Tesco Essay Example

Tesco Essay Executive Summary Starting from a small stall in the east end of London, Tesco today is the largest retailer in the UK with over ? 59 billion sales in 2008. In this dynamic environment, Tesco has managed to stay ahead of its competition through focus on people, both customers and employees. However, in today’s rapidly changing globalised environment, anything could happen. Companies today need to always innovate and reinvent themselves in order to maintain their competitive advantage. The macro environment that Tesco operates in provides both opportunities and threats. Therefore, for sustainable growth and development, Tesco needs to have proper strategic direction that addresses these macro environmental challenges. Though the company has extensive operations worldwide, Tesco’s largest market is still the UK. This report analyses the macro environment that Tesco UK operates in using the PESTEL framework and its interconnectedness to external opportunities and threats. Competitiveness of Tesco UK is analyzed by applying Michael Porter’s five forces model. The paper is further expanded by linking both the PESTEL framework and the 5 forces to understand Tesco’s dynamic macro environment. A stakeholder analysis is carried out in order to understand the expectation of Tesco’s stakeholders. Strategic capabilities of Tesco are explained through the identification of core competencies of the firm. Justification of these competencies explains how Tesco manages to stay ahead of its competitors. Table of Contents 1. Introduction to Tesco Plc6 1. 1. Tesco UK7 2. The Macro Environment Analysis8 2. Political Factors8 2. 2Economical Factors8 2. 3Social/Cultural Factors8 2. 4Technological Factors8 2. 5Environmental Factors8 2. 6Legislative Factor8 2. 7Overall impact of the PESTEL factors8 2. 8Potential opportunities from the external environment8 2. 9Threats from the external environment8 3. Competitive Analysis on Tesco Using Porter’s Five Forces Model8 3. 1. Threat of New Entries8 3. 2. Competitive Rivalry8 3. 3. Substitutes8 3. 4. The Power of Supplier8 3. 5. The Power of Buyer8 3. 6. Summary of the 5 Forces Model8 4. Stakeholder analysis8 . Core Competences8 5. 1Value8 5. 2. Rarity8 5. 3. Inimitability8 1. 4. Non-substitutability8 6. Conclusion8 7. References8 Introduction to Tesco Plc Founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen, Tesco Plc is the largest British based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain, and is the world’s third largest retailer, after Wal-Mart of the US and France’s Carrefour. The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. The first store was opened in 1929 in London. Tesco floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1947 with a share price of 25p. We will write a custom essay sample on Tesco specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tesco specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tesco specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer During the 1950s and the 1960s Tesco grew organically, and through acquisitions. Most of this early growth was in and around London. The â€Å"pile it high, sell it cheap† strategy of Cohen had left the company â€Å"stagnate† which resulted in his resignation in 1973. In 1977, Tesco launched â€Å"operation checkout† which included price reductions and centralized buying for all stores. The result was a rise in market share of 4% in two months. Today, the company operates over 3000 stores in several countries including the U. S ad Japan with over 440,000 employees. Tesco has diversified their business into other areas such as clothing, consumer electronics, financial services, telecommunication, insurance schemes etc. With their core purpose of â€Å"create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty†, the company has been able to build a multibillion-dollar empire. Operating income for 2008 was ? 3. 12billion. (The Guardian 2009). The ability to appeal to all market segments through their own brand products with up market and low price value range has been a key element of their success. The two key values of Tesco are 1. No-one tries harder for customer, and 2. Treat people as we like to be treated With their â€Å"Every little helps† strategy, they regularly ask their customers and staff â€Å"what we can do to make shopping with us and working with us that little bit better† (Tesco. com) 4 Tesco UK Tesco UK is the first and largest operations under Tesco PLC. Tesco UK contributes approximately 70% to the group’s sales and profit. Its business is significant in the UK, with over 285,000 employees and over 2,200 stores. UK business’s growth comes from new space, extensions to existing stores and a multi-format approach. The overall growth in UK was contributed by the sales of non-food, which forms another key part of Tesco strategy. Tesco customized their store formats to satisfy customers needs. It has more than 1960 Express stores offering a range of approximately 7000 quality, great value, and fresh food close to where customers live and work. Tesco opened its first Metro in 1992 catering to the needs of busy customers, bringing Tesco nearer to customer in town and city centre locations. The superstores which began in the 1970s is an ongoing program of extending and refreshing their superstores to improve the overall experience for customers, including introduction of new non-food ranges such as DVDs and books. Since 1977 the one-stop Extra destination store has proved extremely popular and Tesco now have more than 175 Extra stores offering the widest range of food and non-food lines. The 10 Homeplus stores (approx 35000 to 50000 sq ft) are dedicated to non-food, including clothing, with more available through Tesco Direct order and collection points. In addition to array of formats, Tesco continually innovate and invest in new lines to increase choice for their customers, such as, lifestyle ranges like organic, healthy living. Various own brand also enable customers to purchase product to compliment their lifestyle. Value-adding service, such as Tesco nutritional signpost labeling targets to provide customers with the key information they need to help them choose a balanced diet. Tesco innovatively counteract the recession challenge by launching around 500 new ‘discount brands’ products because customers were shopping around for best prices without compromising on quality. The Macro Environment Analysis The Macro environment gives organizations their means of survival as well a source of threat. Understanding the strategic position is concerned with identifying the impact on strategy of the external environment, an organizations strategic capability and the expectations and influences of stakeholders. Organizations exist in the context of a complex political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal world. The PESTEL framework will be used on Tesco UK to identify how future trends in these environments might impinge on the organization. This analysis aims to provide the broad data from which to identify key drivers of change and understand the interconnectedness of the macro environment. (Johnson, Scholes, Whittingon, 2008). 1. 2. 6 Political Factors Even though, this paper is concerned with the Strategic perspective of Tesco UK, it is important to consider the global political scenario considering Tesco’s scope of operations. The company has over 3000 stores in 13 different markets outside the UK including Europe, North America and Asia. Tesco therefore, is greatly influenced by political and legislative circumstances among these countries as well as European Union (EU). ‘As Tesco grows ever bigger in more countries, it has inevitably faced criticism from consumer activists and environmental groups and also regulators. Brussels recently referred Tescos acquisition of three stores in Slovakia to domestic regulators, claiming the deal could potentially reduce competition in certain areas. ’ (BBC 2006) Another important aspect to consider is the policies and regulations governing monopolies and dominant market shares within the EU. Even though, Tesco is yet to be recognized this way, it is an important factor to note considering it’s scope of operations. In the UK, planning permission is an important political factor. There have been several cases where Tesco’s request to build new stores in the UK have been denied by the Town councils due to oppositions by the public. Therefore, careful analysis of the political factors when opening stores in UK is critical. 7 Economical Factors Considering that Tesco is UK’s largest private sector employer, economic factors such as unemployment rates and purchasing power are important factors to take note of. The recessional period that the world has been experiencing has had quite an impact on western countries such as the US and UK with high job lay off’s etc. Unemployment rate in the UK has increased by 2% when compared with 2008. (National Statistics UK 2009). Unemployment rates affect Tesco in two ways. One is that it reduces demand for products and can affect Tesco’s sales. However, average earnings including bonuses rose by 1. 2 per cent in the year to September 2009 which is an indicator that the UK economy is picking up. The other issue is that with Tesco being the leading private sector employer, it will be under severe pressure on job lay off’s. Tesco’s strategy of catering to many segments of the market has been able to keep them afloat in the rise of the economic recession. According to the research firm TNS WorldPanel, The UK number one, who has reaped the benefit of its double Clubcard points promotion, took 30. 7% of the grocery market in the 12 weeks to 1 November 2009. (Press Association 2009) The recessional period is slowly picking up with UK’s retail sales showing an increase of 2. % as of September 2009 when compared with the previous year which indicates a positive outlook for Tesco. (National Statistics UK 2009). 8 Social/Cultural Factors UK has a population of 61. 4 million and considered an ageing population with a relatively equal split between male and females with 62% representing the workforce. The proportion of people aged 65 and over is projected to increas e from 16 per cent in 2008 to 23 per cent by 2033. (Statistics online). Therefore, Tesco will have to consider this an important aspect of future strategic direction. The increase in employment among older people and females have created a demand for value added products and convenience goods and meals The need for bulk purchasing and one stop shopping has prompted Tesco to have more non food items available for sale. However in recent times, there seems to be a decrease in this trend as more and more people are pinching their pennies in times of recession and reducing the use of such convenience products. While money is tight, women will feel obliged to forgo the price premiums they have been paying for this kind of help and take on the labour themselves. Euromonitor 2009). Therefore moving into house brands with different market segmentation and the focus on own label share of the business mix and supply chain which reduces cost as Tesco has done is an important element of their corporate strategy. According to Eurominitor international, Value rather than cheapness will now count when consumers have to choose between brands when making purchasin g decisions in the year ahead. Hence consumers will reward brands focusing on quality with loyalty. (Euromonitor 2009) Tesco’s focus on retaining customers is evidence to this trend. Another important socio cultural aspect to consider is the migration of eastern Europeans and Asians to the UK. There is a large community of Indians living in the UK. Tesco needs to ensure that they are able to cater to this segment with product differentiation. Consumers in UK are also being more health conscious and therefore increased their use of organic products. Also offering products which has been manufactured in an ethical and socially responsible way is also becoming increasingly important in the UK consumers mind. 9 Technological Factors Technology is an important macro environmental factor that affect any organization. Tesco has been successful at exploiting the widespread phenomena of internet purchasing. Their comprehensive website and online catalogue with easy checking out options have boosted their sales. To retain their competitive advantage it is important for Tesco to always reinvent and re-innovate and to be abreast of the rapid technological changes. Adoption of technologies such as intelligent scales, electronic shelf labeling, self checkout and RFID as helped the company to maintain its competitive advantage. In order to make maximum use of strategic capabilities, Tesco UK has transferred their IT support structure to Bangalore India. 10 Environmental Factors Today, environmental issues play a key role in business. Matters such as global warming and pollution have pressured companies into being more socially responsible towards the environment they operate in. Tesco has been instrumental in supporting carbon reduction and has created a a ? 