Tree top walk in fern tree park

Executive SummaryKeeping ecological value and commercial value is so of import to a national park that developing new land usage method is of great significance. Ferntree Gully National Park used to be a hunting land by the Bunurong ( Western Port ) and Woiworung ( Yarra Yarra ) natives for 100s of old ages. It is now a popular walking finish with many walking paths available. This study will give certain On-the-spot probe and research analysis to the current state of affairs of Ferntree Gully National Park. First, we will reexamine the long history and important alterations of this park. Then, we will give analyses and treatments on the environmental characteristics and on this footing propose a manner of land usage alteration. In this subdivision, certain statistics along with charts from our old group work will be used to back up my positions. Finally, effects of the proposed land usage alteration will be discussed and the possible advantages and disadvantages will be expected.Int roductionWith touristry going the thriving and back uping industry of many national states, national Parkss account for a great proportion in the modern travel manner. Therefore, keeping the ecological and commercial values of these Parkss is non merely of import but besides a serious job. Ferntree Gully National Park is one of the five subdivisions of Dandenong Ranges National Park. Bing the south western subdivision of Dandenong Ranges National Park, Ferntree Gully National Park is celebrated for its fitness-related walking and it is besides a popular topographic point for field daies. In order to take full advantage of this national park and keep its ecological and commercial values, researches are conducted and we besides visit this national park. Consequently, this study will discourse the current state of affairs we have learned of this site. And based on this, to assist keeping the ecological and commercial values of this park, constructing a tree-top walk in this site will b e proposed as a manner of land usage alteration. The possible effects including both advantages and disadvantages of this tree-top walk will be discussed at the terminal of this study. During the analysis and treatment, certain statistics and illustrations will be used to enrich this study and back up my point of position.Discussion and AnalysisSite researchThe south-western subdivision, busying about 600 hectares being portion of the larger Dandenong Ranges National park, is known as Ferntree Gully National Park which was named after an 1860 picture of the local wood ( Ferntree Gully, Upper, 2008-11-26 ) . Bing in the suburb country, this national park has a long and colourful history. As studied in the old group work, this site had been used as runing land and so logging country. In 1987 Sherbrooke Forest, Doongalla Reserve and Ferntree Gully National Park were combined to organize the early Dandenong Ranges National Park. Until June 1997, Olinda State Forest and the Mt Evelyn Forest are included in today ‘s Dandenong Ranges National Park. Ferntree Gully National Park is an ideal finish to get away metropolis life for a field day or amble through the wood for tourers all over the universe. It is noted for its walking paths, its positions of Melbourne, its ferneries, eucalypt woods, picnic countries, birdlife, mammals and its vegetations, including 47 species of native orchids, native grasses, eucalypts and bushs such as shrub pea and austral anil ( Ferntree Gully, Upper, 2008-11-26 ) .Site visit studyLocation As we have studied in the old group work, this site is in the south western subdivision of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, it locates between the suburbs of Ferntree Gully and Boronia to the West, Upwey to the South, Tremont and Sassafras to the E and The Basin to the North ( Wikipedia ) . From the map shown below, traffic is convenient in this site. Approximately one hr of the 40 kilometres drive from Melbourne via Burwood Highway or Canterbury Road can take you to the site. Geology Landform The GPS map below approximately shows the Landform of Ferntree Gully National Park. With the aid of GPS, geomorphology development of this site can be studied. Harmonizing to the Department of Primary Industry ‘s description of comparative lift ( McDonald et Al, cited in DPI – Relative Elevation ) , the landforms of Ferntree Gully National Park are classified in two types: height from 90 to 300 metres and altitude above 300 metres. The former is defined as ‘Hill ‘ and the latter ‘Mountain ‘ . Dirt Soil PH is an of import portion of the life environmental conditions for workss and dirt microorganisms. The ideal dirt PH ( H2O ) trial consequence is PH 6-7.5 for most sorts of workss, although many will digest PH 5.5-8.5. Different species may hold different preferred PH scopes, therefore considerations should be taken to take an appropriate life circumstance. From Figure 3, the dirt PH is likely to be 5.5-6.0, looking to be influenced by the vent magma, and shows decrepit acidic. For the bulk workss here ( ferns ) , the most approximative dirt PH is merely 5.5-6.0. Therefore, the local workss species have already been in ideal life conditions in this reasonably acidic circumstance, although the dirt PH is non in the perfect impersonal scope. Climate Rain may impact the local workss and microorganisms. Moderate rainfall may contribute to the exuberant flora and comfortable bugs. The mean rainfall of this site holds steady throughout the twelvemonth harmonizing to Figure 4. Of the rainfall studied by now, the sum of rainfall in February 2011 is about ternary of the average rainfall during the last 17years. This inordinate rainfall may increase the hazards of deluging in the country. As can be seen in Figure 5, topography of the zone does hold influence on the rainfall in this country. The above figure shows a wetting agent western confronting incline and a drier eastern confronting incline. The ground seems to be that the predominating air current from the ocean blows from the West and weakens before making the E. Another of import factor to explicate the local clime must be temperature. Figure 6 shows the maximal temperatures at this site and Figure 7 shows the minimal temperatures. Both figures show that the temperatures of November to March are higher than the other months, which matches with the features of summer seasons of the southern hemisphere. Hydrology Water is the beginning of the life. Water keeps the organisms operation and the land green. From Figure 8, two little brooks can be seen: Ferntree Gully Creek to the south/east and the feeders of Blind Creek to the West, which finally lead to the Dandenong Creek and flows into Port Phillip Bay ( Victorian Water Resources Interactive Map ) . It is a job that no major H2O organic structure is within this site. Ecology Vegetation The coverage of land flora has certain effects on the ambiance and clime in this country. Plant photosynthesis can devour C dioxide and supply O therefore purifies air and weakens the nursery consequence. Harmonizing to the old group work, the species of flora within this site portion a broad scope. In Figure 9, flora of this site can be divided into their native flora group. In Figure 10, it is specified harmonizing to the categorization made by the Department of Sustainability and Environment. The similarity of both figures shows that the flora within this site is separated into many communities and owes a broad scope. Faunas Another biological feature of an eco-system is fauna which forms the cardinal portion of the nutrient concatenation. The superior flora conditions help to back up a assortment of mammals and supply shelters for them.Effectss of constructing a Tree-Top Walk in this siteHarmonizing to the probe and analysis of this site, the park is an ideal topographic point for sightseeing and touristry. With the rapid development of Australian touristry, it is necessary to keep the ecological and commercial values of this park in the long term.fifty Tree-Top WalkThe Tree-Top Walk was the lone Australian attractive force to win an award and was chosen from more than 75 entries from 38 states ( TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA ) . Since it foremost put into usage, it attracts 1000s of repetition clients. Harmonizing to a sample study of 385 on Tree-Top Walk in the south West of Western Australia ( Hughes, M. & A ; Morrison-Saunders, A. , 2002 ) , consequences showed that ‘the bulk of repetition visitan ts to the Tree-Top Walk were female and had returned to demo the site to friends and/or relations who were first clip visitants. First clip visitants were impressed by both the Tree-Top Walk construction itself and the natural forest milieus ‘ . Figure 12 shows a exposure of the Tree-Top Walk.cubic decimeter EffectssAdvantagesTree-Top Walk helps to keep the ecological and commercial values of Ferntree Gully National Park. Tree-Top Walk itself non merely provides a convenient and perfect position of the eco-beauty, but besides it is a giant of modern architecture. Looking down from the high paseo, tourers can good bask the rain forest below and take a breath fresh air at the same clip without destructing the ecosystem. Repeated clients besides bring high benefits for the park. Given below are illustrations of Tree-Top Walk in different attractive forces. ‘The HSBC Tree-Top Walk,a freestanding suspension span, connects the two highest points of MacRitchie and offers an first-class vantage point for the diverse community of workss and animate beings that live in the forest canopy. ‘ ( TA_Singapore_Guide,2010 ) ‘The walk commences at the visitant Centre, which subtly introduces you to the rain forest, falling gently to the entry construction and onto the steel trussed tree walk. ‘ ( Otway Fly Tree-Top Walk )DisadvantagesThingss ever have two sides, no exclusion for Tree-Top Walk. This immense building giant is time-consuming and money-consuming. The park will likely be closed during the building for a long clip and the immense sum of money will be another job. Besides, security steps for possible dangers are to be considered. A survey concentrating on whether the Tree-Top Walk delivered benefits associated with traditional ecotourism shows no optimistic ( HUGHES M. , MORRISON-SAUNDERS A. , 2003 ) .DecisionConstructing a Tree-Top Walk is likely to be an anticipating land usage alteration for Ferntree Gully National Park. Harmonizing to researches and surveies above, it does supply a manner to keep the ecological and commercial values of this site. Although it may confront certain hazards, the possible net incomes accompanied may be immense. Detailed programs and plans should be developed if this undertaking is to be carried out.

