The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

An essay on 'The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness by Erich Fromm. Amount of pages: 478. The book goes on in explaining the ways of aggression and how it reaches into man. Citing aggressive examples in the behavior of necrophilics and Hitler. The author goes into the early life of Hitler and his parents. How it had effect on what he became and his destructive way of life. He was a man that laid half way between reality and his fantasy. He had played war games up until the age of sixteen and after that he commanded his army like they had been a game. Taking risks with soldiers as well as ignoring precise information that would have been critical to his plans; and also the ignorance of British and US tolerance. He was a psychotic man who is a very good example of how far a man with destructive purpose can rise. Trying to explain aggressive behavior, there is focus on a core issue, instincts. Going through animal behavior and comparing it with human behavior and how similar our instincts are. There is also focus on examining primitive tribes. The object of these findings were to find out how warlike the tribes are. In the hunting-gatherers tribes, war is not as popular and profitable as in modern society. Two reasons for this is that these tribes don't have most valuable items and there is no shared type of currency to take. In these tribes, war was infrequent and not lead by permanent leaders. As opposed by modern days. What also differs is the conquest to kill as many of the enemy as possible. Aggression is ruled into several categories, such as Benign aggression which is one of a defensive type and malignant aggression which actually roots into other conditions. Premises, necrophilia, cruelty and destruction. The joy of destruction and abuse of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Destructiveness rest not only in acts but as worships. There is a case of idolatry, a man totally devoted to the monster of destruction. Kern, von salomon. A man like this and his acts are by no means normal, and supposedly caused by the world he knows, all morally, socially, honor, obedience is lost. The aggression takes control for many reasons. Although an extreme case of aggression, we see what may be societies cause on it's own people. Such a thing is a window to this picture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another focus would be on Milgram's electric experiment.

Leadership strategy Essay

A primary task of high performance leadership is to provide strategic direction to the organisation, various departments and divisions within the organisation, and to the people who ultimately implement strategic leadership. But regular employees are seldom involved in the process. Authoritarian governance has had two powerful and mutually reinforcing dynamics: People at â€Å"the top† of the organisation, normally in senior managerial positions, have tended to maintain control over strategic processes. They have often become alienated from the realities of operational or shop floor demands and challenges People at operational levels have been part of authoritarian behaviour in different ways (passivity, fear, frustrated) The core challenge is to position strategic leadership as an integrated set of activities and processes which ensure that people across all levels and functions understand their own roles and accountabilities as it relates to the organisation’s strategic leadership Successful strategic leadership occurs when people across all levels and functions have a common understanding about a few essential issues: Knowledge of how strategic leadership is formulated, translated and communicated, implemented and assured within the organisation The formal business processes. The specific and different roles, rights and accountabilities of stakeholders Clear understanding of personal and team roles Comprehension of the various requirements and roles Popular acceptance that legitimate hierarchy and rank are essential components Definition and acceptance of the roles, rights and accountabilities The challenge is crafting solutions which create legitimate and popularly supported rank and hierarchy, and with clearly understood boundaries which describe what may and what may not be done by optimally empowered people Rank, hierarchy and boundaries per se are not only a feature of authoritarian systems. They are an essential part of successful democratic workplaces where a culture of high performance through high involvement can thrive There is still a need for clear definition of a range of roles, rights and accountabilities. There is a need to define two mutually reinforcing parameters: What are the roles, rights and accountabilities that have to be acknowledged by everybody to ensure the organisation’s capacity to fulfill the requirements of high performance What are the constraints, the limits or conditions of high involvement Drucker proposes that strategic leadership needs to fulfill requirements