Oral Speaking free essay sample

A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor, but that he can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness In the home, fosters good will In business, and Is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, enshrine to the sad, and it is natures best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone, until It Is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile; Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give. We will write a custom essay sample on Oral Speaking or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One Step. Foolish people with all their other thoughts, have this one too: They are always getting ready to live, but never living, Your success will start when you begin to pursue it. To reach your goal or to attain success, you dont need to know all of the answers in advance.You Just need to have a clear Idea of what your goal Is. Dont procrastinate when faced with difficult problems. Break your problems into parts, and handle one part at a time. Develop tendencies toward taking action. You can make something happen right now. Divide your big plan into small steps and take that first step right away. Everyone who ever got where they are had to begin where they were. Your big opportunity Is where you are right now. A Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Take it. Life Is A Gift. Today before you think of saying an unkind word- 1 OFF Before you complain about the taste of your food- think of someone who has nothing to eat. Today before you complain about life- think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didnt clean or sweep- think of the people who are living in the streets. Before whining about the distance you drive- hind of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.And when you are tired and complain about your Job- think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your Job. But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another- remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker. And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down- put a smile on your face and thank God youre alive and still around.

Book Of Mormon Is False Essays - Book Of Mormon Witnesses

Book Of Mormon Is False Essays - Book Of Mormon Witnesses Book Of Mormon Is False An Examination of the Book of Mormon and its Chief Witnesses Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints claimed that he received the Book of Mormon as a revelation from God. He said that the heavenly being Moroni appeared to him and directed him to some buried gold plates which contained ancient writings. His task then, was to translate these ancient writings with the help of seer stones which were also buried with the gold plates. Smith received strict directions from the heavenly being that he was to show the plates to no one except for appointed individuals. The Book of Mormon in its preface identifies these as eleven persons: the three witnesses and the eight witnesses. A student of religion would now be interested in knowing something about these witnesses, for only then can we evaluate their worth as witnesses. The Book of Mormon names the three witnesses as Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. The book also names the eight witnesses as follows: Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jr., John Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph Smith, Sr., Hyrum Smith, and Samuel H. Smith. Who were these persons? And what can we know about them that would give us reason to either believe or disbelieve them as witnesses in this most important matter? A good place to look for information would be the publications of the Mormons themselves, since they should more than anyone else be interested in preserving histories of their principal witnesses. This approach could be used at least as a starting point for gathering information before further scrutiny and investigative work. In this study I would like to turn to two books published by the Mormons to find information about the chief witnesses. The first book is the Doctrine and Covenant, a book of authoritative scriptures for the Mormons. The second book is Church History Timeline by William W. Slaughter, published by Desert Book Company, in Salt Lake City, Utah, 1996. What follows is a brief look at the information these books contain about the witnesses and other key persons associated with the Book of Mormon. My intention here is not to provide a summary of the entire body of information but only to show that what we learn from these books do not give us much confidence in the witnesses and hence in the Book of Mormon itself. The first of the three witnesses is Oliver Cowdery, a rural schoolteacher. He was a scribe to Joseph Smith, and associate president of the Church. In April 12,1838 he was excommunicated from the Mormon Church. He was rebaptized ten years later in November 1848 and died March 3, 1850. Reading this, one must wonder why this chief witness was excommunicated during the lifetime of Joseph Smith his prophet, and be allowed back in the church after his prophet died. Smith was martyred on June 27, 1844. The second of the three witnesses is Martin Harris. He was a prosperous farmer who was known as industrious, honest, and generous. It was his $3000 that financed the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon. But, as William Slaughter informs us: Harris clashed with Church leaders over monetary practices and was excommunicated in December 1837; he was rebaptized November 27, 1842. (Church History Timeline, p. 5). The same Martin Harris was given 116 pages of the book of Mormon after Joseph Smith had translated them with the help of the seer stones. But then he allowed wicked men to take these pages for the purpose of corrupting the translation and then to accuse Joseph Smith of falsehood in his prophetic claim. Why would