Great Gatsby And Morality Essays - The Great Gatsby,

Great Gatsby And Morality After the events of this story have unfolded, the narrator Nick, focuses on the man most like himself; Gatsby. Both Nick Carraway and Jay Gatz hail from the mid-west, where morals and the right way of getting ahead are instilled into them. They travel to New York, where the morals are paper-thin and everything seems turned upside down. The saps with morals stay in the ashheaps while the careless, foolhardy upper society do what they please. Nick stays true to the mid-west morals of an earnest, hardworking living while Gatsby tries to be just like the others on East Egg. Nick says this of him, "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further.....And one fine morning-" (189). A central theme of the novel I think, is the idea that people aren't satisfied with what they have, they are always going further and further, never knowing when to stop, and always striving for that bright star that "seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it." (189). To Gatsby the green light symbolizes Daisy, Daisy in a way represents her peers in the same social strata as her. Daisy is a fool, living vicariously and so are the characters in this book. The green light represents the wild and recklessness of the times. These were times when women for the first time were drinking and smoking alongside the guys, their war was over and so were their troubles. The green light for them means go, after most wars the economy experiences a boom, this was no different. They are cocksure, thinking that whatever they do is right, and they always push on. They don't care what happens to others as long as they remain untouched and unrivaled. This selfishness is shown in nearly all characters except Nick, who accepts his life and is satisfied. He works hard and scrapes by, but he is living the life he wants, "I am one of the few honest men that I have ever known."(64). He's sensible and thinks out his actions. He doesn't have the green gleam in his eye that everyone else seems to have. He is an observer to the situation, and when he talks of Gatsby believing in the Green Light, he sums up Gatsby's philosophy and possibly what was written in the back of his most recent edition of "Hopalong Cassidy"; the way to live his life dedicated to Daisy. His whole life was devoted to re-wooing Daisy and finally have that "one fine morning" when she would be his completely. I do not think that he knew when to stop. Once Gatsby achieves his dreams and Daisy is now seeing him on a regular basis, he doesn't know what to do. This whole time he wanted her so much and he couldn't get her, he was dreaming. Dreaming that the green light would shine on him, and once it did, he couldn't help but go further, stretch his arms just a little further, and ask Daisy to leave her husband. On page 139 in the hotel scene Daisy says to Jay, "Oh, you want to much! I love you know---isn't that enough?" But for Gatsby it isn't enough, he wants more and more and really it is this dream of "one fine morning" that is the reason he is killed. He lives his life as a dream. He accomplishes the "American Dream" by coming from nothing and getting everything but all his profit go to Daisy, she is his dream all along, and it is from this situation that in the end he is killed, caught in the tangled web of the Buchanans marriage. Tom is a good example of not knowing when to stop. He was born into wealth and went to a prominent college. His life is set up, he has wealth, a beautiful wife, a child, a lavish lifestyle, and no worries. His decision to have extra-marital affairs is a key example of "stretching his arms", and indulging himself to the point of fallout. This is common among his peers, the rich New York crowd. Gatsby follows Daisy from the time he arrives back until the day he actually has his dreams come true and he meets her. She is symbolized by the green light at the end of her dock. To me, this green light is representative of not

All the ACT Idioms You Need Complete List

All the ACT Idioms You Need Complete List SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Idiom questions on the ACT are different from the other grammar questions on the ACT. Why? Idiom questions don’t conform to specific rules. You have to rely on your intuitive grasp of English and your familiarity with certain phrases. Because you’re likely to encounter at least a few idiom questions on the ACT English test, I’ll provide you with some information about idioms that should help you raise your ACT English score. In this post, I’ll do the following: Explain the concept of an idiom. Detail the most common types of idiom questions on the ACT English section. Offer strategies to help you identify and correctly answer idiom questions. Give a thorough list of idioms to help guide your studying. Provide you with ACT English practice questions to test you on what you’ve learned. What Is an Idiom? Idioms are phrases or expressions that do not conform to simple rules. Each idiom, by definition, is unique. Most people think of idioms as expressions that often have figurative meanings different from their literal meanings. Examples of this type of idiom include "actions speak louder than words," "barking up the wrong tree," and "make a long story short." However, the ACT does not test you on these colloquial expressions. ACT English idiom questions will test you on different types of idioms. Idioms have no rules. How Are Idioms Tested on the ACT English Section? While the ACT doesn't test you on the figurative expressions I referenced above, the ACT does test you on two types of idioms: prepositional idioms and idioms with gerunds/infinitives. Prepositional Idioms For prepositional idioms, you must know which prepositions to use with a given word based on the context of the sentence. For example, you should say that you "wonder about" something, not "wonder on" something. You're "suspicious of" something, not "suspicious by" something. There is no rule to determine the correct preposition to use. You must be familiar with the phrase or rely on what you think "sounds right." Here's an example sentence with a prepositional idiom: Unsurprisingly, after Corey decided not to pay back the substantial loan given to him by his best friend, everyone was outraged for Corey’s behavior. This is a typical sentence with an idiom error you may encounter on the ACT. There's no violation of a specific grammar rule in the sentence. However, the phrase "outraged for" is incorrect. The sentence should read: Unsurprisingly, after Corey decided not to pay back the substantial loan given to him by his best friend, everyone was outragedbyCorey’s behavior. The proper expression is "outraged by." There is no rule that allows you to determine the correct idiomatic expression. Familiarity with the given phrases will greatly help you in identifying idiom errors. There's another type of idiom that is commonly tested on the