Critique of Stuff Is Not Salvation - 871 Words

Valued Possessions vs. Insignificant Desires Anna Quindlen, a novelist, social critic, and journalist wrote an intriguing essay â€Å"Stuff is Not Salvation† about the addiction of Americans, who splurge on materialistic items that have no real meaning. The ability to obtain credit is one of the main reasons to blame for society’s consumption epidemic. However, Quindlen feels the economic decline due to credit card debt is insignificant compared to the underlying issues of American’s binging problems. Quindlen’s essay gives excellent points regarding the differences in America’s typical shopping habits. Additionally, she mentions how people acquire all this â€Å"stuff† but seem to never realize, â€Å"why did I get this?†(501). Quindlen makes her†¦show more content†¦There are plenty of examples that Quindlen gives to make her point across, that American’s spend money unwisely. For instance, in one of the examples, she mentions how every 16 months a person replaces a cell phone because it’s not as new anymore, and how toys are forgotten that eventually end up being junk (501). Quindlen then states the obvious â€Å"stuff does not bring salvation† (501). However, she lacks examples of cases where people’s wants actually provide the happiness they usually expect. Rich people, for example, have an extra sense of security because the worry and stress that belong to the poor is something the rich don’t have and don’t want. Plus, who wouldn’t want to afford desires such as not living pay check to pay check or putting their kid(s) through college? Sometimes not being able to afford these items can bring on depression or verbal abuse into a home. The reader’s would have a better understanding of the essay if she included some of these situations. Overall, Quindlen portrays her idea of happiness not being the materialistic things in life, but by the things that have true meaning. By true meaning, I believe she means items such as photographs that have a significant memory attached to it. She jokingly states, â€Å"Ask people what they would grab if their house were on fire, the way our national house is on fire right now. No one ever says it’s the tricked-up microwave they got atShow MoreRelatedIs Stuff Is Not Salvation, By Anna Quindlen922 Words   |  4 Pagessticks out in my mind, is Stuff is Not Salvation, by Anna Quindlen. Through her use of Ethos, she really brings to light how Americans have this ridiculous obsession with buying stuff. She notes how we are trying to use junk to make ourselves happier, but in the end, as Anna puts it, â€Å"The happiest families I know aren’t the ones with the most square footage† (Qtd in Perspectives pg 503). Before reviewing this article, I considered myself someone who didn’t necessarily NEED stuff, but as the assignmentRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Liberalism And M arxism Essay1390 Words   |  6 Pagesthe person torturing them by saying they believe, but this would only be to ease their suffering. He believed it would be in the best interest of the state to stay out of the religious affairs of the people. â€Å"The only business of the church is the salvation of souls and it is no concern to the commonwealth or any member in it: that this or the other ceremony be there made use of.† (A letter Concerning Toleration 1689) Locke believed in a strict separation of the church and government. We see this todayRead More How to Escape from American Consumerism and Materialism Essay2096 Words   |  9 Pagesof things brings us is always fleeting thus driving us further and further down the material path of life seeking nirvana around the next corner at the mall. Many modern philosophers have pondered this question, often giving rise to scathing critiques of consumerism as shallow; the product of a decadent and decaying culture. This is where most people turn away, not because they reject what the philosophers say, but precisely because they know it to be at least partially accurate and this is unbearableRead More Country Music in O Brother, Where Art Thou? Essay3561 Words   |  15 Pagesand spiritually unclean. His pale whiteness is something of a spectacle, which seems at odds with the way it is occasionally obscured. In one scene, the three encounter a mass baptism at a river. Delmar is the first to accept baptism as form of salvation, and by submitting to being dunked in the river, he believes he is redeemed and that his crimes have been washed away. Ironically, Delmars face continues to appear unwashed and pasty throughout the rest of the film. Though he naively believes otherwiseRead MoreFires on the Plain: Novel and Movie Essay examp le3078 Words   |  13 Pagesfor admission to the hospital yet, too ill to fight. These stragglers are rejects, as they are a burden to their respective units and failures in their respective orders striving for survival. These stragglers’ starving mouths offer a source of critique of the nation by entertaining thoughts of being capture as an American