100 million Sustainable Technology Fund for this purpose. In order to be carbon free, Tesco is revamping their own stores and building new low carbon stores. Their target is to halve carbon emission totally by 50% by the year 2020. Tesco is also encouraging their customers to go green by introducing a new ‘Greener Living’ brand. The range comprises 200 products as diverse as energy-saving light bulbs, paper goods and kitchenware TESCO’s corporate social responsibility exceeds the minimum expectation levels set by the industry. 11 Legislative Factor In 2000, the government introduced legislation that allowed schemes, set up in line with the regulations, to offer employees savings on tax and national insurance contributions when buying and selling shares in the employing company. Tesco has used this legal framework to provide comprehensive share schemes and has had considerable success in retaining their employees as shareholders and potentially reaping the benefits from their increased commitment to the company. (Eurofound 2008) The UKs Competition Commission is to introduce a code of practice for supermarkets in a bid to ensure the fair treatment of suppliers and address issues hindering competition in the market. The commission believed that this food control the buying power of certain supermarkets. (Justfood. com 2009). This affects both Tesco and the industry in general; in terms of higher cost. 12 Overall impact of the PESTEL factors Identifying the PESTEL factors for Tesco, has given insight to the environment they operate in and the interconnectedness of these factors. Identifying these factors are important in creating future strategic direction and growth. The political impact of the EU and the UK is an important factor for this British Retail giant in terms of market growth and monopoly. The present economic crisis has increased unemployment levels which is a negative indication. However recent reports on increased sales and changes in socio cultural patterns are an indication for new prospects for Tesco. 13 Potential opportunities from the external environment The recovery of the economic situation means that there will be increased market potential and increased spending power. This is already in evidence by the increase in sales of Tesco UK in September 2009. The demand for non-food retail items is increasing and is in favour of Tesco. Their health and beauty products are top of the range and there is further potential to grow. The increasing population of Asians and Eastern Europeans is also an opportunity for Tesco to explore this particular market segment. Increased focus on ‘going green’ is beneficial to the company considering their many steps towards this process both in terms of influencing the consumer and improving the processes within the company. The increased use of online purchasing means the reduction of related costs and processes could be more efficient. This would also enable Tesco to provide other services such as banking, delivery etc. 14 Threats from the external environment Consumer behavior patterns are slowly changing towards organic and ethically produced goods. This creates both opportunity as mentioned above as well as threat. More and more research and capital will need to be allocated to sourcing these products. The company has made substantial investments in energy saving projects around the business. The price war between the supermarkets is another cause for concern which will be later discussed under competition. The possibility of increased regulation in terms of pricing is a threat to Tesco and other supermarkets in the industry. Competitive Analysis on Tesco Using Porter’s Five Forces Model Porter’s five forces framework were developed to determine the competitive intensity and market attractiveness of an industry. (Porter, 2001) Market attractiveness refers to whether a company will have the profit potential in an industry. Porter’s five forces structure (as shown below) constitutes of the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitute, the power of suppliers, the power of buyer and competitive rivalry. [pic] 16 Threat of New Entries According to Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2008), threat of entry depends on the extent and height of barriers to entry such as economic of scales and experience, access to supply or distribution channels, legislation or government action and differentiation. The combination on two factors: Tesco, having 85 years of retail experience since the â€Å"TESCO† brand name started and with the existance of the incumbent retail giants (i. e. Asda, Sainsbury, Mark Spencer) make it difficult for new entrant to penetrate into the UK retailing market. Potential entrants will find that barriers are imposed on them, either explicitly or implicitly, by the conglomerate incumbents. (Tesco Porters Five Force Model , 2008) Tesco, as the largest retailer in UK has control over supply and distribution through customer or supplier loyalty. They have the established loyalty program such as offering loyalty card, point card, advantage card or club card to attract and retain the customers. Besides that, Tesco has direct ownership (vertical integration) for some of the products that they are selling with the brand â€Å"Tesco†. The new entrants will find it challenging to find the new supply and distribution channel as the more common ones had been cornered by Tesco and other giant retailers in UK, who have the advantage of economies of scale. While the new entrants find it easy to enter into UK market, they may face many challenges in the operating environment. Therefore, it can be said that Tesco has a considerately low threat of new entrants in UK. 17 Competitive Rivalry Competitive rivalry refers to the direct competition between organizations that sell the similar products aimed at the same customer group. Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008) Tesco has many direct competitors who do the same business as them, namely the Asda Group Limited, Carrefour S. A, J Sainsbury PLC, Marks and Spencer Group PLC, The Big Food Group PLC and etc. As the number of competitors increases and become roughly equal size, the rivalry become intensified and competitors attempt to gain dominance over others. Though Tesco is presently the largest retailer in UK, many other upcoming retailers mentioned above are trying to gain more market share by dominating the market. Rivalry is also stronger when demand for the product is growing slowly. (Tesco Porters Five Force Model , 2008) With the rivalry intensity, each competitor is tempted to use price cuts to boost unit volume and hence create price war between rivals. Besides that, Tesco’s business and products are also weakly differentiated that customers do not require any cost switching from one retailer to another. The intensity of rivalry in the retailing industry where Tesco belongs to is great. Therefore the threat of competitive rivalry is high for Tesco. 18 Substitutes The accessibility and availability of acceptable substitutes for products that Tesco offers are easy and abundant. For example, Sainsbury can match the low prices that Tesco offers in the market and even equal the quality of products they offer, making the substitute force high in the retailing industry. (Tesco Porters Five Force Model , 2008) This drives Tesco to upgrade the product quality, reduce prices and differentiate their products from its substitute in order not to be affected by the threat. The upcoming trend of online shopping and free delivery also pose a substitute threat for the conventional shopping. Busy working adults can order their groceries or anything they need with just clicks on the PC. E-bay for instance, can offer a wide range of products from all over the world to its customers. However, Tesco had anticipated this new trend and has an online shopping website to cater the needs of this group of people. Hence, Tesco faces low threat on substitutes looking at the fact that Tesco affords to go on the price war since they are the biggest retailer in UK and most of the people still would want to go on the conventional way of shopping. 9 The Power of Supplier The factors increasing supplier power are the converse to those for buyer power and the supplier power is likely to be high where there are concentrated suppliers, high switching cost and supplier competition threat. (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008) However, this is not the case for Tesco who has the power over the suppliers. Suppliers are clamoring attention from giants like Tesco to buy their products. Suppliers understand that the purchasing volume from Tesco will be enormous if they clinch on any deal with them. With this, giant retailers have the overwhelming advantage to dictate the price and if the suppliers do not give in to the price that they are willing to pay, the suppliers are left only with the small supermarket chains that do not give them huge orders. Besides that, suppliers will have to maintain good services and prices with Tesco to sustain the order. This is due to the fact that switching cost from one supplier to another is low and therefore creating stiff competition among suppliers. With the above explanation, it is clear that Tesco faces low threat from the suppliers as they has much more negotiating power than any others would have. 20 The Power of Buyer Customers are essential for the survival of any business and buyers will normally have strong position when there are only a few concentrated buyers who buy in bulk and low switching cost from one supplier to another is low. (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008) In the retailing business, the number of customers is very large and they do not purchase in bulk. Therefore, the buyer’s power is not that strong. However, the switching cost for a buyer is virtually none. Buyers have the freedom to choose supermarket that can offer good prices since the things that all supermarket sells are almost the same. Fortunately for Tesco that all competitors have a disciplined approach in price setting, partly due to the government regulations. (Tesco Porters Five Force Model , 2008)The prices may differ, but it would not be a huge difference. Therefore, it will be more economical for customers to buy all the things they need in one place, rather than hopping around for the retailer that sells the cheapest in certain items. With the mentioned reason, it can be said that the threat of buyer is relatively low. 1 Summary of the 5 Forces Model |Porter’s Five Forces |Level | | |High |Low | |Threat of New Entries | |v | |Competitive Rivalry |^ | | |Substitute | |v | |The Power of Buyer | |v | |The Power of Supplier | |v | From the above analysis, Tesco clearly has a strong position in the retail industry in UK. The business is attractive to Tesco in UK and Tesco is enjoying the profit from the business. The only high threat that Tesco faces is the threat of competitive rivalry from the rivals. The following statistic shows the market share of the closest rivals that Tesco has. Supermarket in UK |Market Share | |Tesco |30. 6% | |ASDA |16. 6% | |Sainsburys |16. 3% | |Morrisons |11. % | |Somerfield |5. 4% | |Waitrose |3. 7% | |Iceland |1. 8% | (Source TNS cited by BBC 2006) Though Tesco has the largest market share, other retailers are coming up quickly. Tesco must keep an eye on these rivals so that the threat of substitute will not become high over time. Besides that, the easy entrants to UK also increase the rivalry for Tesco. It is good that Tesco is already well established in UK and the new entrants will require time to build up their experience and network to compete with Tesco. The rivalry forces can also affect the power of buyer. For example, if ASDA does some promotion that can attract the customer, Tesco will lose some of the market share to their rivals. Therefore, it is clear that Porter’s five forces are inter-related to each other and Tesco must always be alert to any of the forces. The macro environment give an impression of the political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and environmental factors that influence Porter’s five forces. The government regulation on the price setting actually had help Tesco to manage the threat of rivalry and substitute. UK is also getting more open in their economy, hence, Tesco is able to source from the cheaper suppliers from other countries and lower the threat from local suppliers. The buyers are now consisting of diversified people and Tesco must take into consideration of the new goods that can be sold to this group of people. This is one of the tactics to reduce threat from buyer and rivalry from other retailers who had catered into this new need. In addition to that, Tesco can make use of the latest information technology to sell their products online to avoid the substitute threat from retailers who do online business. Stakeholder analysis ‘Stakeholders are people or groups with a legitimate interest in a company. Since stakeholders are interested in and affected by the organization’s action, they have a ‘stake’ in what those actions are’ (Williams, C. 2000). Therefore it is important to understand the role stakeholders play in terms of Tesco as a business. Applying the concept of stakeholder mapping provides better understanding