Concept of Phytoremediation

In recent years it has become clear that some environmental chemicals can cause risks to the developing embryo and fetus. Evaluating the developmental toxicity of environmental chemicals is now a prominent public health concern. The suspected association between TCE and congenital cardiac malformations warrants special attention because TCE is a common drinking water contaminant that is detected in water supplies throughout the U.S. and the world. There is a lot of concern about the clean up of toxic pollutants from the environment. Traditional methods for cleaning up contaminated sites such as dig and haul, pump and treat, soil venting, air sparging and others are generally harmful to habitats. Some methods strip the soil of vital nutrients and microorganisms, so nothing can grow on the site, even if it has been decontaminated. Typically these mechanical methods are also very expensive. Most of the remediation technologies that are currently in use are very expensive, relatively inefficient and generate a lot of waste, to be disposed of. Phytoremediation is a novel, efficient, environmentally friendly, low-cost technology, which uses plants and trees to clean up soil and water contaminated with heavy metals and/or organic contaminants such as solvents, crude oil, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and other toxic compounds from contaminated environments. This technology is useful for soil and water remediation. Phytoremediation uses one basic concept: the plant takes the pollutant through the roots. The pollutant can be stored in the plant (phytoextraction), volatized by the plant (phytovolatization), metabolized by the plant (phytodegradation), or any combination of the above. Phytoextraction is the uptake and storage of pollutants in the plants stem or leaves. Some plants, called hyperaccumulators, draw pollutants through the roots. After the pollutants accumulate in the stem and leaves the plants are harvested. Then plants can be either burned or sold. Even if the plants cannot be used, incineration and disposal of the plants is still cheaper than traditional remediation methods. As a comparison, it is estimated a site containing 5000 tons of contaminated soil will produce only 20-30 tons of ash (Black, 1995). This method is particularly useful when remediating metals. Some metals are also being recycled from the ash. Phytovolatization is the uptake and vaporization of pollutants by a plant. This mechanism takes a solid or liquid contaminant and transforms it to an airborne vapor. The vapor can either be the pure pollutant, or the plant can metabolize the pollutant before it is vaporized, as in the case of mercury, lead and selenium (Boyajian and Carriera, 1997; Black, 1995; Wantanbe, 1997). Phytodegradation is plants metabolizing pollutants. After the contaminant has been drawn into the plant, it assimilates into plant tissue, where the plant then degrades the pollutant. This metabolization by plant-derived enzymes such as nitrosedictase, laccase, dehalogenase, and nitrilase assimilates into plant tissue, where the plant then degrades the pollutant. This metabolization by plant-derived enzymes such as nitroredictase, laccase, dehalogenase, and nitrilase, has yet to be fully documented, but has been demonstrated in field studies (Boyajian and Carriera, 1997). The daughter compounds can be either volatized or stored in the plant. If the daughter compounds are relatively benign, the plants can still be used in traditional applications. The most effective current phytoremediation sites in practice combine these three mechanisms to clean up a site. For example, poplar trees can accumulate, degrade and volatize the pollutants in the remediation of organics. Phytoremediation is more than just planting and letting the foliage grow; the site must be engineered to prevent erosion and flooding and maximize pollutant uptake. There are 3 main planting techniques for phytoremediation. 1.Growing plants on the land, like crops. This technique is most useful when the contaminant is within the plant root zone, typically 3 – 6 feet (Ecological Engineering, 1997), or the tree root zone, typically 10-15 feet. 2.Growing plants in water (aquaculture). Water from deeper aquifers can be pumped out of the ground and circulated through a â€Å"reactor† of plants and then used in an application where it is returned to the earth (e.g. irrigation) 3.Growing trees on the land and constructing wells through which tree roots can grow. This method can remediate deeper aquifers in-situ. The wells provide an artery for tree roots to grow toward the water and form a root system in the capillary fringe. The majority of current research in the phytoremediation field revolves around determining which plant works most efficiently in a given application. Not all plant species will metabolize, volatize, and/or accumulate pollutants in the same manner. The goal is to ascertain which plants are most effective at remediating a given pollutant. Research has yielded some general guidelines for groundwater phytoremediation plants. The plant must grow quickly and consume large quantities of water in a short time. A good plant would also be able to remediate more than one pollutant because pollution rarely occurs as a single compound. Poplars and cottonwoods are being studied extensively because they can used as much as 25 to 350 gallons of water per day, and they can remediate a wide variety of organic compounds, including LNAPL’s. Phytoremediation has been shown to work on metals and moderately hydrophobic compounds such as BTEX compounds, chlorinated solvents, ammunition wastes, and nitrogen compounds. Yellow poplars are generally favored by Environmental Scientists for use in phytoremediation at this time. They can grow up to 15 feet per year and absorb 25 gallons of water a day. They have an extensive root system, and are resistant to everything from gypsy moths to toxic wastes. Partial listing of current remediation possibilities. Plant Chemicals Clean-up numbers Pondweed TNT & RDX 0.016-0.019 mg of TNT L per day Poplar Trees Atrazine 91% of the Atrazine taken up in 10 days Poplars Nitrates from fertilizers From 150 mg/L to 3 mg L in under 3yrs. Mustard Greens Lead 45% of the excess was removed Pennycress Zinc & Cadmium 108 lb./acre per year & 1.7 lb./acre per yr. Halophytes Salts reduced the salt levels in the soils by65% Advantages and Disadvantages to Phytoremediation: Advantages: ( www.rtdf.org/genlatst.htm) 1.Aesthetically pleasing and publicly accepted. 3.Works with metals and slightly hydrophobic compounds, including many organics. 4.Can stimulate bioremediation in the soil closely associated with the plant root. Plants can stimulate microorganisms through the release of nutrients and the transport of oxygen to their roots. 5.Relatively inexpensive – phytoremediation can cost as little as $10 – $100 per cubic yard whereas metal washing can cost $30 – $300 per cubic yard. 6.Even if the plants are contaminated and unusable, the resulting ash is approximately 20-30 tons per 5000 tons soil (Black, 1997). 7.Having ground cover on property reduces exposure risk to the community (i.e. lead). 8.Planting vegetation on a site also reduces erosion by wind and water. 9.Can leave usable topsoil intact with minimal environmental disturbance. 10.Generates recyclable metal rich plant residue. 11.Eliminates secondary air or water-borne wastes. 1.Can take many growing seasons to clean up a site. 2.Plants have short roots. They can clean up soil or groundwater near the surface in-situ, typically 3 – 6 feet (Ecological Engineering, 1997), but cannot remediate deep aquifers without further design work. 3.Trees have longer roots and can clean up slightly deeper contamination than plants, typically 10-15 feet, but cannot remediate deep aquifers without further design work . 4.Trees roots grow in the capillary fringe, but do not extend deep in to the aquifer. This makes remediating DNAPL’s in situ with plants and trees not recommended. 5.Plants that absorb toxic materials may contaminant the food chain. 6.Volatization of compounds may transform a groundwater pollution problem to an air pollution problem. 7.Returning the water to the earth after aquaculture must be permitted. 8.Less efficient for hydrophobic contaminants, which bind tightly to soil. 1) At the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, phytoremediation is being used to clean up trichloroethylene (TCE) from a shallow, thin aerobic aquifer. Cottonwoods are being used, and after 1 year, the trees are beginning to show signs of taking the TCE out of the aquifer. (Betts, 1997) 2) At the Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant, phytoremediation is being used as a polishing treatment for explosive-contaminated soil and groundwater. The demonstration, which ended in March, 1997, used native aquatic plant and hybrid poplars to remediate the site where an estimated 1-5% of the original pollutants still remain. A full-scale project is estimated to reduce the contamination by an order of magnitude (Betts, 1997). 3) After investigating using phytoremediation on a site contaminated with hydrocarbons, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management granted a site. The site involved about 1500 cubic yards of soil, and began with approximately 70% of the baseline samples containing over 100 PPM of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH). After 1 year of vegetative cover, approximately 83% of the samples contained less than 10-PPM TPH. 4) Phytoremediation was used at the decommissioned Detroit Forge plant to clean up approximately 5,800 cubic yards of lead-impacted soil. Two plantings were completed, the first using sunflowers and the second mustard plants. Following treatment, analysis indicated soil lead concentrations were below the target clean-up criteria. The project resulted in an estimated saving of $1,100,000 over hazardous waste disposal. 5) Water, soil, and trees transpired gases were monitored to track the fate of TCE. About 2-4% of the TCE remained in the effluent as compared to 68% in a non-vegetated control group. The field trial demonstrated that over 95% of TCE were removed by planting trees and letting them grow. Additional studies showed that the trees did not release TCE into the air, as no measurable TCE was present in the air immediately surrounding the leaves (captured in small leaf bags and analyzed) or in the general atmosphere (using a laser technology that can see TCE in the air in the tree canopy). Phytoremediation is an aesthetically pleasing, solar-energy driven, and passive technique that can be used at sites with low to moderate levels of contamination. Phytoremediation is more than just planting and letting the foliage grow; the site must be engineered to prevent erosion and flooding and maximize pollutant uptake. Currently, the majority of research is concentrated on determining the best plant for the job, quantifying the mechanisms by which the plants convert pollutants, and determining which contaminants are amenable to phytoremediation. Polluted sites are being studied, and phytoremediation looks promising for a variety of contaminants.

