Wal Mart Hr Strategies

Abstract Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the world. They have reached such success by offering everyday low prices to a generalized target market of middle to lower class, though anyone looking to save a buck can be attracted. What does Wal-Mart do to stay on tract, stay running with a diverse workforce, and continue to offer the best deals around? ? Wal-Mart has recently introduced a strategic approach that would help sustain their role as the largest retailer in the world, as well as keeping their customers happy and healthy.The initiative has been dubbed â€Å"Project Impact†, and was introduced in late 2009. The projects purpose is to improve the benefits to the consumer. There are three initiatives within the project which include; â€Å"Save Money, Live Better; Win, Play, Show; and Fast, Friendly, Clean† (Murray, 2013). With a declining economy, as well as a loss in consumers due to the likes of Target Co. and other competitors, Wal-Mart needed to make a chang e in order to keep their customers coming back. So they restricted their strategic approach.Wal-Mart has revamped its approach and internal design by widening isles, enhancing the use of signs within the store for product location, as well as adding natural light to offer a friendlier atmosphere to their customers (Murray, 2013). The first Initiative in their new approach is â€Å"save Money, Live Better. † As one can see by the title, Wal-Mart is continuing to obtain price leadership. Wal-Mart is known for their everyday low prices, but must continue to ward off attempts from rival organizations. They are able to do so with the help of their private labels.In a day and age when people are choosing to save money, they can choose a cheaper alternative choice in Wal-Mart’s own private labels such as Great Value (Murray, 2013). The next initiative is Win, Play, and Show. Wal-Mart wants to be the first in the market to be able to showcase new products; allowing them to lea d in pricing. They also want to make it where vendors will continuously market to Wal-Mart to maintain their positions on their shelves. And finally, with show, they don’t want to overwhelm the consumer with products, yet they do not want to lack a particular good.So say they have multiple brands of a particular product; they are now narrowing it down to the top market choices. With Fast, Friendly, and Clean, Wal-Mart wants to enhance the in store experience of the consumer. Merchandise flow plays a big part. â€Å"Wal-Mart has a merchandise replenishment cycle of no more than 48 hours. Wal-Mart has adopted efficient processes such as cross-docking which as reduced operating costs, increased throughput, reduces inventory levels and eliminates unnecessary handling and storage of product† (Murray, 2013).Wal-Mart has adopted a â€Å"green† policy. Sustainability is crucial in this effort. â€Å"The company is dedicated to maximize the efficiency from the raw mater ial phase to the manufacturing phase, from supplier to distribution center, from distribution center to store, stockroom to shelf, shelf to consumer, from store to home, from pantry to consumption with the ultimate goal of Zero Waste† (Murray, 2013). In order to make all these things attainable, Wal-Mart must maintain a well trained workforce.This workforce must be given all the tools necessary to complete the tasks at hand, as well as be equipped with a set guideline as to what must be done in order to continuously lead the industry. This lies heavily on Human Resources and Top Management alike. Wal-Mart has been in the headlines quite a few times in terms of what they â€Å"lack† as an organization. First off, Wal-Mart has been well known for their distaste towards unionization, and has even been known to shut down facilities that have successfully obtained a bargaining power (Capelli, 2006).This has been a highlight of top stories in the media, but other issues are v ery much among us. Health care is a recent issue that has poked its head out. It is becoming more apparent that Wal-Mart offers relatively little access to such benefits. Many states that offer health-care subsidies to low-income individuals and families have discovered a disproportionate number of participants employed at Wal-Mart (Capelli, 2006). Since this has come out, Wal-Mart has released that they will be expanding benefits to their employees, starting with opening health clinics within their own stores.Another issue is that Wal-Mart makes it as if they are there to help those who need financial assistance. An everyday low price is all they hear. Evidence has shown that Wal-Mart stores have a negative effect on the outlying areas in which they build. Opening up a big store will surely create jobs for that area, but it is actually the smaller businesses that are hiring the majority. Wal-Mart basically comes in and offers these low prices, and they mom and pop stores can no lon ger compete (Capelli, 2006).This attempt may also lower wages within a geographical area. You may have high pricing businesses that are being outsold now that Wal-Mart is in town. They cannot continue to pay their employees what they were because there is simply not enough coming in. All it takes is a simple marginal analysis to realize that they simply cannot compete. What this shows is that Wal-Marts so called beneficial, consumer friendly business strategies do not match up with how things are run internally.One cannot claim that they are for sustainability and responsible stewardship, and continue to knowingly undermine the backbone and driving force of the organization. It is as though Wal-Mart may have reached a point where they blindly follow a â€Å"Money-is-Happy† economical method. ? References Cappelli, P. (2006). Wal-Mart and the obligations of business. Retrieved from http://www. hreonline. com/HRE/view/story. jhtml? id=4615496 Murry, M. (2013). Wal-Mart’s strategic initiatives. Retrieved from http://logistics. about. com/od/industryfocus/a/Wal-Mart. htm