to the influence of stakeholders on corporate strategy. This can help to identify potential risk, establish the political background to the area, seek to influence the decision-makers, and provide intelligence about competitors, key themes and area of potential risk. The availability of the source of power determines the extent of power that can be exerted by both internal and external stakeholder group, this includes key position in the hierarchy or the decision-making process e. g. key managers, key role in strategy implementation or important shareholders; control of strategic resources and possession of know-how, or information. At Tesco, a big part of that is listening to the people around them, and making sure they act on their concern. Engagement helps Tesco identify new risks and opportunities to ensure that long-term strategy is sustainable. In some instances working with stakeholders in partnership can help deliver shared goals. Tesco acknowledge that customers need to be able to trust their business and customers will only trust them if they do the right thing by all their stakeholders Key players: Tesco core value defines â€Å"people† as a critical success factor. People includes customer, employees. Customer question time meeting are invaluable to Tesco. Staff hears customers’ views on everything from how they are being served in their stores to Tesco’s role in the community. Employee gives feedback through viewpoint staff survey, staff question time sessions and staff forum process. Tesco core value is â€Å"treat people how we like to be treated†. And its something Tesco applies firmly to their supplier relationships. Tesco loyalty card scheme – â€Å"Clubcard† enables Tesco to better understand their customers and show appreciation to customer for shopping with them. Tesco creative marketing created more than eight million unique coupon variations of Clubcard mailing, to ensure that each Clubcard member receives the kind of offer that is appropriate for them. (Tesco, 2009) Tesco employs more than 285,000 employees in the UK, besides market-leading package of pay and its employees are entitled to fringe benefits such as childcare vouchers and share schemes. (Tesco. com) Tesco shareholders are also key player, the investor relations team regularly meets analysts from the financial institutions which invest in them or represent Tesco shareholders. Keep Satisfied Non-Government Organization (NGO) have less power but bear high interest on the organization, regular meetings with NGO to understand and respond to issues of concern will keep this group satisfied as getting their ‘endorsement’ is critical to the success of a strategy. Keep Informed Rival retail chain and trade magazine also have influencing power to their corporate strategy, therefore need to take them into account. Minimal Effort This group exerts low power and low interest. Core Competences Core competences are defined as the â€Å"skills and abilities by which resources are deployed through an organization’s activities and processes such as to achieve competitive advantage in ways that others cannot imitate or obtain†. (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008, p. 97) Tesco’s core competence is to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. Its success depends on people, the people who shop and work with Tesco. If the customers like what Tesco offer, they are more likely to come back and shop again. And if the Tesco team finds what Tesco do rewarding; they are more likely to go that extra mile to help the customers. To achieve and sustain the competitive advantage, Tesco own its strategic capabilities which are valuable to customers, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable. Value No-one tries harder for customers like Tesco does. Tesco regularly ask the customers how to make shopping in Tesco better. Tesco creates value by listening to what the customers have told them, understand and be the first to meet their needs. Therefore, Tesco has created the â€Å"Every Little Helps† strategy which to ensure the aisles are clear, the customers can get what they want with a good price, customers need not to queue and the staff are helpful and great. With the aim of become the â€Å"best value retailer† and customer deserve best value for money, Tesco had worked hard to find ways of keeping the prices down which has resulted in 17% of price reduction between 2000 and 2006. (Tesco 2009) The company has also been successful in creating a great place to work which is â€Å"treat people how we like to be treated†. Staffs are treated with respect, managers who always help, opportunities are provided to get on. The better the staffs are treated, the better services they would provide to the customers. 25 Rarity To win over other competitors means one company must possess a unique and rare capability. Tesco has been so successful in capturing leadership of the market for online grocery shopping by designing and implementing supply systems that effectively link existing shops with Tesco. com web site. (tutor2u, n. d. ) Although online shopping is a feature of competitors such as Wal-Mart and other competitors, Tesco’s ability to design and deliver a â€Å"customer interface† that personalizes online shopping and makes it more efficient has resulted the customers valuing the Tesco. com experience highly. Customer’s confidence has been built up with Tesco’s reliable and efficient delivery infrastructure from product picking, distribution to customer satisfaction handling. 26 Inimitability To create sustainable competitive advantage over time is not so straightforward and it must be competitively unique and difficult for competitors to imitate. (Kotelnikov, n. d. ) Tesco PLC of the United Kingdom has greater market share than its rival ASDA Group PLC in Britain. The market share for groceries is 31 percent for Tesco PLC compared to 16 percent for Wal-Marts Asda chain. The supermarket chain has introduced a loyalty program called Tesco Clubcard that collects detailed market information. (Advameg Inc. , 2008) Tesco pioneered the Clubcard rewards program to gather customer detail information, which it then used to accommodate to specific customer needs and potential desires. When shoppers signed up for the card, their age, gender, and income are automatically provided. Tesco was then able to segment their shoppers based on these factors. As long as the shopper used the card when shopping online or in-store, purchased product information was automatically captured into Tesco database. This enables Tesco to collect data about the spending habits and product choices of the customers allowing Tesco to target goods and services effectively such as grocery delivery services. (Knowmore. org, 2008) Apparently Tesco has done significantly better than competitors in winning customer’s loyalty. 27 Non-substitutability In order to maintain a big market share in this competitive environment, Tesco has to provide value to customer and possess competence which is non-substitutable over time. Hence, Tesco has evolved from merely food supply store (Tesco Express and Tesco Metro) to a wide range of food and non-food provider (Tesco Superstore, Tesco Extra and Tesco Homeplus). In addition to a variety of store formats, Tesco also provides a broad appeal by continually innovating and investing in new lines to increase options for customers. â€Å"From Value to Finest and lifestyle ranges like Organic, Free From, Healthy Living and Wholefoods, our various own brands enable customers to buy products to compliment their lifestyle. Our nutritional signpost labeling aims to provide customers with the key information they need to help them choose a balanced diet. † (Tesco 2009, The recent recession has shown a new challenge to Tesco because although customers tend to shop around more for the best prices when times are hard but it doesnt mean they want to compromise on quality of the shopping trip or on choice. â€Å"That is why last year we made the biggest change to our range in a decade, launching around 500 new products as part of our Discount Brands at Tesco initiative. (Tesco 2009) This new range of products enables customer to match their budget without compromising on quality or choice. This act managed to retain the customer to continue to stay on Tesco. Core Competencies need to be flexible and evolve overtime with adaptation to the environment. As a business evolves and adapts to new circumstances and opportunities, so its core competencies which underpin the success will have to adapt and change . With the capabilities of which are valuable to customers, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable, Tesco manages to sustain as British largest retailer over its competitors. Conclusion Today, companies operate in a dynamic global environment whether they are domestic or international players. In order to stay competitive, companies need to innovate. ‘Innovation requires pressure, necessity and even adversity. The fear of loss often proves more powerful than the hope of gain’. (Porter, 1999,p. 164). In these changing times, Tesco has been able to maintain their position as Britain’s number one retailer through innovative approaches in all aspects of their business, from customers to employees to supply chain management. The dynamic macro environment that Tesco UK operates in provides both opportunities and threats. The present economic situation in UK is an important indicator that would and is affecting Tesco’s operations. Though the country has been experiencing high unemployment rates presently, recent statistics show an improvement in sales figures which is an indication for future growth. Changes in consumer behavior patterns and socio cultural changes such as increased migration will no doubt play an important role in creating strategies to have a sustainable competitive advantage for the company. Through Porters 5 Forces Model, we have gained a better understanding of Tesco’s competition. The biggest threat is the existing rivalry in the UK between the supermarket giants such as Asda, Sainsbury, Safeway, Marks and Spencer ad Tesco. Price competition is still the main form of competition existing within these giants. However, Tesco has understood the importance of their stakeholders, mainly consumers and employees and focused their strategic direction towards creating a loyal consumer and employee base with long term commitment. Constant changes to meet customer demands and high response to consumer feedback are important core competencies of the company. Value for money and being able to cater to all market segments have also been vital in maintain their competitive advantage. With the identification of these competencies and the environment analysis, Tesco now could align their future strategic direction to achieve long term sustainable growth as a responsible leader in the UK retail industry. References Johnson, G. , Scholes, K. , Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy. Harlow: Prentice Hall. Kotelnikov, V. Core Competencies: Things You Can Do Better Than Your Competition. Retrieved November 15, 2009, from 1000 Ventures: http://www. 1000ventures. com/business_guide/crosscuttings/core_competencies. html Knowmore. org. (2008, May 21). Tesco PLC. Retrieved November 17, 2009, from Knowmore. org: http://www. knowmore. org/wiki/index. php? title=Tesco_PLC Tesco 2009. Core UK. Retrieved November 17, 2009, from Tesco PLC: http://www. tescoplc. com/plc/about_us/strategy/coreuk/ tutor2u. Strategy Core Competencies. Retrieved November 15, 2009, from Tutor2u: http://tutor2u. net/business/strategy/core_competencies. htm The Press Association, Tesco sees market share growth, 10 November 2009. Retreived on 17 November from http://www. google. com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hBp-Szv5JTubP4tXxSQSQdL3bsMw Office for National Statistics, UK Statistics Authority 2009 retrieved on 19 November 2009 from http://www. statistics. gov. uk/instantfigures. asp Just-Food. com, Sound Bites – The UK Grocery ‘code of practice’ . Russel Michelle, 3 March 2009 retreived from ttp://www. just-food. com/article. aspx? id=105666 The Guardian, UK 21 April 2009. Wearden G. Tesco unveils record profits of ? 3bn. Retrieved on 19 November 2009 from http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2009/apr/21/tesco-record-profits-supermarket Eurofound 2009, Tesco, UK: Make work pay – make work attractive retrieved on 19 November 2009 from http://www. eurofound. europa. eu/areas/qualityofwork/betterjobs/case s/uk04tesco. htm BBC News Online, Stamp Gavin 25 April 2006 Foreign growth jey to Tesco goals retrieved on 19 November 2009 from http://news. bc. co. uk/2/mobile/business/4781458. stm Tesco corporate responsibility report 2009 retreived on 17 November 2009 from http://www. investis. com/plc/cr09/crr09. pdf Porter, Michael. E. (1999) On Competition. Harvard Business Press Williams, C. (2000). Management, Cincinnati Ohio, South-Western College Publishing Advameg Inc. . (2008, n. d. n. d. ). Abstract. Retrieved November 17, 2009, from Internet FAQ Archives: Online Education: http://www. faqs. org/abstracts/Business-international/No-1-retailer-in-Britain-uses-Clubcard-to-thwart-Wal-Mart. html

