Yahoo and Amazon Building a Competitive Advantage

Brief history of the companies The Yahoo and the Amazon are online companies which also offer similar trading platforms across the globe. The Amazon.com was established in the year 1994. The company has been active in the online shopping platform. From its inception, the Amazon Company’s product line objective has been to provide quality products at the convenience of the clients.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Yahoo and Amazon: Building a Competitive Advantage specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The services offered by the company include online advertisement, online purchasing, and online consultancy. The Amazon has a product or service to any one, from a toddler to an old man. The company has expanded from the US to all other continents due to its customer-centricity business model. On the other hand, the Yahoo Company also operates on the online platform and was founded in 1994 and has experienced rapid growth over the years. Yahoo offers series of online products such as broadband, Yahoo finance, games, online TV, and online shopping. Yahoo expanded due to the various online platforms its offers to different customers across the globe due to its ‘good, better, best’ pricing strategy. As a result, the demand for its products and survives has continued to grow since the objective of this pricing strategy is to attract and retain customers who want affordable goods and services. Key strategic differences Customer-to-Customer verses Business-to-Business platforms Amazon has employed the laggard activism strategy to not only capture the global market, but also leapfrog the dominant Yahoo Company. Unlike Yahoo which operates on the Customer-to-Customer (C2C) platform, the dynamic Amazon functions on the Business-to-Business (B2B) platform. As a result, the Amazon has penetrated the global market due to a balance in factors such as the Western business style, global business approach, and flexible organizational structure (Kashmanian, Wells, Keenan, 2011). In order to penetrate the expanding global market, Amazon’s business platform was modified through introduction of services such as premium customer experience, compact support from the community, and low charges for small businesses. For instance, the Customer-to-Customer platform adopted by Yahoo has created and successfully implemented the marketing strategy to ensure customer loyalty and market expansion.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company’s product multi-branding as a positioning strategy has enabled it to survive competition. For instance, the online shopping and Yahoo finance are tailed to address the individual customer needs. Besides, the company has managed to balance the elements of intangibility, inseparability, and heterogeneity in the 4Ps of its market mi x due to improved product visibility for each target customer segment (Coulson-Thomas, 2013). Open-system verses closed-system The Yahoo Company’s business model is based on the C2C market. The attitude of the CEO towards localization is an indication of clear vision within the global market. The goal is to concentrate on the local market through use of an open-system business model. The strategy was meant to take advantage of the challenge of ‘smallness’. On the other hand, the Amazon depends on the closed-system approach in execution of its business strategies. Unlike the Yahoo which developed a fixed entry strategy in the market that was characterized by overconfidence and inertia, the Amazon was packaged as a humble and flexible online technological trading platform. As a result of the stable knowledge of the global market, Amazon jumpstarted operations through a flexible and rational business decision processes. Basically, this strategy was helpful since cha nging would not be as costly as those companies that have fixed and mature formulas for doing business such as the Yahoo Company (Coulson-Thomas, 2013). It is apparent that the Amazon Company has more efficient knowledge and experience in uniqueness of products and services than the Yahoo Company. Strategic planning: Comparative analysis The main variables of the Amazon business operations are connected at the central point of strategic planning which encompasses costing, speed, quality, flexibility, and dependability to create a smooth continuous operation tracking model. For instance, the company has been in a position to establish online business leadership position due to its appeal to the local customers, in terms of easy to use interface, free trials, and localized purchasing experience.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Yahoo and Amazon: Building a Competitive Advantage specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On t he other hand, the major part of the success puzzle for the Yahoo business management delivery operates on the periphery of the soft skills involving the timeless vision of organizational principles, defining value of the business, determining requirements, and clarifying the vision. Besides, the success puzzle is proactive in building teams, mitigating task, resolving issues, and providing direction as incorporated in the operations management system. The management of the Amazon Company realized that its success laid in the B2B strategy, which was modified to function on the customer satisfaction. The corporate strategies of the Amazon Company were also based on the traditional marketing, localized human resource, and efficiency in the monitoring units. On the other hand, the Yahoo’s platform was not modified to guarantee the localized experience to its customers across the globe (Hill Jones, 2013). The Yahoo Company depends on the local means of production in running the business. The business model was to create a decentralized system in terms of a management line for the expansion within the global market. The approach adopted by the management was to ensure that decision making process is shortened thus, avoidance of excessive bureaucracy. Furthermore, adoption of the decentralized system of management was meant to ensure direct contact with customers within the shortest time possible. The company heavily depended on the local resource to achieve a rational decision science. On the other hand, the Amazon Company established a hybrid system of integrating the western resources within its business market. However, the company maintained its centralized management system from the Silicon Valley. Besides, the company used international resources such as the management team and system support staff (Hill Jones, 2013). The ideal strategy for performance measurement should be aligned to the communication channel in the company. For implementation of th e strategy, the management of the Yahoo Company does not balance the short term and long term consideration towards decision making since the resource allocation and use is centralized.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Management strategies that ensure long term obligations are fulfilled and consider mostly the role played by resources invested in technology, continued innovations in new products, and conducting intensive researchers in the market to identify fresh niches. Unlike the costing system of the Amazon Company, which is internalized within the local market, the payment system of the Yahoo Company is externalized within other platforms (Hill Jones, 2013). Distinctive competencies The Amazon Company has a very unique organization structure. The company exhibits distinctive and unique organization configuration that is shaped by the organization’s goals. In advancing organizational learning, the system helps the business to avoid learning disabilities besides being proactive in organization thinking. The Yahoo organization exhibits flexibility in its organizational arrangement that enables jobs to be redesigned to facilitate work-based innovations. The teamwork based organization st ructure actually identifies the hierarchy of the management in order to understand any complex network. In addition, the arrangement provides myriad illustrations of the persuasive importance of problem definition within communication contemporary context (Amit Zott, 2012). Unlike the Amazon Company, which depends on different functions such as the Asia regional office, the head office in Silicon Valley and intuitions of the branch managers, the Yahoo Company has a simple organizational structure model comprising of a single CEO, who is in a position to localize the business management strategies within the conservative and open markets. The Yahoo organization exhibits flexibility in its organizational structure that facilitates work based innovations. The company has diversified its operations to merchant service and small business segments to ensure long term sustainability. Generally, when all other factors are held constant, the Yahoo Company is in a better positioned to sustai n its business within the market due to its unique services, wide appeal to customers, and relatively flexible management model. Recommendations Operational efficiency Operational efficiency and market niche provide an indication of how well the company manages its resources, that is, how well it employs its assets to generate sales and income. It also shows the level of activity of the corporation as indicated by the turnover ratios. The level of activity for the Amazon Company has remained relatively stable despite threat of competition, constant change of taste, and varying preference. In order to stay afloat, the company should streamline its operational costs and introduce freelance marketers paid on a commission. The marketers will operate from their homes to save the company daily expenses of running its business. Through implementing this proposal, the company will reduce its wage bill and seal cost loop holes (Amit Zott, 2012). Consumer Centricity Properly designed online marketing and product distribution management facilitate the success and sustainability in online marketing. To increase credibility and maintain professionalism, the current channels of reaching the consumers at the Yahoo should be tailored to encompass processes and features that flawlessly facilitate a healthy and a lifetime relationship between the business and its clients. The new development elements that the company should incorporate include trust, liability acceptance, distribution, fair retribution process, and passing accurate information to target audience in order to restore confidence within these networks. Essentially, the success of e-marketing depends on proper alignment of a functional team that is responsible for the creation of flexible and quantifiable measurement tracking tools for periodically reviewing results (Hill Jones, 2013). This strategy will ensure that the business is sustainable. Conclusion Reflectively, the Amazon and the Yahoo companies should int roduce a functional team with the essential knowledge in social media and tools used in marketing. The two companies have three building blocks of learning such as a supportive learning environment, concrete learning processes, and practice leadership that reinforce innovation. However, the companies differ in their operational strategy and organizational planning. The Yahoo Company operates within the Customer-to-Customer platform while the Amazon operates within the Business-to-Business model. The Amazon should adopt the operations efficiency strategy to sustain its market while the Yahoo should adopt the consumer centricity strategy to sustain its competitive advantage. References Amit, R., Zott, C. (2012). Creating value through business model innovation. MIT Sloan Management Review, 53(3), 41-49. Coulson-Thomas, C. (2013). Implementing strategies and policies. Strategic Direction, 29(3), 33-35. doi:10.1108/02580541311304643 Hill, C., Jones, G. R. (2013). Strategic management: An integrated approach (10th ed.). Independence, KY: Cengage. Kashmanian, R. M., Wells, R. P., Keenan, C. (2011). Corporate environmental sustainability strategy. The Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 44, 107-130. This essay on Yahoo and Amazon: Building a Competitive Advantage was written and submitted by user Alexa Mathis to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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October Sky Essay Example

