Spear Fishing Essay Research Paper Cause or free essay sample

Spear Fishing Essay, Research Paper Cause or Consequence Spear Fishing Free honkytonk lance fishing is a really gratifying athletics. This great out-of-door athletics is a perfect manner to maintain the organic structure really healthy. It can consequence the organic structure in many positive ways. It works as a great cardiovascular exercising ; a great manner to alleviate emphasis ; and a delightful manner to acquire the proper foods the organic structure needs to remain healthy. The first consequence that free honkytonk lance fishing has on the organic structure is the manner it allows the organic structure to remain in form with its demanding cardiovascular work out. Spear fishing requires the fisherman to travel and run for the fish. To make this the fisherman must come in the H2O and swim to where the fish are most abundant. The swimming technique used for spear fishing is a modified free manner swim. The custodies and weaponries are non used for swimming, there primary aim is to keep the spear gun or Hawaiian sling. We will write a custom essay sample on Spear Fishing Essay Research Paper Cause or or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The legs power the move during the swim. Swimming is a known exercising that improves the bosom, lungs and musculuss. The bosom receives a great exercise. As the bosom rate goes up the bosom pumps more blood to the organic structure leting more O to make the cells bring forthing healthier cell tissue. The lungs besides get a great exercise. As the fisherman swims, the lungs are being used to there fullest. Heavy external respiration and expiring causes the organic structure to derive more air current, which builds endurance and staying power. This procedure of utilizing the bosom and lungs improves the full circulatory system. The musculuss besides gain a batch through swimming. The organic structure is utilizing a batch of musculuss during the swim. The musculuss are invariably being used leting them to go tone. Swimming is known to fire up to 300 Calories an hr. The 2nd consequence that spear fishing can hold on the organic structure is that it is a great emphasis stand-in. Spear fishing can be a really beautiful loosen uping athletics. The submerged universe is a really beautiful creative activity. The ocean has many things to see and research. During a hunting experience a fisherman may meet many different types of fish or stones. Sing such beautiful things that are non normally viewed on a regular footing can be really honoring. Bing abl vitamin E to see a rare colourful tropical fish or a beautiful bright orange coral reef can convey a enormous sum of exhilaration and felicity to the fisherman. The escapade of hunting and catching fish gives the organic structure an adrenalin haste and a sense of achievement. The great feelings the organic structure brushs while spear angling gives the organic structure a beginning of relaxation. It allows the head to bury about all the nerve-racking things in life and dressed ore on the more beautiful things. The 3rd consequence that spear fishing can hold on the organic structure is how the fish that are caught give the organic structure the proper foods it needs to remain healthy. A fish falls under the meat group in the basic nutrition guidelines. It contains a great sum of foods the organic structure requires. Fish are a great beginning of protein. Protein is one of the most of import elements used by the organic structure to maintain good wellness and verve. All the tissue, castanetss, and nervousnesss are made up of largely protein. It contains a major beginning of constructing stuff for the musculuss, blood, tegument, hair, nails, and internal variety meats. Without protein the organic structure would go really ill and weak. Fish besides contain many other vitamins and minerals. Take pink salmon for blink of an eyes. It contains non merely the extremely needed protein it contains vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, nicotinic acid and Ca. These foods are besides needed by the organic structure to stay healthy. Fish contain small to no fat which means that eating fish is a really healthy manner to devour the proper sums of nutrition the organic structure needs. The organic structure is a really of import component in an person? s life. It can consequence the person in many different ways. If the organic structure is weak and ill so the individual likely won? T be excessively outgoing and energetic. But if the organic structure is strong and healthy so that person will be more likely to populate an adventuresome and energetic life. Keeping a tantrum and healthy organic structure isn? t difficult to make. There are many ways to accomplish this end. By eating the right nutrients and exerting on a regular footing the organic structure can stay in good wellness. Spear fishing is an adventuresome manner to acquire a cardiovascular work out ; alleviate emphasis ; and have a really healthy dish to eat. 321

Drug Screening Essay Example

Drug Screening Essay Example Drug Screening Paper Drug Screening Paper Among employers, there is growing awareness of yet another factor with regard their employees health that they have to take into account. The apparent prevalence of illegal drug use at work has, in the United States, led private companies to ask workers to submit to drug tests either as a requirement for getting the job, or on a random basis. There are two main sides to this issue that will be explored. First, the company’s responsibility for employee and workplace safety (with regard to employee drug use). Second, is the employee’s right to privacy. Some would argue that indiscriminate testing of employees for drug use is an intrusive and degrading process that undermines fairness and privacy in the workplace. Is drug testing a growth industry? Do the employee’s fourth amendment rights exceed the company’s responsibility to provide a safe environment? In addition, we will investigate the effectiveness of random drug testing, as well as, the possible