Japanese Music Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Japanese Music - Assignment Example The Japanese one is a vertical flute, and we taut an upper lip, a lower lip stays relaxed, so the instrument can produce fuller, brighter, and more "detailed" sounds, which the Western flute cant make because the lower lip is not relaxed. The laxity of the lower lip is of importance when different variations of pitch and timbre are produced. As for Elizabeth Reian Bennett, deceleration, elasticity of beat and pitch within a certain range, as well as the use of silence, breath, and articulation when playing the instrument are other crucial things to note the difference between two flutes. I think, the uniqueness of shakuhachi sound makes it desirable to take part in so many music genres. For example, aficionados of classical music will find some sophisticated and somewhat tangle features in shakuhachi sound while the lovers of jazz appreciate its rhythm and timbre. In my opinion, such music prefer adults rather than teenagers because among youngsters other types of modern music, such as pop, rap or electronics, are popular. But I am the teenager who have found wabi, sabi, and yugen in a piece of music that touched my

Education and Teacher Portrayed in Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Education and Teacher Portrayed in Film - Essay Example This play is very educational. It centers on a blind playwright. Most communities usually disregard people with physical disabilities as useless persons who need to depend on others in order to undertake their daily chores. However, in this case, we see a man with a physical disability, blindness, taking the lead in rescuing a child kidnapped by some criminals. Even the able-bodied individuals tasked and trained to undertake such rescue missions, the police, fail to execute their duties proficiently thereby leaving the whole mantle to the blind man. The police dismiss him for being a playwright and take his report as part of his imagination as a writer. Considering all basic points, it seems that if the man was not blind and still a writer, then the police would have taken his report seriously and acted promptly to rescue the life of the innocent child from the kidnappers.However, the blind playwright goes against all odds to conduct an investigation, which in normal circumstances ev en defeats the able-bodied person. He resorts to search and rescue the child from the kidnappers on his own after the police refuse to take any substantial action. In addition, he uses a rare sense that only the blind are gifted to have, his acute sense of hearing. When a person becomes disabled, he losses total sense of the organ that is not working properly. The man disabled was a blind man, and so he lost very all the ability to see anything, which makes it queer for him to lead a search party to rescue a kidnapped child.

The rate of photosynthesis in the elodea Essay Example for Free

The rate of photosynthesis in the elodea Essay Put the boiling tube in a beaker surrounded by ice. Ensure the thermometer is standing upright in the beaker.   Note the initial temperature and maintain this throughout the experiment, either by means of adding or reducing the ice content.   Place the electric bench lamp towards the elodea specimen   Allow the elodea specimen to settle for five minutes or so.   On the fifth minute start timing for a further five minutes and count the amount of bubbles observed. Note: The same procedure must be carried out for the other two experiments, only altering the content outside the boiling tube. In order to keep the water temperature at 45o C, it is advised that cool water or some heated water (from the kettle) is added depending on the temperature observed. Prediction: I predict that when the elodea specimen is placed in ice, a few (one or two) oxygen bubbles will be observed, therefore photosynthesis will be limited. When the elodea specimen is placed in water at 45o C, more bubbles will be seen and hence the rate of photosynthesis will increase At room temperature, some bubbles will be seen but much less compared to the 45o C investigation, since the temperature is in between. Results: Ice: Time (minutes). Number of bubbles observed 1 1 2 1 3 3 4 0 5 0 Total: 5 Water maintained at 45o C: Time (minutes) Number of bubbles observed 1 3 2 10 3 12 4 3 5 1 Total: 29 Water at room temperature (tap water): Time (minutes) Number of bubbles observed 1 0 2 2 3 3 4 3 5 3 Total: 11 Discussion: From looking at my results, it appears to be that my prediction is reasonably accurate. As mentioned in my prediction, a few bubbles were observed when the elodea was placed in ice. This is because the cells within the elodea specimen eventually die. This can be explained by the concept of enzymes, which operate best at optimum temperatures. Placing the elodea in a cold environment, such as ice means that the temperature is extremely below the optimum. This inevitable leads to enzyme denaturation and only some bubbles are seen during the first two minutes prior to the denaturation. Consequently, there is some photosynthesis taking place. When the elodea cell is placed in water which is maintained at 45o C, the number of bubbles sighted increase rapidly (particularly in the second and third minutes). Notice for the fourth and the fifth minutes, the number of bubbles observed start to decline. This may well be to the fact that the temperature was not controlled as intended, and possibly exceeded 45o C, thus causing the enzyme to denature. Hence a decrease in photosynthesis is observed. When the elodea specimen is placed in water at room temperature, the number of bubbles observed are more or less the same. This is because the temperature of the water is fairly below the optimum, (which is believed to be 45o C) and therefore the rate of photosynthesis is limited. Evaluation: Despite the results fairly matching the prediction, the method used is rather unreliable. More repeats (i.e. three repeats) could have been put into practice as this would have allowed me to calculate an average and hence raising the reliability of the results. The temperature range is rather limited and so the results would have been more accurate by employing a variety of temperatures. This would have allowed me to pin-point exactly the optimum temperature of the enzyme, which is involved in photolysis. Looking at the results above, there was an incidence where the temperature was not properly controlled (the ice investigation in which 3 bubbles were noted in the third minute). I believe using a water bath would have allowed me to maintain the temperatures more precisely and save time as oppose to using a kettle. I recall whilst doing the experiment that the elodea specimen was placed somewhat close to the window. Light from the sun could have also played an important part of distorting the results because an increase in light intensity also contributes to an increase rate in photosynthesis. Therefore if this experiment is to be carried out again, it would be ideal to make use of the window blinds. Not forgetting to mention that the distance between the bench lamp and the elodea specimen was not fixed, and was varied during each investigation. This might have caused a slight degree of anomaly in the results. Having acknowledged this inconsistency has made me aware of what is required in the actual investigation. It can be argued that counting the number of bubbles can be deceiving and therefore another method should be put into consideration. An alternative way of doing the same experiment more accurately can be achieved by using a photosynthometer. A freshly cut strand of the plant is suspended upside down in a boiling tube. The healthy strand of elodea produces bubbles of oxygen gas when brightly illuminated (i. e. with a bench lamp 10 cm away from the elodea specimen) at different temperatures. The bubbles emerge from the cut end of the stem and are collected in a bulb at the base of the apparatus. From here, the oxygen gas can be drawn into the capillary tube by means of the syringe. The volume of oxygen gas collected in five minutes gives a direct measurement of the rate photosynthesis. Apparatus and Justification: Apparatus Justification of Apparatus x1 Clamp stand (with capillary tube). A lot of apparatus are involved, some of which that need to be held at a constant height above the water bath (i. e. the boiling tube with the elodea specimen). x1 Capillary tube with ruler.   