October Sky Essay Example October Sky Essay October Sky Essay Stephanie October 22nd, 2013 Hour 3 The Perfect Rocket Actress Audrey Hepburn once said l tried always to do better: saw always a little further. I tried to stretch myself. In the movie October Sky, Homer Hickam is a young boy who has dreams outside of his mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia. He stretched his dreams and pushed himself until he launched his rocket to turn everyone into believers. He saw a little further and wanted opportunities outside of Coalwood . Throughout the movie Homer encounters many obstacles from learning how to build rockets, the constant disapproval from his father, and negative remarks rom his school. One of the main conflicts of October Sky is Homer and his friends learning how to build and work rockets. At school, Homer confronts Quentin, the geek of the school. Homer tells him about his idea for rockets. After the conversation, Homer, his two friends, and Quentin begin their adventure. They figured out the basics of rocket building through books and Quentin. Homer and his friend encounter many problems. They have problems with the nozzle and the chemicals. Their first rocket was called the AUC I and, of course, it wasnt a success. They nearly exploded the ines, but their first try wasnt going to be perfect. Neither was the second, or third, or fourth. After all of their failing, they talk to a mine worker about. Leon Bolden, an African American shop worker, offers to order it nozzle to make it a success. The nozzle isnt cheap to order though. The Rocket Boys talk a part of the railroad tracks and sell it for quick money. Homer and his friends encounter many exploding rockets before they can build the perfect one. They test out many chemicals before they figure out 100% alcohol is all they needed for the perfect rocket. Building a perfect rocket would impress any parent but Homers father, John Hickem, is not anywhere near proud. Throughout the movie Homer tries to get his fathers approval. He tells Homer numerous times to stop with the rocket building. He wants him to grow up and be a mine worker. He told Homer he was proud to see him in the mines when Homer had to work there. Homers father seems to care about two things, the mines and Jims football. The mines are Johns pride and Joy. Homer even says that his dad cares more about the mines than his family. Homer nearly set the mines on fire with his first rocket and his dad was furious. He told Homer to stop with the rockets and then threw his first rocket in the trash. Homer still keeps trying though. One night, when Homer comes home he finds thats his rocket equipment is missing. He goes and asks his dad where it is and he responds by saying its where it belongs. Homer then runs outside to retrieve his rocket equipment his dad threw away. When Homer invites his father to see his last rocket launch his father says that he is busy and has things to do. Homer is saddened, but angry. He tells his father Homers father eventually goes to see Homers last rocket launch and launches it imself. By the ending launch everyone in Coalwood supports the Rocket Boys. It wasnt always like that. At the beginning of the movie their school, Big Creek High School, and the principal Mr. Turner was not supportive. He tells their teacher to stop giving the boys false hope. He thinks that the Rocket Boys will never make it out of Coalwood. One day the police arrest Homer because the police claim he started a forest fire with his rocket. Mr. Turner is glad to see him go, not missing him at all. Home comes back and proves to Mr. Turner that he didnt start the forest fire. When Mr. Turner walks into the classroom, he is not pleased to find Homer on school property. Homer then does the calculations to prove he didnt start the forest fire. Mr. Turner Just teases him saying he became a math genius while he was away, but he was never good in math at school. Mr. Turner eventually allows Homer back into the school and he actually seems happy about it. Homer never gave up his dreams. He knew he could do it even if everyone laughed and thought his dream was foolish. The Rocket Boys proved all of them wrong. Their perseverance kept them going through it all.

