It Governance Danone Essays

It Governance Danone Essays It Governance Danone Essay It Governance Danone Essay DANONE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Analyze DANONE’S corporate governance strategy in the three major areas of â€Å"effective IT governance mechanisms† Mechanisms that facilitate decision making: First of all, Information Technology (IT) governance means the decision rights and accountability framework for encouraging desirable behavior in the use of IT. In recent times, IT governance has become critical for ensuring that IT-related decisions match company-wide objectives; particularly with the development of various tools in the IT area. Good IT governance makes companies more successful by establishing coordinated mechanisms that link objectives to measurable goals. According to the article â€Å"Recipe for Good IT Governance†, there are five types of decisions companies can go through: 1. IT principles decisions dictating the role of IT in the enterprise 2. IT architecture decisions on technical choices and directions 3. IT infrastructure decisions on the delivery of shared IT services 4. Business application requirements decisions for each project 5. IT investment and prioritization decisions Before Analyzing Danone’s corporate governance strategy, one should look on to the â€Å"Effective IT Governance Mechanisms† which are categorized into three areas and scored on a 1 to 5 scale, 1 being highly ineffective and 5 being highly effective: Effective IT Governance Mechanisms To have good governance in terms of information, a company needs to: first, limit the number of decision-making structures and give clear responsibilities for each type of IT decision to individuals who can accept accountability for the outcomes of those decisions. Second, they should create overlapping responsibilities for IT decisions to ensure cross-coordination. Finally, senior management should be involved in major IT decisions since they establish strategic direction and define desirable behavior for the management and use of IT. To look at DANONE as a company, it has a unique way of operation, which gives the organization its value, separated from other globally operating companies and it can be largely characterized as openness, idea-sharing, and team spirit, with a goal to maximize employee involvement. It also operates in regional levels along with product categories, in contrast to other global companies which usually have very structured centralized systems. Managerial community and PO (People and Organization) are two models that show the uniqueness of DANONE’s operation and enable the company to work in a much decentralized manner, easily interacting with diverse departments of the network system. By having the flexible, decentralized system, the company becomes able to adapt to local changes-surrounding environments. DANONE has also introduced web 2. 0 to accelerate decision-making. Web 2. refers to web applications which facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web and in the case of DANONE it includes blogs, video chat and wiki. Finally, the company has a â€Å"Biological company model†. It emphasizes innovation and thus includes frequent workshops. The company also implemented tools such as SAP and ERP which stands for Systems Applications and Products, and Enterprise Resource Planning respectively. To emphasize the ‘network’ they also have a ‘market place’ which is a management tool for sharing and exchanging ideas.

Success of Meru Cabs! Essay Example

Success of Meru Cabs! Essay Example Success of Meru Cabs! Essay Success of Meru Cabs! Essay There are lot of startups who start their journey with lot of enthusiasm, however over the period of time they lose the momentum due to competition or lesser consumer acceptance, wafer thin margins etc. However MERU cabs is a one great story from which one can learn a lot of things. As mentioned in management books one should offer a product/ service which fulfils consumer need or at least makes him feel that his need is fulfilled. So what is the problem that MERU has addressed? Problem Statement Whenever one has to travel by private transport, one is at mercy of taxi/auto drivers. One has to make several attempts to get the taxi/auto to the desired destination. If you are travelling for a longer distance, god help you. What MERU has done is,they gave the consumer the sense of reliability that they will get a cab to any destination within the city. I feel it’s a BIG positive factor, i. e. of trust. Technology Whenever we talk about MERU cabs, we talk about their technology, GPS, call center for order booking etc. Yes technology has played a vital role in MERU’s success; however there are many important factors that have helped MERU to be successful. I feel technology can enable businesses however mere good technology won’t lead to a successful business. Let’s look at what are the other factors The Economical Factor I was traveling by MERU cab and was chatting to driver named Mishraji. Mishraji told me that MERU cab is 60% costlier than normal taxis. However the people still prefer MERU, due to its punctuality, readiness to go to any corner of the city and overall customer service. Though I feel 60% is too high. According to me MERU is 5 to 10% costlier than normal taxis So the consumer will pay you premium, provided you make him feel that he is getting value for money Compensation Every company feels that they are paying the best to their employees and every employee feels that he is underpaid. However in case of MERU, the employee pays the company and both are happy. I will explain briefly the MERU model MERU hires the driver with certain driving experience and train him on soft skills. ?A contract is signed between MERU and the driver. ?MERU buys the car and gives it to the driver ?The fuel cost has to be borne by the driver ?The maintenance of the car is taken care by MERU ?MERU helps the drivers by providing the booking to drivers through their call centers ? The driver is free to take fares if he doesn’t get the fare from the call center ? In return the driver provides Rs. 800 per day to MERU ?Whatever the driver earns above these 800 rupees is his own income. Now MERU has enabled the employees to earn what they want to earn and they have not only given them employment but a business Provide employees the opportunity to earn to their potential. (May be through Performance Linked Incentives or any other innovative way that fits your business) The Employee Trust While talking to Mishraji, he told me that the company CEO MR. Gupta is a great person and he is happy to work for a person like him. When I asked him about the competition, he said, in Mumbai nobody comes close to MERU. As per him Easy Cabs tried to replicate the MERU’s business model, however they are not very successful. He told that Easy Cabs have 400 cabs, whereas MERU has close to 1700 cabs. Easy Cabs drivers have to pay 900 rupees to Easy Cabs and also bear the cost of fuel as well as maintenance of the vehicles. Whereas in MERU the driver have to pay 800 rupees and the company bears the cost of maintenance. This shows how much Mishraji believed in his company. The point which I am trying to drive here is that the employee should believe in the management the company for it to succeed, i. e. walk the talk. So if one gets these things right for a business, it can lead to a successful business. Well it’s easy to say but it’s difficult to implement and that’s why all the startups are not successful the way MERU is. What’s your opinion?

