Corporate strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate strategy - Assignment Example The constant need to venture into new markets and the pressure to judiciously utilize resources drives businesses to shape their corporate strategies and business objectives accordingly. The marketplace drives corporate decision making with regard to mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, reorganizations and closures. There could be a number of different factors that prompt businesses to enter into new markets and locations, expand operations and enter into new business relationships. These factors include fast paced changes in tools and technologies, shift in consumer behavior or encountering uncontrollable factors, such as natural calamities and wars. In this era of globalization, mergers and acquisitions is one of the widely used modes of business growth and expansion for several companies. A significant reason for this is that the similarity in competencies among companies competing in the same marketplace promotes the betterment of financial performance, enhance competitive advantage, take advantage of innovative business opportunities and make an entry into newer markets and locations. However, mergers and acquisitions do not assure the organization of growth, development and success. The fact remains that a merger or acquisition can yield positive results for the acquiring company only if it is able to successfully manage the acquired business and transform it to ensure that it is line with the long-term organizational objectives (Haspeslagh and Jemison, 1991). A key element in the merger/acquisition process is the selection of the correct business that will be acquired. This process of selection is critical to the success of the acquisition, and requires deliberation, discussion and effective decision making. The main reason why organizations enter into new partnerships is to take maximum advantage of opportunities, such as entry into new markets and geographical locations, better access to cutting

Kedarnath Temple in Himalayas Essay Example for Free

Kedarnath Temple in Himalayas Essay One of the holiest pilgrimages for the Hindus, Kedarnath Temple Jyotirlinga is located in the picturesque surroundings of Rudra Himalaya Range at a height of 12000 feet on a mountain named Kedar. Near Kedarnath is the source of the river Mandakini that joins Alakananda at Rudraprayag. This place is approximately 150 miles away from Hardwar and 132 miles north of Hrishikesh and is accessible by foot. The temple at Kedarnath enshrining the Jyotirlingam of Shiva opens only 6 months a year (April-November) when the sun enters the zodiac sign of Aries and it is closed when the sun enters Scorpio. The priests then go to Ukhimath, where the worship of Kedareshwara is continued during the winter season. Tradition has it that when undertaking Kedarnath Yatra pilgrims first visit Yamunotri and Gangotri and bring with them the holy waters from the sources of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga and offer abhishekams to Kedareshwara. The traditional pilgrim route is Haridwar Rishikesh Devaprayag Tehri Dharasu Yamunotri Uttar Kashi Gangotri Triyugnarayan Gowrikund and Kedarnath. The alternative route to Kedar from Rishikesh is via Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Ukhimath. Legend Behind Kedarnath Temple Legend goes that Nara and Narayana two incarnations of Vishnu performed severe penance in Badrikashraya of Bharat Khand, in front of a Shivalingam fashioned out of earth. Pleased with their devotion, Lord Shiva appeared in front of them and said that they may ask for a boon. Nar and Narayan requested Shiva to take up a permanent abode as a Jyotirlingam at Kedarnath so that all people who worship Shiva shall be freed from their miseries. According to yet another popular legend related to Kedar Temple, Goddess Parvati worshipped Kedareshwar to unite with Shiva as Ardhanareeswarar. Besides, the Pandavas are believed to have visited this area several times. Arjuna is believed to have come here to pray to Shiva to obtain the coveted Pasupataastra. The other Pandavas are believed to have come here in search of him, where Draupadi came across the heavenly lotus Kalyana Saugandikam, and requested Bhima to bring here some more of the same. It was during his venturing out to seek these flowers that Bhima met Hanumaan. Significance of Kedarnath Temple Located in the lofty Himalayas, Kedarnath Temple is one of the best known Shivasthalams in India and is considered to be one of the most sacred pilgrimage centers of the country. It is believed that by praying to Kedareshwar, one can get all his desires fulfilled. Importance of the shrine can be further understood from the beliefs that Upamanyu prayed to Lord Shiva in this place in Satayuga while in Dwapar, the Pandavas worshipped Lord Shiva here. Even the spiritual leader Adi Sankaracharya is closely associated with Kedarnath. Structure of Kedarnath Temple Kedarnath Shrine is scenically placed amidst the lofty, snow covered mountains and grassy meadows covering the valleys. Immediately behind the temple is the high Keadardome peak, which can be sighted from great distances. It is believed that the temple of Kedarnath was constructed by the Pandavas. At the entrance of the temple is the statue of Nandi, the divine bull of Shiva. Walls inside the temple are exquisitely carved with images. The revered Shiva Lingam housed in the temple is in the unusual pyramidal form. Kedarnath Kedarnath is on the bank of the Mandakini River between Gangotri and Badrinath. As the crow flies Kedarnath is only 42km from Badrinath. Over 100,000 pilgrims come here each year. It is believed that Sankaracharya passed away here about 820 AD. Kedareswar Siva is the presiding deity. Behind the Kedarnath temple is an impressive mountain range, with the beautiful Kedarnath Mountain (6,970m). Kedarnath Temple This Lord Siva temple at Kedarnath is said to have been built by the Pandavas to atone for their sins procured during the Kurukshetra war. It is believed that this temple was originally constructed by the Pandavas, and the present temple was reconstructed by Sankaracharya in the 8th century. One of the 12 Siva-Jyotirlingas is in this temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Sada Siva and is considered to be one of the major Siva temples in India. Inside the temple there is an irregular, three-faced linga, representing the hump of Lord Siva when he took the form of a bull. It is about 3m (9 ft) long, 1m (3 ft) wide, and 1.3m (4 ft) high. Pilgrims are allowed to touch the linga, perform worship, abhishek (bathe), and massage the linga with ghee. There are deities of goddess Parvati and Ganesh in front of the main altar door. Outside the second door are Lord Krishna, the five Pandavas, their wife, Draupadi, and their mother, Kunti. In the temple is a Lakshmi-Narayana Deity, which was installed by Adi Sankaracharya. The temple faces south, which is a unique feature, as most temples face east. This temple is very solidly built. The temple opens the first week of May and closes either the last week of October or the first week of November. May/June is the busiest time of the year. Worship of Sri Kedarnath is continued in the village of Okhimath in the winter by the priest from the Kedarnath Temple. The waiting time to enter the temple in the afternoon is about 15 minutes, otherwise if you go at 7 am the waiting time may be two hours or more.