drawbacks. We as business managers and leaders must discover the truth of issues, such as this, in order to make informed and appropriate decisions. These choices will affect employees, families, customers and society in many ways. Thus, we cannot afford to ignore the question†¦ â€Å"Should employers be allowed to screen employees for drugs randomly†? Introduction In the United States today, as well as in many other countries around the world, drug use and abuse has become a serious problem. Government and private employers want work places to remain free of all drugs. These measures have included the use of mandatory drug testing and counseling for those found to be using drugs. Statistics indicate that about 70% of illegal drug users are employed. These same individuals are at risk for on-the-job accidents, increased absenteeism, high usage of medical care and emergency room services, as well as being more likely to negatively affect productivity, morale, and the companys bottom line. More and more employers are turning to drug testing as a means of creating a safer workplace. Employees Possible drawbacks of random drug screening are varied and the damage to an employee with a positive result from a mandatory drug test can cause life long damage. Though it may be a greater problem for the employer, if more accurate tests would prevent a false positive result, then they should bare the cost of that test. Before results are made known, an employee should have the right to discuss drug use with his personal physician and with his employer so that no injustice is done. Right to Privacy The most important issue comes to happen when mandatory drug tests are imposed. Are the rights of the individual removed by the need for a drug-free workplace? Other considerations involve the infringement on individuals rights to privacy. There is no mention in the Bill of Rights to the right of privacy but it is implied by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. But the issue no longer appears to be whether it is reasonable and appropriate for employers to implement such programs. Rather, the question is how these programs can be conducted fairly and effectively (Walsh, 1991, p. 168). The courts have decided that the greater need for safety in certain industries and in certain positions alone led to a diminished expectation of privacy (Ibid.). Responsibility of Employers There is no doubt that drug testing is a necessary requirement to make sure that employees in sensitive and public positions are free from  drugs, but to also insure the safety of the general public when coming in contact with these individuals. The balance necessary to insure that individual rights are not violated, creates a responsibility on employers and laboratories to insure that the testing procedures are accurate and un-contaminated. Employers have the responsibility to be sure that their  testing procedures are the most accurate available. Employers also need to bear in mind that the smoking of a single marijuana cigarette at a New Years Eve party should not cause an employee to lose his job and his reputation three months later in March. They also need to know that watching an employees performance on the job could show that he has a problem with alcohol, cocaine or hallucinagenics that might not show up on a test. Effectiveness The use of a second, confirmatory screening of positive drug tests is a procedure widely agreed upon as essential for reliable test results. However, Cropanzano and Konovosky (1993) cite a survey finding that of 177 organizations that do drug screening, 32% relied only on the initial screening without a second confirmatory test. Another issue has to do with the relationship between the time at which the company becomes aware of use through a positive, drug-test result and when the actual usage took place. Drugs vary in their period of detect ability through urine or other forms of drug testing. Different types of drug use are detectable for different periods of time after use depending on the type of  drug test (I.e., urine, blood, hair analysis), and the reliability of each type of test is variable for each drug that is tested. Despite the problems with inaccurate drug test results, the practice appears to be here to stay. However, employees who are tested  positive for drug use do have an alternative.  Many companies use a urinalysis-screening test that has an error rate of about five percent; employees probably have the right to a second, more accurate test. The most common tests used are called the enzyme multiplied immunoassay (EMIT) and radio immunoassay (RIA) tests. A much more sensitive and accurate test is the gas chromatography mass spectrometer test (GCMS). However, the second test is very expensive and the employer may not be responsible or willing to pay the cost. If the employee decides to challenge his positive result, he may have to bare the cost of the second test. An important consideration regarding marijuana is the fact that the active ingredient has metabolites that can be detected up to three months after use. These are fat-soluble therefore a heavy person will remain positive to testing much longer than a thin one. The tests currently used show use, but not impairment. On the other hand, drugs such as cocaine are water-soluble and leave the system within hours. LSD and other hallucinagenics are undetectable by urinalysis, even if the  user is currently high. For this reason, drug testing is likely to detect marijuana users only, frequently long after smoking (Verespej, 1990, pp. 47 48). Rehabilitation vs. Dismissal If an employee tests positive for drug use, what should the next course of action be? Is this defined in policy? If your policy states that immediate termination is a must then nothing more is to be said. But is this fair? Should an employer give the employee the opportunity for rehabilitation? Rehabilitation has a high success rate when tied to job retention because the job is often the only stability the drug abuser has. (Blum, 1989) Relationships with family or spouse may have already disintegrated, but the threat of losing a job usually cuts through any form of denial the individual may have regarding his or her drug usage. This creates a lot of leverage, and ultimately the employee will need to make a decision between the job and the drug. The choice becomes concrete when, as part of the return-to-work agreement, he or she agrees to submit to random testing at the employers discretion. The  successfully rehabilitated employee is generally a very loyal employee. The commitment the employer has demonstrated is a lifeline tying the employee to a sense of purpose and stability, as well as to an income.