Accountability of nursing professionals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accountability of nursing professionals - Essay Example In health care, professional accountability and responsibility go hand in hand.The two are related in the nursing profession and one must posses both to be an effective and reliable nurse.Thus both are very vital in the nursing profession. Both accountability and responsibility are concerned with taking care of a patient and his or her family.Thus both are very vital in the nursing profession. Accountability refers to the state of being liable to ones’ actions and willingness to accept the consequences of his or her own behaviour. In addition, they are also concerned with the code of conduct, behaviours and policies related to nursing profession. Thus both are very vital in the nursing profession. Accountability refers to the state of being liable to ones’ actions and willingness to accept the consequences of his or her own behaviour. It is a legal obligation and in nursing profession it entails ethical and moral responsibility. Nurses who are accountable treat their du ties with a lot of seriousness. It is the responsibility of a professional nurse to act within his or scope of care and call upon his or her knowledge and skills in making decisions that are in the best interest of the patient. According to the American Nursing Association code, a nurse is accountable for nursing judgments and actions. Professional accountability entails everything from the way nurses dress, to their values, ethics and moral beliefs (Fineout-Overholt et al 2005). According to Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2005),

Analysis on the Story Two Kinds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis on the Story Two Kinds - Essay Example Her mother believed that they can start a new life in America. They went to America after her mother lost everything in China. This indicates that her mother believed that America was an escape from disillusion, frustration, misery and death. America was freedom, hope and dreams fulfilled. But this didn’t happen with Jing Mei. Her life in America was full of sadness, frustrations and tension. Two Kinds was a story that dealt mother and daughter relationship. But more than that, it shows us how our social environment affects our belief in things. The mother and daughter relationship that was presented in the story was filled with tension. The mother and the daughter were very different from each other. Not because they were really different, but because the daughter wanted to be different from her mother. We become who we are not because other people want us to be that person, but because we choose to be or not to be that person. We choose our own identity, we choose the path w e want to take in life. And this was exactly what Jing Mei did in the story. She chose the path opposite of what her mother wants her to be. At first, she was excited about being good in something. As her mother tried to find out where she’s good at, she continuously felt the pressure to be good. And, unfortunately, she also continuously felt the disappointment of her mother everytime she cannot be good in whatever her mother pushed her to do. She tried ballet. She tried being Shirley Temple. She tried being a remarkable child that her mother saw in the magazines, like that child who knew â€Å"all the capitals of all the states and even the most of the European countries† or that child who can multiply numbers in her head, or the other one who can stand on his head without using his hands. And because she failed to be those remarkable children, she became frustrated. She felt she will always be the ordinary girl that her mother does not want her to become. And so she became defiant. She became angry and she vowed to herself that her mother will not change who she is, that she won’t become someone she is not. And she stopped trying to become good at something her mother wants her to be. When her mother pushed her to learn the piano, she became defiant once more. Her defiance led to her laziness. She purposely did not try to learn the piano which led to her humiliating experience at a talent show. This strained her relationship with her mother even more. And it never changed as she grew up. She always managed to fail. And this increased the gap between her and her mother. We have always wanted to become someone. Jing Mei was not different. But because of her mother’s desire to make her as someone who she can’t be, Jing Mei resented success. This resulted to her failure everytime she attempts to become better. She believed that she is not a genius, she believed she can never be good at something. She believed she can never be t he daughter that her mother wanted her to be. To which her mother kept repeating that she didn’t want to change her, that she just wants her to become the best at something she could do. But because of the constant struggle who is in control of Jing Mei’s life, she and her mother fought endlessly. This shows that there are instances that forcing a person to do something she doesn’t really love would make her more miserable. It’s like setting her up for failure. Instead of helping her, Jing Mei’

