To Be Or Not To Be Essays (1160 words) - Characters In Hamlet

To Be Or Not To Be " To be, or not to be ... " Prince Hamlet, Hamlet, III, i, 105 The most notable line by Hamlet in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet is " To be, or not to be, that is the question." Hamlet's statement defines the central theme of the play and provides the reader with insight into Hamlet's psychological dilemma. His self-inquiry is a projection of what will occur in the play. Again and again, Shakespeare brings us back to Hamlet's plight: can he act or is he paralyzed by cowardice? Throughout the play Hamlet is unable to come to a concrete resolution of avenging his father's death, whether to kill Claudius, and reconciling himself to his mother marrying his uncle. Hamlet's indecisive personality determines how he deals with these issues. At the very outset of the play, Barnardo sets the stage by posing the question "Who's there?" (I,i,3) Little does the reader know at this time that this question will be repeatedly asked in different forms throughout the play. Who is Hamlet? And does Hamlet really know who he is himself? Will the "real" Hamlet step forward and be a decisive and righteous avenger of his father's death or will he be a timid and irresolute fumbler unable to make up his mind about matters of life and death? Before Hamlet poses the identity-defining "To be or not to be" question, the ghost of his late father confronts him (III,i,105). His father's spirit informs Hamlet that: "The serpent that did sting thy father's life/Now wears his crown" (I, v, 35-39). Hamlet is now cognizant that his father's life was not taken by a wild beast, but by his own brother Claudius. . The strange appearance of his father's ghost should have been enough to motivate Hamlet to action. But Hamlet's indecisive nature causes him to hesitate and satisfy himself through investigation that Claudius was his father's murderer and usurper of his mother. If Hamlet had acted impulsively (as many would have done), Shakespeare would have deprived us of a psychological tragedy. But Hamlet's wrestling of his conscience provides the vehicle for establishing Claudius's guilt and allows Hamlet to resolve his internal struggles. Hamlet is so indecisive that he is not certain how to go about avenging his father's death. Hamlet must resolve this divided intentions regarding his father, uncle and mother and his intense emotional turmoil before he is able to act to avenge his father's death. One can see how incredibly weakly Hamlet behaves by measuring the time before Hamlet can establish even a plan of action. Hamlet is faithful I his pledge to his father, yet he procrastinates until, by chance a group of players come to Elsinore. Upon arrival Hamlet excitedly greets them, "Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore" (II, ii, 384). Continuing to wait for the "perfect" situation confirming Claudius' guilt is another instance illustrating Hamlet's psychological timidity. Hamlet may be anticipating a moment of truth that will never happen. Although Hamlet's plan of re-enacting the death of his father is a good idea, the promise of revenge took place long after Hamlet swore his revenge against Claudius in act one. Hamlet is afraid to take his own initiative and can only act when a convenient situation is ready-made. He cannot act on his own convictions or make the decision to act or not to act on his own. As a weak personality with strong intentions, he can only act when all the circumstances are in his favor. At the core, Hamlet is indecisive and a coward unable to act in critical situations. Hamlet is presented with the opportunity to kill Claudius in the chapel, but instead decides to wait for a better time to avenge his father's death. As Hamlet dangles the sword over Claudius he muses to himself, "And am I then revenged/ To take him in the purging of his should, / When he is fit and seasoned for his passage? / No" (III, iii, 74-96). But delay and procrastination do not work to his advantage. Although Hamlet has the intention of killing Claudius at this moment, he hesitates again and gives a lengthy speech to himself. This self-analysis is inadequate. All Hamlet can do is analyze his predicament. AS much as he strongly believes that his father's death must be redressed, he cannot take definite response. If he truly had the desire and will to accomplish his objective, he would have used the opportunity to achieve this specific task. Hamlet does not create a situation in which

Shark Killing essays

Shark Killing essays Among some of the most wasteful reasons to hunt in the world Id have to say that besides the killing of elephants for their tusks, this is on top of the list for one of the worst reasons a blue shark is killed. And sadly enough the United States is one of the top countries to blame. In Hawaii and Mexico shark finning is very common. The fishermen fish the sharks take the fins, and throw it back into the water. The fins are mainly used for fin soup as a status symbol for the Japanese. They eat it for fin soup. Since the fins contain a high dose of ammonia smell and taste they must be processed quickly and tossed back into the ocean, and a lot of times the fish is thrown back into the water alive. Conservations main cause for concern is the fact that the sharks have a very low reproduction rate. They dont typically reproduce until the age of twenty-five, and even then they only produce a few babies. At The rate these fishermen hunt them the sharks will possibly become endangered in the next few years. This is one of the most cruelest things Ive ever heard, and not just the killing of them for the fins, but that fact that they are thrown back into the water without fins. How is the shark supposed to survive and even swim? That is so cruel. Maybe someone should cut off fishermens legs and arms, and watch them try to survive. It probably would probably hard for the fisherman to survive, hed be a physical vegetable. I hope the United States does something urgently to control this growing problem before it gets out of hand. The people can do something about it by obviously not buying shark products but also by writing letters and sending petitions to congress, we could also spread the word in other ways in Japan and Hong Kong. But I think if the US stopped the finning, other countries would probably follow and sales would go down, giving the sharks ...

Global Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Global Managers - Essay Example The pro-globalization lobby argues that globalization brings about much increased opportunities for almost everyone, and increased competition is a good thing since it makes agents of production more efficient. The two most prominent pro-globalization organizations are the World Trade Organization and the World Economic Forum. The World Trade Organization is a pan-governmental entity (which currently has 144 members) that was set up to formulate a set of rules to govern global trade and capital flows through the process of member consensus, and to supervise their member countries to ensure that the rules are being followed. The World Economic Forum, a private foundation, does not have decision-making power but enjoys a great deal importance since it has been effective as a powerful networking forum for many of the world's business, government and not-profit leaders. The anti-globalization group argues that certain groups of people who are deprived in terms of resources are not curren tly capable of functioning within the increased competitive pressure that will be brought about by allowing their economies to be more connected to the rest of the world. The first phase of globalization is to integrate economically most of the populations of the world. The advantages of these phases would be the reduction of geographical inequalities by spreading jobs and business opportunities all around the word. So, the main action of actors of the first phase is world trade negotiation against protectionism. First phase of globalization: During the first phase, a global market for all products has been created. The market equilibrium between undeveloped and developed country is obtained by the currency exchange rate. Countries, who have insufficient exported capabilities, have a weak currency. Weak currencies make imported products of developed countries outrageously expensive and prevent the local population to buy them. Then, according to the neo-liberal economical theory, the effect of low salaries make the country attractive to foreign investment and the local entrepreneurship become more competitive. The local industry exports more and so the country can bear higher salary and the level of importation will so increase. This classical scenario has one major drawback: foreign currency exchange rate volatility. The currency can adjust strongly against other currency or be linked to a strong currency (the bath and the dollar) and so follow the movement up of the strong currency. Second phases of globalization: The second phase of globalization is the constitution of global governance. Today, the United Nations is the first step of the second phases. The purpose of the United