ACT. Idioms with Gerunds or Infinitives Gerunds are verbs that are used as nouns and end in "ing." Examples of gerunds include skipping, talking, and performing. Infinitives are verbs used as nouns and are constructed by using the word "to" plus a verb. Examples of infinitives include to do, to analyze, and to explain. So what are some examples of idioms with gerunds or infinitives? The correct phrase is "capable of being," not "capable to be." The proper idiomatic expression is "regarded asbeing," not "regardedto being." For these types of idioms, you need to know which preposition to use and whether to use a gerund or an infinitive. With some idioms, depending on the context, it's acceptable to use an infinitive or a gerund. Here's an example with the gerund in bold: I neglected doing my homework. The sentence is also correct if you use an infinitive: I neglected to do my homework. While both of those sentences are correct, this is a sentence with an idiom error: Shelby will succeed in to graduate from college. The phrase "succeed in to graduate" is incorrect. Do you know the right idiomatic expression to use? This is the corrected version of the sentence: Shelby will succeed in graduating from college. There's no rule to learn that will indicate that "succeed in graduating" is the correct phrase. Here's one more example of an idiom error: Gina decides leaving the group when we go out. This is how the sentence looks after we fix the idiom error: Gina decides to leave the group when we go out. The infinitive form should be used with the word "decides." Now here are couple of actual idiom questions from real ACTs. Real ACT English Examples Try to answer this idiom question from a real ACT: Explanation: The answer is D. The right idiomatic expression is "sat across from." Here's one more for you: The court agreed with Kevin that a person's right for wearing clothing of his or her own choosing is, in fact, protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. A. NO CHANGE B. of wearing C. to wear D. wearing Explanation: The correct expression is â€Å"right to wear clothing of his or her own choosing." The answer is C. Why Are Idiom Questions Difficult/Easy? Why They're Difficult Idiom questions can be challenging because other grammar questions follow specific rules or patterns that can be applied to all sentences. Idiom questions test your knowledge of specific idiomatic expressions. Literally, there are thousands of idioms. It's not practical to try to remember each one. Furthermore, ESL students are less likely to be able to identify idiom errors. Knowledge of idioms tends to be built throughout a lifetime of exposure to them. Why They're Easy Idiom questions are the only ones where solely relying on what "sounds right" is likely to give you the right answer. These questions do not require you to understand and apply a rule. If you're familiar with the specific idioms that appear on the ACT English section, you can easily spot any idiom errors. ACT English Tips for Idiom Questions #1: If a preposition, gerund, or infinitive is underlined, check for idiom errors. #2: The question may be testing idioms if the answer choices are all prepositions. #3: Keep a list of idioms that appear on your practice tests. #4: Review and familiarize yourself with the list of idioms below. List of ACT Idioms While there are thousands of idioms in the English language, almost all idiom questions I’ve encountered on the ACT involve prepositional idioms or idioms with gerunds/infinitives. I've listed some of the more common prepositional idioms and idioms with gerunds/infinitives to help guide your studying. Idioms that have appeared on questions in the Real ACT Prep Guide (the red book) are listed first. It's not practical for you to memorize every single idiom on this list. There are usually less than a handful of idiom questions on the ACT English section. Spending numerous hours learning hundreds of idioms would not be the best use of your study time. However, I do recommend that you review this list periodically to become more familiar with these phrases. Thinking about proper idiom construction should benefit you when you encounter idiom questions on the ACT. You'll improve your intuitive grasp of idioms and be able to better recognize idiom errors. After trying to learn every idiom This is my extensive list of idioms: IDIOMS FROM REAL ACT PREP GUIDE come to a conclusion come to a halt come to an end earned a living from/by doing in the dusk modeled on principles of such as PREPOSITIONAL IDIOMS About anxious about ask about bring about curious about hear about think about talk about worry about Against adviseagainst argue against count against decide against defend against go against rebel against As celebrate as regard as see as view as At aim at arriveat laugh at look at succeedat By accompanied by amazed by confused by followed by go by impressed by organized by struck by For advocate for ask for blame for famous for known for last for meant for named for necessary for pay for ready for responsible for tolerance for strive for wait for watch for From abstain from different from excuse from far from obvious from protect from Into enter into lookinto inquire into read into In engage in fall in love in Aas inB interested in succeed in take in Study hard! On base on draw on focus on impose on insist on move on prey on rely on Over argue over ruleover talk over thinkover Of approve of capable of certainof characteristic of combination of A and B cure of deprive of die of a fan of in danger of in the hope of in recognition of made up of a model of an offer of on the border of remind of a selection of a source of suspicious of take advantage of an understanding of a wealth of To able to accustomed to adapt to adhere to admit to adjacent to agree to as opposed to belong to central to come to contribute to devoted to in addition to in contrast to listen to object to prefer Ato B partial to reluctant to reply to see to similar to a threat to try to (NOT try and) unique to With agree with bargain with correlate with familiar with identify with in keeping with interfere with sympathize with trust with You can do it! GERUNDS VS. INFINITIVES Verbs Followed by a Gerund accuse of admire for allow appreciate capable of complete concentrate on confess to consider delay describe discourage from discuss dislike effective at enjoy escape finish forbid imagine insist on permit plan on postpone refrain from report resent resume stop tolerate PrepositionsFollowed by a Gerund before after without Verbs Followed by an Infinitive agree attempt choose condescend dare decide deserve encourage expect fail intend love mean neglect offer plan prepare promise refuse scramble seem strive swear tend threaten want Additional ACT English Practice Questions Hooray for making it to this point in the article! I know that was a long list. By now, you should understand the concept of idioms and how idioms are tested on the ACT. I've created some realistic ACT English questions on idioms for you. Consider the proper construction of idiomatic expressions and try to answer these questions without referring to the list above. 