(Blum, 1989) Applicable Laws Drug abuse in the workplace has become a common and widespread problem. To help win the war against drugs . . . drug tests have been instituted in many areas of the public and private sector (Bradley, 1989 p. 175). The modern war against drugs is not a new thing. As early as 1972, President Richard M. Nixon said he would begin a total war against dangerous drugs. (Cate, 1991, p. 3). Former President Ronald Reagan did the same in 1986 with Executive Order 12564, establishing the Drug-Free Federal Workplace (Executive Order No. 12564, Vol 51. No. 180, September 17, 1986). In 1988, Congress followed President Reagans lead by enacting Public Law 100-690 on November 18, 1988 entitled, the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. This new law established guidelines for both federal agencies and any private contractor doing business with the federal government. The Act  required these employers to establish programs to get rid of drugs in the workplace. It further required employers to establish: a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace; the . . . policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace; any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs; and the penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations (Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988.) One of the ways in which the drug-free workplace was to come about was through mandatory drug testing of employees. Most of the drug tests are accomplished through urinalysis, a practice that has problems because of inaccuracy. As authorized by Executive Order 12564 and PL 100-71, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs. These mandatory guidelines established federal standards for conducting urine drug testing on Federal employees, and certification standards for laboratories which would test these specimens (Finkle, Blanke and Walsh, 1990, p. 3.) Company Policies There are many ways an employer can take responsibility for providing a safe work environment. First, they must decide on a policy. Employers can choose the circumstances under which they would want to do drug testing. Pre-employment, random, post-accident and/or reasonable suspicion drug testing is available. Programs can be tailored to employers needs. Next, you must write the policy. Decide on a company message and the outcomes if someone were to test positive for substance abuse. Ask yourself, what would you do if an employee tested positive for drugs? Do you want zero tolerance or an option to offer a second chance and counseling? A very important factor is to see an attorney to discover legal issues regarding policies you want to create. Work with labor unions if necessary and inform employees. Above all be consistent. All employees need to be treated equally when implementing a policy. Show your employees that you are aware and watch for symptoms of drug or alcohol abuse. Red eyes, slow or slurred speech, the smell of alcohol or a decrease in productivity are signals. Theft in the workplace may be another indicator that you have an employee with a drug problem. The Drug Screen Industry Is drug screening an industry? Marianne Costantinou of the San Francisco Chronicle asserts that â€Å"All told, 67 percent of the nations largest companies test their employees or applicants for drugs, according to a 2001 survey by the American Management Association, a New York consulting firm that claims to have 7,000 corporate clients representing one-fourth of the U.S. workforce. And though the percentage of companies who test is down from its peak 81 percent in 1996 it still means that each year, millions of workers are giving more than just their best effort to the job.† (2001) Costantinou goes on to say â€Å"The result is that drug testing is big business. Just one drug- testing company, SmithKline Beecham, now called GlaxoSmithKline, did 24 million drug tests in a decade, from 1988 to 1998, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Though one of the nations largest labs, theyre hardly alone in what Standard Poors values as a $5.9 billion industry. The Drug Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA), based in Washington D.C., has 1,100 members, including drug labs, collection facilities and equipment makers. And its membership roster, says its executive director, Laura Norfolk, is just the tip of the iceberg. (2001) These kinds of facts indicate that drug screening is quite likely a huge industry. On the other hand, what price do we place on workplace safety? Results and Conclusions In a survey conducted at the University of Phoenix Online, graduate and undergraduate students were asked the following questions in order to further explore the main issues with regard to random drug screens. 1. Do you feel that an employer should randomly drug screen employees in order to ensure safety in the workplace? 2. Would you feel safer knowing that policies are in place, with regard to random drug screening, to insure safety in the workplace? 3. Do you feel that a positive drug screen test should result in a second screen to verify results? 4. Do you feel that drug screens are accurate? 5. Do you consider drug screening an industry? 6. Should positive random drug screen results be cause for termination? 7. Should a positive random drug test result in company-sponsored rehabilitation? 8. Do random drug screens violate fourth amendment rights? 