Different Treatment Organizations in Prisons

There are various treatment programs in prisons that I have discovered by contacting several organizations. I will described a wide range of programs offered to inmates that help target special needs such as education, behavioral change, spiritual awareness, vocational training, parenting classes, HIV prevention, and drug education. I will describe each treatment programs that I have found and discuss the purposes of each program. A program called the Volunteer Prison Education Program was launched in July 1997 at the Rikers Island Prison. I called and spoke with Joan Bloomgarden, who described this program as a quality educational experience to inmates who would otherwise not have access to learning. This unique program involves volunteer educators to motivate inmates to help themselves, their families and one another to create a learning community within the prison system. The purpose of this program is to promote positive behavioral change, assist in prevention of crime, work cooperatively with prosecutors, and to actively involve the families of inmates in crime prevention. Courses offered are Child Development, Understanding Your Anger, Art Education in Prison: Toward Enhancing Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution: Practical Exploration, Basic Understanding of Money Management, and Basic Eye Care. I contacted The Prison SMART Foundation Incorporated and spoke with Thomas Duffy, who was able to provide me information regarding their unique stress management and rehabilitative training program delivered to hardened criminals in U. S prisons. The purpose of this program is to teach the proper breathing techniques to help inmates reduce and manage their stress levels in order to help them think more clearly and to help them think about their actions. Taught by Prison SMART Foundation volunteers, this 6 to 10 day program utilizes advanced yoga breathing exercises and is based on the dynamic cleansing effects of the breath on the body and mind. As a result, they enjoy increased self-esteem and self-empowerment. Thousands who have completed the Prison SMART Foundation's stress management programs are living proof. Prison administrators have reported that inmates who have participated in this program are easier to handle and exhibit less acting out in confrontational situations. I contacted the Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries based in Kirkland, WA, and spoke with Greg Von Tobel, to learn more information about programs offered to inmates. Prisoners For Christ services include: Church Services and Bible Studies, Two Year Bible Study Correspondence Course, One to One Visitation Outreach, Pen Pal Outreach, Special Projects Outreach, Literature, Heart to Heart Christmas Giving Program, Wives Outreach, Parent Outreach, Van Transportation Outreach, and Northwest Transitional Housing. The purposes of these services are to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the jails, prisons, and juvenile centers of the Northwest. In addition, Prisoners For Christ work with the men, women, and children who are incarcerated to become fully functioning, tax paying citizens and to assist their families. Statistics shows that last year alone, 16,326 inmates (men, women, and youth) attended these programs in 19 different institutions. About 6% of inmates made their first time commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted to learn about several other types of treatment programs offered in prisons, so I contacted the California Department of Corrections. They have implemented several programs designed to benefit both the inmates and the public. I will briefly describe each of these programs and the purpose each one offers. The Joint Venture Program, opened its doors in 1991, where private employers can contract with the California Department of Corrections to set up their businesses on prison grounds and hire inmate workers at competitive wages. This gives inmates the ability to provide economical benefits such as providing restitution to victims, becoming taxpayers, paying support to families, compensate costs for their incarceration, and mandatory savings to provide funds after release from prison. The social benefits are the ability to develop good work habits, gain job experience, decrease inmate idleness, and to return to society motivated and skilled adults. The Mother Infant Program is designed to help mothers reestablish bonds with their children, teach them valuable skills, and prepare them to return to society as working adults. Parenting classes, pre-employment training, and drug education classes are offered to help build better parenting relationships and brighter futures for inmates while they serve their time. In parenting classes, they learn how to talk and relate to their children and how to discipline effectively. Both mothers and children may also receive counseling. In pre-employment training, they gain practical information about applying, landing and keeping a job. Since the majority of the mothers have had some sort of chemical dependency in the past, they also attend drug education classes. The classes are geared to keep them from returning to their old habits, make them aware of the dangers of drug addiction, and show them how drugs not only impair their lives, but especially their children†s. The California Conservation Camp Program intents to train and use inmates for conservation and development of natural resources. These conservation camps are located in some of the state's most secluded wilderness areas. They provide a large force of trained crews for fire fighting, resource conservation, and emergency assignments as necessary. In addition to fire fighting, other tasks assigned to inmates are graffiti removal, reforestation, levee repair and flood control, pine bark beetle eradication and preservation, illegal dump site cleanup, wildlife habitat rehabilitation, and park and cemetery maintenance. During non-work hours inmates are involved in special projects such as repairing toys for disadvantaged children or on projects with the elderly or disabled. In some camps vocational training programs are available. In others, inmates work on a variety of special projects such as road construction and prison building, which allow them to still learn and strengthen skills. As they repay their debt to society, camp inmates provide a real economic benefit to local communities. In a typical year, they will work 2 million hours on fire fighting and fire prevention. They also will spend almost 6 million hours on conservation projects and community service activities. Those who successfully complete training at prison conservation centers in Northern and Southern California learn how their effectiveness and their lives depend upon discipline and teamwork. When the time comes for parole, inmates have been exposed to good work habits and teamwork in the camp setting. This exposure provides them with a purpose, goals, and a sense of accomplishment in doing a job well done. Computer refurbishing program, launched in 1994, was developed to refurbish used computers for California's K-12 public schools. The California Department of Corrections trains inmates to refurbish donated computers then turns them over to the schools. Currently, the California Department of Corrections is responsible for 60 percent of all refurbished computers placed in California public schools. The donated computer equipment comes in various states of disrepair. Some computers are obsolete for business purposes, others need minor repair and still others can only be used for parts. In the first year, nearly 2,000 refurbished computers made their way to California classrooms. By the end of 1997, 13 prisons had refurbished more than 35,000 computers for California schools, saving them close to $33 million. Through this program, the inmates learn and practice skills that will help prepare them for a future outside prison. I contacted San Quentin State Prison, and spoke to Barry Zack, to find out about any treatment programs offered. One particular program called HIV Prevention Education is required for all men entering the prison. This program offered since 1986, is to help inmates see the personal side to HIV, increase perception of risk, increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and reduce the risk of HIV, STDs, hepatitis and tuberculosis in prison and after release. Since 1991, inmates have received comprehensive peer education training to work as peer educators. The training covers several topics such as public speaking techniques, awareness of alcohol and drugs and their impact on high-risk behaviors, HIV-related multi-cultural awareness, and HIV/AIDS in our society and in the world. About 40 peer educators are trained each year. After training, the peer educators conducts various services such as teaching an HIV prevention orientation class, providing individual counseling, and providing prevention case management. Two different programs are offered to inmates prior to their release from prison. One program is specifically for HIV + inmates and is offered as a two-week, 8 session intervention that includes such topics as self-esteem, health maintenance, community resources, stress management, substance use, legal issues, and barriers to care after release. The other program, conducted two weeks prior to an inmate†s release, offers individual sessions to discuss preventing, acquiring, or transmitting HIV after release from prison. Topics covered include using condoms, avoiding drug and alcohol use, and avoiding needle sharing. I contacted The Federal Bureau of Prisons where they currently operate 42 residential treatment programs with an annual capacity of over 6,000 participants. For the 30 percent of Federal inmates who have a history of moderate to severe substance abuse this program is able to provide drug treatment to all inmates who need it and are willing to accept it. This program offers inmates up to 500 hours of treatment, which focuses on individual responsibility and to deter future criminal behavior. The goal of this program is to help identify, confront, and alter their attitudes, values, and thinking patterns that led them to their criminal behavior and drug or alcohol use. This program includes sessions on Screening and Assessment, Treatment Orientation, Criminal Lifestyle Confrontation, Cognitive Skill Building, Relapse Prevention, Interpersonal Skill Building, and Wellness. I have found these treatment programs to be suitable and adequate. Each organization, I spoke with has concluded that these programs not only offers benefits to the individual but also to society as a whole. There are economic and social benefits that can be gained from these programs that I have just described. I have listed a wide range of programs that help target special needs for inmates that may help deter future criminal behavior. We need these programs to help rehabilitate these inmates while they are serving their time in jail. It has been stressed that jail alone cannot deter a criminal from reoffending. By providing these various programs to inmates, we can help them become drug-free, educated, hard-working individuals prior to being released from prison. Hopefully, whatever program an inmate has participated in can help change their behavioral patterns, which may help reduce the rate of recidivism. Different Treatment Organizations in Prisons There are various treatment programs in prisons that I have discovered by contacting several organizations. I will described a wide range of programs offered to inmates that help target special needs such as education, behavioral change, spiritual awareness, vocational training, parenting classes, HIV prevention, and drug education. I will describe each treatment programs that I have found and discuss the purposes of each program. A program called the Volunteer Prison Education Program was launched in July 1997 at the Rikers Island Prison. I called and spoke with Joan Bloomgarden, who described this program as a quality educational experience to inmates who would otherwise not have access to learning. This unique program involves volunteer educators to motivate inmates to help themselves, their families and one another to create a learning community within the prison system. The purpose of this program is to promote positive behavioral change, assist in prevention of crime, work cooperatively with prosecutors, and to actively involve the families of inmates in crime prevention. Courses offered are Child Development, Understanding Your Anger, Art Education in Prison: Toward Enhancing Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution: Practical Exploration, Basic Understanding of Money Management, and Basic Eye Care. I contacted The Prison SMART Foundation Incorporated and spoke with Thomas Duffy, who was able to provide me information regarding their unique stress management and rehabilitative training program delivered to hardened criminals in U. S prisons. The purpose of this program is to teach the proper breathing techniques to help inmates reduce and manage their stress levels in order to help them think more clearly and to help them think about their actions. Taught by Prison SMART Foundation volunteers, this 6 to 10 day program utilizes advanced yoga breathing exercises and is based on the dynamic cleansing effects of the breath on the body and mind. As a result, they enjoy increased self-esteem and self-empowerment. Thousands who have completed the Prison SMART Foundation's stress management programs are living proof. Prison administrators have reported that inmates who have participated in this program are easier to handle and exhibit less acting out in confrontational situations. I contacted the Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries based in Kirkland, WA, and spoke with Greg Von Tobel, to learn more information about programs offered to inmates. Prisoners For Christ services include: Church Services and Bible Studies, Two Year Bible Study Correspondence Course, One to One Visitation Outreach, Pen Pal Outreach, Special Projects Outreach, Literature, Heart to Heart Christmas Giving Program, Wives Outreach, Parent Outreach, Van Transportation Outreach, and Northwest Transitional Housing. The purposes of these services are to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the jails, prisons, and juvenile centers of the Northwest. In addition, Prisoners For Christ work with the men, women, and children who are incarcerated to become fully functioning, tax paying citizens and to assist their families. Statistics shows that last year alone, 16,326 inmates (men, women, and youth) attended these programs in 19 different institutions. About 6% of inmates made their first time commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted to learn about several other types of treatment programs offered in prisons, so I contacted the California Department of Corrections. They have implemented several programs designed to benefit both the inmates and the public. I will briefly describe each of these programs and the purpose each one offers. The Joint Venture Program, opened its doors in 1991, where private employers can contract with the California Department of Corrections to set up their businesses on prison grounds and hire inmate workers at competitive wages. This gives inmates the ability to provide economical benefits such as providing restitution to victims, becoming taxpayers, paying support to families, compensate costs for their incarceration, and mandatory savings to provide funds after release from prison. The social benefits are the ability to develop good work habits, gain job experience, decrease inmate idleness, and to return to society motivated and skilled adults. The Mother Infant Program is designed to help mothers reestablish bonds with their children, teach them valuable skills, and prepare them to return to society as working adults. Parenting classes, pre-employment training, and drug education classes are offered to help build better parenting relationships and brighter futures for inmates while they serve their time. In parenting classes, they learn how to talk and relate to their children and how to discipline effectively. Both mothers and children may also receive counseling. In pre-employment training, they gain practical information about applying, landing and keeping a job. Since the majority of the mothers have had some sort of chemical dependency in the past, they also attend drug education classes. The classes are geared to keep them from returning to their old habits, make them aware of the dangers of drug addiction, and show them how drugs not only impair their lives, but especially their children†s. The California Conservation Camp Program intents to train and use inmates for conservation and development of natural resources. These conservation camps are located in some of the state's most secluded wilderness areas. They provide a large force of trained crews for fire fighting, resource conservation, and emergency assignments as necessary. In addition to fire fighting, other tasks assigned to inmates are graffiti removal, reforestation, levee repair and flood control, pine bark beetle eradication and preservation, illegal dump site cleanup, wildlife habitat rehabilitation, and park and cemetery maintenance. During non-work hours inmates are involved in special projects such as repairing toys for disadvantaged children or on projects with the elderly or disabled. In some camps vocational training programs are available. In others, inmates work on a variety of special projects such as road construction and prison building, which allow them to still learn and strengthen skills. As they repay their debt to society, camp inmates provide a real economic benefit to local communities. In a typical year, they will work 2 million hours on fire fighting and fire prevention. They also will spend almost 6 million hours on conservation projects and community service activities. Those who successfully complete training at prison conservation centers in Northern and Southern California learn how their effectiveness and their lives depend upon discipline and teamwork. When the time comes for parole, inmates have been exposed to good work habits and teamwork in the camp setting. This exposure provides them with a purpose, goals, and a sense of accomplishment in doing a job well done. Computer refurbishing program, launched in 1994, was developed to refurbish used computers for California's K-12 public schools. The California Department of Corrections trains inmates to refurbish donated computers then turns them over to the schools. Currently, the California Department of Corrections is responsible for 60 percent of all refurbished computers placed in California public schools. The donated computer equipment comes in various states of disrepair. Some computers are obsolete for business purposes, others need minor repair and still others can only be used for parts. In the first year, nearly 2,000 refurbished computers made their way to California classrooms. By the end of 1997, 13 prisons had refurbished more than 35,000 computers for California schools, saving them close to $33 million. Through this program, the inmates learn and practice skills that will help prepare them for a future outside prison. I contacted San Quentin State Prison, and spoke to Barry Zack, to find out about any treatment programs offered. One particular program called HIV Prevention Education is required for all men entering the prison. This program offered since 1986, is to help inmates see the personal side to HIV, increase perception of risk, increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and reduce the risk of HIV, STDs, hepatitis and tuberculosis in prison and after release. Since 1991, inmates have received comprehensive peer education training to work as peer educators. The training covers several topics such as public speaking techniques, awareness of alcohol and drugs and their impact on high-risk behaviors, HIV-related multi-cultural awareness, and HIV/AIDS in our society and in the world. About 40 peer educators are trained each year. After training, the peer educators conducts various services such as teaching an HIV prevention orientation class, providing individual counseling, and providing prevention case management. Two different programs are offered to inmates prior to their release from prison. One program is specifically for HIV + inmates and is offered as a two-week, 8 session intervention that includes such topics as self-esteem, health maintenance, community resources, stress management, substance use, legal issues, and barriers to care after release. The other program, conducted two weeks prior to an inmate†s release, offers individual sessions to discuss preventing, acquiring, or transmitting HIV after release from prison. Topics covered include using condoms, avoiding drug and alcohol use, and avoiding needle sharing. I contacted The Federal Bureau of Prisons where they currently operate 42 residential treatment programs with an annual capacity of over 6,000 participants. For the 30 percent of Federal inmates who have a history of moderate to severe substance abuse this program is able to provide drug treatment to all inmates who need it and are willing to accept it. This program offers inmates up to 500 hours of treatment, which focuses on individual responsibility and to deter future criminal behavior. The goal of this program is to help identify, confront, and alter their attitudes, values, and thinking patterns that led them to their criminal behavior and drug or alcohol use. This program includes sessions on Screening and Assessment, Treatment Orientation, Criminal Lifestyle Confrontation, Cognitive Skill Building, Relapse Prevention, Interpersonal Skill Building, and Wellness. I have found these treatment programs to be suitable and adequate. Each organization, I spoke with has concluded that these programs not only offers benefits to the individual but also to society as a whole. There are economic and social benefits that can be gained from these programs that I have just described. I have listed a wide range of programs that help target special needs for inmates that may help deter future criminal behavior. We need these programs to help rehabilitate these inmates while they are serving their time in jail. It has been stressed that jail alone cannot deter a criminal from reoffending. By providing these various programs to inmates, we can help them become drug-free, educated, hard-working individuals prior to being released from prison. Hopefully, whatever program an inmate has participated in can help change their behavioral patterns, which may help reduce the rate of recidivism.

