Environmental Factors Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Environmental Factors - Case Study Example Cultural, political, economic, technological, and competitive environments differ from nation to nation. Marketing on a global scale requires that Sam' Club representatives make adjustments to existing marketing plans to meet local conditions; understanding the nuances of these environmental factors will prove advantageous. Market research, such as that done by Wal-Mart Sotres, Inc., plays a very large role in addressing these factors and understanding the adjustments that must be made to effectively market on an international level. Social and cultural environmental factors focus on the interactions of groups of people within a nation: characteristics, growth projections, numbers, and interactive behaviors (Bearden, et al., 2003). The economic environmental factor refers to the buying power of potential consumers. Understanding how strong or weak the consumer economy is in a new country will ensure Sam's Club's ability to meet and exceed the customers' expectations and needs. Marketing practices and several ethical concerns can be discovered by researching a nations political system. For example, labor laws vary from one nation to another; advertising laws may be different and various regulations in different nations can affect marketing practices and, occasionally, marketing effectiveness (Bearden et al., 2003). Technological environmental factors involve trends in innovations; these factors can determine how marketing plans are performed or carried out. Finally, the competitive environmental factors entail un derstanding how many organizations currently compete to serve the consumers with similar product lines and services offered by Sam's Club (Bearden, et al., 2003). Cultural differences from nation to nation will sometimes effect the types of products to be offered. Armstrong and Kotler (2005) use McDonald's as an example of using product diversity to market to different nations: McDonald's uses the same basic operating formula in its restaurants around the world but adapts its menu to local tastes. It uses chili sauce instead of ketchup on its hamburgers in Mexico. In Vienna, its restaurants include "McCafes," which offer coffee blended to local tastes, and in Korea, it sells roast pork on a bun with a garlicky soy sauce. In India, where cows are considered sacred, McDonald's serves chicken, fish, vegetable burgers, and the Maharaja Mac- two all-mutton patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun (p. 534). Armstrong and Kotler (2005) have effectively demonstrated how McDonald's was able to address and overcome cultural environmental factors by offering something other than hamburgers to countries and societies that do not eat them. To successfully enter new cultural markets, Sam's Club, along with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., will need to research differences in brand and product expectations, as well as the delivery of these products. Growing technology allows Sam's Club and marketing research teams in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., to monitor the and identify key environmental factors by tracking marketing trends; for example, demographic research and other data can prove to be invaluable for use as marketing tools. By using technology, such

Talent planning in organisations Essay Example for Free

Talent planning in organisations Essay Before an organisation is able to carry out talent planning activities there are a few contingencies and factors that could affect the business in resourcing talent affectively. One of the main factors to consider is the location of the business. The location could mean there is a lack of talent or abundance. For example an IT company would attract the best talent from either Silicon Valley or Bangalore, however if the company is based in Glasgow how will the convince the best talent to come and move there. A second factor is the budget. This is an issue for smaller or start-ups. Not having the right amount of budget or having no budget means you are restricted to the resources you can use to attract the best talent such a specialist recruitment agencies or advertising on industry specific job boards as they can be quite costly. Business objectives a further more factor. As one of the objectives of the company would be to have good retention of staff however that might mean if they doing a good job of the retention of staff they might not necessarily need to hire new staff. Lastly whether a company is growing or expanding is another factor. If a company is expanding than this will have to be taken into account however if a company is not expanding will increasing or atleast attracting talent be made more difficult? As potential employees will want to work for a company that is growing and not one that is shrinking or making cut backs. While a company is thinking about recruiting talent they also need to realise the benefits and strengths of having a diverse work force. For example one of the benefits is you will attract more skills and strengths with a diverse work force. BY recruiting from only one region for example you could not get the expertise of someone who might be in the same industry from a different region who would know the market better. As a result of this another benefit is getting different points of view. By ensuring you have a diverse work force you are able to get new eyes on a problem and find better solutions. A third and final reason is who that you are recognised as an employer of choice where by you can in the long run attract better talent as you have a diverse work force to begin with. Although a company needs to recruit and they have been able to attract the talent, when it comes to the right selection there a number of factors which can affect this. For example the time limits, when a company has a job role that needs to be filled quickly  due to how pivotal the job is to the organisations day to day running it can mean due to the time limit they might make the wrong decision. Another factor is the types of skills and the culture. Although on paper the candidate might seem the best and has experience sometimes some skills are not measurable until the person is working for the company and as a result even though you might have made the right decision based on paper in reality they might not be the best person for the job. And finally the last reason would be for the type of role. Some roles are really specific to a certain industry, you might be able to attract the talent but due to there being such a specialist in the field you might not be able to select the exact person as there is no set process to decide who the right fit will be for the roles due to the nature of the role.

