An Example of Successful Change Essay Example for Free

An Example of Successful Change Essay Introduction Why is Wal-Mart so Successful? Is it Good Strategy or Good Strategy Implementation? In 1962, when Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas, no one could have ever predicted the enormous success this small-town merchant would have. Sam Waltons talent for discount retailing not only made Wal-Mart the worlds largest retailer, but also the worlds number one retailer in sales. Sam Walton has made certain changes that help Wal-Mart to achieve its success today. His change techniques involve changing people, technology, and product. Indeed, Wal-Mart was named Retailer of the Decade by Discount Store News in 1989, and on several occasions has been included in Fortunes list of the 10 most admired corporations. Changing People Wal-Mart is successful not only because it makes sound strategic management decisions, but also for its innovative implementation of those strategic decisions. In order to become a superstore, Wal-Mart decided to change the skill level of its workforce. Waltons greatest accomplishment was his ability to empower, enrich, and train his employees. He believed in listening to employees and challenging them to come up with ideas and suggestions to make the company better. At each of the Wal-Mart stores, signs are displayed which read, Our People Make the Difference. Associates regularly make suggestions for cutting costs through their Yes We Can Sam program. The sum of the savings generated by the associates actually paid for the construction of a new store in Texas. One of Wal-Marts goals was to provide its employees with the appropriate tools to do their jobs efficiently. The technology was not used as a means of replacing existing employees, but to provide them with a means to succeed in the retail market (Thompson and Strickland 93). Changing Product Wal-Mart stores operate according to their Everyday Low Price philosophy. They provide customers access to quality goods, to make these goods available when and where customers want them, to develop a cost structure that enables competitive pricing, and to build and maintain a reputation for absolute trustworthiness (Evan, Shulman, and Stalk, 55). Through Sam Waltons Buy America policy, Wal-Mart encourages its buyers and merchandise managers to stock stores with American-made products. In a 1993 annual report management stated the program demonstrates a long-standing Wal-Mart commitment to our customers that we will buy American-made products whenever we can if those products deliver the same quality and affordability as their foreign-made counterparts (Thompson Strickland 68). With a variety of product and low cost, Wal-Mart has attracted more consumers. Changing Technology Wal-Mart has invested heavily in its unique cross-docking inventory system. Cross docking has enabled Wal-Mart to achieve economies of scale which reduces its costs of sales. With this system, goods are continuously delivered to stores within 48 hours and often without having to inventory them. Lower prices also eliminate the expense of frequent sales promotions and sales are more predictable. Cross docking gives the individual managers more control at the store level. A company owned transportation system also assists Wal-Mart in shipping goods from warehouse to store in less than 48 hours. This allows Wal-Mart to replenish the shelves 4 times faster than its competition. Wal-Mart owns the largest and most sophisticated computer system in the private sector. It uses a massively parallel processor computer system to track stock and movement which keeps it abreast of fast changes in the market (Daugherty 24). Information related to sales and inventory is disseminated via its advanced satellite communications system. Conclusion Sam Walton, a leader with an innovative vision, started his own company and made it into the leader in discount retailing that it is today. Through his savvy, and sometimes unusual, business practices, he and his associates led the company forward for thirty years. Today the company is still growing steadily. Wal-Mart executives continue to rely on many of the traditional goals and philosophies that Sams legacy left behind, while simultaneously keeping one step ahead of the ever-changing technology and methods of todays fast-paced business environment. The future also looks bright for Wal-Mart, especially if it is able to continue its customer-driven culture, it should remain a retail industry leader well into the next century.

Themes of Hope and Failure in The Awakening and The Outcasts of Poker F

To Fail or not to Fail The characters of Edna, Mr. Oakhurst, The Innocent, Piney, Mother Shipton, and The Duchess all face different forms of failure in their respective stories, The Awakening and â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat†. Each character has a unique response to failure; some bend, while others break. Though at times people fall short of their goals, it is not necessarily the human lot to try and fail; sometimes people make the choice to fail by losing hope, or by viewing death as failure, or by having a negative outlook on life, but it is essentially they themselves who allow the failure- it all stems from the person’s perspective and individual choices. Even though humans don’t always succeed in their endeavors, humans are not predestined to fail. Hope is arguably the one thing that keeps humans moving forward. Without it, there is no motivation, no reason to wake up in the morning. When people start to lose hope, they start to lose a part of themselves, and are driven toward despair. In The Awakening, the protagonist, Edna, says over and over again how despondent she is, which leads to her eventual suicide. It has been said that â€Å"There is no failure except in no longer trying,† and sadly, Edna gave into despair and lost the will to keep going. She felt as though life was no longer worth the effort, and decided death would be better than living a lie. And yet, there’s always more than one door to take. Edna didn’t search for other options- for her, it was either be untrue to her feelings, live without Robert, or death. She was too strong to pick the first, but too weak to consider the second; she was awakened to her feelings, but blind to alternatives. Dorothy Thompson once said, â€Å"Courage, it would se... ...e Billy’s â€Å"failure† to do the right thing probably wasn’t much of a failure to him. Perspective defines failure, not some outside force. What exactly is failure? It is, according to the dictionary, â€Å"Lack of success.† Many people say that â€Å"failure isn’t the falling down, but the staying down.† But who are we to say? Lack of hope, the thought that death and failure are one and the same, and a pessimistic outlook on life can cause someone to fail, but thankfully not everyone falls victim to these. Failure is always controversial, because people view things and events differently. As Elaine Maxewell once said, â€Å"My will shall shape the future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny.†

