Strategic Management Woolworths Ltd

Question: Discuss about theStrategic Managementfor Woolworths Ltd. Answer: Introduction By the help of strategic management process, the managers of any organization can able to make any decisions on behalf of their owner to meet the organizational goals. When the company has high profitability than the other companies in same industry then it can be said that the company has a competitive advantage (Akbar Ahsan, 2014). In this research study, the researchers explain about the PESTLE analysis and Porters five forces analysis of the Woolworths Company. Main Context Company Background Woolworths Ltd. is a public company. It is founded in the year of 1942. It holds the 2nd position among the top 2000 companies in Australia. The company obtains their major income from the retail outlets and the supermarkets in Australia. This company operates their business by retailing food, petrol, liquor, and appliances for home improvement (Arli et al., 2013). They also operate their business in gaming and hospitality sectors. It has nearly 3000 stores throughout Australia and New Zealand. Around 200,000 employees are work in this company. In future, they want to increase the share of their customers by providing them good quality products at low price. External Environmental Analysis PESTLE Analysis Political Factors The political factors of a country always have a great impact on the organizational business. For this reason, the retail companies are also get affected. The better political situation always helps the company by providing them a better growth opportunity. If the political condition is stable then the foreign investors also show their interest in investing in the business which also helps the company to grow and develop. If the political condition is unstable then risk level gets high about the rate of return and business failure (Dos Santos, 2013). However, Woolworths is performing their business in a stable political market, so the risk of failure in business is very low. Economic Factors The economic factors like high rate unemployment, recession, etc. have a great impact on the financial performance of an organization. These economic factors affect the business and lead to a low sale. For this reason, the profitability level of the company also gets reduced. Woolworths Ltd. The company faces a great loss due to global financial crisis (Dos Santos, 2012). At that time they close their business operation in the UK which leads to huge unemployment. This financial crisis has a bad impact on the overall sales of the company. However, by the help of the Australia retail industry, Woolworths can able to maintain the stability within their business in other parts of the world rather than the UK. Social Factors The Woolworths Company can able to identify the changes which take place in the social context. That is why; they increase the availability of a variety of products with a price which can be easily afforded by their customers (Ferriz Ventura, 2015). Due to these social factors, the company offers low price on their various items in their retail outlets. Focusing on these social factors, the company has shifted their attention on healthy eating and tries to provide fresh grocery items which are a trade in from other countries. These changes help the customers to choice a healthy lifestyle. Technological Factors The technological factors help the company by enhancing the shopping experience of their customers. By the help of the RFID technology, the company can able to manage their inventory efficiently within the retail stores and also maintain the availability of the stock for their customers. Woolworths also adopt an innovative technology in their retail stores i.e. the self-service checkout (Leibold Hugo, 2015). However, every type of technology is not accepted by the customers. For this reason, the company should adopt those technologies which are related to the customer needs and preference. Legal Factors The policies which are related to the tax and recruitment of new employee are the general legal framework within the retail industry. The food license is a very important requirement for any retail company. The retail companies have to maintain the quality of their products according to the laws and regulations of the nation. At the time of opening a new outlet the company needs approval from the concerned government and also follows the legal requirements of that country. Environmental Factors The environmental factors basically depend on the environment-friendly activities of the company. Woolworths has invested an amount of their resource in reducing the carbon footprint of their organization and wastage of natural resource like water. Woolworths also perform some recycling activities to reduce the wastage in a landfill (Spillan Ling, 2015). The company also provides good quality food items to their customers to maintain the organizational sustainability within the environment. Porters Five Forces Analysis Bargaining Power of Suppliers Woolworths perform a business which is basically a Safeway supermarket. For this reason, they do not need to depend on the suppliers, for that reason; in their organization, the suppliers have a weak bargaining power. The Woolworths Company has a large variety of products to sell in their retail outlets in Australia and New Zealand. For these reasons, the bargaining power of the suppliers is weak in this organization. Bargaining Power of Customers Woolworths Company has a majority of individual buyers in their organizations. For this reason, the customer has a strong bargaining power (Methner et al., 2015). As the bargaining power of the customers is strong, so it forces the company to reduce the price of the products according to the customer demands. It becomes one of the major strategies of the Woolworths Company is deliver their products at a low price to meet their customer needs. Threat of New Retailers The threat of new entrants is not so important for Woolworths Company because the company has set up their business with a huge number of retail outlets and also provides the best quality products to their customers compare to their competitor organizations in this retail industry. The organizations who are trying to enter this industry may receive tough competition from Woolworths and also face high risk of losing their investment. Threat of Substitute Products and Services The Woolworths Company has faced tough competition in their supermarket business from Dick Smith. In most of the Australian supermarkets, they offer many substitute products. For this reason, the supermarket is come up with competitive and innovative strategies to build a good brand reputation and also to attract the customers. In the retail industry, viable price strategy is a very important factor. Rivalry Among the Competitors Woolworths also have some strong competitors in the retail industry of Australia. Those competitor companies are Myer, Coles etc. who restrict the amount of market share of the Woolworths within the industry. The competitor companies always force Woolworths to create effective and competitive strategies for their organization which helps them to maintain the differences from their competitors. Figure: Porters five forces model Conclusion Woolworths is one of the trusted brands in the retail industry of Australia and New Zealand. According to Porter's five forces analysis, it can be said that Woolworths has faced high threats regarding the substitute products within the market and tough competition from their competitors. As the Woolworths Company deals with individual buyers, so the organization is influenced by their customers. Reference Akbar, S., Ahsan, K. (2014). Analysis of corporate social disclosure practices of Australian retail firms.International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting,6(4), 375-396. Arli, V., Dylke, S., Burgess, R., Campus, R., Soldo, E. (2013). Woolworths Australia and Walmart US: Best practices in supply chain collaboration.Journal of Economics, Business, and Accountancy| Ventura,16(1), 27-46. Dos Santos, M. A. (2013). Investigating the influence of reference group judgements of global warming on consumers.Tourism Management Studies,9(1), 80-84. Dos Santos, M. A. O. (2012). Global warming mitigation promotes corporate entrepreneurship within Woolworths' supply chain.African Journal of Business Management,6(31), 9151. Ferriz Ventura, C. (2015). Content analysis of publications on creativity and innovation in supply chain journals. Leibold, M., Hugo, R. (2015). A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Emerging Markets and Business Strategies in the Multicultural South African Environment. InProceedings of the 1996 Multicultural Marketing Conference(pp. 172-177). Springer International Publishing. Methner, N., Hamann, R., Nilsson, W. (2015). The Evolution of a Sustainability Leader: The Development of Strategic and Boundary Spanning Organizational Innovation Capabilities in Woolworths. InThe Business of Social and Environmental Innovation(pp. 87-104). Springer International Publishing. Spillan, J. E., Ling, H. G. (2015, January). Woolworths: An Adizes Corporate Lifecycle Perspective. InBusiness History Conference. Business and Economic History On-line: Papers Presented at the BHC Annual Meeting(Vol. 13, p. 1). Business History Conference.