Health And Fitness Structure

Health And Fitness Structure To-day health and fitness or wellness services industry is also a fast growing sector in India. In the previous unit we have discussed about the hospitality industry wherein offering health club services are considered as an additional feature of a hospitality business. Now, in this unit let us discuss exclusively about the health and fitness industry that is booming in India. This segment includes a number of services such as beauty treatment services, therapy based treating products, personal health counselling, rejuvenation such as yoga, spas and last but not least the fitness developing centres viz. various gymnastic clubs or centres. In fact the field is experiencing a healthy growth rate and currently has an estimated market size of USD 120 million. The visible trend of surge in wellness business is the increased range of wellness books, products, and wellness holidays on the offer of the concerned person or that particular product manufacturing company. India has emerged as a big player not only in medical, tourism industry but also in developing domestic fitness and health centres in addition to the supply of the fitness product made to the individual by the manufacturing company for doing the exercises with those products to keep them fit. As on 2008, there were 765 fitness clubs in India with total membership of 2.3 million members. (Source: Statistics of the IHRSA Asia Pacific Market Report, 2008) In fact the Indian fitness industry is an immensely under penetrated market compared to several developed and developing countries in the world. For example, 16.0% of the US populations have fitness club membership whereas in India, a survey taken in seven metro cities shows that it is only 0.4%. On the other hand you know that India has the highest incidence of diabetes in the world. That is 40 million people are affected and it is likely to go up to 70 million by 2025 if left unchecked. This sudden increase is due to the changes in the lifestyle. You can notice some major changes in the areas of food consumption, lack of physical activities, longer commutation, lesser or change in sleeping time etc. among the working class population. The point is most of them in this class are well aware of the correction they need to necessarily make in their living styles. Therefore, there is a huge emphasis on regular exercise to prevent obesity and diabetes. An entrepreneur can start a business of fitness centre with the equipments and tools which are being sold by many manufacturers. The habit of people living in main metro cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi etc, ladies in particular utilise these centres to make them fit for a healthy live. Some of the equipments are Aerobic stepper, forearm flexor, anti microbial speed rope, resistance bands, skipping rope and many more equipments and products are available for doing exercises. The equipments like treadmill, stretch, and rovers, elliptical are also available to do exercises safely for everyone who wishes to keep their body fit in all aspects. There is a scope for the entrepreneurs to start this type of health institutions, gyms, fitness centres etc. Since these equipments are given to customers on a fixed time basis they come to the centres regularly, and the entrepreneur can earn a considerable amount. http://www.healthkart.com/sports/fitness-accessories/aerobics-general-fitness?pre=pageNo=3 Example: AC Nielsens global online consumer survey findings released in Feb 2009 said that 54 percent Indian respondents think they have issues with their weight. About 80% people said that they exercise at least once a week. Going to a gym is second most preferred option for exercise after walking. Objectives: After studying this unit, you will be able to explain the concept of health and fitness list the types of health and fitness activities classify the types of health and fitness services describe the business opportunities list the advantages starting a health and fitness centre list the challenges of managing a health and fitness centre commencing a health and fitness business 10.2 Concept Health is defined in the WHO (World Health Organisation) constitution of 1948 as a state of complete physical, social and mental well-being, and not merely the absence of any disease or infirmity. Health is optimal well-being that contributes to quality of life. Being free from ailments alone cannot be considered as healthy although it is essential to good health. Optimal health includes high-level mental, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness within the limits of ones heredity and personal abilities. Health is the state of being and wellness depicts the quality of life or the state of living a healthy life style. Wellness reflects the positive aspects of health that can help expand your potential to live and work effectively. Wellness is possible for everyone, regardless of whether you have a diagnosed disease Fitness refers to being fit enough to perform our personal and social obligations in an active manner. To achieve this, sufficient energy and strength levels are important. Being fit need not mean being an athlete or sport person but a capable and independent human being in general.(http://www.mhhe.com/hper/physed/clw/01corb.pdf) The concepts of health and fitness are related. If you are fit, you have a higher chance of being healthy. For example, if we observe the people who go for a walk or jogging every day, we can notice that they enjoy a healthy life, free from stress and illness. This is because their persistent walking improves their physical fitness, and also their mental well-being. Well being refers as an organised set of activities fabricated to help the individuals and families and maintain the behavioural pattern which in turn help to reduce the risk of them and simultaneously enhancing the ability of them in order to perform the tasks. The health and fitness industry is focused on the supervision of exercise and physical activity either in an individual capacity or within a group in a controlled environment. The industry provides various services and facilities that encourages and promote physical activity and the general concept of promoting wellness. In health and fitness industry, you also need to know the five major health related physical fitness components, namely: Cardio -respiratory endurance Body composition Flexibility Muscle endurance Muscular strength Let us now discuss each of these in detail. Cardio respiratory endurance: This refers to the ability of the heart, its functions, blood, and blood vessels including the total respiratory system. The required power and oxygen will be supplied to the muscles and allow them to do the exercises. Any person who does the muscle exercises can be bodily fit and can do physical activities for a longer period of time without any stress. Cardiovascular exercise offers the individual major benefits to the health and to those who are regular and constant with their exercises. The exercises for cardiovascular activities are swimming, cycling, jogging, and swimming, and pedalling and riding a machine which is elliptical in shape used in health institutes and fitness centres. (http://www.livestrong.com/article/502099-recommended-total-duration-for-cardiovascular-endurance-exercise/#ixzz1wbJEGORh) Source: http://healthplux.com/intense-cardio-workouts/ Body composition: It comprises of bones, muscles, fat and tissues etc. An individual who perform regular exercises will have normal percentage of fat. Body composition refers to your percentage fat in the body. The bone, connective tissue, muscle and internal organs are fat-free and termed lean mass. This mass is superior to fat mass and should be checked and maintained by taking healthy foods and regular exercises. Everyone who wants to keep the fat in control can improve body composition by losing fat, increasing lean muscle or a combination of both. For example, weight training adds both muscle mass and bone density. Flexibility: It is refers to the movement of joints in a body. The movement range may vary from person to person. There should be a free movement of such joints to have the flexibility. It is affected by length of the muscle, the structure joints etc. An individual can move his joints to the maximum level and full range for engaging himself in his duty and play as well. Source: http://eugenept.blogspot.in/2009/07/if-it-looks-like-duck-flies-like.html Muscle endurance: This refers to the repeated usage and ability of the muscles. An individual can repeatedly move his muscles for a longer period of time without any tiredness. Muscular strength: This refers to the ability of the muscles to carry out the external works such as lifting the weights and keeping the arm and shoulders in good shape and strength. You can perform this for maintaining the external force and lifting of weight and controlling of your body. Source: http://www.ehow.com/list_6967692_good-weight-training-exercises-beginners.html A health and fitness professional must be able to measure the components to advise clients about their health related fitness, and to use data obtained from the tests to design appropriate exercise programs which can then be evaluated. It is intended that all 5 components contribute evenly to make up a holistic health related physical fitness. Self Assessment Questions Fill in the blanks: _________ reflects the positive aspects of health that can help expand your potential to live and work effectively. The health and fitness industry is focused on the supervision of _____________ and physical activity either in an individual capacity or within a group in a controlled environment 10.3 Categories of Health and Fitness Activities You have learnt that being healthy and staying fit means meeting all our personal and social needs independently and actively. Let us now discuss more about general health and fitness scenarios. Wellness incorporates all aspects of health, including the physical, mental, spiritual and environmental. Wellness programs are those that work to positively influence these areas of a persons life to improve overall health and well-being. The term wellness program is most often associated with corporations and work-sites however wellness programs may also be offered through community organizations such as schools, Cooperative Extension Offices or public health departments However, as we are going to discuss about fitness industry more, let us also have a closer look on the health related issues in this section. The fitness centres differ from the nature of exercises they offer. Some of these are; Meditation and yoga therapy centres for deriving peace and pleasure and keeping good health Fitness centres and health spas for keeping the health fit and rejuvenated. Gym and dance 10.3.1 Meditation As we are from the land of Buddha we are not new to many of his thoughts though we do not practice them in our real life. Meditation is considered to be a way for attaining spiritual bliss and peace, ultimately for healthy living. Every culture and tradition has its own distinct and exclusive styles of practicing meditation. The basic concept and understanding i.e. to concentrate and focus towards one issue or object for a longer duration may not be feasible for all. But once we get habituated to do this in a systematic way the result is there. In India there are many missions conduct programs and classes on various captions involving meditation to teach this. Here, all you can attach yourself as a member and practice meditation for individual benefit to attain the ultimate benefit which the modern science proves true. There are many groups in all the main areas of the cities and they are teaching the meditation to group of people at different timings. This meditation controls the anger of a person and it induces us to concentrate on what we do. As per Michael J.Baime the meditation educates to have an emotional stability which allows the meditator to experience the intense emotions. One can gain insight and proper understanding of his thoughts. If you do the meditation regularly you can conquer your emotional intense and can get rid of the emotional imbalances. This helps in full relaxation of the body. The entrepreneur may get the knowledge about the meditation from the leading group of institutions and in turn this meditation will help to fell comfort and confidence including self control in his life. And he can also conduct such training centres for the benefit of the residents and can earn money with the knowledge of meditation. Meditation gives a sense of calm and acceptance of oneself and the others as well. This technique is being done for many years. Irrespective of caste and creed many people practicing the meditation for their wellness. Hence there is much scope for an entrepreneur to start such centres or visit s chools and colleges etc to teach the meditation. 10.3.2 Yoga therapy India was the origin of Yoga. It is a simple but useful technique for doing exercise which works as union among our body, mind and soul. It consists of gestures and postures. It is called Asna in Sanskrit. Yoga helps you to keep your body fit and maintain the balancing and to get self enlightenment. And it helps to control the emotions of the mind. As you know yoga is simply one sort of physical exercise involving stretching and balancing. This is mainly to keep the physique fit thereby derive fitness. But ancient legend would speak much about this theory and there are therapies developed in modern days to either prevent or cure various illnesses. However, you must appreciate that a right postures play a very important role for health fitness. As said above Yoga means union and aims at the realisation of the unity of our whole being. It is a Hindu discipline aimed at achieving a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquillity. In the West, the term is most commonly understood as the physical exercises that are practiced as part of this discipline. Human health fitness depends not only on the general physical fitness but mental peace. The entrepreneurial company can do the business of teaching Yoga to the people in and around in his area. He can also conduct group wise and offer packages of services of Yoga and there is a scope for him to earn money out of it. 10.3.3 Nature cure Naturopathy is a science of healthy living and a drugless system of healing. Nature Cure is rightly defined as a system of man building in harmony with constructive principles of nature on physical, mental, moral and spiritual. This is a technique for keeping you fit by using herbals and other naturally grown food. In nature therapy green vegetables, spinach and fruits etc are given to the people who want to cure their disorders. Since it is also a simple technique the entrepreneurial enterprise can invest money in this business and can earn some return from the investments made. Naturopathy deals with treatment of disorders by balancing the condition of homoeostasis and up-keeping the equilibrium through addition and deletion of substances. This type is available only in some places and the entrepreneur can opt for this business. Now-a days the public are fully aware of these techniques and they are known about the facts of maintaining wellness. Yet they know that