Dynamics Of Globalization Essay

Liberalism usually refers to a wide range of associated ideologies, political traditions, philosophical views and doctrines which oftentimes emphasize individual rights and advocates individual liberty. Liberalism seeks a society distinguished by a freedom of thought for individuals. Embedding it globally of course would propose both advantages and disadvantages which definitely should be weighed first. A body thus is necessary, to weight these advantages and disadvantages, which is comprised of people who don’t â€Å"act† but rather implement for the benefit of a greater number of people if not all without disregarding their freedom. The proposed or depicted main drivers of the anti-globalization backlash should be taken into account before its implementation or execution and certain measures should be done to avoid them, if not totally remove them. The first backlash, the highly unequal distribution of benefits of globalization may be unfair to countries that cannot stand up on its own or is taken advantage of by larger or dominating countries. Globalization may be seen as a way to pursue self-interests and personal goals of one country to the other. It is the objective of the body to make sure that the benefit is received by a larger number of people, if not all. If the body performs poorly and does not overcome the first backlash, then the second backlash may arise and complications would start to pile up. The second backlash, which is activated by a growing imbalance in global rule making, places the implementation of globalization under the scrutiny of all involving countries. It is necessary to create a body that favors the needs of all involving countries and creates programs or projects that negates the first backlash of globalization. The policy or rule-making body or Union of selected countries which was created, must weigh all the needs and woes of the all the countries before creating a rule. Globalization places people at a stand where they are at greater vulnerability in terms of economic instability and social dislocation, sometimes at lightning speed, by unfamiliar and unpredictable forces. The policy or rule-making body or Union should be able to at least create precautionary measures or after measures regarding the unpredictable forces and be able to disseminate information regarding the globalization to the people in order for them to be less vulnerable if not totally invulnerable to economic instability and social dislocation. Globalization, would affect the veracity or integrity of cultures and power of states in one way or the other. Moreover, people would most-likely be confused whether who to turn for when they start to look for jobs or turn to when they need to be heard regarding their woes and needs. It is again the job of the Union to see to it that the people are taken care of and not taken for granted. It is their responsibility to give better and more jobs as globalization starts to be implemented and rise. For an effective globalization, there should be an effective or even distribution of power and benefit, fair global rule making, better information dissemination, greater employment rate, and less vulnerability to economic instability and culture disintegration. As such, a policy or rule-making body of selected countries or representative of all the countries should be created to ensure effective globalization. Kofi Annan’s Global Compact may be able to meet the challenges of globalization and serve as the body that might solve the problem of the backlashes stated. The Global Compact, announced by Kofi Annan in an address to The World Economic Forum on January 31, 1999, is a program to promote businesses globally to assume sustainable and publicly responsible and accountable policies or guidelines, and to account and report on them. Under the Global Compact, companies are conveyed together with labor groups, civil societies and United Nation agencies. The Global Compact, upon its initiation or opening consisted of more than 3,300 companies from all regions of the world and also includes a smaller number of international labor and civil society organizations. The Global Compact, though not a regulatory body, is a forum for dialogues and debates and a system for communication and a pool of messages including governments. It would seek to influence and persuade companies and stand for the stakeholders of civil society organizations. The Global Compact’s objectives are deliberately and purposely flexible and sometimes vague, but it distinguishes the subsequent channels through which it gives facilitation and promotes dialogue. Furthermore, Kofi Annan’s Global Compact has ten principles. These ten principles help in addressing 3 aspects namely, human rights, labor standards, environment and anti-corruption. Globalization’s negative effects or backlashes such as those with regards income, employment, identity and accountability, can be addressed and aided. An example of principle where liberalism is embedded is the principle regarding labor standards. Global Compact states that there is freedom or liberty of organization or union and the effective acknowledgment of the right to collective bargaining. Furthermore, there is the removal of all forms of forced and obligatory labor. Embedding liberalism indeed may help, but I believe that the Global Compact would be is needed and may serve as initiator of an effective Globalization. REFERENCE: Ruggie, John Gerard. â€Å"Taking Embedded Liberalism Global: The Corporate Connection. † (2003).

The Nacirema

In review of the article â€Å"Body Ritual Among the Nacirema† by Horace Miner, this was a very satirical piece on how Native Americans had a very ritualistic approach towards many religious ceremonies and how they interacted with each other at these ceremonies. Horace Miner brought up very appalling view points about the native Americans. The way he worded his synopsis of his studies was very dark and oppressive. Almost making the foreigners to him seem animalistic. When in real life they were doing things such as going to the doctor and getting their teeth cleaned but since he did not know the tools they were using it was foreign to him. This makes me wonder what I actually see in other cultures to be foreign or domestic. I may go to another country in a remote place and see very odd things and maybe be shocked but to those people it is the proven science to survival for them. Also in the satirical aspect of this paper it makes me think of how we should look at people. After reading through the article it seemed that the anthropologist went into this looking for something out of the ordinary. In studying each person seems to look and key on the interesting facts, but if you look to hard and over exaggerate it seems to imbelish what was actually happening. So actually it seems that even though this article was satirical in its purpose it over eggagerated the tools and purposes of medicine practices then and made people appear to be something that they actually were not.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Kind Of Company †Free Samples

There are two types of business forms that can be setup; each form has their own share of advantages and disadvantages. While going forward with this decision of which type of company to choose, the company   client should focus on few thing, which kind of business that it wants to operate, which kind of company will be suitable for that kind of business, the possible advantages and disadvantages of kind of company ,and whether it has the requester funds that might be needed to start such a company. After the client has figured out the required information, it can carry forward with the formation of the company. Below we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each form of company and what will be suitable for the client in the end. A company is the kind of legal entity that is formed as per the regulations under the Corporations Act 2001. A company has its own legal existence and also the identity of its shareholders must be different form its shareholders and directors.à ‚   A company has its own set of rules that must be followed and also if the company does not have its constitution, it goes by the "replaceable rules" of the Corporations Act 2001. A proprietary company is privately held company that can either be limited or unlimited. Such types of companies are present in Australia and South Africa.   A proprietary company is the type of company that is defined under section 45A(1) of the Corporations Act 2001. Such type of companies is required to have not more than 50 members.   These companies are also not allowed to raise funds from the public that is the main issue that is there with private companies, that they cannot raise money from the public.   It cannot engage itself into any activities that can force them to raise money from the public by issuing a prospectus. A prospectus is a document that is issue by the company stating the terms of offer for shares, to raise money from the public, for their business operations.   There are two types of proprietary companies, namely large proprietary company and small proprietary company.   Both are differentiated on the basis of revenue earned and the level of more o perating activities, and the total amount of fund raised by the company.   A proprietary company is classified as small company if it meets the following requirement-   In case of large proprietary companies, they are required to get their books of account audited and also to appoint an auditor for the same. The small companies are required to get their account audited and prepare their financial statements in the same manner, if they are required to do so as per the requirement of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), or in case of a foreign company , shareholders that are holding more than 5 present of the voting power requires to do so. In case of a proprietary company, the liability of the shareholder is restricted to the number of shares raised held by them, which means that they are liable just for that much amount of shares and not for anything beyond that. This is the situation in case of a limited company. When it comes to an unlimited proprietary company, in which there is a share capital, but the only difference is that the liability of the shareholders is not limited. (https://www.afigec.com/, 2017) Another form of company is the public company. This company have no limit on the number of shareholders and can raise money from the public, by issuing prospectus to the public for the issue of shares. The share capital can be divided into shares of particular denomination and then it can be given to the public, to raise money from the same. Most of the existent public companies were previously private companies that have chosen to go public. All the multinational companies are public companies. The main advantages of this kind of companies are- they have an access to the equity fund market ,a s well as the debt market to raise the requisite amount of fund, for their companies.   They can also additional shares in the public to raise money after the initial offering. That is the kind of many advantages that a public companies has , the area of operation is also large and the total amount of money involved in such kind of companies is also large, so if the client is having so much f unds, they can go ahead with such kind of companies.   The main disadvantages with this kind of business are that there is a lot of control issues involved with the same. And also there are a lot of regulations that a company has to abide by the various government regulations. A public company must have to meet the various government regulations requirements  Ã‚   and the various reporting requirements that the company must abide by. There is also lack of control, because there are so many shareholders, so it is not possible to establish authority in such type of company. (Asic.gov.au, 2017) There are various regulations and other government disclosures that the company needs to comply with, that are the main requirements that the company must need to follow that. The client needs to take decision based on the kind of business operations that the kind of company that they need.   Both of the same have their own share of their advantages and disadvantages and on the basis of the same, the client needs to take the decision the kind of company it wants to establish. (www.nfplawyers.com.au, 2017) Asic.gov.au. (2017). How to start a company | ASIC - Australian Securities and Investments Commission. [online] Available at: https://asic.gov.au/for-business/starting-a-company/how-to-start-a-company/ [Accessed 27 May 2017]. Incorporator.com.au. (2017). Incorporator.com.au - Proprietary company compared with Public Company (Australia). [online] Available at: https://www.incorporator.com.au/l3/21_01_Proprietary_company_compared_with_Public_Company_Australia.asp [Accessed 27 May 2017]. www.nfplawyers.com.au. (2017). Checklist-to-establish-a-Public-Company-Limited-by-Guarantee. [online] Available at: https://www.nfplawyers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Checklist-to-establish-a-Public-Company-Limited-by-Guarantee.pdf [Accessed 27 May 2017]. Registeracompany.com.au. (2017). Company basics - Register a Company Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.registeracompany.com.au/faq/company-basics.cfm [Accessed 27 May 2017]. https://www.afigec.com/. (2017). company-formation-in-Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.afigec.com/data/en/pdf/142/company-formation-in-australia.pdf [Accessed 27 May 2017].