Victorian and Modern Corsets

Introduction Corsets have a long and amazing history. They have survived historical moments to the current time. Over time, they have continuously been modified to shape the bodies of women into what the society expects them to appear like. During the Victorian era, corsets were not only body shapers, but also indicators of a woman’s class and her moral standing.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Victorian and Modern Corsets specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This article describes Victorian corsets, and compares and contrasts them with today’s corsets. It will examine the materials used to make corsets in the two cases, and how and why they were and are worn. Description of Corsets Shape Narrowest Victorian corsets took after the shape of a hourglass. They were narrowest at the middle with the upper and lower ends opening up to accommodate the bust and the hip area respectively. They did not have any strips hanging from either ends. There was a strap at the back running from the top to the bottom through small holes on both sides; this strap was used to tighten it to the body. The front middle lower end extended by few inches downwards below the waistline. The front middle upper end extended to accommodate breast halfway in a manner today referred to as over-bust. Modern corsets in some few ways take after the shape of Victorian corsets. One difference is seen in the middle part which is not as narrow as that of Victorian corsets. Unlike the Victorian corsets which can be said to have been significantly over-bust, today’s corsets are customized and come in the forms of over-bust and under-bust. Materials Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Silk corset Victorian corsets were made up of a variety of materials. Heavy linen, cotton and sometimes soft leath er were popular materials (Winter 1). Colored silk was used to make corsets for special events such as weddings (Pinterest 1). Reinforcement to the corsets was by means of whale bone (Winter 1). According to Eleri, the whale bone referred to here is not actually a bone at all but â€Å"keratinous material found around the upper jaws of baleen whales, used to filter plankton and krill† (Eleri 1). The whale bone was popular because it is flexible and very strong. Furthermore, it can be cut into very narrow strips without compromising strength. The whale bone strips were inserted into corsets to give them strength (Eleri 1; Winter 1). Winter also noted that some plants with very strong fibers were also used to offer reinforcement to corsets. This was expected because whale bones probably could be rare at times. Steel was another strengthening material used at this time. Iron maidens were also popular especially in the late Victorian era. Winter described iron maidens as â€Å"m olded iron devices shaped like a woman’s body or in a manner anticipated to shape the body† (1). Corsets made out of iron maidens were particularly very stiff (Winter 1). Spiral Steel Modern day corset significantly make use of fabrics such as cotton, silk and leather. The reinforcement or boning materials are numerous with the most common ones being white steel, spiral steel, plastic, and reeds. Modern technology has enabled today’s corsetieres to use light and flexible boning materials (Corset Making 1). Convenience Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Victorian and Modern Corsets specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Victorian corsets were heavy and posed a lot of discomfort due to the weight of the reinforcement materials used to strengthen them. Though they were considered flexible then, the reinforcement materials were really not very flexible. Winter noted that working women and servants could not wear corsets because they inhibited their flexibility in regard to mobility (Winter 1). The shape they aspired to create in women meant that they had to be very narrow at the middle. Taking into consideration the anatomy of a human being, this meant that the lungs and diaphragm were put under some form of pressure. Magnifying this unfortunate state was the fact that the corset had to be tied very tightly. Doctors of the time strongly spoke against corsets, and as if to support the doctors’ claims women in corsets often fainted. In some cases, whale bones could break and pierce the body of the wearer (Winter 1). Victorian corsets were not comfort to wear, but all the same they were always worn. Corsets today are very convenient to wear. They are light and flexible, and are not as tight as the Victorian ones were. Today’s corsets are customized to conveniently fit into different shapes of women’s bodies. This makes it possible for a woman to go for the most convenient corset for her body (Lingerie Addict 1). How and Why Corsets were/are Worn Why they were/are Worn A corset formed part of a daily attire that a woman was supposed to wear during the Victorian era. It did not matter where one resided, a corset had to be on. This piece of clothe had a huge influence in the life of a women and its significance was more than that of any other normal clothe. Corsets were used to shape women bodies and equally significant they shaped their lives. It is argued that the sociological aspects of womanhood during the Victorian era gave corsets great significance. According to Winter, â€Å"tightly laced corsets and close-fitted clothing created the difference†¦.it enabled the wearer to produce a form-fitted, moral, and fashionable appearance, indicating good breeding† (1). Therefore, corsets were worn has a means of showing that one is brought up well and well behaved. This helped women from the upper class in a society to m aintain their honor. They were also significant for women from poor families looking for marriage partners – wearing a corset was a show of one who is well cultured and therefore intuitively one who could become a good wife.