Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Research Paper Example In one of their photos, Brady and Gardner covered a scene where many soldiers lay dead following a struggle in the civil war front and it created an impression of the fierceness of the battle that took place between the people and the soldiers. From the photo of Brady and Gardner, it was clear that there killing that happened in the time of the battle were so many and it reflected that many soldiers from the southern and the Union army lost their lives. The photo, however, covered a small section of the war front as an indication of the issues of the civil war in the course of the antagonism between the government side that opposed slavery and the southern states armies that wanted to advance it. Following the American civil war, there were various events that followed in order to address the issues of that resulted as well as to establish frameworks to prevent any occurrence of a similar situation in future. A report on the events of the war was prepared that outlined the main issue s that caused the emergence of the civil war in an otherwise a peaceful country so that the future would be able to be better. In the report, the political stand about slavery of the then elected presidents of United States (US), Abraham Lincoln is said to have triggered the mayhem. In his presidential campaigns, Lincoln had promised that he would contain the spread of slavery and finally abolish it, a move that was not allowed by many people from the south who depended on slaves for their work (Clark and Neely 138-139). When the southern states that supported slavery realized the election of Lincoln as the US president would have a negative impact on slavery, they formed a group by bringing together armies from their different states to frustrate the attempt of the president. Immediately they attacked Fort Sumter, an army garrison at Charleston in South Carolina the Union army, that opposed slavery prepared to attack. This triggered the need to respond to the attack from the govern ment side led by the president Abraham Lincoln so that they can contain the forces that opposed the government’s attempt. This meant that war had to begin so that to abolish slavery, which became the main goal of the civil war after the contention of different soldiers from different states. In the war, southern states wanted to overpower the government so that to advance the slavery but the northern side focused on routing them and attain the abolishment of slavery in America. When the report of the war was written, it focused on the importance of the war in the US and it proposed various things thing that could be done in future so that the conditions could be better for other people. One of the suggestions of the report was the protection of the battlefields as important historical places in the lives of Americans who did not exist during the war and those who lived far from them. The report also gave highlights on the things that the government ought to do to ensure susta inability of the program of protecting the battle field so that they maintain the places for a longer time than they and to remain relevant to the future generation (Civil War Sites Advisory Commission 3-27). According to the photos of Antietam battlefield, many soldier died at the battle field and this could be an indication of the fierceness of war

David Fletcher Case Essay Example for Free

David Fletcher Case Essay Jenkins, Fletcher Partners (JFP) has the potential to thrive and succeed in the financial service industry with stimulated, productive, and satisfied employees. However, there are small and large issues to be addressed in order to carry that in action. In this specific case analysis, we analyze the issues hindering JFP from further development, and suggest respective and appropriate suggestions to resolve those problems. First, a thorough evaluation of JFP shed light on a number of issues: The inconsistency with JFP’s differentiated and key organizational structure: wide, flat, informal structure for quick decisions. Struggles for autonomy within the company and the pending decision to hire a new research analyst. Anti-cohesiveness and lack of appropriate human resource management. Low team productivity and insufficient and inaccurate incentives within the work teams Although these issues present obstacles for further growth and potential of the firm, JFP is able to resolve these issues and consequently differentiate itself from its competitors in the industry with the following suggested resolutions: Further emphasize the informal and quick information sharing in between all the employees. Convince Stephanie to remain with the firm with a larger responsibility to enhance the structure under the assumption that her requirements are met. Hire Robinson based on her qualifications and acceptance by current JFP employees, and develop further evaluation of Fiske’s. Maintain a balance of young and senior analysts to achieve a productive and conducive learning environment. Implement regular and functional meetings at which every employee has an input. Develop performance management instead of performance reviews. Maintain the organizational restructures through work team productivity and implementation of appropriate incentivizing system. With these critical resolutions, JFP will become the unique, successful, and differentiated financial service firm that the founders originally dreamed of. One of the points of differentiation that JFP has from other financial service firms on Wall Street is its unique structure of small, flat, and wide for effective and efficient communication and decision making process. But Fletcher made a mistake to contradict that very principle of JFP. By not communicating with Stephanie and other salient members of the firm with regard to hiring process of Doyle, David Fletcher put more workload on himself, slowed the  decision making process, and disregarded other employees’ opinions and thoughts on Doyle, and practically created the silo effect. Fletcher explains, â€Å"I figured that Stephanie would do the health care and environmental stocks as well as the retail stocks while Brian would focus on his specialty, high-tech†, as he reveals his own â€Å"thought process† without the actual confirmation from Stephanie. Furthermore, Fletcher admits, â€Å"hiring Brian wasn’t coming from her pocket, it was coming from mine†, and demonstrates the contradiction to shared ideas and smooth flow of information he so desperately pursued himself. The employees at JFP are meant to communicate and share information with each other fluidly without any excluded members. However, Fletcher contradicted the ideal environment he desired to create by not communicating with Stephanie throughout the hiring process of Brian Doyle and thus deteriorated the structure he wanted. Although a desire for autonomy and greater success are contributing factors in Stephanie wanting to leave the firm, this significant incident has l ed to her feeling alienated and secluded from Fletcher and the work they used to do together. Another issue that Fletcher faces, looking forward, is whether or not to hire Fiske and/or Robinson. As previously mentioned, Fletcher makes the hiring process ineffective and inconsistent. When hiring Kindred, Fletcher learned from the conflict that had already risen between Doyle and Whitney, and makes sure to receive feedback from Whitney and other employees before moving forward with Kindred. Fletcher also maintains an