New Technology of Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 54

New Technology of Management - Case Study Example Various parts of the system are obsolete or redundant. The process at Double B Builders, for instance, entails double functions of creating information in Excel before keying the same in Microsoft Word. The management at Double B Builders recognizes the need for a new system based on ineffectiveness of the current system. Manual preparation of reports within the company remains in tandem with external demands. Organizations have to automate the entire process of managing expenses as well as accounting(Mackey &Sisodia, 2013).It is common for companies and other institutions to get significant inefficiencies because of increased costs of processing information. The high cost also includes efforts aimed at the gathering; recording, coordinating and disseminating information often undertake manually (Simmons, 2012). Therefore, top-level executives at Double B Builders placed enhancing housing processes as a top strategic priority with the aim of enhancing efficiency. The new system uses various elements of modern Information and communication technology. The process entails using web-based applications, submission, approving, and reporting of information. With the help of the new software system, Builders B moves away from paper-based solutions to electronic channels. Applications in the new software system addresses company questions in many areas including utilization, billing, compliance the company policy on entertainment and travel, client profitability, as well as aspects of rebilling expenses. The new software system increases efficiency at Builders B in many ways. The system centralizes the management of times of reporting by employees and other workers in addition to entertainment and travel expenses. The systems will improve safekeeping of policies for Builders B. The new system also helps in close monitoring to improve compliance (Simmons, 2012).

American Middle-class Squeeze Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Middle-class Squeeze - Research Paper Example Since 1981, the federal tax laws have encouraged and supported the formation of the severe income gap. After assisting in the creation of the income gap, the same laws sponsor the richest people, thus aggravating income disparity. The country is also experiencing destructive and significant tax gap, the disparity amid what to be paid in taxes and what is paid. Political scientists and economists argue that the decline in middle-class income to several factors, entailing tax evasion since high-income taxpayers are not fully compared to other middle and low-income groups. Other factors include the decline of a strong say by the middle-class to the electioneering elite that is highly less responsive to the interests of the middle class. These leaders influence resolutions without being answerable to the economic well-being and interests of people who elected them. Other contributors of decline in middle-class income include transformed patterns of voting and the renovation of the job ma rket. While there is a decline in organized labor and a transformation in the competition system, corporate profits and salaries at top of income scale have exploded, resulting in a decline in the wages of majority of working individuals (Bullock, 2010). According to Cahn and Carbone with increasing economic disparity, novel elite has restricted the relationship amid women and men, family and work, and garnered the returns for its kids, rewards that cannot be reached by the other populace.