9. Are there negative effects, on employees, due to the random drug screen process? The student’s responses indicate a strong desire to have safety in the workplace through random drug screens. 90% said that employers should perform random drug screens and over 70% said that they would feel safer with these policies in place. Also, over 70% of students surveyed produced a major indication that drug screening does not violate the employees right to privacy. There are clearly many pros and cons to this highly controversial issue. But there seems to be a predominant intolerance for drug use in the workplace. Company responsibility to adhere to applicable laws, as well as, provide a safe work environment (for all) seems to take precedence over the employees right to privacy if policies are implemented in the interest of fairness. In this way, the employees right to privacy is not allowed to encroach upon the rights of others to pursue their work and daily life in relative safety. References Blum, T.C. 1989 The presence and integration of drug abuse intervention in human resources management. In Drugs in the workplace: Research and evaluation data, eds. S. Gust and J.M. Walsh. NIDA Research Monograph 91 Bradley, Gregory. Drug Testing in the Workplace: A Public Sector Concern. Howard Law Journal 32:1 (1989): 175. Cate, Fred H. The Tenth Strategy: Communications and the Fight for a Drug-Free America. The Annenberg Washington Program in Communications Policy Studies of Northwestern University 1991:3. Costantinou, Marianne. The American Way. San Francisco Chronicle August 2001 Cropanzano, R. and Konovsky, M. Drug use and its implications for  employee drug testing. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management 1993 Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988. Public Law 100-690 18 Nov. 1988. Drug Testing is Here To Stay. USA Today Special Newsletter Edition Dec 1989: 8. Executive Order No. 12564, vol 51. No. 180, 1986. References Finkle, Brian S., Robert V. Blanke, Michael Walsh. Technical, Scientific and Procedural Issues of Employee Drug Testing: Consensus Report. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1990: 3. Verespej, Michael A. Death Blow for Random Testing. Industry Week, July 2, 1990, pp. 47 48. Walsh, J. Michael. Drug Testing in the Private and Public Sectors. Reprinted from Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine.

Public Relation Sector Feasibility Study on the Gulf Region Research Paper

Public Relation Sector Feasibility Study on the Gulf Region - Research Paper Example has grown over the years in the gulf region, being useful in sectors like charity and consultancy, where firms are seeking to build their image in the eyes of the public and make the most out of public relations. This report attempts to identify the correlation between the charity sector and public relation for the consultancy sector exemplifying their potential as a career option for practitioner using sector analysis. Although the size of the public relations in the charitable sector is currently small in the Gulf region with 78 nonprofit organizations (Özbilgin & Healy, 2003, p. 23), there are notable trends that point out to the increasing size and the need for public relations in this sector. The current small size may be owed to the previous notions that undermined the role of public relations in charity. Many organizations relied on crude means of publicizing their communications, instead of employing professional services to cater for such needs (Benthall & Bellion-Jourdan, 2003, p. 34). However, the art of public relations has been popular in the last decade and is increasingly used by most organizations. The value of public relations in the sector is enormous and there is increasing need to build good relationships as well as foster cooperation with other players in the industry (Hitchins, 2006). In the Gulf region, charity organizations need to employ strategic public relations as a means through which they communicate their valuable information to the public to help them understand what the organization does, its missions and objectives. One of the major players in the industry is Charity PR, an organization geared towards popularizing the art of public relations in charity organizations, as well as addressing key challenges that have faced the sector in the last few years. The key stakeholders the run the charity sector in public relation include government through agencies, the nonprofits organizations, public benefit authorities (PBA) and private

Substance Misuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Substance Misuse - Essay Example On the other hand, many individuals who happen to be victims of this disorder may not be similarly motivated, and retaining them in the treatment table will require the clinician to adapt the assessment process to their level of insight and motivational state. This will often call for the extension of the treatment phase over time rather than attempting to acquire all the information regarding the patient at once so that the clinician can tailor the intervention to the individual’s particular stage of change. A full assessment of an individual’s substance abuse and/or dependence may need to be gathered in pieces over time, with details being added to the initial picture when the individual is in a position to share information that is pertinent to the pattern of his or her condition and more motivated to think about change (Rasool 2009). Causes of substance abuseThe causes of substance abuse and/or dependence are complex as they encompass social, economic and educationa l factors. However, the immediate treatment of this condition must address the underlying cause of substance abuse and/or treatment which includes poverty, inadequate health care, ethnic discrimination, hunger, and an inefficient educational system. Since these causes range from environmental, psychological, informational and social factors, it is evident that not even a persuasive campaign can address these factors at once. By implication, researchers are of the idea that a lack of information regarding the nature of substance abuse.