US Consitution essays

US Consitution essays Article 1 createes the first of the 3 branches of the government. Section 1 createes the name of the Legislature to be The Congress is a two-part body. Section 2 explains the House of Representatives. It createes a the minimum requirements, like 25yrs old limit, and says that the people themselves will elect the members for 2 yrs each. The members of the House are divided among the states according to size giving the more populous states more representatives in the House. The leader is the Speaker of the House, chosen by the members. Section 3 defines the Senate. It shows some minimum requirements, like the 30 yr age limit. They serve for 6 yrs each. Each state has the exact same number of Senators, 2 each, no matter the population. This Section introduces the Vice Pres., who is the leader of the Senate. He doesnt vote unless there is a tie. Section 4 says that each state may create its own methods for electing members of the Congress, and mandates, or requires, that Congress must meet at least once per year. Section 5 says that Congress must have a minimum number of members present in order to meet, and that it may set fines for people who do not show up. Section 6 createes that members of Congress will be paid, that they cannot be detained while traveling to and from Congress, that they cannot hold any other office in the government while in the Congress. Section 7 details how bills become law. First, any bill for raising money must start out in the House. All bills must pass both houses of Congress in the exact same form. Bills that pass both houses are sent to the President. He can either sign the bill to be a law or he can veto it. If he vetoes it, the bill is sent back to Congress, and if both houses pass it by a 2/3 majority, the bill becomes law over the President's veto. Section 8 lists specific powers of Congress, including the power to create and maintain an army and navy, to create post offices, to create courts, to...