incredibly packed schedule and the hiring process is overly crucial and overwhelming for him to do by himself. Moreover, because of his overwhelming schedule, Fletcher cannot possibly to train all the new hires on how evaluate stocks and consider the investment strategy. On a greater scale, throughout JFP there is an extreme lack of group cohesiveness and issues with conflict management. Members of the company compete to achieve the identical goal to become portfolio managers. Members of JFP have a power struggle to achieve their own individual goals; consequently, pay compensation directly associates with individual accomplishments. The very structure of Wall Street that Lodge dislikes includes silos with high departmentalization, and members with their own agendas. JFP requires a group cohesion for an effective decision making, yet the firm rewards for self-fulfilling achievements. Therefore, presented is a â€Å"Rewarding A while hoping for B†Ã‚  issue. Also, a clear relationship conflict versus task conflict is evident. There are personal and social disagreements that hinder employees to expend effort and resource on discussing vital company tasks and objectives. There are also many interpersonal and organizational conflicts that arise through peripheral transactions within JFP. One simple example includes Stephanie’s concern about where her desk is located. And yet, there are no company procedures to address and resolve these conflicts in a systematic way. Another example is lack of employees’ input about new hires. Unrest and social disturbances are within an organization present obstacles for employees to work efficiently and to be creative which affects their performance and in turn JFP’s success. The final issue to be address is JFP’s lack of effectiveness in work teams and motivation on both the individual and group le vels. More attention can increase productivity and motivation according to the Hawthorne Effect. Fletcher’s decreased attention toward Stephanie, demonstrated in Doyle’s hiring process, reduces her motivation and attachment to the firm and develops negative feelings about Doyle. Because Doyle and Stephanie have relationship conflicts, they cannot properly address task, including feedbacks for investment choices, which leads to decreased productivity and creativity within the firm. When Stephanie finds personal fulfillment and interest in her work, intrinsic motivation, Doyle’s hiring process situation diminishes it significantly. Because she is less secure and satisfied, Whitney is less motivated, which falls in line with Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory: hygiene factors, including security and working conditions, â€Å"operate primarily as de-motivators if they are insufficient† (175). Stephanie also has extrinsic motivation—Fletcher’s attention, praise, and guidance—which increases her intrinsic motivation as well as job satisfaction and a sense of purpose at JFP. Whitney’s lower job satisfaction results in a poor job performance and her attachment to JFP. In order to better achieve the wide, flat structu re for efficient and effective decision making, Fletcher should attempt to keep Stephanie Whitney with the firm because she has already gained expertise within the industry, and training and molding another new employee in place of Whitney bears immense opportunity cost for the culture and productivity of the firm. Additionally, Whitney has consistently performed at a high level, and the success she’s attained transitioning from  an administrative assistant to a portfolio manager can be leveraged as an effective tool to inspire others to work. Since Whitney has expressed a desire to leave, Fletcher needs to intrinsically and extrinsically motivate her to. In order to keep Stephanie motivated at JFP, Fletcher should have Stephanie with a team of her to delve into an industry that she is curious and enthusiastic about, so long as that industry has an investment potential for the firm. Since monetary incentives can be sufficiently satisfied with firms other than JFP, Stephanie needs to have the extrinsic motivator of autonomy. This reward for staying would be unprecedented in a firm where most decisions come down to David, and would be an indication that she is incredibly valued and essential to the organization. Permitting Stephanie to recruit her own team will also serve to widen the st ructure of the firm and delegate more tasks. Fletcher also needs to highlight the tie that they have shared in the past, apologize for not being transparent with her completely, and express respect towards her career development. Despite the possibility that Whitney will decide to pursue other opportunities, Fletcher needs to convince her to stay because of her credibility and the value lost from the firm’s perspective. There is an argument to be made that Whitney was at the root of personal issues in the past, but Whitney’s conflict was task-oriented, not personal. Her disagreement with many of Doyle’s investment strategies causes problems when Fletcher failed to address her concerns. In the end, Whitney ends up being right about Doyle, and it is not to be understated that she gets along very well with everyone else in the organization. Building a strong culture is a key for JFP in hiring new employees. Whitney, who already gets along with Robinson, can help to develop the environment in which portfolio managers work creatively and get along on a personal level as well. By treating Whitney as more of a thought partner than protege, Fletcher should keep Whitney for the benefit of JFP. As Kindred’s case reflect, new hires are more effective in their roles in hiring them. Therefore, the hiring process should be structured in a way that all existing employees get to meet the candidate before the decision is made. Organization’s small scale will allow such procedure that will result in more effective hiring process. More attention should also be paid to the current employees, not only to ensure new employees’ transition, but also to deal with the hiring process more  effectively. Whitney’s insistence upon leaving can be circumvented entirely had Fletcher heeded her concerns and addressed the issue earlier. JFP should also aim to balance between experienced and new hires, and encourage the experienced portfolio managers to act as mentors. Fletcher cannot possibly serve as a mentor for everyone; but forging mentor/mentee roles amongst the portfolio managers will lead to more cohesiveness in the organization, experienced employees leading by example and contribute to the flat structure of the organization with reduced risk of employees’ uneasiness. Fletcher has already taken a step in the right direction by seeking the approval of other employees for hiring Robinson, but needs to continue with evaluating Fiske. Moreover, JFP should feel confident about hiring Robinson because the other employees think highly of her and Robinson offers a unique background and valuable expertise. Despite Fiske’s experience, his ability to collaborate with his colleagues is the critical point to evaluate in the hiring decision. And thus Fletcher must turn to the rest of JFP for advice. In terms of cohesiveness and people management, JFP should implement work teams to emphasize the outcome is greater than the sum of individual ’s effort. Also, work groups can be particularly utilized in the new research analyst candidates’ environment because their primary task is to share information. Cohesiveness can be developed by rewarding employees as