Franz Joseph Haydn Classical Composers Speech or Presentation

Franz Joseph Haydn Classical Composers - Speech or Presentation Example At the age of 8, Haydn moved away from his parents to live with Johann, his uncle, in Hainburg. His parents wanted Haydn to become a priest. In addition, his father knew that Haydn would acquire exceptional musical skills through Hainburg’s education system. Hainburg was a society which embraced music talent and had established systems of learning music. The society had well established choirs in churches and academic institutions. Entrance of Haydn met the introduction of Reutter, a music director who lectured music concepts at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Hainburg. Reutter recommended Haydn for the community choir, and later to the Vienna’s St Stephen’s Cathedral (Michael, 2009). At the Cathedral, Haydn demonstrated exceptional talent and was promoted to become the lead soloist in the teenage choir. The instrumental skills he acquired during the period in the choir bolstered his confidence in pursuing the career. However, Haydn’s stay at the Cathedr al was aborted when his voiced broke at puberty. Upon dismissal from the church, Haydn started employing the instrumental skills to earn a living in the streets (Greene, 2010). He started giving street lessons on musical instruments like keyboard and violin. Apart from the street lessons, Haydn worked as a freelance performer in many social and cultural functions around the social places of Vienna. Haydn used his time in the street to learn composing skills. He was hired by Pietro, a composer, to train a certain young girl on instruments. Haydn approached Porpora, a composer, with a request to serve in the composer’s factotum. In return, Propora was supposed to give Haydn composing instructions. Haydn took advantage of this opportunity to learn concrete composing skills (Greene, 2010). Haydn’s association with Propora lasted for three months. After this period, Haydn had acquired substantial composing skills. He started writing his own works and administering instrumen t lessons to the interested parties. Haydn’s written works started spreading in Vienna and around other influential parts of Austria. It was during this time when the classical composer met the Esterhazy family. The countess, Aloysia, liked some of his works and adopted him as her own trainer in instruments. Provision of music lesson services to the royal family member made the composer famous (Michael, 2009). Demonstration of professionalism and competence as an instrumental instructor and a composer earned him high status in the society. This is when Haydn was integrated into the music house owned by Karl von Morzin. Haydn was made the director of music at the house. He was charged with the responsibility of composing all the music writings for the musicians in the house. All the music performed by the musicians under his directorship was his original works (Greene, 2010). In Karl’s music house, the musicians were occupied with regular performance in count occasions for the royal family and other highly esteemed persons in Vienna society. Presence of Haydn in the house resulted on credible demonstration of musical and instrumental prowess by the musicians. Karl recommended regular practice of music lessons by his students. Therefore, the musicians did regular exercises on music instruments, composition and performance. At this time, Karl recognized the significance of Haydn in the practice programs of the subordinate musicians. This is when Hay

Peer pressure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Peer pressure - Essay Example In most cases, a young person’s personal values  are altered  and shaped by his peer group so as to increase his  similarity  with the other group members. Peer groups are usually well established in most high schools, workplaces and members of the  group  exert pressure to the new members joining the group. Friendship among teenagers is one of the most  important  factors during development. Friendship gives them  secure  venue to discover their identity and experience a sense of belonging. It also cultivates their social skills  relevant  for their future success. On the contrary,  friendship  can  influence  them negatively or positively whereby they end up submitting to negative or positive peer  influence. Young people  become  influenced because of their self-image and self esteem. This serves as a  motive  for them to  identify  with groups that they  fit  or groups that will  accept  them. Those dimensions of the  self  that  are valued  by one’s own peer group become  very  outstanding  in each young person’s self-assessment.   Some peer pressure can be  good. This  is measured  by their outcome whereby positive  influence  of friends  is seen  to play  important  roles among the lives of peers. Positive peers  set  good  examples among themselves, and they tend  to become  good  role models for each other. They can influence each other on goal oriented activities such as working together in  school  work, discussing problems and personal issues together that can help one to make  good  decisions, listening to each other, offering  good  advice and developing a positive  culture  among others. Positive peer pressure can be used to encourage and promote social behavior, because as observed peers can have a  powerful  effect  on self-esteem. Well accepted children can  display  positive  academic skills, social behavior and even