Cost of capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cost of capital - Essay Example e returns to the company and the risks involved in the investment on purchasing the supplier has to be analysed and this process is known as the investment appraisal. Investment Appraisal is defined as; â€Å"Evaluation of the attractiveness of an investment proposal, using methods such as internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), or payback period (PP). Investment appraisal is an integral part of capital budgeting, and is applicable to areas even where the returns may not be easily quantifiable such as personnel, marketing, and training† (Gotze, Northcott, & Schuster, 2009, p24). Payback period, as the name indicates, computes the time taken for the project to generate cash flows to break even. In other words, it is the number of years that will be taken by the project to pay back the initial investment to the company (Emery, 2007). The payback period for this proposal is found to be 4 years (4 * $ 500,000). Net Present Value utilizes the discounted cash flows and computes the total worth of the project to the company. The cash flow estimates for the life of the project are discounted to present values and the net sum of the cash flows (including any outflows) provides the Net Present Value of the project (Gillespie, Lewis, & Hamilton, 1997). It indicates that the project will increase the worth of the company by this value. In this case, the NPV of the proposal is computed as shown below: The cost of capital in most cases is volatile and changes during the life of the project. This can affect the returns and the Net Present Value computed during the project start up. The internal rate of return is used to compute a maximum discount rate that can be applied to the project without incurred any losses and gives an indication of the margin of safety of the project (Emery, 2007). IRR calculation works on trial and error basis. Initially the NPV for an assumed rate is determined and based on this value; another rate is selected so that the new NPV

APN Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

APN Role - Essay Example Core APN Competencies The APN is a group of nurse practitioners that includes nurses holding a post graduation in nursing as per the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) (Jansen & Zwygart-Stauffacher, 2010; APRN Joint Dialogue Group, 2008). The group ensures a vital role in the future of the health care industry. Contextually, it has been affirmed that there are certain core competencies that together form an efficient and effective APN nurse (Joel, 2013). They are illustrated in detail hereunder. Expert Coaching and Guidance An APN nurse should have the leadership skills to initiate guidance or mentorship in given point of time. This means the nurse should be able to put her vision into action while associating with a particular health care unit. He/she should also need to acquire the skills including proper education, expertise in clinical content and implementation of proper learning principles among others to incorporate the competency (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy & O'Grady, 2013; Bryant-Lukosius, DiCenso, Browne, & Pinelli, 2004). Consultation This is a vital competency to be acquired not only for APN but also for any other health care professional. ... Research Skills In accordance to these competencies, the APN should have the ability to research more and more with regard to derive a thorough understanding. In this regard, evidence-based programs of teachings and implementation of evidence-based literature for clinical practices would be vital aspects to be considered (Cooke, Gemmill & Grant, 2008). Clinical and professional leadership This competency of the APN requires the nurses to act as a change agent in certain cases and advocate for patients. Furthermore, he/she should require acting as a leader in certain circumstances, initiating any decisions of change (Cooke, Gemmill & Grant, 2008). Collaboration Working in collaboration with the members of the health is among the common competencies of an APN. Respecting the work and contribution of the colleagues is a prime requirement in accordance to this competency (Cooke, Gemmill & Grant, 2008) Ethical Decision-Making skills This is an integral part not only for APN but also for a ny other profession. APN’s should act as a moral agent by generating an ethical environment abiding certain principles and fidelity (Cooke, Gemmill & Grant, 2008). Summary of an APN Outcome Research Study The study of Cooke, Robin Gemmill and Marcia Grant (2008) naming â€Å"APN Core Competencies: A Framework for Developing and Testing an APN Discharge Intervention† depicts a vital aspects regarding APN significance. The APN concerning to the research study, conducted various self-care activities to examine the complications that arise in a discharge patient after transplantation. In this stand, it has been further discussed that, core competencies of APN like guidance, consultation, research skills, clinical leadership, collaboration as well as