groups, increasing the time that employees spend with each other, stimulating competition amongst groups, benchmarking JFP’s performance to that of a competitor firm, and by increasing the exclusivity. Furthermore, JFP requires regular meetings at which everyone is involved and present to facilitate increasing the time employees spend together and resolving conflicts within the organization. Group successes and failures can be discussed and evaluated. In order to successfully restructure JRP, performance management is essential because it is another method for conflict resolution. Performance management will also bring a continuous flow of feedback so the employee can adjust his or her performance. An increase in employee satisfaction within the workplace will follow. Additionally, the Hawthorn Study states that non-financial incentives are more effective than financial incentives; also, attention from leaders has been pr oven to be 63% effective, praise from managers 67% effective, opportunities to lead projects 62% effective. â€Å"†¦(P)eople will  feel competent if they obtain feedback that indicates progress in their work or suggests ways that can increase their competence†. (176) The delegation of autonomy within JFP can also be addressed because autonomy is easily assessed and provided to employees if management constantly evaluates employee’s performance. Lastly, Fletcher needs to address work team productivity and motivation within JFP. As an example, Stephanie demonstrates enjoyment and a sense of fulfillment in her job, and Fletcher needs to develop these motivations further. He also needs to ensure a good team dynamic. Intrinsic motivation is conducive to creativity and result in more unique, productive and creative analysts. According to â€Å"scientific management†, extrinsic motivation is strictly positive; however managers often create undesired behaviors in their employees by utilizing this incorrect statement. (181) Therefore, Fletcher has to give critical feedback and attention to his analysts to provide them with some continuing extrinsic motivation. In addition, Fletcher should foster an environment in which analysts develop enjoyment and attachment, that will contribute to intrinsic motivation as well. Hackman and Oldham’s model of job enrichment (1976) suggests different ways to increase employee motivation. For example, task identity, task significance, and feedback are a number of them. Developing task identity means to increase an analyst’s sense of meaningfulness in one’s work and growing task significance means to increase the sense of importance of their work. Additionally, ongoing feedback will also contribute positively to the analysts’ motivation. Fletcher should focus on these methods, as well as an appealing work environment and good group dynamic, to increase his analysts’ motivation. With these constructive resolutions—further consolidating the unique organizational structure, effectively recruiting new employees, critically addressing conflicts and cohesiveness within the group, and appropriately maintaining the balance of motivation—JFP is assured to thrive as a differentiated, outperforming, and attractive financial service firm.

Target Corporation

Target Corporation Executive Summary: This report shows an in-depth study of Target Corporation, the accomplishments, and the programs offered, it shows why this is a place where consumers can shop in comfort and security. It also shows a place where people like to shop, and why people like Target Corporation. It goes beyond the cash registers, with a multitude of socioeconomic programs and community outreach endeavors. Target gives back to local communities on a large scale in education and internships for the development of our future leaders and business people. Target offers a workforce and a workplace that embrace diversity, which gives the corporation an economic advantage, which makes them more competitive in this global economy. Although, if you searched for bad comments about a corporation you can find them and this will hold true of any corporate giant. These articles are misleading and should not be taken out of context. We are dealing with the positive aspects of this Corporation that far outweigh the negativ e. So take a trip to your local Target store and see for yourself. Experience the helpful staff, the clean and bright shopping environment, and everything that Target is offering over the competition! The founders vision, for a company that is focused on all of the stakeholders remains clear. Team 1 has concluded that we do in fact like Target very much, and have enjoyed writing this report. Every one of us has formed a positive opinion of the discount chain, although the company is not perfect it does stand out as the best in its class. Other discount stores that compete with our favorite just do not measure up to the same commitment to the quality of the shopping experience. If you compared how the stores are kept and organized Target is always in the lead. Kmart and Wal-Mart may try to beat the pricing, but Target will match prices and always beat them with the overall shopping experience. We hope that this report will give you a better insight into why Target is the leader, from their commitment to the environment and local communities to the generosity shown to the educational system and charitable organizations. In addition, above all else it really is fun, pleasant, clean and economical to shop there. Our report focuses on five major things to consider: * The Business Plan. Their history plays a major factor in their success and we have found this is why it is a sound investment. It is why they are still a growing company worldwide.  · Environmental Concerns and Local Communities: How this company approaches the concerns of our environment is to be admired. As well as, their giving back to education and a multiple of charities is noteworthy.  · Employee Experience: People who work for this innovative entity have stated their overall satisfaction with their jobs. To mirror the community is a diversification goal also.  · Marketing Strategies: A clean, orderly and safe atmosphere coupled with competitively lower prices, and offering their own brands, is their true strategy.  · Advertizing: Top rated commercials, national popular sponsorships, and choice of logo and colors are the core of their advertizing campaigns. Because of these findings, we have concluded that Target is everything we love and more. We recommend that you do your shopping at a local Target store this holiday season, and enjoy your shopping experience as we do. Introduction: Why is Target so successful and why do we like shopping there so much? The purpose of this report is to show the details of positive attributes that this corporate giant has to offer, as individuals, as well as the local communities, the environment, and the world. * What are their economic standings, growth, and investment opportunities? Are they what we are looking for? * Are they a responsible company to the environment and local areas in which they do business? Are they kind to the less fortunate? * How do their employees feel about working there? Is diversity truly a goal and do they mirror their local communities? * When you enter the store do you feel comfortable and safe? Are the prices and products what you want to see? * Are the commercials and sponsorships memorable? Does the Target logo and colors stick with you afterwards? Background: This report is part of our Business Communications Class at College