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - Is Hamlet Mad? :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Is Hamlet Mad? Perhaps the world's most famous mental patient, Hamlet's sanity has been argued over by countless learned scholars for hundreds of years. As a mere student of advanced-level English Literature, I doubt I can add anything new to the debate in 2000 words, but I can look at the evidence supporting or dispelling each argument and come to my own conclusion. Hamlet is obviously experiencing grief and despair right from the beginning of the novel, with the death of his father and his uncle's seizure of the throne and rapid weddign of Hamlet's mother, and we can observe his great grief bordering on irrational suicidal tendencies as early as Act II Sc I, where he gives his first soliloquy. He cries: "O that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!" Macbeth wants his flesh to dissolve into a dew ("solid" contrasting with "melt" in the first line), and wishes that God had not forbade suicides from going to heaven. This is also the first glimpse of another recurring theme in the play, that of Hamlet's unhealthy obsession with the afterlife. This is one of the reasons that the ghost of his father has such an effect on him, which is a trigger for all the subsequent events in the play. Moving on to the fourth scene, the next interesting speech is on l. 23. It is a long and complicated speech, but its general gist is that if a person has one fault, no matter how virtuous they may be in other ways, they are soiled by "the stamp of one defect". This speech is quite ironic, because it is Hamlet's "one defect" (his hesitancy and inability to take action), regardless of his other qualities (such as honour and integrity), will be the main reason why the play ends so tragically. Although we are supposed to suspect that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark", as Horatio puts it, from the start of the play, it is only when Hamlet talks with the ghost of his father in Act I Sc V that we realise the full extent of his uncle's treachery. When he first sees the ghost, Horatio and Marcellus try to restrain him, Horatio saying: "What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o'er his base into the sea, And there assume some other horrible form, Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason,

Management Policy & Strategy Essay

Management Policy and Strategies course was very interesting and at the same time important for my career goal. I really wasn’t sure what I was going into when I signed up for this course, however I was able to learn much from it, thanks to Professor Dennis Strouble and all of my wonderful classmates. The position that I hold currently at my place of employment is Program Coordinator, however the duties that I am responsible for fall under a manager’s position, therefore I am able to bring information that I have learned in this class to my work place. SWOT analysis section of this course was also very interesting. Even though I had heard of the SWOT analysis before, I really didn’t pay too much mind to it, but now that I took this course I am more knowledgeable about it. Because I can implement SWOT analysis into not only at my workplace but in my personal life, as well, therefore I consider it very important to know. SWOT stands for: Strengths, Weaknesses, Oppo rtunities, and Threats. Knowing this information and the meaning to it will make me able to input analysis into what I currently do now and in the future. Performing internal and external analysis is an important factor to when managing a business or even a department. Since job plays a manager role, I will be able to perform duties and really look at the department policies and tasks processes and analyze the internal and external areas within the program organization. I deal with low-income families, monthly and quarterly reporting, day-to-day administration, finance, etc. and learning everything I learned in this course will make a positive input to the program, to the organization and most importantly to the federal fund institution that is funding our program. Understanding implementation is an important key to my job. Implementing new ideas and processes is part of my job daily. Therefore, with all the information that I learned which I have not mentioned all, these are some i mportant factors that I will be able to utilize in the business that I am currently in moving forward. Having a professor that actually cares and enjoys teaching (and does a great job at it) really helped me understand the material. I do appreciate the time and effort that you have provided for my classmates and me.