Gap Year, Working Experience, and Competition Essay

Gap Year, Working Experience, and Competition - Essay Example I believe attending college immediately can prove to be more beneficial since it can provide the students with a better opportunity to build a career and increase their skills and earnings. If a student decides to take a â€Å"gap year† or more time before going to college, he will lose the determination and enthusiasm to carry on with his studies. One might consider himself â€Å"too old† to enroll in a college and therefore will lose the chance of building a strong career. Majority of the students lose the opportunity of obtaining a scholarship right after their high school that can be very beneficial in helping them with the tuition fee and other finances of the college. As Nancy Sylvester states â€Å"if a student finds that he qualifies for a grant, he might decide to give college a try. The money can make a difference† Most importantly the knowledge gained from high school would still be fresh in the student’s mind and so he would be able to make use of it in college education. If a student enrolls in college right after the completion of high school, he would have no difficulty in socializing and interacting with his fellow students since they will be of the same age. Group 2: Process Analysis and Narration (1) In approximately 200–350 words, using process analysis and narration techniques, explain how best to ready oneself for an interview With a cut throat competition for jobs in today’s world, qualifying an interview is more vital than it had ever been. The crucial meeting in person with your employer is an individual’s best chance to prove his worth therefore one should try his best to get ready for an interview. Firstly, research the corporation or the institution in advance and try to incorporate that information at some point in the meeting. This will enhance the candidate’s credibility with the person taking the interview and will assist the candidate to form intellectual queries to inquire from the interviewer. As according to Matthew J.Delcua â€Å"since you have taken time to consider how you present yourself, †¦ it is only fair for you to evaluate how the organization presents itself† Secondly get ready to answer some frequently asked questions that interviewer is expected to inquire, for example the weaknesses and strength of the candidate, the reason for applying in a specific corporation and an explanation as to why the employer should hire the applicant. Thirdly one should try to get references from important people like managers, colleagues and professors. Then the applicant must organize the important documents such as resume, collection of one’s work etc so to present them to the interviewer. Most importantly the applicant should dress properly and look professional. For the interview one should arrive at least 15 minutes earlier and remain confident as every interview is an experience to learn and even if one doesn’t get accepted h e will be more prepared the next time. Group 3: Narration and Persuasion   In approximately 200–350 words, using persuasive (argument) techniques, convince a friend or relative that dogs or cats (you must choose one) make better pets. Majority of the people would consent with a fact that keeping a pet is a magnificent experience. However, some pets need plenty of maintenance as dogs bark and require considerable time devotion on one’

Environment Factors Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environment Factors - Research Paper Example A business environment is the collection of factors that affects the operations of a business. Business environment can further be categorized into external and internal factors. The success of a company is evaluated by its ability to utilize its business environment. This paper will, therefore, analyze the business environment of the Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola success story begun in Atlanta, Georgia, before the drink became a major drink in the global market (Stonebtb, 2010). Venturing into the global market created a new set of problems for the company that could only be overcome through an appropriate combination of various factors within its business environment. Global marketing involves complex processes due to the number of parties involved in the distribution of goods and services. Global economic interdependency is viewed as a remedy to the complexity of international trade. Currently, Coca-Cola has associate firms in different countries that market or produce Coca-Col a products. This phenomenon is a form of international interdependence. International interdependence is, however, subjected to international business law and restrictions. Most countries have laws or policies that are aimed at protecting local businesses and industries. These laws are meant to create a balanced relationship between foreign companies and the mother company. Global interdependence has also contributed to the growth of the Coca-Cola Company by enabling it to acquire a firm foundation within host countries. On the other hand, trade practices and policies regulate relationship between beneficiary firms and the mother company by ensuring equitable distribution of proceeds. Demographic and physical infrastructures of a firm have a great impact in the development of a company. Currently the company has various brands that are associated with different demographic groups within a given society. Different packaging and flavors of soft drinks produced by the company identifiy these brands. The company has different packaging for various groups within the society. Different packaging and brands names are also associated with different genders within different societies. Consequently, different flavors of soft drinks produced by the company define the demographic characteristics of the consumers. These demographic infrastructures strengthen the company’s brand. In addition, the company demographic infrastructure creates or enables the customers to identify themselves with various brands that the company produces. Coca Cola’s physical infrastructure includes production facilities and units in different countries across the globe. The company has also a satellite connected communication facility that alleviates global communication and networking. Due to its scope of operation, the company considers culture as an important aspect of strategic management. The company markets its products across different cultures and this creates the needs for cultural sensitivity. In addition, the company employs a large number of employees from different cultural background. The Hofstede’s cultural dimension index has been useful to the company in determining the different roles to be assigned to members of different societies working within the company. Cultural differences within the company have, therefore, enabled the company to acquire a global

Political Science- Middle Eastern Politics Essay

Political Science- Middle Eastern Politics - Essay Example There are two main answers to this difficult question. The first is perhaps the best. If Iraq asks for U.S. combat troops beyond 2011, America should agree, creating several rapid reaction forces, not numbering more than 20,000 soldiers, to help with problems that may arise. The hard part of implementing this policy will be selling it to both the American and Iraqi public. The second option the U.S. could pursue is to create a staging ground for a rapid reaction force outside of Iraq, perhaps in Saudi Arabia, which could be used in cases of emergency. Both potential strategies will be briefly discussed below. Many American lives have been lost in Iraq, and a great deal of money has been spent. It is tempting, now that violence has been dramatically reduced, to wash our hands of the issue. But the possibility remains that Iraq could revert to a chaotic situation and that we must not allow this to happen. The American Defence Secretary Robert Gates recently signalled that the Obama adm inistration would be willing to continue keeping combat troops in Iraq after 2011 if asked by the Iraqi government. The military commander in Iraq, General Austin agreed there may be a need for this: Speaking to a group of reporters travelling with Gates, Austin gave the strong impression that he thinks Iraq needs a U.S. military presence beyond December, but he said he had not yet been asked to provide a recommendation to Washington. He said Iraq faced the possibility of a "more violent environment" next year, given the absence of U.S. military force and the failure to resolve key political problems, like the Kurd-Arab tensions in Kirkuk and elsewhere in the north (NPR). The willingness is there among policymakers, but the largest problem would be convincing the American public that this was necessary. Strategically, this is one of the more difficult parts of the plan. Americans are sick and tired of Iraq. They want nothing more to do with it. While Republicans would probably side with Obama, it will be politically difficult for him to convince anti-war Democrats to permit American combat troops to stay in Iraq. Obama has already alienated left-wing Democrats with a number of his policies; facing reelection 2012, he might be loath to further enrage them, potentially inviting a primary challenge from the left. While the politics of this choice make it strategically difficult, it may be the only good option. Another strategy would involve refusing combat troops in Iraq, and creating a rapid reaction force nearby, in another country. There are problems with this idea, however. America is already committed to having a major diplomatic presence in Iraq after 2011. According to a recent Senate report: â€Å"The diplomatic mission that remains will be an initiative of unprecedented size and complexity, currently projected to consist of some 17,000 individuals on 15 different sites, including 3 air hubs, 3 police training centers, 2 consulates, 2 embassy branch offi ces, and 5 Office of Security Cooperation sites† (Senate Report, 2). Without a security presence, it will be very difficult to sustain this kind of operation. It may be in America's own interest, as much as the Iraqi's, to have a combat force in Iraq. American diplomatic operations will certainly attract fire in the years ahead, and it will be hard to trust the Iraqi army to properly provide security. Having a

Women and the Public Sphere in the Age of the French Revolution by Essay - 1

Women and the Public Sphere in the Age of the French Revolution by Joan Landes - Essay Example She based her arguments on the fact that women were not excluded incidentally but rather central to an incarnation of the public sphere since their participation in politics broke up once they demanded rights as citizens of the new republic. The female image in this context constructs a specific sort of national identity. In her book, Landes was concerned with France and its revolution, which was regarded as an advancement period for men, doing no good to women. During this age, the republican ideology of universal and equal citizenship created a danger to patriarchal supremacy; a sharper division of gender and forceful gendering of split spheres neutralized this threat. During the ancient regime, aristocratic salonnieres and women of the court influenced politics and could participate in public debates. In contrast to the new republic, women were barred from the bourgeois civic sphere and their voices prohibited. They were perceived to be irrational, motivated by personal emotions, and specific preferences practiced through bedroom or backstairs influence, would distort the public sphere expected to be neutral and concerned with the common good. Private sphere acted as the dominion of particularism, feminine, and emotion, while the public sphere was characterized by universality, masculinity, and reason. Moreover, republican dialogue downgraded females’ local sphere such that, duty to the state was prioritized than family loyalty. Landes gave an example of Wollstonecraft, a radical woman who failed to challenge these ideologies; she approved a masculine public sphere conception and offered women a chance to enter it, particularly through assuming masculine features. Her aim was to enlighten men to take an initiative in allowing women to participate in politics as she noted that women could not speak as citizens devoid of their womanhood. The arguments in this book has contributed

REFLECTION PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

REFLECTION PAPER - Essay Example The White supremacists used violence against striking slaves and imposed laws that required the states to arrest all escaping slaves. At the end of slavery, the White supremacists felt threatened and Jim Crow laws that provided for ‘separate but equal’ doctrine were passed in order to maintain White dominance in the society (Brown and Webb 47). The Jim Crow laws enforced segregation that required the separation of Whites and Blacks in public places and prohibited intermarriages. The draconian and unjust laws applied to the public transport system, education system and restaurants thus creating wrong perceptions that blacks were inferior to Whites (Brown and Webb 34). The white women were considered to models of modesty, self-control and self-respect. On the other hand, the black women were stereotyped as seductive, lewd and tempting and their misconceived insatiable desire for sex made them ideal for prostitution. In this case, such stereotypes later led to sexual harassments in other places such as workplace. The scantily dressed black women were stereotyped as lustful and lacking civility. The Blacks were not regarded as citizens and thus were not entitled to protection or respect while the Whites enjoyed higher standards of living due to access to economic opportunities (Brown and Webb 78). The blacks had no freedom of speech, faith, though and right to enter in to contracts and thus were perceived as inferior to the other races in the society. For instance, the Naturalization Act of 1790 only allowed the ‘free white persons’ to become citizens and excluded the racialized minorities (Brown and Webb 37). Accordingly, American women were forbidden to marry aliens since they would automatically lose their citizenship in the early decades of 20th century. The blacks had not civil rights or right to own any property and were barred from obtaining redress against any action of their white masters. Although the Negro Suffrage and Social Equality of 1868

The Tremendous Impact of Global Financial Crisis Essay

The Tremendous Impact of Global Financial Crisis - Essay Example Although the world is yet to recover from the financial crisis, studies show that the main cause emanates from the misunderstanding of its roots (CrÄÆ'ciun & Ochea, 2014). Six years down the line, the effects of the financial crisis are still present as if it was just yesterday. Most of the affected nations, especially in Europe are still grappling with the effect that came along with the crash. Studies show that there were several factors associated with the crash. One of the most recognized causes of the financial crisis was bursting of the US housing bubble. This was due to the laxity in the loan policies, whereby it was quite easy to obtain loans such as mortgage auto and credit card (The Economist, 2013). This, later on, resulted in financial institutions, which had expected a positive income, ending up with huge losses and debts. The decline in the prices also caused homes worth less than mortgage loans to be forced to financial incentives in order to qualify for foreclosure. Studies showed that the crisis was avoidable since the main reasons behind the crash were financial regulation failures by institutions such as banks and governments. Another reason is the dramatic collapse of corporate governance, which was because of the reckless manner in which financial institutions were behaving (Shun, 2013). For instance, financial institutions were involving themselves in risky affairs whereby they would take part in excessive borrowing patterns hence putting the financial system in direct collision with the crisis (Shun, 2013). Apart from financial institutions risky affairs, another reason behind the crisis is ill-preparedness by nations on matters relating to the financial crisis. Key policymakers in most of the affected states never saw the crisis approaching due to the lack of full knowledge of the financial systems.