Netflix case study Essay Example for Free

Netflix case study Essay Netflix offers online video streaming and DVD rental services for a flat fee to all subscribers. After Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix had announced the companys new strategy of separating its online service and DVD rental services into two accounts for its subscribers, the company’s stock fell to $63 per share from $300 per share and lost 805,000 subscribers in three month. Although facing so many challenges, Reed Hastings choose to continue his new strategies, but with a sincerely apologize for the change and a detailed explanation of why they made this decision and what’s in it for current subscribers. Stock price of Netflix close on yesterday was 312.40. Problems and challenges Although it seems that Netflix has recovered from the separation strategy, but there still are some problems and challenges are waiting for the company. First of all, Netflix online streaming branch is facing fierce competition from companies like Amazon instant video, YouTube, iTunes store, and Hulu. Second, On-demand TV offering are now hot area, many big-pay TV operator such as Verizon and Comcast Corp are trying to bring on-demand TV to cable users which will offer fresher content than online streaming companies like Netflix. Third of all, The DVD rental branch called Qwikster are now competing with companies like Amazon and Redbox DVD rental. From what we can see in the future, DVD service may finally run out of business and how to minimize the damage to Netflix is a big problem waiting for a solution. SWOT Strength Netflix is offering a flat fee policy, which is cheaper than Amazon and iTunes users and is easier to retain current users. A very distinctive strength Netflix have is that Netflix is also a producer. In this year’s Emmy Awards, Netflix Incs groundbreaking political thriller House of Cards took home an award for directing. As its name shows in Emmy, Netflix may win not only an award, but many potential users. Many people may position Netflix as a company provides high quality shows than other video distributors. Weakness Although the stock price has gone up this year and everyone now thinks Reed Hastings is the one sees the future, the remaining problem is how to survive with a $7.99 monthly flat fee for subscribers and at the same time spending more than $5 billion for the next five years to purchase TV shows and Movie License. Customers always wants more and pay less. Huge amount of spending force Netflix to attract new users in a rapid speed, but attract new users itself will be another big spending. Although the original drama â€Å"house of cards† generated a big buzz for Netflix, but the cost is considerable. Opportunities New technologies bring opportunities to online streaming video companies. Netflix has mobile app for both Android and ios system and it works well. People want to access to on-demand videos more convenient by using mobile phone and tablets. The trend of globalization gives Netflix the opportunity to grow itself. The fourth quarter of 2012, Netflix gained 3 million new global subscribers. Threat Competition from Amazon, iTunes, Hulu, Google TV, and cable networks may pose threat to the company. BRAD BEALE, Director of digital video content acquisition of Amazon is known for its ability of picking up successful shows and get the license earlier than other companies. Hulu also spend a lot on bringing new contents in. Although Netflix is cheaper, Amazon offers free instant vedio to prime membership and two-day free shipping for its customers. Also, Amazon, Apple and Google now all offer their own devices for video streaming, such as Apple TV, Kindle Fire. Questions Q.1. A strong consumer backlash emerged in response to major changes in Netflix’s business model. What are some of the arguments in favor of Hasting’ decision to split the company? What decisions and options are available to Hastings? Were they good decisions? 2- 3 paragraphs Many believe DVD rental business is fading because of new technologies. People no longer want to wait for the DVD to arrive. Instead they want on-demand video services. Slip the company bring price lower for stream only customers and it is fair for them to pay for cheaper price. Put in account information is easier and benefit is longer. Hastings can choose to change the company back to the old model by listening to customers and close the DVD service a couple years later when the DVD rental industry lost all the business. I think its good decisions because the financial information shows that Reed Hastings made the good decision and wins the game. The revenue grow almost half and subscribers grow even more this year. Works Cited Laporte, N. (2013, July 1). A TALE OF TWO NETFLIX. Fast Comapny , 177, pp. 31-32. Mint. (2013, September 23). Breaking Bad, Modern Family win top Emmy Awards. (H. M. Ltd., Producer) Retrieved Septemner 29, 2013, from Mint: http://search.proquest.com.rlib.pace.edu/docview/1434860801?accountid=13044 Peterson, T. (2013, September 23). 2013 MEDIA MAVENS: BRAD BEALE. Advertising Age , 84 (33), p. 1. Ramachadran, S. (2013, September 20). Cable Fights to Feed Binge TV Viewers; Comcast, Verizon FiOS Vie With Netflix, Amazon for Rights to Show Complete Series. (Dow Jones Company Inc) Retrieved September 30, 2013, from Wall Street Journal: http://search.proquest.com.rlib.pace.edu/docview/1434160601?accountid=13044 View as multi-pages