in four areas: Effectiveness Efficiency Long-term Short-term VISION (Long-term effectiveness): Understanding the organisation’s total competitive environment, and positioning it in the present so that it is appropriately placed INTERDEPENDENCE (Long-term efficiency): Identifying, balancing, integrating and aligning all of the external and internal variables that are likely to have an impact on the organisation’s capacity to fulfill its strategic leadership STRUCTURE (Short-term efficiency): Establish replicable standards, approaches and methods which minimize the need for duplication and enhances the capacity to deliver uniform or required quality as a matter of course ACTION (Short-term effectiveness): Taking the necessary steps and action to ensure the delivery of products and services which meet the needs of both internal and external customers An integrated strategic leadership consists of all four VISA elements. The dominance of only one element could perhaps be described as: Only vision: Exciting bankruptcy. People cannot identify with the development of strategies Only Interdependence: Happy bankruptcy: never-ending cycles of consultation Only Structure: Precise bankruptcy: bureaucracy and red tape Only Action: Busy bankruptcy: people perpetually busy but not necessarily productive The absence or weakness of any component of strategic leadership will undermine the success of the organisation: 0ISA: Weakness of vision leaves people without common direction V0SA: Poor interdependence almost always leads to some stakeholders feeling that their legitimate interests are not being met VI0A: Insufficient emphasis on standardization leads to lack of essential disciplines and conformance to necessary standards VIS0: Ultimately the organisation can only survive and thereby satisfy the interests of all its stakeholders if it has a high propensity for action Organisations and teams regularly develop a bias that values some elements more than they do others. Personal styles and approaches also contribute to establish our individual preferences and approaches. It is useful to rate your personal approaches and preferences, as well as that of your team or organisation Vision provides a compelling dream that galvanizes and aligns the behaviours and contributions of people across all levels and functions. A real vision is very active. It is filled with drive, energy and perpetual motion. The vision, or long term effectiveness element of strategic leadership, is achieved by fulfilling the following requirements: 1. Scan the external environment and conditions 2. enable leadership to anticipate long-term forces of change 3. create a challenging view of the future 4. tension between the desirable future and those elements of the present that could inhibit progress 5. communicated with passion 6. evaluated against the present 7. new challenges emerge 8. leadership must always act with insufficient information 9. interacting with stakeholders 10. dynamic and living process Interdependence acknowledges that no organisation operates in isolation. Every organisation is a system operating within a system. It requires the acknowledgement and willingness to embrace the interests of a variety of diverse stakeholders. The interdependent or long-term efficiency component of strategic leadership is fulfilled in the following ways: 1. Variables must be identified 2. The interests of all stakeholders must be defined and appreciated 3. Balance and meet all possible diverse stakeholder needs 4. The support of all stakeholders must be gained and increased over time 5. Interaction must be facilitated between stakeholders for them to appreciate their interdependent nature 6. There will inevitably be conflict between stakeholders 7. The roles and accountabilities that various people and stakeholders have to fulfill must be defined quite clearly 8. Keeping people adequately informed is a crucial element of interdependence 9. Mutual trust and respect 10. help people to define their own specific contributions to the organisation As organisations become more complex, and as the world within which we operate becomes increasingly unpredictable, the need for Structure increases significantly. Successful organisational strategic leadership has to establish and maintain a range of activities that introduce and maintain Structure: 1. The specific interests of stakeholders need to be both quantified and qualified 2. In today’s competitive environment it is essential for organisations to establish required benchmarks of performance 3. There is a constant interplay between specific stakeholder interests and meeting required benchmarks of performance 4. provision of relevant and useful information 5. Standards have to be set and communicated on an ongoing basis 6. Standards are no longer a fixed point on the horizon 7. The discipline of continuously and regularly monitoring performance is one that cannot be sacrificed 8. It also has to look at elements such as leadership style, living of values, and commitment to the subtleties