Teachers Essay Example for Free

Teachers Essay William Arthur ward once said, â€Å"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. [This is an excellent way to start off your essay! This quote is sure to grab your readers’ attention. ] William Arthur Ward greatly inspired the classifications I chose to use in this essay; dedicated teachers or â€Å"great† teachers, typical or â€Å"good† teachers, and undedicated or â€Å"bad† teachers. While there are many qualities of a dedicated teacher; the one quality that stands out is their unshakeable passion for their work. These teachers are often referred to as great teachers; this is because great teachers are dedicated teachers. Teachers that are dedicated set a positive example for their students. [When you’re talking about a person, it’s better to say who than that. ] This is the teacher that motivates his or her students, making them want to succeed in the classroom. This teacher has to be a problem solver and understand the students helping students with their daily lives. He or she also sets out to broaden their student’s perspective and often succeeds because he or she has the respect of his or her students. A dedicated teacher never lets a student’s limitations to stop them from succeeding and reaching their goals and full potential creating high expectations for his or her students. A dedicated teacher has an impeccable understanding of the subject he or she teaches. This is likely the subject he or she majored in in college. The typical teachers are teachers are â€Å"good† teachers. These are teachers that like their job. They do their job well and enjoy their work; however, unlike the dedicated teachers they do not go above and beyond their job. Can you give your readers an example of what going above and beyond the job might entail? ] The students learn the material; although, this type of teacher does not try to create fun and creative ways for the students to learn. The students of a good teacher are generally well behaved. A typical teacher does not get too involved in a student’s life and is only concerned with the student during school or class hours. A typical teacher will set common goals for his or her students, pushing them to be good, but not great. A typical teacher will stick to the lesson plan, often times not taking the time to teach students lessons about life. [Would you say, then, that one of the important characteristics of a very good teacher is that he or she teaches students about more than just the subject matter? That would be a very good thing to talk about in your introduction and conclusion. ] Typical teachers have a good understanding of the subject they’re teaching. Undedicated teachers often referred to as â€Å"bad teachers are simply not dedicated, often seen as lazy, unconcerned, or uncaring. I’m not sure about the word undedicated—it is a real word, but it sounds a bit awkward. Could you substitute a different word instead? ] This type of teacher sees teaching more as occupation seeing it as just a paycheck. Teaching is not where these teachers passion is. They went into teaching for all the wrong reasons or lost their passion for teaching. Teachers that are undedicated do just enough to meet the criteria, but do not go above and beyond. Teachers that are undedicated do not push their students and do not have high expectations for their students. They also do not help their students with problems in or outside the classroom. [This is something that you also mentioned when talking about good teachers. It would be a good idea to take a moment in this paragraph to set down exactly what the difference is between a good (but not great) teacher and a bad teacher is. ] These teachers often have very few or no rules that they expect their students to follow. The undetermined teacher presents the information to his or her students, but not in creative ways to get the student interested. Undedicated teachers often leave their students uninspired or uninterested feeling as if they have wasted their time being in class because the teacher has failed to inspire or interest them. Undedicated teachers may just be undedicated because they are not passionate about the certain subject they are teaching. Teachers can be dedicated, typical, or undedicated. Dedicated teachers are passionate about teaching. Typical teachers enjoy their job, but do not go above and beyond. Undedicated teachers see teaching as more of an occupation instead of a passion. Based on these qualities, what teacher do you have?

Catcher In Rye: Obsession On Childhood

Catcher In Rye: Obsession On Childhood In the novel The in the Rye, J.D. Salinger creates a fictional character, Holden, who refuses to grow up and preserve his innocence because he is obsessed on childhood. Holden chooses to be stuck between the innocent world of childhood and the complex world of adulthood. For instance, Holden detailed his two siblings, Allie and Phoebe, as if he idolizes them because of their youth. Throughout the novel, Holden struggles in his life because he cant accept the responsibilities and consequences tied to adulthood. Holden Caulfield is a 16-year old boy who refuses to accept the responsibilities of an adult. So, Holden refuses to grow up and act matured. For example, in the beginning of the novel the readers were informed about Holdens expulsion from Pencey Prep School. However, Holden is more afraid of what his parents reaction will be and afraid of facing the consequences of his expulsion. So, he refuses to go home and confront his parents. He says, I didnt want to go home or anything till they got it and thoroughly digested it and all (51). This shows the immature side of Holden. Instead of explaining to his family why he flunked school, he chooses not to because he thought that his mother will be hysterical to him, My mother gets very hysterical (51). Asides from being immature, Holden is also afraid of talking to people close to him because he is afraid of something inappropriate theyll say about him. This explains his lack of interaction with Jane Gallagher, the girl Holden spent with one summer, the only reason why I didnt do it [calling Jane] was because I wasnt in the mood (63). His lack of interaction with the people he knew makes him interact with the people he doesnt know. Like when he talked to a cab driver about the ducks in the lagoon and ask where they go during winter, You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South? (60). Even though its a nonsense question, he still asked the driver about the ducks. He thinks that the cab driver, or any random people, would not judge him which gives him the courage to talk randomly and to lie to random people. Holden lies most of the time to get someones attention. This is one way Holden shows transition towards adulthood. Even if Holden chooses to stay in the world of innocence, his thoughts and actions show some transition to adulthood. For example in chapter 13 when the elevator boy offers Holden a prostitute girl, he says yes and acts like he had slept with someone else before. However he says that he is still a virgin , If you want to know the truth, Im a virgin (92), and when he comes pretty close to doing it with a girl and she says stop he stops, she keeps telling you to stop, The problem with me is, I stop (92). This shows a transition of Holdens sexual desire; however, he struggles dealing with it. Another example of Holden is stuck between the childhood and adulthood world is when he is in the lavender room. When he sees the three ladies at the next table, he gives them an old eye a little bit (69). When Holden finally meet them, he told them that he just saw Gary Cooper, the movie star, on the other side of the floor (74). His actions show that he is trying to impress the three ladies like an adult man by giving them old eye glances and impressing them by lying. At the end of the chapter, after hanging out with the three girls, they left Holden with the bill to pay, I think they shouldve at least offered to pay for the drinks they had before I joined them (75). Due to his innocence and being a trying hard social climber, he ends up being the stupid one and easy to trick with. Another example is Holdens concern towards the ducks in the lagoon. He says I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go. I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered of some guy came in a truck and took them to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away (13). The ducks symbolizes Holden. He is wondering where hes going to go in his life especially when things get icy and frozen. He is wondering if there will be some one to guide him or if he will just fly away. The lagoon, on the other hand, symbolizes his life. In Chapter 20, when he finds the lagoon he says it was pretty frozen and partly not frozen (154). The transition of lake from frozen to not frozen is like Holdens transition from childhood to adulthood. The frozen part shows that Holden hates changes. For instance, when Holden is in the Museum of Natural History he says that he likes the museum because it never changes, the only thing that change is you, Nobodyd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you (121). Just like his obsession, he doesnt want to change and stays as a child to preserve his innocence. He sees his siblings as his inspiration for his obsession. Throughout the novel, Holden always describes his sibling as nice, responsible, smart children. This gives the reader another reason of Holdens obsession of preserving his innocence. He sees innocence through his siblings. In chapter 5, Holden describes Allie, his dead little brother, as fifty times as intelligent (38) than him. He exaggerates that Allies is so smart. In chapter 10, Holden describes Phoebe as a little kid so pretty and smart (67). He also convinces the readers that the readers would like her (67). This shows a reason why he wanted to stay like a child is to be like by everyone. Holden convinces the reader that both of his siblings are smart and everyone likes them. In Chapter 23, Holdens mother gave Phoebe a goodnight kiss and said goodnight to her. All of a sudden, Holden started to cry, Then, all of a sudden, I started to cry (179). This gives the readers an idea that one reason why he wanted to preserve innocence is he wanted to feel to be love and to feel the car e of his love ones especially from his mother that he never felt before. He idolizes Allie and Phoebe because his parents give them so much attention, love and care. For Allie, they always visit his grave, my parents go out quite frequently and stick a bunch of flowers on old Allies grave (155), and because Holden have a lousy childhood (1), he his jealous of his siblings because they get the attention, care, and love from their parents that hes been longing for so long. However, his treatment towards his siblings, and children, doesnt influence his jealousy. In fact, he wanted to be the catcher in the rye to protect them from adulthood. Due to Holdens obsession in preserving innocence, Holden chooses to be the catcher in the rye (173). He wanted to catch the children, who are playing in a field of rye, from falling off the cliff. The field of rye symbolizes the childhood world, a world that is full of children playing, while the cliff symbolizes adulthood. Holden doesnt want the children to struggle in life, like he is dealing with. He wanted children to stay children and preserve their innocence because he doesnt want them to fall in the corrupted and complicated world of adulthood. In chapter 25, Holden tries to erase the Fuck you word written in the wall of an elementary school, but I rubbed it out anyway, though. (201). Holden tries to protect the children from reading the swear word that could poison their mind. The red hunting hat is another symbolism of innocence in the novel. Holden always wear the red hunting hat to protect himself from the hunter, the society. He gave the hunting hat to Phoebe, she took of f my red hunting hat the one I gave her (207), to protect her from the society. He wanted Phoebe to have her innocence as long as she needed it. Erasing the swear on the wall and protecting Phoebe from the society are Holdens ways of protecting the children from jumping off the cliff. However, at the end of the novel, Holden learns to let go of his obsession. When Holden and Phoebe visit the zoo, they see a carrousel which Holden usually ride when he was younger. But this time Holden decided not ride the carrousel, instead, he decided to seat down and watch Phoebe ride the carrousel, I went over and sat down on this bench, and she went and got on the carrousel (221). This shows that finally Holden let go of his childish desire of preserving the innocence and being a child as long as he could be. Holden also stops his ambition of being the catcher in the rye when he sees the children reaching out for the gold ring in the carrousel. He says if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, that fall off (211). This shows that Holden finally given up from saving the kids from falling to adulthood. The gold ring symbolizes adulthood, which Holden didnt do anything to stop the children from reaching it. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is obsessed in preserving his innocence. Holden cannot accept the responsibilities and consequences associated with adulthood. He tries to run away from the people he knew and focuses his attentions to the people he did not know. Holden is stuck between the world of innocence and the world of adulthood. Without even noticing it, he tries to act and think like an adult. Holden is also jealous of his two little siblings because they get most of the attention, care, and love of their parents that he has never felt before. He wanted to preserve his innocence to feel the love from his parents that he has been longing for so long. Due to his obsession of preserving his innocence, he wishes to be the catcher in the rye to protect the children from falling off the cliff. He finds the adult world corrupted and poisonous. However, in the end of the novel, Holden finally let go of his obsession and decided to act as an adult. Even though he struggles in his life and finds adulthood complicates, corrupted, and poisonous he decided to come out of his box to evolve, explore, and experience what the world could offer.