of the Sequoias; our topic (Target Corporation) was first chosen with others by our professor Lucy DeCaro then chosen again by Susan McCormick. All of us on Team 1 voted unanimously to claim Target as our company to research. We wanted to see if Target held up to our impressions we had prior to researching this company. If you have never shopped at a Target store, this might give you a reason to do so. Target is in almost every city in United States and is gaining a foothold in the global market place. Their logos are a household name with good feeling attached to it. Targets integrity is unmatched in the discount franchise market place. Our goal is to show the direct and indirect benefits that Target has to offer. We intend to prove that this store lives up to the advertizing and slogans we have heard and seen for years. We will highlight the key points and attributes of this company to show how even a corporate giant can be a down to earth positive force for our own personnel benefit and the benefit of others. Their Business Plan: The Target Way Target History in Brief In 1902 Dayton Dry Goods was formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota by George D. Dayton. In 1901 George was a banker / real estate investor who became a partner in Good Fellows Dry Goods Company. Within one year, he took over and became the owner / president and renamed Good Fellows Dry Goods. It was then called Dayton Dry Goods for ten years. In 1912 it is renamed The Dayton Company and is more widely known as Dayton Department Stores. In 1916, The Dayton Company starts Retail Research Association (A co-op of retailers) after two years becomes Associated Merchandising Corporation. 1 Target full_report Corporate ResponsibiltyIn 1920, the company faced a freight-handlers strike, which threatened to stop all delivery of merchandise to the stores. Therefore, Daytons decided to use airplanes to deliver the goods to the stores in Minneapolis. The good were in such high demand because of the strike, that the public escorted the planes though the streets to buy the goods thus started a new era of shipping methods. 1938 George D. Dayton dies and his son George N. Dayton takes over. 1950 George N. dies and Donald C. Dayton takes over as president and gradually all the grandsons take top positions in the company, a truly family owned company. In 1956, The Dayton Company spearheads the first fully enclosed shopping mall putting the top retailers in one shopping building. This was to address the sprawling suburbs needs and changed forever the way we shop here in America. 1960 Target is born. It was the innovative thinking that changed the Daytons Department stores into a new discount store chain we now call Target. It was in 1961 that Douglas J. Dayton targets the department stores vast wealth and knowledge to combine fashion, supermarkets, and discount quality into one shopping place. 1962 they debated and came up with Target as the name of the new chain. They also chose the red and white colors and a Bulls Eye as the new logo. â€Å"As a marksmans goal is to hit the center bulls-eye, the new store would do much the same in terms of retail goods, services, commitment to the community, price, value and overall experience.† May 1st 1962 Targets grand opening in Roseville, Minnesota, followed by St Louis Park, Crystal and Duluth, all in Minnesota within the same year. In addition, in 1966 Target starts up outside of Minnesota in Denver, Colorado. Dayton make the transformation complete as it becomes a national retailer and ceases to be the department store chain it once was. The stock goes public on Sept 6, 1967 with five divisions: Daytons Department Stores, Target Stores, B. Dalton Bookseller, Dayton Jewelers and Dayton Development Company. The next year the company defines the Target symbol Icon, The single red dot with one circle around it. (Target.com) Target has evolved in many ways, but a century later still adheres to the founders scrupulous sense of ethics, with thoughtful management, well-defined corporate governance, and continuity in leadership, Target sticks with Daytons view of giving back to community. Investing In The Target Way 1. Take Stock in Target Investing in Target Corporation (TGT: NYSE): Is it a good investment today? The stock market is a still quite volatile and with down turn in the economy, or recession, investors should think twice about it. Many of us are still licking our wounds and frustrated with our 401k plans. So, why invest with a company like target? Ockhams rating (as of 10-14-09) for the past ten years show the cash earnings ratio of price to sales per share highest to lowest are 1.13x to 0.72x. What this means is that the price of the stock must produce a certain cash flow ratio compared to the cost of each share. Targets cash earnings are one of the most important things to consider when thinking of investing in the company. (Dividends are not the most important thing, although, it is nice to get a check in the mail for owning a piece of the company.) The real deal is that if the price of the stock has the ability to generate cash earnings. (Does it make money?) This is what we call the P/E price to earnings ratio. As of 10-16-09, the price per share of Target stock is $51.35 and each share earns $2.86 per share per year. The price to earnings ratio is a bit on the high side at 18.10, based on historic values, (the lower the number the better) but still holds a rather firm grip with investors. Ockham also considers the recent economy and its historical ratios of 16.00 and to 10.02. Dividends are another factor to consider but not the biggest by any stretch at $.68 per share per year, meaning a yield of about 1.38% currently. You should also factor in the historical highs of 2.72% and a low of 0.50%. Today the median dividend is only off by about 14.29% of its median, which is not that good or bad. Overall, it is still a good and safe stock market investment today. (Ockham) 2. Economic Responsibility Target maintains the standards of well-defined corporate governance, a strong commitment to ethical operations, and transparent financial disclosure. (Target 43) Corporate governance has been a Target practice for more than fifty years. (Target 45) Target has a passion to create value for the customer, the stockholders, a value for employees, and a value for the communities in which they do business. Strong Corporate governance at Target starts with a Board of Directors that is independent, engaged, committed, and effective. The Board establishes, maintains, and monitors standards and policies for ethics, business practices, and compliance that span the company. Working with management, they set strategic business objectives, ensure that Target has leadership that is dynamic and responsive, track performance, and institute strong financial controls. Target believes in strengthening investor confidence and creating long-term shareholder value, so they can continue to deliver innovations that provide opportunities for customers and the Target Corporation. (Target Report 45) When searching for companies to invest in, character counts. Target has won numerous awards for these things. (Target Report 47) The 2009 Awards  · Target ranked 41st on the list of â€Å"Americas Most Reputable Companies† Forbes * Target ranked one of the â€Å"Worlds Most Ethical Companies† Ethisphere magazine  · Target named one of â€Å"25 Noteworthy Companies for Diversity† Diversity Inc * Target named one of â€Å"Americas Most Shareholder-Friendly Companies† Institutional