Strategic Management - GE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Management - GE - Essay Example However, the company has been faced by law suits and product recalls that affect customer confidence (About Sustainability at the BSR Conference, 2008). GE aims at selecting suppliers with more competitive prices, services, and quality and provides relevant training (Immelt, Govindarajan & Trimble, 2009). In order to remain competitive, GE requires the suppliers to have quality service, and to keep up with the latest technologies. On the other hand, supplier may use take advantage of these requirements their products. The buyers can also influence the profitability of existing enterprises through their ability to lower or increase prices on the products or service. Since GE is the leader in most industries, the bargaining power of the buyers is restricted due to the company great control (Zimmerman, 2010). Even though GE has diversified in various businesses, however, GE has a competitive advantage over other firms due to innovation. The entry barrier in the high-tech industries for new entrants is very high. Thus, it decreases the threats of a new firm, for this reason, risk of replacement is also lower Immelt Talks. Jeff Immelt oriented leadership has changed the internal environment of GE with a lot of positive feedback from the staff (Kenny, 2009). His approach is based on long-term profit growth. This strategy utilizes three stakeholders’ strategic elements such as managing strong trading patterns, increasing growth efforts, and increasing business portfolio (Kaye &Yuwono, 2003). This strategy is based on several factors including customer focus, globalization, growth platforms, technical leadership, and services. GE has currently diversified in various segments including aviation, energy infrastructure, transportation, home and business appliances, healthcare, and GE capital. Diversification has allowed the company to have stock for the long-term. Each of GEs segment provides valuable solutions as well as products to the global economy

Analysis of Annual Audited Report for Boeing Corporation Assignment

Analysis of Annual Audited Report for Boeing Corporation - Assignment Example Over its eventful history, the company has been responsible for a number of innovations like the Boeing B-1, B-8 and Monomail, Model C, Boeing 80 and the 737. Boeing earned a profit of $4.018 billion for the year ended December 30, 2011 and had total assets of $79.986 billion on the same date. Since 2005, the company’s Chairman, President and CEO have been W. James McNerney Jr. The company has a total of 164,545 employees worldwide and the top 1.5 % of them go through the Technical Fellowship program, which sets the technical direction for the company. We will now move on to the analysis of Boeing’s financial statements as given in their Audited Annual Reports for 2011. Their accounts have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, one of the Big Four accounting firms in the world. The report is unqualified and this means that Boeing Company has met the financial standards for record keeping and presentation as required by the FASB and other relevant authorities. Analysis o f Net Income and Cash Flows According to the financial statements for the year ended 30 December 2011, Boeing has reported net income from sales of products and services for fiscal year 2011 of $ 4.018 billion. According to their Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, cash provided from operating activities for 2011 was $5.844 billion (Boeing Annual Report 2011, 55). The difference between the two numbers can be explained on the basis of accrual accounting principles where revenue is recognized when it is earned and expenses are recognized when they are incurred (Porter & Curtis, 2013). Meigs, Meigs and Meigs further distinguish the importance of assessing operating activities through the measure of operating cash flow. Using accrual-based net earnings can lead to ambiguous performance indications, unless a company can convert its revenues/profits into cash (Meigs et al., 1995). Thus from a comparison of Boeing’s net earnings and net cash from operating activities in 2011, it can be concluded that the company is effectively converting their profits into cash. Ratio of Net Income to Net Revenue Looking further at the Consolidated Statement of Earnings, the following figures give a comparison of Boeing’s Net earnings to Net sales for the three years ending in December 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. All dollar amounts have been shown in millions: 2011 2010 2009 Net Earnings $4,018 $3,307 $1,312 Net Sales 68,735 64,306 68,281 Ratio 5.84% 5.14% 1.92% (Source: Boeing Annual Report, 2011) Wood and Sangster (2008) state that an efficient business is one who can keep the costs of providing their products or services relatively low compared to their selling price of those products or services. That said, the numbers in the above table are indicative of a fairly efficient business. While Boeing’s net sales had decreased from $68 billion in 2009 to $64 billion in 2010, yet the company managed to increase its net earnings from $1.3 billion to $3.3 bi llion over 2009-2010. The net sales and net earnings both show an increase in 2011 being $68 billion and $4 billion respectively so the company has once again done well Company Assets A further inspection of the Boeing Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet for 2011 shows that their three largest assets are Inventories ($32.24 billion), Cash and cash equivalents ($10.049 billion),

The Meth Epidemic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Meth Epidemic - Essay Example There is a general deterioration of mind and body. Injuries and death can result from meth usage, as well as other dangers of explosions when preparing the drug. Apart from these physical changes, meth consumption will result in poor choices, impaired judgment, and psychological problems. The users family, especially children, will suffer psychological and physical trauma. Users violence, inability to protect their family, sexual abuse of women and children as well as abandonment are some of the changes a family can expect, hence the advice for women and children to seek restraining orders and other means of keeping the user away to prevent harm to family members. Women addicts will most likely abandon children, expose them to harm or even harm them if they are mothers; engage in irresponsible sexual behavior and spoil their looks. The Congress refused to contain the problem, as they either did not know about it in its early days, think of it as a big problem in the face of other hard drugs like cocaine and heroin or were influenced by pharmaceutical lobbyists to shoot down preventive measures and laws proposed by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). This allowed the meth epidemic to get out of control while it could have been nipped in the bud. Recent actions to contain the epidemic in Oregon have been successful, especially after Meth Caucus made pseudoephedrine a behind the counter drug. Also useful was the limitation of the amount imported to other countries to the needed amount of cold medicines in important countries like Mexico. Lobbyists, acting the behest of pharmaceutical companies to protect their profits, have also helped along the spread of the epidemic. Gene Haislips drive to go after the chemical components for meth productions was watered down by removal of a vital clause that created a loophole exploited by meth cooks and Mexican cartels. Another fatal decision lobbyists were responsible for was the delay in coming

Discussion about the strengths of Israeli society circa 1960 with Essay

Discussion about the strengths of Israeli society circa 1960 with regards to the book, The House on Garibaldi Street. The whole prompt will follow - Essay Example Revenge as an act, occupies one’s time, effort and emotions in finding ways and means to get even and may impede development. Yet, revenge has given man a momentary justice for an injustice committed without knowing that such short-lived contentment cannot actually assuage the initial pain. In tribal societies revenge approaches warfare that supposedly do not seemingly concern developed societies whose laws evolved from the balance of justice with humanitarianism. Israeli society after the Holocaust was more concerned with the role of retribution than allowing the old wounds to heal and patch up wartime atrocities. Many Jews and other victims of the Holocaust all over the world were dedicated in finding the Nazi war criminals. In Harel’s personal account, Eichmann’s settlement in Buenos Aires with his family gave his identity away as a Jewish worker identified him after his daughter got romantically involved with Eichmann’s oldest son. The Israeli’s and equally one of the worlds’ recognized elite military started the conspicuous manhunt for Eichmann under the Argentinean name of Ricardo Klement. In a covert operation, the Mossad was able to smuggle Eichmann out of Argentina (who has no diplomatic extradition treaties with Israel) into Jerusalem to stand trial for the Holocaust. Right after his capture, the Israeli government denied any direct involvement, claiming that Eichmann was taken by Jewish volunteers. When Eichmann’s trial started in 1961, the world saw a mock trial that has prejudged the alleged acts of the captive. Eichmann’s insistenc e that he â€Å"was only following orders†, the same defense used by the Nuremberg Trials fell on deaf ears and Israeli society was out for Eichmann’s blood and gore. Understandably, the military rules of obedience were what every military officer would do. If one were to look into the fate of General Erwin Rommel whose better conscience

Justice within Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Justice within Business - Essay Example This allusion to the new Testament teaching to do unto others as one would have done unto oneself places a moral context to the description. Mandeville will describe a group of people who are basically dishonest They are full of those who have "conceal'd" defects within the products they are selling, or who sell their "Ware beyond their Worth:. Here is the basic principle that a businessman seems to adhere to according to Mandeville: making a profit at any cost, whether the means are honest or otherwise. In the story of Decio and Alcander, Mandeville showswhat complications may occur when two equally dishonest businessmen attempt to take advantage of the other. In many ways there is no "right" or "wrong" within this story but rather kind of Machiavellian story of the manipulation of one person by another (Machiavelli, 1982). The story of the buyer and the seller of sugar both attempting to manipulate the other in order to get eh best price possible for what they consider to be the situation is both funny and revealing. The fact they both will use "inside information" to attempt to deceive the other is a common practice today as much as it was in the Renaissance period. The irony that "both understood the market very well" and yet also seem to have been self-deceived as to the surety of what they are hearing is wonderful. Alcander hears that a large shipment of sugar is about to come from the Indies and so realizes that the price is about to fall and thus seeks to remove Decio from knowledge of it. Decio of course hears that the fleet has in fact sunk, and so the prices are expected to increase 25%. Both men attempt to manipulate the other, and are essentially portrayed as rather skilled actors. So "how desirous soever he was to sell, the other was yet more eager to buy; yet both of them afraid of one another, for a considerable time, counterfeited all the Indifference imaginable". There is an element of gamesmanship present within the businessmen as Mandeville describes them. They appear to enjoy the cheating and manipulation that is part and parcel of the business world that they inhabit. Neither is influenced by conscience in any way. 2) Discuss how persons with such a character has reason to act fairly (appendix b) With characteristic irony and pragmatism, Hume tackles the question of how the "knave" should act in particular situations and also as a general rule. Hume states that the idea "that honesty is the best policy, may be a good general rule, but is liable to exceptions". The knave has a reason to act fairly when his specific circumstances mean that he will gain the most through doing so. Thus the knave will observe the "general rule" whenever possible, as this is the safest course within life and people will think well of him. But when the "exceptions" arise, as they often seem to do within Hume's observations, he should take advantage of them. To be simple, a knave will only act fairly when it is in his best interests to do so. A Kantian prism may help in understanding how fairness can possible occur among such apparently selfish and purely individualistic people. Kant's idea of the categorical