Plato :: essays research papers

As a psyche in the ancient Greek cosmos, I have become aware of the logos of the cosmos. The cosmos becomes knowable to me through the virtues of truth, goodness, and beauty. Logos is Greek for measure and cosmos, a Greek word, can be translated as meaning totality. When I encounter the Greeks, they claim that there are three elements to cosmos. The first factor is anthrapoi which is Greek for human-like. The word anthrapoi resembles the English word, anthropology, which is the study of human life. The second element is polis, which is Greek for the political city. The final element is the psyche, which in Greek means the soul or the mind. The psyche enables thinking. According to the Greeks, there is no separation; there is only unification between mind and thoughts, which is the psyche part of things in the world. One Greek philosopher, Parmenides posits that to think is the same as to be and that knowledge is certainty. Like Descartes, Parmendies believes that to know is to know with certainty. However, Descartes’ method of attaining knowledge is through doubt, whereas Parmendies’ manner is through identifying with the circumstance. One can associate Parmendies’ definition of knowledge as being eternal, unchanging, single, and homogeneous. Parmendies lays out the two requirements for achieving knowledge both which involve the psyche. The first requirement is that one cannot be completely certain of knowledge obtained through the senses because the things that one senses are constantly changing. Moreover, the idea that the senses are in a states of flux concurs with his notion of knowledge is unchangeable. His second necessity is that since senses give relativism then sense perception will always be changing. Parmendies also claims that the only world that truly exists is the world that occurs. Present in his theories are two realms, the Realm of Nous (Greek), which can be translated into English as reality or knowledge and the Realm of Soma which is Greek for appearances. Characteristics existent in the Realm of Reality are changeless, immutable, individual, homogeneous, and singular. On the contrary, in the Realm of Appearance are factors that are plural, heterogeneous, and changeable. When Parmendies exists and is in being, he is in the Realm of Reality, also referred to as the Realm of Knowledge. In addition, the only thing he is certain of is in his mind or psyche. Therefore, Parmendies definition is only applied in the Realm of the Mind.

Is Gambling Good? Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After many years of being confined to Nevada, the gambling industry has started appearing in new locations. Of course, this is expansion is not supported by everyone. In some locations, the government allows casinos on Indian reservations and â€Å"river boat casinos.† Certain governments, such as the state of Nevada, allow gambling in all parts of the state. Originally, gambling was only legal in Nevada. The other locations are fairly recent and many other local governments are considering legalizing gambling in their cities or states. Gambling is like any other business: there are sellers and there are buyers. No one is forced to participate in the transaction, but many people still oppose gambling in their communities. In this paper, I will discuss why, according to economics, gambling should be legalized and some reasons why gambling has not been legalized everywhere. Many people believe that gambling should be legalized everywhere. It is simply a business. There are people that would like to sell gambling services and there are people that would like to buy gambling services. Neither party is losing from the transaction. The casino operators are gaining from the transaction because they would like to make profits, just like any other business. Realistically, the gamblers are most likely losing money, but they are choosing to risk their money at the casinos. The gamblers are gaining because they would like to gamble and be a part of the casino environment. The gambling market follows the laws of supply and demand, just like every other business market. If the casino owners ask too high of a price for their services, people will not buy them. There are always other casinos that people can go to if one casino were to charge higher rates. Casinos must compete with each other just like any other business. Casinos can also be a large source of tax reve nue for local governments and it can provide jobs for members of the local communities. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Rob Pitts, the Fulton County Commissioner, believes that â€Å"†¦gambling could generate more than $200 million a year in tax revenue and add 4,000 jobs in Georgia.† There is one type of gambling that is already available in most states - the lottery. This type of gambling is regulated by the government and is accepted by the general public. The state usually pu... ...lth. It's not the panacea that it is presented as.† In conclusion, gambling is just like any other business: there are buyers and there are sellers. There are potential good points to legalizing gambling, but there are also some drawbacks. The gambling industry can create tax revenue and jobs for local communities, make money for the casino owners, and allow people to gamble safely. However, some people that gamble should probably not be gambling. Casinos outside of Nevada are often found in poorer cities. Personally, if I had the choice, I would vote against gambling in my community. Bibliography Arvidson, Erik. State lawmakers remain wary of casinos. 2 Nov. 2003. Berkshire Eagle Online. 2 Nov. 2003 . Riverboat Gambling. JobMonkey.com. 07 Dec. 2003 . Hoeschen, Brad. Potawatomi courting businesses for casino expansion plan. 1 Aug. 1997. The Business Journal. 7 Dec. 2003 . Schenke, Jarred. Pitts will ask state to OK gambling. 27 Oct. 2003. Atlanta Business Chronicle. 2 Nov. 2003 . Study: Poor players spend most on Md. lottery. 20 Oct. 2003. The News Journal. 2 Nov. 2003 . MacQuarrie, Brian. $650m resort, casino plan divides Maine. 12 Oct. 2003. The Boston Globe. 2 Nov. 2003 .

The Story of Medusa :: essays research papers

There are many variations of the story of Medusa. Yet, I find this one more detailed and precise. Medusa is apart of the chain of Greek Mythology, these stories, or legends are not real and usually said to get a point across, or entertainment. Medusa also shows the relationship the society had with women at that time. Medusa was a Gorgon, The Gorgon's where three sisters, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. Their names where Stethno, Euryale, and Medusa. Stethno and Euryale where immortal, however Medusa was a mortal. The three sisters where known to be so ugly, if anyone looked at them they would be killed instantly. Medusa was a Queen who reigned in the land around Tritons in Libya. She used to be a beautiful Maiden and Triton fell in love with her. Medusa, after her encounter with Triton, Athena, turned into an ugly woman with snakes as hair, and anyone that looked upon her would turn into stone. Medusa had this spell cast upon her by Athena because, Medusa and Poseidon where caught sleeping together in one of Athena's temples. Athena then became very angry and in her rage, turned Medusa into an ugly woman. Thus, as the story goes Perseus (the son of Andromeda and Zeus), is assigned to assassinate Medusa. He kills her by coming to her in her sleep, then using a mirror looks to see her face, careful not to look at her, he cuts her head off. The blood that splurged from her neck made the country of Libya infested, because her blood turned into snakes. It is also said that Heracles is said to have obtained a lock of Medusa's hair, which possessed the same power as her head, from Athena. He gave it to Sterope, the daughter of Cepheus, as protection for the town of Tegea against attack. When exposed to view, the lock was supposed to bring on a storm, which put the enemy to flight. In my mind Medusa has many different symbolic qualities.