Used to measure the length of the oxygen bubble(s).   Hence the volume of oxygen can be calculated. x1 Boiling tube   The use of a boiling tube is necessary as oppose to a test tube because its large enough to allow the elodea specimen to fit in with ease. x1 Elodea Canadensis specimen (10 cm long)   The elodea specimen is the basis for this investigation.   Allows the hypothesis to be tested. x1 5 ml syringe A 5 ml syringe is necessary to allow oxygen bubbles to be drawn in the capillary tube. No other apparatus can be substituted for this task. x1 30 cm Ruler   Used to measure the length of the elodea specimen, making sure that the length is constant for each investigation. To ensure a fair test. x1 Scalpel Used to cut the elodea specimen to the desired length with precision. x1 Plastic Tile   To aid in cutting the elodea specimen. To prevent any damage to the work bench. x1 Electric bench lamp with 100W filament bulb   Used to ensure a fair test as every investigation will be illuminated by a lamp at a set distance. To ensure the results are not influenced by light intensity but solely the temperature. x1 Thermometer   Used to ensure the temperature of water bath is correct, and hence to promote reliability of results. x1 Stopwatch   Used for timing the investigation for 10 minutes (five minutes for the settling of the elodea specimen and another five minutes for the investigation). x1 Beaker and ice blocks   To be used for the 0o C investigation.   To see if there is any photosynthesis evident at freezing level. Proposed Method: Diagram12: 1. Set up the clamp stand as shown above. 2. Get hold of a plastic tile and a scalpel and cut the elodea specimen at a length of 10 cm. 3. The cut end has to be inserted into the calibrated capillary tube as shown above. 4. Lower the capillary tube into the water bath, ensuring half of the boiling tube (containing the elodea specimen) is immersed in the water. 5. Place the bench lamp 10 cm away from the boiling tube. Ensure the light is directly facing the elodea specimen. 6. After setting all the apparatus up, pull the syringe on top of the capillary tube in order for the water to get into the capillary tube. This removes any air bubbles initially present in the capillary tube. 7. Place the thermometer into the water bath (or beaker in the case of the ice investigation) and turn the light on. The elodea must be allowed to settle for five minutes. 8. Time the investigation for a further five minutes by using a stopwatch. 9. On completion of the five minutes, switch the lamp off and remove the clamp stand along with the rest of the apparatus out of the water bath. 10. Pull the syringe to draw the oxygen bubbles into the capillary tube and measure the length of the bubble(s) simultaneously by making use of the ruler. 11. Note down the length of the bubble(s) on paper. 12. Repeat the same procedure three times for each temperature using the same elodea specimen. 13. Once the three trials are complete, move on to the next temperature. and carry out steps 1 -13 Ice investigation:   Get hold of the elodea specimen and place it in the boiling tube.   Put the boiling tube in a beaker surrounded by ice.   Note the initial temperature and maintain this throughout the experiment, either by means of adding or reducing the ice content.   Follow steps 5-13 above. Note: If an anomalous result is encounter during the duration of the experiment, it is advised to do that particular investigation again. Acknowledgements: 12- Diagram modified from A-Level biology Revised Edition by W D Phillips and T J Chilton, page 69. Analysis of Variables: Independent variable: The independent variable is the variable, which has to be manipulated in order to get the desired results. In this case, the independent variable is the temperature of the water baths. To obtain more accurate results, I have included temperature readings ranging from 0-65o C, in intervals of five. Three readings will be taken for each temperature and compared. Dependent variable: This is the variable which responds to the fixed conditions and which is used to test the hypothesis. In this case, the dependent variable is the volume of oxygen released by the elodea specimen. The length of the oxygen bubble(s) is going to be measured at the end of the five minute interval. This can be used to deduct the volume of oxygen produced by multiplying the length of the bubble(s) by pie, which is then multiplied by 0. 82 Fixed variables: These are variables, which have to be kept constant throughout the experiment in order to obtain accurate results. These variables cannot be manipulated at any time of the experiment. Some of the fixed variables are listed below: The light intensity (distance between the bench lamp and the elodea specimen): This can be kept constant by ensuring the elodea specimen is 10 cm away from the bench lamp. It may well be convenient reassure the distance with a ruler. The preliminary work I did have done has highlighted that 10 cm happens to be an ideal distance for sufficient photosynthesis to be followed and thus reliable results can be obtained. However if the distance between the bench lamp and elodea specimen is shorter than 10 cm, then this will have a major impact on the results. The increase in light intensity shall inevitably results in an increase in the volume of oxygen noted and thus distorting the results. Similarly if the distance is greater than 10 cm, then this decrease in light intensity shall contribute to a decrease in rate of photosynthesis and thence slowing down the rate at which the oxygen bubble(s) are released13. Therefore it is vital that this distance is kept constant throughout the experiment to ensure a fair test. * The number of leaves on the Elodea plant: The number of leaves will be kept constant throughout the whole experiment by using the same elodea specimen. The reason for keeping the same number of leaves is to ensure that the surface area provided by the leaves is the same in each investigation. Having the same number of leaves will provide the same surface area. If the number of leaves were different in each new investigation, then the number of leaves would be the independent variable. The more leaves there are the larger the surface area, and more light energy will be trapped by the leaves and a greater proportion of it will be converted into chemical energy14. Therefore more oxygen will be given off. On the other hand, a fewer amount of leaves shall results in a low yield of oxygen. In both cases, the results will be distorted if not controlled. Acknowledgements: 13- Letts Revise A2 Biology by John Parker, page 26 14- Revise A2 biology by Richard Fosbery and Jennifer Gregory; page 21 Reliability: To obtain more reliable results, three measurements would be taken in the same condition. The reason for this is that if in case, an error was made on the first attempt, the error can be amended and on the second attempt. After doing the experiment, if any of the results are anomalous then the experiment should be repeated. Results obtained can be compared to the previous results to see if there is an agreement. Light from the sun can also play an important part of distorting the results because an increase in light intensity also contributes to an increase rate in photosynthesis. Therefore it would be ideal to make use of the window blinds to promote reliability of results. Temperatures are monitored precisely by the water baths. However it is sometimes observed that the temperature of the water bath goes up or down by a degree or two. The temperature can be maintained by means of adding or removing ice to the water baths. Due to the limited number of water baths, there may well be the case of sharing a water bath to five others. This means five additional bench lamps would have an impact on my results (as light intensity increases rate of photosynthesis). The lamps may also contribute to the water baths getting hotter than required. Therefore it would be wise to carry out the investigation individually. When the apparatus are set up, the syringe (on top of the capillary tube) must be pulled to draw the water into the capillary tube. This will remove any air bubbles initially present in the capillary tube and thus leaving no ambiguity. Results: Table: showing the results I obtained during the investigation Temperature (o C) Length of Oxygen bubble (mm) Volume of Oxygen (mm) Rate of photosynthesis (mm3/min) Average rate of photosynthesis (mm3/min).