of people development 9. Consequences of non-conformance need to be defined, understood and applied 10. people across all levels and functions thrive on information–driven problem solving Action is the level at which products and services are actually delivered to meet the interests of customers. Creating and keeping more customers. A sustained and high propensity for action is achieved in the following ways: 1. The organisation’s vision must be made relevant to operational areas 2. Customer needs cannot be fulfilled only by sales and distribution functions 3. Accountability has to be placed as close as possible to the source of action 4. people have to be continuously part of determining the limits and constraints within which they are expected to operate 5. Successful action is driven by leaders who establish their personal power of presence (top executives have no time) 6. Quality and productivity has to be an in-built function 7. demonstration of attitude and will 8. Emphasis on people development 9. attitude that accepts error as an inevitable consequence of innovation and action 10. A propensity for innovation and action LEARNING The growing complexity and competitiveness of the international and local economic environments within which organisations have to survive and prosper makes it essential for leaders of the future to value learning Leaders must develop the capacity to think simultaneously about paradoxical and contradictory requirements. The act of leadership is, as Peter Drucker puts it, the challenge of constructive destruction, of doing things differently and doing different things Kolb: real learning has only taken place when every one of the four facets has been included in the process: Abstract Conceptualization: â€Å"think about the previously unthinkable or unknowable†. It requires the capacity for hypothetical formulation Reflective Observation: need to stand back and observe what is happening Concrete Experience: ability to continuously asses what has worked and to pass this experience on to others. concrete experience remains one of the only ways in which organisations can develop replicable application of processes and activities that ensure minimum conformance to standards Active Experimentation: often organisations still limit the ability and space for people to become involved in such activities. Active experimentation requires calculated risk-taking The relationsip can be described as follows: Abstract conceptualization x reflective observation x concrete experience x active experimentation = Learning and Leadership Abstract Conceptualization x 0 x 0 x 0 = 0: we often remain hamstrung by old experiences which may have become irrelevant 0 x Reflective Observation x 0 x 0 = 0: Nothing happens and there is no real threat that anything will happen! 0 x 0 x Concrete Experience = 0: People relying predominantly upon concrete experience for their learning are caught in a perpetual search for the infallible, predictable, pre-planned, scheduled, structured, all-eventuality, and all bases covered solutions to problems – â€Å"late adapters† 0 x 0 x 0 x Active Experimentation = 0: All that matters for them is the exhilaration of making things up as you go The Consequences of Undervaluing any Facet of Learning: 0 x Reflective Observation x Concrete Experience x Active Experimentation = 0 (The absence of Abstract Conceptualization): It is much easier to define this symptom than it is to resolve it Abstract Conceptualization x 0 x Concrete Experience x Active Experimentation = 0 (The absence of Reflective Observation): The number of continuously changing variables which are capable of influencing the performance of an organisation are virtually endless. people either stopped taking a hard and reflective look at what was going on, or they stopped asking appropriate questions. he managers, and more often the specialist staff functions, start to confuse doing lots of things with an integrated and holistic approach, but they lack congruence and theoretical integration. without an integrative framework and commonly shared model, people rapidly lose their commitment and stamina to sustain focused activity Abstract Conceptualization x Reflective Observation x 0 x Active Experimentation = 0 (The absence of Concrete Experience): things become redundant while they are still on the drawing board or as soon as they are launched. age-old and essential facet of learning – the assimilation and valuing of concrete experience. The single most common symptom is that untested assumptions abound Abstract Conceptualization x Reflective Observation x Concrete Experimentation x 0 = 0 (The absence of Active Experimentation): People develop an inward approach to problems and issues. It does not take too long for such insularity to develop into suspicion of external developments By critically evaluating how organisations learn, and constantly determining whether all the facets of learning are being fully developed and utilized, we can provide a much more tenacious learning environment.