POW. From one joking straggler: â€Å"They’ll give us so much corned beef to eat we won’t know what to do with it† (Fires on the Plain). Americans believe in the world of prisonersRead MorePost Bureaucracy and the Politics7341 Words   |  30 Pageswhich these discourses have been contested and â€Å"displaced† by public sector professionals (Kirkpatrick and Lucio, 1995; Kitchener, 2000; Trowler, 2001; Doolin, 2002; Farrell and Morris, 2003; Kirkpatrick et al., 2005). A recurrent theme in these critiques is that the new forms reflect not the â€Å"end† of bureaucracy but a complex, and often highly unstable, bifurcation of the bureaucratic form which devolves operational responsibility whilst attempting to extend the controls exercised by senior managementRead Moreunethical advertising14492 Words   |  58 Pages(Xerox photocopier, Kleenex tissue, Vaseline petroleum jelly, Kotex tampons, Maxi pads sanitary napkins, Scotch Tape Clear Tape, Band-aid bandage, Visine eye drops, Q-tips cotton swabs, Rollerblades inline skates) -.- these must provide the stuff of fantasy to the holder of an advertising budget. The most common method for measuring the impact of mass media advertising is the use of the rating point (rp) or the more accurate target rating point (trp). These measures refer to the percentageRead MoreAsk the Dust by John Fante13686 Words   |  55 Pageslotion, cigarettes, candy, a watch, a lamp, new paper, ties, a robe and slippers, he bathes and enjoys his new possessions. When his new clothes arrive from the May Company, they also send along his old clothes, which he had asked be sent to the Salvation Army. Arturo tries on his new suit, but everything feels and smells foreign, itchy, stiff and str angling. He feels hogtied and like a buffoon, and wonders if this could really be the creator of The Long Lost Hills. The smell of his new lotions suddenlyRead MoreVampire Diaries61771 Words   |  248 Pagesthem. Elena felt her cheeks cool as she selected her lunch and went to join them. She wouldnt let Caroline upset her; she wouldnt think of Caroline at all. I got it, said Frances, waving a piece of paper as Elena sat down. And I have some good stuff, said Bonnie importantly. Elena, listen to this. Hes in my biology class, and I sit right across from him. And his name is Stefan, Stefan Salvatore, and hes from Italy, and hes boarding with old Mrs. Flowers on the edge of town. She sighed. HeRead MoreHistory of Pakistan18783 Words   |  76 Pagesappearance was in 1899 at the annual session of Anjuman Himayat-i-Islam in Lahore when he presented the poem, Nala-i-Yatim. At initial stages Dr Iqbal was a nationalist by ideas and his poetry contained verses like Tarana-i- Hind. His poetry was a critique of the existing societal conditions. Being educated from Europe, he knew all weak aspects of the Western culture. He criticized capitalism, materialism and lack of spiritualism. IQBAL- Focus on the conditions of the Indian Muslims Islam can salvage

Civil Rights - 1045 Words

The legislature of the fictitious state of Xanadu passes a law that states All people are welcome at all state-run swimming, beach and golf facilities, as long as they are white. Non-whites may not use any of those facilities. Within 24 hours after passage, Brenda, a civil rights attorney, brings a cause of action in federal court to have the new regulation ruled unconstitutional. The federal court immediately rules that the state law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment and issues an injunction against its enforcement. A week later, the state passes a new law that reads Because we dont believe that we are capable of managing integrated swimming, beach and golf facilities, we are hereby closing all such†¦show more content†¦The Court asked the question, was the closing of the state pools an action that denies â€Å"equal protection of the laws† to Blacks. They felt the answer was no since both races received the same treatment. The Courts also felt that neither the 14th amendment nor any Act of Congress purports to impose a duty on a State to begin to operate or to continue to operate public swimming pools. They felt that since this was not a case where whites are permitted to use public facilities while blacks were denied, nor a case where a city is maintaining different sets of facilities for blacks and whites and enforcing them to remain separate that there was no reason to force the city to reopen the swimming pools. They felt that it was constitutional because the city showed that integrated pools could not be maintained safely and economically. I do have to say that I disagree with the decision made by the court, which is probably why this particular case has been question. In other cases such as: Hernandez v. Woodard, 714 F. Supp. 963, 1989 and Shakman v. Democratic Organization of Cook County, 481 F. Supp. 1315, 1979. I believe that technically the decision made did not violate the 14th amendment, for reason stated above that everyone received the same treatment and that the privilege