Marie Antoinette: Research Paper

Melissa Arias Alma Aguilar Political Science 101 24 September 2012 Marie Antoinette â€Å"Let them eat cake† is probably one of the most recited quotes around the world, which is known to be spoken by the last Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Although often reffered to as â€Å"The Party Queen† or in other words, the Queen who danced while her people starved. But what many fail to recognize is the fact that Marie Antoinette was the Queen who cared for her people. The only think she cared for more than the welfare of her people, was the welfare of her children.In order for one to understand and have the ability to fully understand the French Revolution, and Monarchy, one must go back and analyze Marie Antoinette's personal background, her political contributions and achievements, and her political influences. Personal Background Marie Antoinette (Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria) was born in Vienna, Austria on November 2nd, 1755. â€Å"She was the fifteenth child, and eleventh (and last) daughter of the Emperor Francis 1st of Lorraine and Maria Theresa of Austria, at the head of the Habsburg dynasty†(Moore 3).Francis 1st died in August 1765, leaving his wife and his elder son to co-rule his empire. â€Å"To promote diplomatic relationships with France, Marie Antoinette was asked to marry Louis Auguste, the Dauphin of France† (Campan 3). With the conclusion of the Seven Years' War in 1763, an alliance between Austria and France became a priority for Empress Maria Theresa; cementing alliances through matrimonial connections was a common practice among European royal families at the time. In 1765, the son of French Emperor Louis XV, Louis Ferdinand, died, leaving his 11-year-old grandson Louis Auguste heir to the French throne.Within months, Marie Antoinette and Louis Auguste were pledged to marry each other. A child of only 14 years, delicately beautiful with gray-blue eyes and ash-blonde hair, in May 1770, â€Å"Marie Antoinette set out for France to be married, escorted by 57 carriages, 117 footmen and 376 horses. On May 16, 1770, Marie Antoinette and Louis Auguste were married†. (Campan 6) † Louis XV passed away in 1774, and Louis Auguste succeeded him to the French throne as Louis XVI, making Marie Antoinette, at 19 years old, Queen of France†(Barker 9).However, as personalities went Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette could not have been more different. He was introverted, shy and indecisive, a lover of solitary pleasures such as reading and metalwork. She was vivacious,outgoing and bold, a social butterfly who loved gambling, partying and extravagant fashions. Political Influences and Development Though many have argued that Marie Antoinette did not have any political development or influences, due to her social and eccentric ways, Marie always referred to someone in her life as the main source of admiration. Her Mother, Queen Maria Theresa, Marie often spoke of her with profound respect, but she based all her schemes for the education of her children on the essentials which had been neglected in her own†(Barker 9). Maria Theresa, often was inspired awe by her great qualities, taught the Archduchesses to fear and respect rather than to love her. â€Å"The Empress was too much taken up with high political interests to have it in her power to devote herself to maternal attentions. â€Å"(Campan 8) The queen's influence on domestic policy before 1789 has also been exaggerated. Her interference in politics was usually in order to obtain jobs and money for her friends. It is true, however, that she usually opposed the efforts of reforming ministers such as A. R. J. Turgot (1727–1781) and became involved in court scandals against them. â€Å"( Moore 12 ) â€Å"Activities such as the â€Å"diamond necklace affair,† where the queen was accused of having an improper relationship with a wealthy church official in exchange for an expensive necklace, inc reased her unpopularity and led to a stream of pamphlets and articles against her†(Barker 11).The fact that after the birth of her children Marie Antoinette's way of life became more restrained did not alter the popular image of an immoral and extravagant woman. As soon as the arrival of a stranger of rank at Vienna was made known, the Empress brought her family about her, admitted them to her table, and by this concerted meeting induced a belief that she herself presided over the education of her children. Contributions and WrittingsFrom the beginning of the revolution, Marie Antoinette and Louis had hopes for a compromise: in other words, a constitution that would include the monarchy. Trying to re-establish normalcy, Marie Antoinette continued her generous patronage of the poor children of Paris. â€Å"At the fireworks celebrating the marriage of the young prince and princess in May 1774, there was a stampede in which many people were killed. Louis and Antoinette gave all of their private spending money for a year to relieve