Pen Pal Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pen Pal Letter - Essay Example This class makes a consideration of the trends in dance all over the world. Its focus on classics has left me interested more than ever. Before this, I have previously been exposed to dances since I was a small child. Growing up in the midst of people who loved music and dance inspired me. They always praised dancers from as far as the 19th century, highlighting just how much classical dances inform the emergence of new and improved kinds and styles of dance. On a more specific ground, I would like to describe some course material and offer my insight and/or reaction to the material. My class covers a number of types of ballet. Before I address three of those types of ballet, I would to share how the teaching process is done in this class. A number of teaching and learning methods are employed, namely: theory, practical, and visual. Teacher-learner and learner-learner interactions inform the theory and practical part of teaching and learning. On the other hand, the visual aspect encompasses watching dance videos and sharing our experiences relative to the videos. The three types of ballet I would like to talk about are: Vaganova, Cecchetti, and Balanchine. Vaganova ballet is commonly referred to as the Russian ballet. This ballet encompasses a movement that is continual in nature. Body parts are essentially not isolated, thus the observation of a movement flow that is continual. Cecchetti is the simplest form of ballet. The technique employed is precise and basic. Finally, modernization has significantly influenced ballets. In this respect, Balanchine reflects the modernity of ballet technique. Notably, the study of Balanchine is mostly done in America. The three ballet types presented above are just a tip of the iceberg as far as dance is concerned. The dance world is intensive and extensive, but the common denominator is that this world is one of the most interesting aspects globally. Dance entertains, communicates, informs, warns, unites, and

Swot Analysis Of The Home Depot

Swot Analysis Of The Home Depot Business model: Home Depots business model, the first of its kind in the home improvement industry has revolutionized the way customers shop for home improvement products. Their business model is focusing on selling home improvement products and services to DIY, BIY, and professional customers with wide variety of products and sales associates that are educated and knowledgeable about home improvement. Well known brand name: The Home Depot, as an established corporation, has much strength behind its name. One of the largest strengths would be that of its brand recognition The Home Depot name has become synonymous with home improvement. Brand recognition is of strong significance to the consumer that provides a sense of trust to its customers. Extensive product offerings: The Home Depot is one of the leading distributors in United States. It has wide variety of merchandise including different types of building materials, home improvement supplies, and lawn and garden products. Convenience: It is no secret that if you want anything having to do with home improvement the first place to go is Home Depot. Home Depot has distinguished itself as the home improvement warehouse that has what you are looking for when it comes to home improvement. Their extensive product lines have made The Home Depot the one stop shopping in home improvement. Training Employees in Safety: The Home Depot provides a strong focus during the training of their employees on safety. New hires complete a training curriculum that is designed for their specific job type. Television Network(HDTV): Money saving device that allowed HDs top executives to get instant feedback from local managers, and allowed training and communication programs to be viewed in the stores. Price: The Home Depot is committed to competitive pricing. It often prices its products substantially below major chains. Home Depot has low price advantage due to economies of Low price scale. Service: The company uses sophisticated selection criteria to select people with a customer-friendly orientation. They also value, but do not require, experience in the building trades. Weaknesses Counterbalancing the strengths of Home Depot, it also has a couple of key weaknesses that need to be addressed. Growth: Is both a blessing and a headache for Home Depot. As they have expanded aggressively into new markets, they have seen their operating expenses rise in direct proportion with their growth in revenue. While this is would be expected in most instances. This means that Home Depot is not capitalizing on economies of scale in logistics and distribution provided to them by their market saturation strategy. Decline in Customer Loyalty: One of Home Depots noticeable weaknesses would be the declining customer loyalty. The decrease is not solely based on their customer service or product offering but that there is a strong presence of strong competition in their industry. Lowes is Home Depots number one competitor in the industry. Over time Lowes has followed Home Depots way in product/service offerings and expansion. Consumers have more choices and Lowes is continuously building on their brand recognition, which spreads the consumers thin between the two rivalries. Focus of Consumers: Home Depot focuses on the male and professional segment of the market. They should consider catering to the women and families in the market segments. Environment: Competitor Lowes is generally regarded as having cleaner, smaller, brighter, more customer-friendly store. Financials: With a new CEO, making drastic changes at HD and having expanded sharp decline in