Gershwin Essays - Rhapsodies, George Gershwin, Rhapsody In Blue

Gershwin Essays - Rhapsodies, George Gershwin, Rhapsody In Blue Gershwin My primary goal for enrolling in music appreciation was to learn about the composers/musicians that have greatly contributed to modern music. Therefore, I decided to analyze a piece of music Rhapsody in Blue, which affected music in 1920s and still impacting the music world today. George Gershwins, Rhapsody in Blues, first performance was on February 12, 1924, and became an overnight success taking the music world by surprise. In this paper, I intend to analyze two very important versions of Rhapsody in Blue, and describe Gershwins life leading to his achievement. George Gershwin was born Jacob Gershowitz on September 26, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York. The son of immigrant parents, George had two brothers, Arthur and Ira, and one sister Francis. Although, George is the most well know of the family, his brother Ira was also a successful lyricist. In fact, if it were not for Iras interest in music, Georges parents would have never purchased the familys first piano. George, took an immediate interest in the piano, and immediately began successfully playing by ear. His parents arranged for piano lessons, and George began to study seriously at the age of 12 years old. George began his professional career in Tin Pan Alley, Located in New York City were aspiring composers and songwriters would bring their music in hopes of selling them for a modest amount of cash. He became a song plugger for the Jerome Remick Company. There, he became exposed to thousands of songs, giving him a better idea on the quality of music. Two years after he started work for Jerome Remick, George had his first song published. When you Want Em You Cant Get Em this piece was not an instant success for George, but it attracted attention from other great composers. This composition shaped the foundation, for the success Georges future was beholding. Very few composers have achieved instant celebrity to anything like the degree that George Gershwin enjoyed following the performance of Rhapsody and Blues. This piece was composed very quickly. In fact, the whole evolution of this composition was an experiment. Paul Whiteman, one of New Yorks foremost bandleaders had hired the Aeolian Hall for what was billed as An Experiment in Modern Music. The experiment was to see whether it was possible for American composers to achieve a combination of classical and popular idioms and forms. This experiment was a success, and paved Gershwins road to a short but successful career. The Rhapsody was extremely important to the future of American music because it introduced what Rudy Vallee called symphonized syncopation to sophisticated audiences in the serious setting of the concert hall. The Rhapsody in Blue, which owes much to the influence of Liszt, Tchaikovsky, and the Russian music Gershwin heard as a young student, has beautiful, recognizable, unforgettable melodies, and the entire piece is characterized by Gershwin's energy and rhythmic sense. In Rhapsody in Blue he combines Jazz, Impressionism and classical elements, which he uses for his unique 20th Century romanticism. He utilizes the expression of emotion without over-romanticizing Impressionists, and grounds it with his plain rhythms. He then implements gorgeous melodies between the major themes. For example, the Andantino Moderato section opens with the most compelling theme in the Rhapsody, a theme so haunting it could have easily descended into an emotional mire were it not for the introduction of a sub motif in the third and fourth bars. It is so important to Gershwin to restrain the music emotionally, that one never hears the Andantino Moderato theme without its brittle and unusual interruptions. The original version of Rhapsody in Blue, was a great performance, but incomplete. In the piano part of the original 1924 piano/orchestra edition, over fifty measures had been deleted in the published versions. Remarkably, eighty-eight measures were missing from the piano solo version. Where Gershwin left blanks or few indications, necessary editing had been made. However, in over sixty-five measures, Gershwin's own phrasing, chords, notes, dynamic and other interpretive clues had been altered! Grofe's orchestration of Gershwin's manuscript had not been shortened, and Grofe had not personally made any deletions from Gershwin's piano manuscript. The final result of Harms decision to shorten the Rhapsody was a fragmented and truncated work, lending

Process Essay

Process Essay Process Essay Process Essay We Are Learning to Describe Correctly! Im absolutely curious person from the early childhood. There was not a case in our house when I stood still without poking my nose into some affair. When the microwave worked, I always tried to unlock the panel and look inside of the oven. When the washing machine laundered our dirty clothes, I always want to open the hatch and touch the barrel in the epicenter of centrifuge. I even tried to dismantle our fringe just to understand its function of cooling the food. In other words, I was interested in the processes of the work, when these devices were exploited. Probably, when you are writing the process essay you should use the same approach to human curiosity: Process Essay: The Purpose and the Structure. Actually, the purpose of process essay is quite obvious: to describe the process of some phenomenon or happening correctly. In other words, in your work you pay special attention to the process and its features, supporting your report by facts and solid arguments. It