Walmart Business Analysis

Walmart Business Analysis Contents (Jump to) Walmart’s Current Strategy Organizational structure, culture, and control systems SWOT Analysis for Walmart Porter’s Five Analysis of Walmart Key Strategic Issues at Walmart Personal SWOT Analysis Financial Analysis of Walmart Recommendations Walmart store Inc. is not only the retail giant, but also is the largest grocery chain in the world. Walmart store Inc. was founded in 1962. Samuel Walton and his brother J.L. Walton open their first Walmart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas (Walmart History, 2010). For Walmart store Inc., their common mission is: Save people money so they can live better (Walmart corporate, 2010). Compared with their main competitors such as Target and K mart, Walmarts 2009 sales were almost 50% more. Because of its giant size and buying power, Walmart can buy its products at very low prices, exchanging high purchase volumes for low cost then passing the savings onto its customers (Wikinvest Walmart, 2010). Walmart has 8,900 stores around the world in three different business segments of retail stores that including: Walmart stores, Sams Club and Walmart international. All of them offer different kinds of merchandises including electronic appliances, groceries, furniture, apparel and health beauty stuffs etc. For their business segment, they have over 54% of the companys stores are located in the United States, and the others international stores are mainly located in central and south America and China. The company mainly focuses on offering the lowest prices to attract its consumers. Walmart totally earned $408 billion revenue in 2010, increase 1% compare to 2009 (Wikinvest Walmart, 2010). In 2009, Walmart earned $255.7 billion in the domestic segment of the companys revenue. For Walmart stores segment are further categories into three different formats including: Supercenters, Discount stores and Neighborhood Stores. For the Sams club, it is the second largest membership-only retailer club ( Costco is the first largest membership-only retailer) in United States belong to Walmart Inc., their main customers mostly are offices, convenience stores, motels, restaurants and schools etc. (Wikinvest Walmart, 2010). For now, Walmart has total 3,121 international stores all over the world including in Mexico, Japan, Canada, China and countries in central and South America. However, recently Walmart begins to slow down their growth rate in the United State and turn their main focus onto its international stores to develop growth. For international stores locations altogether earned total $98.6 billion revenue in 2009, compared to the sales of 2008, is increased 9.1% (Wikinvest Walmart, 2010). Strategic History of the Industry The whole retail industry in the United States has over $4 trillion annual revenue. The main retail companies are including Walmart, Home Depot, Kroger, Costco, and Target. Some of the large companies dominate some retail sectors such as mass merchandisers and grocery stores, other sectors like auto dealers and convenience stores are fragmented. However, retail industry still has many small and specialty retailers are single-store operations (Hoover, 2011). The economy deeply affects the retail demand. In other words, retail demand depends on the economy. Many different kinds of economic factors such as job growth, recession, personal income, consumer confidence and interest rates can strongly affect consumer spending behavior. When during recessionary periods, the bad economy can affect the retail sales growth rate slow drastically or even sales revenue decline. While the retail spending grows rapidly when in the period of strong economy growth, for example consumers will spend more on grocery when they have more income. However, the rising interest rates will affect consumer purchase behavior and consumer ability to finance large amount of purchase such as purchasing cars (Hoover, 2011). Strategic History of Walmart Store Inc. In the early stage of strategic history for Walmart, they always unchanged their vision always low price for their customers. Until 1990s, Walmart announced that they planned to go global. They wanted to look for international markets for the reasons as following: First of all, Walmart has facing very strong competition in United States such as Target and K mart. These two firms had aggressive expanding their business and had started sharing Walmarts market share. Secondly, the market in the United States is already saturated; it was becoming difficult for the company to continue its growth rate. Thirdly, the US population is accounted for only 4% of the worlds population and if they want to expand their global market, China had the potential massive growth due to their huge population of over 1.3 billion people. The last reason is, globalization opened up new markets in China and created opportunities for discount stores such as Walmart (Walmarts Cost Leadership Strategy, 2004). On the other hand, Walmart is using the strategy that cooperates with local suppliers to purchase their products, even though the organizational culture is standardized with the home country. This strategy is not only use to the products purchasing, but also adapted to the local cultures and stores decoration and designed are also changed to meet local taste all around the world (Walmarts Cost Leadership Strategy, 2004). Organizational mission statement As we know, the mission statement for Walmart is every day low price. In order to insist their mission, Walmart implemented three approaches in the market. First, it increased the local purchasing in order to reduce the purchasing costs and also suit consumers needs in different places. Secondly, it maintained a good relationship with their suppliers, satisfied them by paying within 3-7 days during its initial years. Thirdly, it established distribution centers (DC) and computerized its management system to improve efficiency and reduce costs (ICFAI, 2005). Business Level Strategy For these several years, Walmart has been trying hard on expand its stores outside the United States. It through two different to expand their international business market: new store construction and acquisition. Acquisition strategy of supermarket chains had been a part of Walmarts entry and  store expansion strategy in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, China and Great Britain (The Walmart Puzzle, 2008). Over all, the Walmart strategies were including: multiple store segments, lower daily prices, lots of name-brand merchandise, reduce operating costs, emphasized customers satisfied service, wide selection products, disciplined expansion into new geographic markets, and using acquisition to enter foreign market (Walmart Store Inc., 2010). However, no matter Walmart are in which foreign country, their company vision always low prices is never changed. The companys low distribution costs and cost-efficient supply chain management are the big reasons why Walmart is so success and at the same time reduce the products prices. Walmart has get into distribution efficiency compare with their competitors because of its rural store locations. Current strategy for the major operations/functions of the company Current strategies for Walmart are including low costs, high volume, increase customer satisfaction and expansion strategy. Walmart creates name recognition and customer satisfaction, and combined the retailer with the reputation of offering the best prices. They also expand their new business segments to different