My Growth As A Writer Essay

Writing has seemed to be a difficult process for me over the years. This is why it was my choice to enroll myself in creative writing classes over the last 6 years. The most difficult process for me in writing is generating ideas. You can learn to use proper structures for sentences but sadly creativity is something you can learn. In my play, The Doctor and the Patient, I displayed my best writing, and it gives a good example of what I have learned in this class. â€Å"THE PATIENT: Look,  man—we’re all different. Each individual can’t be typed into a group. All minds—souls, even— are different. But we all have something in common: we’re human. And it’s beautiful. † Is an allegory, often used in poetry. Due to the depressed nature of the patient, he finds something that can bring light into his world. Though he is stubborn, and rejects medicating and therapy sessions, he finds a false sense of security. My style of writing is usually freeform, in my spare time I usually write  post-apocalyptic situations, dark comedy, or serious. I have grown majorly at imagery and developing characters and dialogue. The tone of my writing is usually mellow, and flows rather quickly. And I have learned to construct a story arc that does not change too erratically. Future goals of mine would to get a few of my works published in a few small newsletters. Overall, I think my writing has improved drastically, I have learned how to style many different types of stories and writings.

Discuss the information technology control Essay - 1

Discuss the information technology control - Essay Example be considered as an important element of the organizational framework to achieve desired objectives and results in the competitive business environment. Information technology and control can be considered as an internal control initiative of organizations related to the maintenance of confidentiality and integrity of available data along with the effective management of the information technology functions within the organization. This means that management of confidential information along with controlling the flow of information is the major task of information management control. However, information technology control has different facets with different importance and value in the operational framework that also needs to be assessed and analyzed for a better understanding over the subject matter. Information technology control can be classified under two heads; Information technology general controls and information technology application controls with both having different value and benefits. Information technology general controls are based on controlling the information technology environment, computer operations, program development, program management and access of programs as per the need and demand. It can be considered as a basic framework of managing information technology functions within the organization. On the other hand information technology application controls refer to transaction controls mainly related to the input of data based on transactions. It also checks whether all transactions in the form of data have been stored and processed in an effective manner or not along with ensuring that only approved business users can access data and information in a logical and ethical manner. Basically, the whole act is to ensure that data has been stored in the right manner along with making them accessible to a number of users who are an important part of the organization. It needs to be mentioned that every organization has certain confidential

First nation studies - R. V. Sparrow case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

First nation studies - R. V. Sparrow - Case Study Example As the categories of Aboriginal rights in Section 35 were not clearly mentioned in the Act, it was claimed that the aboriginal right to fishing was not extinguished before implementation of the 1982 Constitution Act and hence, the arrest of Ronald Sparrow in this case was unjustified (Binnie 217). The claim was put up in the court of British Columbia with the full support of Musqueam band who viewed the arrest of their member, Ronal Sparrow to be unjustified. They opposed that the government had no rights to infringe upon the aboriginal rights of people in undertaking activities of fishing, hunting, etc as the these rights were not extinguished before the Section 35 of 1982 Constitution Act was passed (Tennant 375). The claim received support from the scholars and human rights activists. The supporters of this case were of the view that the provincial regulations in British Columbia discriminated the aboriginal rights of the people as opposed to the non-aboriginal rights which were unjustified in terms of law of the land. The court case of Ronald Sparrow continued for about six years starting from the initial point of claim in the lower courts to the final verdict being given by the Supreme Court. After the arrest of Musqueam band member, Ronald Sparrow in 1984, the case was filed which eventually moved to the Supreme Court in 1988 and continued till 1990. The proceedings of the court case started with the conviction of Ronald Sparrow as he accepted the fact that he was fishing with a net larger than that mentioned in his food license. However, in his defense Mr. Sparrow argued that he was at the same time executing an aboriginal right of fishing which has been inherited by him from his ancestors. The Crown on the other hand tried to establish that the aboriginal rights have been regulated from the time the Constitution Act of 1982 has been