Direct & Indirect Cost in Retail Essay

What is an indirect cost? Indirect costs represent the expenses of doing business that are not readily identified with a particular grant, contract, project function, or activity, but are necessary for the general operation of the organization and the conduct of activities it performs. In theory, costs like heat, light, accounting, and personnel might be charged directly if little meters could record minutes in a cross-cutting manner. However, this is not practical; therefore cost allocation plans or indirect cost rates are used to distribute those indirect expenditures. Typically, salaries and expenses for auditing, budgeting, payroll, personnel, purchasing, etc. are examples of costs that are considered to be indirect costs. What is the indirect cost rate? The indirect cost rate is the maximum percent of dollars the district can expend from state and federal grants for administrative costs. Indirect cost rates (limits) ensure that state and federal moneys are expended for intended uses and for allowable costs, including expenditures directly traceable to the program (direct expenditures) plus a limited allowance for overhead or indirect expenditures. A â€Å"fixed with carry-forward† indirect cost rate is calculated for each district for all of its restricted federal grants and another â€Å"fixed with carry-forward† indirect cost rate is calculated for all of its unrestricted federal grants. Rates are individually computed for each district and are unique to each district. What does fixed with carry-forward mean? A fixed with carry-forward provision is a rate computed and fixed for a specified future period based on an estimate of that period’s level of operations. However, when the actual costs of that period become known, the difference between the estimated costs and the actual costs is carried forward as an adjustment to a subsequent period for which a rate is established. Indirect rates calculated on the 06-07 F-196 were used in 08-09 (2 year lag). Therefore, if a district’s rate on the 06-07 F-196 was 5.4%, the district could have used a maximum 5.4% indirect rate during the 08-09 school year. But, if at the end of FY 08-09, the rate calculated on the F-196 was only 4.2%, the subsequent indirect rate will be adjusted for the difference and the district will use the adjusted rate for the 2010-11 school year. The rate calculated on the 08-09 F-196 is the rate your district will use in 2010-11. This is the rate provided to iGRANTS. How can a grantee distinguish between a direct cost and an indirect cost? There is no universal rule for classifying costs as direct or indirect. Generally speaking, a direct cost is one that is incurred specifically for one activity. Indirect costs are more general in nature and are incurred for the benefit of several activities. Once a grantee makes an election and treats a given cost as direct or indirect, it must apply that treatment consistently and may not change during the fiscal year. What does organization-wide costs mean? Generally, direct administration costs differ from indirect charges in that the indirect charges are considered organization-wide costs. This means costs which are related to maintaining operations as a business concern but not costs that finance the delivery of services that provide a part of its specific mission. The regulations describe accounting, payroll, and personnel management as examples of organizational disciplines that every grantee or any organization must have. When making a determination as to whether a cost is organization-wide, the question to be answered is: â€Å"Is this cost incurred for general management purposes or does the cost further functions that are the mission of the organization?†

Role of It in Travel and Tourism Industry

IT in travel ROLE OF IT IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY GROUP – BK Rajnikant Patel- 111 Dr. Sushant Patel- 112 Rachita Patnaik- 113 Yashasvi Patravali- 114 Navjot Singh- 115 Preview IT has touched every aspect of commerce and turned those industries into gold mines. Travel & tourism industry is also one of those which IT has not spared. And how it has brought about transformation and revolution will be seen in the due course of the presentation. Let me first introduce you to the travel and tourism industry at large, and the focus is particularly on the Indian travel and tourism industry as a subset of the global tourism market. India has been ranked 12th in Asia and 68th in the world as per the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011 by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Tourism in  India  is the largest service industry, with a contribution of 6. 23% to the  national GDP and 8. 78% of the total employment in India. The tourism industry in India generated foreign exchange of about US $ 136 billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to US $ 275. 5 billion by 2018 at a 9. 4% annual growth rate. Maharashtra,  Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh  and Rajasthan  are the top 5 states to receive inbound tourists. A new growth sector in Indian tourism is Medical  Tourism. Medical tourism is essentially foreign tourist cum patients coming to India and seeking medical treatment. It is currently growing at around 30% per annum. It generated $ 9 Billion in 2010. The reason behind such a rapid growth in medical tourism is the fact that India offers hi tech medical treatments at a very cheap price. Giving you an example, if a bypass surgery here costs around Rs. 2 lac, exactly the same procedure with the same instruments and materials will cost you 30000 dollars in the U. S. , i. e. Rs. 15 lac. The tourism industry in India has also helped growth in other sectors as diverse as horticulture, handicrafts, agriculture and even construction. Coming to IT in tourism, when information technology is used in travel and tourism industry, it leads to the emergence of a whole new parameter called eTourism. eTourism reflects the digitisation of all processes and value chains in the tourism, travel, hospitality & catering industries. eTourism is the leading B2C application, i. e. business to customer application and it comprises of almost 40% of all B2C eCommerce. Gone are the days when you would wait for the customers to come to you. In this era of fierce competition, you have to reach to the customers before someone else does. 60% of all tourists use internet to get information on destinations. So here we realize how essential information and communication technology is in today’s travel and tourism industry. eAirlines Till a few years ago, the basic sources of information in the tourism sector were pamphlets, brochures, directories, guide books, etc. produced and published by different countries. The last few decades witnessed the application of computer and communication technologies in the field of tourism. Two distinct streams of information sources viz, (i) online and (ii) offline came into existence. Core results regarding ICT-related developments in the aviation industry: E-Ticketing: The elimination of traditional paper-based tickets is one of the core elements of the low-cost business model. Yet, e-ticketing is not limited to the so called â€Å"no-frills† airlines. The adoption of e-ticketing is increasingly pursued also by network carriers. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) intends to achieve a 100% penetration of e-ticketing among its members by the end of 2007. Customer self-service: Another measure for cost reduction and the acceleration of passenger flows at airports is to introduce customer self-service check-in solutions. This may be done on the spot by self-service kiosks or in the form of web based check-ins, which may even allow users to check-in from home or their office. Bar-coded boarding passes offer a natural link with e-ticketing and self-service check-in. Most recently, it has become possible not only to print boarding passes at the passenger’s home, but also to place bar codes on the passenger’s cell phone, thus making paper documents obsolete. RFID for luggage handling might replace classical baggage tags in the near future. It might simplify airline luggage management considerably, improve customer service in terms of reductions in mishandled luggage, and provide new security mechanisms. Computer Reservations System (CRS) A computer reservations system (or central reservation system) (CRS) is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel. Originally designed and operated by airlines, CRSes were later extended for the use of travel agencies. Major CRS operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as global distribution systems (GDS). Airlines have divested most of their direct holdings to dedicated GDS companies, who make their systems accessible to consumers through Internet gateways. Modern GDSes typically allow users to book hotel rooms and rental cars as well as airline tickets. They also provide access to railway reservations in some markets although these are not always integrated with the main system. Global Distribution Systems (GDS) Major CRS operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as global distribution systems (GDS). Modern GDSes typically allow users to book hotel rooms and rental cars as well as airline tickets. GDS distribute more than one CRS to users who are travel agents. GDS require massive investment because they are large computer system that link several airlines and travel principals into complex network of PCs, telecommunications and large mainframe system. Some leading GDS are Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo and WorldSpan are travel agents. eHospitality Hotels use ICTs in order to improve their operations, manage their inventory and maximise their profitability. Their systems facilitate both in-house management and distribution through electronic media. ‘Property management systems (PMSs)’ coordinate front office, sales, planning and operational functions by administrating reservations and managing the hotel inventory. Moreover, PMSs integrate the â€Å"back† and â€Å"front† of the house management and improve general administration functions such as accounting and finance; marketing research and planning; forecasting and yield management; payroll and personnel; and purchasing. Understandably, hotel chains gain more benefits from PMSs, as they can introduce a unified system for planning, budgeting and controlling and coordinating their properties centrally. Hotels also utilise ICTs and the Internet extensively for their distribution and marketing functions. Global presence is essential in order to enable both individual customers and the travel trade to access accurate information on availability and to provide easy, efficient, inexpensive and reliable ways of making and confirming reservations. Although Central Reservation Offices (CROs) introduced central reservations in the 1970s, it was not until the expansion of airline CRSs and the recent ICT developments that forced hotels to develop hotel CRSs in order to expand their distribution, improve efficiency, facilitate control, empower yield management, reduce labour costs and enable rapid response time to both customers and management requests. Following the development of hotel CRSs by most chains, the issue of interconnectivity with other CRSs and the Internet emerged. As a result, ‘switch companies,’ such as THISCO and WIZCOM, emerged to provide an interface between the various systems and enable a certain degree of transparency. This reduces both set-up and reservation costs, whilst facilitates reservations through several distribution channels. eTour Operators Leisure travellers often purchase â€Å"packages,† consisting of charter flights and accommodation, arranged by tour operators. Tour operators tend to pre-book these products and distribute them through brochures displayed in travel agencies. Hence, until recently in northern European countries, where tour operators dominate the leisure market, airline and hotel CRSs were rarely utilised for leisure travel. In the early 1980s, tour operators realised the benefits of ICTs in organising, promoting, distributing and coordinating their packages. Thomson’s Open-line Programme (TOP) was the first real-time computer-based central reservation office in 1976. It introduced direct communication with travel agencies in 1982, and announced that reservations for Thomson Holidays would only be accepted through TOP in 1986. This move was the critical point for altering the communication rocesses between tour operators and travel agencies. Gradually, all major tour operators developed or acquired databases and established electronic links with travel agencies, aiming to reduce their information handling costs and increase the speed of information transfer and retrieval. This improved their productivity and capacity management whil st enhancing their services to agencies and consumers. Tour operators also utilised their CRSs for market intelligence, in order to adjust their supply to demand fluctuations, as well as to monitor the