sectors such as pharmacies, automotive repair, and grocery sales to increase their sales revenue. Expansion strategy: The company realized that building a new store will allow for increase market share value. After their success in the rural areas, Walmart moved to urban areas and then moved to surrounding areas. The expansion strategy made Walmart the number one retail store in the United States. As Walmart continue its expansion domestically, the firm decided to go international. Furthermore, Walmart realized that acquiring an existing retail firm is necessary for expand domestic and international markets. Therefore, Walmart by acquire retail store which enable to expand locally and internationally. Always low prices make customers live better strategy is believed the strongest strategy used by Walmart. The firm developed the idea of dealing directly with the manufacturer and with the power control by Walmart will enable it to get the best deal from the manufacturers and suppliers. Organizational structure, culture, and control systems Saving people money to help them live better was the mission for Walmart. Hence, Walmart negotiates different suppliers and understanding their cost structure in order to reduce the price. Walmart has to be certain that the manufacturers were doing their best to cut down costs. Also, Walmart believed in establishing a long-term relationship with their suppliers. Walmart had 129 distribution centers located at different locations all over the US. Over 80,000 items were stocked in these centers. Walmarts own warehouses directly supplied 85 percent of the inventory, as compared to 50-65 % for competitors. Shipping costs for Walmart is about 3 % which is lower than its competitors, 5%. The distribution centers ensured a steady and consistent flow of products to support the supply function (Walmarts Cost Leadership Strategy, 2004). Walmarts logistics infrastructure was its fast and successful transportation system. The distribution centers were serviced by more than 3,500 company owned trucks. To make its distribution process more efficient, Walmart also uses a logistics technique called cross-docking. In this system, the finished goods were directly picked up from the manufacturing plant from suppliers, and then directly supplied to the customers. The system reduced the handling and storage of finished goods, eliminating the role of the distribution centers and stores (Walmarts Cost Leadership Strategy, 2004). SWOT Analysis for Walmart Store Inc. (S)trengths Reputation Brand Name: Walmart is a powerful brand and pioneer in the retail industry with the wide spread network of stores. It has a reputation for low price, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store for customers. Walmart has captured about 10% of the retail market in the U.S. and continues to expand. Walmart stores continue to open all over the country making Walmart a household name. Walmart has also been widely acknowledged for its social responsibility actions. The company has donated to a variety of charitable organizations and has been accredited for bringing jobs and wealth to less developed communities. Offer Low Prices: Walmart uses its enormous size and buying power to pressure its suppliers into extremely low prices, offering orders of high volumes of merchandise in exchange for low prices. The good thing about Walmart is that its shifts the low cost advantage to customers and available the products at lower prices. It has loyal customer base because it meets the expectation of customer by always delivering the goods at lower prices at compare to its competitors. Expand Global Market: Walmart has aggressively expands its international market over the past few years and has experienced global expansion. For example its purchase of the United Kingdom based retailer ASDA. Technology: Technology is strength to Walmart with its inventory control system that was recognized as the most sophisticated in retailing. The technology linked all the stores to the headquarters and the companys distribution centers. It also enables the warehouse of which the goods are ordered, and direct the flow of goods to the store and proper shelves. Supply chain and logistics management: Supply chain and logistics management are one of the strengths of Walmart. This allows Walmart to utilize the Just- in-time inventory concept and avoid the pilling up inventory to save the extra cost for maintaining inventories in the warehouses. Human Resource: Walmart always keen to provide training to their employees to improve the customer service level. The firm hire locally, provides training programs for its employees. Walmart also gets its employees involve and encourage them to make use of words like: we, us, and ours. It also provides stock ownership and profit sharing with great contribution from the H. R of the firm. Walmart was named one of the best 100 firms to work for. Cross-docking inventory system: Using the cross-dock technique, Walmart was able to effectively leverage their logistical volume into a core strategic competency. Walmart operates an extensive satellite network of distribution centers serviced by company owned trucks. Its satellite network sends point of sale (POS) data directly to 4,000 vendors. Each register is directly connected to a satellite system sending sales information to Walmarts headquarters and distribution centers. (W)eaknesses Employee turnover: Walmart has high employee turnover which costs more money and time for company to train the new employee. Bad publicity: Walmart is currently facing a gender discrimination lawsuit. Their female employees accuses that they were discriminated against in matters regarding pay and promotions. And also, Their female managers were accounted for the minority group in the company. Lock of flexibility: Walmart sell very wide range kinds of products for example like clothes, food, pharmacy or stationary which lack of flexibility compare with other more focused competitors. Other competitors may have the ability to make changes and improve on a certain product lines when the needs of their customers change. Walmart, however, may have too much merchandise and not be able to focus in on sectors that need to be improved. Some products have poor quality: Although Walmart provides low price of products, however, customers sometimes complain about the poor quality of few products. Facing difficulty in International market: It is hard for Walmart to expand their business out of US to totally different countries all around the world. Moreover, Walmart has to facing different culture and customer behavior in different countries, for example Walmart facing difficulty to expand the market in China. (O)pportunities Customers: Because Walmart provides low price to their customers, so they are able to attract more customers. Furthermore, customers basically are able to purchasing everything in one store that satisfied their needs. Walmart 24 hours stores also satisfied their customers. Diversified store types: Walmarts different store types and new locations provide more opportunities to exploit new market. Stores diversified from local, small-based sites to large super centers. International Expansion: No doubt that continued expand the international market is a huge opportunity for Walmart. Walmarts oversea stores have experienced significant growth. There are actually tremendous opportunities for future growth in developing countries and Asian markets than in the United States such as China and India. Creating strategic alliances and licensing