The Evolution Of The Atomic Theory :: essays research papers

The Evolution of the Atomic Theory The five atomic theorys of the past two centuries represent the sudden advancement of science in modern times. Begining with a basic theory on the behavior of atoms to the current model, some changes have been made, and some ideas are still the same. Ancient Greek philosophers belived that everything was made up of invisible particles called atmos. Since then the theory of atoms did not progress untill 1803. John Dalton was the first scientist to compose a theory of matter based on atoms. Dalton's atomic theory is based on four concepts. He stated: "1. All elements are composed of atoms, which are indivisable and indestructable particles. 2. All atoms of the same element are exactly alike; in particular, they have the same mass. 3. Atoms of different elements are different; in particular, they have different masses. 4. Compounds are formed by the joining of atoms of two or more elements." 1 All of Dalton's ideas account for the laws of definate and multiple proportions and the law of conservation of mass. Some of Dalton's points are still thought to be true, but over time this origional theory has been modifyed. The first of these modifications came in 1897 when J.J. Thomson discovered the electron. Based on the work of William Crookes and his "Crookes tube" (Cathode-ray tube), Thomson discovered a negative charged particle was the cause of the light produced by the cathode-ray tube. He also discovered that these particles are present in all elements. These cathode-ray particles are now known as electrons. Soon after the discovery of electrons the proton was discovered. This led Thomson to conclude that ther were an equal number of both particles present in the atom. Twelve years later Lord Ernest Rutherford was experimenting with alpha particles. He shot a stream of them at a peice of gold foil surrounded by zinc-sulfide. When an alpha particle strikes ZnS it produces a flash of light. The particles mostly stayed in a constant stream through the foil, but a few were deflected. This led Rutherford to belive that there must be a small, dense cluster of protons in the middle of the atoms to deflect the small number of particles. Neils Bohr was the next physicist to advance the atomic theory. He explained what Rutherford could not about how the electron could stay in orbit around the nucleus. When the electron has little energy it is closer to the nucleus, when it absorbs more energy it travels farther from the nucleus. There is a definate number of electrons that can be in the same orbit. When the orbits closest to the nucleus are filled the atom is at a ground state.

Urban Sprawl and Motorization

Increasing urban sprawl and motorization have become leading causes of environmental and social problems in recent years throughout the world, particularly in cities of developing countries. Urban sprawl is the disorderly expansion of urban areas, especially resulting from real estate development on the out skirts of a city. Motorization, which is linked to urban sprawl, can be defined as the increasing use of motor vehicles. Although motor vehicles offer some benefits such as convenience, their use results in environmental and social problems. All sorts of people are concerned about this issue, and making some suggestion to solve these problems. This essay will describe six solutions for the environment and social problems, and demonstrate that land management, reducing car use and using hydroponics or aeroponic technology are more effective way to confront these issues. Climate change, which is caused by motorization and urban sprawl, is one of the most significant problems. Urban sprawl results in more energy use in transportation, and it also use in large homes on the urban fringe which leads to more heating and cooling. This creates global warming gases such as carbon dioxide into the air. There are two solutions that offer different degrees of effect for the problem of climate change. Nuclear technologies are one solution. In Gonzalez’s article, two international business organizations named the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) recommend using new technologies such as new renewable energy and cleaner fuels helps to reduce global warming. However, Gonzalez (2005) explains these technological solutions can only shift the ecological pressure and cut down the global warming problem in the short term. For instance, nuclear energy emissions will cause other major environment problems (Gonzalez, 2005). Another shortcoming about nuclear technologies from Gonzalez (2005) is that now no technology are able to effectively reduce climate change problem, and allow present percentage of economic increase and consumption to keep going meanwhile decreasing global warming. Then the author highlight that environmental issues will become more serious before the success of the new technologies. Another solution of climate change is environmentally sensitive land management. Gonzalez (2005) suggests regulating the distances of residential and work places, and creating these places smaller. As a result, although nuclear terminologies can reduce climate change problem in a short term, land management is the most effective means. Urban sprawl results in the dramatically increasing use of automobile. Frumkin (2001) notes that motorization causes a numerous greenhouse gas emissions into the air, and physical health problems, such as worse lung function, and the mental health issues that affect local communities, especially the elderly and the very young. Living in suburbs, where is peace and quiet, provides benefits for human’s health (Frumkin, 2001). Thus, it increases the rural population. Gonzalez (2005) urged that people should get rid of dependence on cars, and spend more time on walking, biking and public transit. This solution seems to create the best effects to decrease the gas emissions to solve health problems. Another social problem is loss of farm land. Kenworthy and Hu (2002, 5 cited in Martin , 2007) explains that the percentage of urbanized land in China is growing, but the land use per capita has declined from 164 to 146 in six Chinese cities in five years. Yardley (2004 cited in Martin 2007) states that more than 2 per cent of farmland was replaced by urban areas in 2003. There are two solutions that offer different benefits. First, for this problem, McCartney (2010) suggests that people who live in the city are able to grow food in their private gardens or on balconies. Moreover, the author points out that people can grow food in a large-scale by using hydroponic or aeroponic technology in the future. This technology reduces vehicle CO2 emissions and people do not need to worry about the impact of droughts or floods to crops. Therefore, using hydroponics or aeroponic technology offers more. In conclusion, urban sprawl and motorization brings a variety of environmental and social issues namely climate change, health problem and loss of farm land. In this article, providing a number of methods to solve these problems. While some ways of approaching this problems including nuclear technologies, moving to suburbs and planting food in people’s private gardens or on balconies are able to help to decline damage of problems, these solutions still have some drawbacks. Accordingly, more effective and long method to resolve these problems are land management, reducing car use and using hydroponics or aeroponic technology.