1. My parents allow me staying out late because I have earned their trust. A. NO CHANGE B. stayed C. to stay D. is staying 2. Despite his efforts, Gerald is incapable at eating without staining his shirt. A. NO CHANGE B. to eat C. eating D. of eating 3. Even though I tend to not enjoy magic, I was amazed to the trick the illusionist did at the end of his show. A. NO CHANGE B. by C. from D. into 4. Wyeth insisted on watching The O'Reilly Factor every single night. A. NO CHANGE B. insisted by C. insisted in D. insisted to Answers:1. C, 2. D, 3. B, 4. A What's Next? Congratulations on your continued efforts to improve your ACT English score. Make sure you check out this article on the five critical concepts you must understand to ace ACT English. Also, many students fear ACT English questions about commas; you don't have to live in fear. If you're looking for a basic overview of the ACT English section, read about what's actually tested on ACT English. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Creativity in different forms of everyday writing, factors account for Assignment

Creativity in different forms of everyday writing, factors account for the emergence of creativity in written forms - Assignment Example No matter the kind of definition provided to explain writing, it is appreciable that the essence of creative writing is to convey the human imagination to the people in the most convenient, effective and understandable manner. Effective writing can be evaluated by the creativity features that can be identified in any piece of literary work and the clarity of the message alluded in the work. In general, a creative writing will provide information in the most conspicuous manner possible and the recipients of a message should be gratified. The essence of this essay is to identify features of creative writing and to identify the factors that have culminated in the emergence of creativity in linguistic writing. Various scholars have presented different definitions and dimensions of creative writing as applied in linguistics today. Harper (2010) expresses the complexity of defining creative writing in the field of linguistics and is of the opinion that scholarly definitions of these terms as mere attempt. However, he pays a keen attention to the reference of creative writing as a by-product of a mind that is acquiring a new image of operation. The concept of this definition is rather unique and sees creative writing as an expression of the human mind in a planned and orderly manner. From the words of this author, creative writing is not only an art of the mind but also an art of the hands that must be coordinated to achieve creativity and the originality implied in this definition. However, Harper (2010) disregards this definition and he feels that this kind of definition lacks the concept of planning that must be accounted in any definition of creative writing. Schlepphege (2010), another scholar, has provided a different dimension of creativity in the modern creativity research as the process of producing a whole new concept in the society. The author makes a direct connection to the concept of creation in its literal meaning as the process making something new, an d presenting it to the community. From this point of view, creative writing is an art of bringing up new acts, thoughts and idea in the society. The implication of this definition is that to evaluate whether writing is creative or not, one would require evaluating if a piece of work presents a new concept. Schlepphege (2010) states that all forms of literary works such as poetry, drama, fiction, speeches or even song lyrics must express a new form of expression, communication or even self-awareness in human beings. In addition, creative writing is not a product of writing expertise but a natural urge of human beings to communicate or express themselves. Maybin and Swann, (2007) have analysed the language in two different dimensions in the attempt of explaining the practical application of creativity in contemporary writing. The two authors evaluate feel that language use takes either a textual or a contextual sense and creativity will revolve around these two dimensions of language use. The textual sense of language use refers to the linguistic forms and structures that are used to express an intended brain perception by a writer. Example of this kind of use of language use is expression of irony in voice intonation, use of word play in comic writing and the use of images to express an emotional feeling is

Organisational Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organisational Culture - Essay Example In human resource management, most people assume that people can be measured on personality and IQ tests, and computing the resultant set of numbers to define these people. This is often not so, because efficiency is not an economic concept, but a political concept involving cost, and quality of process time. Also some people see inefficiency to be a "sin" in modern terms, which is very much in contrast with the 20th century efficiency of the Nazis, for example. The east neaden dietary department is run by a team of 6 nurses, three dieticians and one doctor. "There is also a consultant who is available 3 times a week and a clinical psychologist who visits twice a week." (Marlow, Nigel). The type of culture that existed in the east neasden dietory department before the change was one of familiarity and friendly worker relationships. This is evident in the fact that the staff called each other by their first names, and the doctors were called by their first names, except in the presence of patients. However there was a change in the organizational structure and this brought about a change in the culture in East Neasden Dietary department. After the organizational change which was accomplished by using the handy theory a... There are indeed, various reasons for change. Some factors that can trigger change in an organization, like competition and the need to be commercially realistic or viable. Allen, Madison, Porter, Renwick and Mayes noted that "organizational politics involves intentional acts of influence to enhance or protect the self interest of groups, or individuals in a group" (Allen, Madison, Porter, Renwick and Mayes 1979) In the Interflora case, there was a need to be commercially viable and realistic, hence the need for organizational change, and the dynamics involved in such a change. An Analysis of corporate types Corporate culture is the key to organizational performance, and when effectively managed, can lead to an improvement in a company's competitive advantage. Going by Michael Maccoby's analysis of corporate types, there are four main types of corporate personality. These are the company man, the Jungle Hunter, the craftsman, and the Gamesman. The company man defers to authority in the company, while the jungle hunter tends to be coercive in temperament, and strives to acquire power within the company. For the craftsman, his identity is his craft as an engineer, accountant, I.T. personnel or other craft. The gamesman operates with a lot of politicking and uses stealth and subtlety to achieve power. REFERENCES Allen, R. W., Madison, D. L., Porter, L. W., Renwick, P. A. and Mayes, B. T. (1979)Organizational politics: Tactics and characteristics of its actors. Californiamanagement review Maccoby, Michael. (1976) Michael Maccoby's Analysis of Corporate Types Marlow, Nigel. East