The Power of the Media Tycoon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Power of the Media Tycoon - Essay Example Today, the power of the media and the few people that control it, have been compared to world leaders in their ability to sway opinion and effect change. How does this power compare to the power of a US President While the media tycoons have the legal limitations of any business owner that answers to stockholders and a board of directors, they have the power to move public opinion, initiate social change, and influence foreign policy to an extent greater than any elected public official. In the United States almost all the information available comes from a media outlet. Academic research is generally reserved for the small circle of specialists that have a position that offers them an interest and gives them exposure to the topic. These articles will occasionally get anecdotally quoted by the media, but the reports can be used for the outlet's own self-serving agenda. Selected quotes taken out of context can mislead the viewers in an attempt to sway public opinion. These opinion-centric newscasts exert enormous control over what people think and how they think about it. The ability to slant the news is even more significant in light of the increasing concentration of media ownership. The period of 1984 - 1999 saw the number of major owners go from 50 to 15 (Hasen 1626). The reduced number of outlets translates to an increased numbers of viewers and more influence. Media owners such as Rupert Murdoch can stack ... Reporters and pundits can be richly rewarded by presenting material in line with the network's political views. They can also be summarily punished and fired for developing a politically unpopular story of a scandal or major corruption. The network owner leverages these strengths to highlight or diminish a story's importance in the viewer's mind. The president is unable to cap a story or keep facts out of the viewer's homes. The recent events surrounding the investigation into the firings of the US Attorneys is evidence of the president's lack of ability to control the news. It is solely in the hands of the network and the network leadership. When comparing a media tycoon's power in regards to public opinion to a president, it is helpful to consider the information disseminated during a national presidential election. Presidents and candidates are limited to advertising and 'free' news spots. They are limited in the amount of time and coverage they can get. News conferences can help a president get exposure for a program or to promote a political stance, but television news can paint the portrayal with an opinionated slant. The news is not simply responding to a market and giving viewers 'what they want'; they are actively promoting a social agenda. During a recent national election, coverage varied widely from Fox to NBC to CBS. They varied in the amount of coverage on issues such as race and gender and according to Larson, "...although network news shows generally compete for the same audience, have the same operating procedures, and have similarly trained workers, their stories differed" (23). News presentation has the ability to focus attention on a given event and make the event important

The History of Management Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The History of Management Theory - Research Paper Example The classical school of management outlined the scientific management principles and suggested to use scientific methods to deal with the problems of handling assembly lines. More emphasis was placed on achieving specialization so that productivity can be improved. The Human Relations School however, attempted to add more dimensions to the management and suggested the psychological dimensions of the management also. (Roth, 1994) The open system school attempted to reconcile the differences of classical and human relations school and provided a system approach to view organizations as a complete system with humans operating as one part of the whole system. The social action school has also put forward the arguments of viewing the employees as individuals having their own interests and goals. The social action school of management is one of the latest advancements in the theory of management. Comparison and Contrast between Classical and Human Relations School Classical School of Manag ement is considered as the oldest school of management and it started with the advent of industrial revolution in developed countries. ... however, refused under the human relations school wherein it was outlined that organization is not just a mechanical thing with employees working like mechanical objects. Employees being the humans also possess feelings and have their social needs and it is the responsibility of the management to actually account for such social needs of the employees. My current organization, considering employees having social needs and responsibilities, tend to provide different facilities such as leaves, bonuses, paid vacations etc which actually help employees to free themselves from the stress of work and to become more productive in nature. This also serves as the source of intrinsic motivation for most of the employees as it outlines that the organization is taking care of the needs of the employees and employees feel the part of the organization. Work is also delegated to the employees and there is more need to develop employees which can perform multiple tasks. There is therefore a clear di version from the principles of scientific management which advocates for the specialization of the tasks whereas my current organization focuses on developing the capabilities of the employees in different areas of the work so that can better perform for the overall organization level. Scientific management also advocated the use of things like following best practices, complying with the policies and manuals of the company. This view has been held till now also wherein management still believes that employees work as economic agents with their own self-directed interests to achieve monetary gains. In order to provide such monetary gains to the employees, management must force them to comply with their policies and manuals. Though human relations movement did not negated this position but

