The future of RFID protocols Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The future of RFID protocols - Essay Example In terms of necessity, each input assigned to an RFID protocol can be acquired from computations that can only be conducted by parallel RFID tags partaking in the evidence (Peris-Lopez et al., 2011, p. 843). This ability will assure the interconnection of the tokens produced in the course of the evidence, which only the verifier can terminate within a given period. RFID tags should entail different, untraceable, and masked identifiers during every protocol implementation process (Srivastava, n.d., p. 4). Including arbitrary figures appears suitable for developing privacy-secured identifiers although it does not assure immunity against privacy hacks for suggested RFID protocols. RFID protocols should have supreme matching capabilities. For instance, when RFID tags are unable to authenticate their fitting in a certain group, separate tags can be members of a proof. As a result, only the verifier would detect the tags’ failure when sent the evidence (Peris-Lopez et al., 2011, p. 843). RFID protocols should also use encoded versions of timestamps. Verifiers should compute secure timestamps using their abiding secret input. I think a future that employs these potentials of RFID protocols will see a rise in â€Å"smart† products and smarter electronics. For instance, RFID protocols that reach these potentials should be able to tag smart clothes or machines at a store (Srivastava, n.d., p. 9). Peris-Lopez, P, Orfila, A, Hernandez-Castro, JC, van der Lubbe, JCA 2011, ‘Flaws on RFID grouping-proofs. Guidelines for future sound protocols,’ Journal of Network and Computer Applications, vol. 34, pp.

Creation, Evolution and Intervention Essay Example for Free

Creation, Evolution and Intervention Essay I think religion and science have always been in conflict. Since the theory of Creationism has always been tied to religious accounts, it is only natural that this comes in conflict with the theory of Evolution. As it is, the theory of Creationism is based on legends and ancestral stories, whereas the theory of Evolution is based on empirical observations and scientific inquiry (â€Å"History of Creationism†). Whereas Creationism, in its literal sense, poses that all species have been existent and static since the birth of time, the theory of Evolution proposes that the existing species today are different from what existed many centuries past. The theory of Evolution eliminates the participation of a Supreme Being, which is the main character in Creationism. This, and the denigration of the human being as above other â€Å"creation† have been the root of much controversy ever since (â€Å"Evolution†). The introduction of the Intervention theory becomes another challenge for both the Creation and Evolution theories. Its affirmation of the existence of extraterrestrials and those human beings are descendents of primordial beings are against the views of Creationism, while the elimination of Neanderthals, Australopethecines and other intermediaries of human evolution and the process of Evolution per se, is completely against the views of the Evolutionists. The Views I have researched on the different views on the theories. The Creation Theory posits that the whole of the universe is made into existence by a Supernatural being. Different religions and beliefs have different versions on how the universe and the world were created by their respective Gods. The most common version of Creation is that told in the Bible Book of Genesis. Based on what I am taught, the universe was created in seven days by the God, Yahweh. It is said that the first to be created was light and in order, it was followed by the separation of the land and waters, the plants, the sun and the moon, the air and sea creatures, the land animals and lastly the first man and woman. On the seventh day, the God rested. This Creation story is similar to the version of the Muslims whose Supreme Being is called Allah. The Greeks, the Norse, the Babylonians and other cultures have their own versions but in general, the theory of Creationism holds similar elements like: the birth of the first men, a father and/or mother goddess, a supreme being, as well as a theory on destruction (â€Å"Origin Belief†). The theory of Creationism appears to be the opposite of another theory that was developed by Charles Darwin, The theory of evolution. Evolution is the process in which a certain species undergo a slow but intricate change in their traits. The changes in traits happen very slowly that differences in form and structure are only noticeable after successive generations, which could then, possibly allow the development of newer species (â€Å"Evolution†). In short, the theory of Evolution relates all organisms as having a common single ancestor that had undergone a series of changes. This means that we are still undergoing the process of evolution and our descendants my possibly be of different species. The process of evolution is subdivided into more processes, starting from adaptation, in which a species acclimatize itself with the environment; genetic drift, gene flow and mutation, in which the species body transforms its structure into something more capable of living with the environment; selection, in which the species who proves themselves incapable of adapting to the environment are naturally eliminated; and speciation, in which another species arise from a single ancestor species (â€Å"Evolution†). The Intervention theory poses as an alternative to the previous two theories. According to my research on the Intervention theory, terrestrial life was introduced on Earth by intelligent extraterrestrial beings (â€Å"Intervention Theory†). Among others, Lloyd Pye has made a controversial claim involving the Intervention theory. According to Pye’s claims, the first Homo Sapiens were products of interbreeding between the existing primates and extraterrestrials (â€Å"Lloyd Pye†). The Current Situation My experience in the academe, my observations and the theories that I’ve read say that the issue on Creationism and Evolution continues to this day. The proponents of the Evolutionary theory still hold firmly against the idea that the universe is created by a higher being while the proponents of Creationism supports the idea. While some believes that the two views are impossible to reconcile, other views are more accommodating. There are separate groups who believe that each of the theories answer different questions and must be considered separately (â€Å"Creation-evolution Controversy†). The teaching of Evolution in schools also currently poses an issue. The proponents of Creationism see the teaching as anti-theistic and propose that the theory be eliminated in the school curricula (â€Å"Creation-evolution Controversy†). The US President Bush thinks that both theories must be taught in schools to provide the public with a clear idea and understanding on the real root of the issue (Bumiller 3). The view on the Intervention theory involves a separate issue, which is against both the previous theories. Currently, there is limited evidence that could support the theory. Conclusion Among others, I think that only the Evolution theory shows empirical evidence. The other two, particularly the Creationism theory and the Intervention theory are merely based on age-old stories and hypotheses that are not yet supported by any historical and observational evidence. Proving the truth of the last two theories would be difficult. Proving any one of these involves evidence of the existence of a Supreme Being or and extraterrestrial being. This is the main problem in both the theories. The non-existence of evidence, however, does not necessarily prove its falsity. Such a case makes possible the incorporation of all the three theories into one. It is my view that the Creationism theory should not be interpreted literally. The â€Å"days† as mentioned in the Book of Genesis, for example could be interpreted as the â€Å"eras† or â€Å"eons† mentioned in the Evolution theory. Also, the Creationism theory does not mention the impossibility of the evolutionary process. It is possible that what happens in between â€Å"the days† in the Creation theory represents what the evolutionary process call â€Å"speciation†. If the land animals (including the primates) were â€Å"created† on the fifth day, and the human beings on the sixth day; and if the Creation’s â€Å"days† are equivalent to the Evolution’s eons, then what happens in between the fifth and sixth â€Å"days† was the speciation of today’s human beings from primates to Homo sapiens. That the order of â€Å"creation† of each group of living things coincides with the age of the firsts of each species creates another sound theory: the theory of Creationism and the theory of Evolution is not opposites but rather, the same theories. In other words, the theory of Creationism is simply an allegorical representation of what the theory of Evolution posits. Works Cited Bumiller, Elisabeth. Bush Remarks Roil Debate on Teaching of EvolutionThe New York Times. The New York Times. 3 Aug 2005: 3 Creation-evolution controversy. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 5 Feb 2007, 02:49 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Creation-evolution_controversyoldid=105712111. Evolution. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 6 Feb 2007, 06:13 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Evolutionoldid=105994871. History of creationism. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 1 Feb 2007, 23:14 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=History_of_creationismoldid=104954907. Intervention theory. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 13 Jan 2007, 15:06 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Intervention_theoryoldid=100447011. Lloyd Pye. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 15 Jan 2007, 00:24 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Lloyd_Pyeoldid=100764730 Origin belief. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2 Feb 2007, 02:20 UTC.