Walmart Case Study

Chapter 1& 2 Module 1 Wal-Mart Case Study Shannan Haynes St Gregory’s University Give a short account of the history of the company, and trace the evolution of its strategy. Try to determine whether the strategies evolution of your company is the product of intended strategies, emergent strategies, or some combination of the two. The Wal-Mart story began in 1962 when Sam Walton opened the first discount store in Rogers, AR. In 1970 Wal-Mart experienced significant growth and made huge advancements In1970 Wal-Mart opened its first distribution center and the Wal-Mart Home Office in Bentonville, AR. By 1970 Wal-Mart employed 1,500 associates and had 38 stores with sales of $44. 2 million. In 1970 Wal-Mart also began selling shares over the counter as a publicly-held company. In 1971 Wal-Mart’s stock had is first 100 percent split. At that time Wal-Mart had stores operating in five states. By 1975 Wal-Mart employed more than 7,500 associates and had 125 stores. By 1977 Wal-Mart was operating in 10 states and opened Wal-Mart Pharmacy. Their growth continued into 1980, when Wal-Mart stock split 100 percent for the fourth time. That year Wal-Mart opened the largest distribution center in Palestine Texas. In the late 1990’s, Wal-Mart became the largest private employer in the world. They employed 1,140,000 employees. In 2000 Wal-Mart appointed H. Lee Scott as its CEO. That year Fortune magazine ranked the company fifth in its â€Å"global Most Admired All-Stars† list and named Wal-Mart the third most admired company in America. Wal-Mart made a commitment to bring environmental sustainability into its business in 2005. They opened a store in McKinney, Texas that saved energy and conserved natural resources, and reduced pollution. They were also active in conserving critical wildlife habitats. By 2005 Wal-Mart employed more than 1. 6 million employees and had more than 6200 stores. By 2006, the number of employees grew to more than 176 million and 6779 locations. In February 2007 Wal-Mart helped launch Better Health Care Together, Later that year, Wal-Mart expanded its successful 4 dollar generic program. By 2007 Wal-Mart had save their customers more than $396 million on prescription drug costs. On February 1, 2007, Mike Duke took over as CEO. (Pereira, 2002) Sam Walton built Wal-Mart on Respect for the Individual, Service to the Customer, and he always strived for Excellence. He respected his employees and was committed to his customers. With commitment to his customers came low prices. Wal-Mart strategy is an intended strategy. It is clear and direct. It was put into place in the 1960's by Sam Walton, and refined over the decades. The company is proud of its strategy and even incorporates it within its moniker â€Å"Always Low prices, Always. † (Pereira, 2002) Identify the mission and major goals of the company. Saving people money was Sam Walton’s goal when he opened his first store 40 years ago. Wal-Mart still has the same goal today. Wal-Mart has expanded their savings to energy, prescription drugs and has partnered with suppliers and stakeholders to create a competitive advantage. Wal-Mart mission is to do well as a business but to also do good. (Walmart, 2009) Do a preliminary analysis of the internal strengths and weaknesses of the company and the opportunities and threats that it faces in its environment. On the basis of this analysis, identify the strategies that you think the company should pursue. Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in the United States. Wal-Mart has a reputation for low prices, convenience and a large selection of products. Wal-Mart has invested into technology and an international logistics system. Wal-Mart is global but has a presence in relatively few countries. Wal-Mart has invested in human resources and retention of their staff but still have extensive labor relation problems. Wal-Mart has been cited by labor groups for wage issues, shift scheduling, and workplace abuses. Wal-Mart has been accused by community groups of destroying the local retail environment in the downtowns of small towns. (Marketing Teacher , 2000) Wal-Mart still has many opportunities to merge, or form alliances with other global retailers. Wal-Mart can do more to call attention to its good deeds to help with their image issues. Wal-Mart can continue to expand its supercenters into large cities. (Avila, 2009) Who is the CEO of the company? Evaluate the CEO’s leadership capabilities. On February 1, 2007, Mike Duke took over as CEO of Wal-Mart. On June 5, 2009, Mike Duke announced that Wal-Mart was up 6 percent to $3. 35 per share and that 7. 3 billion dollars were returned to shareholders. He also said that sales surpassed 400 billion for the first time. Wal-Mart has strong balance sheets and access to capital markets. Mike Duke has enhanced training and development of Wal-Mart’s global workforce. He has also reiterated Wal-Mart’s commitment to low prices. Based on profits and the commitments he has outlined, I would say that Mike Duke leadership capabilities as CEO are very promising. (Walmart, 2009)+ Apply the five forces model to the industry in which your company is based. What does this model tell you about the nature of competition in the industry? Potential Competitors: Medium pressure Grocers could potentially enter into the retail side. Entry barriers are relatively high, as Wal-Mart has an outstanding distribution systems, locations, brand name, and financial capital to fend off competitors. Wal -mart often has an absolute cost advantage over other competitors. Rivalry Among Established Companies: Medium Pressure Currently, there are three main incumbent companies that exist in the same market as Wal-Mart: Sears, K Mart, and Target. Target is the strongest of the three in relation to retail. Target has experienced tremendous growth in their domestic markets and has defined their niche quit effectively. Sears and K-Mart seem to be drifting and have not challenged Wal-Mart in sometime. Mature industry life cycle. The Bargaining Power of Buyers: Low pressure The individual buyer has little to no pressure on Wal-Mart. Consumer advocate groups have complained about Wal-Mart’s pricing techniques. Consumer could shop at a competitor who offers comparable products at comparable prices, but the convenience is lost. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Low to Medium pressure Since Wal-Mart holds so much of the market share, they offer a lot of business to manufacturers and wholesalers. This gives Wal-Mart a lot of ower because by Wal-Mart threatening to switch to a different supplier would create a scare tactic to the suppliers. Wal-Mart could vertically integrate. Wal-Mart does deal with some large suppliers like Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola who have more bargaining power than small suppliers. Threat of substitutes-Low pressure The market is crowded but Wal-Mart has the lowest costs, prices , profits, and market share Wal-Mart is able to negotiate for pricing. This analysis tells me that Wal-Mart does not have to worry about threat to new entrants because it has the capacity to produce more in order to lower the cost. There are high barriers of entry for companies trying to come into the retail industry because of the resources that Wal-Mart has. Are any changes taking place in the macro environment that might have an impact, positive or negative, on the industry in which your company is based? If so, what are these changes, and how might they affect the industry? Wal-Mart has received some bad press in the past and is making great commitments to helping the health and well-being of our nation. In 2005 Wal-Mart made a commitment to become more environmentally friendly. Wall-mart adopted an approach they call â€Å"Sustainability 360†. This approach looks for ways to reduce their environmental impact. In 2008, they announced a new set of clearly defined environmentally and socially responsible practices into their supply chain, â€Å"where goods are made in a way that protects our planet. †(Walmart, 2009) The economy has affected many companies recently however Wal-Mart's overall sales aren't rising dramatically, but they are raising, even as the economy grinds to a halt. (Gross, 2008) I believe Wal-Mart’s macro enviroment is affecting them both positvely and negatively. Identify any strategic groups that might exist in the industry. How does the intensity of competition differ across these strategic groups? Walmart’s closest competitors are those in its strategic group. Included in this group are Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, and Fred Meyer. Wal-Mart is looking to grow. Their latest initiative, â€Å"Project Impact,† aims to make stores easier and quicker to navigate, improve customer service, and to move in on competitors' territory as much as possible. Project Impact calls for remodeling about 70% of Wal-Mart’s in the next five years, and improving sales in major competitors' fields, such as toys and crafts. Wal-Mart has more staying power and is able to dominate its competitors. Target is Wal-Mart’s closet competitor. Target is positioned well and has some staying power but Kmart was forced into bankruptcy. The implication of this on Wal-Mart’s competitors is bigger, more pleasant Wal-Marts. (Avila, 2009) How dynamic is the industry in which your company is based? Is there any evidence that innovation is reshaping competition or has done so in the recent past? The retail industry is dynamic with the previous innovation being department stores, mail order retailing and chain variety stores. However, shopping has changed. Big-box stores like Wal-Mart was influential in the evolution of retail trade, providing – among other innovative features – a one-stop convenience with low prices that many consumers seem to appreciate. (Emerald, 2006) In what stage of its life cycle is the industry in which your company is based? What are the implications of this for the intensity of competition both now and in the future? The Supercenter’s and Big Box stores are in their growth lifecycle. Led by Wal-Mart, the industry has displayed exceptional growth over the last 10 to 15 years, mostly at the expense of other retailers. What makes this unique is that the discount department store industry was perceived as being at maturity. There are signs that the industry is approaching saturation level. However, the industry is expected to do well through the recession. (Emerald, 2006) Is your company based in an industry that is becoming more global? If so, what are the implications of this changed for competitive intensity? Yes, the retail industry has become more global. Wal-Mart's international operations currently comprise 2,980 stores in 14 countries outside the United States. According to Wal-Mart's 2006 Annual Report, the International division accounted for about 20. 1% of sales. [ Wal-Mart has inventory management system that no other company is apt to come even close to competing with. This enables it to vary its inventory from store to store and across cultures Wal-Mart has gone global with its buying strategy, and it now puts Chinese suppliers in competition with suppliers from Mexico, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, as well as the United States. Globalization has changed everything by making technology and methods of production mobile, and by lowering business coordination costs. The big box discount retailers have changed the nature of global competition. (Palley, 2008) Analyze the impact of national context as it pertains to the industry in which your company is based. Does national context help or hinder your company in achieving a competitive advantage in the global marketplace? Wal-Mart has a strong economic affect in any area of the world. Wal-Mart has built an empire on a low-cost model but at the same time, Wal-Mart has faced criticism for labor practices and indirect burdens on our social and welfare programs. Some of the business practices of Wal-Mart like the employees’ wage-benefits package, and the underemployment of women and minorities are the subject of ongoing debate at the national level. Wal-Mart continues to work on its image and faces the same criticism globally as they do nationally. The reputation that Wal-Mart has here in the U. S. may hinder international expansion, but will not stop it. (USA Today, 2009) References Avila, J. D. (2009). How Wal-Mart Will Save Wal-Mart. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from B-Net Today: http://www. bnet. com/2403-13241_23-158179. html Emerald. (2006). Retrieved April 17, 2010, from Globalization's winners and losers: Lessons : http://www. emeraldinsight. com/Insight/viewContentItem. do? contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=1563323 Gross, D. ( 2008, Febuary 26). Slate. Retrieved from The Wal-Mart Puzzle: http://www. slate. com/id/2185221/ Marketing Teacher . (2000). Retrieved April 15, 2010, from SWOT Analysis Wal-Mart: http://marketingteacher. com/SWOT/walmart_swot. htm Palley, T. (2008). Manufacturing meets Wal-Mart: The Economics of Global Out-sourcing. Retrieved April 17, 2010, from Economics for Democratic and Open Societies: http://www. homaspalley. com/? p=19 Pereira, M. (2002, April ). Mike Pereira – Written Works and Opinions . Retrieved April 15, 2010, from A Case Study on Wal-Mart Stores Inc. : http://www. mike-pereira. com/subpage/docs/walmartcs. htm#ii2 USA Today. (2009). Retrieved April 17, 2010, from Wal-mart Watch: www. usatoday. com/money/†¦ /2003-11-10-walmart_x. htm Walmart. (2009). Retrieve d April 15, 15, from Our Mission: Saving people money so they can live better. : http://walmartstores. com/sites/sustainabilityreport/2009/ec_overview. html