Bharti and Walmart in the Indian retail market

Bharti and Walmart in the Indian retail market India: A Preferred Destination? The cradle of one of the oldest human civilization, India is a kaleidoscope of cultures, ideologies and topographies. A democracy supported by mixed economy, it provides a market comprising of close to 1.2 billion consumers, most of whom are young (below 25 years of age). The judiciary is separate from legislative branch to facilitate a free and just society. The country has witnessed robust GDP growth over the past couple of decades, following economic liberalization in 91. The economy is expected to touch a growth rate of 9.5% in 2010. Some other key indicators are listed below. Source: World Bank Emerging relatively unscathed from the Global recession of 2008-09, India exhibited its prowess in managing foreign policies and business. It seems that it is poised for its next stage of growth. It is expected that if overall economic growth remains around 7 to 8 percent then consumption will soar. According to Mckinsey, real consumption will grow from 17 trillion Indian rupees today to 70 trillion Indian rupees by 2025, a fourfold increase. This will put India in the premier league among the worlds consumer markets. Presently, its consumer market ranks 12th. The Great Indian Bazaar With more than 12 million outlets, the retail industry contributes nearly 14% to the GDP of India and employs more than 18 million people. A.T. Kearneys annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) ranked India as No. 2 retail destination (India held the top spot from 2005-07). The history of this sector can be traced back to village melas and haats, which subsequently evolved into convenience stores and cooperatives until the modern day retailing formats such as hypermarts, malls and supercentres. However the industry is still fragmented; organized retail constitutes a meagre 4% of retail sector in this country. On the bright side, the organized retail is set to grow at a CAGR of 50% and set to be worth $90 billion by the end of 2010. Major factors contributing to this rapid growth are changing lifestyles, strong income growth and favourable demographic profile. A lot of multinational players like Carrefour, TESCO and Wal-Mart have been sitting on fence waiting to enter India and g ain a share of this increasing pie. WalMart WalMart a globally recognized retail format was started by Sam Walton. It relied on the concept of discounting products to attract buyers. WalMart relied on the concept of operating in mid-sized towns which didnt have a retail store and built its base by opening in smaller towns; which eliminated competition. It implemented a robust distribution channel while leveraging economies of scale to ensure on-time delivery for all its diverse range of SKUs. WalMart relied on the concept of EDLP (Every Day Low Price) to sell its products. WalMart proposes to enter India in the Cash Carry Format (CC) for which distribution and supply-chain management will be the key elements in determining its success.Its operating income in FY 2010 was $24 billion over revenue of $ 405 billion and in all 8500 retail units. 64% of sales still came from WalMart USA against 25% of international sales. As of today, the only retail unit opened in India is in Amritsar with plans of opening 15 more soon. Leadership in Operations Supply Chain Management Leadership in operations came through following certain basic principles such as: Every Day Low Prices WalMart is the preferred choice for various customers for providing the promise of constant prices every time a customer walked in the store. The prices were around 20% less than the competition. They also followed a variety of other philosophies such as: Rollback Philosophy All the savings made during the operational efficiency attained was passed down to the customer through continuous negotiations and whenever an opportunity arose. Special Buy Logo WalMart from time to time flagged many of its items with the Special Buy logo to attract customers. It could be any of the regularly available items with a mark-up in quantity or a mark-down in prices till stocks last. The focus on customer was relentless. Customer service received immense importance with a philosophy to exceed customer expectations through the Sundown Rule answering customer queries by the End of Business hours and Ten Feet Rule to serve customers by greeting and asking if he/she needed anything while at WalMart. Success Model of WalMart Cost Control Culture WalMart believes in controlling cost through reducing operational expenses and maintaining a lean organization. This is followed to an extent that it became WalMarts core capability. Everyone from the top management to employee followed this rule diligently. Scott Lee, Chairman of the Executive Board and CFO Tom Schoewe too followed by travelling economy class and sharing budget hotels. Supplier Network One of the notable features of WalMart is its large network of suppliers. It also enjoyed a major bargaining advantage with them. It maintained operational excellence by pushing its suppliers to do the same through various methods. Logistics Distribution WalMart owns one of the largest fleet of trucks which helps it in retail operations immensely when IT was not yet a strategic factor. Later sourcing was centralized and its hub-spoke distribution model became robust providing inventory to 8500 units. Advent of EDI and RFID for its shipments were also beneficial for its logistic systems. Small Town Locations The factor of running WalMart in small towns was a successful idea but something that WalMart will not do considering its leadership potential. Various Initiatives taken for SCM WalMart has been continuously working towards getting its costs down and provide its benefit to its customers. Some of the recent developments have been: Arrival of RFID chips to track shipments WalMart has become its own freight forwarder which means that it will provide logistics support using its 6500 trucks and 55000 trailers and help reduce suppliers their wholesale price wherever suppliers are not able to This will help use excess capacity of WalMart and at the same time ensure that they get better efficiency from their suppliers Movement towards green-SCM by being users of