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Victorian era demanded high morals and women wearing corset was a significant way of showing that. Women associated with loose clothes were connected with loose morals and servants. The servants could not work well with corsets on as they could restrict their mobility while working (Winter 1). Another reason why corsets were worn was to create a shape which was considered feminine. Victorian corsets are said to have been very narrow just above the waistline. The shape that women aspired at this time was that of a hourglass or a wasp. It is surprising that even young girls had their versions of corsets. It was important that they also showed their class in the society. Therefore, girls grew up knowing that corsets formed part of female clothing (Winter 1). In general, wearing a corset in the Victorian era was more of a mandatory societal expectation of a woman of moral standards and upper class. It was also used to shape their bodies into the expected hourglass-like feminine shap e (Winter 1). As the popularity of corsets grew, they were made to fit different activities. For instance, there were corsets for swimming, bicycling among other sport activities. The image shown here belonged to that of a corset called a ventilated corset. It was worn by women who engaged in sports activities and was also popular during summer (Pinterest 1). It is surprising that there were corsets for men though their prevalence was quite low. The men corsets were made to offer support to the abdomen. There were also corsets made for pregnant women styled to support the growing abdomen (Winter 1). This was simply an era corsets ruled. Modern day corsets are mostly worn for purpose of beauty unlike Victorian corsets which were worn for many reasons. There is a difference in the prevalence of corsets during the Victorian era and today. Today’s corsets do not carry even a quarter of the significance they had during the Victorian time. They do not enjoy the popularity and pres tige that their counterparts enjoyed during the Victorian time. However, this is not to say that they are useless today. Majority of women today do not wear corsets and even for those who do they do not wear them on a daily basis. They are significantly worn selectively and by only women. It is rare to find children corsets. This is in contrast to the Victoria era whereby young girls and even men wore corsets. However, corsets are still playing the role of shaping the woman body as they did during the Victorian time. In addition, corsets are also used in fashion shows (Lingerie Addict 1). How they/are were worn Having examined the question on why corsets were/are worn, it is time to examine how they were worn. The wearing of Victorian corsets has been marred with controversies. It is known that they were worn under a dress (Winter 1). But how tightly they were tied has been a subject of speculation. Nevertheless, as the diagrams below show, it is suspected that they were tightened v ery strongly. (Fashion 1) It is said that the corsets were so tight that many times women fainted as a result of being unable to breathe well. The impression created by different authors writing on Victorian corsets is that a woman had to get some assistance to wear a corset (Winter 1; Eleri 1; Pinterest 1; Fashion 1). This was probably because of significance that the hourglass-shaped body carried. This shape was significant and a tight corset also spoke volumes about the integrity and morals of the wearer. Integrity and right morals ruled the Victorian era. This is contrast to today whereby corsets are less tight and there is no societal pressure to make them tighter. Unlike Victorian corsets which were worn as undergarments, modern day corsets are made in a manner that they do not have to be worn as undergarments. Conclusion Corsets formed a very intimate part of the lifestyle of a woman in the Victorian era. Corsets were worn to help shape the body and were also a show that on e is well behaved and not loose. The society expected women to wear their corsets and as a result corsets were very common and popular in the Victorian era. Today, corsets are not very common though they are popular. There is also no societal expectation for women to wear corsets. Boning materials used in reinforcing Victorian corsets were steel, iron maidens, or whale bones. These materials made Victorian corset quite heavy. Today’s corsets are reinforced with light materials which include steel, spiral steel, plastic and reeds. As a result, they are light and convenient to wear. Works Cited Corset Making. Boning. Corset Making Supplies, 2013. Web. https://corsetmaking.com/corset-boning.html Eleri, Lynn. Well-Rounded: A history of corsetry, from whalebone to Lycra. Slate, 2010. Web. Fashion. How to Lace a Corset. Fashion, 2013. Web. http://www.victoriana.com/corsets/corset.htm Lingerie Addict. Corsets: shapes, silhouettes, and fabrics. The Lingerie Addict, 2013. Web. https:/ /www.thelingerieaddict.com/2008/08/corsets-and-corsetieres.html Pinterest. Steel Embrace: Antique Corset Love. Pinterest, 2013. Web. Winter, Denise. Cinching Up in the Victorian Era – Corsets! Denise Nadine Design, 2005. Web. This research paper on Victorian and Modern Corsets was written and submitted by user Kat1e to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sample Joney of My Life Essay Services