the suffering of the victims and their families. (Campan 2)Marie-Antoinette's reputation for sweetness and mercy became even more entrenched in 1774, when as the new Queen she asked that the people be relieved of a tax called â€Å"The Queen's belt,† customary at the beginning of each reign. â€Å"Belts are no longer worn,† she said. She also spent as much time as possible with her own children, particularly the dauphin. â€Å"(Moore, 8). Much of the writings Marie wrote was her diary which is filled with a young girl's feelings about her arranged marriage.She describes a French Court dominated by intricate rules of etiquette and protocol and excessive attention to fashion and grooming. In her last letter, Marie-Antoinette wrote to her sister-in-law Madame Elisabeth: â€Å"‘Happiness is doubled when shared with a friend'†¦. † ( Campan 4 )In those words are contained the value she placed on friends hip to her happiness. The queen had a great capacity for friendship, although she was not always smart in her choice of companions. Conclusion The story of revolution and resistance in 18th-century France is a complicated one, and no two historians tell the story the same way.However, it is clear that for the revolutionaries, Marie Antoinette’s significance was mainly, powerfully symbolic. â€Å"She and the people around her seemed to represent everything that was wrong with the monarchy and the Second Estate: They appeared to be tone-deaf, out of touch, disloyal (along with her allegedly treasonous behavior, writers and pamphleteers frequently accused the queen of adultery) and self-interested†( Moore 17 ). What Marie Antoinette was actually like was beside the point; the image of the queen was far more influential than the woman herself. Marie Antoinette was the Austrian born child bride of the future King Louis XVI of France. It was an arranged marriage designed to (hopefully) create a better relationship between the two countries which was a common practice by the Monarchy to reduce conflicts and warfare between Nations†(Campan 7). The French people resented the Austrian Queen and she was the subject of numerous rumors that she had been planted in France as a spy, was a spendthrift, was cold, cruel, evil, mean and any number of other charges.In truth, she was a well educated woman with excellent regal poise, she was a well qualified linguist, played the Harp with great versatility, was an accomplished equestrian and was considered to be an excellent mother to her four children. † She was put to death during the French Revolution at the age of 37 on 16 October 1793. † (Marie Antoinette Biography 3) Marie Antoinette was a symbol of goodness and of everything that was right with the French monarchy. Also as queen, she made many changes that affected France's system of government and law.Marie had abolished the law of segregated dining spaces, as she felt it was wrong. She had gained popularity with people of France at first with her generosity as she continuosly gave to the poor of Paris. † After the Revolution, Marie faced the women who stormed Versailles and when her family and her were forced to live in Paris as prisoners she never lost hope that she would find a way to get out and hold her family's reputation as well as her political career; Even after the Republic was proclaimed in 1792, and her husband was executed. (Barker 5) Despite the tragic outcome of Marie Antoinette's life, she never blamed her people. She remained a devoted mother and wife, although her life as the Queen of France ended in a moments notice. Although many through time have viewed her as a shallow, weak and a self- indulgent person. But through recent years many historians have concluded the opposite; seen more as a lively, misunderstood, and compassionate character. She was a devoted mother,making sure her children were well educated, and cherished.And even when she knew her life was coming to an end, she made sure her children were in safe hands. And as Queen, she wanted the best for her people, giving generous donations and contributions to the minority. Marie Antoinette as a person and a friend was quite possibly one of her best traits, marked through history. The Political side of her and her family status was the main source of The French Revolution. She was proud to be french, but in the end all the hopes she had for her country demolished right before her eyes. But as terrible as she might be portrayed in your history books.Marie Antoinette will always be the last Queen France ever had. Bibliography Barker, Nancy. â€Å"Let Them Eat Cake: The Mythical Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution. † Historian (Summer 1993): 709-25. Madame Campan. Memoirs of Marie Antoinette. N. p. : Barker, n. d. Memoirs of Marie Antoinette. Web. 01 Sept. 2012. . â€Å"Marie Antoinette Biography. † Marie Antoinette Biography. N. p. , 01 July 2012. Web. 25 Aug. 2012. . Moore, Marianne. â€Å"Marie Antoinette. † New World Encyclopedia. N. p. , 03 Apr. 2007. Web. 01 Sept. 2012. .