these are inexpensive and there is no side effect for these techniques. For the entrepreneur it is a good chance for them to start the business as there is no much competition in India. He can start many branches across India even in abroad also. The public are eager to know about their health conditions and they want to learn more and more about the nutrition, diet and exercises to be followed etc for maintaining their wellness. Physical Exercise There are many institutions which deal with physical fitness for the wellness of the people concerned. You have already learnt that fitness is about being in shape or in good physical condition. Wellness refers to being free from illness. Living fit requires not only consuming healthy diet but doing some regular exercises along with diet. Exercising can be done by means of special equipment for lifts, squats presses or in various other ways like aerobic exercises viz. cycling, running, biking, swimming, rowing, gymnastics such as pull-ups and push-ups. Doing all these exercises in different combinations will increase our withstanding power and stamina. In USA there are more fitness and recreational sports centres which are equipped with latest machineries. These are running as a successful business unit. Some of them are: aerobic dance and exercise centres athletic club and physical fitness health spas exercise fitness centres gymnasiums health studios weight training centres nutrition strength development centres (http://www.census.gov/epcd/naics02/def/ND713940.HTM) Hence, in this unit we discuss about catering to the ever increasing demand of people in the field of fitness by setting up commercial units such as gymnastic centre or centre for yoga and other related therapies. Many publications are also available for the people to do exercises which are re commended in that. People in India use the fitness centres to do exercises. These centres have instructors and trainers to teach the people how to do exercises or meditation etc. They are conducting group exercise classes with audio and video facilities for making the people to grasp the techniques. Various fitness centres in India are: spice world fitness centre -New Delhi fitness flash- New Delhi fitness studio- New Delhi fit line- New Delhi Ozone fitness N spa- New Delhi Satguru machine fitness-Mumbai Proline fitness- Mumbai Herbal life- Mumbai Body grace- Mumbai Park health club-Kolkata Enkon body gym- Kolkata Source: http://business.mapsofindia.com/fitness-centres/ The entrepreneur can very well start his fitness centre in any place. It is undoubtedly a good business for him as people are very much interested in maintaining their body, mind and soul to survive as a fittest. Self Assessment Questions State true are false: Pathology clinics are meant for diagnosing and analysing various biological factors. To concentrate and focus towards one issue or object for a longer duration is very easy and feasible for all. Naturopathy deals with treatment of disorders by balancing the condition of homoeostasis and up-keeping the equilibrium through addition and deletion of substances. 10.4 Classification of health and fitness services The health and fitness services are classified according to the nature and technique provided in the centres. There are more services available for the entrepreneur to chose. It is required by the entrepreneur to gain knowledge about these health fitness and wellness products. There are facility and service providers who are mushrooming in India across the urban areas. Let us now broadly classify them. The classifications are: Gymnasiums with workout areas (fitness building): The Bodybuilding is always unique; it joins the unknown elements of human nature with nutritional science, exercise and psychology. Your workout in the gym will vary from other Bodybuilders. You have to determine the goals such as lose fat and tone up or gain weight or doing both at the same time. But it will be difficult and can lead to zigzag diets. Some workouts will provide good results and other workouts will be a waste of time. Aerobic dance and exercise centres (Physical fitness): At first, the main aim of the step-aerobic dance exercise was to achieve a heart rate of 50-60% as per the age of the individual. This was raised to 70-80% of the heart rate. The step-aerobic dance exercise was performed by all in the experimental group for the total of eight weeks time. These were choreographed by a professional step-aerobic coach. The movement were simplified and was to learn, required the use of both the upper and lower extremities and the back. Verbal and tactile prompts were given during each step-aerobic dance exercise class. The subjects in the experimental group participated in three groups of 40 minute sessions per week for four weeks initially, followed by three 50-minute sessions per week for another four weeks. Athletic club facilities, (Physical fitness keeping the sport in mind): Athletics club are offering mind body programming and facilities which can help you to obtain new level of goals of the fitness and wellness. These clubs are having a management team and provide childcare enrichment programs, nutrition and private training etc. Exercise centres and fitness salons (Physical fitness and stress relieving): These are providing the regular exercise programs. They are equipped with modern equipments which are necessary for the wellness. To remove the stress they teach meditation along with the exercises. This stress leads to unnecessary problems of the individual. Hence the technique to overcome the stress is being taught and training is given by these clubs. Fitness Spas (health building): These spas offers house spa, hydro spa, and massages etc. They provide phenomenal facilities to their customers. In addition they are providing group class training programs, including personal training. Ice skating rinks or roller skating (fitness as well as entertaining in sport): It is a place of ice skating where high tech plastic is used to skate on. And they use synthetic ice skating rink surface for easy skating. They provide ice skating and play hockey, figure skating and public skating. Squash club facilities: These squash club provides the facilities of viewing gallery for men and women in addition to the coaching given for the indoor games. There are trainers and at some clubs these training are given free for the members. Swimming pools: Constructing of such swimming pools will yield a good income to the entrepreneur as many products are to be supplied along with the construction of pool. They are to be provided with cleaning chemicals, swimming pool covers and rollers, pumps and fittings, lightings and ladders, safety equipments , separate room for men and women for their urgent needs etc. Tennis club having court facilities: These sports club is used by some people only in the society. Since this game is not that much popular and do not attract the viewers only a few are using this to play to keep them fit and proper, Tai chi studio: Tai chi referred to as meditation in movement. It is a martial art which combines physical movement and stretching technique. It teaches and promotes the health, well being and longevity. GYM: An entrepreneur can opt for this business as it is attracted many youngsters including the women. The regular exercises practices in gym help the individual to build the body and the structure including shaping. A gym is an integrated part of a health club or leisure centre which allows the users whether members or non members to exercise effectively using a wide range of resistance and cardiovascular machines. Presently many gym centres provide necessary classes on aerobics, body buildings and the ways to use the available equipments and fixtures to prevent a loss or damage to both the operator and the users. In the case of health club it may be necessary to equip a spacious fully equipped gym facility, exercise area, giving initial training, constructing a swimming pool, steam room, sauna and a club room for various social activities and a small snack cum juice bar. By adding more facilities such as internet access etc. the founders of the club will initially arrange for membership enrolment to have more viability in its operation. Gyms with workout areas Some of the health clubs have a main workout area, which primarily consists of free weights including dumbbells, barbells and exercise machines. This area often includes mirrors so that exercisers can monitor and maintain correct posture during their workout. A gym which predominately or exclusively consists of free weights (dumbbells and barbells), as opposed to exercise machines, is sometimes referred to as a black-iron gym, after the traditional colour of weight plates. Gyms with cardio facility theatre A cardio theatre or cardio area involves many types of cardiovascular training-related equipment such as treadmills, rowing machines, stationary exercise bikes etc. These areas often include a number of audio-visual displays (either integrated into the equipment, or placed on walls around the area itself) in order to keep exercisers entertained during long cardio workout sessions. Health Clubs offering various exercising facilities Most of the new health clubs offer group exercise classes that are conducted by qualified fitness instructors. Many types of group exercise classes exist, but generally these include classes based on aerobics, cycling (spin cycle), boxing or martial arts, high intensity training and muscle training. Health clubs with swimming pools sometimes offer aqua aerobics classes in addition to their coaching on various swimming styles. Health Clubs offering only sports facilities Some health clubs offer squash courts or boxing areas in addition to swimming facilities. In those cases, additional fees are charged for the use of these facilities. In addition to the above larger health clubs generally include health-shops, snack bars, restaurants, child-care facilities, member lounges etc. Where these facilities are available it is not unusual for a sauna, steam shower or wellness areas to be made available. These clubs generally charge a fee to allow visitors to use the equipments, courses and other available services. A fairly new trend is the advent of eco friendly health clubs which incorporate principles of green living in its fitness and in their systematic way of giving therapies. Due to the influences of all the above factors it results in the monthly or annual membership fees varying differently. 10.5 Equipments Accessories Now let us see the various fitness equipments and its classifications. Cardiovascular Equipments: Treadmills, stationary bicycles and stair climbers etc. comes under this category. In some places it is common to see rowing machines also. Weight Training Equipment: Weight lifting machines, barbells, various types of benches bars and racks are considered as weight training equipments. These are meant for body shaping and buildings especially for the sport communities. Weight Reduction Equipment: Weight reduction or weight loss equipment consists of more methods than any specific equipment in any particular formation. Still there are small tools like jumping rope and other handy products etc. for the needy to do exercises as all the above models of equipments mostly involve weight reduction. The exceptional ones are that you use for body buildings that too with specific in takes. The fitness industry has a huge growth potential as only 1.5% of the urban Indian population regularly practices workout. When we talk about the points of end-user segment, they are divided into two. 1) Residential or Home Segment 2) Institutional Segment Equipments for Home Segment The entrepreneur can manufacture the equipment needed for maintenance of the wellness of the people. He can supply to these clubs and fitness centres. Apart from that he can supply these equipments to the individuals who want to do exercises at home. For this he advertises in media and informs the features of the products including its spares. He sends the equipments by VPP or courier to his customers. New products with additional features are being introduced from many countries like Japan and China. The entrepreneur can deliver the equipments for residential usage some equipment. If the entrepreneur buy them for the usage in his fitness centres it is called institutional segment. The entrepreneur can save cost if purchases additional quantity of the different equipments. He can get quantity discount from his supplier. Cost The followings are the top and the entrepreneur can supply or lend them on rent to the individuals those who are not able to make use of the gym facilities are the following ones. 1. Treadmills, this will cost approximately Rs.30,000/- 2. Bikes for exercising will cost approximately four thousand to forty thousand depending upon the models and amenities available in it. 3. Small multifaceted gymnastic machine will cost Rs.18,000/- For example Home Leaper 16H, Pro Leaper 16P etc. Equipments for Institutional Segment There is a vast requirement for these equipments. The fitness equipment markets there are opportunities for the entrepreneur to start the fitness centre for the maintenance of the wellness. In India it is estimated to be worth Rs 12.5 billion in the year 2008 and is expected to reach Rs. 63.3 billion by 2012. The annual growth rate is expected to be around 50%. Hence the entrepreneur can start this fitness centres in many places of a city and can control all the branches through effective management system. The following equipments are generally installed in the fitness centres and the entrepreneur can purchase considerable quantities for meeting the demand in his centre. The important requirement for the entrepreneur is the knowledge about the equipment and the way they are to be utilised. The company which manufactures these fitness equipments are conducting training for the entrepreneurs and teaches them how to use those equipments including the trouble shooting process. Treadmill The cardio equipment in a gym is among the most popular equipment because it is the most effective equipment available there to help people lose weight and the treadmills are also of that category. Cardio equipment has one main purpose i.e. to get your heart pumping and functioning normally. Treadmill is important equipment and now-a-days insisted by many insurance companies to have the facility of treadmill even in diagnostic centres. If the necessary equipment is available with the entrepreneurial for the wellness he can earn more revenue out of it and this will be fetching for ever as this industry is growing day by day. Elliptical Machines An entrepreneur can include these Elliptical machines in his fitness centres since they used by many for performing cardiovascular exercise. Like a treadmill, this machine will be in an elliptical shape and is stationary but allows to simulate running or walking by using a rolling or gliding ramp that are moved by feet. Many elliptical machines also have handlebars that move, allowing you to get an upper-body and lower-body workout at the same time. Weight training equipment These can also be found in most gyms and generally comes in two varieties. One is for free weights such as barbells and dumbbells that can be moved around from place to place in the