How Logistics Improvements Affect The Economy

How Logistics Improvements Affect The Economy Define Logistics Management and explain how logistics productivity improvement affects the economy as a whole as well as the position of individual consumer. The definition of logistics management (LM) varies from company to company but the most comprehensive definition is given by Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) as logistics management is the part of supply chain management that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services and related information from the point-of-origin to the point-of-consumption in order to meet customers requirements (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, n.d.) Logistics Productivity Improvement and the Economy Logistics has become an enormously important component of the gross domestic product (GDP) of industrialized nations and thus affects the rate of inflation, interest rates, productivity, energy costs and its availability and other aspects of the economy as well. Ever changing business environment due to globalization, lead time reductions, customer orientation, and outsourcing has contributed to the interest in logistics (Hertz Alfredsson, 2003). The increase in global production sharing, the shortening of product life cycles, and the increase of global competition all underline logistics as a strategic source of competitive advantage (Arvis, Mustra, Panzer, Ojala, Naula, 2007). Moreover, in order to remain in competitive marketplace and earn reasonable profits, organizations interest in logistics has been increased. Logistics operations have become more efficient due to technological advancements which make it possible to deliver goods on time while reducing the cost involved. Global market access has been improved over the time with the advancement in technology and trade liberalization resulting in the economic growth and development of the countries. Patterns in the market competition situation are continuously dictating the supply chain flows (i.e. product, price and information flows) in a predictable, timely and cost-effective way. Global firms corporate decisions regarding which country to locate in, which suppliers to buy from and which consumer markets to enter are largely based on logistics costs, quality and service level. Therefore, the countries with higher overall logistics costs are more likely to miss the opportunity of globalization. Nearly every sphere of human activity is affected, directly or indirectly, by the logistics process. Certainly, the improved logistics is expected to have important economic effects. Lower logistics costs and services affect positively in production, distribution and trade and/or retail activities of the firms. Reduced/minimum logistics costs enable a production or distribution facility to serve a wider market area, with potential gains from economies of scale. It also means that a firm can draw supplies from a wider area with potential gains in terms of the cost and/or quality of parts and materials. Logistics costs include transportation costs, costs of owning and operating warehouses, ordering costs, and carrying costs of inventory (Consulting Decision-Economics, 2002). To understand, how logistics productivity improvement helps in boosting economic growth, the following Figure 1 represents how investments in transportation infrastructure (a sub-sector of logistics) can lead to g enerative effects and growth in the national economy. It can also be drawn that reduction in shipping costs and transit time and increase in schedule reliability can be expected to have significant impacts on inventory management at supply chain level. Figure 1: Transportation and the Economy Efficient Transportation Infrastructure Investment Increased Transportation Capacity, Efficiency, Reliability, and Level of Service Transportation Cost Savings Business Expansion (Relocation and Restructuring) Transit Time Savings (Reliability Improvement) Increased Competitiveness Increased Productivity Increased Economic Growth Source: (Consulting Decision-Economics, 2002) Consequently, the efficiency and reliability of the logistics system affects economic productivity which is the most important determinant of economic performance. Therefore, logistics industry is the artery and the basic industry of the national economic development in the world. Its development level is one of the important marks to evaluate the level of state modernization and comprehensive national strength. Logistics is the accelerator of the economic development and growth. The World Bank, with its professional and academic partners, has produced the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) to help countries develop logistics reform programs to enable trade and enhance their competitiveness. The LPI is a comprehensive index created to help countries identify the challenges and opportunities they face in trade logistics performance (Arvis, et al., 2007). Logistics Productivity Improvement and the Individual Customer In todays uncertain and changing business environment, firms must respond to changing customer need in order to remain successful. Customers expect many kinds of goods to be available with them whenever they need. When a person comes into a store with the expectation of having the desired item/article from the store and eventually walks away with or without it. If the item is either not available or in stock, there is a problem for both the retailer and the customer. The retailer loses business and the customer has to go another store/retailer for the item/article. The same situation applies to businesses buying supplies; it is costly to a business if it cannot obtain supplies when needed. To cope with this problem (i.e. stock outs) and to improve responsiveness to the customers businesses should carry inventory. But carrying inventory requires huge capital investments in constructing warehouses and insurance expenses to cover the risk of loss or damage. All of these costs are reduce d if inventory can be reduced. Inventory held in retail stores or at warehouses can be reduced if replenishment is fast and reliable. Firms that analyze their costs carefully, find that inventory and the number of warehouses can be reduced without loss of customer service by using more flexible and efficient transportation system. Such changes in a firms logistics set-up are sometimes referred to as a reorganization effect (Consulting Decision-Economics, 2002). Businesses are constantly under immense pressure to have enough stock to satisfy customers and to reduce the cost of carrying inventory as well. To accommodate these conflicting pressures, firms are left with no option but an efficient and effective logistics system enabling them reduced inventory costs while maintaining or improving the level of customer service (that is an increase in productivity). These productivity gains will not occur unless a firms management perceives that the logistics system is robust and reliable enough to support its plans. Zhang, Vonderembse Lim (2005) are of the view logistics flexibility and its components: physical supply, purchasing, physical distribution, and demand management flexibilities are related to each other and to customer satisfaction. Figure 2 portrays the relationship, how flexible logistics affects the customer satisfaction. Figure 2: Impact of Flexible Logistics Competence on Capability and Customer Satisfaction Flexible Logistics Flexible Logistics Competence Capability Physical Supply Flexibility Physical Distribution Purchasing Flexibility Demand Management Customer Satisfaction Source: (Zhang, et al., 2005) Logistics, as a business competence, deals with the attainment of customer satisfaction at the minimum level of (logistic) costs. Customer satisfaction or improved customer service, is reached as the suppliers of goods and services succeed in achieving the growing needs of consumers to deliver their products according to the ever emerging demands of the customers, not only with regards to the physical nature of these products, but also with regards to their demands of reliability and flexibility of the logistics organization. According to Lim Palvia (2001) a responsive and efficient logistics network helps the organization to satisfy their customers in a number of ways: Increase in product availability i.e. high order fill rate and promised delivery date Reduced order cycle time Reduced distribution system malfunction i.e. accuracy of billing and product delivery Distribution system flexibility Distribution system information i.e. notice of price change, new product information, shipping delay and order status information Improved post-sale product support Why has logistics been receiving more attention as a strategic function of the organisation? Discuss the key challenges faced by logistics today and identify what you see as the greatest area of opportunity for logistics, and explain why you chose this area. (Your answer should not exceed 2000 words). Logistics as a Strategic Function of the Organisation The strategic importance of logistics is well understood especially in organizations that identify customer service and not the physical product as the single output of any organization (Korpela Tuominen, 1996). For companies successful with logistics partners, a common factor overriding all others is the recognition that this business activity is an important part of marketing strategy (Bowersox, 1990). Braithwaite Christopher (1991) gave following reasons, why logistics is a strategic function for most of the organizations: Extended lead-times of supply Extended and unreliable transit times Multiple freight mode and cost options Intermediate component shipping with local added value Initially, logistics was considered to have a supportive role to primary functions of organizations such as marketing and manufacturing. But now they have stretched