agreements with other global retailers are ways to move into different countries. (T)hreats Competition: Walmart faces different strong competitions locally and internationally. Walmart main competitors are including Kmart, Target, Carrefour and Costco wholesale. In 2010, the Net Profit Margin for Walmart is 3.59%, Target 4.22%, Costco wholesale 1.69%, Carrefour 0.38%, respectively (Hoovers, 2010). Target is Walmarts direct competitor in the US, offering a range of general merchandise in a similar store format (Wikinvest, 2010). Economy Recession: The revenue for Walmart is affected by economy recession. Good economy is an opportunity for great business, because customers will have more money to spend. If the economy is great, there will be more jobs and people will shop more. However, if the economy is bad, there will be fewer jobs and people will shop less. Also, with the high price of gasoline and its effect on the economy, Walmart will certainly be affected the most. Strategy imitation: Walmart strengthens its competitive advantage on low-cost products. Other competitors may imitate their low-cost strategy to take over their market shares. Low Brand Loyalty: In the retail industry, customers would like to choose the product with the lowest price. In other words, customers do not care about the brand or which retail stores, if Costco has the exactly same chips that sell cheaper than in the Walmart, then customers will choose to buy the chips in the Costco not Walmart. TOWS MATRIX STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Reputation Brand Name Bad publicity Offer Low Prices Lock of flexibility Expand Global Market Some products have poor quality Technology Facing difficulty in International market Supply chain and logistics management Employee turnover Human Resource Cross-docking inventory system OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES-STRENGTHS OPPORTUNITIES-WEAKNESSES Customers Build on its already efficient distribution system to further expand in the U.S and globally. Walmart should be awareness and strict to control of the quality of the product in order to keep their customers basis. Diversified Store Types Expand diversified store types to International market in order to increase profit in International market. Set higher employment standards through enhanced training to keep their employees have best performance. International Expansion Duplicated the successful delivery logistic management and the distribution centers into International market. Continue to build on cost efficient pricing and production due to expansion. Go into new markets and buy out their local retailers to gain market share. THREATS THREATS-STRENGTHS THREATS-WEAKNESSES Competition Buy raw materials or products from local suppliers to hold a better political status within the local community further to compete with their competitors. Human resource department should set a benefits long-term promotion program or standard and training program for their employees in order to decrease the employee turnover. Economy Recession Create their own brand of products and increase the quality of products in order to establish customers loyalty. Establish joint venture partnerships or long-term relationship with local retail companies to get the advantages in the International segment. Strategy imitation Develop strong RD and technology to enhance the competitive advantage and avoid imitation from other competitors. Low Brand Loyalty Five Forces Analysis for Walmart Store Inc. Threat of entrances Low The threat of new entrance in the grocery and discount retailer industry is very low. New entrants have to face with the strong low-price competition among exist giant retail companies like Walmart, Costco and Target. New entrants need to invest large amount of capitals to establish their brand recognition, service, and variety of product offerings that Walmart, Target, and others competitors continue to improve on each day. In addition, existing companies can drop prices lower in order to force a new competitor out of the market. Therefore, the threat of entrances is low. Power of buyer-High Customers have many choosing opportunities and consider about products very details. They want the product now and they want it with the best service, best quality and reasonable price. Customers also enjoy increasing choice of products and choose one product that has the best quality and better price. For example, if customers find out Target sells an exactly product that has better quality and price than Walmart, and then they will choose to buy it in Target instead of Walmart. Power of Suppliers   Low The bargaining power of suppliers is very low. Walmart is very famous on giving pressure to their suppliers to cut their price lower and lower in order to offer the lowest price to their customers. On the other hand, become the supplier of Walmart is a very fierce competition. In 2004, about 10,000 new suppliers applied to become Walmart vendors. However, only about 200, or 2%, were ultimately accepted by Walmart (Gwendolyn Bounds, The Wall Street Journal). Therefore, the bargaining power of suppliers is low. Rivalry High The competition in the US grocery and discount retailer industry is very high. The main competitors for Walmart in the local market are Kmart and Target. These companies also have to face competition from wholesalers such as BJs, Costco and even the international market such as Carrefour. Walmart has adopted a cost leadership generic strategy. In the past, most companies have not been able to match Walmarts strategy everyday low prices. However, Walmarts barrier to entry (economies of scale) and strength (supply-chain management) can be easily imitated with sufficient resources. Therefore, retailers are in a fierce competition that see who can offer their customers the lowest price. Threat of substitute Low The threat of substitutes in this industry is low because only few companies have ability to offer such a variety of products available instantly and also low prices. One possible substitute is online shopping; however, customers usually do the online shopping for clothes or other stuffs but not for food or grocery shopping. Therefore, the threat of substitute is low. Key Strategic Issues Issue #1: Open too many new stores close to existing stores lead to new stores taking over the market shares from existing stores. Status Quo Wal- Mart depends on opens many new stores and expands into new market to increase the long-term sales and income growth. However, because of Walmarts large size of expansion, new stores are effects the sales on existing stores. For example, Walmart builds a store relatively close to an already existing store, the new store might take away customers from the old store thus decrease the sales in existing stores (Walmart, 2010). Evolutionary Change (Incremental Improvement) In order to solve this problem, Walmart expands their business segment into international market instead of domestic market. For example, Walmart opened 5 times number of stores in the international market in 2010 compared to domestic stores; most of stores are in Mexico, China, and Central America (Walmart, 2010). Revolutionary Change (Huge/Drastic Change) Walmart is also aggressively to open business segments in India if the country opens up the sector to foreign direct investment. India has retail market more than 1 billion; no doubt India is a huge opportunity for Walmart. However, retailers that carry multiple brands (like Walmart) are restricted to wholesale outlets in India. After Indias