Working and non-working students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Working and non-working students - Essay Example The academic grades of students depend on the time spent on study sessions. Working students spend a considerable part of working. Thus, they have minimal time for class sessions and individual study (Berkel, 2010). Consequently, their grades suffer substantial deterioration, leading to lower grades. By contrast, the non-working counterparts dedicate the most time to study. Therefore, they are likely to register higher grades. Nonetheless, academics performance depends on the manner by which employment coincides with apathy in academics. Non-working students and working students both spend time in participation in co-curricular activities. The degree of participation, however, depends on the commitment of students. Thus, students who work are likely to engage in fewer co-curricular activities compared to their counterparts (Berkel, 2010). Socializing and entertainment depend on the relevant context. Working students spend minimal periods in socializing with non-working students, especially those who reside in college hostels (Berkel, 2010). However, they can associate with work mates on regular basis and event accord time for entertainment during weekends. The learning environment, by contrast, offers opportunities for students to mingle and participate in entertainment. In conclusion, working and working students portray diverse academic performance, co-curricular participation levels, and entertainment/socializing levels. Regardless of their variances, both sets of students make up the modern learning

The Concept Of Sustainable Development Strategy Business Essay

The Concept Of Sustainable Development Strategy Business Essay The concept of sustainable development has received growing recognition, but it is a new era for many business executives. For most, the concept remains abstract and theoretical. Protecting an organizations capital base is a well-accepted business principle. Yet organizations do not generally recognize the possibility of extending this notion to the worlds natural and human resources. If sustainable development is to achieve its potential, it must be integrated into the planning and measurement systems of business enterprises. And for that to happen, the concept must be articulated in terms that are familiar to business leaders. The following definition is suggested: For the business enterprise, sustainable development means adopting business strategies and activities that meet the needs of the enterprise and its stakeholders today while protecting, sustaining and enhancing the human and natural resources that will be needed in the future. This definition captures the spirit of the concept as originally proposed by the World Commission on Environment and Development, and recognizes that economic development must meet the needs of a business enterprise and its stakeholders. The latter include shareholders, lenders, customers, employees, suppliers and communities who are affected by the organizations activities. It also highlights businesss dependence on human and natural resources, in addition to physical and financial capital. It emphasizes that economic activity must not irreparably degrade or destroy these natural and human resources. This definition is intended to help business directors apply the concept of sustainable development to their own organizations. However, it is important to emphasize that sustainable development cannot be achieved by a single enterprise (or, for that matter, by the entire business community) in isolation. Sustainable development is a pervasive philosophy to which every participant in the global economy (including consumers and government) must subscribe, if we are to meet todays needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. Implications for business It has become a clichà © that environmental problems are substantial, and that economic growth contributes to them. A common response is stricter environmental regulation, which often inhibits growth. The result can be a trade-off between a healthy environment on the one hand and healthy growth on the other. As a consequence, opportunities for business may be constrained. However, there are some forms of development that are both environmentally and socially sustainable. They lead not to a trade-off but to an improved environment, together with development that does not draw down our environmental capital. This is what sustainable development is all about a revolutionary change in the way we approach these issues. Businesses and societies can find approaches that will move towards all three goals environmental protection, social wellbeing and economic development at the same time. Sustainable development is good business in itself. It creates opportunities for suppliers of green consumers, developers of environmentally safer materials and processes, firms that invest in eco-efficiency, and those that engage themselves in social well-being. These enterprises will generally have a competitive advantage. They will earn their local communitys goodwill and see their efforts reflected in the bottom line. Practical considerations While business traditionally seeks precision and practicality as the basis for its planning efforts, sustainable development is a concept that is not amenable to simple and universal definition. It is fluid, and changes over time in response to increased information and societys evolving priorities. The role of business in contributing to sustainable development remains indefinite. While all business enterprises can make a contribution towards its attainment, the ability to make a difference varies by sector and organization size. Some executives consider the principal objective of business to be making money. Others recognize a broader social role. There is no consensus among business leaders as to the best balance between narrow self-interest and actions taken for the good of society. Companies continually face the need to trade off what they would like to do and what they must do in pursuit of financial survival. Businesses also face trade-offs when dealing with the transition to sustainable practices. For example, a chemical company whose plant has excessive effluent discharges might decide to replace it with a more effective treatment facility. But should the company close the existing plant during the two or three-year construction period and risk losing market share? Or should it continue to operate the polluting plant despite the cost of fines and adverse public relations? Which is the better course of action in terms of economy, social wellbeing and the environment? Moreover, many areas of sustainable development remain technically ambiguous, making it difficult to plan an effective course of action. For example, the forestry industry has had difficulty defining what constitutes sustainable forest management. Some critics believe that simply replacing trees is not enough, because harvesting destroys the biodiversity of the forest. Clearly, more research will be needed to resolve such technical issues. From a broader perspective, however, it is clearly in the interest of business to operate within a healthy environment and economy. It is equally plain that, on a global basis, growing and sustainable economies in the developing countries will provide the best opportunities for expanding markets. To some, sustainable development and environmental stewardship are synonymous. In the short term, sound environmental performance is probably a reasonable objective for most businesses, with sustainable development as a longer term goal. However, this can lead to confusion. In the developed world, the focus is on environmental management, while in developing countries, rapid and sustainable development is paramount. The global economy is coming under growing pressure to pay for the restoration of damaged environments. But this economic engine is being asked to help solve other pressing problems at the same time. The challenge is to solve all of these problems in a sustainable manner, so as to generate continuing development. Despite ambiguities about definitions, there is now widespread support for sustainable development principles within the business community. However, for that support to grow, it will be important to recognize and reward initiatives that are being taken to turn the concept into reality. Positive signs of change William Mulligan, environmental affairs manager at Chevron Corporation, reflects the view of many in the business community who believe that the environment is now a major issue one which presents both challenges and opportunities. Over the last decade, we have seen many polls confirming the importance of the environment to Americans, he says. Only an irresponsible company would dismiss this trend as a passing fad or fail to recognize the need to integrate environmental considerations into every aspect of its business. Environmental excellence has to become part of strategic thinking. It is in our best economic interests to do so. In fact, whenever we are forced to change, we often find opportunities. This positive change in attitudes and practices is echoed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which says: There is now a realistic prospect of harmonizing environmental and economic considerations, and thus of gradually incorporating these objectives in policy. Many executives have demonstrated that pursuing sustainable development strategies makes good business sense. For example, a 3M manufacturing plant scaled down a wastewater treatment operation by half, simply by running cooling water through its factories repeatedly instead of discharging it after a single use. Meanwhile Dows Waste Reduction Always Pays programme, which began in 1986, has fostered more than 700 projects, and saved millions of dollars a year. And in a Westinghouse metal finishing factory in Puerto Rico, the company reduced dragout the contamination accidentally carried from one tank to another by 75% simply by shaking the tank to remove solids before releasing the chemical to the next tank. Pacific Gas and Electric decided that energy conservation was a more profitable investment than nuclear power, and McDonalds made its well-publicized move from plastics to paper the cornerstone of a much broader, but less visible, waste reduction strategy. The managers of these businesses clearly believe that environmentalism has something to offer business. In an interview with Tomorrow magazine, John Elkington of environmental consultancy SustainAbility says: We are seeing the birth of corporate environmentalism. In fact the main impetus for sustainable development in the future will probably come from business. There are other significant developments too, Elkington points out. Many consumers are now prepared to pay more for environmentally responsible products. And the emergence of ethical investment funds has thrown the spotlight onto corporate environmental performance. Also significant, says Elkington, is that companies are changing from within, rather than simply responding to external pressure from consumers and environmentalists. Enhancing management systems The concept of sustainable development needs to be incorporated into the policies and processes of a business if it is to follow sustainable development principles. This does not mean that new management methods need to be invented. Rather, it requires a new cultural orientation and extensive refinements to systems, practices and procedures. The two main areas of the management system that must be changed are those concerned with: †¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  A greater accountability to non-traditional stakeholders; †¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Continuous improvement of reporting practices. Developing an effective management framework for sustainable development requires addressing both decision-making and governance. The concept of sustainable development must be integrated both into business planning and into management information and control systems. Senior management must provide reports that measure performance against these strategies. Governance is increasingly important because of the growing accountability of the corporation and its senior management. Information and reporting systems must support this need. Decision-making at all levels must become more responsive to the issues arising from sustainable development. Seven steps are required for managing an enterprise according to sustainable development principles. These are set out below.