was taken away from all and not just one race and that they can’t force the State to run a public facility. But it does make you think, why is it as soon as the StateShow MoreRelatedCivil Rights And Civil Rights Essay1087 Words   |  5 PagesGovernment 2305 7 OCT 2017 Civil rights verses civil liabilities. Civil rights entail the basic need to be free from unequal treatment based on characteristics such as gender, race, nationality and disability among others. Civil rights are political rights, economic rights and social rights that are entitled to every citizen by birth in order to participate fully without oppression or discrimination against. Civil rights violation occurs in almost all phases of human rights. In case of employment peopleRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement1286 Words   |  6 PagesThe Civil Rights movement is one of the most important acts to change the way not only African Americans were able to live their lives but all races and colors. It would slowly break down the social, economic, political, and racial barriers that were created by the The Age of Discovery and Transatlantic Slave trade. I believe without the Civil Rights acts our country would result to be no better than what it was when the Emancipation Proclamation just took effect. In the 1950s and long befo re, SouthernRead MoreWomans Civil Right1308 Words   |  6 PagesA Women’s Civil Right The speech †A Women’s Civil Right† was written in 1969 and the feminist author Betty Friedan delivered it. Betty Friedan was a proponent of the modern women’s movement and claimed that women in 1969 and onwards should not be trapped in the stereotypical housewife role. Friedan was convinces that social barriers in the society kept women imprisoned in â€Å"the housewife trap†. She wanted women to have better career opportunities, introduce equality with men and to eliminate theRead MoreCivil Rights And Civil Liberties1025 Words   |  5 PagesJennyfer Tshilanda Professor Sharifian Government 2305 September 28th, 2017. 1 Civil rights vs Civil liberties 1. 2 Define Civil Liberties; then define Civil Rights. How are they similar? How do they differ? Which civil sequence has more influence on your life as you know it to be now? Why do you believe this to be so? Civil rights and civil of liberties have regularly been the discussion of different locales throughout the years. In the achievement of social liberties and freedoms, laws and statutoryRead MoreThe Rise Of The Civil Rights Movement1179 Words   |  5 Pagesthat arose in the 1960s, there are three movements that truly affected the American society. Firstly, the rise of the civil rights movement was greatly influenced by racial discrimination of colored people in the South. Secondly, the women’s movement aimed to convince the society that women are capable of achieving and maintaining higher waged job like males. Lastly, the gay rights movement aimed to gain acceptance and stop discrimination of homosexuality. The most significant effect on the developmentRead MoreCivil Liberties And Civil Rights1081 Words   |  5 Pages1 McGahey 3 Megan McGahey Sherry Sharifian GOVT 2305 71430 20 September 2017 Civil Liberties vs. Civil Rights In the U.S. most use the terms Civil Liberties and Civil Rights interchangeably; although they both protect the freedom of citizens they do this in different ways. 2 Civil Liberties are limitations placed on the government. These are things the government is restricted to do, by the constitution. Things that could interfere with personal freedom. 3 For example, the 1st amendment says thatRead MoreThe American Civil Rights Movement1519 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Civil Rights Movement is personified through several prominent personalities. These figures exhibited strong character throughout their careers in activism that revolutionized the ideals and opportunities of the 20th century, standing as precedents for courage and perseverance in the face of widespread systemic oppression. However, not all of these figures received the acknowledgment and acceptance that their legacy deserved. One such figure was Bayard Rustin, a lifelong Civil Rights activistRead MoreReasons F or The Civil Rights Movement1436 Words   |  6 PagesWhen did the Civil Rights Movement begin in earnest in Buffalo? The Civil Rights Movement In Buffalo was weak and many people were quiet and conservative. It was less a Movement than a group of scattered individuals, primarily black and Jewish. This Civil Rights Movement happened in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Some people believed that this movement began in Western New York. African Americans faced many social problems during this time period, which demonstrated the significance of organizingRead MoreCivil Rights And Civil Liberties1009 Words   |  5 Pages29 September 2017 Civil Liberties are basic freedoms and rights that are guaranteed to us by the government through the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Federal Law (â€Å"Civil Rights vs. Civil Liberties.