Comparison Essay

Comparison Essay Comparison Essay Comparison Essay ‘Disabled’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘Out Out’ by Robert Frost ‘Disabled’ by Wilfred Owen is about the topic of war and a young man joining the army, unaware of the consequences that would follow. Owen describes the gruesome realities of what war holds, using a range of graphic images which stick in the reader’s mind. ‘Out Out’ by Robert Frost is about a young boy who accidentally cuts his hand off with a saw while being distracted by his sister on a farm in America. Frost previously lived on a farm; this maybe is based indirectly on the suffering of men in the war. We can already see both poems contain injuries which are described clearly, and both poems already have the subject of death. We can also see that one poem is set in war time whereas the other is set on a farm in America. Starting of the poem Owen suggests the feeling of sadness with an intense, depressing and gloomy atmosphere of â€Å"boys voices† that â€Å"rang saddening like a hymn† whilst the character himself â€Å"shivered in his ghastly suit of grey†. Owen also suggests this sadness by creating sympathy towards the character by contrasting life before and after the war. In addition, he adds in the idea that war is shameful as Owen contrasts the stereotypes of war, the character had initially through listing the â€Å"jewelled hilts for daggers in plaid socks; of smart salutes, Esprit de corps† to signify that war is the opposite of his initial thought. Sadness is also created through the realization that the character had himself â€Å"threw away his knees† – which shows that he is responsible and he knows it and is living with this terrible and depressing feeling that it was his fault. Owen’s ‘Disabled’, similar to Frost’ s ‘Out Out’ also portrays the theme of regret but it is clearly more frequent in ‘Out Out’. In ‘Disabled’ Owen portrays the character’s regret by mainly contrasting before and after the person’s life. However the regret that is shown in the poem is mainly how the character is disappointed with himself for letting it happen, he regrets the stupid reasons that made him join war, he also regrets how he tried to impress the â€Å"giddy jilts† the girls of low value instead of thinking about his life and the dangers he was putting himself under. The poem can be quite powerful in how the character lists all his reasons and thoughts on war, some he could not even remember clearly as he â€Å"wonders why he asked to join† proving to himself that his reasons were stupid and clueless, as he can’t remember. In the passage there are a lot of pauses to slow down the extract contrasting with how he also listed the decisions he took too fast which could show that he has now matured and grown as a person, he has regrets as he has time to think over. In addition to how he â€Å"poured it down shell holes till veins ran dry†, ‘it’, which is his liveliness and his colour, his life as a young man, Owen describes as â€Å"half his life† had been wasted in the â€Å"hot race† because now the character has to spend â€Å"a few sick years in institutes, isolated from the community and that of his past†. Again a sense of sadness is generated by the way he is treated now from his friends and community as well as how this had contrast with how he was treated before when he was young and popular and although the character is still young, he has already had great trauma and events that no man of his age should ever encounter, as is in the poem from the fact that Owen states â€Å"Now, he is old, He’s lost his colour very far from here - and half his lifetime lapsed in the hot race and leap of purple spurted from his thigh†. In the third stanza there is a sickening image, there is also further evidence that not only has the character aged in his head, but he has also aged physically as â€Å"his back will never brace†, another condition for the elderly and not for a young man in which is arguably his prime. This is also ironic as he did this to himself, it makes this even more tragic in a sense that it was his