How to Play Basketball Essay

In order to play basketball, you need one basketball and two basketball hoops on opposite ends of the court. The hoops should be ten feet high. In an original game, you should form two teams of five individuals apiece would be the requirements. If a court just so happens to be full or fewer players are available, a game with one hoop can be played using alternate rules. The object is for you to score more baskets than your opponent. You should play a typical game for sixty minutes with four fifteen-minute periods, but you really can determine the length yourself. For you to start the game, the wo teams you formed, line up around the two centers. Each of your players matches up against another based on height and skill to make it fair. The referee throws the ball straight up and the two of you who are playing the position center, jump up to gain possession. The goal for you is to â€Å"tip† the ball to your teammates to gain possession. Remember Basketball is much as an offensive game as defensive game. When you have the ball, all of the members of your team are on offense. On offense you are trying to score points by shooting the ball into the opposing team’s basket. Each â€Å"basket† your team scores is worth two points. Baskets scored outside the three-point line (an arc-shaped line beyond the free throw line) are worth three points. On offense you need to advance the ball, you can advance the ball in two ways: by passing and dribbling. First Dribbling, you need to take the ball and bounce it on the floor in a continuous motion. This is the process of dribbling. You can move your feet and body in any direction as long as you are dribbling but if you move in any direction without dribbling the ball then that is a violation. The goal for your team on offense is†¦

Discrimination Towards The Lgbtq Community - 1483 Words

Carolyn Kasper Mrs. Gallos English 3 6 April 2017 Discrimination Towards the LGBTQ Community We as a society are not doing enough to end the discrimination in the LGBTQ ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) community . There is no reason to discriminate someone for what they do behind closed doors and they should keep their negative words and actions to themselves. No one no matter what they believe in should be discriminated against. Just because someone who is attracted to the same sex or is transgender they should not be treated any differently than someone who is attracted to the opposite sex. Discrimination is a problem all around the globe whether it is at home, in the workplace, or just in the street. People of all†¦show more content†¦Although there are few laws that protect the rights of those in the LGBTQ community, ‘With limited or no federal protections, an LGBT person can get legally married in most states, but then be evicted from an apartment and denied a home loan.’ (Did). There are almost no laws protecting those with a diff erent gender identity than what their birth certificate states. There are actually laws that put those who identify with a different gender than the birth certificate states in danger, The bathroom laws put not only those who struggle with gender identity but, everyone in danger, â€Å"they did it by running television ads that demonized transgender women and suggested the ordinance would allow male sex predators entry into women’s rest rooms.† (Everything). Laws like that make it legal for anyone to walk into any public restroom. A grown man can walk into a bathroom with young women strictly because he says he identifies as a women. There are laws that make it legal for a business owner to turn away a customer primarily because they are gay. This law is so that the business owner does not do something that conflicts with their religious beliefs, â€Å"health professionals deny services to LGBT people by citing religious objections† (Everything). Couples struggl e to find wedding venues and bakeries that will serve them. There are also other laws that make it legal for an employer to fire an employee because they are gay. This is a big partShow MoreRelatedKatriel Pacheco. Ms. Tomlinson. English One. 8 March 2017.1748 Words   |  7 PagesKatriel Pacheco Ms. Tomlinson English One 8 March 2017 LGBTQ People and Equal Rights In the book, Teens and LGBT Issues, Hal Marcovitz shares, â€Å"In this technique - which is now called electroconvulsive therapy - an electric current would be passed through the brain triggering a seizure. The seizure, in turn, would alter the brain’s chemistry,† (Marcovitz 24). 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ThisRead MoreOlympic Pride Does Not Permit Sexual Discriminaiton1521 Words   |  6 Pageswho you love, where you love, why you love, when you love or how you love, it matters only that you love† (John Lennon). LGBTQ; a growing cause that has been heard by many people across the globe, Gay marriage and equality is no longer just a farfetched idea but has become a reality for many nations across the world who have accepted and legalized the acceptance of LGBTQ community members within society. Some have accepted while other fought against this notion of legalization, thou gh many citizensRead MoreRacism And Racism732 Words   |  3 Pages Everyday millions of Americans are faced with backlash from their community, state and even their own country for who they are! Heterosexism is the prejudice against homosexuals. Many Americans believe that heterosexuality is the way everyone should be, meaning that you must only be attracted to the opposite sex. They believe that if you are gay, lesbian and or bisexual that you are not in the norm. The LGBTQ community, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer areRead MoreA Brief Note On The And Lesbian And Gay Pride Week At An Elementary Classroom Essay1171 Words   |  5 Pageswill educate children on the different types of sexuality to oppose the negative portrayal of the LGBTQ community. If children are taught that it’s acceptable to diminish, exclude and insult someone based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, then that child will eventually continue a vicious violent cycle towards members of such community and expand that vision to others within his community. In the article â€Å"Surviving the Pain and Widening the Circle: Celebrating Lesbian and Ga y Pride Week