†). Whether they are freedom of speech or a right to an attorney, these basic rights are a right to all of us. 1 Civil rights are the basic rights to be free from unequal treatment based on certain protected characteristics (race, gender, disability, etc. ) (â€Å"Civil Rights vs. Civil Liberties.†). WhetherRead MoreCivil Rights Movement823 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction: This paper is about the blacks wanting equal rights like the whites have.Then everything gets out of hand.The fire truck hoses get used on people,the k-9 dogs go attack the people, people go to jail. King goes to jail and writes a report and gets out of jail. Finally, Birmingham takes down the â€Å"blacks only† and â€Å"whites only† signs from the bathroom and drinking fountains. Blacks now can use any bathroom and drinking fountain they want. The SCLC launched Project C† (for Birmingham)

Banking industry in Australia- Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Questions: Discuss about the Market Structures of Banking in Australia. Answers: Introduction: The nature of a market mainly depends on the number of buyers and sellers present in the market, the type of good the market deals with, concentration of market powers and the freedom of entry and exit of new and old participants in the market. These factors cumulatively shape up a market for a particular good or service and together they give a more or less clear picture of conditions of the participating agents of the markets (Okuguchi and Szidarovszky 2012). Markets, in terms of economics, can be broadly divided into perfectly and imperfectly competitive types, with monopoly, oligopoly and monopolistic competitions falling in the latter category. The report discussed the problems that usually occur in an imperfectly competitive market. It specifically takes reference of the article, Australian watchdog says bank 'oligopoly' needs more reform, by Tom Westbrook and Byron Kaye, which focuses on the banking industry in Australia (Reuters.com, 2017). Essence of the Story: Four specific big players, namely the Australia and New Zealand Group of Banking, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank and lastly the Westpac Banking Corporation, have long dominated the banking market in Australia. These four banking giants, giving the market an inevitable oligopolistic structure, significantly shadow the presence of other small players. According to the concerned article, the presence of oligopoly in the banking market has resulted in a significant concentration of market power in the hands of these four enterprises (Reuters.com, 2017). In fact, collectively these four giants form a cartel like structure, thereby controlling nearly four-fifth of the Australian banking sector, even pose as a credible threat of formation of future monopoly if they join hands, and operate together. However, these four banking enterprises are been accused of misusing their market power to substantial extent, for their personal profit maximization. The evidences of exploitation of their market powers are found in the series of scams and scandals regarding their operating methods (Shamsuddin and Xiang 2012). They are even accused of rigging of interest rates and scams in insurance policies, thereby becoming a cause of concern and anger among their clientele. People, as the article suggest, are losing confidence over the industry, thereby making this issue a cause of concern among the regulatory authorities. The presence of political support and lack of transparency are making the situation even worse and the sector needs to be subjected to extensive reforms and regulations in order to gain back peoples confidence (Tirole 2014). Economic Analysis: An oligopoly market is essentially one with a large number of buyers and a few sellers, thereby giving more market power in the hands of the sellers. One of the primary characteristics of this market is the strategic interdependence of the sellers, which implies that the strategic decisions of one of them are influenced by what strategies its fellow sellers are taking. The oligopoly market structure gives either rise to price war among the sellers or leads to formation of cartel and a collusive pricing strategy among them (Kopecky and Van Hoose 2012). Figure 1: Oligopolistic Market (Source: Created by author) The oligopoly market, as can be seen in the above diagram, has a kinked demand curve, due to presence of different elasticity of demand at different points. The equilibrium price and quantity levels are PE and QE respectively. From the above diagram, the existence of a gap between the cost of production and the price charged by the producers for the product can be clearly perceived (Dubovik and Janssen 2012). This provides support to the concerns raised in the chosen article, about the disparities in the cost and price structures by the above-mentioned banking enterprises and their extensive misusage of market power to maximize their own profits