Preparing a management report and advising management on the case Essay

Preparing a management report and advising management on the case given - Essay Example The paper will also present risk management issues associated with offsite manufacturing and present ways to tackle them. In short the paper is a guide to the smooth transition from the traditional methods of construction to offsite manufacturing for Zenith PM. Introduction The increases interest in offsite construction methods has been fuelled lately by two important factors – one is the intense pressure in the housing market, especially in South East England and other is a concern among the government and the industry to improve the standards in the construction industry (Barlow, Bartlett, Whitehead, & Hooper, 2002). A number of policy documents from the government have focused on the lack of affordable housing units in UK and the effect this shortage has on the economy of the country. The UK government has come up with Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) which are concerned with modernization in the housing sector (Barker, 2003). Most of these are concerned with offsite ma nufacturing which moves construction from the site to the factory. This helps the industry, the end customer as well as the labour in many ways. Standardisation of production ensures that quality materials are produced; the speed of production increases and the deficiency in the labour market are covered as concentrated production makes better use of the available labour power .Offsite bulk production also reduces the cost of production and helps in cooling down an overheated housing market. The labour or the construction workers are provided better pays , working conditions and benefit from training facilities in offsite ‘factories’ where senior workers are able to properly train juniors in many ways (Campbell, 2001). The first report of the Housing forum’s offsite manufacturing worker’s group has claimed that offsite manufacturing leads to 10 % reduction in capital costs and construction time, 20% reduction in accidents, a 10 % increase in productivity a nd profitability and a 10 % increase in predictability of project performance (Housing Forum, 2002). Apart from this there have been many governmental and non-governmental reports which have provided us with insights into offsite manufacturing and have given thumbs up to the process as beneficial to all. Industrial revolution succeeded due to the bulk production of standardised goods in the factory. It transformed the face of the world and the industry. The construction industry till now has been unable to reap the benefits of factory production due to usage of traditional methods of production. Offsite manufacturing helps to bring bulk production to the construction industry. It is now time that techniques of industrial revolution transform the face of construction industry also. Offsite Manufacturing 2.1 Definition Offsite manufacturing refers to the process in which structures are built at a location which is separate from the site of construction. Individual parts of the buildin g are completed offsite in factories and then transported to the construction site (Barlow, 1999). 2.2 Different types of Offsite products. Some of the examples of offsite

Racism in Morocco Essay Example for Free

Racism in Morocco Essay AP History Take home test Yasser Benamirouche1-compare and contrast president Polks willingness to go to war against Mexico over Texas but not against Britain over Oregon. I believe that there is political and economical reasons behind that.. Britain is a much stronger enemy and I do not think it was a good idea to go to war with them because it might end badly for the U.S while Mexico that just got its freedom it was an â€Å"easy target† I believe and it kinda was the case because the United States one the war and got Texas and more. A second reason will be that Polk; being from the Jacksonian party which stood for slavery; wanted to get Texas and make it a slave state which will give more power to the slave states while if they got Oregon it would have been a free state which is not what Jacksonian democrat would want. Those were the political reasons now with the economical reasons, getting Texas would open a gateway to California and therefor the trade with Southern America which will be very profitable for the United States of America. 2-what are the reason that American settlers were so eager to go west in this time period? Discuss the hardships they would have faced on their journey West. American settlers moving West was motivated by different ideas like that the settlers were responsible of spreading Christianity and that the United States was meant to spread in the continent making a â€Å"making a new heaven on earth† and it was documented and it became the practical document â€Å" Manifest Destiny which was used by democrats to explain their expansions â€Å" the War with Mexico etc.. 3-Asses the validity of the following statement†although Americans percieved manifest destiny as a benevolent movement, it was in fact an aggressive imperialism pursued at the expense of others† I believe what was said is very true, the Manifest Disteny was a way to explain the unexplainable which is going to war and taking over lands by killing its native habitants like in the War of Mexico and the Trails of tears, while at the same time discourage any attempt by the eastern world to take any similar actions 4-asses the validity of the following statement â€Å" the Mexican war was a major reason of the American civil war†. Caused by the addition of vast new territories and the fight between the southerners and northerners to see which states will be slave states and which states will not, the northerners wanted California so badly so they had to give something in exchange and the thing they gave was the right for southerners to hunt down any running slaves and bring back which irritated the northerners and overheated the whole debate by the end of 1850s+.