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/

Malcolm Barber Essay -- Religion, The Templars

The Christians were fortunate individuals in the Middle Ages; Christendom received its own religious military order to protect many Christians who undertook pilgrimages to Jerusalem after it (Jerusalem) had been overrun (5). This Western order endorsed and sanctioned by the Pope; and the papacy in general, was known as the Knights Templar. One of the Templars missions was to predominantly fight against the Moslems. The Moslems had been perceived as a polytheistic religion, that encompassed the worshipping of evil pagan Gods and a religion that encouraged illicit acts. This idea however is contrary to the true Islam; Islam is indeed a monotheistic religion that is categorized under Abrahamic religions as worshipping one God. The knights were affiliated with the crusades which remained popular within the 12th century (1). The Templars were respected within Western Christendom and; the order was given numerous economic advantages such as: land, the erection of fortifications and lucrati ve job positions such as bankers. Sadly, the Christians were expelled out of Palestine and the Templars ability to fulfill their duties to serve and protect Christians in the holy lands and elsewhere were in jeopardy. Support for the Templar Order and the crusaders caused an entity to fade. Furthermore, the respect level and the anticipation of wanting to become a crusader by individuals in Western Christendom declined drastically, disabling the order to fulfill its protective duties. Moreover, the King of France Philip IV who was deeply in debt; made it known that he was aware of the orders riches. He stated The Templars must make immense effort to relieve the acute financial problems of the reign through paying taxes, if they fail to do so I must f... ...were taking precedence or a two- century existence of the order did not merit much historical recording. Yet the wealth of information presented and the legal proceeding which climaxes this monograph are not only illuminating but articulated through print by Malcolm Barber. I would personally recommend this scholarly work to individuals who already have immense knowledge on the Templars and to individuals who are new to the whole idea of this historical event. This monograph, in my opinion, should be a course reader within post-secondary institutions that promote advanced education and Barber should be commended on tackling such a controversial subject. Because the crusades are a huge stain on how religion was advanced in the middle ages. Many ethnic groups suffered at the hands of Christendom however, this does not legate Barber’s wonderful scholarly work.