even at the cost of welfare of their clientele (Acharya, Gromb and Yorulmazer 2012). The threat of a possible formation of collusive monopoly by these four firms are credible to some extent and if that happens the gap between cost and pricing can be even more prominent, as can be shown in the following diagram: Figure 2: Monopoly Market (Source: Created by author) It is evident from Figure 2, that if monopoly occurs in the market, there will be presence of a substantial amount of economic profit, even in the long run, due to the presence of extreme market power and price making capacity in the hand of one particular enterprise or collusive structure, working as a monopoly (Acharya, Gromb and Yorulmazer 2012). In either ways, in a oligopolistic structure or a monopolistic environment, in absence of proper regulatory mechanisms, pricing disparities and misuse of market power by the sellers can be a common issue of concern, especially for those on the buyers side as they are the direct sufferers. The banking sector, as discussed in this report, is also experiencing a similar condition, the buyers being at the receiving end (Shamsuddin and Xiang 2012). Recommendations: In order to combat the situation discussed above and to lessen the lack of confidence of the clients of banking industry as a whole, it is essential to implement extensive reforms in this sector. The reforms can be primarily based on regulatory policies and a controlled interest rate mechanism, whereby the government of Australia monitors the interest rates set by these banking enterprises and intervenes if the rates cross a fixed upper and lower threshold. To break the oligopoly and the collusive structure, new entrants can be encouraged and can be given proper protection in order to secure them from being wiped off in face of stiff competition from these large banking enterprises (Corchn and Marcos 2012). Conclusion: Free market, in general, is desirable as this type of markets uniformly distributes market power among buyers and sellers, thereby eliminating the possibilities of inclination of the market in favor of any of the two participating agent groups. However, some markets show presence of imperfect competitions, as can be seen in the banking market of Australia, whose oligopolistic construct has led to misuse of market power by a few suppliers, leading to sufferings and anger among a large share of the clientele. This problem can be solved to a considerable extent by proper reforms in the form of strict and unbiased regulatory measure, monitoring systems and government intervention in the banking sector, as and when needed. Encouragement to small players can also be beneficial to form sufficient competition in the market, thereby reducing the market powers currently enjoyed by a few big players. References Acharya, V.V., Gromb, D. and Yorulmazer, T., 2012. Imperfect competition in the interbank market for liquidity as a rationale for central banking.American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics,4(2), pp.184-217. Corchn, L.C. and Marcos, F., 2012. Price regulation in oligopolistic markets.ISRN Economics,2012. Dubovik, A. and Janssen, M.C., 2012. Oligopolistic competition in price and quality.Games and Economic Behavior,75(1), pp.120-138. Kopecky, K.J. and Van Hoose, D.D., 2012. Imperfect competition in bank retail markets, deposit and loan rate dynamics, and incomplete pass through.Journal of Money, Credit and Banking,44(6), pp.1185-1205. Okuguchi, K. and Szidarovszky, F., 2012.The theory of oligopoly with multi-product firms. Springer Science Business Media. Reuters.com (2017).Australian watchdog says bank 'oligopoly' needs more reform. [online] U.S. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-banks-idUSKCN12E0F3 [Accessed 24 Aug. 2017]. Shamsuddin, A. and Xiang, D., 2012. Does bank efficiency matter? Market value relevance of bank efficiency in Australia.Applied Economics,44(27), pp.3563-3572. Tirole, J., 2014. Market power and regulation.Scientific Background on the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

William Dean Howells’ Editha Essay Example

William Dean Howells’ Editha Essay Editha is a story that dwells on two alternative views of war. From the point of view of the main female character, Editha, war is a glorious event that will provide the perfect opportunity for George, the man she is engaged with, to become a hero. George and the subtle narrative voice hint at an opposite point of view. War is full of horrors, sufferance and death. It is far from the traditional conception of a battle as an occasion for heroism and courage. These latter notions lose their value in the face of the utter destructions brought by war. This realist and, to a certain degree, modernist view of war differs immensely from the glorious representation it has in ancient literature or in romanticism, for instance.Howells focuses closely on the reality of war, the way in which war will be experienced by the fighters. The ideas of glory and victory fade away