out to cover purchasing, warehousing and transportation activities, distribution, inventory management, packaging, manufacturing, and even customer service. More importantly, logistics management has evolved from a passive, cost-absorbing function to that of a strategic factor which provides a unique competitive advantage (Bowersox Closs, 1996). Companies committed to strategic use of logistics usually outperform the competition in speed and consistency of order cycle (Bowersox, 1990). Organizations do have some standards, they intend the customers to rely on and expect employees to adhere to. A product marketer for example, having 95 percent order fill rate, if want to increase it to 98 percent, will require a just-in-time or quick response inventory replenishment type of business strategy. Marketers will strive not only to consistently deliver complete orders to the customers at the time and location requested but also to expand the level of service to keep customers loyalty. By developing a high level of standards performance, the companies reduce the number of less-than-standard situations that have to be resolved. Moreover, high quality logistics service compliance is almost invariably less expensive than a procedure based on an expected percentage of failure that demands frequent correction (Bowersox, 1990). Advances in telecommunications and information technology have given companies the way to manage the physical movement of product over long, often circuitous, routes. Many carriers (for example DHL , FedEx and TCS Express Logistics in Pakistan) have invested heavily in track and trace systems to be able to establish the location of any consignment at any time, improving the visibility of the global supply chain to shippers and their customers. Also there is a growing competition among international companies to produce and deliver customized products and services fast and efficiently all over the world. Eventually, this will go hand in hand with an improvement of lead times to the extent that customized products have the same responsiveness as standardized products have now. Logistics has become a strategic function of the business organizations by providing competitive advantage through competence in delivery speed, reliability, responsiveness, and low cost distribution. Integrating logistics into corporate strategy has a greater effect on customer value than any other process, whereas, integrating logistics into overall organizational strategy is critical to reducing costs, entering new markets, creating customer service, and gaining competitive advantage. Logistics excellence has a significant impact on corporate profitability and firms can use logistics to create a competitive advantage. Key Challenges to the Logistics Today As businesses become more outsourced, virtual and as global customer markets expand along with the emergence of new regional supply capabilities, the need for improved skills of procurement and logistics as well as operational transformation becomes more acute. Organizations today face great challenges because the successful provision of many goods and services requires the effective integration of logistics activities across a complicating and lengthening supply chain. In recent years, most industries have recognized that substantial savings are available to companies that are able to coordinate and innovate within their logistics operations. Chiu (1995) identified following challenges, logistics systems are facing: Diversified products Short order cycle times Shipping in small quantities High frequency and reliability of deliveries Customer service orientation Low stock level and rapid inventory turnover Timely and accurate information requirements Cheong (2004) on the other hand, differentiated the challenges to logistics providers by their level of tangibility i.e. Logistics Network Configuration layer (most tangible), to Material Flow layer, to Information Flow layer, and finally to Relationship Management layer (least tangible) as shown in the figure. 3. Logistics network configuration is concerned with designing the optimal network to satisfy service requirements at the minimum cost and the challenges at this level consist of decisions regarding: number, size and location of warehouses; location; their links to the distribution centers; warehouse sizing allocation; and customer points. Second layer is material flow which refers to the movement of products from the upstream entities, via the logistics provider, to the downstream entities. Figure.3: Layers of Challenges Faced by Logistics Providers Source: (Cheong, 2004) At material flow level, the decisions on: inventory management; scheduling the transport; lot sizing; warehousing; and consolidating the products are the challenging areas of logistics management. Third layer is information flow, which refers to the flow of information throughout the supply chain and includes: order processing; information sharing; IT systems integration; Internet; and visibility. The final layer, the relationship management is concerned with performance measures and contract design. The biggest challenge in inter-company coordination is information sharing and the issue of trust (Cheong, 2004). Area of Opportunity The status of power in logistics industry is very much important in determining the future trends. In the USA, for example, the resellers and retailers have typically occupied a weaker power position in the logistics channel than the manufacturers whereas this has not been the case in Australia where the retail chains, particularly in the grocery industry, have always held the dominant position (Gilmour, 1993; Gilmour, Driva, Hunt, 1995). The opportunities for retail logistics are hence different from that of distributors. The most potential area of opportunity for overall logistics industry is information and computer technology in my personal view. Information and computer technology have had a significant impact on global logistics operations over recent years. Chiu (1995) identified five major information technologies which have become increasingly common in logistics: Point-of-Sale (POS) systems Bar Coding Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Value-Added Networks (VANs) Electronic Ordering Systems (EOSs) In addition, there are some other terminologies i.e. Enterprise Requirements Planning (ERP), Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transportation Management Systems (TMS), productivity tracking software and Activity-Based Costing (ABC) software etc. which represent the status of IT in logistics. There are many examples of the use of WMS and other technology in warehousing, such as those systems installed at Hewlett-Packard, Malaysia Airlines, Texas Instruments, and Unilever Italia. Furthermore, there are some latest equipments as well, which are being used in warehouses and distribution centres including voice synthesizer and video text, to facilitate the receipt of an order; paperless picking warehouses using radio frequency (RF), and new transport equipments such as B-doubles scheduled and monitored by on-board computers facilitate the delivery of the order. Time-based competition has put the businesses under continuous pressure and to be successful in todays competitive environment the use of information technology has become obvious. Mentzer (1999) identified four specific strategies that organizations use in time-based competition: just-in-time (JIT), quick response (QR), vendor managed inventory (VMI) and continuous replenishment programs (CRP). Efficient consumer response (ECR) is another time-based competition strategy found primarily in the grocery industry that focuses on inventory replenishment, store assortment, promotion and product introduction. Collaborative, Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) transfers end-customer information as far up the supply chain as possible to plan upstream supply chain activities such as distribution and production scheduling. The future of logistics development is subject to collaborative logistics and virtual or fourth-party logistics. Collaborative logistics is described as a model relying on real-time information which flows seamlessly amongst all parts of the supply chain. It is generally believed that collaborative logistics between companies participating in supply chain setups reduce the cost and increase the efficiency. Virtual or fourth-party logistics is described as third-party logistics providers who act as a general contractor of all logistics activities for an organization. In either of the situation, information technology has pivotal role in effective and efficient logistics. Identify the objectives of warehousing and explain different key performance indicators for all the Warehouse activities. (Your answer should not exceed 2000 words) Warehousing Objectives A warehouse is simply a commercial building used for the storage of goods. Warehouses are normally used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport agencies etc. Warehousing processes include receiving, put-away, order preparation/picking, dispatching and inventory management. In a warehouse, storing goods in an adequate space with the proper equipments by well trained personnel in a properly planned layout results in maximum protection of items (Tomkins, et al., 1996). So the objectives of a warehouse should be: Space utilization; Equipment utilization; Maximize human resources utilization; Reduce SKU handling and maintain required SKU; Minimize companys operating expenses; Accessibility of all materials; Protection of all materials (including companys assets); In order to achieve objectives of a warehouse business, the first step is to ensure right product, in right quantity, in right condition and on right time is received. Secondly, to allocate proper storage space to that inventory that maximizes the space utilization. Finally, while shipping an order, ensure right SKU, in right quantity, in right condition and at right time is dispatched. Moreover, the efficient and effective use of equipment and human resources is of prime importance. The size, architectural design, configuration and location of the warehouse, are also the major determinants of the success or failure of the company in chasing its objectives. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of Warehousing Warehouse management is an area where logisticians can focus to gain maximum efficiency for minimum cost. Usually organizations measure their performance by analyzing if the things are going in the right way or not, and if not, what were the causes of poor performance? The main instruments for assessing performance are key performance indicators (KPIs), the specific characteristics of the process which are measured in order to describe if the process is realized according to pre-established standards. Moreover, KPIs measure the business health of an enterprise and ensure that all individuals at all levels are marching in step to the same goals and strategies. Neely et al. (1995) defined performance measurement as the process of quantifying the efficiency and effectiveness of an action or activity. There are some other reasons too for measuring performance: for improving performance, for avoiding inconveniences before its too late, for monitoring customer relations, for process and cost control and for maintaining quality. Selecting and defining KPIs is not as easy as it sounds. In the current marketplace, while purchasing business intelligence (BI), enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM) or business performance management (BPM) systems, there is the dilemma of choosing only few KPIs from the several hundred (or thousand) metrics that are included in the package. Key performance indicators (KPIs) reflect strategic value drivers rather than just measuring business activities and processes. Key performance indicators help aligning all levels of an organization (business units, departments and individuals) with clear targets and benchmarks to create accountability and track progress. Furthermore, they accelerate collaborative planning across the organization to ensure that everyone is operating from the same playbook. The success of any performance management program is thus dependent on selecting the correct KPIs. Selection of the wrong KPIs can result in sub-optimized results. While selecting KPs, it should be bore in mind that although all KPIs are metrics, not all metrics are KPIs. The trick is discerning between the two. In a study on performance measurement of a manufacturing warehouse, Birkholz (2004) used warehousing KPIs based on business processes: receiving, put-away, storage, order picking and shipping/dispatching. Warehousing KPIs were classified into five categories: financial, productivity, utilization, quality and cycle time. A summary of all the warehousing KPIs is given in Table 1. Table 1: Warehouse Key Performance Indicators Financial Productivity Utilization Quality Cycle Time Receiving Receiving cost per receiving line Receipts per man-hour % Dock door utilization % Receipts processed accurately Receipt processing time per receipt Put-away Put-away cost per put-away line Put-aways per man-hour % Utilization of put-away labor and equipment % Perfect put-aways Put-away cycle time (per put-away) Storage Storage space cost per item Inventory per square foot % Locations and cube occupied % Locations without inventory discrepancies Inventory days on hand Order Picking Picking cost per order line Order lines picked per man-hour % Utilization of picking labor and equipment % Perfect picking lines Order picking cycle time (per order) Shipping Shipping cost per customer order Orders prepared for shipment per man-hour % Utilization of shipping docks % Perfect shipments Warehouse order cycle time Total Total cost per order, line, and Item Total lines shipped per total man-hour %Utilization of total throughput and storage capacity % Perfect warehouse orders Total warehouse cycle time = Dock-to-stock time + Warehouse order cycle time Source: (Birkholz, 2004; Frazelle, 2002) Krauth et al. (2005) classified around 130 indicators used for assessing warehouse performance, such as storage surface, storage volume, storage racks, number and characteristics of docks, pallets per hour, pallets per square meter, opening hours, and assistance with customs etc. Liviu et al. (2009) grouped key performance indicators for warehousing into three categories: Inventory Management, Warehouse Performance and Order Fulfilment. The summary of these warehousing KPIs is given in Table 2. Table 2: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of Warehousing Inventory Management Measure Calculation Damaged Inventory (min.) Total Damage (lei) / Inventory Value Days on Hand (min.) Avg. Month Inventory (lei) / Avg. Daily Sales/Month Storage Utilisation (max.) Avg. Occupied Sq. m. / Total Storage Capacity Dock to Stock Time (min.) Total Dock to Stock Hrs. / Total Receipts Warehouse Performance Indicators Orders per Hour (max.) Orders Picked or Packed / Total Warehouse Labour Hrs Items per Hour (max.) Items Picked/Packed / Total Warehouse Labour Hrs Cost per Order (min.) Total Warehouse Cost / Total Orders Shipped Cost as % of Sales (min.) Total Warehouse Cost / Overall Sales Order Fulfilment Indicators On-Time Delivery (max.) Orders On-Time / Total Orders Shipped Order Fill Rate (max.) Orders Filled Complete / Total Orders Shipped Order Accuracy (max.) Error-Free Orders / Total Orders Shipped Order Cycle Time (min.) Actual Ship Date Customer Order Date Perfect Order Completion (max.) Perfect Deliveries / Total Orders Shipped Source: (Liviu, et al., 2009) Inventory Management measures are generally concerned with decisions regarding optimum level of inventory to be maintained. A higher value of Damaged Inventory indicator shows less effective inventory management. Days on Hand indicator shows the level of inventory in hand into number of days it will serve. It will have a lower value if contracts with suppliers are renegotiated and if are kept only the ones who are able to deliver products fast. Storage Utilization indicator shows the level of space utilization, for example, number of layers of pallets per rack. It also describes how efficiently space has been allocated to storage, dock and office. Dock to Stock Time indicates the efficiency of warehouse operations and its value can be reduced by introducing portable barcode readers and a barcode software. By solving the space related problems, both the issues related to product entry time and preparing them for delivery will be shortened. Warehouse performance indicators simply represent the operational efficiency and contribution to the overall profitability of the organization. A maximum value of Orders per Hour and Items per Hour is desirable while a minimum value for Cost per Order and Cost as % of Sales is likely to lever the profits of the organization. Order fulfilment indicators represent the firms operational performance as well as its responsiveness to the customers. A maximum value of On-Time Delivery, Order Fill Rate, Order Accuracy and Perfect Order Completion and a minimum value of Order Cycle Time shows a higher level of customer satisfaction, efficiency and contribution to the company profitability. Warehousing key performance indicators (WKPIs) can be used with benchmarking to indicate the overall state of warehouse operations. These are the meaningful measurements which can be referenced periodically to analyze the current financial, productivity, quality, and cycle time status for a warehouse facility. However, in addition to all the key performance indicators (KPIs) mentioned in Table 1 and 2, a tool is still required to automate processes in order to maximize the use of warehouse resources. This is where the integration of information technology becomes a key component in warehousing. Information technology is a key to improvement when considering world-class warehousing practices. In nutshell, performance indicators are useful for identifying the problems related to warehouse management and abnormal values of the indicators can be used to develop an efficient control system for a warehouse. The basic use of the concept is, it helps in identifying the causes of the problems and hence to diminish their impact or eliminate the causes, before is too late. It is true what is measured is managed, and, conversely, what is not measured merits little or no attention. Answer the below given questions (Each answer should not exceed 200 words): How is logistics related to the marketing effort? The marketing effort is based on the achieving organizational goals while focusing the target customers more efficiently and effectively than competitors. McCarthy (1981) popularized the idea of the marketing mix of price, promotion, product and place, the later (i.e. place) is directly related to logistics management. In providing the product to its right place, logistics plays an important role. The place component of the marketing deals a lot with customer service provided by a business, undertaking such tasks as on-time delivery, high order fill rates and consistent transit times. A product or service provides satisfaction to its customer only when it is available to the customer when and where it is needed. Furthermore, how logistics operations affect the major elements of marketing mix can be easily understood from the following figure. Product Price Promotion Place Customer Service level M A R K E T I N G Inventory Carrying Costs Transportation Costs Lot Quantity Costs Warehousing Costs Order Processing and Information Costs L O G I S T I C S Product is the set of benefits or utilities or characteristics which a customer receives as a result of its purchase. In order to increase sales or due to some other strategic decisions management may decide to lower