Holden Caulfield

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Slinger the main character Holder Coalfield is obsessed with phonies and the loss of innocence. To Him almost everybody are phonies especially those who have lost their Innocence. According to Holder there Is only one thing that can cause one to lose their innocence and that Is sex. Throughout the entire novel Holder Is confronted with sex. In every confrontation with sex he â€Å"runs away' due to his fear of growing older. Holder never wants to become an adult therefore he never wants to have sex.It is obvious that the only thing in his mind that will make him an adult is sex because he smokes and drinks alcohol throughout the novel. Many believe that those two acts along with other things bring about the change from childhood to adulthood. However Holder commits these acts and still believes he maintains his innocence. Even through all his fear Holder also seems to be fascinated with sex. When he meets up with Carl Luck he constantly a sk him questions about sex. This shows that Holder is both fascinated and disgusted with sex.He seems to be more concerned with other people's innocence, especially Jane. He is so concerned he gets into a fight with his roommate Seedeater because he thinks he had sex with Jane. After this Incident Holder continues to contemplate calling Jane but always decides not to. This shows he Is worried he will find out that that she did have sex. If she did have sex then she would be a phony to him and he would lose the girl of his dreams to adulthood. Holder's feelings toward sex are a direct reflection of his creator J. D. Slinger. J. D. Clinger's opinion towards sex is one in the same with Holder's.J. D. Slinger as with many women throughout his life. All of them had a consistency of being young when he met them. Even as he grew older he still had relationships with younger women. Slinger was married three times throughout his life. During his time with his second wife they had children to gether. After she had the children he lost interest in her and spent most of his time writing. He had lost his appeal towards her because she was no longer young and Innocent. They ended up getting a divorce due to his seclusion from her. After a while he then met a girl named Jean Miller by a LOL.She was only fourteen when they began their five year relationship. Their relationship ended due to the topic of sex. She was a vulgar and she brought up the topic of sex to Slinger. The moment she showed interest in having sex he lost Joyce Maynard. She was yet again a young and innocent girl Just like the rest that came before her. One day she told Slinger that she wanted to have children. He immediately lost interest and broke up with her. These relationships show that Slinger has the same view towards sex as his most famous character HolderCoalfield. In the sass sex was a main symbol of adulthood. Many believed that they should wait until marriage to have sex. However at that time men and women were deviating from that accepted belief. Sex started to become like what it is today meaningless. It became more about pleasure and less about love. At this time people were beginning not to see sex as a transfer from childhood to adulthood. However Slinger still believed that sex was the main transfer. He wrote The Catcher in the Rye because it would be controversial during this time period.Everyone no matter how the felt towards sex were amazed with a novel written like this. It became one of the most popular and questioned novels of its time. Both Holder and Clinger's view on sex is it is the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood. In the novel Holder shows this view first hand through experiences he had. Clinger's many relationships with young women supports this view as well. There are some who believe that sex is not the beginning of adulthood. However sex was and always will be the main transfer from childhood to adulthood. Holden Caulfield In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Slinger the main character Holder Coalfield is obsessed with phonies and the loss of innocence. To Him almost everybody are phonies especially those who have lost their Innocence. According to Holder there Is only one thing that can cause one to lose their innocence and that Is sex. Throughout the entire novel Holder Is confronted with sex. In every confrontation with sex he â€Å"runs away' due to his fear of growing older. Holder never wants to become an adult therefore he never wants to have sex.It is obvious that the only thing in his mind that will make him an adult is sex because he smokes and drinks alcohol throughout the novel. Many believe that those two acts along with other things bring about the change from childhood to adulthood. However Holder commits these acts and still believes he maintains his innocence. Even through all his fear Holder also seems to be fascinated with sex. When he meets up with Carl Luck he constantly a sk him questions about sex. This shows that Holder is both fascinated and disgusted with sex.He seems to be more concerned with other people's innocence, especially Jane. He is so concerned he gets into a fight with his roommate Seedeater because he thinks he had sex with Jane. After this Incident Holder continues to contemplate calling Jane but always decides not to. This shows he Is worried he will find out that that she did have sex. If she did have sex then she would be a phony to him and he would lose the girl of his dreams to adulthood. Holder's feelings toward sex are a direct reflection of his creator J. D. Slinger. J. D. Clinger's opinion towards sex is one in the same with Holder's.J. D. Slinger as with many women throughout his life. All of them had a consistency of being young when he met them. Even as he grew older he still had relationships with younger women. Slinger was married three times throughout his life. During his time with his second wife they had children to gether. After she had the children he lost interest in her and spent most of his time writing. He had lost his appeal towards her because she was no longer young and Innocent. They ended up getting a divorce due to his seclusion from her. After a while he then met a girl named Jean Miller by a LOL.She was only fourteen when they began their five year relationship. Their relationship ended due to the topic of sex. She was a vulgar and she brought up the topic of sex to Slinger. The moment she showed interest in having sex he lost Joyce Maynard. She was yet again a young and innocent girl Just like the rest that came before her. One day she told Slinger that she wanted to have children. He immediately lost interest and broke up with her. These relationships show that Slinger has the same view towards sex as his most famous character HolderCoalfield. In the sass sex was a main symbol of adulthood. Many believed that they should wait until marriage to have sex. However at that time men and women were deviating from that accepted belief. Sex started to become like what it is today meaningless. It became more about pleasure and less about love. At this time people were beginning not to see sex as a transfer from childhood to adulthood. However Slinger still believed that sex was the main transfer. He wrote The Catcher in the Rye because it would be controversial during this time period.Everyone no matter how the felt towards sex were amazed with a novel written like this. It became one of the most popular and questioned novels of its time. Both Holder and Clinger's view on sex is it is the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood. In the novel Holder shows this view first hand through experiences he had. Clinger's many relationships with young women supports this view as well. There are some who believe that sex is not the beginning of adulthood. However sex was and always will be the main transfer from childhood to adulthood.