The Idea of Nature and its Essence

The Idea of Nature and its Essence The idea of nature is one of the most widely employed in philosophy and by the same token one of the most ill-defined. Authors such as Aristotle and Descartes relied on the concept of nature to explain the fundamental tenets of their views, without ever attempting to define the concept. Even in contemporary philosophy, the idea is oftentimes employed, in different forms. So, what is nature? Nature and the Essence of a Thing The philosophical tradition that traces back to Aristotle employs the idea of nature to explain that which defines the essence of a thing. One of the most fundamental metaphysical concepts, the essence indicates those properties that define what a thing is. The essence of water, for instance, will be its molecular structure, the essence of a species, its ancestral history; the essence of a human, its self-consciousness or its soul. Within the Aristotelian traditions, hence, to act in accordance with nature means to take into account the real definition of each thing when dealing with it. The Natural World At times the idea of nature is instead used to refer to anything that exists in the universe as part of the physical world. In this sense, the idea embraces anything that falls under the study of the natural sciences, from physics to biology to environmental studies. Natural vs. Artificial Natural is often used also to refer to a process which occurs spontaneously as opposed to one that occurs as the result of the deliberation of a being. Thus, a plant grows naturally when its growth was not planned by a rational agent; it grows otherwise artificially. An apple would hence be an artificial product, under this understanding of the idea of nature, although most would agree that an apple is a product of nature (that is, a part of the natural world, that which is studied by natural scientists). Nature vs. Nurture Related to the spontaneity vs. artificiality divide is the idea of nature as opposed to nurture. The idea of culture becomes here central to draw the line. That which is natural as opposed to that which is the outcome of a cultural process. Education is a central example of a non-natural process: under many accounts, education is seen as a process against nature. Clearly enough, from this perspective there are some items that cannot ever be purely natural: any human development is shaped by the activity, or lack thereof, of interaction with other human beings; there is no such thing as a natural development of human language, for instance. Nature as Wilderness The idea of nature is at times used to express the wilderness. Wilderness lives at the edge of civilization, of any cultural processes. In the strictest reading of the term, humans can encounter wilderness in very few selected places on earth nowadays, those were the influence of human societies is negligible; if you include the environmental impact produced by humans on the whole ecosystem, there may well be no wild place left on our planet. If the idea of wilderness is loosened a bit, then even through a walk in a forest or a trip on the ocean one may experience that which is wild, i.e. natural. Nature and God Finally, an entry on nature cannot omit that which perhaps has been the most widely employed understanding of the term in past millennia: nature as the expression of the divine. The idea of nature is central in most religions. It has taken numerous forms, from specific entities or processes (a mountain, the sun, the ocean, or fire) to embracing the whole realm of existents. Further Online Readings The entry on Laws of Nature at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.The entry on Aristotle’s Natural Philosophy at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

The Disciplinary Literacies Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Disciplinary Literacies Project - Essay Example For instance, within the wholesome body of being a doctor, some doctors choose and study to become dentists, surgeons, or simply perform regular operations, and many other branches. As such, the responsibilities of many doctors are beyond that of the patient (Viklund 96). This trade publication has sought to explore on the general study of doctorate professionalism. Being a doctor is often considered tremendous and tedious. However, many people have managed to devote part of their life and time to engage in studying to become doctors of varied categories in the world. As such, it is upon the nature and innate calling for one to engage in the tedious and time-consuming profession of being a doctor. This profession is mired by its professional ethos, something that has often made it to be a profession with credibility, ethos, legitimacy, and of high value in the human society. According to this publication, ethos form part of the doctorate profession. Training and intense preparation equip doctors with the right approaches and disciplines to be exemplified in the field. The article reiterates that there is need for all doctors to keep their focus on meeting the needs and requirements of the profession since this is one of the statements which rules among the doctorate ethics and cannons of behavior among professional doctors. Doctors are called upon to have good memory so that they can be swift in collecting information. Regularity of study is a necessary entity, which makes professional doctors. This is because research is an ongoing process, which elicits more methodologies and approaches to be used by doctors. Doctors are required to be of high understating power. Within the work of a doctor are measures and approaches, which should be made with little and swift thoughts. For instance, the trading article exemplifies that doctors in India are pressed upon to deliver even at situations with no utmost breakthroughs. Moreover, doctors earn their

While conceptually sound, the practical realities are such that Essay

While conceptually sound, the practical realities are such that ecotourism remains a fundamentally flawed product. Discuss - Essay Example s a means of novelty to satisfy the hunger of hunger of the tourists with a view to growing awareness of the drastic environmental changes caused by global warming. But if the concept of ecotourism is compared with the ecotourism in reality, it appears, to a great extent, to be the manipulation of the consumerism of the industrial society to trap the foreign currency at home and abroad. Indeed it was initiated with the increasing concern about the negative impacts of tourism on the environment and ecology. But in order to mitigate the pressure of the scholars and the environmentalists regarding the harmful impacts of tourism on the environment, the concept of tourism ironically includes its ecological apparel that is supposed to grow the awareness of the tourists about the environmental change. Since then the concept of ecotourism is facing the dilemma of its true outline in reality, as in this regard Anja Touhino and Anne Hynoenen (2001: 1) say, â€Å"The tourism industry still feels that these definitions are unclear and that they confuse both consumers and tourism entrepreneurs. Terms related to ecotourism are often used without adequate definition and thus cause confusion, even in research† (Touhino & Hynoenen, 2001: 1). Various scholars have defined tourism in different ways. But all these definitions are stitched together with a common thread that appears to be approach of these definitions to nature and environment. The concept of ecotourism evolved in order to mitigate the negative impact mass tourism on Environment. Therefore the evolution of the concept of ecotourism is closely related to the definition of mass tourism and tourism in general. In this regard Fennel (2003: 30) says, â€Å"Ecotourism has grown as a consequence of the dissatisfaction with conventional forms of tourism†. For Fennell (2003: 16), â€Å"ecotourism is distinct from mass tourism and various other forms of AT [alternative tourism]†. In the beginning the most accepted definitions of