India’s Twelfth Fifth Year Plan | Analysis

India’s Twelfth Fifth Year Plan | Analysis Understanding Macroeconomics (India) Introduction Lately, India has risen as a vibrant economy with a developing local business sector and an incomprehensible system of freely supported Rd establishments. The quality of the Indian economy is situated to some extent on key arranging through the nations five-year plans, which have been used since 1951. The main Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, displayed the initial five-year plan to the Parliament in 1951, which announced inside it an arranged plan of Inr 20.69 billion to be designated to seven expansive regions including; watering system and vitality, farming and group improvement, transport and correspondences, industry, social administrations, land recovery, and the remaining plan to different areas and administrations. The most essential characteristic of this stage was dynamic part of state in all budgetary divisions. The focus for GDP development of the initial 5-year arrangement was set at 2.1 percent for consistently. In actuality, the genuine accomplished development was 3.6% for every year, which fortified the assumption in regards to the viability of the Five-year Plan framework (Rakshit, 2009). India’s Twelfth Fifth Year Plan The Twelfth Five-Year Plan which became effective in 2012 and stretches out until 2017, has set a target development rate of 8.2% of GDP, however the National Development Council (NDC) on 27 Dec 2012 sanction a 8% development rate, communicating concern in regards to the crumbling worldwide circumstance. It is not conceivable to think about a normal of 9 percent (in twelfth Plan). I think some place between 8 and 8.5 percent is attainable said Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia on the sidelines of a gathering of State Planning Boards and offices. The twelfth Five Year Plan additionally says multiplying Indias Gross Expenditure in Rd from its present level of 1% of GDP (Indias Governments using on Rd places it in the worldwide main 10 with Usd36b, barely behind the UK (Mohammad Ali, 2009). At the end of 2016-17, the Indian Government will raise its own particular financing to 1% of GDP and will try to absorb sufficient fortifying measures to raise the private divisions venture to 1% of GDP (Mohammad Ali, 2009). This obliges an expert conveyance component of Government backing to industry for building its engineering profundity and invigorating its venture in Rd. So as to invigorate the private segments speculation in Rd, an inventive pilot venture known as the Global Innovation Technology Alliance (GITA) was started by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the Department of Science Technology (DST) , and Government of India in 2007-08. The DST, under its respective multilateral Science Technology Cooperation concurrences with more than 70 nations, propelled modern Rd programs with Canada and Israel as pilot undertakings (Mohammad Ali, 2009). Through these projects, India and the accomplice nation assign subsidizing to help businesses occupied with joint modern Rd ventures In the nation particular system with Israel – the India-Israel Initiative for Industrial Rd (i4rd) , mutually actualized in Israel with MATIMOP – The Israel Industry Center for Rd, if one industry accomplice from India and one industry accomplice from Israel propose together to lead Rd for creating an attractive item, both the administrations give monetary backing up to half of task expense to their separate commercial enterprises, once the undertaking is together approved (Mohammad Ali, 2009). India’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) Customer Price Index (CPI) in India expanded to 139.10 Index Points in April of 2014 from 138.10 Index Points in March of 2014. Customer Price Index (CPI) in India arrived at the midpoint of 122.89 Index Points from 2011 until 2014, arriving at an unequalled high of 139.40 Index Points in November of 2013 and a record low of 105 Index Points in February of 2011. Buyer Price Index (CPI) in India is accounted for by the Labour Bureau, Government of India (Narayanan, 2012). General expansion in the sustenance crate, including refreshments, expanded to 9.1 for every penny in March from 8.57 for every penny in the past month, as indicated by buyer value list (CPI) information discharged by the CSO today (Rakshit, 2009). Vegetable costs expanded 16.8 for every penny in March as against a 14.04 for every penny climb in February. The costs of soil grown foods climbed 17.19 for every penny contrasted and a 15.79 for every penny build in February. Retail or buyer expansion in protein-rich things, for example, eggs, fish and meat moved to 9.54 for every penny in March from 9.69 for every penny in February. The rate of value ascent for oats and related items regulated to 9.61 for every penny in March from 9.93 for every penny. Nonetheless, the cost of milk and its items expanded 11.02 for every penny in March contrasted and 10.37 for every penny in the past month. Costs of toppings and flavours climbed 8.87 for every penny from 8.48 for every penny in February. Retail expansion has been moving for three months since December 2013. Government information prior today indicated expansion as measured by the wholesale value record rose to a three-month high of 5.7 for every penny in March, chiefly because of a spurt in costs of sustenance things, for example, potato, onion and soil grown foods (Narayanan, 2012). India’s Inflation Rate The swelling rate in India was recorded at 8.59 percent in April of 2014. Expansion Rate in India found the middle value of 9.67 Percent from 2012 until 2014, arriving at a record-breaking high of 11.16 Percent in November of 2013 and a record low of 7.55 Percent in January of 2012. Swelling Rate in India is accounted for by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India. Causes of India’s Inflation Its troublesome to say whether Indias proceeding scourge of high expansion need to do anything with any such interruption, notwithstanding what numerous say is a powerless decision government plagued by assertions of debasement and strategy lull, climbing religious roughness in parts of the nation, and a breakdown of bipartisanship prompting parliamentary halt every once in a while. For about four years now, swelling has harassed India tirelessly, pushing up costs, consuming funds, harming the poor most and making life troublesome for its extensive white collar class. Between December 2009 and August 2013, wholesale value expansion which measures swelling at the processing plant door arrived at the midpoint of in excess of 8%. Purchaser expansion which reflects shop and business sector costs has floated between 7.65% and 10.91% since January 2012 (PALIWAL, 2013). Impacts of such Inflation The effect of swelling in Indian economy is declines the obtaining force of dollar and expansions the worth of products and items, particularly those that hails from other nation. Then again, it has a positive impact for the individuals who are winning different monetary standards like dollar. The impact of inflation in Indian economy is decreases the purchasing power of dollar and increases the value of goods and commodities, especially those that comes from other country (Narayanan, 2012). However, it has a positive effect for those who are earning other currencies like dollar. India’s Government Step towards Inflation In India, the legislature is recognizing measures to handle high expansion, as spiraling nourishment costs rise as a key concern. There are developing stresses over the effect of runaway expansion on Indias vigorous financial development. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met top bureau priests for the second straight day, Wednesday, to work out a system to check climbing nourishment costs. The abnormal amount gathering was assembled as nourishment swelling took off to more than 18 percent the most astounding in more than a year (Rakshit, 2009). Conclusion In view of the results given above it might be reasoned that: a. The presence of co-integrating relationship between the variables uncovers a long run connection between them. This obviously infers that the CPI is impacted by the IIP, RM what’s more IMP. b. The ECM mathematical statement is profoundly noteworthy. This infers that the CPI changes with past period pattern and slacks in different variables. So likewise it reacts to past approach basics. c. The IRF indicates that the reaction to stun by the CPI mathematical statement is felt after around 12 months. This intimates that the CPI reacts to stuns after a slack. d. The FEVD of CPI tosses exceptionally urgent light on the determinants of swelling in India. Cash supply does impact the expansion, however the effect is fleeting. The effect on expansion because of the outer division is additionally extremely quick however fleeting. The hugest effect on swelling comes by means of the IIP (PALIWAL, 2013). From the above examination, it could be inferred that the Indian expansion is majorly a interest draw swelling. This is on account of both the cash supply and the IIP speak to the current request in the economy. Notwithstanding, the supply side components which come by means of the imports likewise Impact the swelling in the short run. In addition, the brief time effect of the Imports shows that the outer components are not the central point affecting the expansion. This suggests that our theory that expansion in India in the post liberalization period is because of outer variables is deficient. Therefore the adjustment approaches ought to be proactive by concentrating on the interest administration approaches on a long haul premise, and supply administration arrangements remembering their fleeting effect on expansion. Acknowledging the slack in the effect of IIP, such adjustment approaches will be great. References Rakshit, M. (2009).India amidst the global crisis.Economic and Political Weekly, 94-106. Retrieved: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/40278667?uid=3738832uid=2uid=4sid=21103776467371 Mohammad, S. D., Hussain, A., Ali, A. (2009). Impact of macroeconomics variables on stock prices: empirical evidence in case of KSE (Karachi Stock Exchange).European Journal of Scientific Research,38(1), 96-103. Retrieved:Â  http://www.researchgate.net/publication/202329264_Impact_of_Macroeconomics_Variables_on_Stock_Prices_Emperical_Evidance_in_Case_of_KSE/file/5b0950e45b76dae18e57dd954b1b8620.pdf Narayanan, S. (2012).Inflation in India.The Indian Economy Since 1991: Economic Reforms and Performance, 2/e, 216. Retrieved: http://books.google.com.pk/books?hl=enlr=id=L4SvlRblIggCoi=fndpg=PT193dq=inflation+of+indiaots=C76Mr3k33Hsig=0UazG-M2u-sPF1Gi3vTX0RpKrNw PALIWAL, J. (2013). INCREASING PRESSURE OF INFLATION ON INDIAS MACROECONOMIC STABILITY: AN OVERVIEW.International Journal of Research in Computer Application Management,3(1). Retrieved: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=trueprofile=ehostscope=siteauthtype=crawlerjrnl=22311009AN=87676257h=6JK8Xw%2FP0hTVztFtk%2BJW6tBQUd52dYCOEQLA7lJ5b3JfDWrEqXuz84CrijFcbnHE9vH95DDkHahYRSRnXncXHA%3D%3Dcrl=c