Love and Destruction in Alice Hoffmans Here on Earth :: Hoffman Here on Earth Essays

Love and Destruction in Alice Hoffman's Here on Earth Dangerous love was an attraction for March in Alice Hoffman's Here on Earth. The story suggests that her love is pure from the beginning and that she could only love her counter part Hollis. The twist and turns that this novel brings shows the doom that falls upon March and Hollis's relationship. The affection grows to lust and then to a need for their bodies. March and Hollis's need for the love of each other lead to each of their destructions. March begins with an attraction to Hollis that starts to break down her family life. March sees Hollis for the first time when they were both in their early teen years. March observes Hollis from a window on the first day and lays claim to him, "From now on, he's mine." (17). Hollis does not talk in the beginning of the novel. This lack of communication does not allow March to see his background. She finds out that later on in the novel that Hollis is a very angry man, "... of some other scorching scent, which March would later come to believe was anger." (19). This is a lead to March that danger is in loving Hollis. Huffman suggest that the love of Hollis and March will be difficult when Hollis became possessive of March. She was preparing for a night at the Coopers and Hollis was jealous of the relationship that she had formed. He became violent with March, "He was twisting her wrist; as soon as she shook free, she backed away. 'Leave me alone' she said." (27). Huffman knows that a love with one of the partners being jealous and possessive does not work and she makes that clear from the beginning. At that point Hollis leaves March angry while Huffman knows that love must not be built on the jealous rampage of one man. March spends years waiting on Hollis with hopes that he will return to her,"...before she knew it the pane of glass had become her universe, the empty road her fate." (28). March goes on to become another person but she knows in her heart that she will always love Hollis. This dooms her character to a life of sadness and regret. Her family is always different. March will never truly love Richard, her husband, and this strains their marriage to the extreme as the novel continues on, "I'll never be in love with you.

Mintzberg and Management Essay

Throughout the 20th century a strong focus was placed on the principles behind management with Henri Fayol’s 1916 publication ‘Administration Industrielle et Gà ©nà ©rale’ being one of the first books aimed solely at deciphering and understanding the intricate concepts of management. In his book Fayol presents his classical model of management from the perspective on an executive. Fayol lists and discusses fourteen principles of management which, although non-exhaustive, provides a guide on the execution of what he proposed to be the five elemental processes of management. These five primary processes consisted of planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling which advocated Fayol’s support of a dynamic system of management. In response to changing contexts, other new theories have been placed forward by other distinguished academia such as Henry Mintzberg (1973), John Kotter (1982) and C.P. Hales (1986) which offer more concurrent perspectives on the concept of management. Born in 1841 Henri Fayol had, after a three decade career as a mining practitioner, committed himself to the promotion of his theories on administration in 1916 through the publication of his book ‘Administration Industrielle et Gà ©nà ©rale’ up until his death in 1925. Contextually influenced by the bourgeois environment of a post revolutionized France, Fayol advocated the notion of a flexible system of management which could be applied to more than just one setting. In his book, Fayol devotes more time and focuses on the five processes of management in contrast to the fourteen management principles as claimed by (Fells, M.J., 2000, p. 358). The first element, planning, is defined â€Å"both to assess the future and make provision for it† (Fayol, 1949, p.43). He goes on to describe that this dynamic plan must take into account a list of factors such as resources, work-in-progress, and future trends. Organizing considers the functional components of organizations along with the personnel and discusses the ideal conditions required of them. Commanding considers the responsibility that falls on every manager. The goal of managers is to achieve maximum contribution from personnel towards the welfare of the company through a number of factors. An example of these factors would be elimination of the unproductive, having a thorough knowledge of personnel and their respective binding agreements and an aim to be a role model. The third element of  management is coordinating which is defined as the harmonisation of resources in their optimum proportions in order to achieve results (Fayol, 1949, p. 103). The indicators of a well coordinated organization include efficient departments which harmonize well with the rest, are well informed of their responsibilities and also work to constantly adjusted schedules based on circumstantial demands. The last element, control, focuses on the timely verification of plan implementations. This element is applicable to all the other processes and its sole purpose is to identify any complications, amend any issues and prevent future recurrences. Due to their flexibility in implementation, the correlation between the introduction of Fayol’s model and the sharp rise in US productivity levels as well as living standards supports his approach to management (Fells, M.J., 2000, p. 348). Fayol’s approach is supported by another academic source (Hales, 1989, p. 12) which claims that â€Å"Fayol grasped the essence of management† through his classical formulation of the management functions. In 1973, Henry Mintzberg provided a new conceptualization about the roles of managers through his book ‘The Nature of Managerial Work’. Through his composition Mintzberg proposed and argued that the previously accepted role of managers which adhered to a systematic approach of planning, organizing, coordinating, leading and controlling were in fact false as through his diary analysis, Mintzberg was able to demonstrate that â€Å"the manager is not a planner in a reflective sense, and no amount of admonition in the literature will make him so. His milieu is stimulus-response.† (Mintzberg, 1973, p. 182). By performing an unstructured observation and interview procedure over a two week period, Mintzberg concluded the activities of his study managers could be categorized into three sets of behaviors or roles. He conceptualized these clusters of roles as: interpersonal, informational and decisions (Pearson et al, 2003, p. 696). Mintzberg also recognizes that all managers at some time exercise each of these rules but also that different levels of managers will give different priorities to them (Mumford, 1988, p. 3). In terms of contemporary management, Fayol and Mintzberg have contributed greatly to the understanding regarding the concept of management. However  both authors are not exempt from criticisms regarding their approaches. Fayol’s approach is widely considered to be too theoretical whilst Mintzberg’s approach has been criticized for not being theoretical enough. Despite their differences in approach, fundamentally the two theories not only share the same ‘elements’ under the guise of differently labelled terms, they compliment each other in terms of validity due to the strong correlation between results regarding the behaviour of managerial positions. (Fells, M.J., 2000, p. 359) supports this judgement as the journalist goes on to state that not only are Fayol’s principles still relevant, they are interrelated at an elemental level with the model of Mintzberg. (Lamond, 2004, p. 350) reinforces this argument through study conducted on a large sample of male and female managers of different ages and at different managerial levels. Not only did the survey confirm that there were indeed a central set of manager functions, as placed forward by Fayol, there were also a generic set of managerial behaviours as proposed by Mintzberg. In concluding despite their contextual differences, Henri Fayol’s ‘Administration Industrielle et Gà ©nà ©rale’ and Henry Mintzberg’s ‘The Nature of Managerial Work’ fundamentally share the same innate elements. This is supported by the results which derived from studies conducted by academic sources such as (Lamond, 2004) as well as the research by other academic sources (Fells, M.J. 2000), (Pearson et al, 2003), (Hales, 1989) and (Mumford, 1988). Subsequently both approaches are considered valid and have without a doubt contributed greatly to contemporary management theory. Bibliography Fells, M.J. 2000 â€Å"Fayol stands the test of time.† Journal of Management History, vol 6, no.8, 345-360 Lamond, D. 2004, â€Å"A matter of style: reconciling Henri and Henry.† Management Decision, vol. 42, no.2 p. 330-356 Pearson, C.A.L. And Chatterjee, S.R. 2003, â€Å"Managerial work roles in Asia. An empirical study of Mintzberg’s role formulation in four Asian countries.† Journal of Management Development, vol. 22, no. 8 p. 694-707 Hales, C. 1989, â€Å"Management Processes, Management Divisions of Labour and Managerial Work: Towards a Synthesis.† International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 9, no. 5/6, p. 9-38 Mumford, A. 1988, â€Å"What Managers Really Do† Management Decision, vol. 26, no. 5, p. 28-30