Martin Harris do this? The Doctrine and Covenants explains that he was a wicked man who sought to destroy Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith relates in his history how Martin Harris had previously taken sample characters from the book of Mormon along with the relevant translation of those characters and received confirmation of these in New York City from a professor Charles Anton and Dr. Mitchell. These men attested that the characters were true characters of the Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac and Arabic, and that the translation so far done by Joseph Smith was accurate. Now, one may wonder why did Harris, after he had received this confirmation, should seek to destroy Joseph Smith. And what value should we attach to the testimony of a man who sought to destroy one whom he believed was God's prophet? Since the Doctrine and Covenants call Harris a wicked man,

Christopher Brumfits British Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Christopher Brumfits British Studies - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that â€Å"British Studies† by Christopher Brumfit examines the growing interest in British studies from various points of view— the curriculum developer, teacher-mediator, students from within the UK and from outside, and from an omniscient socio-cultural, economic, political, and philosophical vantage view. As stated by Brumfit, â€Å"†¦ the learners construct their own meanings by a process of engagement with appropriate data.† The writing of this analysis is the researcher's engagement with data. Further, according to Brumfit, â€Å"†¦ construction of effective meaning depends on being able to integrate new understanding with the sets of categories that are already used to deal with the previous experience. This paper illustrates that thus learning depends on the interaction between the new and the old.† The present research has identified that although Brumfit said this within the context of the st udents’ learning about Britain as integrated with the knowledge and understanding they already have, the researcher find it worthy to cite this premise, because it is also within this mindset that he is doing this critical analysis of the generic British studies, not Brumfit’s â€Å"British Studies,† as critical analysis of the latter also invites reading of many other equally interesting sources.... (BritishCouncil.org) The 1991 British Council list of library materials includes books on economics, education, geography, language, law, literature, politics, science, religion, sports and theatre along with customs, food, monarchy, television, and other less serious topics. (Brumfit 45). More than the content of the studies, what matters more is the realistic assessment of what the learners bring to the study in the beginning (Brumfit 51) such as their understanding of their own culture, specifically in the case of foreign students, as well as their understanding of the British culture. Why study Britain To perpetuate the vested interest of the powerful Brumfit's work is full of complexities and ambiguities, presenting so much ideas without sewing them up with a single thread that will unify and conclude into something concrete and optimistic. It is fortunate that clear goals and constant purpose have been achieved by the government for British studies now and up to 2010 and beyond. In the 28-page Making a World of Difference (2006) publication by the British Council, it can be gathered that British studies is intercultural and for the sake of the changing world. The purpose is to build mutually beneficial relationships between people in the UK and other countries. Some 10,000 influential young people in the UK and a range of other countries will have the skills and relationships to take the world community into a new era of intercultural exchange and understanding. British studies has come to mean the study of Britain by foreign students. The policy makers, with the support of universities have intended this to be so because of these crucial 21st century UK imperatives-the growing importance of the relation with China, India, and

Religion And Politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Religion And Politics - Research Paper Example These are the fundamentals questions of this study. In addressing the research questions, we will use the method of case study. The study will focus on the Islamic Republic of Iran because it is currently the most vocal Islamic Republic against the western world. In doing the study, we shall be using the most recent works of authors considered authoritative on the subject. In this study, we shall use peer-reviewed journal articles. We expect that the use of academic journals provide adequate quality control for our sources of insights and data. However, we also use the work of Sial (2006) because even if Sial (2006) is not a journal article, the work can be considered as authoritative because it is a study of the Iranian legal or political system from the point of view of an outstanding lawyer and can be considered as â€Å"authoritative†. In this study, the key conclusion we make is that in Islamic Republics, religion plays a very important role in politics. Alamdari (2005, p. 1285) described the earlier political system in Iran as a â€Å"religious populist regime, a tyranny of the majority under the charismatic leadership† of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Had Iran’s war with Iraq (1981-1988) did not take place, Alamdari argued that Islamic populism could have ended more quickly after the 1979 Islamic Iranian revolution (Alamdari, 2005, p. 1286). The constitution adopted right after the 1979 Islamic revolution known as the Qanun-e Asasi established the Islamic Republic of Iran (Sial, 2006). The principle of velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist) performs a key role in the government structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Sial, 2006). According to Sial (2006), a national referendum in December 1979 approved the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The 1979 national referendum asked Iranians at least 16 years old whether they want to abolish the monarchy and replace the monarchy with an Islamic Republic (S ial, 2006). The 1979