when confronted with the truly horrifying facts that accompany war. Howells’ narrative escapes thus the conventions of Victorian fiction, focusing on the dramatic consequences of war. His choice of the romantic and selfish Editha as a main character is very significant. Because of her shallow, insensible perception of the tragedy of war, she can be said to embody tradition itself, with its misrepresentation of reality on account of pre-established certain ideas.William Dean Howells’ Editor’s StudyEditor’s Study contains many of the essential principles of realism. Howells advocates for the almost photographic representation of reality. He argues that the author should endeavor to show reality as it is and not focus on a romantic and adventurous plot that is, most likely, improbable. In his columns, Howells criticizes various pieces of literature, pointing to their flaws or qualities. According to Howells, the realist prose can achieve much better results than the romance, despite the fact that may seem dry. Greatness is to be found only in an accurate perception and rendering o f reality. In his view, it is this quality that distinguishes among great pieces of literature and simple romances.Henry James’ Daisy MillerJames’ novel, Daisy Miller, glosses over a theme that occurs often in the author’s novels: the clash between the American culture and the European one, as it was at the end of the nineteenth century. He contrasts the innocence of the Americans who were not so corseted by social rules and conventions and the rigidity and prejudiced behavior of the Europeans. In this context, the fact that the main point of view pertains to Winterbourne is not accidental. As in some of his other works, James lets the reader see the events through the eyes of the biased and prejudiced narrator so as to show him how easily it is to misunderstand and misjudge. Winterbourne harms Daisy by misjudging her according to the European standards of social conduct. When she walks on her own, unaccompanied by the chaperone, he doubts her integrity and worr ies about social rejection.By letting the reader see the events as Winterbourne does, James demonstrates that wrong and harmful opinions can be formed very easily. He also hides the actual character and conduct of Daisy until the end. Had the story been told from Daisy’s point of view, her behavior would not have constituted a mystery and the main theme of the novel would not have been fully developed. The novel draws attention to the strained contact between the European, rigid civilization and the American ingenuity. It is also important that Winterbourne is himself an American who lives in Europe. His behavior and standards have completely changed however under the influence of the social milieu. James shows therefore how great is the power of social convention and how it can easily determine someone to misrepresent reality.Works Cited:Lauter, Paul ed. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Vol. 2. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

australias war essays

australias war essays Australias economic and military contribution to the World War 1 allied victory. England entered the First World War on August the 4th 1914, after Germany refused their demands to respect Belgiums neutrality in the war. Australia also entered the war in 1914 for the simple reason it was a British colony, not a sovereign state and it had no choice but to be1 involved in the war. According to Beaumont (1995), Australians felt a deep attachment to England and the outbreak of the war was greeted and embraced in Australia, with great public enthusiasm2. This enthusiasm was due among other reasons to the fact that many of the Australian immigrants and culture had originated from Britain. This deep attachment to the mother country motivated Australia to contribute to and become involved in the allied war effort on many different levels. One of the main contributions Australia made to the allied war effort was its military involvement. Australias first military contribution was its rapid recruitment, formation and dispatch of a military contingent, shortly after the outbreak of the war. Within weeks a force of 20,000 troops, which had previously been promised to the British, was formed, by a flood of volunteers (many thousands of who were rejected because they did not fit the standards of fitness).3 Three months later on the 1st November, 20,000 members of the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) and two NZ brigades where sailed to Egypt for training. The troops spent four and a half months training in Egypt, until they were sent to the Gallipoli peninsula on the 25th of April 1915, to fight the Turkish. Due to a navigational error the Australian troops landed one mile off course of their intended landing zone, and where faced with unexpectedly perilous and steep terrain. The Australian troops dug in to the steep beach slopes, establishing a tenuous foothold and despite attempts by both sides to overrun...