booking progress and productivity of travel agencies. Tour operators have been reluctant to focus on ICTs through their strategic planning. Few realize the major transformation of the marketplace, while the majority regards ICTs exclusively as a facilitator of their current operations, and as a tool to reduce their costs. However, several tour operators in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK have moved towards electronic brochures and developed their online strategies. Successful operators report that up to 25% of their packages are booked directly by consumers online. This enables them to concentrate on niche markets. eTravel Agencies ICTs are irreplaceable tools for travel agencies as they provide information and reservation facilities and support the intermediation between consumers and principals. Travel agencies operate various reservation systems, which mainly enable them to check availability and make reservations for tourism products. Until recently GDSs have been critical for business travel agencies to access information and make reservations on scheduled airlines, hotel chains, car rentals and a variety of ancillary services. However, until recently travel agencies have been reluctant to take full advantage of the ICTs, mainly due to: a limited strategic scope; †¢ deficient ICTs expertise and understanding; †¢ low profit margins which prevents investments; and †¢ focus on human interaction with consumers. There are effectively 5 major groups- 1. Amadus IT group- vacation. com, opodo, travel tainmemt 2. Expedia group- expedia. com, hotels. com, anyway. com 3. Orbitz group- orbitz, cheaptick ets, hotel club 4. Priceline group- priceline. com, booking. com, active hotels 5. Sabre group- travelocity. com, world choice travel CASE STUDY 1: ICT-DEPLOYMENT AT THE LOW-COST CARRIER RYANAIR, IRELAND ABSTRACT The innovative use of information technology for online booking, e-ticketing and internal communications coupled with relentless improvements in cost containment, operating efficiencies, route system expansion and scheduling enables Ryanair to achieve increased passenger traffic and report the best customer service performance in its peer group class. CASE STUDY FACT SHEET Full name of the company: Ryanair Location (HQ/main branches): Dublin, Ireland, with operations in most of Europe Sector (main business activity): Low cost air travel Year of foundation: 1985 Number of employees: about 2,700 Turnover in last financial year: â‚ ¬1. 3 billion Primary customers: Business and Leisure Travelers Most significant geographic market: Europe Focus of case study: e-Ticketing Key words:e-Ticketing, online booking, web check-in, low cost airline OBJECTIVES Ryanair has achieved annual increases in passenger traffic each year since 1995. Projections are for 35 million passengers in 2006, increasing to an estimated 42 million in 2007. Ryanair’s objective is to double passenger volumes and revenue by 2012. It currently (July 2006) operates a fleet of 107 Boeing 737-800’s and will buy 142 more of these aircraft over the next 6 years. This study outlines the currently evolving e-business capabilities in place to address these growth areas and achieve the sought for doubling targets. ONLINE BOOKING Online booking via the internet commenced in earnest after the launch of the www. Ryanair. com website in 2000. Over 98% of the 27. 5 million passenger seats in 2005 were sold via the internet. This percentage figure is consistent year on year, and is expected to continue at this high level. The online booking system gives Ryanair the capability to introduce innovative practices to ensure that the individual customer has greater control over their fare costs. E-TICKETING CHECK’N’GO Officially launched in 2006, Ryanair’s e-Ticketing Check’N’Go service enables passengers to check-in online within three days prior to the proposed flight and up to 4 hours before take-off. Using a pre-printed e-boarding card from their home or office computers, passengers can avoid the airport check-in desk and go directly to the security gates with a maximum of one piece of hand baggage. Encouraging passengers to travel with less checked-in luggage also means faster queues for those who check-in at the airport desk. INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS As Ryanair expanded across Europe, in addition to their well known customer facing web pages, Ryanair has implemented a web-based internal communications system used by flight crews, maintenance staff and ground staff. For instance, a record is kept of the various components in each aircraft and a tickler schedule for their maintenance and/or replacement. The intranet system has also saved on tangible costs, including paper and printing costs. DYNAMIC PACKAGING AND OTHER ANCILLARY REVENUE SOURCES Ryanair drives more sales and increased revenue via the dynamic packaging of flights with discounted hotel rooms and bottom of the range car rentals. In addition after selecting their flights, all travelers are strongly encouraged via the online payment process to take out travel insurance. Another option provided via Ryanair’s homepage at present is to click through to another supplier’s web site such as activitybreaks. com to buy their products. CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED The adoption of e-ticketing and internal e-business systems has enabled this low cost carrier to keep operational running costs well in-check. For the financial year ended March 31, 2005 their share accounted for 16% of total revenues, compared to 15% for the previous year. Ryanair is consistently the European leader in LCC. In addition, due to the minimal in-house administration costs, Ryanair’s low-cost-flights business marketing model includes frequent â€Å"give-away† flights as well: 23% of its tickets were given away in 2005, and half of all flights are slated to be â€Å"free† within the next 4 years. CASE STUDY 2: E-TICKETING AT SN BRUSSELS AIRLINES, BELGIUM This case study highlights the benefits of e-ticketing. After IATA was commitment to discontinue the distribution and processing of paper tickets by December 2007. SN Brussels decided to focus on e-ticketing in order to cut operating costs and generate extra convenience to passengers. Apart from lower cost and increased operation efficiency, e- ticketing allowed the airline to strengthen its market position by a more intensive use of alliances and reduced dependency on intermediaries. BACKGROUND †¢SN Brussels Airlines is a full-service Belgian airline company founded in 2002 by a group of Belgian investors who acquired some assets of the ankrupt Sabena airline. †¢ SN Brussels Airlines is the only full service airline that operates from Brussels and is the market leader at Brussels Airport. †¢It operates around 285 flights per day to various destinations in USA, Africa & Europe and 3. 5 million passengers carried per year. †¢It has around 2000 employees in Belgium & abroad. OBJECTIVES †¢SN Brussels Airlines has dev eloped an interesting business concept of offering fully serviced flights, as offered traditionally by the established airlines, with the lowest possible fare to compete with the low cost carriers. The airline aims to attract both the demanding business travelers with tight schedules but expecting value for money and economy travelers who are sensitive to prices †¢This lead to high airline occupancy and the airline registered profit for 3 years despite unfavorable conditions. ICT INVESTMENTS †¢Expands its ICT use due to customer expectations which gives travelers more convenience and control from the booking stage to the in-flight service. It invested in passenger technologies like e-ticketing, online check in services to reduce the cost. ICT developments like e-ticketing and own website/booking engine enable the airline to strengthen its brand awareness, get direct access to its customers and, consequently, reduce the dependency on Central Reservation Systems (CRS) and Gl obal Distribution Systems (GDS). E-BUSINESS SERVICES †¢SN Brussels' internet site (www. flySN. com) is a major part of the company’s e-ticketing infrastructure it is user-friendly and allows for an easy search and compilation of travel offers. †¢It also provides self check-in possibilities, hotel bookings, insurance and rent-a-car services online. E-tickets are also available through call centre on all routes in the network and through GDS used by travel agents. BENEFITS †¢Online booking, proved to be an efficient channel for the distribution of e-tickets. In May 2002 only 38% tickets were sold online whereas in September 2006, 63% of own sales were conducted via its own booking engine. †¢The e-ticket uses a database to track the sale and use of tickets. All subsequent ticket transactions, including refunds, exchanges, check-in, void and settlement, involve this holding database this reduces chances of fraud and eliminates the problem of lost ticket. It al so reduced the cost of documentations. SN Brussels Airlines’ e-ticketing solution allows for seamless link up with external partners by forming alliances and developing the so-called â€Å"interlining† system that allows passengers to have one ticket for a complete travel itinerary with different travel segments from several airlines. Passengers have then only one set of tickets for a multi-operator trip and benefit from having their luggage checked right through to their destination LESSON LEARNED This case study illustrated the use of e-ticketing at SN Brussels Airlines. The e-ticketing system did not only enable the airline to reduce operation costs and increase efficiency, but also helped to achieve strategic advantages which have further strengthened its market position. In particular, the applied e-ticketing technology facilitates the creation of alliances with other airlines. This, in turn, allows for a more efficient utilization of transportation capacities and access to a larger number of customers. Furthermore, e- ticketing combined with the development of direct online sales channels reduces the dependency on intermediaries and decreases the payments to CRS/GDS. FUTURE OF E-TOURISM †¢The Internet and mobile communication devices are three most significant ePlatforms that will help change the future of tourism. †¢The Internet will allow more people to access high quality information quickly and with minimum inconvenience. It also gave the possibility to purchase travel products on-line. In addition, it generated great service expectations, as consumers anticipate to be served on a 24hours/365days basis and at their own convenience. †¢Not only does the internet help the traveler but also the tourism suppliers like online travel agents, airlines etc. The trend towards the use of mobile communication devices is mostly determined by the commodification of mobile phones in the past few years, coupled with an increasing need to be able to obtain information while ‘on the move’. For example, business travelers can receive information on arrivals and departures as well as check-in through their mobile phone for a number of airlines. †¢On-line Internet provision is not sufficiently developed for those areas conventional telephone can also be used, a traveler may call a call center to confirm their bookings or ask queries. Importance of GDS and CRS in Travel & Tourism Industry: Computer reservations systems (CRS) have become critical instruments in the marketing and distribution of travel and tourism products and services. New systems have recently been developed in Western Europe, while the Asian and Pacific regions are in the process of establishing their own systems. A central reservation system represents a computerized system used for both storing and distribution of information. We could be talking about a hotel, a hotel chain, a resort or any other type of lodging facilities. The CRS can also be used for checking up different details about flights or seat availability. People may tend to confuse CRS with GDS (Global Distribution System) because of their similar functionality. However, there is one important difference between these two applications. Central reservation systems are web applications exclusive for each company or hotel. On the other hand, a global distribution system is used by various travel agents for booking reasons, as they cannot access CRS. CRS contains important information such as hotel accommodations, activity bookings, flight schedules or even holiday packages. There is almost no need for a travel agent as you could simply arrange your reservations over the Internet. Most hotels and travel agencies have their own websites for presenting their rates and offers. Websites can also be used together with various CRM software in order to strengthen the existent client relationships. Reservations are processed within a centralized location that is also responsible with availability management. Rates retrieval and reservations are made as efficiently as possible. Hotels will benefit from better yield management and will also reduce other costs as web bookings will not be done anymore through third parties.