Sambia And Hutterite Societal Threats :: essays research papers

Threats are everywhere. Every community in the world faces some sort of threats from time to time. These threats can be large or small, can come from inside or outside of the colony, and can have devastating effects on the group as a whole or as individuals. Quite often, parallels can be drawn between societies that have nothing to everything in common. This is found when comparing two dramatically different groups in the Sambia and the Hutterites. When first comparing the Hutterites and Sambia, one notices the glaring differences. The Sambia are a tribe living in the jungles of New Guinea. The Hutterites are a group that lives communally on large farm areas. The Sambia live what looks to most an uncivilized and savage way of life. The Hutterites live in established communities with many modern conveniences. The Sambia is a black tribe, while Hutterites are white. After these obvious differences, it is hard to imagine that there would be anything in common between the two groups. Looking deeper into the groups, it is easy to find several instances where they have very similar societal threats. Both the Sambia and Hutterite groups face threats from inside their communities. These internal threats can be very minor to something that might tear the group apart. One example of an internal threat comes from the sex differences that exist in each group. Both the Sambia and Hutterites have specific male and female gender roles. The Sambia men are the warriors, leaders and hunters. The women cook, raise children and gather certain crops. In the Hutterite community, the men are farmers, both group and spiritual leaders, and top of the hierarchical ladder. The women have the household duties of cleaning, cooking, child rearing and clothes making. There is no deviation from these distinct gender roles. In both societies, women are seen as being beneath the men and having to follow the orders of men. In both of these groups, the women marry in from an outside group. The women come into the home of the husband, with all of his family and friends surrounding them. She does not know anyone there, and must start anew. This and the distinct gender roles lead to male and female subcultures. The Sambia women do not understand the men's rituals, make fun of them and do not share in the joy they receive from the process.