renewable energy 100% in 7 years, reduce energy consumption by 30% in 7 years, create zero waste WalMart also has the state-of-the-art ERP solutions to support its logistics infrastructure Bharti-WalMart in India Since Government regulations became a deterrent in FDI in India, WalMart was forced to create a JV between Bharti WalMart USA which was floated as a separate entity. With just 26% investment allowed by foreign player, prospect of WalMart to operate independently has become a distant dream. Another rule that works against them is the prohibition of foreign investment in Multi-brand retail. In April, a rule said that transactions between group companies should be limited to 25% of the sales was implemented. This was challenged by Bharti-WalMart Private Ltd. And the Finance Ministry conceded that such a rule was flawed but still the 25% cap on the volume of trade will continue to stay. Bharti-WalMart is adopting creative ways of gaining favor with the government by opening its second Bharti-WalMart training institute that would train and provide jobs to people in the field of cash and carry format of stores. This also comes as a strategic move in a scenario where talent acquisition is a challenge for WalMart. A Memorandum of Agreement was signed between Bharti-WalMart and Department of Technical Education (New Delhi) Currently WalMart is leading the lobbying of opening up multi-brand retail in India by various requests being made to the Ministry of Industry Commerce. Analysis of a partnership between Bharti and Walmart Bharti and Walmart seem to be a good fit for each other. Bharti is a seasoned Indian player with good relationships with local enterprises and governments. Walmart has expertise in providing maximum value to consumers at lowest cost. Bharti knows the rules of the game and will save Wal-Mart a lot of time and energy to overcome the system. Walmarts logistics capability and Bhartis execution expertise will form a potent combination; therefore on paper the venture looks great. They have taken a step in the right direction by going in with Cash n carry format first as the government allows foreign partnership only in this sector, this will sort out the operational issues of the partnership. Though this franchise strategy with Bharti was a deviation from Wal-Marts usual way of entering countries, it was because the policy restrictions on foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Indian retail sector. As part of the agreement, Bharti was expected to pay a royalty between 2 percent and 3 percent of sales to Wal-Mart for using the latters brand name. As the retail sector is opened up for foreign players Bharti-Walmart is expected to be a formidable force in the Indian retail. The retail industry in India is estimated at about US$ 300 billion and is expected to grow to US$ 427 billion in 2010 and US$ 637 billion in 2015. The biggest competitor for Bharti-Wal-Mart is expected to be Reliance Retail, the retail wing of Reliance, which had planned to establish 10,000 stores by end of 2010. Even Pantaloon Retail, the retail arm of the Future Group was expected to give stiff competition as it has a first-mover advantage. The strength of these companies lies in understanding the Indian consumer better, Bharti with years of experience with Indian consumer and a famed success story can help Walmart overcome the competition. Besides competitive forces a major threat to this venture is the Indian governments policies, the government under political pressure from huge mom and pop stores which control the majority of sales in Indian retail can not just allow big players like Walmart to enter Indian market. Entry of Walmart may put lot of middle class people out of business whose sole source of income are these small retail stores. Besides this Walmart-Bharti will find it tough to beat the economies of small stores which are most of the times just walking distance from the consumer and have long term relationships with consumers. In sum, the Bharti-Walmart venture has a lot of positives on paper but it will be interesting to see how the venture performs once Indian retail is opened up. There are lot of competitive forces and other factors which may put the relationship under immense stress. Porters Five Force Analysis Indian consumers are gradually transiting from their habit of saving. They are becoming more brand conscious and starting to look upon retail shopping as an experience rather than an obligation. Global retailers would be happy to serve Indian markets but a major challenge is the strict Government regulation policy which restricts FDI to wholesale business. As of 2006, GoI allowed 51% FDI in multi-brand retailers and 100% FDI in wholesale (typically cash and carry format) and back-end logistics. It is in this context that we need to analyze the entry of Wal-Mart into India. SWOT Analysis of Bharti Strengths Large group with diversified investments Expertise in operating in developing countries Deep pockets to funds new businesses Started by an entrepreneur, that sense still prevails in the top management Weaknesses Slowing growth because of competition in prime area of operations : telecom Large size, has made the company somewhat bureaucratic No big and streamlined plan for future Focus on defending its advantage in Indian telecom sector Present in just south Asia and Africa Opportunities Enjoys good relations with governments/companies in India- one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It can move into other businesses easily A lot of new sectors coming up in Indian economy like retail, financial services etc. Has invested in branding of Bharti over the years, consumers have instant brand recognition with Bharti brand With opening of Indian economy it can tie up with huge MNCs to get the technical expertise Investors ready to invest in Bhartis new businesses because of positive experience with Bharti Airtel Threats Huge in Indian Telecom sector, can be tied down by competition here A lot of its businesses can be highly impacted by governments licensing decisions Indian economy is opening up with large MNCs setting up bases on their own, these pose direct competitive threats to Bhartis businesses The governments in India can change and Bharti may not enjoy the same relationships with new government SWOT Analysis of Walmart Strengths Wal-Mart has a reputation for value for money, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store. Wal-Mart has grown exponentially over recent years, and has experienced global expansion (for example its purchase of the United Kingdom based retailer ASDA). The company is adept at using information technology to support its international logistics system. For instance, Wal-Mart can see how individual products are performing in different countries and stores at a glance. IT also supports Wal-Marts efficient procurement. Human resource management and development are key elements of Wal-Marts strategy. It invests time