Queers, Bums, and Kids in the City of Roses :: Free Essays Online

Queers, Bums, and Kids in the City of Roses Throughout the history of our country it has happened over and over. Development and urbanization come to a small area, city or even an entire region and a new commercial market brings new wealth to a section of people, businesses open up, population increases and everyone is supposedly better off. However, this development and gentrification always seems to alienate a group of society even more than it is already. Portland is a place where that is occurring today, specifically among the queer and homeless communities. However, this does not have to happen; with some changes not only in policy, but in thinking, no one needs to be left behind. The City of Roses is home to half of Oregon’s citizens as well as one of the economic and cultural centers of the west coast. In the past twenty years the area has grown rapidly due to the shift from lumber and manufacturing to technology. The city has a great reputation, so great that Money magazine named it the most livable city in the country, â€Å"Three decades of keen planning have reined in urban sprawl and given rise to a mini-metropolis with short, easy-to-stroll blocks renowned for java joints, brewpubs and bookstores. A superb light rail network and a new streetcar system are helping to make it a cinch to get around. There's loads of culture, from the Portland Art Museum to local rock clubs.† In States of Desire Edmund White gives an amazingly accurate description of the area immediately outside downtown. Up and up we wound on curving lanes past large, comfortable houses set back from the road, the neighborhood I had dreamed of while I pored over my first-grade reader: safe, suburban, sheltered. At any moment I expected Dick and Jane to race by with Spot, as Father stepped out of his Hudson, a smile on his young face and the evening paper under his arm. (71) Yes, it is a great place to live, if you are not a part of certain groups. I grew up in all areas of the greater metro area and loved it. I always felt safe, and even though the weather is notoriously horrible it is easily conceded in exchange for the beauty of the region. Amid all this newfound greatness lies a stark contrast. Portland has one of the highest populations of runaway youth in the country.

Natural Science: Volcanoes

The relentless motions of tectonic plates, the uplift and the erosion of mountain ranges, and the evolution of living organisms are processes which can only be fully appreciated across the deep time of geology.But some of the processes at work in our planet can manifest all too suddenly, changing the landscape and destroying lives on a very human timescale: volcanoes. Superimpose a map of active volcanoes on a world map showing the boundaries of the tectonic plates and their association is obvious.The ring of fire around the Pacific, for example, is clearly associated with the plate boundaries. But where is the molten rock that feeds them coming from? Why are volcanoes different from each other, with some producing gentle eruptions and regular trickles of molten lava, whilst others erupt in devastating explosions? And why are some volcanoes, such as those of Hawaii, in the middle of the Pacific, far from any obvious plate boundary?The molten rockThe key to understanding volcanoes com es from understanding how rocks melt. For a start, they do not have to melt completely, so the bulk of the mantle remains solid even though it gives rise to a fluid, molten magma.That means that the melt does not have the same composition as the bulk of the mantle. As long as the so-called dihedral angles, the angles at which the mineral grains in mantle rock meet, are large enough, the rock behaves like a porous sponge and the melt can be squeezed out.Calculations show how it will tend to flow together and rise quite rapidly in a sort of wave, producing lava at the surface in the sort of quantities seen in typical eruptions (The University of Sydney, 2006).Melting does not necessarily involve increasing the temperature. It can result from decreasing the pressure. So a plume of hot, solid mantle material will begin to melt as it rises and the pressure upon it reduces. In the case of a mantle plume, that can happen at considerable depths (McKenzie, 1984, p. 717).Beneath the mid-ocean ridge system, the melting takes place at much shallower depths. Here there is little or no mantle lithosphere and the hot asthenosphere comes close to the surface.The lower pressures here can result in a larger proportion of the rock melting, perhaps 20 or 25%, supplying magma at about the right rate to sustain sea floor spreading and produce an ocean crust 7 kilometres thick. Most of the ocean ridge eruptions pass unnoticed as they take place more than 2,000 metres underwater as rapidly quenched pillow lavas (Basin Topography, 2006).But seismic studies have revealed magma chambers a few kilometres beneath the sea floor in parts of the ridges, particularly in the Pacific and Indian oceans, though there is also some evidence of magma chambers beneath the mid-Atlantic ridge. Where a mantle plume coincides with an ocean ridge system, as in the case of Iceland, more magma is generated and the ocean crust is thicker, in this case rising above the sea to form Iceland (Scarth, 1994, p.14- 17).HawaiiThe Big Island of Hawaii has welcoming people and friendly volcanoes. The town of Hilo is probably more at risk from tsunamis triggered by distant earthquakes than from the great 4,000-metre volcano of Mauna Loa that looms behind it.To the north and west lie the other Hawaiian islands and the Emperor seamount chain, tracing the long journey of the Pacific plate across the hot spot of an underlying mantle plume (Scarth, 1994, p.42). To the south of the Big Island of Hawaii is Loihi, the newest of the Hawaiian volcanoes.As yet it has not broken the surface of the Pacific, but it has already built a high mountain of basalt on the ocean floor and will almost certainly become an island above water before long (14). Because Hawaiian lava is very fluid, it can spread over a wide area and does not tend to form very steep slopes.Such volcanoes are sometimes known as shield volcanoes, and they can flood basalt over a wide area. Often, a particular flow will develop a tunnel around i t as the outer crust solidifies but the lava continues to flow inside. When the supply of lava ceases, the tunnel can drain and be left hollow (41-42).

Development of tourism in Scotland Essay

For a country to be a successful tourist destination, the normal impression that anybody has is that the country must be easy to access, with modern means of transport and good communication, unlike Scotland. A small country located on the periphery of Europe, Scotland is characteristic of tartans, highlands, mountains, castles and bagpipes etc, and for long, poor accessibility and transportation persisted in the country. Nevertheless, Scotland is among the most successful tourist destinations. Many have tried to bring about development of tourism in the country. The Scotts, in particular, were worried that the country’s inaccurate historic description might taint its image as a tourist destination. But little did they realize that in fact, portraying the country in modern perspective could cause considerable harm to its established image, which attracted a good number of visitors. [Butler, Richard. Tartan Mythology. 1998. p. 122. The traditional tourist image of Scotland. ] Besides the residents, the country saw noteworthy visitors, who contributed, directly or indirectly to its tourism development. The visitors can be distinguished into three groups—those from the field of military and administration, those involved in scientific studies and those who were engaged in works of music, art and literature. All these three groups had different approaches towards development in the country. The group involved in military and administrative activities was not directly related to the development initiative. However, their work involved a lot of traveling within the region. In their journals and writings, the group brought to light the difficulty in traveling in the region and the need for improving the transportation system there. Also, the scientific visitors wrote journals that described the physical features of Scotland and emphasized its historical heritage, which in turn, attracted more visitors. However, the group that comprised authors, and those involved in the works of art and music, was which made a significant impact on the development of Scotland’s tourism. Their approach was the most dominant and certainly the most effective. The works of renowned authors like Scott, Dickens, Wordsworth, just to name a few, described the country as a place with a romantic appeal. They gave vivid accounts of the scenery, the landscapes, the chivalry of the people and the military expeditions, which helped the country to establish a powerful image as a tourist destination. Not to forget one more group that did much to popularize the country—the absentee landlords and their friends. They engaged in sports like shooting and fishing that also made the country very popular and a coveted tourist destination. However, when more and more people started indulging in these sports, they were called off and Scotland remained a limited small tourist spot. [Butler, Richard. Tartan Mythology. 1998. p. 123-125. The traditional tourist image of Scotland. ] The development approaches resulted in improvement in many areas in the country like better communication and transportation facilities, better accommodation arrangements for tourists and the preserving of its natural heritage and culture, the established image of the country. The biggest strength of the development approach in Scotland is the realization that the tourists consider the natural heritage of the country as genuine and they are attracted to it because of its originality, unlike other places that are meretriciously ornamented. Only Development of tourism in Scotland 3 those who tried to fiddle with the traditional image of Scotland and try to portray it modernly reflect a weak approach towards its development. [Butler, Richard. Tartan Mythology. 1998. p. 132-135. The traditional tourist image of Scotland. Yes, the rising participation in adventure activities like skiing and wearing the highland dress, along with the popularity of golf rising significantly, reflect acknowledging of policies to sustain its image. If I were to manage its development, I too would go in for preserving its natural heritage so that visitors could get a real taste of the place. After all, tourists do come to have a bite of the place they visit and their nothing like getting a real taste of it! Reference citations Chapter 7: Butler, Richard: Tartan Mythology. 1998. The traditional tourist image of Scotland, p122-139.