Whole Foods

Whole foods Market is one of the largest and most successful organic natural food retailers in the world. The success of this retail giant did not happen overnight. Whole Foods was the idea of a twenty five year old college dropout named John Mackey and his girlfriend Rene Lawson Hardy. Their mission was to open an all-natural and organic food store with the promise of healthy food for a healthier life. In 1978 the two began their venture with a small health food store named SafeWay.In two year’s time Mackey and Lawson partnered with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles to merge SafeWay and another local natural food store in Austin Texas, employing only 19 people. (â€Å"Whole foods market,† 2012) John Mackey realized his passion was finally coming to fruition when he had said, â€Å"that having had a natural food conversion he wanted to share it with others. † (Patoski, 2006) This vision has now brought Whole Foods to recently celebrate their 30th anniversary.During th ese 30 years Whole Foods has stayed true to their mission of supporting and providing an equitable work environment for their employees, providing superior quality products for their customers, and embracing their commitment to sustainable agriculture. The driving force behind Whole Foods huge success is that they are goal oriented and passionate about their mission. Every employee from CEO’s to the store employee’s function under a set of shared beliefs that are put into practice with the assistance from the business model known as P.L. O. C. P. L. O. C. is made up of four components that are essentially management tools to create a cohesive structured and well planned organization.The first component of P. L. O. C. is planning. Planning is the process of setting performance objectives and determining what actions should be taken to accomplish them. The second is the component organizing. Organizing is the process of setting and assigning tasks and coordinating the ac tivities of individuals or group within an organization. The third P. L. O. C. component is leading.Leading is the process of creating an atmosphere that promotes a strong work ethic through shared enthusiasm, positivity, and productivity. The last component of the P. L. O. C. model is controlling. Controlling involves establishing performance standards based on the company’s objectives and evaluating and reporting job performance. It’s no secret that Whole Foods is a very successful company. It is also quite clear that their success is due in large part to their partnering of both their effective use of P. L. O. C. management and their core values. Whole Foods has a motto which captures their purpose as an organization.Their motto being Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet, along with their use of P. L. O. C. these components has been the foundation to their success. The Whole Foods piece of the model refers to the highest quality, the least processed and the most naturally preserved foods. The Whole People stands for recruiting quality personnel who hold the same belief and passion about food as well as a desire to be a part of a team culture. Whole Planet signifies the company’s social responsibility by actively being committed to supporting organic farming and agriculture, and being aware of and caring for the world around them. (â€Å"Whole foods market,† 1997)Whole Foods has strong core values, among them are offering only the highest quality of natural and organic products available; ensuring customers satisfaction and delight; enhancing the happiness and excellence of the human resources; generating wealth through profit and growth; showing care for the environment and communities; establishing a â€Å"win-win† alliance with suppliers; and teaching stakeholders how to improve their health through proper eating education.(â€Å"Whole foods Market’s,† 2012)Whole Foods is known throughout the entire food industry for being an exceptional company to work for. Promoting happiness and excellence among their employees is one of their core values. In addition, Whole Foods is an organization that successfully utilizes the P. L. O. C model which has allowed them to establish superior recruitment strategies. The company recruits a specific kind of employee, one who wants to be a part of their team and who shares the same core values.Their employees are empowered by and invested in the company by being given decision making capabilities, a respectful work place, and felling that they are supported, valued and that their hard work and commitment to excellence is recognized. Whole Foods has a team motto mentality. Every employee is a part of a team that meets regularly and collaborates, discusses, and decides on issues regarding the work place and employee will being. The belief that every voice is valuable has helped create an atmosphere that is open and positive.Beginning on the highest run g of the company ladder to an individual store employee, decisions are shared by all. This has been an enormous motivator for the employees at Whole Foods because unlike other retail food stores employees actually have a say and are instrumental in ensuring the future of the company. They are held up as being as important as their customers and their opinions are valued. (Kammeyer) Whole Foods has been named one of the top companies to work for by CNN Money.(Walker, 2012)Compared to other retailers who struggle to pay their employees the minimum wage, Whole Foods doubles it paying their employees an average of $15 dollars and hour. CEO Walter Robb, who joined the company in 2010, stated that he â€Å"wishes he could pay his employees even more. † (Blodget, 2012) This is an annual salary that hits just short from being able to supporting a family in most parts of the county. Whole Foods also stands by their vision to be a shared market with their employees, they have set a cap on all salaries company wide.No employee from a team member up to an executive will receive any more than 19 times the company wide annual salary. When the majority CEO’s of large corporations, average a rate of 231 times the regular working person. Whole Foods caps salaries as a way to ensure equity and trust among all. (Kannal, 9 14) Whole Foods is an open book, with nothing to hide. Any financial information from every employee starting from a â€Å"Team Member† to a CEO is disclosed to the public, their job title and wages from each title can be found at the job and anyone can look it up on Glassdoor.com if they wanted to find out. Whole Foods believes in the practice of â€Å"open people, open book, open door. † (Whole Foods Market, 2012) An innovative practice John Mackey believed it would â€Å"stop envy in human nature at work. † (cite)Whole Foods employees allotted affordable to no cost benefits such as medical, dental, vision, personal wellness , healthcare and dependent care reimbursement, life and disability insurance, 401K retirement savings, paid time off, gainsharing, Team Member discounts, Team Member emergency plan,  and stock options that are given and may also be purchased. All employees are encouraged every three years to engage in a companywide vote for the companies â€Å"Team Members† health and benefit package. This allows them to recognize exactly what their needs are and establish a benefit package that supports those needs. Whole Foods doesn’t believe in a one size fits all package. (Blodget, 2012) When it comes to stock ownership of Whole Foods 96 percent of their stock is held by Team Member or non-executive employees.The remaining amount is held by top executives. The philosophy that Whole Foods holds is the customer comes first, then the Team Members, and then the stockholders. (Sacks, 2009) Whole Foods philosophy is that, â€Å"the most important stakeholders are our customers. † The satisfaction of Whole Foods customers is extremely important to everyone in the company. Once again Whole Food combines the tenets of P. L. O. C. and the core values of supporting the health and well-being of all people to stock their stores with the highest quality organic and natural foods.John Mackey refers to the theory of customers being the true lifeline of a business as â€Å"Conscious Capitalism,† (a phrase he has trademarked) instead of only focusing on the gain of the business profit wise, focus on the purpose. (Sacks, 2009) Putting more of the focus on the philosophy of Whole Foods keeps customer happy and returning to experience the main reason why they started shopping there in the first place. Whole Foods has unquestionably changed the way people buy and eat food. In this down turning economy Whole Foods wants to keep their customers loyal and on track to continuing to eat naturally, healthy and organically.They have added coupons directly on their website that can be printed from your own computer, or even picked up from any local Whole Foods store. Once again the Whole Foods organization aims to keep their customers happy by providing affordable, delicious food. Whole Foods takes their commitment to balance their needs of people with their needs of the planet very seriously. They recognize that they as global citizens, they must practice sound environmental stewardship. Whole Foods is known for being a respected company and has been awarded the AchievementAward from the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as being ranked 5th on the top 50 Green Power Partners list. (â€Å"Green mission†) (EPA. gov) Whole Foods does this by emphasizing and upholding the importance of the 3 R’s, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. By following these R’s Whole Foods has reduced their landfill waste by 75 percent. A method Whole Food uses to avoid waste was to put a ban on using plastic bags, only using reusable bags or paper bags that ca n be recycled. To encourage their customers to bring in their own bags a nickel is refunded towards each full purchase.(â€Å"Green mission†)In 2002 Whole Foods became the first retailer to introduce solar energy as their power source, this made them the only Fortune 500 Company to purchase wind power and set off 100 percent of their energy cost. (Kannal, 9 14) Another contribution to the environment was selling organic produce, meats and materials, their vision used to reduce waste by the farmers they are purchasing from. Whole Foods also gives back to the community locally and to other countries by establishing the Whole Foods Foundation, a non for profit established by Whole Foods.Donations are received by online giving, mail, or at the checkout counter. The challenge that Whole Food may face in the future is the completion from other stores looking to grow and hold the same quality natural and organic products as they do. Another factor is the rising cost in produce and n atural foods. Whole Foods must continue to use those core values that they built their empire from to rise above the others, by building strong partnership with local farmers and continuing to stay innovative within their stores management structure. A Whole Food is an incredible organization.Not only do they care about the food they sell, the customers they provide for, and the world in which they live. They are also deeply committed to a future in which not just local communities but the world at large benefits from the practice in healthy eating that has become their trademark for the past 30 years. Whole Foods high quality innovative personnel, careful planning, management strategies and systems, and incredible dedication manage to secure their place in a highly competitive retail world and from the looks of things they are not going anywhere soon.