means that to describe the process correctly you have to understand the process from within and it would be better, if you find out the process directly, in practice. There are some principles in the working with process essay: Think about the plan of your description it could be a simple outline, that helps you to display the process gradually; Begin your description with the main thesis, and then illustrate the process in details; Use the method Step-by-Step when you describe the process. Divide your process essay on some phases for the simplicity; You could present your work as the process direction essay just to explain the purpose, stages and practical needs of describing process. Do not forget to describe both the aim of each stage and the whole process Conclude your work and make the appropriate outcome. Process Essay: The Final Result. As you can see there are no serious difficulties in the working with process essay. I think that every person could describe any process just using the above-mentioned tips. Also, you may give your readers some usual advice, concerned with your process essay topic. In addition, if it possible, you could raise the specific questions about the topic it will be a good precondition for discussion and debates. Anyway, show your skills of fantasy your task is to interest the reader and attract the attention to your essay by all means. Read also: Creation Paper Cause Effect Papers Writing a College Term Paper Great Expectations Essay Great Essays

Evaluation of Walmart

Evaluation of Walmart Cost Leadership Walmart’s main business strategy focuses on building and maintaining cost leadership in the market. The company’s slogan reads, â€Å"Everyday low price†. This highlights its main focus on cost leadership. The strategy entails offering the same market products offered by rival firms at lower costs, but without compromising the quality.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Evaluation of Walmart specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Walmart manages to achieve this objective by relying on a highly efficient supply chain management that only avails products to the consumers at the right time when they need them. This eliminates additional costs that come from holding stock within the company’s premises (Schermerhorn 223). Walmart uses a sophisticated technology to interconnect its operations with those of the suppliers. In essence, information about stock levels within the company is rel ayed in real time. The sophisticated IT system relays the information to the suppliers immediately every time consumers purchase a commodity from the retailer. This makes it possible for the suppliers to monitor the stock-levels at any given time. Thus, restocking occurs at the opportune time just when the clients need the products and in the exact quantity. The ‘in-time’ logistics in the company has been the main reason behind its cost leadership in the market. The retailer also sells products in smaller quantities to allow its customers to pay less (Schermerhorn 223). Walmart acquires goods packed in large quantities, but it repacks them in much smaller quantities for sale at reduced prices. This sustains its â€Å"Everyday low prices† slogan. The true meaning of the slogan would not be achieved if the firm decided to sell the commodities in the large packaged quantities that it acquires from the supplier. Differentiation Strategy Walmart pursues a differentiat ion strategy whose main objective is to offer products and services that are unique in the market. Although the firm is not involved in manufacturing, Walmart stocks products that are specifically packaged in branded material. The company has invested heavily in repackaging materials to enable it achieve the differentiation mission.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, Walmart offers unique warranties that other rival retailers in the market do not offer (Daft 253). This creates a unique feeling among the consumers, making them believe that the experience is only available in Walmart and not from any other retailer. Acquisition Strategy Walmart has focused its efforts on market acquisition as a way of expanding its market presence. The firm considers acquiring other already existing retailer firms in foreign markets and maintaining their original names to cope with the globalization phenomenon and increasing market competition among rival retailers. This is the case in most conservative markets where a foreign trade name may not augur well with the company. Walmart also considers acquiring and merging with other businesses outside the retail industry as a way of expanding its portfolio. This also helps in spreading the company’s risks evenly (Daft 255). Walmart, for instance, acquired Kosmix, which is a social mobile platform. Walmart operates under the ASDA trade name in the United Kingdom after the latter was acquired in 1999 by Walmart. Product Quality Concerns Walmart has instituted a mechanism that focuses on maintaining high product quality. All Walmart stores around the world are required to fulfill the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). This GFSSI procedure calls on all food suppliers to be subjected to the factory audit checks as a way of ensuring that the products meet the desired quality. The retailer has worked together with The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) since 2009 as a means of developing measurement, as well as reporting systems. The target is to enhance product sustainability and eliminate problems attached to product quality. In this arrangement, TSC performs research on metrics and the reporting systems. The research, in turn, helps Walmart to engage suppliers while clearly understanding the products sold.