policy change, Walmart is allowed to expand superstores and generate revenue in India (Walmart, 2010). Specific tactics to implement the strategy Walmart needs to establish long-term relationship or joint venture with local retail company to get into the market in India. Although in 2006, Walmart announced that it had tied up with Bharti Enterprises Ltd. (Bharti) to get into the Indian retail sector. Bharti was a diversified company, and one of the biggest mobile telephone service providers in India (Walmart and the Indian Retail Sector, 2007). However, because of the government policy, the small retailers groups and the Left parties against allowing the company into India are all the barriers that Walmart has to face it. Issue #2: International competitors Status Quo In order to expand and improve the sales revenue for the economy recession especially in the domestic market, Walmart has been aggressively expand its business segment into international market. However, the local big retailers or small retailers groups are against Walmart to get into their market to take over the market shares because of its low price strategy (Walmart, 2010). Evolutionary Change (Incremental Improvement) Improve its supply chain, logistic and technology segment to lower its delivery and operation costs in order to compete with local big retailers such as Britains Tesco, Frances Carrefour, and Germanys Metro (Walmart, 2010). On the other hand, retail business segment is hard to create products differentiation, because commodity products are all the same for customers. The only way that gains the market shares for retail stores is not only low price but also quality of products. Therefore, Walmart should awareness of its quality of products to attract more customers even in the international market. Revolutionary Change (Huge/Drastic Change) Walmart should acquire and purchase the local retail companies in order to get into the international market. On the other hand, establish long-term relationship with local suppliers to have the win-win situation for their cooperation. Specific tactics to implement the strategy In the beginning of year 1, 2 and 3, Walmart should first focus on improving its supply chain, logistic and technology improvement in order to compete with local big retailers on its lower operation, delivery costs and high quality of products. For the long-term tactics, Walmart should deeply penetrate into the local market, understand different cultures and customers behaviors and then cooperate with local suppliers to establish long-term partnership. Personal assessment SWOT Analysis of myself in relation to the organization (What can I offer to the organization?). (S)trengths: International expansion (China): Walmart is extremely aggressively penetrated into the market in China. Also, no doubt that China has 1.3 billion populations which accounted for the most majority population in the world, creates a huge business opportunity for Walmart. Therefore, Walmart needs a manager who can speak fluently Mandarin and English, and really understand about Chinese culture and Chinese customers behavior. Hence, I can offer Walmart my knowledge to develop more opportunity in Chinas market in order to maximize the profits. (W)eaknesses: Lack of working experience: Even though I can speak fluently Mandarin and understand the Chinese culture and customers behavior; however, I still lack of working experiences. I do have some part time working experience such as working in starbucks, but do not have full time working experiences. (O)pportunities: Because of my professional knowledge (bachelor and master degree are both business management) are expertise on this field which can offer Walmart a professional employees or manager. Moreover, my family also has business in China, Hangchow, which makes me has understanding and interested about China. I can provide Walmart establish partnership with local suppliers and establish long-term relationship with them to compete with local retails competitors. (T)hreats: Many applicants around the world: There is still having many talented applicants around the world apply to get into this company. Some of the applicants have high education degree and business knowledge and also have ability to speak many different kinds of languages. Therefore, I am in extremely fierce competition. Not every business segment in Walmart is my expertise: I have weakened and lower advantages compared to local American because of the speaking and cultural differences. Furthermore, the company does business in many different retail formats, including supercenters, food and drugs, general merchandise stores, cash and carry stores, membership warehouse clubs, apparel stores, soft discount stores and restaurants. However, not every business segment in Walmart is in my field of expertise. Financial Analysis 2010 Annual Sales (Figure2-1) (Source: Hoovers, 2011, http://0subscriber.hoovers.com.leopac.ulv.edu/H/company360/competitiveLandscape.html?companyId=11600000000000) As you can see in Figure 2-1, this is 2010 annual sales for 4 main retail stores in the United States. They are including Walmart, Target, Costco Wholesale and Carrefour. Walmart has almost $400 billion sales in 2010. Compared to other competitors, annual sales for Walmart was much higher than other companies. Carrefour annual sale in 2010 was around $100 billion. Annual sales for Target and Costco were just around $50 billion in 2010. 2010 Net Profit Margin (Figure2-2) (Source: Hoovers, 2011, http://0subscriber.hoovers.com.leopac.ulv.edu/H/company360/competitiveLandscape.html?companyId=11600000000000) In Figure 2-2, net profit margin in 2010 for Walmart was 2.98%. Target was higher than Walmart which had 3.69% net profit margin in 2010. Other two competitors, Costco and Carrefour were both under 1.84% in net profit margin in 2010. Figure 2-3 (Source: Hoovers, 2011, http://0subscriber.hoovers.com.leopac.ulv.edu/H/company360/competitiveLandscape.html?companyId=11600000000000) The Return on Asset ratio is useful in measuring how efficiently a company uses its assets to generate profit. By definition, ROA is calculated by dividing the Net Income by the total asset of a company. Refer to Figure 2-3, ROA for Walmart from 2006 to 2010 are much higher than its competitors. Walmarts ROA were around 9% to 10% each year, compared to its competitors which were all much lower than Walmart. This basically means that Walmart utilizes its assets well enough to generate profit in comparison with their competitors. However, ROA in 2007 for Target is higher than Walmart, Target 9.29%, Walmart 9.05%. Targets major competitive advantage over Walmart lies in its customer base: the average household income for Target customers is about $50,000 a year, whereas the average yearly income for a Walmart customer is only $35,000 Figure 2-4 (Source: Hoovers, 2011, http://0subscriber.hoovers.com.leopac.ulv.edu/H/company360/competitiveLandscape.html?companyId=11600000000000) The return on Stockholders Equity (ROE) ratio measures the percentage of profit earned on stockholders investment in the company. In other words, return on equity  measures a corporations profitability  by revealing how much  profit a company generates  with the money shareholders have invested.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   In Figure 2-4, ROE for Walmart were around 20% from year 2006 to 2010, compared to other competitors which are higher than others. Figure 2-5 (Source: Hoovers, 2011, http://0subscriber.hoovers.com.leopac.ulv.edu/H/company360/competitiveLandscape.html?companyId=11600000000000) Net profit Margin is an indication of how effective a company at cost control