Diffused Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Diffused Responsibility - Essay Example Rather than any one individual feeling responsible for reporting what was going on, seeking to stop it, or seeking to ascertain whether the action that appeared to be a car being burglarized was indeed as it appeared, everyone in the group, including those passersby that were not related to me or my group of friends felt that they could merely ignore the situation due to the fact that any number of other people could report what was going on. In retrospect, this type of apathy is precisely what the thieves depended on for this type of brazen crime. Looking back on the situation with the knowledge of what motivating emotion and psychological response helped to make everyone feel that it was not their ultimate responsibility does not help to make me feel any better concerning the given situation; rather, it makes me aware that if such a situation occurs again, the response I should seek to control is that of diffused

Aldemar Hotel and Spa [Operations Management Case Study] Essay

Aldemar Hotel and Spa [Operations Management Case Study] - Essay Example Yield management has become particularly important in the travel and hospitality industry. This is primarily because the resources such as airline tickets and available rooms in a hotel are fixed and cannot be increased or decreased to manage the demand of the consumers at different periods of time (Barnes, 2008). This is also the main reason that yield management is so important for Aldemar. It allows the owner to manage the hotel’s limited resources which includes its rooms in the best possible manner. The managers at Aldemar cannot increase or decrease its room capacity to facilitate the demand of the customers. When there is increased demand of the rooms during holiday season, the management risks losing its important and loyal customers when the rooms are already booked and they cannot overbook due to its long-term impact of the customers’ perception and the hotel’s reputation. Similarly during low demand of the rooms, Aldemar faces issues of decreased reven ues and increased costs as rooms require maintenance and the organization has to pay for its overhead costs that remain more and less constant during all seasons. With the help of yield management, Aldemar can hope to move certain customers during the off-season thus keeping room occupancies more or less constant. What other approaches to capacity management could Aldemar use? There are other different approaches to capacity management that Aldemar can benefit from. One of them includes promotion. Aldemar Hotels can use promotion as a mode of attracting consumers during the off-peak season. They can offer rooms at discounted prices or could introduce new features during the off-peak season. They could use their online website to promote such offers. Another approach to capacity management is product development that falls under the category of demand management. Demand management includes managing price, promotion, reservations, and waiting etc. During the off-season, Aldemar Hotels can offer certain services and products that would attract a high number of customers. Aldemar can for example shift the opening and closing times of their hotels to accommodate their guests. They could allow guests to benefit from tour guides for discounted rates during off-peak season. Aldemar could particularly benefit from using its spa for product development. It could introduce new offers or products for consumers during the off-peak season. The third approach is to adjust the changeable resources in line with the demand of the organization. This is known as chase demand that involves sub-contracting, hiring part time labor, multi skilling and participation of the customers. For example, during peaks seasons, Aldemar can hire extra part-time labor to make up for the increased work load. They could add or share their equipment through partnership agreements. Furthermore, Aldemar can delegate extra work during off-season period such as renovations in the hotel rooms. Critically assess Aldemar’s current yield management practices (e.g. the organizational structures, procedures, performance monitoring). Even though yield management has come forward as one of the best approaches for managing capacity for the hospitality industry, many organizations fail to incorporate this management strategy in the best of manner. In this manner, they lose a