20 Economics Topics for Presentation on Exchange Systems in the USA

20 Economics Topics for Presentation on Exchange Systems in the USA Writing an essay on the US economy can be quite a difficult task due to the technical nature of the subject matter involved. Economics deals with facts, figures and analysis which must be accurate due to the sensitive nature of economics and the potential effects it has on people’s lives. Therefore, before putting pen to paper, it is important to have a well-rounded knowledge of the exchange system and economics in the US so as to choose an economics topic for presentation that truly interests you. So here is a little introduction to exchange systems and the economics that drives them in the US. Exchange systems are the different ways in which trade is carried out between a consumer and a producer and the more trade a country participates in the better it becomes for its economy. Economics on the other hand is the social science that drives exchange systems, production and distribution. Now, it is important to note that this article isn’t about discussing the politics of economics but it is about helping students come up with essay topics on exchange systems and economics in the US. So here are some cool topics to help you get started on drafting that troublesome essay that has been keeping you up all night. The Economics of Local Exchange and Trading Systems in the United States The Effects of Exchange Rate fluctuations on Economic Growth Managed Floating Exchange Rates and its Effect on the United States Economy Impact of the Floating Exchange Rate System on Foreign Debt The Effects of Currency Fluctuations on the Economy Impact of the Floating Exchange Rate System on Employment and Growth The Role of Financial Systems in Economic Development The Impact of Small Businesses on the US Economic Development The Economic Effects of US Trade Monetary Policies and Their Effect on the US Economy Social Security’s Impact on the US Economy The Development of Social Security in America Economic Development and the Role of Currency The Role of the United States in the Global Economy How US Interest Rates Influence the World Economy The Price of Oil and its Effects on the US Economy The Effects of US Imports and Exports on the Global Economy The Economic Impact of Importation to the US Economy The Benefits of a Mixed Economy in the United States The Economy and the Role of the US Government So here we are, at the end of the 20 topics on exchange systems and economics in the United States you can choose from to start your research on the subject matter of US economics. Visit our 10 facts on exchange systems and economics for a presentation as well as our genre-specific writing guide. In order to further help you draft a unique sample essay using on one of the topics above will be developed to provide you with guidelines on how to proceed with drafting your essay. Sample Economics Essay: The Impact of Small Businesses on the United States Economy An Economy like that of the United States is one which is run on meeting both the demand of the domestic and international society it is a part of. And to meet these responsibilities, both big corporations as well as small businesses have their part to play in providing products for these consumers. Although small businesses cater mainly to the needs of local consumers it is also very important to quantify, discuss the effects they have on the United States economy and these tasks will be carried out in the coming paragraphs. So what are small businesses? According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), they are corporations, limited liability companies or proprietorships having no more than 500 working personnel. Also, the SBA puts the number of small businesses in operation in the US at approximately 27 million which goes to show the wide spread acceptance of small business in the United States. This acceptance has also led to SMEs contributing to the economy in the following ways. Another interesting statistic on small businesses show that they are responsible for approximately 50% or the nations Gross Domestic Product due to the high rate in which they provide job opportunities for individuals residing in the US. The facts state that approximately 70% or first time workers get their start from working in small establishments which in turn reduces some of the social responsibilities of the government. The huge resources big corporations pour into their innovative departments makes one expect that every innovative technique ever thought of begins and ends with big corporations but statistics paint a different picture. According to the SBA, small companies develop more patents per employee than their larger counterparts. The SBA research pays the number or submitted patents per 100 employees in big corporations at 1.7 while small business generated an impressive 26.5 patents per employee. This is due to the flexibility and freedom to try new techniques out that small business encourage. Although the majority of small businesses are owned by white males, the need to grow working with limited capital makes small businesses more flexible with their hiring policies. Therefore creating multiple opportunities for first time workers, women and people of minorities. These opportunities give employees the perfect stage to learn and perfect their abilities as well as acquire some accomplishments that would serve them in the long run. Big corporations are known for their outsourcing abilities which involve delegating production of certain tools and materials that do not fall under their core business activities to small businesses. The US automobile industry provides a perfect example of how both businesses complement one another.   Statistics show that auto manufacturers rely on small businesses for the production of approximately 1,700 components needed for building their automobiles. These instances alongside the fact that since 1995 small business has been responsible for approximately 64% of the new jobs in the US and has been responsible for 44% of its paycheck makes them the life blood of the United States society. References: Mariah, B. (2012). How Important are Small Businesses to Local Economies? http://smallbusiness.chron.com/important-small-businesses-local-economies-5251.html Karen, C. (2014). An Introduction to Business. 100-120. http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/an-introduction-to-business-v2.0/s09-02-the-importance-of-small-busine.html Survey of Business Owners: Survey Results. (2012). census.gov/library/publications/2012/econ/2012-sbo.html Bill, C. Brent Y. Control Research Services. (2012). The U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Confronting a New Dynamic in the Global Economy. fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41154.pdf US Small Business Administration Report. (2012). https://www.sba.gov/content/small-business-economy-2010 James, S. (2010). The Cause of High Unemployment: Still Due to Dwindling Job Creation. heritage.org/research/reports/2010/03/the-cause-of-high-unemployment-still-due-to-dwindling-job-creation Chuck, V. (2016). Jobenomics U.S.  Unemployment Analysis: Q1 2016. 44-45.