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Evaluation of Walmart specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In recent times, however, there have been rising concerns over poor quality of products sold by Walmart. For instance, the fresh foods sold by the firm have been found to suffer from poor quality. This problem is mainly linked to another challenge being faced by the firm, the challenge of staffing and related issues (Weiss 472). Walmart’s fresh foods have only managed a low market share in comparison to other market p layers. This could be an indicator of the worsening product quality concerns. Labor Practices Walmart has been involved in accusations with labor union bodies, religious organizations, and community groups over its labor practices and policy. The retailer was taken to court over what its accusers termed as discrimination of its staff along race and gender. Three women employees filed a sex discrimination complaint against the retailer in 2012, accusing Walmart of failing to promote them because they are women. The accusations leveled against the company also mention the fact that female employees generally earn less compared to their male counterparts (Daft 122). Workers in the firm have also accused their employer of failing to observe acceptable labor practices, resulting in poor conditions of work in the various stores owned by the retailer. Business Ethics Walmart considers ethics as the strongest aspect of its success in business. The organizational structure has an established global ethics office whose main mandate is to promote its culture of integrity (Walmart para 1). The office also develops and helps in upholding the policies that relate to ethical behavior concerning all the stakeholders. Ethics education is offered on a routine basis to the employees. In this case, all workers undergoing training in the firm are subjected to consistent integrity lessons. Walmart supports a special award related to business ethics, the Integrity in Action Award, to further emphasize on the need to enhance business ethics (Walmart para 1).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The award is offered in recognition of individuals or associates of the firm who demonstrate a greater level of integrity through their consistent actions. Such recognized associates must also have inspired others to do the right thing while dealing with Walmart in one way or the other. The retailer practices integrity itself when selecting winners for the award by allowing the associates to conduct their own voluntary nominations. The resultant global votes determine the perfect recipient of the award. Walmart also takes consideration of each of the countries where the firm has a presence (Walmart para 3). Market Share The retailer has the biggest market share compared to its competitors in the USA, which is Walmart’s traditional market. Walmart’s heavy presence throughout the country and its business model that makes it stock virtually all kinds of commodities have been critical in sustaining market share leadership. On the global front, Walmart serves up to 94 milli on customers every week through its 5,651 established stores in 26 countries. However, a paltry 5.5% market share was registered in the year 2011 in China where the company is still in its early stages of development. The failure by Walmart to register a strong market share in China is attributable to the conservative nature of the Chinese. Market share growth in India has also been hampered in recent years following decisions by authorities in the country to shift foreign direct investment. The North-American market of Canada has equally posed great challenges to Walmart. The Dollarama Inc. is emerging as the fiercest competitor in the mass retail market in the rich Canadian market. Walmart trails Dollarama with the second best market share of 26%. This percentage of market share is 16 points less the share of Dollarama, which stands at 42% market dominance. Target Corp. is the third with a market share of 23% (Bloomberg News, 2012, para 1). However, Walmart’s subsidiary ASD A in the UK maintains an 18% market share, which is the second biggest in the country. Tesco still maintains the largest market share in the UK retail industry, standing at 30.2% overall (â€Å"Walmart: Update on International Markets† para 5). The African market equally has a strong Walmart presence of more than 300 stores that spread across 12 countries in the continent. Massmart, which is Walmart’s subsidiary in the region with a 51% stake ownership, has the fastest growing market rate, especially in the sub-Saharan region (â€Å"Walmart: Update on International Markets† para 6). The pie chart below depicts Walmart’s market share situation in the traditional US market. Source: Catala para 3 The chart shows that Walmart has a commanding share of more than half the market size. The second strongest competitor, Costco Wholesale Corp., does not even command a third of the market size. Advertising Strategies Walmart is adopting the use of technology in its advertising. In this strategy, the company focuses on developing a mobile app to reach its targeted markets. Shoppers using the app are able to see additional content, such as product information and the recipe. The company’s target is to reach a larger number of existing and potential buyers by exploiting the growing popularity of mobile devices as a result of the advancement in the ICT platform. The mobile app is a more interactive