Target Strategic Analysis

Corina Nava Pelton Strategic Management March, 2013 Chris Canolis I. Target Corporation American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Target is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart. The Target chain discount stores range from 95,000 to 135,000 square feet. Super Target chain hypermarkets are approx. 174,000 sq. ft. Target’s beginnings During the Panic of 1893 which caused a decline in retail estate prices, the Westminster Presbyterian Church burned down, and because its insurance wouldn't cover the cost of a new building, the church was looking for revenue.Its congregation appealed to Dayton to buy the empty corner lot next to the demolished building from the church so it could rebuild. Dayton bought it and eventually constructed a six-story building on that corner lot in downtown Minneapolis. 1902, Dayton, looking for tenants, convinced Reuben Simon Goodfellow Company to move its nearby Goodfellow department store in to his newly-erected building. Goodfellow retired and sold his interest in the store to Dayton. The store's name was changed to the Dayton Dry Goods Company in 1903. 923, Dayton's 43 year old son David died, prompting George to start deferring parts of his business to another son, Nelson Dayton. 1938, George Dayton passed away and Nelson Dayton assumed the role of president of the Dayton Company, a $14 million business. 1944, it offered its workers a retirement policy, becoming one of the first stores in the United States to do so. 1962 the Dayton Company, using John F. Geisse's concepts,(American Business Man who launched successful retail chains), opened its first Target discount store located at 1515 West County Road B in the Saint Paul suburb of Roseville, Minnesota. 969, in the same year, Target’s parent company, Dayton, merged with JL Hudson Company of Detroit and became Dayton-Hudson Corporation. 1978, the company acquired Mervyns and became the 7th largest general mer chandise retailer in the United States. Target Stores opened eight new stores that year. 1982, it expanded into the West Coast of the United States. 1986, the company acquired 50 Gemco stores from Lucky Stores in California, allowing Target Stores to become the dominant retailer in Southern California as the chain grew to a total of 246 units. 988, Target Stores expanded into the Northwestern United States. 1989, it expanded to the Southeastern United States where it entered Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to a total of 399 units in 30 states with $7. 51 billion in sales. 1990, it acquired Marshall Field's from BATUS Inc. 1995, Target Stores opened its first Super-Target hypermarket in Omaha, Nebraska. It launched the Target Guest Card, the discount retail industry's first store credit card. 1999, Dayton-Hudson acquired Fedco and its ten stores in a move to expand its Super-Target operation into Southern California. 000, Dayton Hudson Corporation changed its nam e to Target Corporation and its ticker symbol to TGT; by then, between 75 percent and 80 percent of the corporation's total sales and earnings came from Target Stores; Dayton's, Hudson's, Marshall Field's, and Mervyns were used to fuel the growth of Target, which expanded to 977 stores in 46 states and sales reached $29. 7 billion by the end of the year. 2001, it launched its online gift registry. 2004, Target Corporation announced its sale of the Marshall Field's to St. Louis, Missouri-based May Department Stores.Target Stores expanded to 1308 units and reached $46. 8 billion USD in sales. 2005, Target began operation in Bangalore, India. It reached 1397 units and $52. 6 billion in sales. 2006, Target completed construction of the Robert J. Ulrich Center in Embassy Golf Links in Bangalore, and Target planned to continue its expansion into India. 2009, Target expanded outside of the continental United States for the first time. Two stores were opened simultaneously on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, along with two stores in Alaska. 2010, Target announces its goal to give $1 billion to education causes and charities by 2015.Target began a nationwide closing of its remaining 262 garden centers, reportedly due to â€Å"stronger competition from home-improvement stores, Wal-Mart and independent garden centers. 2011, Target announced its first ever international expansion, into Canada, when it purchased the leaseholds for up to 220 stores. The first City-Target opened in 2012. City-Target is the name for a smaller-format, downtown Target store aimed at the urban market. The assortment will be edited towards urban living, but will carry many of the same products.The stores will still look and feel like Target but many will be multilevel stores in existing landmark buildings, not the usual strip mall or stand-alone locations. _____________________________________________________________________________________ II. Company’s Statements 1. Mission Statement Our m ission is to make Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less brand promise. 2. VisionTarget envisions vibrant thriving communities that they help, in which all residents have access to social and financial equity to ensure constant growth and a long term plan to sustain success. 3. Values * Design for all It's our belief that great design is fun; energetic, surprising and smart should be accessible and affordable for everyone. When we talk about our dedication to good design, we don’t just mean how something looks, but also how it satisfies a need, how it simplifies your life, and how it makes you feel. * Great guest serviceIn stores or online, we work hard to ensure your Target shopping trip is always enjoyable and exciting. How do we do it? Friendly service from team members ready to assist with your list, fully stocke d shelves and a speedy checkout process—and that’s just the start. * More for your money We think a lot about your budget and how to give you the best value every time you shop with us. In addition to our already low prices, we offer other ways to save you money; including price matching in our stores and an additional 5%. * Fun and rewarding place to workOur team is our greatest asset, so we invest in the growth and development of all team members, and have fun in all we do. And we’re committed to building a team that does the right thing for our communities, our shareholders and, above all, our guests. * Legacy of giving and service Community giving is—and always has been—a cornerstone of our company. We give our time, talent and business strengths to make our communities strong, healthy and safe. We invest in career development and well-being of our team. And from the start, we’ve given 5 percent of our income, a commitment that does not waver based on the economic climate. . Goals * To incorporate diversity into every facet of their business. * To make sure that the diversity of their employees mirror the diversity found in the communities in which they are located. * As a company: To search for and find the most qualified applicants who are high-performing, highly motivated, and bring with them diverse experiences and talents. * The goal of the councils is to jointly help individuals to further develop their careers at the same time as improving the Target work environment as a whole. To respect and value the individuality of all their team members and guests. Target today * Target stores tend to attract younger and more educated and affluent customers than Wal-Mart, among other competitors. * The median Target shopper is 41 years old, the youngest of all major discount retailers that Target competes directly against. * The median household income of Target's customer base is roughly $63,000. * Roughly 76% of Targ et customers are female. * More than 45% have children at home. * About 80% have attended college and 48% have completed college. 97% of American consumers recognize the Target Bulls eye logo. ________________________________________________________________________________________ III. External Analysis 1. Environmental Analysis: a. Economics b. Demographics c. Governmental 2. Industry 3. Competition 4. Opportunities and Threats ________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Environmental Analysis: a. Economics * Target plans to have between 100 and 150 stores open in Canada by 2014. The company has also launched a new store concept plan called City-Target.These stores are aimed at urban shoppers who live in cities, so these stores won’t carry big bulky items customers can’t carry. The corporation has also done remodeling to stores so they now have fresh produce and grocery items. All these new additions to the Target Corpor ation have been an aid in the growth of the company in the past years. * Target can access helpful economic trending data compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), including economic forecasts for growth, weakness, instability, as well as GDP and aging indexes. Target stores are rapidly growing and opening in almost every city in America and show no signs of downsizing. * To boost sales, the company has increasingly promoted its company issued credit & debit card. * As the economy has faltered, more consumers have become price-conscious and Target has adapted to such needs by creating $1 bins, offering bulk paper product and household goods, and scaled back on home decor items. b. Demographics * Target shoppers have a median age of 46 — the youngest among major retailers. The median household income of Target guests is $55,000. * Forty-three percent of Target shoppers have completed college. More than half of Target guests are employed in pro fessional or other managerial positions. * Eighty to ninety percent of Target guests are female. * Thirty-eight percent of guests have children at home — or in a red shopping cart with them. This figure is consistently more than any other discount store’s customer profile. c. Governmental * Long-standing commitment to equal opportunity Employment has increased the diversity of the work force. In 2005, Target became the first national retailer to voluntarily decide to place all cough, cold and allergy products containing pseudo ephedrine behind the pharmacy counter. In stores where we do not have a pharmacy, products containing pseudo ephedrine will not be sold. * Target does not sell real guns, or toy guns that can be mistaken for real guns. * Refrain completely from use of child labor. Child labor as being below the minimum legal working age according to local law, or under the age of 14, whichever is greater. Wage calculations are done in all factories to verify that the workers are being paid according to local labor law as well as for all of the time worked. 2. Industry Target Corporation operates in the Services industry, specifically in the Discount, Variety Stores sector. Target remains a high performer, with a market capitalization of 43. 2 billion dollars, second only to Wal-Mart. Market Positioning Analysis Industry Classification = Discount Department Store. Categories * Household * Pharmacy, beauty, personal care * Toys * Electronics * Music, movies, books Sporting goods Apparel * Apparel for women, men, boys, and accessories * Food and Pet Supplies * Dry grocery, dairy, frozen food, beverages * Home Furnishings, Furniture * Lighting * Kitchenware, small and Decor appliances, home decor * Bath and bath accessories. * Automotive 3. Competition Target faces strong competition from wholesalers such as Wal-Mart and Costco as well as department stores like Macy’s and Sears Holding Company. Nevertheless, it has secured a strong posit ion in the market, holding a 33. 4% department store market share while the Super Target represents 3. % of the Warehouse Clubs & Super Centers in the US. a. Barriers to Entry: Despite the expansive network of suppliers needed to become a viable company in this sector, successfully adding a company to the mix in order to compete against the likes of BJS, Costco, Wal-Mart and Target is highly unlike. Especially because of the nature of the business- to provide all types of quality items at a low cost, unless one angles to come in as niche discounter (like with the 99 cent/Dollar stores), there are enough barriers to entry in place to keep most companies out of the discount retailer competition. b.Substitutes: There are very few substitutes for discounted retailers, thus making it a profitable industry. Either consumers shop at traditional retail outlets with higher prices, or stay within the industry itself. c. Buyers: Though feeling the pinch of a weakened economy, are still looking towards Target and its peer competitors for the best products at the lower prices. While demand in the sector has slowed little, Target continues to perform well above industry. d. Suppliers: Individual discount retailers have a vast network of suppliers from all over the globe and even under their own private label.Target has its own label for furniture and home goods that operates in Minnesota. Many of its competitions, including the Family Dollar Chain and the 99 Cent chain also have networks of suppliers, mostly in Asia, in addition of their own in-house suppliers. 