Muhammad Ali Becomes World Heavyweight Champion

Muhammad Ali Becomes World Heavyweight Champion On February 25, 1964, underdog Cassius Clay, better known as  Muhammad Ali, fought defending champion Charles Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight title in Miami Beach, Florida. Although it was nearly unanimously believed that Clay would be knocked out by round two if not earlier, it was Liston who lost the fight after refusing at the beginning of round seven to continue fighting.  This fight was one of the largest upsets in sports history, setting Cassius Clay on a long path of fame and controversy. Who Was Muhammad Ali? Cassius Clay, renamed Muhammad Ali right after this historic fight, had started boxing at the age of 12 and by 18 had won the light-heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games.   Clay trained long and hard to be the best at boxing, but many at the time thought his fast feet and hands didnt have enough power in them to beat a true heavyweight champion like Liston.   Plus, the 22-year-old Clay, a decade younger than Liston, seemed a bit crazy. Clay, known as the Louisville Lip, was constantly boasting that he would knock out Liston and calling him the big, ugly bear, riling up both Liston and the press into a frenzy over his wild taunts. While Clay used these tactics to unsteady his opponents and to garner publicity for himself, others thought it was a sign that he was afraid or just plain crazy. Who Was Sonny Liston? Sonny Liston, known as the Bear for his giant size, had been the world heavyweight champion since 1962. He was rough, tough, and hit really, really hard. Having been arrested more than 20 times, Liston learned to box while in prison, becoming a professional boxer in 1953. Listons criminal background played a big role in his unlikable public personae, but his hard-hitting style earned him enough wins via knockout that he was not to be ignored.   For most folks in 1964, it seemed a no brainer that Liston, who had just knocked out the last serious contender for the title in the first round, would pummel this young, loud-mouthed challenger. People were betting 1 to 8 on the match, favoring Liston. The World Heavyweight Fight At the start of the fight on February 25, 1964, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Liston was overconfident. Although nursing an injured shoulder, he expected an early knockout like his last three big fights and so had not spent much time training. Cassius Clay, on the other hand, had trained hard and was thoroughly ready. Clay was faster than most other boxers and his plan was to dance around the powerful Liston until Liston tired out. Alis plan worked. Liston, weighing in at the slightly heavy 218 pounds, was surprisingly dwarfed by the 210 1/2-pound Clay. When the bout began, Clay bounced, danced, and bobbed frequently, confusing Liston and making a very difficult target. Liston tried to get a solid punch in, but round one ended without much actual hitting. Round two ended with a cut under Listons eye and Clay not only still standing, but holding his own.  Round three and four saw both men looking tired but determined. At the end of the fourth round, Clay complained that his eyes were hurting. Wiping them with a wet rag helped a little, but Clay basically spent the entire fifth round trying to evade the blurry Liston. Liston tried to use this to his advantage and went on the attack, but the lithe Clay surprisingly managed to stay up the whole round. By the sixth round, Liston was exhausted and Clays eyesight was returning. Clay was a dominant force in the sixth round, getting in several good combinations. When the bell rang for the start of the seventh round, Liston stayed seated. He had hurt his shoulder and was worried about the cut under his eye. He just didnt want to continue the fight. It was a real shock that Liston ended the fight while still seated in the corner. Excited, Clay did a little dance, now called the Ali shuffle, in the middle of the ring. Cassius Clay was declared the winner and became the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