Identifying core competencies and capabilities

Identifying core competencies and capabilities Using McKinseys 7S for Identifying core competencies and capabilities, discuss the ability of your chosen company current CEO in improving the companys products and customers perception of the year 2009 as well as the group understanding of the approach to strategy development at Wal-Mart since 2003. A core competency differentiates not only between firms but also inside a firm, it differentiates among several competencies. In other words, a core competency guides a firm recombine its competencies in responds to demands from the environment. The McKinseys 7S framework offers a useful tool for focusing on certain policy areas which are vital in implementation and control. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to identify the core competencies and capabilities of Wal-Mart using the McKinseys 7S framework as well as discuss how the current CEO is improving the companys products and customers perception by the year 2009. This report is also to analyse the 7S framework of McKinsey which includes 7 interdependent factors and they are categorized as either hard or soft elements. They includes: strategy, structure, systems, shared values, skills, style and staff and are useful in wide variety of situations, such as: Examine the likely effects of future changes within the company Improve the performance of a company Determine how best to implement a proposed strategy Align departments and processes during Merger and Acquisition FINDINGS/MAIN BODY HISTORY The McKinsey 7S framework was named after a consulting company, McKinsey and Company, which has conducted applied research in business and industry (Pascale Athos, 1981; Peters Waterman, 1982). All of the authors worked as consultants at McKinsey and Company; in the 1980s, they used the model to analyse over 70 large organisations. The McKinsey 7S Framework was created as a recognisable and easily remembered model in business. The seven factors or variables, which the authors term levers, all begin with the letter S: The McKinseys 7S framework is a value based management (VBM) model that describes how one can holistically and effectively organize a company and together, these factors determine the way a company operates. THE SEVEN ELEMENTS These seven elements or variables include structure, strategy, systems, skills, style, staff and shared values and are interdependent factors which as noted earlier are categorized as either hard or soft elements: This is shown below: HARD ELEMENTS:- Strategy Structure Systems SOFT ELEMENTS:- Shared Values Skills Style Staff HARD elements are easier to identify or define and management can directly influence them. These are IT systems and formal processes; strategy statements and organization charts. SOFT elements can be more difficult to describe, and are less tangible and more influenced by culture. However, these soft elements are as important as the hard elements for the success of the organisation. The way the model is presented in Figure 1 below shows the interdependency of the elements and indicates how a change in one element affects all the other elements, as such this explains why share values is placed in the middle. Figure 1: The McKinseys 7S Model The seven elements are briefly discussed below: SHARED VALUES: Here, all members of the organization share some common guiding concepts or ideas around which the business is built. This may be to make profits or to achieve excellence in their particular field. These values and common goals keep the employees working towards a common destination as a coherent team and are important to keep the team spirit alive. It is also called superordinate goals; these are the core values of the company that are evidenced in the corporate culture and the general work process. STRATEGY: This is the plan of action an organization prepared to maintain and build competitive advantage over the competition. It could also be defined as the plan of action set by an organization to achieve its aims and objectives. Simply put, strategy is planning of organizational goals. It deals with essentially three questions: 1. Where is the organization presently? 2. Where do the organization wants to be and 3. How do they get there? As such, strategy is designed to transform the organization from the present position to the new position described by objectives, subject to constraints of the capabilities or the potential (Ansoff, 1965). STRUCTURE: This is the way the organization is structured as well as who reports to whom. It is the way the organizational units relate to each other. Organizations are structured in different ways depending on their objectives and culture. The structure of an organization often dictates the way they operates and performs (Waterman et al., 1980). Businesses have been structured in hierarchy way with different departments and divisions, each responsible for a specific task such as human resources management, production, sales or marketing. Many divisions of the management controlled the operations, with each answerable to the upper division of management. Although this is still the most widely used organizational structure, the recent trend is increasingly towards a flat structure where the work is done in teams of specialists rather than fixed departments. The idea is to make the organization more flexible and devolve the power by empowering the employees and eliminate the middle management layers (Boyle, 2007) SYSTEMS: This is the daily activities, procedures, processes and routines that characterize how important work is to be done. These processes are normally and strictly followed and are designed to achieve the organizations effectiveness. For instance, a firm may have a particular way of recruiting. STYLE: This refers to the cultural style of leadership adopted by management in achieving the organizations goals and objectives. STAFF: This refers to the employees and their general capabilities to ensure that the organization is successful. The importance of human resources has the central position in the strategy of the organization, away from the traditional model of capital and land. All leading organizations such as Wal-Mart, IBM, etc put extraordinary effort on recruiting the best staff, providing them with required training and mentoring support, and pushing their staff to limits in achieving excellence, and this forms the basis of these organizations strategy and competitiveHYPERLINK http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/general-business/competitive-advantage/competitiveadvantage.php HYPERLINK http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/general-business/competitive-advantage/competitiveadvantage.phpadvantage over their competitors. SKILLS: This is the distinctive capabilities of employees and or organization as a whole. It is the actual skills and competencies of the employees working for the firm. That is, the core competencies, main or important activities of the employees. USING THE MCKINSEYS 7S MODEL TO ANALYSE AN ORGANIZATION The McKinsey 7S model is one that can be applied to almost any organizational or team effectiveness issue. If something within your organization or team is not working, this may mean that there is inconsistency between some of the elements identified by this classic model. Once these inconsistencies are revealed, you can work to align the internal elements to make sure they are all contributing to the shared goals and values. The process of analyzing where you are right now in terms of these elements is worthwhile in and of itself. But by taking this analysis to the next level and determining the ultimate state for each of the factors, you can really move your organization or team forward. The model covers almost all parts of business and all major parts of the organization as such it is very important to gather as much information as possible about the organization from all sources available such as press release, organizational news and reports, etc. Primary research such as interviews is more effective. CORE COMPETENCIES AND CAPABILITIES IN WAL-MART Core competencies are activities or processes that critically underpin the organizations competitive advantage. The primary aim for the firm is to recognize that competition between businesses is as much a race for competence as it is for the market power. Core competencies lead to the development of core products. Core products are not directly sold to end users but are used to build a larger number of end-user products. For example, motors are a core product that can be used in wide array of end products. The business units of the corporation each tap into the relatively few core products to develop a larger number of end user products based on the core product technology. The intersection of market opportunities with core competencies forms the basis for launching new businesses. Combining a set of core competencies in different ways and matching them to market opportunities, a corporation can launch different businesses. Without core competencies, a large corporation is just a collection of discrete businesses. Core competencies serve as the glue that bonds the business units together into a coherent portfolio. Core competencies arise from the integration of multiple technologies and the coordination of diverse production skills. Some examples include Wal-Marts Logistics and Hondas engines. There are three useful tests for identifying a core competence. A core competence should: Provide access to a wide variety of markets: This enables the creation of new products and services. For instance, ASDA has established a strong leadership in food retail industry. The core competence and capability that enable Wal-Mart to go into food and non food retailing products was a clear distinctive brand idea that focus on a well defined market segment. Contribute significantly to the end-product benefits: The organization makes a significant contribution to deliver customer benefit. To identify core competences in a market, the question of why is a customer willing to pay more or less for a product/service than another needs to be addressed. Difficult for competitors to imitate: There is need for core competence to be competitively unique; this shows the importance of product differentiation. For example, Wal-Mart has been recognised as a leading food retailer in UK and had a strong position within the retailing industry. To better understand how to develop core competencies, it is worthwhile to understand what they do not entail Outspending rivals on RD Sharing costs among business units Integrating vertically Applying this framework to Wal-Mart in order for the organization to be successful, has to base its business strategy on low cost leadership, they do not really differentiate themselves from competitors and provide no-frills self-service stores that provides lowest prices always. Wal-Mart has built enough power and influence with suppliers that they can dictates their prices and change suppliers manufacturing process so as to obtain with difficulty more and more savings for the consumer. They provide good customer service with low prices, in other words, Wal-Mart strength is low prices and no one allows such a supplier and distribution network like them that allows such low prices. When analysing Wal-Mart business and the 7S framework, they employ all the three hard elements: strategy, structure and systems, and due to their strength in these elements they have been so successful. As earlier mentioned, Wal-Mart overall strategy is to always provide lowest prices and they aim to provide a store that customers can shop under one roof and find everything they needed. This strategy of convenience shopping and lowest price has made Wal-Mart to be a business leader that it is. They also plan to continue to expand into markets not yet penetrated by major chains and some already saturated markets like California and New England. This strategy infiltrated the whole organization so that it encompasses all the other Ss and the other two Ss structure and systems support this strategy Wal-Mart has a system in place that helps it achieve its low price strategy every day. The most profitable and largest of these systems is Information technology system and it has employed computers, networking and internet to reduce inventories and waste and also speed deliveries. Wal-Mart also uses good structure that works with the systems to empower the low price strategy. Wal-Mart has design an efficient management structure that allows it to eliminate regional office, all its plan and operation is from the home of Bentonville, AR. Wal-Mart has designed an efficient management structure that allows it to eliminate the regional office.   Everything for Wal-Mart is planned and operated in their home of Bentonville, AR.   This structure alone has saved Wal-Mart millions of dollars a year.   When Wal-Mart places stores in strategic locations and drives traffic using convenience and then combines the sales with its systems and structure, you get a highly efficient and well-oiled corporation that can cut costs to a bare-minimum which are then passed along to the consumer, hence fulfilling the strategy.   If Wal-Mart continues to dominate these three Ss, it will continue to dominate the retail market. THE CEOS ABILITY TO IMPROVE WALMARTS PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMERS PERCEPTION BY 2009. In Wal-Mart international, Michael Duke CEO since February 2008 and his team continued to drive exceptional sales growth around the world, totalling $90.6billion at the end of the year. He said that Wal-Mart is well positioned for todays economy and future changing world with exceptionally strong management team and ability to execute the companys strategy, perform every day and deliver results, this success is attributed to the hard work of many people and the formal CEO, Lee Scott (2000-2008). Wal-Mart has a role to in terms of offering more efficient services to employers, helping customers save money through $4 prescription program, opening health clinics in our stores and engaging a broader public policy debate. Wal-Mart as a global company is better positioned today than ever before on its mission. By 2009, the Lee believes that customers everywhere in the world will continue to depend on Wal-Mart to save them money so they can live better, in respective of their age. The companys price leadership position helps those willing to improve their lives through hard work move up the ladder. The company owe every customer their very best lower prices, higher quality goods and a better store experience. Sustainability as a permanent culture in Wal-Mart has help t to remove waste, lower costs and provide savings to their customers. The CEO also ensure that Wal-Mart is committed to building more socially and environmentally responsible supply chain which will make a difference in responsible sourcing that no other retailer can make. THE APPROACH TO STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AT WAL-MART SINCE 2003. Wal-Mart made strategic attempts in its formulation to dominate the retail market with its present growth by expansion in the United State and internationally through creating widespread name recognition and customer satisfaction in relation to brand name and branching into new sectors of retailing. It is observed that Wal-Mart strives on three generic strategies namely, focus strategy, Differentiation strategy and overall cost leadership. Wal-Mart has firm infrastructure, well equipped human resources with management professionals as well as technologically too. The company operates on low price strategy which operated as everyday low prices (EDLP) and this helps to build customers trust. this strategy involves Wal-Mart purchase goods at lower prices and sell the goods t customers at much lower prices, the price is cut as low as possible, this brought about an increase in the profit by increasing the number of sales. This causes increased market competition and makes Wal-Mart compete with all its competitors till it dominates the market. Wal-Mart is expanding seriously and rapidly which is also its strategic goal. Wal-Mart employs over 1.3 associates, owns over 4000 stores out of which 3000 are in US and serves around 100 million customers weekly.  Wal-Mart has acquired many international stores and merged with some super stores like ASDA in UK. Wal-Mart far flung network of retail outlets has ensured that Wal-Mart interacts with and has impact on virtually every locality within US. The expanded strategy has led the hunger of Wal-Mart to many European Countries. It is learnt that three countries with no Wal-Mart stores became part of corporations international presence wherein the domestic retail chains were taken over by Wal-Mart including 122 Woolco stores in Canada, 21 Wertkauf stores in Germany and 229 ASDA units in United Kingdom. The takeover strategy by Wal-Mart keeps the company at forefront when entering into the new market and the number of competitors is also minimized. The strategies have helped the Wal-Mart to remain in number one position in international countries making it the largest retailer in the world. It is seen that Wal-Mart has significantly the Porters five force model where through proper strategic planning and strategic implementation has led to removal of barrier entry, rivalry from competitors and pricing norms. Wal-Mart with its low cost and ever expanding strategy has made a dramatic impact since 1962 when Sam Walton first started his business. With this strategy, Wal-Mart has now over 4000 stores and outlets in US and other countries through acquisition and mergers. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY When you think of the discount retail industry, you think of the bigger name Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has built the industry into leader in a very competitive market, and has continue to set the bar for every company. But as of late Wal-Marts sales growth rate has been slipping, which is causing a major problem for them. For the past few years Wal-Mart has grown accustom to double digit sales growth rates, but recently they have been unable to match their previous success. Now Wal-Mart is faced with the challenge of regaining the success that they once had. To recapture these high growth rates it is important to understand what lead Wal-Mart to these high growth rates in the first place. When analyzing Wal-Mart externally you find that its 5 forces tend to have a positive effect on the company. The company has high barriers of entry, a moderate threat of rivalry with Target and incredible power over all its suppliers because Wal-Mart purchases so many products, the suppliers have little negotiating powers, and finally Wal-Mart technically has a great amount of power over its buyers because of its product variety and low prices. When analyzing Wal-Mart internally you discover may things that lead to their success. Probably the number one thing that led to success is their world class supply chain. Wal-Marts supply chain is remarkable and really allows them to cut cost by eliminating unneeded steps. For instance their supply chain is a high tech that can notify Wal-Marts suppliers directly (cutting out worker intervention) when inventory is low for certain products. Another internal strength that has lead to Wal-Marts success is its ability to focus on reducing costs to ensure everyday low prices. Wal-Mart has never drifted away from this motto which has led to Wal-Marts extensive self size and amount of products offered.