DTLLS Unit Seven The WritePass Journal

DTLLS Unit Seven Introduction DTLLS Unit Seven IntroductionPart 2:Part 3:Part 3, 4References:Related Introduction It is unquestionable that each individual requires idiosyncratic conditions to nourish a growth and development that will turn them into the person they become. These conditions are provided through the institute of education through comprehensive knowledge of the educational infrastructure and the requirements and variety of qualities that each student presents. Looking at myself, I can say that my learning environment was the most crucial part of my life, encouraging me to step into the world and pursue a career I enjoy. It proved efficient in establishing personal competence, social and qualitative skills, as well as allowing proficient gains in knowledge and autonomy. Since learning is a continuous process in an individual’s life, the qualities carried influence following stages and hence the importance of methods of teaching and evaluation is consequential. The contribution of learning to economic growth is one of many challenges in our society today. Teachers have a large impact on the skills and developmental skills student’s carry with them to aspire to a career into that sector. It is crucial to provide student with more than just facts but the tools that will ‘increase aspirations and awareness of the value of skills to them’ (Leitch Review of Skills Final Report, 2006). As study shows that our out-of-class experiences are just as important as the ones we learn in class (George D. Kuh, 1995). They have an increasing influence on the way things are viewed in the curriculum and that leads me to the conclusion that students with less social ability may be at a higher risk of employing a career in which they are less defined compared to those with higher sociability that would pursue careers that are suitable to their defined characteristic’s and abilities.   Therefore, treating each student individually wi ll encourage those individuals that are unable to flourish within their environments to identify themselves and accept achievements and skills in pursuit of specific careers. Furthermore, Dewey provides an understanding on reflection on such experiences and its importance in promoting a more complex and interrelated mental schema (Wertenbroch Nabeth, 2000). It generally helps to sum up knowledge from experiences and education and construct it mentally and use it in professional practice and to understand the world. To guide persons into higher order thinking through the skills learned in class is a significant target. Lack of it can be a result of environment, learning and reduced tasks of reflection. As an educator I believe reflection is integral in the lifelong learning process and to encourage it is to encourage promotion in economical growth. By adding depth to the meanings of observations and descriptions made in class it is possible to relate to the individual and reach the acquired goal in this specific area. The methods employed in class will improve personal development and enhance the interest in learning as a whole. Using descriptive writing reports, which allow the students to reason based on their personal judgment and encourage problem solving, is an essential. As to the facts, Hatton Smith reported four activities that aid the process of reflection: Action research projects, case and cultural studies, practical experiences, structured curriculum tasks like reading fiction and non-fiction as well as oral interviews and keeping journals. Community regeneration can be made through advancements in the institute of education and better teachers with a more rounded understanding of the world. Part 2: Waves of change have been implemented in the educational sector and our perception of it and the ability to cope with it have proved difficult. Policy can be viewed as the method of bettering and increasing the opportunities for learners in order for them to acquire qualifications and improve their capabilities. However, it has been a challenge for the sector to mend the system in a way that is equally beneficial to both the staff and the students. Some say: Changing the way things are done does not necessarily change either the ultimate outputs of the system or the underlying principles that characterize the sector. These principles lie in the cultural and professional values and the societal expectations that underpin the system at the macro-scale. (Lumby and Foskett, 2005:27). On the other hand, some believe it can destroy the system: â€Å"Commitment to the learners may not, however, be enough to help staff cope with the pressures of further waves of change.†(Paper, 2005) Agreeably, it is a large responsibility that the teaching staff must take on but it is nevertheless a high target to attain especially when it is constantly changing. Having said this, it is obvious in the current educational society, reforms made have a strong impact on the teaching staff and eventually trickling down to the students. To maintain the principles previously mentioned you must diligently teach without forgetting the why and which questions that strongly affect a minority of students whilst teaching a group for example. So it can be said that these fluctuations effect students and the teachers, which seems somewhat counterproductive to achieve a more efficient educational system. The major problem now is that because of funding cuts, schools and their staff are unable to further use equipment and facilities to achieve new and exciting methods of teaching younger student, which limits student interest and inevitably lack of interest in education as a whole. The effects that educational reform have on the learning circle produces different repercussions with the younger ones with comparison to the older students it has been seen throug h some studies that adjustments in examination style or just general curriculum changes proves difficult to adjust to. Therefore it is wise to take extra caution in primary school classes in order to guide the children appropriately and through educational standards allow them to feel stable. To further enforce, it is the responsibility of the teaching staff to not let reforms affect the teaching in the classroom. Furthermore, it is mandatory to view the way changes in the past have allowed us to cope with the changes that will come in the future. Currently, the educational climate has been continually changing to establish a more equipped foundation for each current climate and the challenges they face. The advantage of this is that it has given teachers and staff of today a better understanding of how to prepare and acclimatize to change without major impact on teaching and student.   Past teaching experiences have shown that during changes in the system, there is a great deal of confusion in curriculum and teaching, which has made the transition to the new system harder for teachers to cope with and ultimately effect the students learning. Under initiative leadership, all staff members are expected to take responsibility for the successes of the teaching and implementation, which by definition portray a high priority on improving and maintaining an effective educational system. Leadership in a participative group will be matched to the tasks identified by the group, and leaders will emerge with sanction from the group. Thanks to past generations of teaching faculty we have consciously learnt that all levels of education in this country are primarily about teaching without recognizing what is required to develop a highly functional group.   Students don’t have a primary role in what is to be taught. Students wait to be told what to do and how this is to be achieved.   Teaching, instigated by the authorities, places the student in a strict relationship with the teacher and their teachers only. Fortunately there are some good teachers who encourage and facilitate learning, but we have mostly teachers who tell their students what has been decided they need to study and learn in the classroom. Finally, constructive learning is a personal journey, resulting from the maintenance of a steady practice and of personal motivation.   Learning that is the way forward in education and an adventure essentially under the control of the individual, encircled by the developmental capabilities that are e ncountered throughout the course, and with time and maturation is constricted somewhat by the method and course of experiences open to the teacher and student. Part 3: Evaluation has always been a key and a significant role in successfully maintaining a constructive and adherent learning environment. It allows the teacher and the teaching staff to better understand the fluctuations of student understanding and of specific subjects at specific times during the educational year. It allows for struggling students to understand their difficulties and with the teachers help better their understanding, it allows for exceeding students to push their learning capacity and achieve higher than expectations. Evaluation has always been, and always will be a key, decisive and imperative pillar in education. However some faculties in the educational society believe that by early evaluation of students since the age of 6 in their first year of primary school have many downfalls to it including stress, teacher’s favouritism and students not enjoying the time they have in school which ultimately defies the concept of learning and teaching as a whole. Although this may be true in some instances, because of early evaluation we have been able to identify students at an early age who have learning difficulties and attend to their needs, we have also been able to aspire students to achieve great thing with a knowing understanding of what needs to be accomplished leading to a great deal of increase in applications for university in the past few years. Having said this, evaluation has also been a significant and key way of better understanding the curriculum and changes in the curriculum and most importantly how the staff has taught this curriculum. This has proved as a very useful tool during educational reform when evaluating teachers has helped to better orientate themselves during implementation of new curriculum. It has also provided an outline as to how faculties are able to organize their teaching plans, class schedules, extra curricula activities and many other vital and important issues concerned in school. Moreover this has been in some way a guideline to the educational society in the government as to whether or not different syllabi have proved effective enough and consequences of these results. This has been done in a very constructive method to provide goals and targets for both students and teachers in order to create a more efficient and opportunity giving educational climate. This having been said evaluation of teachers and students in particular especially from GCSE’s until university and further education learning has proved troublesome and in some instances farfetched. University and colleges entrance requirements have increased significantly as have grading systems in college, so much so that a new great boundary has been created for the top achievers. This can be said to increase the gap between students in the same classes and often provide teachers difficulty in assessing how to teach a wide range of students with different understandings of the specific subject. Part 3, 4 In my teaching area, learners’ feedback and views are crucially important in determining what’s needed to improve their learning and therefore successfully reaching their goals in education. But I also highly value colleagues and head teacher opinions as this would help me improve my teaching methods and provide a high standard of education as well as following a set of quality assurance policies by which the work is continually monitored, which include self-assessments, reviews meetings by colleagues, recording data regarding success rate, attendance, in year retention†¦ References: Leitch Review of Skills: Prosperity for all in the global economy-world class skills, Dec 2006-Page 17. The Other Curriculum: Out-of-Class Experiences Associated with Student Learning and Personal Development Author(s): George D. Kuh. The Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 66, No. 2 (Mar. Apr., 1995), pp. 123-155 businessballs.com/traindev.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_development http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_and_Skills_Council http://issuu.com/snatchmo/docs/unit_7_wider_professional_practice_draft_2003_for_ Lumby and Foskett, 2005:27 Paper, 2005 10.   Reflective Practice in the lifelong learning sector, Jodi Roffey-Barensten R.Malthouse

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery essays

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery essays Rosa Louise Parks was born Rosa McCauley on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. She was named after her grandmother, Rose Percival. Rosa was raised by her mother, Leona Edward McCauley, on her grandparents farm at Pine Level, a small community outside Montgomery. Rosa received her primary education in a segregated rural school. In 1924 she enrolled at the private Montgomery Industrial School for Girls known as Miss Whites School. It was so named after its principal and cofounder, Alice L. White. All the students were African-Americans, and all the teachers were white women from the North. She married Raymond Parks and began living in Montgomery, Alabama in 1932. In Montgomery, Rosa and Raymond learned about the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP worked to help black people gain their civil rights. In 1943, Rosa joined the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. She was elected its secretary and assisted the chapters president, Mr. E.D. Nixon. Rosa and Raymond devoted much of their time and energy to the organization. One cause they felt strongly about was the right to vote. On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. When asked to move to let a white bus rider be seated, she refused. She did not argue, and she did not move. The police were called, and Mrs. Parks was arrested. There were 36 seats on each bus operated by Montgomery City Lines, Inc.. The 10 seats in the front were reserved for whites only. Even if there were no whites on the bus, blacks could not sit in the front seats. Instead they had to sit in the last 10 seats of the bus. The bus drivers could choose which passengers sat in the 16 seats in the middle. Blacks could take the seats only if no whites wanted them. Mrs. Parks action led to the Montgomery bus strike, which was the first large scale, organized protest ag...