Fluid Dynamics of Fires Essay Example for Free

Fluid Dynamics of Fires Essay

Abortion Essay Example for Free

Abortion Essay Lucinda Seongbae Eng : Persuasive essay on abortion Prof. Fitzgerald A Positive View on Pro Abortion Abortion has been a controversy for many years and viewed in many different perspectives. Some individuals see it from a very positive point when this is being caused by the nature of the womans health, the age and others. It may also be seen as a way of getting rid of an unwanted or accidental pregnancy for reasons that are positive and beneficial for most women. According to feminist perspectives on reproduction and the family, in some cases abortion can be a positive act depending on the cause. For instance, in the case of a rape, health reasons or in the case of having an unwanted child for reasons of age, marital status, and economical reasons abortion is a potent tool to undo some mistakes. However, whichever ways it is perceived abortion gives a woman the right to choose and should not be viewed as a negative act but instead can be seen as a positive act in most circumstances. Based on the many positive reasons for abortion, abortion should be supported. Concerning the womans health an abortion can be performed when the woman cannot hold the fetus for health reasons. For example a woman who has AIDs and the fetus infected already can obtain an abortion because there is no life for the baby. Also a woman who has cancer at an advanced stage cannot keep a child in her womb or she will risk dying at birth. In the case of some diseases, kidney disease, severe hypertension, sickle-cell anemia, severe diabetes, etc that can be life threatening, an abortion often helps to avoid serious medical complications from childbirth. This also brings emphasis to Roe V. Wade (1973), which granted women the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, based on an implicit fundamental right to privacy and argued that it must be weighed against competing state interests in maternal safety and the protection of prenatal life; it protected this right during the first trimester of pregnancy (Thompson, 50). At this juncture the person has very good justifications of her action and is considered a positive act on her part. Another positive issue concerning abortion is a situation where girls below fifteen years are pregnant. In such situation abortion is possible because the girls are too young for child bearing. Also in situations where very young girls have little or no health facilities to ensure safe delivery, such as in developing countries, abortion is the only possible answer in order to avoid some major complication. According to researcher Mayor, complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death in young women aged fifteen to nineteen in developing countries. An estimated 70,000 adolescent mothers die each year because they have children before they are physically ready for parenthood, and more than 90% of these births are in developing countries the report says (www. bmjjournals. com). In this case, if a girl of these ages chooses to get an abortion to avoid complications of childbirth and/or death she is only making a positive decision for her life. According to those against abortion or those who perceive abortion as a negative act, one would argue that since life begins at conception, abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking human life. Abortion is in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life. In contrary, most abortions take place in the first trimester, when a fetus cannot exist independent of the mother. As it is attached by the placenta and umbilical cord, its health is dependent on her health, and cannot be regarded as a separate entity as it cannot exist outside her womb. Therefore, in this case abortion cannot be considered murder. According to Thomson (1971), â€Å"if women have rights over their own bodies, then they have rights not to have their bodies used by others against their will† (Thompson, 35-65). Therefore, even if it is argued that the fetus is a human life, the state has no right to force someone to donate use of their body to another person, even if that person is in extreme need. Another may argue that those who choose abortions are often minors or young women with insufficient life experience to understand fully what they are doing. Many have lifelong regrets afterwards. In defense to that, teenagers who become mothers have grim prospects for the future. They are much more likely to leave school; receive inadequate prenatal care; rely on public ssistance to raise a child; develop health problems; or end up divorced. Teenage births are associated with lower annual income for the mother. According to researcher Stanley, eighty percent of teen mothers must rely on welfare at some point. Teenage mothers are more likely to drop out of school. Only about one-third of teen mothers obtain a high school diploma. Teenage pregnancies are associated with increased rates of alcohol a nd substance abuse, and lower educational level (www. womenshealthchannel. com/teenpregnacy. index). In the modern world, abortions have become a norm of life and should not be looked upon as a negative act but an act of making a positive decision to undo some mistakes in life. Though women have been endowed with the gift of bearing a life form, an abortion gives them the option of whether they want to keep the present or not. However, an abortion should not be misunderstood for a convenience, as it does have its own advantages and disadvantages. The bigger picture that is being stressed is bodily integrity and self-ownership.