Investor magazine  · Target named one of â€Å"Americas Most Popular Stores† Forbes * Target recognized as â€Å"Best in Class for Corporate Governance† Governance Metrics International (GMI) * Target ranked 19th of 363 companies on the list of Worlds Most Admired Companies Fortune magazine * Target ranked 11th among the â€Å"Top 100 Employers of the Class of 2009†Black Collegian magazine * Target named one of the â€Å"Best Places to Work for Recent Grads† Experience.com * Target recognized on Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index Dow Jones * Target ranked 8th on the list of â€Å"Best Places to Launch a Career† Business Week The details of Target Corporation, accomplishments, and the programs offered, show why this is a place where consumers can shop in comfort and security. This report shows a place where people like to shop, and why people like Target. From front end to back end, Target has all the bases covered. Target Corporation goes beyond the cash registers, with a multitude of socioeconomic programs and community outreach endeavors. Target gives back to local communities on a large scale in education and internships for the development of our future leaders and business people. Target offers a workforce and a workplace that embrace diversity, which gives the corporation an economic advantage to be competitive in this global economy. (Target pressroom) Although, if you searched for bad comments about Target you can find them, this is true about any big company. (Complaint board) These are misleading, and should be put to the test. We are dealing with the positive aspects of this Corporation that f ar outweigh the latter statement. So take a trip to your local Target store and see for yourself, the helpful staff, the clean and bright shopping environment, and everything that Target is offering over the competition! The founders vision, for a company, that focuses on all of the stakeholders remains clear. (Target Report) Expanding 1. New Targets have Environmental Concerns It starts with their architecture and storefront design. â€Å"Target Corp. is breaking out of the big-box mold with unique exterior designs for its new and renovated stores.†They are being required by the cities where Target wants to build new stores that they not only are attractive, but also fit the surrounding community themes. They are doing just that in many of the hosting cities by working with Eames Gilmore, senior manager of architecture of store designs for Target. In order to stay profitable the store design and cost must reach a balance between Targets profitability and cities demands. The exterior designs must also reflect the Target image of cleanliness, modern, and upscale merchandise inside the stores. (John Vomhof Jr.) 2. Super Targets The first Super Target opened in Omaha, Nebraska in 1995. 218 Super Target stores have opened in 22 different U.S states. Most of the stores have opened in Texas and Florida. Super Target stores are approximately 175,000 square feet, offering many amenities to its guests, including a bakery, deli, full grocery selection, and fresh produce. Most Super Targets have a Starbucks, and Pizza hut express. Some stores even have a Taco Bell Express, but are currently being phased out. Super Targets also have a Pharmacy, Target Photo, Target Portrait Studio, and some stores also have a U.S Bank or Wells Fargo. Targets goal is to make their stores a one stop shop, to many shoppers. These days time is money, and to be able to do your banking, grocery shopping and pick your prescription up in one stop is just what we are looking for. (Wikipedia) 3. The Target Way Website targetdotcom.jpg 2 Started in 1999 â€Å"www.target.com† is an enormous and viable part of the corporate entity, started in 1999 it remains a great stronghold to the company profile. They do so well that Target.com is rivaled only by Amazon and eBay for new shoppers visiting the site in December, and they growing by an annual 26% increase year after year. They are in the top eleven online retailers for the overall strongest sales. (Internet Retailer) This is very impressive for the online community as Target is an internet and World Wide Web giant. This just proves again that innovation and forward thinking of the marketing strategy is truly one to make an example of. Target.com is so well designed that almost anyone can complete their shopping in little to no time at all. It offers many different uses such as finding a local store, viewing the weekly ad, gift registry, photo and pharmacy. The website has many offers for the consumers during the holidays such as free shipping if you spend more than $50 online. You can also purchase a gift for a loved one online and have it shipped directly to your family member. Target also uses its website for employees who can view and print their paychecks as well as sign up for benefits. (Target.com) Diversity 1. The Strength of Many the Power of One Our Commitment The strength of many. The Power of One. 3 42% of Target team members are ethnic minorities (vs. 32% across the u.s) 59% of target team members are women (vs. 48% across the u.s.) 4 Target renamed it diversity program â€Å"the strength of many the power of one†. Diversity at Target isnt a program; it is a core value that is integrated into every area of their business. Target takes pride in being a performance based company that gives equal opportunity to all that perform, and boldly defines diversity as individuality. Targets Diversity Statement on Target .com states; â€Å"Individuality may include a wide spectrum of attributes such as personal style, age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, language, physical ability, religion, family, citizenship status, socioeconomic circumstances, education and life experiences.† To Target diversity is an attribute that makes an individual unique that does not interfere with effective job performance. Target has also taken steps to extend their domestic partner benefits to straight, gay, and lesbian employees. And has received a score of 86 on the Human Right Campaigns equality index score. Target was also named â€Å"One of the top 100 best companies for working mothers† in 2004. (Wikipedia) 2. Mirror the Community Targets goal is to make sure their employees mirror the diversity of their communities as stated in J. Groves personal communication report (2007). As each employee during their training, usually within the first three months of employment, attend courses teaching them about some of the situations they may be faced with and help them to understand the value of diversity with Target. Some of the classes they attend cover dealing with differences among the employees, effective communication skills, working in a multi cultural workplace, and managing inclusion. It is Targets commitment to diversity, their value of the communities in which their stores are, and the ability to hire employees with the same values that keep Targets arms wide open to diversity. (J. Groves) Environmental Concerns and Local CommunitIES Environmental Responsibilities 1. Plans and Goals Target knows the responsibility it shares in taking care of the environment and being a good steward of our natural resources. With these things in mind, Targets plan is thus: * Minimize their carbon footprint * Use resources responsibly * Eliminate waste * Offer a selection of natural, organic and eco-friendly products * Develop facilities that align environmentally, community and business needs * Influence their vendors and suppliers to embrace sustainable practices (Target Report) 2. Reducing the Carbon Footprint Carbon Footprint, the new buzzwords in corporate talk these days, many corporations build this into their overall marketing plan. A marketing plan is not just advertising and selling the product, it is the entire goal and plan of the company with an insight of how the company will affect all stakeholders. The stakeholder in this instance is the environment. Target has since 1989 been using an energy management system, that optimizes their use of energy. According to testimony given to Congress, the U.S. Green Building Council states that buildings emit 39% of all U.S. CO2 and use 71% of the nations electricity.