Event planning for Asian Market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Event planning for Asian Market - Research Paper Example In order to promote themselves, several industries, charitable organizations and interests groups have resorted to holding events. This measure is also adopted by those who desire to reinforce business associations, raise money or just celebrate (slideshare, 2013). The Legendary Palace is a Chinese dim sum restaurant. It has the capacity to accommodate 500 members at a time. Prior to become a restaurant, it had been used as a night club, garment factory, book store and rooming house. The Legendary Palace is located in the bay area of California. It was constructed in 1917 and it has become a historical land mark of that place. Hospitality services tend to be intricate. They fulfil social affiliation and self-identity needs, and generate vast opportunities for differentiation. Several products are simple and necessitate performance to a technical norm. As such event management is a novel procedure that requires creativity and innovation.The customer should feel happy and comfortable, during these events. As such, customer satisfaction should be highest priority of event management. In general, there will be no issues for a land mark hotel like the Legendary Palace, with regard to conducting a wedding on a grand scale. However, due to competition, this hotel has to adopt novel practices and procedures to make it a memorable occasion for the Asian customers. This research will identify the problems if any, with the management of a wedding event in the Legendary Palace. Finally recommendations will be provided for the improvement of procedures of the wedding event for Asian customers. I have made a thorough research with regard to the event management of s wedding in a land mark hotel, such as the Legendary Palace. To this end, I perused many books and articles for retrieving the necessary information. I have consulted online libraries for the extant literature on the topic. Moreover, I have

Personal Report for Financial Services Term Paper - 1

Personal Report for Financial Services - Term Paper Example Its equity jumped to QR 5.3 billion, and its profits for the years was QR 0.78 billion (Jaghoub, 2013). QIC offers several services caged under Personal and Business Insurance. Under personal insurance QIC offers Home Care, which essentially covers your home and everything within its confines. Premier Automobile Insurance is tailored to insure your vehicle, family and whoever else is caught up in an accident or car crash involving your automobile. Travel care covers clients on holiday in whatever part of world by providing quality medical care and life insurance (Ali, 2013). Under the Business Insurance segment, QIC offers corporate medical and Motor insurance for companies under their plan. They also offer Marine and Aviation Insurance, which essentially covers cargo that is transported via water and air, most of which is vulnerable to natural hazards, pirate activities, collision and pollution liabilities (Ali, 2013). They also cover any damage to the sea vessels or aircrafts during the course of freight.QIC also diversifies into financial advisory and real estate, which has seen its margins grow exponentially in the recent past. Under real estate, the company invests its funds in property development and purchase of real estate. QIC management team also offers financial consultancy services to other companies with the aim of steering them into profitability (Ali, 2013). The service quality of QIC is exemplary. It offers a wide array of services, most of which are tailored to met specific needs. They are known to make payments on time incase claims are made. Their valuations are commensurate to the damage inflicted on an individual or property (Ali, 2013). Being an underwriter in its on right, QIC has been issued a Rating A/Stable in financial strength and Issuer Credit, confirming that the company is excellent in risk adjustment capitalization, above average

R&D 5 Draft of report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

R&D 5 Draft of report - Research Paper Example By the time, a child is two years old the parents must have at least visited more than one health care (Stern AM, 2005). For this purpose, many parents suffer searching for lots of records in form of papers while taking their children for immunization. Since the introduction of Vermont Immunization Register, all vaccinations can be consolidated into one record from all health care providers. This process is also secure and accurate especially for the parents who are taking their babies for the first immunization (Bonhoeffer J, 2007). The computer system is capable of calculating ages and provides efficient data on data history for the patient undergoing immunization. The computerized immunization systems also come with an advantage of informing parents and most patients on when is the next immunization date and process (T, 2006). This information is important especially at school and at sports facilities where students engage. This information is also important for doctors who are ch ecking on patients for their fast time as it provides all he clinical history. 8 The Vermont Immunization Registry is a computer-based system that enables participating health care practices to view accurate vaccination records in a secure manner. The practitioners will be able to access immunization history of each child from their practice and other enrolled Vermont providers. The information could normally be organized into one unified record that is up-to-date (Muzumdar JM, 2009) 8 To become part of the registry, one would require internet access and a computer in the practice. The Registry is carefully designed to ensure that patients’ confidentiality is maintained, as well as that of families and the practice. Access is strictly limited to Vermont health care providers, and a secure server having multiple levels of password protection required houses the Registry. The prospective user also ought to sign a confidentiality agreement prior the

Langston Huges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Langston Huges - Essay Example Well, everyone knows, except us, that all Negroes have rhythm, so they elected me as class poet† (Johnson, p.138)." He also wrote newspapers for the school, wrote plays, short stories, and edited the year book. It was at this time in high school when he realized that he had a passion for books and wrote â€Å"when Sue Wears Red†, his first jazz poetry. In 1919, he briefly lived with his father in Mexico although the relationship between the two was poor. In 1920 Hughes went back to his father with hopes that he would help him enroll to Colombia University. Initially, before arriving to Mexico, Hughes states that he had been thinking about his father and the strange dislike of his own people. Hughes did not understand it because he was a Negro and liked Negros very much (Hughes and McLaren, p.65). His father had plans of taking him to a university overseas to make a career in engineering and not become a writer. At some point they came into a compromise whereby Hughes agr eed to study engineering only if his father would allow him to attend Colombia University. Hughes has struggled since childhood to fit in the United States as an African American. At a young age, he did not have an easy life and racism encounters was the order of the day though he decided to remain loyal to his own heritage. He had due respect for his background as an African American to an extent of using his racial pride as the base of his works. The struggles in his life shaped him into becoming both a poet and an inspiring leader to the African American people. Having struggled in making a living, he finally figured out what he really wanted to do by stating in his autobiography that he wanted to write seriously and as well as he knew how about the Negro people. This is what gave Hughes an establishment of his own style; a style that would give a reflection about his personal African American experiences whereby race had its own inequalities (Hughes and McLaren, 66). Hughes soug ht out a communism world, one with an ideology that offers to establish classless views, lack of social status and get rid of segregation in the society. The political views regarding racial discrimination were a major obstacle in Hughes’ life. This enabled him to express his opinions and perception about issue facing the colored people in America through his works. Hughes wrote in a respectable way to demonstrate to his fellow black writers the significance of writing educative works rather than criticize harshly. I n the year 1924, went to back to the United States did odd jobs like a busboy and an assistant cook at a restaurant in Washington where he met Vachel Lindsay, an American poet. Hughes decided to show some of his poet work to Lindsay who was fascinated enough to make connections and promote Hughes’ work for a larger audience (Baxter, p.45). That same year, his poem â€Å"Weary Blues† won a prize in the literary competition of the opportunity magazine . He was also lucky to receive a scholarship to enroll at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Again, Hughes poems caught the attention of novelist Carl Van Vetchten, who also made connections for Hughes and the following year his first poetry book weary blues was published. The first time that Hughes gained recognition as a recommendable literature figure was in 1920s, a time for â€Å"

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Final Exam - Essay Example Affluent individuals can now also engage in a new relationship with strangers across the world that involves a larger community and stronger connections. Via new technologies at the work place, increased mobility, and international trade, people are now more interconnected than before. In addition to this economic interconnection, there is also environmental interconnection. We partake of the same natural resources; water and air, with people from less affluent countries. Because of this environmental and economic interconnection, the actions that we take are directly impactful on people in less affluent countries (Winfried & Pogge 34). Consumption on our side, as a global consumer of resources, affects the environment of those far and near. The actions we take have a consequence for others living in countries far from ours and we are responsible, causally, for the consequences, without regard of the place that they take place. Because our actions can bring environmental and economic harm to those living in less affluent countries and we remain unmoved by the suffering and pain inflicted on them, therefore; this is a brutish behavior (Winfried & Pogge 34). To act in a virtuous manner, however, would be showing compassion for them in a manner in which our close neighbors are not harmed. As people from affluent countries possess the capacity to be of aid, are members of a globalized community where actions affect those in less affluent countries and th e fact that failure to act would be an act of moral viciousness, we must act in order to alleviate severe poverty. While terrorism is an old practice, the war on the same is a new concept. The war on terror challenges prior conceptions on conflict, especially the theory of a just-war (Smit 23). While the question regarding whether the war on terror is just still remains unanswerable,