The eNotes Blog Januarys Teachers Corner Column Homework The GreatDebate

Januarys Teachers Corner Column Homework The GreatDebate The philosophy of education in the U.S. is always subject to disagreement and controversy, but everyone can agree on this: It’s never, ever static. The dynamics in education often seem like those of a pendulum swinging back and forth, from one extreme to the other, as policymakers, curriculum designers and book writers continue to define and redefine what are now called â€Å"best practices.† The current Great Debate over homework is a perfect example of the way the pendulum swings in education. In â€Å"The Case For and Against Homework† at ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx, Robert J. Marzano and Debra J. Pickering summarize how homework has been accepted or rejected as a good practice since the early 1900s. Reading the summary is enough to give you whiplash: Throughout the first few decades of the 20th century, educators commonly believed that homework helped create disciplined minds. By 1940, growing concern that homework interfered with other home activities sparked a reaction against it. This trend was reversed in the late 1950s when the Soviets launch of Sputnik led to concern that U.S. education lacked rigor; schools viewed more rigorous homework as a partial solution to the problem. By 1980, the trend had reversed again, with some learning theorists claiming that homework could be detrimental to students mental health. Since the 1980s, the campaign to eliminate homework has marched on with the publication of books and articles and op-ed pieces contending that homework is not only useless but harmful. Today, many schools have banned homework completely, instituting a â€Å"no-homework† policy that  teachers must observe in lesson planning and instruction. As always in our profession, however, a change in education theory and best practices is on the horizon. According to Marzano and Pickering, a growing body of research indicates that homework, â€Å"when employed effectively,† is, in fact, useful and that â€Å"doing homework causes improved academic achievement.† Right now, the pro-homework and the anti-homework forces have squared off, dug in, and begun attacking each other’s credibility and research. As the debate rages on, Marzano and Pickering’s phrase, â€Å"when employed effectively,† is important to note because it implies, correctly, that homework should never be assigned without careful thought and planning. Type â€Å"homework† into your favorite search engine, and among the hundreds of articles that pop up you’ll find lots of guidelines, like these: Assign homework that has a legitimate purpose, such as practicing a skill, studying topics that students want to explore on their own, or reading in preparation for instruction. Make sure to consider length and degree of difficulty when designing homework assignments so that students can complete them successfully with reasonable effort.   Keep students’ ages in mind when assigning homework. The older they are, the more likely it is that they will benefit from homework. The younger they are, the less time they should spend on homework and the less likely they are to benefit from it. Since middle school and high school students usually take numerous classes with differentteachers, avoid assigning homework that’s due the following day. Give them some flexibility since they probably have homework deadlines in several classes. Don’t assign homework that’s so difficult or complicated it requires parents to act as tutors. To learn more about effective vs. ineffective homework practices, check out the two user-friendly charts at Reading Rockets: readingrockets.org/article/effective-practices-homework. The charts are part of an article that lists five facts about homework every teacher should read before assigning it. Since at least seven recent studies have shown that homework significantly raises scores on standardized tests, it’s likely that assigning homework will become a â€Å"best practice† once again. Meanwhile, until the dust settles, teachers no doubt will do what teachers always do while the theorists are busy debating how to educate kids. They will use their knowledge, training, experience, creativity, and common sense to find the middle ground where learning takes place steadily and consistently from year to year. So thank goodness for that- and for you! I’ll be back next month with some ideas for second semester. It’s hard to believe that half the school year is over. I hope it’s a great year for you and your students! Happy New Year! Susan