stock price, the morale of managers is down. As HD enters its nature stage, share returns have declined and management has become less enthused. Lack of Local Market Focus: HD store managers were given great freedom in customizing their stores, from merchandising choices to employee relations. Organization structure: The Home Depot former CEOs militaristic leadership style and centralized organizational Leadership style structure are main weaknesses. These are affected the performance of employee resulting in excessive layoffs. Opportunities: Because of Home Depots size they have some interesting opportunities available to them. With a solid foothold in North America, Home Depot will set its sights on other world markets to further expand and spread its business risk across many diverse world markets. Expansion will be the primary focus for growth into the year 2000. Home Depot has an opportunity in the global sourcing of their products as their scope and reach becomes global. Sourcing from other countries may significantly grow their gross margin. Home Depots Service Performance Improvement (SPI) program is due to deliver huge paybacks in productivity of night team workers. Other IT projects pose great opportunities to increase efficiency, decrease costs and further increase margins. HD is staying within its core competencies by expanding their new landscaping division. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Through a strong marketing research program, HD should fully grasp what the consumer is wanting. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ HDs specialty in home improvement and strong name recognition, will allow them to capture a large portion of this market. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ HDs EXPO Design Centers are an opportunity to expand their market niche by providing potential customers with innovative remodeling suggestions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ As the EXPO centers enter more markets, they will be taking sales directly from stores such as Pier One, Bed BathBeyond , Sears , Williams-Sonoma and SAKS 5th Avenue. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ By specializing in high and home improvement products such as small appliances and culinary ware, patio accessories, ceiling fans and Persian rugs, people should enjoy the trendy shopping experience. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ HD is taking the initiative to update the appearance of their older stores by investing $250 million in store remodeling in the upcoming year. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ They intend to transform their somewhat outdated stores into cleaner, more user friendly stores to enhance the overall shopping experience. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tool rental services had a significant impact on HD` s Gross Profitability. As the number of centers increase, so will gross profit as a percentage of sales. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ HD recognized a strong market potential in smaller cities surrounding large cities. By initiating the new market penetration strategy of smaller cities, HD will benefit greatly. Serving primarily to do-it-yourselfers, which is a largely recession-proof market. So, even during a recession Home Depot can survive and even make money. Offering a broad line of products that can lead to an increase in the number of customers. Restructuring management and organization is opportunity for Home Depot to improve its market Globalization value: Globalization has always two sides like to sides of coin. The positive side of globalization is to get efficiency and economies of scale and expanding market by internationalization. Innovation has opportunities and threats both. Opportunities are it allows Home Depot to leverage the space it has and display a multitude of product in warehouse setting so customer can see the products available and buy it on same visit. Leveraging the power of brand leadership through inclusive marketing campaigns that target pros and active do-it-yourself customers among both men and women. At the same time, we market opportunities for store growth expect to shape our marketing plans to capitalize on our large scale and geographic advantages. Providing customer benefits from investments in new point-of-sale systems, self-checkout, and Threats: The biggest threats that I see for Home Depot are its competitors such as Lowes, which are trying to emulate or even take a step further every strategy used by Home Depot. Wholesale outlets can also affect Home Depot by offering lower prices to professional business customers. Serving to the DIY industry can also be a threat because it is a very competitive industry and the profit margin is very low. So, if the DIY industry is not managed properly, a company might end up selling it off, like Kmart with Builders Square. Intense competition fuels business to be efficient in almost every way. Intense competition is one of the biggest threats for Home Depot right now. Home Depot has more than 25 direct competitors including Lowes, Menards, True Value, Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Sears, Target and Wal-mart. Lowes and Menards has significant market share right now. High buyer power There are high buyer power and low switching cost due to many firms in market competing among each other. Innovation The major threat of innovation is that each store must have and extremely efficient and organized warehouse supply chain operation. Globalization The negative side of globalization is different economical, political and legal condition in different nations. Different culture, people attitude and local firm also threat for firm. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in and the Economical conditions overall condition of the U.S. economy, stability of costs and availability of sourcing Weather conditions and channels, conditions affecting new store development, the companys ability to attract, train Competiton. and retain highly-qualified associates, unanticipated weather conditions, and the impact of competition and regulatory and litigation matters. Because of the competitive nature of the retail industry, Home Depots success depends on price, store location, customer service, and wide product selections. In each market that Home Depot serves there is a plethora of specialty home improvement stores that have the potential to cutting into Home Depots market share (Datamonitor). Home Depots overlap with primary competitor, Lowes, poses a potential threat. In the minds of consumers, Home Depot may be seen as interchangeable with Lowes which would in turn decrease customer loyalty. Also when a Lowes enters a market that is only served by Home Depot, Home Depots sales have a tendency to decrease by up to 15% (Datamonitor). As Home Depot and Lowes continue to compete head to head in primary markets and both continue their strategy of market saturation, the awareness of US market saturation becomes a very real possibility. According to Datamonitor, The US home center potential is valued at approximately 3,500 stores. With Home Depot and Lowes opening a combined 300 stores a year, the industry could reach saturation in the next few years. Because of the competitive nature of the retail industry, Home Depots success depends on price, store location, customer service, and wide product selections. In each market that Home Depot serves there is a plethora of specialty home improvement stores that have the potential to cutting into Home Depots market share (Datamonitor). Home Depots overlap with primary competitor, Lowes, poses a potential threat. In the minds of consumers, Home Depot may be seen as interchangeable with Lowes which would in turn decrease customer loyalty. Also when a Lowes enters a market that is only served by Home Depot, Home Depots sales have a tendency to decrease by up to 15% (Datamonitor). As Home Depot and Lowes continue to compete head to head in primary markets and both continue their strategy of market saturation, the awareness of US market saturation becomes a very real possibility. According to Datamonitor, The US home center potential is valued at approximately 3,500 stores. With Home Depot and Lowes opening a combined 300 stores a year, the industry could reach saturation in the next few years Go to Page 1 View as single page à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ HD is competing head to head with Lowes. They have been stealing HDs market share with a positioning strategy of opening stores as close as possible to HD. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Looming poor economic conditions present challenges for this retailer. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Declines in GDP growth, employment, personal disposable income and customer sentiment are a threat to HDs sales revenues in the short term. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Decreases in the economic factors would signify a worsening economy. Consumer would start a larger portion of their disposable income Questions for Discussion 1. What is your assessment of Nardellis changes at Home Depot? Which had the greatest impact? In my opinion Nardelli, during the years he was The Home Depots CEO, did an overall great job. The changes he introduced to the business model were necessary to help The Home Depot to keep growing in the right direction. The Home Depot, at the time Nardelli was appointed CEO, was a company with an old style management and operations that could have compromised the future of the company. Nardelli focused on and achieved increasing sales and profitability, by 2006 sales had doubled from $45.7 in 2000 to $90.8, and profits had more than doubled from 2000 to 2005 to $5.8 billion. Among all the changes he made, the ones that had the biggest impact were: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Geographic expansion: Nardelli brought the company to Mexico were it went from zero to number one. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Diversification: he expanded the wholesale business with the creation of Home Depot Supply, which provided products and services to professional customers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cost cutting measures: he centralized Home Depots merchandising and purchasing which lead to an improvement of the buyer power with suppliers and better deals extending payment terms from 30 to 45 or 50 days. He also took the decision to switch full time store employees to part time employees and to reduce the number of employees in the stores. This had actually a negative impact as it certainly contributed to the erosion of the share price during the years and it actually cost Nardelli his job. Opening to different countries, having better communication system with stores and dealing with distributors in corporate level vs. locally deals. This had more potential on getting better deals. 