The Bill of Rights: Americas Last Defense Against the Federal Suffocat

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is our Bill of Rights necessary? Does it put a limit on our government, or on our liberty? Do these ten amendments hold the same meaning today as they did two-hundred and fourteen years ago? Are they now or have they ever been relevant? These questions were debated by our nation’s founding fathers in the eighteenth century and continue to be debated by the historians, academics, and political scientists today. Over the course of the last two centuries, its meaning has been twisted and stretched by the interpretation and misinterpretation of our legislature and, most of all, by the Supreme Court wielding its power of judicial review. It is my belief that these rights were and are absolutely essential to maintaining any liberty in this country; however, I also believe they have placed a limit on our liberties in that the government has come to restrict many rights that are not expressly declared in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Perhaps, it is nece ssary to convene a convention dedicated to defining and expanding the protected rights and to put these revisions to the people through normal amendment processes requiring ratification by three-quarters of the states.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin, we need to understand what a â€Å"bill of rights† is and where it comes from. Bills, or lists, of rights litter American colonial history, from the Declaration of Rights issued to the British parliament in response to the Stamp Act of 1765, which led to the repeal of that act, to those found in state governments such as Virginia and Delaware during the earliest days of the new nation. These lists were written in response to years of oppression suffered by the colonists at the hands of a tyrannical British government. They outlined certain individual rights that were held to be above government regulation by the philosophy of the time. Though the first ten amendments do not constitute the first list of rights ever devised, they are the first list incorporated into a national constitution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The founders developed two contradicting viewpoints on this subject, which threatened to bring the process of ratification to a standstill. In his letters, Federalist 84 and Federalist 85, Alexander Hamilton, writing as â€Å"Publius†, summarized the federalist argument against the bill of rights. He presented what I f... ...oncerns, their philosophies are outdated. Perhaps our constitution is inadequate. If this is so, should we not change it rather than allow the justices of the Supreme Court to decide what it means as they see fit for the current political, social, or economic climate? It took an entire nation to decide the wording of our present constitution. Is it fair to leave its interpretation in the hands of only nine men and women? Does it make sense to allow them to decide that terms which are written as absolutes could, in some cases, be conditional? I propose a simple solution to the problem. We, the people of this nation, need to decide what we want our Constitution to say. Then, we need to rephrase the wording so that it cannot be misinterpreted. This would require amending the amendments that are already in place with more specific language. This could restore the effectiveness of the Bill of Rights and put it back in its rightful place, above the national government. Until that time, the only way the Bill of Rights will continue to provide shelter from government intrusion is to take it at face value and to quit trying to establish conditions under which it doesn’t mean what it says. The Bill of Rights: Americas Last Defense Against the Federal Suffocat   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is our Bill of Rights necessary? Does it put a limit on our government, or on our liberty? Do these ten amendments hold the same meaning today as they did two-hundred and fourteen years ago? Are they now or have they ever been relevant? These questions were debated by our nation’s founding fathers in the eighteenth century and continue to be debated by the historians, academics, and political scientists today. Over the course of the last two centuries, its meaning has been twisted and stretched by the interpretation and misinterpretation of our legislature and, most of all, by the Supreme Court wielding its power of judicial review. It is my belief that these rights were and are absolutely essential to maintaining any liberty in this country; however, I also believe they have placed a limit on our liberties in that the government has come to restrict many rights that are not expressly declared in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Perhaps, it is nece ssary to convene a convention dedicated to defining and expanding the protected rights and to put these revisions to the people through normal amendment processes requiring ratification by three-quarters of the states.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin, we need to understand what a â€Å"bill of rights† is and where it comes from. Bills, or lists, of rights litter American colonial history, from the Declaration of Rights issued to the British parliament in response to the Stamp Act of 1765, which led to the repeal of that act, to those found in state governments such as Virginia and Delaware during the earliest days of the new nation. These lists were written in response to years of oppression suffered by the colonists at the hands of a tyrannical British government. They outlined certain individual rights that were held to be above government regulation by the philosophy of the time. Though the first ten amendments do not constitute the first list of rights ever devised, they are the first list incorporated into a national constitution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The founders developed two contradicting viewpoints on this subject, which threatened to bring the process of ratification to a standstill. In his letters, Federalist 84 and Federalist 85, Alexander Hamilton, writing as â€Å"Publius†, summarized the federalist argument against the bill of rights. He presented what I f... ...oncerns, their philosophies are outdated. Perhaps our constitution is inadequate. If this is so, should we not change it rather than allow the justices of the Supreme Court to decide what it means as they see fit for the current political, social, or economic climate? It took an entire nation to decide the wording of our present constitution. Is it fair to leave its interpretation in the hands of only nine men and women? Does it make sense to allow them to decide that terms which are written as absolutes could, in some cases, be conditional? I propose a simple solution to the problem. We, the people of this nation, need to decide what we want our Constitution to say. Then, we need to rephrase the wording so that it cannot be misinterpreted. This would require amending the amendments that are already in place with more specific language. This could restore the effectiveness of the Bill of Rights and put it back in its rightful place, above the national government. Until that time, the only way the Bill of Rights will continue to provide shelter from government intrusion is to take it at face value and to quit trying to establish conditions under which it doesn’t mean what it says.