Free Essays on The Fall Of The Black Panther Party

The Black Panther Party was one that started as a result of the struggle that African Americans faced from day one in America. With a militant hand the Black Panther Party wanted to uplift African Americans and bring about revolutionary socialism and equality for all oppressed minorities. Following in the steps of Malcolm X, the Black Panther Party also sought to bring about positive social services, and to take Malcolm X’s goals for African American’s to new heights. With these theories and the manpower of a unified oppressed group, the uprising of the Black Panther Party was a steady, powerful, and productive organization for advancements in the African American community .Their were various events that lead to the downfall of the party. Some of these events included the militancy of the group in their efforts to achieve equality ,the rallies that incited the minds of their followers, the protest for the use of firearms as well as the use of firearms, and the arres t of the Defense Minister of the Panthers, Henry Newton. The group pushed forward to achieve their goals of equality, against a system that wanted to smother there voices. Though the uprising of the Black Panther Party was short lived, they manage to bring hundreds of thousand of backs and other minorities, as well as some whites together in a struggle for unity across colors. In the eyes of political figures this type of power in the hands of the Black Panther Party was seen as unhealthy for the nation. The FBI quickly developed plans and strategies to break down the party. The use of firearms was both a symbol for African Americans and white police officers. To blacks, the gun was a reminder that they had the right to defend themselves against the aggressive acts of police officers, and that they were on equal footing with the police because their bodies were not bullet proof. The possession of the guns gave African American’s a since of presence. The police h... Free Essays on The Fall Of The Black Panther Party Free Essays on The Fall Of The Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party was one that started as a result of the struggle that African Americans faced from day one in America. With a militant hand the Black Panther Party wanted to uplift African Americans and bring about revolutionary socialism and equality for all oppressed minorities. Following in the steps of Malcolm X, the Black Panther Party also sought to bring about positive social services, and to take Malcolm X’s goals for African American’s to new heights. With these theories and the manpower of a unified oppressed group, the uprising of the Black Panther Party was a steady, powerful, and productive organization for advancements in the African American community .Their were various events that lead to the downfall of the party. Some of these events included the militancy of the group in their efforts to achieve equality ,the rallies that incited the minds of their followers, the protest for the use of firearms as well as the use of firearms, and the arres t of the Defense Minister of the Panthers, Henry Newton. The group pushed forward to achieve their goals of equality, against a system that wanted to smother there voices. Though the uprising of the Black Panther Party was short lived, they manage to bring hundreds of thousand of backs and other minorities, as well as some whites together in a struggle for unity across colors. In the eyes of political figures this type of power in the hands of the Black Panther Party was seen as unhealthy for the nation. The FBI quickly developed plans and strategies to break down the party. The use of firearms was both a symbol for African Americans and white police officers. To blacks, the gun was a reminder that they had the right to defend themselves against the aggressive acts of police officers, and that they were on equal footing with the police because their bodies were not bullet proof. The possession of the guns gave African American’s a since of presence. The police h...

Choose a fashion style or a physical element of a particular style and Essay

Choose a fashion style or a physical element of a particular style and consider how it signifies a social identity. Discuss the - Essay Example This discussion will define in detail the punk fashion style to bring out the unique aspects that define and alienate it from just any other group. Punk is a subculture, mostly of youth with the characters of opposing government, hating authority, with extreme unique hairstyles and dressing, they have the hatred of big business, greatly oppose prejudice, amongst other qualities. They advocate most of their ideas through their music, usually created by their punk rock bands. The emergence of this group dates back to the mid to late 1970’s mostly in the United Kingdom and United States, but today exists in most parts of the globe. Just like any other segregation or group, punk depicts strong distinct features that alienate it from any other group mostly in their styles of music, film, visual art, dance, and what this discussion is all about; fashion. Fashion is an umbrella term that covers style or practice preferences mostly in footwear, accessories, make up, clothing, body pie rcing, fashion, and to some extent furniture amongst others. According to English (2013), the 1970’s and 1980’s saw the emergence of extreme nihilistic fashion that depicted street style clothing, dressing associated with poverty, to express aggression and attract attention. It was during the era when Britain, and the global economy was skydiving, further widening the groove between the rich and the poor. The level of unemployment was very high and young people, especially the uneducated were the hardest hit. This period inspired, and continues to inspire modern punks’ way of dressing; they dress in worn, dirty, tattered clothes. It is also logical that owing to the small size malnourished people, they adopted the trend of wearing tight fitting jeans and clothes in general. Still on the note of dressing, punks consider their dressing as a medium of communication, and incorporate various tactics of doing so. As Kearns (2010), puts it, the punk subculture defines and applies its own intentional and very carefully thought of display codes. These codes have messages that they send out, which usually go against the grain of normal cultures, as they tend to be provocative, vulgar and offensive. In short, their fashion is a voice. The messages most common on the punk’s clothing revolve around Nazism, kinky sex, self-mutilation, political anarchy and other various themes that work to offend or provoke the â€Å"outsiders† who in this case are non-punks. Some popular examples include the â€Å"destroy shirt† that has the crucifix in an upside down posture with swastikas surrounding it, and the notorious shirt prints of two naked cowboys standing face to face. One of the major identities that punks use to identify themselves is through body modifications. Their body modifications mostly include body markings such as tattooing and writing on it or by piercing various parts of their bodies. Surprisingly enough, some even go to the extent of stretching their ears to achieve weird looks. In deeper punk, permanent and temporary body modifications such as branding, implants, and scarification make their identity and act as cues for artistic expression in addition to demonstrating scene involvement and embracing social difference. To differentiate themselves from the normal piercings, punks pierce unusual body parts such as cheeks or noses and implement crude accessories like safety pins and custom bullring design

Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness Assignment - 5

Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness - Assignment Example Walmart’s international operations began in 1991 when the retailer entered into a joint venture with Cifra, a Mexican retail company. During the fiscal year ended January 31, 2013, the retailer recorded net sales of $274 billion from its U.S. operations. During the same period, Walmart garnered net sales of $135 billion from its international operations. Technological changes including advancements in information and communication technology have played a monumental role in Walmart’s success. Walmart has been a pioneer in embracing technology. In 1987, the company installed the largest private satellite communication system in the United States (Walmart, 2014). The system enabled the retailer to link its business operations through voice, data as well as video communication. The company uses robots in its warehouses to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The retailer is also introducing convertible cash registers at its stores to enable self-checkout by customers. Walmart relies heavily on information technology in its back office support functions. Walmart recognizes the importance of the rapidly expanding e-commerce market and has invested heavily to build strong capabilities in online and mobile infrastructure. A strong web presence is likely to enable Walmart offer a wide assortment of products to its customers anytime, anywhere. An upgraded search engine for walmart.com has already led to increased online sales for the retailer. The various macro environmental dimensions like political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors affect the working of Walmart. The ideology of the government determines whether it is pro or anti business. Since Walmart is present in numerous countries, it faces diverse political circumstances. Political instability in any country has the potency to adversely affect the operations and revenues of Walmart. The retailer has to ensure