(USGBC) Targets energy management systems, is centrally located and monitored at the corporate headquarters to enable company-wide energy policy and troubleshooting. Along with the close supervision of energy consumption, Target is now looking at the feasibility of retrofitting stores with on-site energy systems, to include renewable energy such as solar cells (see 5) and fuel cell technology, with a goal to reduce Targets overall carbon footprint. Solar roof panels harness the suns energy at a Los Angeles Target store. 3. Eliminating Waste Post Consumer Products has been a great way Target has been generating revenue. Target maintains programs to recycle, corrugated cardboard, electronics, plastics, mixed paper, aluminum and much more. Target also creates policy for internal actions that are much stricter than the local and regional regulations to ensure compliance, with an eye on protecting the natural resources of our planet. Corporate keeps in mind that any company which does not respect the communities that they do business in, and take a proactive environmental stand, will ultimately fail. Target proves that they understand the power of the court of public opinion. (Target Report 28) 4. Offering a Selection of Natural, Organic and Eco-friendly Products Target Food and Grocery is an organic produce retailer, the USDA certified Target in 2006 and Target now carries more than 700 organic items. Many of the organic items that Target sells, are owned-brand items from Archer Farms © label. They produce milk, cereal, whole-wheat pasta, pizza, applesauce, frozen yogurt, olives, tea, and so many other products. (Target Report 31) The health and beauty selection at Target also maintains environmentally responsible standards. All of the personal care products have not been developed through animal testing, and are free of synthetic materials such as phthalates, sulfates and parabens. These standards of environmentally conscious and consumer minded ideals have made Target an industry leader and innovator in how to conduct responsible business in our communities and throughout the world. (Target Report 31) Target also influences vendors, how they use resources, ethical and product safety standards, and the fair treatment of all employees. Target requires that vendors guarantee that all goods are made in compliance with all relevant laws, both U.S. and the laws of the country in which the goods are produced. This includes the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which governs how employers pay and treat their employees. To be in compliance with this contract term, the vendors must confirm that their business partners are also in compliance with the law. In addition, they establish similar basic minimum requirements in certain countries where labor laws are not yet well developed. If a vendor violates their agreement, the penalties range from the loss of the contract or order to the loss of all future business with Target. (Target Report) Local Communities and Schools 1. Community Outreach Since 1946 Target has given 5% of income through community grants and programs that support education and the arts and social services. Whether it helps kids read, make art supplies available or offering emergency aid in a time of crisis, Target demonstrates its commitment to its communities in many ways. Some of the ways Target supports the community is through giving red card holders the option to choose which school locally they choose to donate 1% of their purchase to. Also Target celebrates Dr. Seusss birthday yearly with volunteers at each store to read to children. Target also provides seniors with a personal shopper during the holidays and even assists them with free gift wrapping. These are just a few of the great things Target does within their stores. Target focuses its community giving efforts in four key areas: arts, education, social services, and other vital partnerships. Arts: Target supports arts experiences that are family-oriented and affordable, including programs such as art exhibits, free days at museums, classes, performances and those that bring the arts to schools or schoolchildren to the arts. Education: Reading is an essential element of each childs educational process. Target supports programs that promote a love of reading or encourage children to read together with their families. We specifically focus on programs that inspire young readers (birth through 3rd grade). In addition, our Take Charge of Education program is a school fundraising initiative. â€Å"Ready. Sit. Read!† is dedicated to fostering a life-long love of reading in children. The program focuses on children from birth to age nine, and was developed in partnership with the United States Department of Education. â€Å"Ready. Sit. Read!† includes a partnership with the national non-profit organization Reach Out and Read; sponsorship of the Library of Congress Letters about Literature project; monthly childrens crossword puzzles; and sponsorship of book festivals throughout the country. Target also supports United Through Reading, a program to help deployed military members and their children stay connected by videotaping the parent reading a book, sending that video to his/her children, and returning a video to the parent that shows the reaction of the child watching the video of the deployed parent reading. Social Services: Target supports organizations that help build strong communities in which we do business. For example, they support organizations that help prevent family violence such as parenting classes and family counseling. In addition, they also provide assistance for support groups and abuse shelters. Other Vital Partnerships: Target supports communities through numerous volunteer programs and the United Way. We are a partner with the American Red Cross to support immediate and on-going disaster relief and preparedness. Our partnership with United Way is one of the most successful campaigns in retail. In keeping with partnerships around the world, Target considers its stewardship vital to the success of all stakeholders and resources. (Target.com) 2. Schools and Education Target supports education with the help of our REDcardsm holders, they have donated more than $260,000,000 to K-12 schools since 1997. Take Charge of Education was launched in 1997 and has contributed to over $260 million to more than 110,000 schools nationwide. Through the Take Charge of Education program, Target donates an amount equal to 1% of REDcardsm (Target Visa and Target Card) purchases made at Target and Target.com and 1/2% of Target Visa purchases made elsewhere, to the eligible K-12 school of the cardholders choice. Schools have used these unrestricted funds for everything from student recognition programs and new playground equipment to library books and school musical costumes. An impressive 9 