Care Provision in Long Term Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Care Provision in Long Term Conditions - Essay Example This work aims to identify the effect of such a condition on the individual, their families and carers, and identify the elements of a successful strategy in which their capability of self care is promoted. The patient here is Mrs. Gladstone, a 60 year old lady with breast cancer. She is a widow, retired, and lives with her son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. This patient is fictional so that it does not breach confidentiality. Mrs. Gladstone was diagnosed with stage II infiltrating ductal carcinoma. In this case, the tumor is larger than 2 cm in size and has reached the lymph nodes under the arms. Macmillan Cancer Support (2013) points out that more than 500,000 people in the UK are suffering from a number of debilitating health conditions caused by cancer. Some of the problems mentioned are pain and discomfort, gastrointestinal problems, lymphoedema, chronic fatigue, and mental health issues (Cancer.Net). While the number of people living with chronic fatigue as a result of cancer is estimated at 350,000, approximately 240,000 people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and moderate to severe anxiety or depression. Furthermore, nearly 200,000 of the cancer-survivors face moderate to severe pain after curative treatment, and 90,000 face gastrointestinal problems. Lastly, nearly 63,000 of them suffer from lymphoedema. Additionally, there are body image issues, persistent hair loss, swallowing and speech problems, nausea and vomiting, heart diseases, fatigue, and social and financial difficulties to be addressed (Carver et al. 2006). Mrs. Gladstone’s life is considerably influenced by the disease. The diagnosis of breast cancer was shocking for her. She felt too confused, powerless, and fearful because of the large number of negative effects on her life. Firstly, she was worried as she felt hot flushes and palpitations. Moreover, Mrs. Gladstone found the diseases

Global food retail industry

Global food retail industry Exective Summary Global food retail industry has become tightly competitive in last few years. In dynamic operating environment, companies need to understand the competitive nature of the global food industry means to understand changing consumer preferences. They are making continuous efforts to meet these demands in order to secure their positions in the industry. Companies have the aim to build collaborative working relationships with stakeholders, the ultimate objective of building an efficient food distribution system. Wal-Mart is the world largest retailer in food retail industry. The company operates retail stores in various formats. It operates more than 6,000 stores in the United States and in 13 international markets. Food retail industry is a highly saturated market, new entrants would face difficulty to become successive in this industry. Stable relationships with suppliers are essential to Wal-Mart business. Wal-Mart is focusing on expanding its product line by including demanding products as well as environmentally friendly products. When analyzing the business of Wal-Mart, they actually utilize all three of the â€Å"hard Ss† of McKinseys 7S framework in their chase of their goals: Strategy, Systems, Structure. As a retail company, Wal-Mart offers a wide collection of products to the consumers. the grocery items can be placed as Wal-Marts star products. Appliance, kitchen tools, furniture, digital products, music files and software are the cash cows of the company. Pharmaceuticals, toys, electronics and health products are Wal-Mart question marks. The photo development, jewelry and shoe products distributed by the company are those that show low market share. Wal-Mart has the largest IT systems of any private company in the world. It has made significant investments in supply chain management. Wal-Mart Stores aims to capture the market penetration in food that it has achieved in hard and soft line goods. The product development team frequently attends trade shows in Europe and key fashion capitals and travels to places globally. Wal-Marts diversification strategy of the 1980s was a great success in terms of tapping and recognizing new market segments. Based from the analysis of the data by appling marketing and strategic models, it is appropriate to recommend that the product and service development strategy be applied by Wal-Mart, considering that these factors serve as the core factors affecting its growth and progress. Strategy Development in the Global Food Retail Supermarket Industry Globalization of retail is not an emerging or totally new strategy, but a current focus for many retailers. Established retailers have recognized that natural growth becoming more difficult to sustain in domistic markets, expansion into new markets is a necessary step towards securing future profitability. To understand the competitive nature of the global food industry means to understand changing consumer preferences and the food industry efforts to meet these demands. The task of moving food items from the seller to buyer is becoming increasingly complex, involving diverse local, national, and global issues. The food retail industry consists of the total revenues generated through supermarkets, hypermarkets, cooperatives, discounters, convenience stores, independent grocers, bakers, and all other retailers of food and drink. Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of materials, information, technology and funds from the raw material supplier to the consumer. It has become highly critical. It is now essential to a company revenue generating activities as it relates to growth, efficiency and customer satisfaction. SCM is critical to a company financial success in terms of revenue, cost and asset productivity. It has the aim to build collaborative working relationships between distributors, retailers, manufacturers, sales and marketing agents with the ultimate objective of building an efficient food distribution system.The most important goal of global food retailers and wholesalers is to ensure that the products they sell are safe. They act as the purchasing agent for the consumer and the final link in the supply chain. The supermarket food industry continually seeks ways to make the nation food supply safer. Question One: ‘Globalization in the food retail industry Selected Company: Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores (Wal-Mart) is the world largest retailer. The company operates retail stores in various formats. It operates more than 6,000 stores in the US and 13 international markets including the UK, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and China. The company retails a broad range of merchandise and services at low prices. Wal-Mart operates its business under three business segments: Wal-Mart Stores, Sams Club, and the international segment. The company has more than 2,000 retail stores in other countries. The operating formats vary from country to country. Strategic Alliances, Merger and Acquisition (MA) activity (WAL-MART IN INDIA) Wal-Mart began looking into doing business in India back in 2005. At that time Indian government was considering opening up foreign direct investment (FDI) to retailers. In November 2006, Wal-Mart beat out Tesco for a joint venture op ­portunity with Indian mobile services leader, Bharti. The reason was because Wal-Mart was more flexible about the retail model to be ad ­opted. The company priority seemed to be an early entry, so that the worlds largest retailer did not miss out on the Indian consumer boom. As per the agreement between the two corporate giants, Bharti would manage the front-end of the business, while Wal-Mart would take care of the supply chain, logistics and other back-end op ­erations. India is a ready and appealing market for Wal-Mart with its growing middle class of 250 million and an economic growth rate of nearly 9%. Although the FDI laws of the country are relatively stringent, government officials are not opposed to engaging foreign businesses in the Indian market. Since the announcement of the Wal-Mart/Bharti JV, one leading organization has emerged to represent the in ­terests of the small mom-and-pop stores. This is India FDI Watch and in addition to educating the owners about Wal-Mart, they have held large rallies and demonstrations against Bharti, Wal-Mart, and other big-box retailers. The mom-and-pops have an advantage as they are conveniently located on street corners or in the heart of cities and usually have personal relationships with most consumers. However, they do not carry the variety of goods that larger retailers do. Threat of New Entrants and Substitutes Being that the food retail industry is a highly saturated market, new entrants would face difficulty succeeding in this industry. In fact, it is highly difficult for discount retailers to penetrate other markets as Wal-Mart tried to enter Germany and South Korea. The company was unsuccessful and had to pull out because of its unprofitability. Retailers are subject to these obstacles: Economies of Scale Cost of Capital Distribution Channels Substitute products are products that can be used as replacements for other products to satisfy the same necessity of consumers. Wal-Mart benefits from this idea as discounters have lower prices than department stores and consumers go for higher quality product with the lowest prices. Wal-Mart is working on providing the best customer service possible but as a high-traffic store, it is generally impossible to provide one on one service. Bargaining Power of Suppliers and Buyers Stable relationships with suppliers are essential to Wal-Mart business. Without timely inventory deliveries, Wal-Mart could not maintain its full shelves and would lose customers. For this reason, the company engages in contractual agreements with its suppliers. This arrangement is beneficial for both parties, as the supplier makes sure it will have constant access to retailers with large market share. This way, suppliers have a guaranteed buyer for the supplies and can arrange specific prices. Consumers today are searching for the best deals possible. They are waiting for discounts and sales to bulk up on products. Discount retailers like Wal-Mart are creating huge supercenter stores because they want their stores to become a one-stop trip. Customers know what they want and how far they are willing to search for the item. Retailers must maintain high inventory levels to retain customers and their market share. Customers traveling a couple of miles to a store want to find the products they need in stock. Question Two: Global food retail market dynamics The ongoing changes and innovations in global food markets, as well as the trends in different sectors of the food industry, make up a complex dilemma with consumers, producers, and global retailing and manufacturing firms. A growing trend in food markets is the shift in growth of food sales from high-income (developed) countries to lower income (developing) countries. Despite the shift, per capita commercial sales show wide regional disparities worldwide, though growth in food sales in the developing countries is expected to continue. In anticipation of this growing market, food firms appear to be repositioning themselves and investing in many developing countries. Measures of competitiveness vary at the firm, industry and country