Sample Joney of My Life Essay ServicesMy sample Joney of My Life Essay Writing Services includes a standard personal statement with information such as your name, contact information, address, contact email and all contact information. There is also the signature section, which includes your legal name, mailing address, business name, telephone number, home telephone number, personal website and contact information.Sample Joney of My Life Essay Services can be used to help you organize and capture the main points and ideas in your essay. A good sample Joney of My Life Essay Services will allow you to create a structure to help you write the essay, and it will also outline what you want to say in your essay. The sample Joney of My Life Essay Services will also help you change your letter as you go along, adding information or removing some areas. They will provide sample letters that you can use for this purpose.When creating a sample Joney of My Life Essay Services, include your cont act information as well as your contact email. There should be contact information for you, your spouse, parents, siblings, and other people who will be reading your essay. You may also want to include your family background history, family history, etc. This can help readers better understand you, and they will be able to relate to you easier.You should not make the sample Joney of My Life Essay Services too lengthy. Your essay is going to be read by more than one person, so you do not want it to drag on. You should not make it too short, but neither should you make it too long.It is also important to be sure that your essay is catchy. If you use too many technical terms or have too many writing problems, your readers will be confused. You want your reader to feel like they have known you all their lives, and the best way to accomplish this is by using words that are easy to remember and read.You should be aware that when you are working with a Joney of My Life Essay Services to he lp you write your essay, you are going to have a lot of different tips, concepts and techniques to use in your writing. This is great! It will help you to find out more about the industry and the steps you need to take. You should also be aware that there are several different writing companies out there that will be able to help you, and you should consider looking into each one before you hire them.You will be given an outline, and you will be able to see the steps you need to take to create your essay. You should be sure that you follow the instructions given to you, and you should always keep in mind that there is no such thing as 'one-size-fits-all.' You should also be aware that there are several different ways to write an essay, and it is very possible that your sample Joney of My Life Essay Services will end up being very different from another's.There are so many resources available online that can help you write an essay. You should check them out, and you should also look at samples of many different essays. You should also look at the different writing services that are available, and then you should be sure to select the best service that meets your needs.