million Target cardholders participate in the program. The Target Corporation will award 5,000 field trip grants of up to $800 each for the coming K-12 school year. Managed by Scholarship America, the Target Field Trip Grants Program is open to education professionals who are at least 18 years old and employed by an accredited K-12 public, private, or charter school in the US with a 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(1) tax-exempt status. Educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff of these institutions must be willing to plan and execute a field trip that will provide a demonstrable learning experience for students .Grant funds may be used for visits to art, science, and cultural museums; community service or civics projects; career enrichment opportunities; and other events or activities away from the school facility. Funds may also be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, resource materials, and supplies, (Stephanie Gerding Pam MacKellar librarygrants.blogspot.com) TCOE (Take Charge of Education ©): Target assists K-12 schools in generating extra income by providing all the necessary formats. Target provides clip art that allows the school to create personalized material for fundraisers, website banners and flyers for their events. Here is how target helps schools raise money. Targets take Charge of Education Campaign gives the schools links to download. With the following links: * Promotion Letter * Thank-You Letter * Donation Letter * Press Release * Full-Page Flyers (8.5 x 11) * Download a Banner * Clip Art * Website Banners All you have to do is click on the subject you want, highlight, cut and paste and you create the document appropriate for the event. (Target.com) Target gives the schools tips for success  · Use your parent newsletter and school website to encourage RED cardholders in your community to enroll in Take Charge of Education. Express your thanks to those parents who have designated your school! * Generate excitement—set a donation goal and share your progress. * Tell the community how much your school received from Take Charge of Education, and how it was used. Talk about how the program is making a difference. * Make it easy for people to designate your school by providing the community with your 5-digit school ID assigned by Target. If you would like to participate in Take Charge of Education but prefer an option that does not involve credit cards, you can choose to promote the Target Check Card. It links directly to an existing checking account, with all of the ongoing rewards of a RED card credit account. (Target.com) 3. Charities, The United Way, Salvation Army, Red Cross and The Target House Social Services 6 Target is very active in donation to other local charities such as the United Way. Target has actively supported the United Way since 1962. According to Target.com, Target and individual team members donated 13 million dollars in 2008, as well as donating 32,000 volunteer hours as part of the United Way campaign. Target also proudly supports the Salvation Army. In 2008 Target provided 2.42million in direct support of the Salvation Armys mission and programs. Target is also active with the American Red Cross providing relief to flood, fire and tornado victims, Target team members donate time and money on an as needed basis. http://www.joshsportstalk.com/Target-House-Front.gif 7 Since the opening of The Target House in 1999, Target in partnership with St. Judes Hospital provides long term housing for patients and their families during their treatment, all at no cost to the family. Patients are assigned to the Target House if the patients treatment is set to be longer than three months. The Target House features 96 two bedroom apartments, fully furnished. They also provide families with free laundry facilities, a playground, a music room, a gym and a library full of books and movies. The Target house is set up to make families feel at home during their loved ones treatment. To date the Target house has housed 1,290 families from 42 states and 36 countries. (stjude.org) The Target Employee Is It a Good Job? 1. The Employee Experience

Black Boy Essay -- essays research papers

In the book Black Boy, we see many black people in the south dealing with many hardships. One of the most prominent problems for blacks seemed to be the "Jim Crow" laws. These laws withheld blacks from society, breaking them apart from whites and making it very hard for them to live an even close to normal life. Black people couldn’t express their own ideas at all. They had to call all white men "sirs" and all white women "ma’am". They couldn’t act the slightest bit superior to whites. It was almost impossible for black people to make a decent living in the south, and they also had to take the abuse dealt to them by he whites without even attempting ant resistance. Blacks in the south also had to deal with the separation aspects of the "Jim crow" laws. They had to sit in the back of the buses, they had to use separate water fountains and bathrooms, they were looked upon almost like they had some sort of disease. These are just a few of the "Jim Crow" laws that the black people had to deal with. Richard was not the only one in this book dealing with racism. All the people around him were also coping with it also, friends co-workers and family had to face the challenges of a racist environment. Throughout the book we see these other people dealing with the problems of an extremely racist society. We also see how each person in Richards life deals with it differently. There are a few people and insience that stick out in my mind especially. The first one would have to be an incident with Shorty. Shorty has dealt with racism his whole life, and he has learned to deal with it as he has grown. We see a great example of how Shorty deals on page 269Shorty is faced with the problem of no money, such as many other southern blacks were, and we see that he is willing to do anything for any amount of money. " You can kick me in the ass for a quarter" (269,wright) As this happens Richard witnesses the whole thing and we can see that he is very disappointed in the way Shorty dealt with the situation. He can’t understand how he can put himself in that kind of degrading position, and Shorty simply answers. " But a quarter can’t pay for what he did to you!" But we can see Shorty thinks differently. A... ...urt black skin. By this point in the book Richard learns to deal better with racism, but he still has attitude about being treated differently then the white kids or adults. One final incident the Richard had to deal with was when he was working at the hotel. This incident didn’t completely have to deal with him but he got involved. When the door man at the hotel slapped his black girl friend in the ass as they were walking out of the hotel, Richard got pretty upset that he did that considering that the doorman was white. It was like he couldn’t understand how white people didn’t like blacks, but yet the would use such sexual connotations towards the black women, We see Richard react, as he stops and just looks at the doorman. After Richard decides not react violently, and got somewhat of a threat from the doorman when he just continued. This was Richards way of "scaring" the white man without starting something physical. We see Richards way of dealing with the racism change throughout the book. When he is younger we see how he can’t help but get defensive, and as he gets older he learns to control himself better.