2. How did Nardellis changes affect profitability, labor productivity, and customer service? What metrics would you use to assess these impacts? The main change that Nardelli introduced that affected profitability was the centralization of the merchandising and purchasing. It is true that before 2000 the store managers were able to be closer to customers and to decide what products stock in the stores, but at the same time that was highly inefficient from an operational point of view, leading to a mismanagement of stock levels. Thanks to Nardellis new centralized approach the company was able to eliminate almost 20,000 unprofitable items and to introduce other higher priced, higher-end products which contributed to increase sales and eventually profits. Nardelli improved labor productivity thanks to heavy investments in information technology as the company was lagging behind its competitors. He started the Front End Accuracy and Service Transformation (FAST) initiative, through which all stores were equipped with new point of sales terminals with touch screens. Other measures taken by Nardelli that contributed improved productivity were: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Introduction of self check out registers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Standardizing of in-store logistic activities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Introduction of cordless scan guns. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Six Sigma Approach. As mentioned above, Nardelli actually worsen the Customer service since he started his job, mainly switching the full time store employees to part time employees. The result was that customers were unhappy about the level of customer service since the part time employees were not enough prepared as the full time workers. This eventually led to the share price erosion during the years. Some of the metrics used by Nardelli to measure the productivity were pallets per hour for the monitoring of the freight flow process and inventory velocity to measure the length of time it took for products to flow through stores. He also used other sort of performance metrics such as financial, operational, customer and people skills metrics. He definitively should have monitored closer the customer satisfaction and people skills to avoid the problems he had at the end of his career with Home Depot. Profitability increased, productivity increased however there was a decline in customer service. 3. What caused the decline in customer service? Hiring more part time employees and having military backgrounder store managers. It is hard to carry a system when you have more part time employees than your full time employees. Each employee has to attend trainings and need to practice these with the customers. In this case it would be hard to monitor improvements in part-time employees and this also effects hiring and firing process. It would take more time to find out if an employee is valuable to the company. With this on mind, having more part time employees mean more job and safety training and spending more time in monitoring and hiring process. On the other hand military backgrounder store managers can be seen as a strength however, compared to the previous managers they wouldnt necessarily have knowledge on materials to help their customers. Imagine a customer comes and asks about an item or a DIY project, even store manager has no idea about that. The Home Depot`s main competitor Lowe`s has more customer oriented service and has a refreshing atmosphere with employees knowledgeable in their interested fields.

Le Grand Meaulnes :: essays research papers

Titre: Le Grand Meaulnes Autor: Alain Fournier Genre: Roman d’adventure Date de Publication: 1913 Temps: Se deroule en 1890 et dure a peu pres 6 ans Lieu: Sainte-Agathe en Sologne et puis a Paris Personnages principaux: Augustin Meaulnes, Franà §ois Seurel, Ynonne de Galais et Frantz de Galais. Personnages secondaire: Mme Meaulnes, M. et Mme Seuriel,Mouchboef, Valentine Blondeau, Les Charpentiers, M. de Galais, Ganache, oncle Florentin. Resume Brief Augustin Meaulnes arrive comme interne dans l’à ©cole de M. Seurel, pere de Francois Seurel, le narrateur. C’est un garcon original qui bouleverse la tranquillità © de cette vie campagnarde. Un jour,il s’à ©gare dans le bois et parvient à ¡ un chà ¢teau oà º se dà ©roule une fà ©te à ©trange, en l’honneur des fiancailles du maitre, Frantz de Galais. La fiancà ©e ne viendra pas. La fete s’achevà ©, et Frantz s ‘à ©nfuit. Mais Meaulnes a rencontrà © Yvonne de Galais,la sÅ“ur de Frantz. Elle est belle. Il en tombe amoreux.Il doit cependant rentrer à ¡ l’à ©cole. Dà ©sormais Meaulnes ne cesse de la rechercher, de meme qu’il essaie avec Francois de retrouver,en vain, le domaine mysterieux. Frantz reparait,fait promettre à ¡ Meaulnes par un serment de rà ©pondre à ¡ tout appel au secours.Meaulnes part pour Paris,retrouve Valentine la fiancà ©e de Frantz tandis que Francois retrouve Yvonne que Meaulnes à ©pouse f inalment.Mais le matin des noces,là ¡ppel de Frantz se fait entendre. Meaulnes fifà ©l au serment y rà ©pond,part en abadonant sa jeune femme qui mourra en couche.Meaulnes reveindra chercher sa fille un an plus tard et partira avec elle pour de nouvelles aventures. Personnages Principaux Augustin Meaulnes: C’est le hà ©ros du roman. Il est aventurier, idà ©aliste absolu et toujours insatisfait. Il veut toujours plus, il n’est jamais content de ce qu’il a. Quand il n’obtient pas quelque chose, il se donne a fond pour l’obtenir et quand il l’a, il veut dà ©ja autre chose. Il vit d’inquià ©tude, cherche autour de lui quelque chose qui soit capable de le contenter totalement et de lui faire conquà ©rir le royaume des reves. En plus de cela, il est un entraineur, un chef. Il n’accepte pas le monde tel qu’il est fait par les autres. Il est illuminà © et crà ©e autour de lui comme un monde inconnu. Pour y arriver, il organise des escapades et une de ses escapades le conduit a Yvonne, dont il tombe amoureux. Dà ©s le debut du rà ©cit on remarque que le mot â€Å"fuite† est associà © au pesonnage de Meaulnes. Un premier portrait de Meaulnes nous est fait par sa mere au debut du livre.