Crush your Next Job Interview with These 12 Questions

Crush your Next Job Interview with These 12 Questions The end of an interview can be a tricky moment. I’m never quite sure when â€Å"Do you have any questions† is actually soliciting questions, and if it’s  a polite â€Å"Time to wrap up† cue. Regardless, having these questions from Levo League for TheSavvyIntern in your back pocket will help you turn that moment into an opportunity to stand out- in a good way. â€Å"What do you most like about working here?†or â€Å"What’s a day in the life of this role like?†Both of these questions are designed to move your interviewer away from lofty statements of company mission or corporate values and into the nitty gritty of what your job actually would be if you were hired. It also helps you remember that you’re trying them out as much as they are contemplating hiring you.â€Å"What are the most important things (or key goals) that this role should focus on in the first 30 days to one year of employment?†What I like about this ques tion is the shifting focus from the immediate, which tells you priorities, to the long-term, which tells you what kind of variety you might have a chance to work with. And again, clarity is always helpful.â€Å"What are the one-year and/or five-year goals for the organization? And how do you see someone in this role supporting those goals?†This one is helpful if you’re curious about the bigger-picture plans for the company and how you’d fit into it. Knowing that you will serve as crucial coordinator for the company’s flagship conference in a few months takes the sting out of getting cut from meetings or spending 20 minutes de-clogging the copier.â€Å"What are the qualities of the person who excels in this role?† or â€Å"What are the qualities of the person you’re looking to hire that will be successful in this role?†Pro-tip, don’t do this if they’ve already talked about the demands/requirements/optimal traits for succe ss in this role. Then it just sounds like you can’t listen. Know the job description really well too- you don’t want to sound like you didn’t bother to read up on the job you applied for.What are the success metrics for this job?Take notes now in case these come up again in your annual review after you’re hired- seriously! I live in fear of jobs where I’m charged with recruitment (you have no control over it!) or cold-calling; I need to know before I leave that office if I should withdraw graciously or if I can spend a few days nerving myself up for a big challenge.â€Å"What are some of the challenges that this role will face?†Speaking of challenges, you might as well hear the downsides too- it’s helpful to know ahead of time that you’ll be grappling with tightfisted resource departments or an out-of-touch marketing staff, so you can start brainstorming strategies (Or, even better, casually mention how you’ve worked wit h just such a situation before and resolved it gracefully to everyone’s satisfaction).  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Can you give me an example of a ‘stretch project’ within the organization?†This is actually a chance for you to showcase your independent thinking and problem solving skills- I know a guy who asked for an example of the kind of work he’d be able to challenge himself with, and when they described a modem/server problem they’d been working on for months, spontaneously tossed off an answer that solved their problem and boosted him from intern to permanent hire in a matter of months.â€Å"What’s the career path for this role within the company?†This question shows that you’re thinking long term and helps you manage expectations for advancement and review. At my first office job, they were quick to assure me that I wouldn’t advance as fast as my predecessor had (she had a master’s degree and was awesome), but that ther e was a an eventual path from editorial assistant to editor. I held on to that after I got the job, whenever I was feeling frustrated by the â€Å"assistant† in my title.â€Å"What’s the organization’s management style?†This is a really important question, especially if you’re interviewing with a less senior member of the team than the person you’d finally report to. They can tell you (sometimes via body language and word choice) how their boss is to work for.â€Å"What’s the team culture like?†I really like this one because depending on the rapport you’ve established and how senior the person interviewing you is, this is a good chance for coworker intel. On my first job out of school, when I asked about the coworker vibe, my future best friend dropped the Assistant Hiring Manager mask and sighed dramatically while rolling her eyes at the guy who’d just asked us to keep it down a little, then resumed her professio nalism and told me everyone was great.â€Å"Do you have any reservations about my fit for this role?†This one takes moxie. I’m not sure if I’ll ever quite be brassy enough to ask this one! What if they tell you?! On the other, bolder hand, you might catch them off guard enough to actually give you some examples, plus it gives you a chance to respond to them right then and there.Final tip- write these Qs on the second sheet of a legal pad or notebook that you take into the interview with you! Take notes so it doesn’t seem weird you’re glancing at it, and you’ll impress the interviewer with your diligence and clearly highly evolved attention to detail.

Managing conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managing conflict - Essay Example It is important therefore, to resolve conflicts quickly and openly. There are several kinds of conflicts that can be manifested in teams. There would be arguing and discussing about issues that matter to the organization like cost cutting, making the work force more productive or how to counteract a competitor. These are essential discussions that would mostly be beneficial to the group or organization. These predispose good exchange of ideas and opinions that would most probably lead to workable, if not excellent solutions. These kinds of conflict are task-led and should be encouraged. However, if teams display an open dislike for one another or are engaged in a ‘word war,’ then, this would be more of a destructive kind. The team would be experiencing an interpersonal conflict defined with animosity and heated exchanges. These conflicts would ultimately affect the whole team as it makes the atmosphere for work tension-filled (Team Building, 2009). As a team leader, managers are often in the position to handle conflicts within his or her team. It is therefore needed that the leader is strong and can take charge of the situation. He or she must have the strategies to allow the team to communicate effectively, create rapport, resolve conflict and lead and motivate the whole team. He must also fully understand the diversity of the group by appreciating the various viewpoints, experiences, skills and opinions. Conflict should first be handled on an informal basis between the individuals involved. This will allow time for resolution or self-correction by the individuals. If the conflict remains unsettled, a mediator can be brought in to help resolve the situation. If resolution is still not achieved the dispute should be openly discussed in a team meeting. A formal disciplinary process needs to occur, if resolution is not achieved after being addressed at the team level (Rayeski & Bryant,

Enterprise Resource Planning (SLP) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enterprise Resource Planning (SLP) - Coursework Example mo shows the SAP Crystal Reports and Sap Crystal Reports Server, and the uses both are put to by an IT department to set up reports for personnel across the company. The reports can be set up in a way that suits various people and departments, so it can run as often as needed, and it can be changed to a format such as e-mail or Adobe PDF format. The demo was OK, but the wording at the bottom of the screen was not always visible. A business using this program can achieve savings as the reports give up-to-date data as and when required. There is not a chance of losing their way with tracking resources, whether personnel or materials. As the report can be set up to show precise data at a certain time the financial implications are able to be forecast with a lot of certainty. It could be used by a private person who has a lot of materials, such as a DIY builder or a even a person with a hobby who has collected a lot, but is not sure what they have or what else needs to be collected. After some careful thought the third demo is in fact the 30-day trial version of SAP Crystal Reports. The reason being this is a chance to use the system itself and find out more about how it feels in actual use. The screen shot below in Fig. 1. shows the data in a report built using a simple Access database. This tool is great for keeping up to date with changes in a companies resources, something that can be difficult to track across a complex company, where it has to deal with staff, customers, materials and the processes between all these. If it is all on one system a manager can quickly find data and produce a report showing its status instead of trying to search databases, spreadsheets and other

Ford Modular engine Essay Example for Free

Ford Modular engine Essay †¢Come up with six follow-up questions that you could ask to help further your investigation and support or disprove each hypothesis. †¢According to an anonymous town resident, the spike in absences coincided with the annual anniversary of the death of the town’s founder, Jeremiah Potts. The founder died 150 years ago during the month of May following an unexplained illness, and ever since his death, he haunts the public buildings causing symptoms similar to the illness that he succumbed to. †¢Provide an explanation for why the hypothesis of the anonymous resident is not an acceptable one for an investigation based in science. Include in your explanation a comparison of this hypothesis to the two that you created based upon the available evidence. Submitting Your Assignment Save your copy of the assignment in a location and with a name that you will remember. Be sure to use the Save As option to include your first and last name in the title of the document. For example, your assignment might be called Shawn_Edwards_Assignment2.doc When you are ready to submit it, click on the Dropbox and complete the steps below: †¢Click the link that says Submit an Assignment. †¢In the Submit to Basket menu, select Unit 2: Assignment †¢In the Comments field, include at least the title of your paper. †¢Click the Add Attachments button. †¢Follow the steps listed to attach your Word document. †¢To view your graded work, come back to the Dropbox or go to the Gradebook after your instructor has evaluated it. Click the Dropbox to access it. ID: SC300-02-09-A Data reported as percentage of students absent

The Power Struggle in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- GCSE English Lite

The Power Struggle in Macbeth  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the focus that is placed on the character of Lady Macbeth helps to convey the play's theme of the strife created by the struggle for power and control that is present throughout the entire work. Shakespeare presents her character in great detail and shows her to be a dominating, authoritative woman who thrives on the power she holds over her husband. He then shows the principle character, Macbeth, rise up and join his wife in a struggle for power of his own. It is the actions that Macbeth takes in attempt to achieve ultimate authority that lead to his downfall, and it is Lady Macbeth's loss of control over her husband as he gains this independence which causes her own weakening and eventually leads to her demise as well. The struggle for power and control in Macbeth is present from the very beginning, as Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as a ruthless, overpowering woman who dominates her husband and his actions. She makes Macbeth's decisions for him without giving him any say in his own actions, and she orders her husband to do what she determines to be best for him. It is Lady Macbeth who contrives the plan to kill King Duncan, because she knows that Macbeth would never commit such an act on his own without her prodding. She develops the plan and organizes the details while expecting Macbeth to merely follow her orders. This becomes evident when she says to him, "Only look up clear,"(1.5.70) and "leave the rest to me"(1.5.72). She intends to keep him under her control by making decisions for him and not allowing him to think for himself. Lady Macbeth is able to achieve such power over her husband by continually insulting his manliness and boasting her... ...e is an authoritative figure who thrives on her ability to rule her husband's life, and watching Macbeth gain independence at her expense eats her up inside and causes her to lose her sanity. She sees the tables of power being turned, and she begins to see herself in the position her husband formerly held, that of a weak, submissive individual. She can not allow herself to live her life that way, and, as it is explained in the last speech of the play, ". . . [Macbeth's] fiendlike queen,/Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands/ Took off her life. . ."(5.8.69-71). Lady Macbeth saw death as the only way she could escape a life of passiveness and weakness which she believed was inevitable once she lost control of Macbeth's actions. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Macbeth.† The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. New York: Longman, 1997