Islamic Law essays

Islamic Law essays The religion and the practices of Islam have often been seen in a negative light in the Western world. This can be attributed to the effects that Islamic fundamentalists have had on society through their attacks on the Western world. For this reason many Westerners have developed an Islamophobia. A direct result of this Islamophobia is a negative perception of Islamic Law. Many Westerners feel that Islamic Law is very unjust, however in reality this is not the case. Islamic Laws may be strict relative to Western society, but their main purpose is to give people a guideline of how to live their lives in a clean fashion (Nasr, 1997). The punishments that people receive for violating Islamic Law are believed to be very brutal by Western Society; but this is not necessarily the case. Most Muslims believe that these punishments are just and also that these punishments are minor compared to the ultimate punishment that will be delivered by the hand of God on the Day Of Judgement. Islamic L aw also has a positive impact on society by helping out others through required charitable donations called Zakat. For these reasons Islamic Law should not be perceived as unjust by Western Society. Islamic Law extends into every aspect on life from how to use water to banking. It is based on the Muslim Holy Book, the Koran. The Koran is the primary source for Islamic Law, as it laid a solid foundation upon which Muslim scholars devised guidelines (Seestani, 1994). Muslims believe that the Koran contains the words of Allah. So, whatever is written in the Koran is considered to be sacred and everything in it is obeyed. But the Koran was not written in detail. The Koran gave people a guideline as to how they should live their lives but not the specifics on how they should do this. For example, the Koran says that people must pray but it did not say how to pray. In order to clear up any confusion caused by the generalization of the ...

Computer Science Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Computer Science Questions - Essay Example Wilson argues that in order to determine the threat scale during computer forensic tactics preparation, one identifies the rate of spread of the malicious program (worm, virus). The other step involves determining the extent to which the malicious program has spread to other computer users and the damage that the program has inflicted on those users that have been affected (Wilson, 2002). I think that subnets are the most difficult part of IP addressing. This is because it is very hard to understand how to work with prefix length and subnet length. In addition, the determination of the host addresses and the prefix involves changing the address into binary by conducting logical (NOR and AND) operations on the subnet mask and address, before finally converting the figures into decimal points. According to White, IPv6 have a number of drawbacks such as the cost. In order to migrate to IPv6 protocols, businesses have to factor in time spent, additional personnel and monetary assets. A business has to buy new servers and basically new equipment for performing IPv6 functions that are very specific (White, 2012). Another factor is the complication of shifting to IPv6. The move entails involving all departments, which means that the day to day operations will be curtailed. In addition, all the departments have to be satisfied. Other factors include getting rid of the IPv4 inventory and handling issues relating to the legacy system. According to Mason et al., the factors to consider when deciding whether to implement a traditional zone or an integrated (AD) DNS zone include- the type of zones, database replication topologies and administrative supervision available (Mason, 2012). Halwagi argues that the main factors to consider when deciding which particular DCs host DNS include- hardware requirements, the place you will place DNS servers for traffic loads on the network, number of DNS servers and if you will exclusively use all DNS servers or a

Early childhood education in relation to children with additional Essay

Early childhood education in relation to children with additional needs - Essay Example The early years in the life of a child are considered to be crucial since they form a foundation of their future. At this stage the child goes through developmental and learning stages. There are children with specialized or additional needs including physical and mental disabilities, children from ethnic minority groups and those from low income families. Early childhood educator should be equipped with the skills to identify such children and treat them accordingly. Childhood settings should on the other hand provide the right facilities and resources to ensure that the children get the appropriate care. The family has a role to play in identification of the children. Identification at early age benefits the child since they start receiving specialized treatment with immediate effect. Changes should be effected to improve the treatment and address their needs early enough. Keywords: Early childhood education, Childhood educators and Childhood settings.The early years (from birth to five years of age) in the life of a child are considered to be very important. At this age, children go through a variety of learning stages each while making great steps and the lessons learnt form an important foundation for experiences in their later life. Children go through developmental and learning processes and parents and childhood educators need to help them develop their mental, emotional, physical and creative skills in fun and enjoyable manner as explained by Ashman and Elkins (2009).