Alienation And Discrimination: Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers fc

The 1930s was a time period in which racial discrimination played a vital role in the lives of minorities. Around this time period many men were rovers, or men who wandered in search of work. These men were often very lonely. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Crooks, a black stable buck, endures alienation due to racial discrimination. Racial discrimination also hinders him from any type of success. Despite the hardships, he overcomes these obstacles and faces this struggle head on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forced into isolationism, due to segregation, alienation becomes Crooks’ companion. On an attempt for his alienation to be broken, Lennie walks into Crooks’ room â€Å"smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends† (75). At the sight of this Crooks becomes defensive and declares, â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain’t wanted in my room...They say I stink†(75). It is obvious that Crooks has been treated badly. he wants company but he does not really know how to except it or express himself towards it. Suddenly, â€Å"Crooks scowled but Lennie’s disarming smile defeated him†(76). This action shows the importance of human contact and though he scowls, Lennie looks over him. 1this entire incident shows how Crooks wants his loneliness to end. As Lennie entered Crooks room he (Crooks) slowly began to let his guard down because he needs companionship and friendship with others to share his ideas. Until this point ant time none of the other men had ever been in Crooks’ room just as he had never been in the bunkhouse. More ironic incidents are bound to happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Candy enters Crooks’ room, Curley’s wife enters the room also and tries to hold a conversation with the three men. After the men do not respond to her she states, â€Å"Funny thing... If I catch one man, and he’s alone, I get along with him fine. But just two of the guys get together and you won’t talk†(84). Curley’s wife is also very lonely (just as the men are). The men do not want any trouble so Crooks tells her, â€Å"Maybe you better go along to your house now, we don’t want no trouble†(84)...†You ain’t got no rights in a colored man’s room†(88). She does not have the right to be in his room. Neither of the men want to be in any type of trouble with the boss or Curley, His son, because she decided to go into Crooks’ room. But all of a sudden she becomes furious and exclaims, â€Å"Listen, Nigger, you know what I can do to you if you open your trap?

Comparing blake’s london and wordsworths unpon west minster bridge Essay

How do the poets use Structure, language and form in the two poems to help present their visions of London? William Blake’s ‘London’ 1793 and William Wordsworth’s ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ 1802 stage two contrasting views of London. Having both been written in the Romantic period, the two poets use their personal experience of London to illustrate the different visions of the city. Wordsworth adopted the Petrarchan pattern (abba abba cdcdcd) to create his flowing sonnet that describes the silent, undying beauty of London; the intimacy with his description could be inspired by classical poets such as Horaz, Virgil and Ovid. Blake however hardened to use a more harsh approach, delivering his dramatic reality of the dejected city. The two poems hold an expressive passion throughout and both have a deeper inner meaning than what’s seen at surface value. At a first glance, these two poems seem the complete opposite. One compliments the natural beauty of London whilst the other only states the traumatic situations faced through a sinister, dark city. This style could have been inspired by Blake’s surrounding of the French revolution which was imminent over London, there’s a possibility that the murder and violence could have encouraged Blake to give his reality of the capital in the 18th century. Despite the obvious differences, the techniques and narrative set out by both poets are similar. Both Blake and Wordsworth chose to underline their visions of London by using some sort of rhyming scheme and iambs to manipulate the sounds and rhythm. Wordsworth’s undoubted admiration of London is expressed through his constant use of elegant praises. He masters a faint use of a strange paradox through the first lines saying earth has nothing more ‘fair’ which exemplifies a tranquil, natural beauty, undisturbed by the obvious industrial city. The paradox having been established at the beginning of the octave stating the impossible unity of both a natural beauty and industrial development is explained towards the end through the line, ‘like a garment, wear’. This reveals that the city is wearing the natural ‘beauty of the morning’ rather than being it. This structural technique continues in his next lines completing his paradoxical image. The fact that the city is ‘bare’ relates back to the first contradiction by suggesting that London wears ‘the smokeless air’ that is the ‘fair’ beauty. Wordsworth uses the petrarchan pattern to compliment the imag e of the uninterrupted London. The poets emotion filled description of a motionless London implies that he rather prefers a non-industrializing, natural capital compared to the 19th centuries bustling metropolis. In his sestet (cdcdcd) the poet emphasizes the connection of whole poem has and how it coheres well together. He does this by using the sestet- steep, deep, asleep- to draw attention to that fact that the city is invalid in the way that the commerce of London has not yet awaken but is asleep. He keeps this in mind whilst still stating that the fact of the matter is, the city is more alive through its natural presence. The way he describes the river ‘glideth at his own sweet will’ gives the reader a sense of undisturbed freedom and also relates to the poets overflowing, relentless and poignant description. Wordsworth creates a more flattering image of London when he explains how the sun has lightened it perfectly, ‘Never did the sun more beautifully steep’. The line: ‘in his first splendour,’ makes the poet appear to be referring to ‘god’ through his supposedly absent minded mention of ‘his’ but he’s not because previously he mentioned that the never had the ‘sun more beautifully steep’. This makes sense as the idea of the sun steeping gracefully over London ties in with the poems overall goal to exploit the capital as some sort of wonderful place however the idle image of the originator who created ‘valley, rock, or hill;’ formulate the idea that Wordsworth is talking about ‘god’ as having the first insight into the capital and how it hasn’t changed through his eyes, looking past the ‘ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples’. Thus creating a more colloquial style of writing; however there is the fact that this poem was written in the 19th century where everyone would have believed in ‘god’. This idea could be the underlining of the word ‘sun’. I believe that Wordsworth’s sole adopted style is smooth and poetic, he holds a passion for the topics he chooses to write about which flatter his nature inspired manner. Other poems by Wordsworth which support my supposition are ‘I wander lonely as a cloud’ and ‘Three years she grew in Sun and Shower’. In the 4th stanza the tone of the poem suddenly changes into an ominous low mood with a lingering and menacing spell. The word ‘most’ has a lasting significance in the line as it institutes the fact that prostitution is causing this wild midnight rush. The changed tone of the poem and the imagery created in this stanza stands out as a dramatic close the blatantly sorrow-filled poem. Adding to the sharpness of the bitter ending, the tone that is usually poetic with a bouncy rhythm has stopped delivering the full force of what Blake calls ‘reality’.