Early To Bed and Early to Rise Makes a Man Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise Essay Example

Early To Bed and Early to Rise Makes a Man Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise Essay Example Early To Bed and Early to Rise Makes a Man Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise Paper Early To Bed and Early to Rise Makes a Man Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise Paper Medical science has verifiable and documented evidence regarding the bad effects of sleep deprivation on our bodies. Some of the side effects are irritability, shorter attention spans, sluggishness, and the feeling of being tired all day even if you take a nap in the afternoon. This is because the human body requires a full eight hours of sleep in order to recharge the equivalent of our internal rechargeable batteries as well as allow our various organs to gain some much needed rest after a long and tiring day of constant use. The human body runs in cycles with its highest energy points being after a well rested night of sleep and its low point being at the end of the day when our body begins to lag in terms of energy, or, when we lack sleep. Getting the full 8 hours of sleep is vital to our daily function as a person because it allows us to become more productive and conducive to the various new events unfolding around us that enter our brain and add to our knowledge. When we sleep early, the brain manages to rest and process all the data of the day in a way that makes it useful to us in the coming days. This is why sleeping early makes a man Wise. Sleeping early is also beneficial to our heart because at a certain point during the night, our body automatically goes into rest mode and all our body functions slow down in order to give the heart time to rest. That means our heart needs to rest for 8 hours also. Sleep is of vital importance in keeping our body healthy. Allow me to explain the need to sleep a full 8 hours in order to get the benefits out of life further by using myself as an example. When I was working the fire watch duty at the Chevron Refinery Company, I was usually assigned to the graveyard shift from 6 PM to 6 AM in the morning. Driving home was a dangerous activity for me because I was so sleep deprived that I often found myself dozing off at the wheel. Mentally, I knew I had to drive home safely in order to rest. Physically, my body just wanted to sleep anywhere it was comfortable to do so. Such as in the soft seat of my car. After a few weeks of working the graveyard shift, my body forced me to accept the fact that I could not go on that way. I began to get leg cramps, and I developed an eating disorder and stomach problems due to the out of proper time that I was having my meals. But those were just the start of the problems brought on by my sleep deprivation. At home, I became moody and temperamental. I am usually a kind father but I then found myself constantly yelling at my son and become physical with him for the slightest infractions that did not deserve a beating. I was becoming an abusive mother because I was not sleeping properly. I was not being Wise. It was now becoming a psychological problem for me as well because I was always exhausted from working and just wanted to sleep when everyone else around me was awake. I fell behind in my household chores as well and left the house unkempt with the laundry undone. I no longer cared about how I or my clothes looked. I began to look unhealthy to most people and I cannot say I blame them for thinking that I was having health issues at the time. I certainly looked my worst when I was working that graveyard shift. Imagine seeing a person with oily hair, bad skin, and looking in bad need of a soak in the tub. That is how I looked physically. Not a pretty sight caused by sleep deprivation. Eventually, I realized that I did not like the person I was becoming all because I lacked sleep and was tired all the time. I quit my graveyard shift job and have been sleeping regularly now. Everyone has noticed the change the added sleep hours has given me. When they ask me what I did, tell them with a smile, â€Å"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. †

Resume Writing, FUN Yes! Here Are My Top 7 Ways

Resume Writing, FUN Yes! Here Are My Top 7 Ways On May 12th, I presented a webinar for Yale alumni on the Top 7 Ways to Make Resume Writing FUN! Does this sound like an event you’d want to attend?  (Spoiler: Keep reading for a link to watch it!) Top 7 Ways to Make Resume Writing FUN! Speaker: Brenda Bernstein, Yale College Alumna and Certified Executive Resume Master / Certified Master Resume Writer It’s time to write or edit your resume. Do you greet this project with enthusiasm or do you scream AAARGH!? Whether you are a new grad, a career changer, or a senior executive, you probably have at least a little resistance to writing the most important career document of your life. The good news: Resume writing does not have to be a drag. In this webinar, Brenda Bernstein will give you her Top 7 Ways to Make Resume Writing FUN! PLAY the Resume GAME SPICE UP your formatting POWER UP your verbs DISCOVER Resume Tetris GO on a treasure hunt TURN worry into CREATIVITY And GET the JOB Have FUN and write a winning resume at the same time. Don’t miss this opportunity to take the AAARGH out of resume writing! If you answered Yes that you wish you could have been on this webinar, you’re in luck! The Yale Office of Career Strategy was generous enough to give me permission to share the link to the recording. So as a break from my weekly written articles, I’m sharing this webinar with you today. Enjoy (and don’t mind the bulldog images sprinkled throughout the slide deck)! CLICK  BELOW TO WATCH Note: The discount offer in the webinar has expired, but the $50 Resume Review and $50 LinkedIn Profile Review services are still available to you! You can sign up for those here: Resume Review Special LinkedIn Profile Review Special Let me know if you have any questions or other suggestions for playing the resume writing game. I look forward to your comments!