Organizational Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Organizational Analysis - Essay Example The company offers a wide range of mobile communication, personal computing products, portable digital music players and media services, as well as a range of related software, services, networking solutions, peripherals, and third party software and hardware products. The apple company has a well thought out plan to create an apple culture by delivering strong products. Apples’ fascinating products has seen the company enjoy fanatical brand loyalty. Apple products are a result of extensive research and strong designs; they always consider what the customer wants and they are out to satisfy their customers. Apple Inc. is a multinational company that holds its headquarters in Cupertino, California. It is the second largest information technology company in the world, second to Samsung Electronics and the third largest mobile phone manufacturer after Samsung and Nokia. Apple inc. maintains over 394 retail stores across fourteen countries as well as the online Apple store and iTu nes stores. It sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, and direct sales force, as well as through third-party cellular network carriers, retailers, whole sellers, and value-added resellers. Apple not only enjoys the theoretical popularity in fact, it topped the list with annual revenue above $100 billion and since 2010 having a profit mark of above $20 billion. Apple accommodates approximately 60,400 people in different departments such as software development, assembly and design, distribution, marketing and sales etc. Apple’s mission statement: â€Å"Apple Inc. is determined and committed to deliver the best personal computing experience by offering technologically ingenious products and services to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its unique modern hardware and software.  Apple is  able to enhance resources for future generations and for continuous improvements.† Role of HR in accom plishing the Apple’s Mission: Employees of any organization play an important role in the organization's success and mission accomplishment. Moreover, they are the people who heightened the revenue generation and trades the company’s image worldwide to the people interested in their goods and services. Apple is fortunate in having a powerful human resource who is striving hard to maintain the positive image of Apple since its birth. The Apple’s workforce has marked the HR department as a highly goal-oriented and organized department. Apple’s HR is highly talented and knows how to implement latest HR practices to achieve company’s goal and mission. They appreciate the innovative behavior to establish a shared culture, nurture talent and to motivate the integration of mind and skill with the tasks a person performs. Being the leader in the gadget’s market Apple has introduced passion for work sort of attitude rather than employee-employer atti tude. (Snee, 1998). DELL, IBM and similar other gadget companies are not just a threat to this emerging company, but is a significant hindrance for the company to recognize its full abilities. In a walk to compete with these monstrous competitors Apple relies on the implementation of 3 vital strategies that is hiring, training and nurturing creative minds. Apple has

Langston Huges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Langston Huges - Essay Example Well, everyone knows, except us, that all Negroes have rhythm, so they elected me as class poet† (Johnson, p.138)." He also wrote newspapers for the school, wrote plays, short stories, and edited the year book. It was at this time in high school when he realized that he had a passion for books and wrote â€Å"when Sue Wears Red†, his first jazz poetry. In 1919, he briefly lived with his father in Mexico although the relationship between the two was poor. In 1920 Hughes went back to his father with hopes that he would help him enroll to Colombia University. Initially, before arriving to Mexico, Hughes states that he had been thinking about his father and the strange dislike of his own people. Hughes did not understand it because he was a Negro and liked Negros very much (Hughes and McLaren, p.65). His father had plans of taking him to a university overseas to make a career in engineering and not become a writer. At some point they came into a compromise whereby Hughes agr eed to study engineering only if his father would allow him to attend Colombia University. Hughes has struggled since childhood to fit in the United States as an African American. At a young age, he did not have an easy life and racism encounters was the order of the day though he decided to remain loyal to his own heritage. He had due respect for his background as an African American to an extent of using his racial pride as the base of his works. The struggles in his life shaped him into becoming both a poet and an inspiring leader to the African American people. Having struggled in making a living, he finally figured out what he really wanted to do by stating in his autobiography that he wanted to write seriously and as well as he knew how about the Negro people. This is what gave Hughes an establishment of his own style; a style that would give a reflection about his personal African American experiences whereby race had its own inequalities (Hughes and McLaren, 66). Hughes soug ht out a communism world, one with an ideology that offers to establish classless views, lack of social status and get rid of segregation in the society. The political views regarding racial discrimination were a major obstacle in Hughes’ life. This enabled him to express his opinions and perception about issue facing the colored people in America through his works. Hughes wrote in a respectable way to demonstrate to his fellow black writers the significance of writing educative works rather than criticize harshly. I n the year 1924, went to back to the United States did odd jobs like a busboy and an assistant cook at a restaurant in Washington where he met Vachel Lindsay, an American poet. Hughes decided to show some of his poet work to Lindsay who was fascinated enough to make connections and promote Hughes’ work for a larger audience (Baxter, p.45). That same year, his poem â€Å"Weary Blues† won a prize in the literary competition of the opportunity magazine . He was also lucky to receive a scholarship to enroll at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Again, Hughes poems caught the attention of novelist Carl Van Vetchten, who also made connections for Hughes and the following year his first poetry book weary blues was published. The first time that Hughes gained recognition as a recommendable literature figure was in 1920s, a time for â€Å"

Organizational Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Organizational Analysis - Essay Example The company offers a wide range of mobile communication, personal computing products, portable digital music players and media services, as well as a range of related software, services, networking solutions, peripherals, and third party software and hardware products. The apple company has a well thought out plan to create an apple culture by delivering strong products. Apples’ fascinating products has seen the company enjoy fanatical brand loyalty. Apple products are a result of extensive research and strong designs; they always consider what the customer wants and they are out to satisfy their customers. Apple Inc. is a multinational company that holds its headquarters in Cupertino, California. It is the second largest information technology company in the world, second to Samsung Electronics and the third largest mobile phone manufacturer after Samsung and Nokia. Apple inc. maintains over 394 retail stores across fourteen countries as well as the online Apple store and iTu nes stores. It sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, and direct sales force, as well as through third-party cellular network carriers, retailers, whole sellers, and value-added resellers. Apple not only enjoys the theoretical popularity in fact, it topped the list with annual revenue above $100 billion and since 2010 having a profit mark of above $20 billion. Apple accommodates approximately 60,400 people in different departments such as software development, assembly and design, distribution, marketing and sales etc. Apple’s mission statement: â€Å"Apple Inc. is determined and committed to deliver the best personal computing experience by offering technologically ingenious products and services to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its unique modern hardware and software.  Apple is  able to enhance resources for future generations and for continuous improvements.† Role of HR in accom plishing the Apple’s Mission: Employees of any organization play an important role in the organization's success and mission accomplishment. Moreover, they are the people who heightened the revenue generation and trades the company’s image worldwide to the people interested in their goods and services. Apple is fortunate in having a powerful human resource who is striving hard to maintain the positive image of Apple since its birth. The Apple’s workforce has marked the HR department as a highly goal-oriented and organized department. Apple’s HR is highly talented and knows how to implement latest HR practices to achieve company’s goal and mission. They appreciate the innovative behavior to establish a shared culture, nurture talent and to motivate the integration of mind and skill with the tasks a person performs. Being the leader in the gadget’s market Apple has introduced passion for work sort of attitude rather than employee-employer atti tude. (Snee, 1998). DELL, IBM and similar other gadget companies are not just a threat to this emerging company, but is a significant hindrance for the company to recognize its full abilities. In a walk to compete with these monstrous competitors Apple relies on the implementation of 3 vital strategies that is hiring, training and nurturing creative minds. Apple has

Canadas Policy of First Nations Essay Example for Free

Canadas Policy of First Nations Essay Canada is a nation built upon legislation that not only believed there would be no future in society for its First Nation peoples, but specifically created colonial policies that would ensure that this future become reality through the process of assimilation. These policies were created without First Nation input in an in effort to destroy First Nation culture and were used to undermine First Nation treaty rights especially with regard to land distributions by way of the Indian Act. Following the second world war, however, a new outlook of human rights grew in society that highlighted discriminatory policies against First Nation peoples. After government sanctioned study called the Hawthorn report was released raising concerns about the overall health and welfare of First Nation people, the newly elected Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau issued his response to First Nations problems in his controversial 1969 White paper . Unfortunately, 1969 White paper proved to be not only a politically motivated policy objective benefiting the Federal government in the future, by relinquishing its responsibilities following treaties, and inevitably avoiding future law suits, but was yet another attempt to do away with the First Nation culture through assimilation into the dominant society. The signing of the treaties and the misconceptions by both parties entering into them, the First Nations bands and the Canadian government, has served as a platform for future politics problems still going on today. First Nation people understood treaties to mean allowing settlement by non-native people. [but] at the same time, native people would retain large tracts of land on which they would govern themselves [and where their] language and culture would flourish (Bird, Land and Macadam 5). The Canadian government, on the other hand, seen it by way of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which the British Crown recognized that any lands possessed by First Nations in what was British North America, would be reserved for them, unless or until they ceded that land to the Crown (Bird, Land and Macadam 6). This to the Canadian government, following treaties, gave them the right to act in a paternalistic fashion towards First Nation people, who needed assistance to assimilate into mainstream society. This way of thinking, led the Canadian government to establish the Indian Act in 1876 which would unleash a series of policies created to destroy First Nations culture and further the Canadian governments own agenda regarding expropriation of First Nation lands. Due to Indian Act policies, First Nations people endured many years of social problems within their communities, problems that became published in a government sanctioned study called the Hawthorn report.