and money in training people, and retaining them. Weaknesses Wal-Mart is the Worlds largest retailer; despite its IT advantages its size poses an inherent weakness. Walmart lacks flexibility since it is spread across many product categories. Despite being global it is present in only few countries across the world. Opportunities To form strategic alliances with other global retailers in China and eastern Europe Walmart is present in limited number of countries, the opportunity exists for it to expand in growing markets like India and China New types of stores offer Wal-Mart opportunities to exploit market development. They diversified from large super centres, to local and mall-based sites. Opportunities exist for Wal-Mart to continue with its current strategy of large, super centres. Threats Being a leader means that Wal-Mart has to fend off competition, locally and globally. Walmart may be exposed to political environments in countries that it is present. The cost of producing many consumer products has reduced because of lower manufacturing costs. Manufacturing costs are also low due to outsourcing to low-cost regions of the World. This has lead to price competition, resulting in price deflation and such intense price competition is a threat. The story thus far The entry strategy of Wal-Mart in India has been drastically different from that followed by the company when it expanded first in the markets outside US. The launches in China and Germany were marked by huge media frenzy just before the opening day leading to a deluge of customers thronging the stores. Also, Wal-Mart opted for metros and major cities to kick-off their operations since the urban customer was expected to be more aware of the brand Wal-Mart and thus the target market selected. Wal-Mart tweaked its strategy by making a low-key entry in Amritsar, Punjab in May 2009. There was also a deliberate attempt to avoid attention to the brand Wal-Mart by naming the initiative Best Price Modern Wholesale. Bestprice-modern-wholesale.jpg The emphasis in the logo is on Best Price with both Bharti and Walmart logo in small font acting as the supporters rather than the drivers of the project. The reasons for such a strategy are as follows: Local Opposition: Over the past 5 years various pilot retail ventures in India have met with stiff resistance from local communities especially farmers and retail store owners. By making its entry a low-key affair, Wal-Mart does not want to attract undue attention. Also, since it is the Cash and Carry business, there is no to blow the trumpet when the target audience is itself the retailer and not the end customer. The requirement was a focused and not high profile entry and Wal-Mart executed it accordingly Competition: Metro and other Cash and Carry giants started off their operations in India by opening stores in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and other metros. The hinterland thus offered opportunities in terms of untapped market. Wal-Mart recognizes and acknowledges the fact that more than 10 million other tiny retailers in India are its greatest challenge and greatest opportunity. If it can win them over, they are likely to become its biggest customers. Anger them and they could use their political power to block expansion. Cash Rich State: At first glance, opting hinterland over metros seems consistent with Wal-Marts US strategy where the company expanded by targeting small towns because of low cost of entry. There is, in fact, more to the same. Punjab in years since the Green Revolution has had among the highest per capita income levels in the country. Thus, it makes sense for Wal-Mart to enter a cash-rich state. Brand Recognition: Even though Wal-Mart has made a low key entry de-emphasizing the brand Wal-Mart, the customer needs to have enough trust in the organization he is making the transaction with. The name Wal-Mart is in some ways familiar in Punjab due to the large diaspora from the region in US/Canada and thus breeds recognition. In order to make enhance their image in the region, Wal-Mart has also embarked upon a host of social initiatives. 1. Donation of push carts to village vendors. 2. Part time employment to cart vendors and senior citizens 3. Plantation drive: Planting saplings around the store 4. Mera Kirana and Business Solutions Centers to help small and medium retailers implement best retailing practices The Wal-Mart strategy so far has been low-decibel while steadily gaining acceptance of the local community. This is essential for when the FDI in retail is finally approved by the government, the company shall hope to make a smooth transition from Cash and Carry to their traditional stores and announce the same, hopefully, with a bang. Will WalMart succeed in India? India boasts of a buzzing retail market with growing incomes. However WalMart must realize that it will face woes in forward logistics considering that India loses 40% of its produce due to storage and transportation issues. Even if WalMart builds up its fleet in India, the logistics network in India is far from the best. Indias highway network can carry around 65% of freight traffic and 85% of passenger traffic and many National Highway Development projects not yet complete the challenge will be immense to be cost-effective. Many of the SCM initiatives followed by WalMart will take more time to get implemented in India including the RFID initiative, green SCM initiative. However freight forwarding is something that WalMart can look at to increase their effectiveness in India. Analysts say that typically cost-measures taken in investments in cold-storage and other logistics measures take around 3-5 years to yield benefits. Currently with the single-store in Amritsar, the backyard of wheat-bowl of India such a problem is averted. Analysts also have pointed out that a supply-chain of international standard will take at least a decade before it comes to India. WalMart is also facing issues in terms of keep itself away from its share of controversies. With an intention of staying low-profile in India to avoid any retaliation from local retailers it opted for an alternate name Best Price Modern Wholesalers logo, which was claimed to have 4 trademarks already by the Department of Trademarks. With the existing Government regulations the growth story of WalMart in India looks slow to moderate in medium term. With a new target of opening just 7 stores and hiring around 1100 employees against the existing 450 employees says about the sentiment of Bharti-WalMart in India. Commentary on Walmart WalMart is presumably doing many things right by playing its cards intelligently and in sync to the Indian sentiments of not being too pushy about its prospects in India. Also taking up initiatives to gain local sentiment is something that will work in its favor. Government on the other hand is also looking towards easing out rules in Cash and Carry Format which could benefit WalMart and speed up plans for same.