Chain Reaction Definition in Chemistry and Physics

Chain Reaction Definition in Chemistry and Physics In science, a chain reaction is a series of reactions where the products contribute to the reactants of another reaction without outside influence. The idea of chain reactions was introduced by German chemist Max Bodenstein in 1913 in reference to chemical reactions. Chain Reactions Examples A nuclear chain reaction is a fission reaction where the neutrons generated by the fission process go on and initiate fission in other atoms. The chemical reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen gas to form water is another example of a chain reaction. In the reaction, one hydrogen atom is replaced by another as well as two OH radicals. The propagation of the reaction can lead to an explosion. Chain Reaction Steps A typical chain reaction follows a sequence of steps: Initiation: Active particles form that serve as the basis for the reaction.Propagation: Active particles react with each other and may serve as catalysts to perpetuate the cycle.Termination: The active particles lose their activity, slowing and ending the reaction.

What Your Job Interviewer is Really Asking

What Your Job Interviewer is Really Asking If you’ve been to enough job interviews, you’ve probably been asked  questions like â€Å"what is your biggest weakness?† or â€Å"why do you want to work for us?† on more than one occasion. These questions are very common in an interview but job seekers are never quite sure what the interviewer is really looking for. Do they really want to know that we have an unhealthy obsession with chocolate or that the only reason we’re looking to work for them is so that we can pay the bills? Why do they ask these questions when they can’t possible expect a 100% honest answer? The answer is simple and the folks at  WiseCareers  have deconstructed 9 of the most common interview questions in order  to show us what the interviewer is really looking for.  As it turns out, interviewers do not expect us to answer 100% honestly. What they’re really looking to do is dissect and analyze our answers in order to obtain the hidden meaning. Check ou t the infographic below:Also make sure to review these 6 hardest interview questions to get yourself ready for the interview.

