making

Key performance indicators, KPI are a proven cutting-edge tool for process productivity and staff performance monitoring. Therefore, today it is possible to find the use of this tool in the most varied spheres and industries. However, the system implementation is a long and painstaking process, which requires financial, labor and time expenditures. But in case of its successful implementation, KPI technology will provide the balance of advantage for the company management and contribute to its growth. The article presents the selection mechanism of KPI system development and implementation methods. Using key performance indicators, the organization is able to manage the process and modify it, as well as define objectives for employees and motivate them to achieve their objectives. KPIs are based on measuring quantitative benefits. Control shall be based on comprehensive and reliable information about the company’s process productivity. This is the only way to take quick management decisions, make adjustments to the operation of processes that will contribute to the achievement of strategic objectives as a whole.