Action Research Project for Reading Essay

The problem stated in the Action Research Project was that 66% of third grade students lack the ability to draw conclusions and make inferences to answer comprehension questions correctly. This was evident by the state reading test scores, specifically the inference test given by their teacher. This indicated a need for increased student achievement in making inferences and drawing conclusions. Third grade students were not proficient at making inferences to gain a deeper understanding of the texts read and thus answer open ended questions correctly. Therefore, they did not get all the inference based comprehension questions correct based on the end of grade test scores that these third grade students are required to take. This indicated a need for additional support making inferences through direct instruction, peer discussion and independent practice in the classroom setting. Students had previously been taught how to make inferences through discussion and worksheets. B) Review of main strategies The basic strategies used in this project included interactive read aloud, a reading response journal, and making inferences with photographs. An important component used in the implementation plan was the integration of the read alouds with the reading response journal as well as a great deal of modeling. The teacher gave the students time before, after, and during reading to write responses in their journals. They were encouraged to make predictions, connections, share reactions, opinions, visualizations, ask questions and make inferences. By having the students use those various strategies, they were learning how to really think about what they were reading in order to get a deeper understanding of their texts. Using these various strategies would ultimately increase their understanding and thus improve their ability to make inferences about what they read. The students were given time before reading to make predictions about what they thought might happen and any reactions or opinions from the previous reading. While the teacher was reading, the students were encouraged to make connections and inferences. They also began a section of vocabulary words they found challenging or interesting. This list of words was ongoing and the students  had to find the definition that went along with their word. The teacher also listed those words on chart paper during the reading time. Once the teacher had ended the read aloud time, the students had time to reflect on what they read. They might make inferences based on what they had learned or share how they visualized the scene taking place. The teacher also modeled what she was thinking as she came to different parts of the story. C) Description of post implementation data collection tools Post implementation, the teacher used a variety of tools to test the effectiveness of the ARP. Students took a teacher created â€Å"Inference Assessment† (Appendix A, p. 7) that consisted of two reading passages and ten short answer questions. The students had to read each short story and then answer five questions based on each story. The questions to the answers had to be inferring from the short passages. Students needed to get eight of the ten questions correct to receive a passing score. The assessment was scored by hand and scores were recorded as a percentage. The class completed a â€Å"Charles Assessment† (Appendix B, p.8) Students had to read a short story by Shirley Jackson entitled â€Å"Charles,† and answer several questions and write a short essay based on their interpretation of the story. Their interpretation of what they read showed how well they were able to infer what the story was about. Students had to complete the various questions and tasks to the best of their ability based on their interpretation of the story. Students’ answers were scored based on their vocabulary answers, ability to create an appropriate book cover, set of classroom rules, a comic strip, or to follow the RAFT format in creating a short essay. Students’ work was scored based on their ability to follow the directions and their ability to infer what had happened in the story. The students used the Inferencing Rubric (Appendix C, p. 12) to guide them as they write a narrative. The rubric was had five columns and each column had the criteria to earn one to four points, totaling twenty points. This rubric was used to show the students what the expectations were before they began writing their paper. The rubric was also used by the teacher to score their final paper. Scores were tallied up and fifteen through twenty points would be passing scores. The students were required to take an Inferencing Post Test (Appendix D, p. 13) after they had been taught the lessons in the action research project. This is the same test they took before the implementation. It was administered during consists of several reading passages and multiple choice answers. There were fiction, non-fiction, and poetry selections the students read and then answered questions based on inferences created from the passages. Students answered the circled questions. These results were compared to the scores gathered prior to the implementation. The End of Grade Test (Appendix E, p. 21) was administered to all third grade students in Wake County are required to take at the end of each year. This is a multiple choice test that is given at the end of each school year. This assessment is given in a secure setting over three days. The first day is reading comprehension; the next two are for math calculator active and calculator inactive. The students record their responses by bubbling on an answer sheet that is electronically scored. These results were compared with the pretest scores to see how much progress the students made throughout the year. D) Results for each objective The first objective was for the students to be able to accurately identify and analyze inferences in context with a minimum of 80% accuracy as measured by the teacher created Inference Assessment (Appendix A, p. 7). After the students had been taught how to make inferences through various classroom activities, they took the assessment and the entire class met or exceeded the passing score. Two students scored 70%, four students scored 80%, five students scored 90%, and ten scored 100%. The scores show a vast improvement in the students’ ability to make inferences. The second objective was for seventeen of twenty one students to improve their ability to interpret inferences and comprehend reading passages by achieving a score of 80% or better on the Charles Assessment (Appendix B p. 8). Only thirteen students met that goal. Four students scored 60%, five scored 70%, nine scored 80%, two scored 90%, and one scored 100%. Although the students did not all meet the desired goal, they showed improvement based on their earlier assessments and the individual scores were higher. The third objective stated that the students would be able to accurately incorporate two or more inferences into their personal narrative writing pieces as measured by a teacher created Inferencing Rubric (Appendix C p. 12). The entire class was able to incorporate at least two inferences into their narrative based on the rubric. Before the implementation, most students could not interpret an inference, so being able to create two or more shows a vast improvement. The fourth objective stated that the students would increase their ability to identify and interpret inferences to increase their reading comprehension to 80% as measured by the teacher created Inferencing Pre/Post Test (Appendix D, p. 13). All but three students met the specified goal. Of the twelve questions posed, three students correctly answered nine questions, three answered ten, nine answered eleven, and six answered all twelve correctly. Based on the previous scores on this test, students’ scores greatly increased. The lowest score went from four questions correct up to nine, and all students grew, except for the one student who scored perfect on the pretest. Scores identify that the students were able to increase their comprehension and infer what they had read. The last objective was that the students would increase their ability to identify and create inferences to increase their reading comprehension to 52% as measured by the North Carolina End of Grade Test (Appendix E, p. 21). Eighteen of twenty one students met or exceeded that goal as opposed to only seven who passed the pretest. Three students scored a level one (3-20 percent), one scored a level two (31 percent), ten scored a level three (52-74 percent), and seven students scored a level four (87-99 percent). This shows a tremendous growth based on previous scores that showed many more students at the bottom range. Ten students scored a level one (11-35 percent), four scored a level two (48-69 percent), five scored a level three (74-89 percent), and two scored a level four (92-97 percent). E) Summary Based on the data collected from all the assessment tools, the teacher’s implementation plan was successful. Most goals were met and her students proved to be successful in their final assessments. Even though not all the students reached the set goal, each student showed improvement through the various assessment tools, especially in the state test . Appendix A Name/Number: Date: Inference assessment Read the passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow. One gloomy morning, Bailey woke up and stretched out in her bed. She jumped out of bed, walked to the kitchen and had a long drink of water. As she was drinking, Waleed came in the kitchen and gave her some breakfast. She quickly gobbled up her food and noticed that it was grey and dreary outside. There was a white blanket draped across the backyard. Waleed noticed the weather too, so he crawled back into his warm bed. Bailey followed him back in the bedroom and jumped up into bed so they could snuggle. She licked his face as she curled up at his feet. Her tail wagged until she peacefully fell back to sleep. 1. Who is Bailey? 2. What was the weather outside? 3. Did Bailey drink her water from a glass? 4. What did Bailey have for breakfast? 5. Who is Waleed? Sarah and Renee were enjoying the hot day at home. They were splashing around and having fun since they didn’t have to go to school. They had been outside all day and Renee’s skin was turning bright pink. All of a sudden, there was a roll of thunder and the sun was blocked by several clouds. The sky turned dark and the sun was no longer shining. Sarah and Renee quickly packed up their towels and beach balls and ran inside just as the sky opened up. 6. What season is it? 7. Where are Sarah and Renee? 8. What happened to Renee’s skin? 9. What time of day is it? 10. Why did Sarah and Renee have to run inside? Appendix B Charles Assessment [pic] [pic] [pic][pic] Appendix C. | |Inferences |Focus |Topic and conclusion|Elaboration |Spelling/grammar | | | | |sentences | | | |4 |Paper contains more|Paper maintains a |Paper has a strong |Paper has specific |Paper contains virtually no | | |than two detailed |specific focus |topic and |details that |spelling or grammar mistakes | | |inferences |throughout |conclusion sentence |elaborate on the | | | | | | |topic | | |3 |Paper contains two |Paper is focused on|Paper has a weak |Paper has vague |Paper contains fewer than 5 | | |detailed inferences|one event, but may |topic and conclusion|details that |spelling and/or grammar | | | |have minor lapses |sentence |elaborate on the |mistakes | | | | | |topic | | |2 |. Paper only contains|Paper may be |Paper may have a |Paper does not have |Paper contains more than 10 | | |one detailed |focused on one or |weak topic or |details that support |spelling and/or grammar | | |inference or two |more events, but |conclusion sentence |the topic |mistakes | | |that are not |has major lapses |that does not follow| | | | |detailed | |the topic | | | |1 |Paper does not have|Paper is not |Paper does not have |Paper has no |Paper contains more than 15 | | |any inferences in |focused and has |a topic or |supporting details |spelling and/or grammar | | |it |major lapses in |conclusion sentence | |mistakes | | | |time | | | | | | | | | | | |Total scores: | | | | | | Writing and Inferencing Rubric Student Name and Number:_____________________________________ Date:________________________________________________________ Appendix D [pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] Appendix E Since this assessment was administered to every third grade student in North Carolina in a secure setting, there are no available copies of the test. The Inferencing Pre/Post Test in Appendix D used sample End of Grade test questions that were posted by the North Carolina Department of Instruction. These sample articles have a very similar format to the passages and questions the students saw when they took the End of Grade Test.