way of advertising because it allows the user to obtain more details about products and services. Walmart has adopted the use of popular social media platforms to create market awareness to further utilize the power of technology in its advertising. For instance, the firm has a Facebook page where a large community of customers and potential buyers meet virtually and discuss issues about their retailer. This increases market awareness because of the strong word of mouth power as customers share their experiences amongst each other. The company a lso uses the opportunity to communicate directly with individual customers while seeking to address some of the unique issues that affect them, thus learning more about the tastes and preferences of their customers. The company’s use of the social media platform in advertising also helps it to maintain its operating costs at a lower level, thus building on its competitive edge more. Evaluation of the Analysis Walmart has a greater potential of expanding in Asia and should be considered as Tech-Shield’s best choice as far as investing is concerned. Its cost leadership focus and strategy will attract more buyers in the region, resulting in higher profits. Most Asian economies are still considered as developing and have a weaker buying power compared to North America and Europe. Walmart will utilize its low price policy to attract more buyers with inferior disposable income and make the firm to benefit from the resultant economies of scale. Tech-Shield will receive a bigg er dividend rate coming from the huge profits amassed. This will be positive for the growth of the company. The low price policy pursued by Walmart has seen the company introduce a new business modality of selling products in smaller quantities. This will further attract customers towards the firm because most of them will find buying products from Walmart to be a more affordable practice. The more customers will appreciate the retailer, the more it will have its chances of making huge profits and increase the potential for Tech-Shield to get better returns. The differentiation strategy by Walmart equally increases the potential of the company to make better profits. Walmart stands a better chance to attract more customers and make higher sales than its rivals because of the increased market competition within the retail industry. Buyers increasingly feel that whatever commodity or service they purchase from Walmart is unique, thus they get attached more to the firm. The attachment increases their level of satisfaction and enhances their loyalty towards the firm. Walmart is poised to maintain high profitability for longer periods given such a positive business environment. The company can, therefore, sustain to pay attractive returns to all its shareholders for long. The acquisition strategy that is pursued by Walmart is another significant consideration that should influence Tech-Shield’s decision to invest in Walmart. Walmart is sure of expanding in the market in many other countries in the world through the acquisition approach. The experience that the company has gathered over the years through its subsequent acquisition of different retailers to gain access into new foreign markets eliminates the possibility of making over ambitious plans to a great assistance. Such successful acquisitions in high potential markets will translate to a larger market for both firms. Walmart will register bigger profit margins because of the expanded market. This will enable Tech-Shield to earn higher returns as one of the shareholders. Walmart’s future prospect is still promising, although its global market share has been threatened in some regional markets. The retailer still enjoys a strong lead in the highly lucrative US market. The US market contributes a significant profit portion to Walmart’s overall corporate profit. Walmart has maintained a strong market share position in other significant European markets, such as the UK. This portrays the company’s strong market position going forward. Going with this trend, it is appropriate to conclude that no other global retailer brand will find it easy to topple Walmart as the global leader in terms of the overall market share. Walmart’s extensive global expansion is unrivaled. This goes further to highlight Walmart’s potential of sustained industry leadership in as far as the overall market share is concerned. To this extent, a decision by Tech-Shield to invest in the company is the most strategic because of definite greater market revenue, which transforms to higher returns. Recommendation I suggest that Tech-Shield should invest in Walmart. Walmart has a positive business profile that reassures a higher return on the part of Tech-Shield. There is no present threat to Walmart’s growing global market, strong market leadership in the highly valuable US market, and the sustainable cost leadership strategy that it has implemented. This implies that the strong market leadership position that Walmart enjoys is set to prevail for long. In turn, a move by Tech-Shield to invest in Walmart will see it earn good returns for a long period. This will eventually improve Tech-Shield’s capital base. Conclusion Walmart offers the best investment alternative for Tech-Shield. The company’s cost leadership strategy gives a greater market growth assurance. The firm is capable of maintaining its operating costs at a low level compared to many of its industry rivals. This is a significant aspect in as far as building a competitive edge in the market is concerned. This will continue attracting more buyers for the company and maintaining the already