Contemporary issues in accounting and finance Case Study

Contemporary issues in accounting and finance - Case Study Example In brief, economists (Norton & Porter, pp. 56-63, 2009) have blamed organizations for considering short-term profits of the company to pay huge rewards and compensation to CEOs and directors that is a significant form of excessive amount of risk-taking by the organizations, causing long-term financial issues. Despite of different claims and blames, analysis of the studies (Saudagaran, pp. 21-25, 2009) has indicated that everything goes down to one end that is accounting and its principles. A huge number of studies (Sorkin, 2008) have indicated that there has been deficiency of ethical and professional accountants in the profession that were involved in manipulating accounting rules and metrics on short-term basis that resulted in a financial issue for the organizations, as well as the banki... Economists believe that this specific rule inclined accountants to exaggerate the financial matters in front of the national banks that contributed adversely in the promotion of economic recession. In addition, a number of experts (Manning & Nothwehr, pp. 1, 2008) from the banking sector consider the rule as a very dangerous principle that resulted in the representation of losses of billions of dollars, whereas, the organizations never lost it. In an article of the New York Times, author wrote, "FAS 157 represents the so-called fair value rule put into effect by the Federal Accounting Standards Board, the bookkeeping rule makers. It requires that certain assets held by financial companies, including tricky investments linked to mortgages and other kinds of debt, be marked to market. In other words, you have to value the assets at the price you could get for them if you sold them right now on the open market" (Sorkin, 2008). Besides FAS 157, a few experts have indicated similar objective of mark-to-market rule, FAS 115 that regulates the organizations to perform the following tasks. Although it is a good principle, but it allows companies to manipulate things in a tricky manner, and this possibility of manipulation indicates the intensifying capability of this accounting principle to encourage frauds and subsequently, recessionary period around the world. Experts (Sorkin, 2008) have indicated that big names like CitiGroup, Lehman Brothers, etc used this accounting principle to show their exposure at fifty percent, whereas, it was only near to fifteen percent. In this regard, besides unethical practices involving personal

Challenges Minorities Face Trying To Get Ahead in Corporate America Essay

Challenges Minorities Face Trying To Get Ahead in Corporate America - Essay Example As an initial matter, the barriers to minority success in the corporate world are well-known. A Glass-Ceiling Commission was formed by Congress in 1991 to study the barriers and to make recommendations. Robert Reich, the former Secretary of Labor, described this glass ceiling as "the existence of invisible, artificial barriers blocking women and minorities from advancing up the corporate ladder to management and executive level positions" (Good for Business, 1991, p.iii). The problem, therefore, is not whether such problems exist, for they most certainly exist, but how to remove the barriers to corporate advancement. The first barrier is defined as a societal barrier, and this type of barrier is considered to be outside the power of the corporation. This barrier refers to educational restraints and to stereotyping and bias, whether conscious unconscious, which affect minorities. Minorities need the educational qualifications to even begin to think about working for a corporation in a significant capacity. This, in turn, demands access to good schools, access to the money necessary to focus on studying rather than working part-time jobs, and a commitment by corporations, communities, and governmental organizations to provide minorities with the financial resources and proper education. This is a dangerous barrier. The lack of access to a good education can lead to failure in the very beginning of a person's life. The second barrier is referred to as an internal structural barrier. This barrier, in contrast to the societal barrier, is firmly within the control of corporations. This refers to a lack of commitment to minority hiring, training, and inclusion in the "pipeline" system of advancement. This barrier assumes that a minority has the educational qualifications for a particular job. Nonetheless, statistics demonstrate that minorities with the same educational qualifications are not treated equally. The Glass Ceiling Commission highlights this barrier, An analysis of 1990 U.S. Census data shows that Black men who hold professional degrees and top management positions earned 79 percent of what white men earn. Black women, also with professional degrees and in top management positions, earn 60 percent of what white men in comparable positions earn (Good for Business, 1991, p. 13). These statistics suggest that corporations are not doing enough to promote capable and well-qualified minorities within their own organizational structures. There is, in short, no disparity in educational qualifications. Indeed, the sole disparity seems to be in terms of compensation and access to promotion. The latter disparity, in a nation which prides itself on equality, is impossible to justify. The third barrier is a more generalized governmental barrier. This barrier ranges from the lack of data collection about minorities in private business to weak enforcement of government mandates and poor reporting of problems for minorities in the labor force. It must be admitted, in fairness to corporations, that their primary function is maximizing profits for shareholders. To impose costly and time-consuming governmental duties on corporations would result in dislocations of labor and inefficiencies. That said, it is the duty of the government, whether national, state, or local, to promote and protect the welfare of its