Barack Obama, “Dreams from My Father”.

Being still young, Barack Obama started searching for society and reason, with the large function forms of the public rights movement. In his search he does well and deserves respect. He had a lot of abilities to set the connections with the society and this is told in his autobiography â€Å"Dreams from My Father†. The fame days of the public rights actions passed away when Obama receives a coordinating position in a needy district on Chicago's South Side inundated by broken public lodgings, dying constructing occupations, and increasing misdeed. Obama decodes the bounds of their beginning situation.The community's creator is a person who is not entirely respected by the society. Its primary partners are the Catholic Churches, which have unhealthy relations with their new Black worshippers. In Chicago the population has just chosen Harold Washington, the first Black foremost who is respected as a worship person, but whose benefaction is providing restricted advantages to the groups that voted for him. At the same time as Obama persistently fixes the vagueness and refinement of Black people, there are a couple of things where he doesn't accept enough.When Obama began the coordinating job, one of the primary difficulties was the antipathy of the three women, who were irritated that the supervisor brought the young guy Obama has his own understanding, control and esteem, charm and empathy to believe in his achievement, but he doesn't completely accept the advantages of the middle class viewpoint and male advantage that understood him as â€Å"in charge† and â€Å"going places. † When Obama decodes the supporting background, he creates individual links. He communicates with the three Black women who have some positions in the community, and gets acquainted with an odd, Catholic coordinator.He founds Kyle, the child of an assistant who is in risk to appear in difficult situation. One of the most touching places in the book is the place telling how Obama informs the community he is leaving to Harvard Law school, and gives his word to his acquaintances in the district that he'll come. The combination of optimism, political insightfulness and individual links are the foundations of Obama's political success. Works Cited Graff, E. J. â€Å"Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. † The American Prospect 10 Sept. 2001: 42.

The National Coalition Against the Death Penalty

The death penalty has been a fairly contentious issue in the United States since 1930 when statistics first began to be regularly collected. By the late 1960s, an unofficial moratorium took place due to mounting opposition to the law that was authorized in all but 10 states. In 1972, the Supreme Court struck down the ‘arbitrary and capricious' state and federal death penalty laws (History of the Death Penalty, â€Å"Death Penalty† & â€Å"Moratorium†). However, the 1976 rulings re-imposing the capital punishment brought to the fore the gravity of the issue for the American public. The Supreme Court decision bringing back the controversial law was met with concerted efforts by those who vigorously oppose death penalty. One entity that perhaps best symbolizes opposition to its reinstatement is the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP), a coalition organization formed shortly after the Supreme Court ruling. The NCADP has, since its formation in 1976, been the only national organization with a full staff that is devoted exclusively to the abolishment of the capital punishment. Its work includes the providing of information and public policy advocates and the mobilization of, and support for, individuals and institutions sharing the unconditional rejection of the death penalty (National Coalition  ¶ 1). NCADP Mission and Goals The main argument of the NDADP in its stand against the death penalty is the belief that the ultimate punishment equates to the devaluation of all human life. With the execution of the capital offender, the organization believes that the spiritual transformation intrinsic to every human being is denied. The organization also argues three other critical concerns, namely: the irrevocability of the capital punishment within a dishearteningly fallible judicial system; the law's race and class bias against the poor and racial minorities, and the death penalty's intrinsic violation of our most basic human rights. The National Coalition for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, based in Washington D.C., boasts of a 30-year history of organizing opposition to the U.S. death penalty (Hogan & Hartson Announcements). One of the more prominent heads of NCADP has been Sister Helen Prejean CSJ, a Roman Catholic nun of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille. Serving the organization from 1993 to 1995, Prejean became a crusader against the death penalty following her ministering and witnessing many executions beginning with that of Louisiana convicted murderer Elmo Patrick Sonnier. Her autobiographical account of the relationship she made with Sonnier became the basis for the film and opera Dead Man Walking. (Helen Prejean  ¶ 1-4). The mission of the National Coalition Against the Death Penalty is organized around the four central mission areas of legislative advocacy, grassroots advocacy, media advocacy and human rights advocacy. Believing that the abolition of the capital punishment in the United States can be achieved using a multi-faceted approach, the NCADP spells out its four-core mission as follows: Legislative Advocacy – cooperating with policy-makers and their constituents to adopt legislation that opposes the death penalty at the local, state, as well as national level. Media Advocacy – using mainly local and state media to broaden the public criticism of the capital punishment. Grassroots Advocacy – providing assistance to NCADP affiliates in organizing activities that oppose the death penalty and in reaching out to American communities to take a stand against the death penalty. Human Rights Advocacy – highlighting the capital punishment as a violation of human rights and   Ã‚  Ã‚   working to gain the support of the world in abolishing the death penalty in the United States. (National Coalition â€Å"Our Focus†). NCADP Strategy and Tactics The organization conducts its campaign against capital punishment using its four non-violent advocacy methods at the local, state and national levels. (National Coalition, Wikipedia  ¶ 2). The use of information dissemination is an important tool of the NCADP towards the goal of abolishing death penalty in the United States. Primarily using the local media, which it believes to be the greater news source of the American public, NCADP works to inform about facts and figures that strengthen the call against capital punishment. Through other media outlets including its website www.ncadp.org and the national media, it presents many eye-opening if not disturbing data on the modern implementation of death penalty in the country. The death penalty related information the NCADP provides is essentially statistics-based, perhaps in the effort to be scientific and less incontrovertible. It extensively collects and presents telling information such as: – 95 percent of the nearly 4,000 death convicts are so poor that they were unable to hire a private attorney. – African Americans comprise 42% of those currently on death row despite the fact that they make up a mere 12% of the total population. – More than 60% of those convicted to die for childhood offenses since the 1976 re-imposition have either been African Americans or Latinos (National Coalition, Fact Sheet).