Analysis of Food Supply Chain Models

Analysis of Food Supply Chain Models Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Globalization in Food Industry background Since last decade, Globalization is a trend in the food industry due to growing potential markets in various developing countries and changing consumption pattern of the people. Integration of international food markets and increasing expansion in international markets of the firms is the most significant trends in global economy. Market liberalization and scientific progress gave rise to globalization. Even though consumer diets are gradually changing globally; there are variations in food shopping patterns around the world which is mostly based on income levels. The focus of food retailing industry in developing and developed countries was different with respect to consumers and the type of food demanded. The trend was that the developing countries retailers focused on high value food while the developed countries retailers focused on meeting consumer demand with respect to quality, security and choices. Thus various retailers are now looking at exploring new markets and using more opportunities in different kinds of developed and developing markets. Retailers have the information regarding the consumer preference and the standard of living which in then applied for research in segmenting the market according to market demand, affordability as well as quality. Hence food retail sectors is continuously growing and making innovative sale systems. The global food retail sale has increased up to $2 trillion yearly and the top 15 global supermarket companies’ account for more than 30 percent of world supermarket sales. Bourlakis (2004) opines that â€Å"The current changes are driving food supply chains to take up coordination between producers and retailers to aid modifying products to meet consumer demands. The food supply chain progressed from series of shorter, independent transfers to more unified, coherent relationship between processors, manufacturers and retailers†. Lubbers (1997) refer to the term globalization, meaning the global sourcing of raw materials combined with local marketing. Stalk and Hout (1990), Christopher (1992) and Hewitt (1994) suggested that â€Å"The keys to long-term competitive advantage in today’s marketplace are flexibility andcustomer response†. To maximize a competitive advantage, all members within the Supply Chain should ‘seamlessly’ work together to serve the end consumer (Towill, 1997).The effects of globalization (i.e. open markets), the market entranceof new competitors, and stricter governmental requirements for food safety and environment friendlyproduction place increasing demands on management. This study will examine some of the food supply chain models, evaluating it whether the consumer preferences are bringing changes in the global food supply chain model. Further effort will be made to analyze the changing patterns of traditional and evolving model for existing food supply chains and how it affects the sale and demand of foods in the market. With the introduction of supermarkets in the 21st century more and more traditional grocery outlets have suffered a fall in share from 40 percent in 1995 to 36 percent in 2005 and thus their was rise of supermarkets (Neff 1997a).Thus globalization has come into picture where more and more supermarkets are establishing in various countries due to decline in international trade barriers and more opportunities for investments as well as growth as a multinational. 1.2 Statement of The Problem There are various factors which affect the global food supply chain pattern and every stage of supply chain undergoes some kind uncertainties which cause inefficiencies in firm’s logistics. Food industry is also facing various issues regarding proper planning of distribution system which incurred a high cost to the retailers. Due to high competition and growth in the retail sector, many manufacturers and retailers have understood that there can be significant amount of cost reduction by making improvements in logistics. This can be achieved when the suppliers and the manufacturers work together to give better value to the consumer by maximizing costumer satisfaction and minimizing cost of distribution. Thus there is a need to redesigning a supply chain model. UK’s Milk supply chain is one of the complex food supply chains.UK is considered as one of the largest milk producers in EU. However, the major concern for UK is that even if the UK is mainly self-reliant in milk, the value of UK exports of milk products is significantly lower than the value of imports and in 2007 the UK had a trade deficit of about  £881m in dairy products. (Defra, 2007).Several reason have been estimated which has led to issues in dairy sector in UK.Thus the above issues raised a demand for further in-depth investigation. They thus form the basis for this study. 1.3 Purpose of The Study The purpose of study is to examine the food supply chain model present in global food industry as well as UK’s milk production and supply chain in particular. Specially, the purpose of the study was: To identify the changing food system pattern in food manufacturing and retailing globally. To highlight conventional and developing model for existing food supply chains and to asses its affects on the global food market. To find out the socio-economics impact of changing pattern of food supply chain on society. To study the supply chain models and to examine how the model could be designed more effectively and efficiently in order to improve supply chain uncertainties. To examine the reason of decline in the milk supplies in UK which leads to decrease in milk exports and increase in milk import even if UK is self sufficient in milk production. 1.4 Research Questions To provide focus and direction for the study and to successfully carry it out, the following research questions have been raised: a) Do the changing pattern of food distribution system have an effect on consumer and retailer’s relationship? (b) If they do, in what ways it effect the consumers? What changes should be undertaken to improve on distribution system? Which are the important factors for food supply chain developments and the important characteristics of the food retail sectors, and their effects on the food supply chain? What is the need to redesign food supply chains model? What are the strategic, tactical and operational decision made for food supply chain decision like production and distribution? How globalization in food industry has helped in growth of the world economy? Has the retail sector become more powerful then food manufacturing sector? What are the issues in Milk supply chain in UK? What is the reason for higher import of milk? What is the percentage of production of processed milk products in UK? What are the demand and supply of these milk products? 1.5 Significance of The Study This research work is to look at the current supply chain process in UK and evaluate the food supply chain model in order find out the changing patterns of global food supply chain which affects the consumer. Thus the study is significant for the following reasons: First it will help shed light on the ongoing transformation in the food industry globally. It will also help us to understand certain issues which exist in different processes of supply chain management. Also findings from the study may serve as a basis for evaluation of entire food supply systems which has shifted from national to global retailing. This will help them to adopt feasible measures to improve the relationships between retailers, manufacturers and consumer. The study will also contribute to existing knowledge on what encouraged the retailers, distributors and manufacturers to improve on the efficiencies of existing food systems. This could help strengthen retailing internalization which will further help in focusing more on increasing sale growth and market share than on profitability. The growth in private label and consumer interest brought about new changes in food retailing. In this way, the study will serve as basis for further research on the topic in the various countries as well as all over the world for the particular type of food product supply chain. Further case study is performed on UK dairy industry. It will address the positive as well as negative aspects in this sector. It also points out the market share for each dairy product and issues in dairy sector. The study also suggests the scope for future innovations in this sector. 1.6 Organization of The Study The study is organized in following way: Chapter one provides general information of the study, the research problem, purpose of study and research questions and objective of study. It would also present information on the significance of the study, limitation and organization of the study. Chapter Two presents background information and key characteristic of food supply chain globally. Chapter Three presents a review of available literature related to supply chain. In particular, literature on the concept of changing global supply chains perspectives as well as the socio economic effect on the people due to change in food supply chain as well as relationship between society and changing supply chain will be studied. Chapter four focuses on the dairy food supply chain model, its characteristics and future of the dairy supply chain sector. It will also focus on issues in production of milk and milk products. Chapter five presents the summary and conclusion of the research findings. It also discusses the findings and implications of the present study and provide a conclusion. Chapter 2 Backgroud 2.1. Introducing global retail industry Last year in 2007, national statistics confirmed that there were 55,540 retailers having around 103,000 retail outlets globally. The world’s major food retail companies are Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Carrefour Group, The Kroger Co, Metro AG and many more. This company originates from different countries like US, France, Germany but they have made their mark in international markets also. Wal-Mart being the leader has expanded in over 9 countries and operates nearly 1,300 outlets across North America, South America, Europe and Asia. After acquiring the large market share in developed countries, these major retailers are looking at developing markets like China and India. There is extreme competition in retail markets because companies are always looking for acquisition prospects for further expansion. White et al., 2004, opined that â€Å"there is speculation that Carrefour, the world’s second biggest retailer by revenue may be in the sights of Wal-Mart, the only retailer that is bigger, which unsurprisingly, recently signalled it would like to start expanding more aggressively in Europe†. Reduced trade barriers and regulations have facilitated the global companies to enter the markets of developing economies like India while in China the government has increased the barriers in order to increase the competition between the global companies. Grocery and Food retailing are getting concentrated. According to the Euromoniter report 2007, â€Å"the mature markets of Western European and US markets along with growing saturation in Eastern Europe have turned retailers focus to the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) markets, which show extraordinary growth potential†. Retailers are developing retailing strategies by doing market research specific to a particular geographical region and then using technical innovations and marketing knowledge to develop in that area. There are large formatted supermarkets, hypermarkets and a few small sized formatted stores and grocery stores. Private labeling of the retailers brands are the growing trends now a days and they have become successful as well due to the quality of products they provide at much cheaper rates. Worldwide: Top 30 Grocery Retailers, 2006 Table1. Rank/ Company Country of Origin Retail Banner Sales 2006 (USD mn) Market Share (%) Net Sales (USD mn) (1) Grocery Retail Banner Sales (%) Domestic Sales (%) Foreign Sales (%) 1 Wal-Mart USA 376,430 6.3 344,992 45.6 78 22 2 Carrefour France 122,214 2.0 97,739 73.9 47 53 3 Metro Group Germany 87,360 1.5 75,131 48.0 45 55 4 Tesco UK 86,827 1.5 78,451 73.3 75 25 5 Seven I (2) Japan 79,101 1.3 41,600 67.8 66 34 6 Ahold Neth. 77,546 1.3 56,299 84.4 18 82 7 Kroger USA 69,549 1.1 66,111 70.5 100 0 8 Sears USA 64,833 1.1 53,012 11.8 88 12 9 Costco USA 64,737 1.1 58,963 61.0 80 20 10 Target USA 62,584 1.0 59,490 30.4 100 0 11 Rewe Germany 56,448 0.9 54,515 75.3 68 32 12 Casino France 55,298 0.9 25,752 74.7 58 42 13 Schwarz Group Germany 55,160 0.9 50,224 82.6 54 46 14 AEON (2) Japan 55,157 0.9 41,431 55.5 90 10 15 Aldi Germany 54,104 0.9 49,948 83.5 53 47 16 Auchan France 53,608 0.9 48,408 62.6 50 50 17 Walgreens USA 49,874 0.8 47,409 36.0 99 1 18 Edeka Germany 48,525 0.8 40,277 85.4 93 7 19 CVS USA 46,092 0.8 43,814 30.0 100 0 20 Safeway (USA) USA 43,770 0.7 40,185 75.4 83 17 21 Leclerc France 40,435 0.7 36,432 61.4 94 6 22 ITM (Intermarchà ©) France 36,931 0.6 33,976 76.9 90 10 23 Sainsbury UK 36,071 0.6 31,360 75.6 100 0 24 Woolworths (AUS) Australia 34,255 0.6 31,243 72.1 89 11 25 SuperValu USA 32,278 0.6 37,406 73.0 100 0 26 Tengelmann Germany 31,566 0.5 29,255 62.0 58 42 27 Coles G