Brainstorming draft

American wedding normally takes place in a church, where all guests gather. â€Å"Here comes the best man, flower girls, exchanging vows and rings, and the wedding music. The wedding ceremony is conducted by the priest. He formally asks the invitees whether they have any objection for this marriage and getting the positive response from the invitees, the priest asks the couple to exchange wedding rings and then the couple is marked as husband and wife†. Furthermore, the priest and guests congratulate, embrace and kiss the just married.On the other hand, modern Americans often wish to arrange an unforgettable wedding and invite the priest to a location of their choice, some of them even insist on underwater wedding. Nevertheless, the vast majority of Americans the traditional style and arrangement in the place of worship. Indian wedding, conversely to American, usually takes place outdoors, under a canopy called a mandap. The couple sits on carpets under the mandap, and the par ties, invited by the couple, locate around this place. In addition, the priest, as opposed to American wedding asks neither the guest’s ‘blessing’ nor the bride’s and bridegroom’s consent.After being declared the couple as husband and wife, the couple exchange their rings and receive congratulations, moreover, their parents wash their feet in the special water with flower petals . Then, the man and the woman begin to invoke deities like Svaha, who is known as a marital happiness-giver and the priest announces the traditional long list of wishes, which include abundance, successful reproduction, friendship, harmony and happiness. The ideological background of American wedding refers rather to the Christian doctrine than to American culture.Due to the fact that the Bible obliges individuals to create families, the institute of marriage in viewed as sacred and blessed by God. Family in Christian religion is viewed as a self-sufficient entity, where, ho wever procreation must take place; this reminder is usually provided in the priest’s congratulations, addressed to the just married. On the contrary, the settings of Indian wedding ceremony suggest that family is first and foremost a natural phenomenon, that’s why the bride’s and bridegroom’s compliances are even not questioned, – the deities (supernatural forces) have selected them as a prospective family.On the other hand, the two cultural traditions share common view on the meaning of the wedding ring as a symbol of unity and infinity of marital happiness. In America, the bride is supposed to wear a white dress and a veil, which should point to the fact that the broom hasn’t seen the brie before the wedding, so if he doesn’t like her, he will have an opportunity to refuse. The broom, in turn, is required to wear a black suit, alleged as his ‘Sunday best’.As opposed to American wedding, in Indian ceremony, the bride and broom are expected to wear bright and rich colors – the woman should wear a red sari, draped around her head in order to underline her modesty. The man should have a kafni (long shirt, which reaches his knees) and pijamo (leggings) on. In addition, the groom is encouraged to wear a turban. In addition, the bride should put the national Indian decoration, known as mehndi, on her hands and feet . The only common aspect of both styles is the obligation to wear beautiful holiday clothes, which should not be put on again.As for the roles, the major roles in both Indian and American weddings are played by the bride, broom and the priest. Similarly, important roles are attributed to the man’s and woman’s parents and the groom’s best friend or brother (best man), who should accompany him in both traditions. Furthermore, in both cultures, the number of guests determines the happiness of marital life thus, both American and Indian couples seek to invite all relati ves from the bride’s and broom’s lines.In both Indian and American weddings flowers play central role, in terms of the scope of attributes employed. Indian couples are sprinkled with light flowers, as the plants are viewed as positive symbols, bringing about luck and harmony. American bride should have a bouquet in her hands and throw it behind her back once she participates in the ring exchange. However, in Indian weddings, money is valued, so the spot where the ceremony takes place is covered with coins.