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being a coalition organization, the NCADP strategy in seeking the legal abolition of death penalty includes forging linkages with state and local, national and international affiliates.   It has local affiliates in Alabama, Arizona and California and its national affiliates include Amnesty International, USA Program   to Abolish the Death Penalty. The NCADP also counts international affiliates from the United Kingdom (Death Penalty UK Death Row: Reprieve UK), Germany (German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP), France (Coalition for Truth and Justice; Ensemble contre la peine de mort) and Botswana (The Botswana Centre for Human Rights). The NCADP also list as an ally the Missourians Against State Killing organization (National Coalition â€Å"Affiliates†). Successes and Failures In evaluating its success or failure, many factors can be used to gauge the NCADP. Organization- and support-wise, America's leading financial evaluator of independent charities, Charity Navigator, shows a successful picture of the NCADP. The National Coalition for the Abolition of the Death Penalty is considered a charity organization and its continued existence as the largest in its advocacy reflects the considerable support the American public has given it. No less than Charity Navigator gives it a thumbs up for financial health. Moreover, Charity Navigator has for the last three years given NCADP a consistent four-star overall rating (60++ percent from 2003-2005). Rating the coalition three stars for efficiency and four stars for capacity, Charity Navigator gives NCADP the highest overall peer rating along with the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute. (Charity Navigator â€Å"Rating,† â€Å"Peer Analysis†). In terms of the success of its mission of abolishing the capital punishment, the milestones in the collective efforts of all anti-death penalty advocates can be considered as success for the coalition organization itself. The NCADP recognizes the 2003 commutation for over 150 death convicts—the largest in modern American history—by Illinois Gov. George Ryan as   ‘a turning point in the debate over capital punishment' in the country (NCADP Welcomes  ¶ 1 & 3). A most recent development is the 2005 Supreme Court in Roper V. Simmons ruling against the imposition of the death penalty for those under 18 years of age at the time of the crime. Another good news came in 2004 when the high court of New York declared death penalty unconstitutional. In terms of failures, the most obvious proof that NCADP has not met its goal is the fact that the capital punishment still exists as legal over more of the United States. Specific legislations have also strengthened death penalty as when President Bill Clinton signed two anti-terrorism laws in 1994 and 1996 that expanded federal death penalty and restricted federal court reviews, respectively (Information Center â€Å"Timeline†). However, judging by public support for and against the death penalty based on protracted Gallup Poll surveys, it would seem that the efforts of the anti-death penalty advocates—including the NCADP's media advocacy—appear to be finally paying off. From the 1970s when the organization was formed until 1994, a great majority of Americans favored the death penalty over life imprisonment as penalty for murder. From 1994 to 1997, however, the number of Americans favoring life imprisonment instead has grown steadily. As of May 2004, even after the September 11 attacks, the number of those who favor death penalty was only marginally higher than those who go for life imprisonment (Information Center â€Å"Public Support†). NCADP has a charity privacy policy that requires the donor to inform the charity to remove his or her name and other contact information from the mailing lists sold, traded or shared. Current leadership of the NCADP has Diann Rust-Tierney as Executive Director and Jason Zanon as the Interim Executive Director (Charity Navigator â€Å"Donor Privacy Policy† ; â€Å"Leadership†). Works Cited Charity Navigator. Charity Rating: National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Charity Navigator website.;http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/7734.htm;. Death Penalty Information Center. Part II: History of the Death Penalty. DPIC website. 19 Dec. 2006;http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=15;did=411;. â€Å"Helen Prejean.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 11 Dec 2006, 21:42 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 19 Dec 2006 ;http://en.wikipedia.org /w/index.php?title=Helen_Prejean;oldid=93663475;. History of the Death Penalty ; Recent Developments. University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center. Updated 2 May 2005. ;http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/ death/history.html#unitedstates;. Hogan ; Hartson. Announcements. Hogan ; Hartson website. 19 Dec. 20016 ;http://www.hhlaw.com/newsstand/detail.aspx?news=686;. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. About the NCADP. NCADP website. 19 Dec. 2006 ;http://www.ncadp.org/about_us.html;. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Affiliate Links. NCADP website. 19 Dec. 2006 ;http://ncadp.org/affiliate_links.html;. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Fact Sheet: The Death Penalty and Racial Bias. NCADP website. 19 Dec. 2006. ;http://www.ncadp.org/fact_sheet2.html;. â€Å"National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 16 Oct 2006, 22:32 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 19 Dec 2006 ;http://en.wikipedia.org/w/ index.php?title=National_Coalition_to_Abolish_the_Death_Penalty;oldid=81876029;. NCADP Welcomes Largest Commutation Of Death Sentences In Modern U.S. History. 11 Jan. 2003. Initiative gegen die Todesstrafe website.19 Dec. 2006 ;http://www.initiative- gegen-die-todesstrafe.de/ncadp.htm;. ; ; ; ; ;