M1A3 - Leadership and ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

M1A3 - Leadership and ethics - Essay Example It has a customer base that runs into millions per week and expeditiously boasts of workforce of over 500,000 employees (Wrigley, 1988). Jack Cohen founded the company in 1919. The name Tesco appeared first in 1924, but it was not until 1929 when the first store started its operations. The store was originally a UK grocery retailer, but it has diversified increasingly geographically and into other areas including electronics, petrol, clothing, furniture, books retail, financial services, software, internet services, and music downloads, DVD rental and telecoms. Tesco repositioned itself in the 1990s to Tesco Finest ranges (Tesco). This inevitably led to successful chain growth of the store from five hundred stores in the nineties to two thousand five hundred stores in 2005. Tesco’s Values sits at the heart of its business and helps the store to deliver its core purpose, which is to generate value for its treasured customers in order to earn their lifetime loyalty. The store af firms that it tries to its level best for its customers, treat people, as they would love to be treated in order to, fully enjoy their work (Bell & Reavis, 2003). The year 1997 was the year that these values were developed. Various touch ups have been done to perfect the values to align them to today’s business current trends. ... These stores stock all range of Tesco’s products although some of the stores are in middle of inner-city locations and town centers. Tesco Superstores are large standard supermarkets, which stock groceries and a smaller range of non-food products in comparison with Extra stores. Tesco Metro stores are mainly located in the inner city, in city centers and on high streets of towns. They are in between Tesco Express stores and Tesco Superstores in terms of size. Tesco Express sores are notably the neighborhood convenience stores that are found in residential areas, in the city centre districts, small villages and towns and in various Esso petrol stations (Tesco). According to Bell & Reavis (2003), One Stop stores do not have the Tesco brand name. The stores are to be found in smaller residential areas. There prices also differ from other Tesco stores. Tesco Homeplus are non-food only ventures, and there are 13 stores nationwide. The stores offer all of the Tesco’s items bu t with an exception of food. The stores have a style that is similar to a warehouse unit and are found in retail parks. Dobbies Garden Centers are 28 garden centers in total. This number is equally divided between the stores in England and Scotland. Tesco bought 65% shares of the Dobbies Garden Centers PLC in 2008. According to Woods (2012), other business activities that Tesco undertakes include Internet retailing, financial services, petrol stations, telecoms, photo shops, Tesco Tech Support, Technika, filmmaking, record label, video-on-demand, gold exchange, Tesco Tyres and beauty salon. The store made record profits of ?3.4 billion in the year 2010 despite the economy suffering the effects of recession. Tesco is

Strategic Analysis and Choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Analysis and Choice - Essay Example Thus, the need arises to have a blue print that tells how to go about it Companies need to diverse, differentiate, integrate backward or forwards, and manage business portfolio balanced. And hence they need to plan - develop a vision, set the mission, develop long term plans and further break them into objectives to achieve the desired goal. But it is important that the strategy is to be consistent with the organizational goals and policies, it should be flexible enough to respond to the faster changing environment in which it is operating, and it should add value to the organization and become a source of advantage over its competitors, and lastly, it should be feasible and practical enough to get through. Strategic management can be defined as the art and science of formulating, implementing, ad evaluating cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives (David F.R., Strategic Management). The process of strategic management involves three stages, viz. formulation of a strategy, implementing a strategy and lastly, evaluating the strategy. Since, organizations have limited resources thus they need to choose from amongst the alternatives available. Setting a strategy starts with developing a strategic vision so as to provide long term direction, and provide a purpose to the organization. The strategic vision is then converted into specific performance objectives for the company to achieve. And then forming strategies to achieve the desired outcomes that have been developed in the form of objectives. This all was the planning portion of the process; no strategy is useful until it is implemented and executed effectively and efficiently. In the end, evaluat ion stage begins which requires comparing actual i.e. the reality with the planned. But as companies prosper and grow they need to diversify into new areas. Companies have to balance their portfolios well enough with cash cows, stars, dogs and question marks so that cash needs growth needs all are being fulfilled by the company. Strategy analysis requires companies to understand their markets, their cost structure, and also the capabilities underlying the firm i.e. any of the core competencies or the distinctive competencies that the company possesses. Companies need creativity and new ideas to identify any potential gaps in the strategy, the markets etc. which will lead them to make and implement a solid strategic plan to serve the new and existing markets. Source: http://www.netmba.com/strategy/matrix/bcg/ Huge businesses are normally divided into the strategic business units. These strategic business units are the individual planning units contained within one large and diversified business serving either the external or the internal market. They make independent decisions for themselves and have a control over their own destiny. They have competitors and are profit centers for the company but still independent. Companies already have so many products and services have many other growth initiatives because of the factors such as globalization, services, quality and the emerging e-businesses. Globalization is not only letting companies to enhance their revenue