Leadership Styles Essays

Leadership Styles Essays Leadership Styles Essay Leadership Styles Essay Leadership Styles LDR/531 Organizational Leadership Leadership Styles Leaders have a â€Å"the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals† (Robbins Judge, 2007, p. 402). In the past leaders have been described by certain traits or characteristics. These traits can help an organization identify potential candidates who may be strong leaders. Later behavior approaches of leaders were identified that could be taught. In short, leaders could be made. Situations have an impact on which leader behaviors will be most effect at any given time. Several contingency theories have been formulated over the years to identify how situations influence leadership behavior. Each style has strengths and weaknesses. An effective leader can identify and evaluate a situation to determine which style will produce the ideal outcome of performance and satisfaction within a given industry. A leader’s traits and behaviors can reveal a leaders potential effectiveness in various situations. Situational moderator variables can either enhance or hinder a leader’s ability to be effective in a given situation. Contingency Theories of leadership explain â€Å"leadership effectiveness in terms of situational moderator variables† (Yuki, 2006, p. 214). The six major contingency theories include: leader substitutes theory, LPC contingency model, path-goal theory, situational leadership theory, multiple-linkage theory, and cognitive resources theory. â€Å"LPC contingency model describes how the situation moderates the relationship between leadership and a trait measure called the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) score† (Yuki, 2006, p. 215). A leader with a high LPC score tends to be more people-oriented. Their initial goal or motivator is to establish relationships with the people he or she works with. A leader with a low LPC score is more task-oriented. Their primary objective is to complete the task objectives. Path-goal theory of leadership explains how leader behavior influences subordinate performance and satisfaction (Yuki, 2006). These aspects are dependent on given task and subordinate characteristics. Dependent on the situation a leader can use a supportive, directive, participative or achievement-oriented behavior type to motivate subordinates to achieve higher performance levels. Situational leadership theory â€Å"specifies the appropriate type of leadership behavior for different levels of subordinate maturity in relation to the work† (Yuki, 2006, p. 223). For less mature subordinates may require a leader to be more task and directive-oriented to provide guidance that will help mature the individual. Mature subordinates require less task-oriented structures and work best when a leader uses a relation-oriented method. Multiple-linkage model includes four variables: managerial, intervening, criterion, and situational (Yuki, 2006). This model describes â€Å"the interacting effects of managerial behavior and situational variables on the intervening variables that determine the performance of a work unit† (Yuki, 2006, p. 228). The six intervening variables are task-commitment, ability and role clarity, organization of work, cooperation and mutual respect, resources and support, and external coordination. These variables are interdependent. To maximize the effectiveness of a group, a balance of each variable is critical. A situation can affect the variables, regardless of leader involvement. A leader’s role is to correct any deficiencies. Cognitive resource theory analyzes the situations in which intelligence and experience are linked to group performance (Yuki, 2006). â€Å"The performance of a leader’s group is determined by complex interaction among two leader traits (intelligence and experience), one type of behavior (directive leadership), and two aspects of leadership situation (interpersonal stress and the nature of the group† (Yuki, 2006, p. 236). Under highly stressful situations, leaders rely on experience. In lower stressed situations, leaders will rely on intelligence. Yuki (2006) identifies there different leadership behaviors or styles: task-oriented, people or relations-oriented and participative leadership. Leadership styles have a major impact on productivity and satisfaction. If a leader is too task-oriented, productivity may be high, but he or she runs the risk of decreasing satisfaction among employees. Extreme people-oriented leadership behaviors can produce higher levels of satisfaction but at the cost of lower productivity. Leaders need to identify a balance that work within the given task and conditions to maximize productivity and satisfaction. Task-oriented leaders will plan, schedule, and coordinate subordinate work. This leadership style focuses on providing the individual with the tools and resources he or she may need to complete the task. Realistic challenging performance goals are created to motivate individuals. These types of leaders thrive in accounting, customer service, and sales departments. Relations-oriented leadership styles provide subordinates with support, trust, appreciation, and confidence. For example, Camille Roberts is an experienced engineering manager who is new to the organization. As the new manager, she feels it will be best to refrain from using a task-oriented leadership style. The relations-oriented leadership style is her strong suit, which is why she took the position. She was comfortable with the idea of entering a position within an established organization and team that was in need of a modified approach to motivate employees. This leadership style works best with experienced subordinates, especially those whose focus is project work, such as engineers. Participative leadership style is more of a support role. This type of leadership style is ideal for higher level executives and managers. This involves less one-on-one supervision. Group participation is encouraged. â€Å"The role of the manager in group meetings should be primarily to guide the discussion and keep it supportive, constructive, and oriented toward problem solving† (Yuki, 2006, p. 54). Participative leadership does not remove managers from the equation. Managers will still be held for all decisions and the results. The challenge of the task and relations-oriented leadership styles is finding a balance. A task-oriented leader completes the job but a cost to his or her subordinates. This type of leadership style, in some cases can be seen as cold, calculated, and overbearing. However, in the right setting, this leadership style is ideal. For inexperienced employees, a task-oriented style is an ideal way to learn. By providing a clear understanding of what is expected, how it should be completed, and under what circumstances, the manager is building a foundation of standards that an employee will be able to use throughout his or her career within the organization. A manager who is too relation-oriented can result in a loss of position power and set the wrong pace within the work environment. Applied correctly, the relations-oriented leadership style will motivate and encourage employees. Yuki (2006) states, â€Å"a manager should treat each subordinate in a supportive was that will build and maintain a person’s sense of personal worth and importance. † A successful leader may possess certain traits that embody what most consider a great leader. However, this does not mean a person must be born a leader. Leadership behaviors can be taught. The proper application of these behaviors within a given situation determines how successful that leader will be. Every situation embodies aspects that warrant consideration to identify which leadership style will produce the desired end result. An effective leader can evaluate the situation, modify his or her leadership style based on its strengths and weaknesses to maximize productivity and satisfaction. References Robbins, S. P. , Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational behavior (12th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Yuki, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations (6th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

An Analyses of When the Saints Go Marching in

An Analysis of When the Saints Go Marching In The origins of When the Saints have never been fully explained in modern times. It was originally written as a Negro Spiritual hymn sometime near the beginning of the twentieth century. On written music, composers usually notate it as a traditional piece, but the identity of the original author remains up for debate.Some sources claim that the original lyrics of When the Saints were penned by Katherine Verves and put to music by James Black in 1896, but many scholars today believe that Verves ND Blacks composition was a completely different piece of music due to it being titled When the Saints Are Marching In. Regardless, the original lyrics contain many spiritual references, particularly to heaven and the coming of Gods kingdom.In one of the verses, the author writes Oh when the trumpet sounds Its call, Oh when the trumpet sounds Its call, I want to be In that number, when the trumpet sounds Its call, which is a reference to a passage in the book of Revelations, located in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The passage describes the sounding of seven trumpets by angels of heaven. Each trumpet brings about a specific catastrophic event upon the world below, which is filled with those who were not taken in to heaven at the onset of the worlds end. Other references to things such as The moon turns red with blood And . .. When the new world is revealed Are tied in with the end of days described in Revelations, which the author describes a desire to avoid by being in heaven. Though the original lyrics describe dark and unfortunate events, today When the Saints has a positive connotation attached to It. When It Is performed In modern times, It Is at a much faster tempo and the melody swings at an Infectiously catchy pace.This change started probably due to a trend that originated In New Orleans that consisted of inserting a verse that discussed how a former friend or relative had died, moved away, or was estranged from them and how they desired to see them again, often in the next life (I. E. Heaven). In one of the earliest know recordings of When the Saints, the blues artist Barbeques Bob sings L had a dear old mother, hes gone on to heaven I know, I promised the Lord Id meet her, when the Saints go marching in. The belief that a one will be able to reunite with all of their loved ones who have passed away before them, coupled with an image of heaven as eternal paradise for a soul instills hope in an Individual. Taking this into account may explain the prevalence of bands performing When the Saints in New Orleans funeral marches. It may be that in the culture of New Orleans a funeral Is not only a place for mourning the dead, but also a time to celebrate the deceases passing Into eternal paradise. Thus, When the Saints began a transformation from a solemn time. This transformation is quite staggering.When the song was first written, there was no recording technology that enabled its original form to be preserved. Barbeques Bob performed the earliest recording of When the Saints in the early twentieth century. His rendition is performed on acoustic guitar and has a very resigned tempo with the overall tone of the piece being one that fosters reflection. This style was probably representative of the standard way to play the piece at the time and most keel remained so until Louis Armstrong recorded his rendition of When the Saints in the format that most people recognize.Armstrong played When the Saints at a much faster tempo than Barbeques Bob and with a more upbeat and fun tone and with a full band featuring trombones, drums, a string bass, trumpet, clarinet, and several other instruments. Armstrongs rendition ushered in the more common rendition of When the Saints that emulates his fast tempo and upbeat tone. Armstrong also created a way of playing When the Saints that allowed for passages f improvisation, a mainstay in Jazz music.The strophic form of the verses and running bass allows for other instruments to take turns improvising before returning to the original melody. However, this also caused When the Saints to become a more secular piece as it lost its previously sacred themes and lyrics. In a duet between Louis Armstrong and Danny Okay, the lyrics previously talking about the end of days and Joining with others in heaven are replaced with a series of clever puns of the names of famous classical composers. This shows the shift of When the Saints room a sacred hymn intended to inspire to a song intended to entertain.Instead of being played in church sanctuaries, it mostly is performed at concerts by ensembles not affiliated with any particular church. In listening to different recordings of this timeless piece that I myself have performed a few times in my life, I was most surprised to learn that When the Saints was not always an upbeat Jazz piece. Hearing the evolution of this song through the various recordings was very interesting. I can say that I have a newfound interest in this piece that was not there before.

Identifying Themes and Concerns for the Benefit of the Individual Coursework

Identifying Themes and Concerns for the Benefit of the Individual Business Manager - Coursework Example Concepts such as leadership are aligned with the organisational goals and sustainable practices are being brought in the business planning process for ensuring better results. Sustainability as defined by Jansson (2011) is the process of working in a manner by considering the future impact of the activities. Sustainable work practices ensure that the present needs are met without compromising the ability of the future generations to fulfil their needs. (Mishra, 2009) mentioned that in the contemporary scenario, the corporate houses are focusing on reducing the environmental and social impacts of their activities in order to ensure a better scope for business operations. However, Paley (2009) criticised that business firms are also getting affected by the environmental and sustainable issues which is hampering the growth and development process of the business. The diminishing stock of resources is also creating barriers for operational and production processes of the business houses. On the other hand, Boulton, Libert & Samek (2009) reflected the vast resource wastage taking place in the global scenario both in social and corporate segments. Furthermore, Dentchev (2009) also noticed that the over-utilisation and under-utilisation of resources are also among the top causes which influence the environmental sustainability. Considering the environmental factors affecting the business process the aspect of water usage will be studied in this segment. The importance of water does not need to be explained however the general ignorance among the global population regarding water usage is the primary factor leading to water wastage. Ander & Kapoor (2010) stated that going by the current rate, people of earth shall face water scarcity earlier then they face oil scarcity. One of the major consumers of water in the corporate sector is the energy industry. Every