level. Competitiveness is influenced by such forces as technological innovations, public institutions, infrastructure support, firm organizational structure, and government policies. Small food manufacturers face macroeconomic constraints similar to those of large firms, such as exchange rate fluctuations and market access barriers in foreign markets. Retail sector issues centered on the impact of globalization on food retailing in emerging economies, and the impact of changing consumer preferences on food retailing. Although a country may import little food, the impacts of globalization impacts are reflected in its food retail sector. Wal-Mart Profitability Secure Strategies A prominent trend in the retail industry is consumers buying less and less. Until about few years ago, consumers depended on credit cards. They did not hesitate to add to their already large debts but now consumers are trying to pay down debts instead. Wal-Mart discount stores, supercenters and wholesaler clubs have maintained their price leadership strategy known as â€Å"Save money live better.† This strategy was implemented in year 2008 and is aimed at families with children and middle income consumers trying to save. Wal-Mart is focusing on expanding its product line by including wellness products as well as environmentally friendly products. With the high energy prices facing consumers and the ideas of eating healthier and natural food, Wal-Mart has stocked products that would appeal to these consumers while maintaining its competitive prices. The company maintains a flexible management style where it is willing to satisfy changing demands. To meet demand, the company must encourage managers to monitor high demand products and drop unpopular product lines that may be a waste of inventory space. Another trend is discounter development of private labels. To compete with national brands, supermarkets and retailers have developed their own brands with the cooperation of manufacturers. These products are to be distributed and sold only in the retailers stores. Net Profit Margin measures how much out of every dollar of sales a company actually keeps in earnings. A company with high net profit margin indicates that it has better control over its costs. In this category, Wal-Mart outperforms Costco, BJs and industry, but lags behind Target. This table shows that how much Wal-Mart has been successful to invest into food retail facilities in order to secure its future profitability in terms of earnings. Question Three: McKinseys 7S framework for identifying core competencies and capabilities, discuss the ability of â€Å"Wal-Mart† When analyzing the business of Wal-Mart, they actually employ all three of the â€Å"hard Ss† in their pursuit of their goals: Strategy Systems Structure Their strength in all three of these Ss is probably a big reason why they have been so successful. Strategy Wal-Marts overall strategy is to always provide the lowest prices. Additionally, they aim to have a store which provides convenience by allowing consumers to find everything they need under one roof.This strategy of convenience with low prices has driven Wal-Mart to be the business leader that it is. Additionally, they plan to continue to expand into markets not yet penetrated by major chains, and some markets that are already saturated, such as New England and California.The other two hard Ss, systems and structure, support this strategy. Also, low prices everyday has become the style and shared values of Wal-Mart. Even the staff is completely committed to providing the lowest possible prices. The skills of workers are also geared to finding inefficiencies and towards decreasing prices. The low cost strategy has driven Wal-Mart to do things such as call suppliers collect, do away with manufacturer representatives at sales meetings, do away with regional offices, etc. Systems Wal-Mart has in place a set of systems that helps it achieve its strategy of low prices everyday. The largest and most profitable of these systems is the Information Technology system. Wal-Mart has employed computers, networking, and the internet to reduce inventories and waste, and speed deliveries. Wal-Mart can connect to their suppliers and transmit them data so they know what Wal-Mart needs and when.The lower inventories allow Wal-Mart to produce inventory turnover rates of around 70% which is really high. Additionally, Wal-Mart has worked with suppliers in order to improve their efficiencies in production which they then pass to Wal-Mart and then to the consumer. Because of Wal-Mart strategy, these reduced costs due to systems allow Wal-Mart to reduce consumers prices. Wal-Mart has streamlined the supply system so well that it would be very hard to find any inefficiency and would be hard for any competitor to beat. Additionally, Wal-Mart has a very efficient human resource syste m set-up that has both mostly kept employees happy, and resisted unionization. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer and has developed systems to tie raises and bonuses to performance. This encourages employees to think of the company and to always do their best. Structure Wal-Mart also employs a good structure that works with the systems to empower the low price strategy. Wal-Mart has planned warehouses and integrated them with systems. Additionally, they place their warehouses strategically so that one warehouse can serve many stores. They have developed time schedules so that one truck can service many stores and that after a delivery the truck can take back returned goods to the warehouse. The supercenter design itself is a structural advantage and strategy that Wal-Mart uses. This design allows consumers to come to a single Wal-Mart store to find everything they need from groceries to gifts to clothes to toys. Wal-Mart has designed an efficient management structure that allows it to eliminate the regional office. This structure alone has