4. Opportunities and Threats e. Opportunities * Global Expansion * Entering untapped US Markets * Continued growth in private label products * Financial Services- (credit cards) * Demand for Top quality, luxury, comfort * Demand for organic products * Technology (Internet, credit cards, reservations) f. Threats * Costco and Wal-Mart are heavy competition. U. S. Economy * Economic forces effect many areas negatively, but are expected to improve. * Interest rates are rising * Increase in online shopping * Decreased Customer Spending ______________________________________________________________________________________ IV. Internal Analysis 1. Target’s Strategic Business Units: a. The Stores: i. Target Discount Stores Is a chain of discount stores that are about 95,000 to 135,000 square feet, and carry hardliners, soft lines (clothing), and a limited amount of groceries, mostly non-perishable. Specifically, Target stores carry lothing, shoes, jewelry, health and beauty products, electronics, compact discs, DVDs, bedding, kitchen supplies, sporting goods, toys, pet supplies, automotive supplies, and hardware supplies. They also carry seasonal merchandise such as patio furniture during the summer and Christmas. ii. Super-Target Is a chain of hypermarkets that are about 174,000 sq. ft. (16,200 m2) and feature double entrances on one-story stores. These stores offer everything found in a regula r Target as well as a full grocery selection, fresh produce, bakery and deli, with most locations having a Target Optical.Many Super Targets feature Starbucks Coffee, Pizza Hut Express, Taco Bell Express, Target Pharmacy, The Studio @ Target (a portrait studio), Target Photo, Target Mobile (a Wireless kiosk), and a Wells Fargo Bank or U. S. Bank. iii. Target City: The Chicago store allocates approximately 55,000 sq ft (5,100 m2) to its sales floor. City Target stores carry groceries, prescriptions, cosmetics, clothing, electronics, toys, and apartment essentials such as furniture, linens, and kitchen utensils. Certain items too bulky for urban apartments or for customers to carry are not stocked in City Target stores. v. Target Greatland Is a chain of general merchandise superstores, with a size of about 150,000 square feet, they carry a larger selection of general merchandise than basic Target store; however, they do not have a full-line of groceries like meat, bakery, deli, produc e and dairy. b. Financial and Retail Services (FRS) Formerly Target Financial Services (TFS): issues Target's credit cards, known as the Target RED card (formerly the Target Guest Card), issued through Target National Bank (formerly Retailers National Bank) for consumers and through Target Bank for businesses.The Target Debit Card withdraws funds from the customer's existing checking account, and allows for up to $40 â€Å"cash back. † The debit card allows customers to save five percent of each purchase, as well as designate a school for Target's Take Charge of Education program, and accumulate pharmacy rewards. c. Target Sourcing Services (TSS): This global sourcing organization locates merchandise from around the world for Target and helps import the merchandise to the United States. TSS has 27 full-service offices, 48 quality-control offices, and seven concessionaires located throughout the world.TSS employs 1,200 people. d. Target Commercial Interiors: Provides design se rvices and furniture for office space and originated in the home furniture department at Dayton’s. Currently, Target Commercial Interiors has an unusually high market share of Fortune 500/1000 business customers, and are expanding to attract small to medium sized businesses, as well as home offices. e. Target Brands: Owns and oversees the company's private label products, including the grocery brands Archer Farms and Market Pantry. f. Target Forensic ServicesTarget also operates two sophisticated criminal forensics laboratories, one at its headquarters and the other in Las Vegas. Originally, the lab was created with the role of investigating internal instances of theft and fraud and other criminal actions that have occurred on its own properties. Eventually, the company began offering pro bono services to law enforcement agencies across the country. Target's Forensic Services has assisted agencies at all levels of government, including federal agencies such as the United Stat es Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.The labs have become such a popular resource for law enforcement that Target has had to restrict its assistance to violent felonies. g. Target. com: Owns and oversees the company's e-commerce initiatives, such as the Target. com domain. Founded in early 2000 as target direct. 2. Financial Analysis (Also Attached) 3. Strengths and Weaknesses a. Strengths: * Strong Marketing Initiatives * Brand Quality * Leading Market Presence * â€Å"Going Green† Trend * Online shopping with free shipping to the local store * Design-trend * Innovative Marketing Techniques * Active Social Media * Favorable Real Estate Locations Size and Cost Advantages * Customer Loyalty at Target is Essential * Target Has Efficient Operations * In Store Credit Card b. Weaknesses * High employee turnover at store level * Food margins lower than general merchandise * Stores vary little by region * Their store bran d can be the same price as well-known brands item * None or no enough self-service register * No whole sale. c. Financial trends and projections Target Corp. (TGT) may represent one of the best choices in the retail sector. There are many pluses to consider regarding this retail stalwart given today’s rapidly changing retail environment.Target is much more than its 1,787 retail stores in the United States and Canada. Target’s credit operations and rapidly evolving online presence both offer strong prospects for growth. From a fundamental perspective, Target appears attractively valued on many fronts. Although the company trades at a below-market valuation, even more importantly it currently trades at a strong discount to the quality premium that the market has historically awarded their shares. As a result, Target Corp. offers an above-market dividend yield of 2. 1%. That has grown on average, by close to 20% per annum since calendar year 1999.During the five yearsâ₠¬â„¢ time frame, the earnings growth of 10. 6% remains consistent with Target’s longer-term historical growth achievements. The fact that Target’s price (the black line) is touching its intrinsic value (the orange line) illustrates that there exists good value in their shares. Projections The consensus of 19 analysts reporting to Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ expect Target to grow earnings at the rate of 10% in fiscal 2013, 15% in fiscal 2014, and 12% thereafter out to calendar year 2018 (see Chg/Yr at the bottom of the graph).If these estimates were to prove true, then a current position in Target offers the potential to generate returns in excess of 13% per annum over the next five years. d. Strategic key factors (SKFs) Compared together, Wal-Mart and Target are very close competitors. They are all retail-variety discount stores making their existence known throughout the world, except Target, is newer in the global market. These companies are constantly vying for the reputation as the lowest priced retailer.In the competitive profile matrix, the most critical success factor would be advertising Target does a lot more advertising then Wal-Mart and Kmart. Price competitiveness, Wal-Mart, remains above all competitors. Product quality, Target’s products tend to be top brand products. Customer loyalty many people prefer better products no matter how much it costs, especially if they get other benefits they might not get elsewhere, such as, customer service, store cleanness, more visual organization appeal, etc. _____________________________________________________________________________________ V. Long Term Objectives and Strategies 1. Objectives * The company’s long-term objective is to attain $100 billion or more in sales and $8. 00 or more in earnings per share by 2017. * Target plans to donate more than $500 million by the end of 2015 to support education, doubling its support to-date, for a total of more than $1 billion. The financial commitment is part of Target’s new reading initiative, Target Read With MeSM, aimed at helping more U.S. children read proficiently by the end of third grade. As part of the initiative, Target also announced a reading pledge, a donation of up to 2 million books to kids in need, and plans for an innovative reading center that will reach communities across the country through a physical and virtual presence. 2. Strategies * Target has partnered with other fast-food chains like Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, again to cater to consumer desires for food while they shop, hoping to increase same store sales.The fact that Target has been able to infiltrate the urban market at a much better rate than Wal-Mart has helped to make these strategic partnerships successful. * Target’s efficient marketing, multi-channel strategy, product innovation, compelling pricing strategy, and new merchandise assortments, should drive comparable-store sales and operating margins in the lo ng term. We expect the company to gain market share, and believe that more focus on consumable items should boost sales and earnings in a sluggish consumer environment. ______________________________________________________________________________________ VI.Implementing Strategy Integral to the success of the corporate strategy is what the company prides itself in the most, it’s pioneering nature in store design. Target designs their stores to be easy and intuitive to shop, with related departments conveniently placed next to each other (decor next to home improvement, toys next to sporting goods) and a â€Å"racetrack† central aisle to speed you on your way. They also work hard to make sure the shopping experience is consistently enjoyable, with a clean environment, friendly team members and feel-good details on all sides. This commitment to excellence, to stylish and chic, yet affordable items presented with the user in mind has allowed the company to gain and maint ain a strong foothold in the industry, carving out its own niche and distinguishing it from competitors. The company’s strategy has also allowed Target to remain flexible and able to change significantly with its consumers, allowing it to seek substantial growth opportunities in various branches and extensions of the brand. Targets performance can be attributed to many things, including a corporate decision to follow a path of brand extension and cautioned expansion.Target has created a corporate culture conducive to a constant call of innovation and a group of people who are committed to the success of the brand. Target employees praise the â€Å"flexible† corporate structure that offers â€Å"frequent chances for promotion. 1. Functional Areas a. Management Most directors have established a good working relationship with one another through previous business dealings. They are educated and successful business people and all directors and staff. Strong Management Lea dership in Target Corporation’s executive office that provides leadership for all divisions.The divisions are encouraged to share advances in technology and coordinate purchasing and financial management. Target Corporation has experienced accelerated growth in sales and earnings under the management leadership of Robert Ulrich, Chair ; CEO. b. Marketing The Marketing Planning team identifies marketing opportunities and develops integrated marketing campaigns. Additional responsibilities include writing creative blueprints, developing media plans, overseeing project execution and managing budgets.The Marketing Creative team communicates the Target brand through various advertising media and campaign strategies including in-store marketing, promotions and packaging. c. Human Resource Target’s philosophy is an example of the resource based perspective of strategic human resource management (HRM), in which a firm’s collective human resources are believed to have im plications for firm performance and provide a unique source of competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate. The formal mission of Target’s HR organization is to â€Å"drive company performance by building a fast, fun, and friendly team committed to excellence. To fulfill this mission, over the past four years the HR function has translated Target’s competitive strategy into four core HR strategies and processes in the following areas: * Organizational culture * Staffing * Employee development * Employee retention d. Strategy and Research The Strategy and Research group explores new business opportunities, strengthens existing business relationships, and applies consumer insight to marketing messages. The Market Research team analyzes shopping behavior through focus group interviews and observation.The Strategy team uses the resulting data along with other tools to recommend changes regarding product mix, content, display and marketing. Target gives back to th e community * Target ranked No. 22 in Fortune Magazine's â€Å"World's Most Admired Companies† for 2010, largely in part to the donation efforts of the company as a whole. * Target donates around 5 percent of its pre-tax operating profit; it gives over $3 million a week to the communities in which it operates. * Target gives a percentage of charges from its Target Visa to schools designated by the cardholders.To date, Target has given over $150 million to schools across the United States. * Target House complex in Memphis, Tennessee, a long-term housing solution for families of patients at the city's St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The corporation led the way with more than $27 million in donations, which made available 96 fully furnished apartments for families needing to stay at St. Jude over 90 days. * Target donates to local Salvation Army chapters through its grant program and annually to the United Way of America. * During disasters, Target has been a major benef actor for relief efforts.It also allowed its store properties in the affected area to be used as command centers for relief organizations. * Target will often donate its unused, returned or seasonal merchandise (particularly clothing) to Goodwill Industries. Bibliography â€Å"Capstone Analysis: Target. † Capstone Analysis: Target. N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. Carnevale, Chuck. â€Å"Target Corp Offers Solid Value And An Above Market Yield. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. â€Å"Corporate Fact Sheet. † Fact Sheet: Quick Facts About Target. N. p. , n. d. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. â€Å"Target Corporation. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Mar. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. â€Å"The History of Corporate. † Target Corporation. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. â€Å"Target Corporate: Social Responsibility, Careers, Press, Investors. † Target Corporate: Social Responsibility, Careers, Press, Investors. N. p. , n. d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. â€Å"Target Corporation: Company Analysis and Evaluation. † Yahoo! Contributor Network. N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. â€Å"WikiWealth. † Target (TGT) SWOT Analysis -. N. p. , n. d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013