Risk management in emerging fashion markets

Apparel retailers operating in global markets need to consider all kind of risks associated with their expansion strategies. Emerging markets present a unique profile of risks including geopolitical, regulatory, financial, currency and governance. Companies operating in emerging markets must protect their investment and develop safeguards against risks. This can be achieved through an understanding of the country‘s requirements for business and by tailoring their supply chain strategies to meet the unique needs of each market. The European integration allows countries with emerging and developing economies to offer opportunities for business growth and high returns. However, as they conceal greater risk than mature markets, a coherent strategy is necessary with strong communication links within the supply chain and an effective risk management framework is needed. Through the initial literature review it was hypothesised that countries at different stages of becoming emerging markets would present different levels of risks for fashion apparel firms. The meaning of risk within the business environment is evaluated and the tools that organisations have developed according to companies‘ risk appetite. A deductive qualitative approach to this research employs case studies of three Eastern European Countries - Hungary, Czech Republic and Greece and four fashion retailers – Esprit, Mango, H&M and Zara. Risks, uncertainties and disruptions that the companies had reported were connected with the risks identified in the selected markets. Twelve models were developed in order to test the hypothesis and satisfy the objectives. The models were based on the impact of, and the frequency of the risks identified by measuring the risk factors of Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental and Supply Chain (PESTLE). First of all, the evaluation of the risk factors in each set of companies and countries was presented by creating a generic model showing the different levels of risk and following with an identification of risks concealed in each country for each company. On the basis of risks and uncertainties, each of the selected companies presented information regarding risks according to its nature and its risk appetite. The generic model was developed using IRM, COSO and ONDD frameworks. The risk factors were measured qualitatively and were determined by multiplying the impact and the PhD Risk Management in Emerging Fashion Markets Manchester Metropolitan University iv likelihood presented in additional tables, and expressed as ratios. The results of this study do not show significant differences in the examined risk areas as it was expected. However, Greece presented a slightly riskier character than Hungary and Czech Republic which are still developing. This can easily be seen in the models

e-Participation in Austria: Trends and Public Policies

The paper is a first step to assess the status of e-participation within the political system in Austria. It takes a top-down perspective focusing on the policy framework related to citizens´ rights in the digital environment, the role of public participation and public policies on e-participation in Austria. The analysis of the development of e-participation in Austria as well as of social and political trends regarding civic participation in general and its electronic embedding, show a remarkable recent increase of e-participation projects and related initiatives. The paper identifies main institutional actors actively dealing with or promoting e-participation and reviews government initiatives as well as relevant policy documents specifically addressing and relating to e-participation or e-democracy. Finally, it takes a look at the state of the evaluation of e-participation. A major conclusion is that e-participation has become a subject of public policies in Austria; however, the recent upswing of supportive initiatives for public participation and e-participation goes together with ambivalent attitudes among politicians and administration towards e-participation.e-participation, e-democracy, citizens´ rights, institutional actors, public policies, government initiatives, evaluation

New Forms of Employment

Societal and economic developments, such as the need for increased flexibility by both employers and workers, have resulted in the emergence of new forms of employment across Europe. These have transformed the traditional one-to-one relationship between employer and employee. They are also characterised by unconventional work patterns and places of work, or by the irregular provision of work. However, little is known about these ‘new forms of employment’, their distinctive features and the implications they have for working conditions and the labour market. To fill this knowledge gap, Eurofound conducted a Europe-wide mapping exercise to identify the emerging trends. This resulted in the categorisation of nine broad types of new employment forms. On the basis of this, the available literature and data were analysed; 66 case studies were also conducted and analysed to illustrate how these new employment forms operate in Member States and their effects on working conditions and the labour market