existing customers. It also gives the company the confidence that profitability will remain high. The strong business ethics that focuses on maintaining integrity amongst the entire firm’s associates also gives hope for a greater business fortune for the firm. Integrity is a critical aspect that attracts customers and enables them to build strong loyalty towards the firm. Walmart will evidently reap maximum profits as it strives to enhance integrity. This will, in turn, trickle down to Tech-Shield as a shareholder. However, it is critical to note that Walmart also faces potential distractions that could derail its future ambitions in case no efforts are made to rectify them. As a shareholder in the firm, Tech-Shield should push for a renewed commitment on the part of Walmart to address the concerns of poor labor practices. Workers are significant players towards the greater performance of a firm, thus Walmart should ensure that it focuses on improving the plight of the workers before concentrating on the external customers. The firm should equally put additional measures in place to ensure quality concerns raised over its products are addressed fully. â€Å"Walmart: Update on International Markets.† Guru Focus. 2012. Web. Catala, Raymond. Walmart Market Share Analysis, n.d. Web. Daft, Richard. New Era of Management, Mason, OH: Cengage, 2008. Print. Schermerhorn, John. Management, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2010. Print. Walmart. Home. 2013. Web. Weiss, Joseph. Business Ethics: A Stakeholder and Issues Management Approach, Mason, OH: Cengage, 2008. Print.

Eassy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Eassy - Essay Example This essay will touch on the key steps involved in the academic writing process, all of which should have critical thinking intertwined with them. The three parts of the pre-writing stage are choosing a topic, gathering ideas, and organizing data. These steps help the writer to become focused on the topic so the paper does not end up rambling on. Overall, pre-writing can be one of the most important stages of the writing process. If one does not organize data and work out a plan of action to complete the writing process, the paper may turn out unsuccessful. The first stage in the academic writing process is to critically analyze the topic. However, choosing a topic must come before this step. The writer should decide on a topic and choose how the topic shall be researched. Next, it is important to gather ideas. Gathering ideas is very important, as this is a part of the pre writing stage. During this stage, it is also important to organize data. Once the pre-writing stage is complete, the writer can begin to draft a rough copy. While drafting a rough copy, the writer will be able to critically analyze all of the researched data and put ideas into words. During this rough draft process, the paper begins to take shape as sentences are formed into paragraphs. The importance of this stage is critical because this is the basis for the entire paper. The rough copy needs to be written in three steps. These steps are important to the paper, as they allow for the paper to be properly developed. The first step is to create an opening paragraph. The opening paragraph allows the reader to become hooked on what the paper is about. The thesis of the paper is also mentioned here. In this opening paragraph, it is wise to entice the reader with information on the topic that will leave the reader wanting to know more. The body of the paper is the second step in

Management (family-business) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management (family-business) - Essay Example ne that has its ownership having 50% and above shares owned by a certain family though most are those that are completely owned and controlled by a single family entity (Gordon 2008 p 7). The success of these businesses faces various challenges which have been discussed in this essay. Also, they have their advantages over nonfamily businesses especially in attracting customer loyalty as well as other factors that have been discussed. Succession also has been identified as a key issue that results to conflicts especially in the process of passing the business from one generation to the other. This essay is an evaluation of the criteria that academics and others use to assess the relative success of a family business. A family business is one whereby a family owns 50% or more of its property. It could be an inheritance from previous generations in the family linage or it could be an investment of the current generation in the family. Family businesses are faced by various challenges which may determine their success. Some of these challenges may arise due to the emotional attachments that family members may have on the business (Fleming 2002 p 67). For example, a case of divorce or separation may tamper with the administrative roles that the partners may hold. This may result to poor communication which is an essential tool in the well being of the business. As such, the formulation of policies and strategies may be hindered thus leading to the downfall of the business. Successful family businesses are those which disintegrate family issues with business. Personal differences should be solved in different avenues other than in business meetings and also business issues should not be discussed in family gatherings such as weddings and parties. If this is not checked, it may interfere with the well being of the two institutions which may result to constant conflicts. Any time wasted through poor interpersonal relationships between the family members should be