saved Wal-Mart millions of dollars a year. When Wal-Mart places stores in strategic locations and drives traffic using convenience and then combines the sales with its systems and structure, people get a highly ef ficient corporation that can cut costs to a bare-minimum which are then passed along to the consumer. If Wal-Mart continues to dominate these three Ss, it will continue to dominate the retail market. Question Four: BCG product matrix model, identifying major products of Wal-Mart As a retail company, Wal-Mart offers a wide array of products to the consumers. These include groceries, toys, apparel for women, men and children, jewelry as well as other hard goods; all of these product lines are sold at reasonable and generally affordable prices. In order to analyze the operation and performance of the selected products of the company (Wal-Mart), the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is used. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a tool developed to assess company business units. Specifically, the BCG Matrix is used to evaluate the business units level of market growth and share. The distribution done in this matrix was based on the 2008 revenue report of the company. Stars In above diagram, the grocery items function can be placed as Wal-Marts star product. The report stressed that this served as the top revenue generator of the company, contributing to 22% in the total sales. While this generates the most cash flow, it should also be considered that this product causes the most inventory cost to the company, considering that Wal-Mart has to derive its grocery supplies to multiple suppliers or companies. Cash cows On the other hand, the hard (appliance, kitchen tools, furniture) and soft goods (digital products, music files, software) are the cash cows of the company. Compared to the groceries, the supply chain for these products are less complex. The private-label goods are considered cash cows particularly in the international sector. This is because American brands do not exhibit the same impact or appeal to foreign buyers as with foreign consumers. As cash cows, it is essential that Wal-Mart uses these products to generate funds that would support its other business units particularly those categorized as stars and question marks. Question marks Pharmaceuticals, toys, electronics and health products are Wal-Mart question marks. As indicated in the revenue report, these products may generate sales but not enough to compensate the level of funds required to distribute them. Multiple suppliers and costly inventory make these products the question mark type. For this reason, it is practical that Wal-Mart consider limiting the inventory of these products to save on inventory expenses. Dogs Finally, the photo development, jewelry and shoe products distributed by the company are those that exhibit low market share as well as growth. Considering the number of alternatives available in the market with these products, it is indeed difficult for the company to keep these product lines. As certain retailers are focused on distributing these goods, they have more business flexibility than Wal-Mart, allowing them to overcome sales issues. Question Five: product life cycle and â€Å"Ansoff growth matrix† Product life cycle Wal-Mart is committed to improving operations, lowering costs and improving customer service. But the key to retailer Wal-Marts success is its ability to drive costs out of its supply chain and manage it efficiently. Many supply chain experts refer to Wal-Mart as a supply chain-driven company that also has retail stores. Wal-Marts company philosophy (‘The Wal-Mart Way) is to be at the leading edge of logistics, distribution, transportation, and technology. Wal-Mart has the largest IT systems of any private company in the world. The Wal-Mart business model would fail instantly without its advanced technology and supply chain. Wal-Mart has made significant investments in supply chain management. Ansoff growth matrix Ansoff matrix allows the marketers to look at different ways to grow the business through existing products and markets and new products and markets. Moreover, the matrix is composed of four various strategies: Market Penetration Wal-Mart Stores aims to capture the market penetration in food that it has achieved in hard and soft line goods. The retail giant, which posts more than a 10% market share in many nonfood categories, plans to rise up its food share through quick supercenter expansions. To achieve their market penetration goals, they believe in three guiding principles: Customer Value and Service Partnership with its associates Community involvement Product Development Wal-Mart product development group influenced the look, feel and variety of merchandise. The product development group headed by strong communicators worked with the buyer for the category and various suppliers to improve the consistency of qualities and sizes of merchandise. The product development team frequently attends trade shows in Europe and key fashion capitals and travels to places globally. The group findings are then regularly presented to merchants, marketers and package designers during the year. Major seasonal trend overview meetings are held for spring and fall with smaller meetings held for summer and holidays. Market Development Wal-Mart always seek to take advantage of on its international strategy, it is working in the direction of build ­ing new retail stores in other countries.They planned to educate activists around the world about Wal-Mart retail development strategies and the company impact on local retail culture. The three major tactics used by the company before to enter a country include: Build ­ing partnerships with local businesses and organizations Working with government officials Tapping into the growing middle class purchasing power Diversification Wal-Marts diversification strategy of the 1980s was a great success in terms of tapping and recognizing new market segments. Sams club was the most successful diversification of all at the decade by adopting wholesaling concept. The first Sams Club launched in April 1983. The company, on the other side, opened its first Wal-Mart Supercenter in 1988. It was essentially a complete Wal-Mart discount store with a supermarket added to it. Wal-Mart diversification into new retail formats during the 1980s did more than improve the firm growth in the fundamental areas of retail. Diversification also gave the company the chance to take risks and experiment. Evaluation the Usefulness of Marketing and Strategic Models Based from the analysis of the selected company, it is then appropriate to recommend that the product and service development strategy be applied by Wal-Mart, considering that these factors serve as the core factors affecting its growth and progress. With this type of strategy, Wal-Mart can increase its sales by means of modifying or enhancing its existing products and services. This strategy has been recommended as it has the ability to support the company potential to reach greater markets. Wal-Mart has multiple product lines that will be affected by this strategy. With the BCG matrix, it is appropriate that the company starts off the development with its prime product lines. Through this, the company will have sufficient funds to support other relevant activities in the future. However, by means of this strategy, Wal-Mart will be able to strengthen the market position of each of its product divisions, resulting to greater hold to these specific markets. The suggested strategy does not only fit the purpose of the company and support its future growth but has also been recommended based on the capability of the company to implement it. Wal-Mart has an efficient distribution system which in turn would support this strategy. The culture of the retail company also fits the requirements of this recommendation. Specifically, the company devotes ample time and resources to develop and maintain a skilled workforce. With productive managers and employees, the delivery of the developed goods of the company will be made possible. As a result, greater satisfaction from the customers will be obtained. Reference Sources Text Books Lynch, R. (2006) Corporate Strategy, Fourth Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall. Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J. (1998) Strategy Safari, Financial Times Prentice Hall Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases, 7th Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall. Online Sources http://www.walmart.com/ http://walmartstores.com/sites/AnnualReport/2008/docs/wal_mart_annual_report_2008.pdf www.economist.com www.metrofoods.net/ www.ft.com www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/GlobalFoodMarkets/Industry www.plunkettresearch.com/Industries/

Wal-Mart: Penetrating Cities

Business opportunities do not necessarily come as fixed process transactions. Apparently, when an established company has already earned a good market reputation, the next step for it is to increase its business quality output in terms of maximizing its earning potential through various channels. The aspects of customer service, supplier partnership and logistics can greatly induce more earnings if delegated correctly. For Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer according to Fishman’s article, the best possible concept is penetrating into cities and establishes a ‘grass root’ foundation within segmented markets. One of the main advantages of having this approach for Wal-Mart is that the company can easily manage its logistic procedures. In a compact city, it is much easier to transport merchandises within specified small locations. Good logistic systems can utilize the best resources inside and outside the company span (Brewer 12). This could easily save time and money resources for the business therefore improving inventory and tracking delivery transactions. Another good benefit in this city-concentration approach is that if Wal-Mart can establish a mini counterpart of retail outlets within cities, it would be very difficult for the competitor to have a head-on collision with the company since the brand Wal-Mart speaks for itself in terms of advertising. Also people will have greater access to Wal-Mart’s services and may at least feel they have a customized branch outlet of the company since the stores will comply with the laws accepted within the city parameters, thus increasing the company’s sales. Just like what the company has done in Monona, Wisconsin, a customized super center was established as shoppers get great benefits in terms of convenience and huge savings (Wal-Mart Facts 1). Just like any business approaches, penetrating cities can also pose some disadvantages. For one, the establishment of new satellite stores in cities requires great investment allocations. This could impose a certain degree of Wal-Mart’s capital calculation. Moreover, commodity allocation per store can become a problem since the company head administration will need to monitor each and every merchant units in all the cities it has established its branches. Establishing a business presence in a local city can greatly increase customer satisfaction and convenience. However, there should always be a way to weigh the investment costs and profit accumulation before a company can initiate this kind of approach. For Wal-Mart, since it already has an established name with huge capitals, penetrating cities can be the best way to expand its specific market influence. Works Cited Brewer, Ann. â€Å"Handbook of Logistics and Supply-Chain Management.† Google Books. 2001. 10 Mar 2008 . Fishman, Charles. â€Å"The Wal-Mart You Don't Know.† FastCompany. 2003. 10 Mar 2008 . Wal-Mart, â€Å"New Super center Is Custom-Made for Monona .† Wal-Mart Facts. 2008. 10