Mattel’s Toy Recalls and Supply Chain Management Essay

This case talks focuses on the event in the year of 2007 when Mattel – the leading global toymaker – voluntarily recalled its toys from worldwide stores. Mattel’s name is synonymous worldwide for its most famous product – the Barbie Doll. The recall was initially for 83 toys which had excessive lead paint and soon after 6 more products we recalled which had a design problem of small magnets coming off the toys in addition to the use of lead paints. The lead that was used could potentially be toxic for children and the magnetic parts that could come off the toys could potentially be fatal for the digestive systems of children if ingested. All the toys recalled were manufactured in China and in total more than 1.5 million toys were called back. The initial diagnosis was that the main cause of the problem was â€Å"Made in China† however the case explores that the root causes for the default were defective designs. Background – Mattel & China * China had become the leading manufacturer of toys by 2000 * 80 % of toys coming to US were manufactured in China * 65% of Mattel toys were produced in China * Most Chinese toys were made in about 5000 factories located in Guangdon province in China. These factories were majorly owned by Hong Kong Mattel’s Supply Chain Mattel’s product fell into two broad buckets. First was the core products like Barbie dolls which sold through longer periods and the second bucket comprised of the non-core products which comprised of seasonal toys like movie characters. By 2007, more than half of the revenues for Mattel came from core products that were manufactured in Mattel – owned plants in china. The remaining products which were procured from local Chinese licensed vendors. Mattel had an inspection program in place for its products. Off the 5000 products that it used to develop each year, it would randomly check products by taking them off the production line. In order to supply paint to Mattel’s supply chain a vendor had to be a certified one. The complication with this arrangement was that on many occasions Mattel’s direct vendors contracted down to other suppliers who in turn contracted to other suppliers and thus the origin of certain products were difficult to trace – for example the lead paint. Even though Mattel had not allowed its vendors to sub contract to other vendors without its permission, it was not sure how well Mattel’s suppliers were adhering to this. Ironically, 200 of Mattel quality and vendor assurance employees were located far away from the production facilities in Hong Kong. As a good HR practice Mattel had hired a professor with international reputation for being a critic of worker treatment to report independently of any malpractices in Mattel. Reasons leading to the event * Pressures on Chinese toy manufactures. Most toy sales were coming from big box stores like Walmart, Target etc. The business model of these big retailers revolves around extreme cost pressures. This led to a lot of bargaining with Chinese manufacturers to cut down their costs. At the similar time, the Yuan had appreciated and increasing costs of raw materials (such as fuel costs) left little room for Chinese manufactures to invest in significantly progressive quality programs. * Manufacturing Problems Lead in paint was a frequently occurring problem for toy manufacturers. Even though Chinese manufacturers had put processes in place that had checks to avoid having lead in the paints, it was increasingly difficult to monitor the quality of paints * Design Problems In 2007 many toy products had small magnetic parts attached to them which could potentially get detached from the toys and then they could be accidently be ingested by the children. These magnets, once inside the digestive system were toxic and could potentially stick together and harm the intestines. Another design problem was that some of the toys were susceptible to being broken. Most of the designs were made outside China and thus this was not a manufacturing problem. * Product Misuse Some recalls of Mattel’s products were because of the potential misuse by children. There were choking or strangling hazards associated with some of the products that made the products dangerous. Mattel’s Response The expected impact of Mattel’s recalls was to the tune of $30 million dollars which was about half of the operating income of that quarter. The media coverage and global attention aggravated the issue. In order to deal with this Mattel’s response was as follows. * Three point check system As the first point check – for the lead paint every batch of paint could only be acquired from certified vendors. Second, the controls for vendors and contractors were made more stricter and random checks were constituted. Thirdly, the finished products would be subjected to final checks before they reach the customers * Sub contracting policies Mattel reviewed it’s subcontracting policies to control excessive subcontracting * Purchase of new equipment to detect lead Mattel incorporated a plan to purchase more lead detectors * PR & Communications The company followed a proactive communication strategy to address the issue. Conclusion The consumers reacted strongly to Mattel’s response. The case elaborates how systemic failures can almost cripple a global leader. Most importantly, the ‘made in china’ brand lost significant reputation because of this episode. However, better measures and corporate controls resulted from this event and they eventually transformed the manufacturing world for the better.

The eNotes Blog How To Talk About Books You HaventRead

How To Talk About Books You HaventRead Or, Why Its Okay to Use Study Guides Modern literatis everywhere are faced with a crippling predicament: every month of the year, publishing houses churn out one bestseller after another, each one peaking our interest more than the last. And true booklovers, or at least those who want to be considered such, are expected to read an impossible amount of these, not to mention the hundreds of important works of literature that already exist in the world. How to face this hurdle in ones path to acceptance within that coveted literary inner circle? Why, we play pretend, of course. Utterly  sacrilegious  in its title but  irresistibly  pragmatic in its nature, Pierre Bayards  How To Talk About Books You Havent Read has been hailed as  Ã¢â‚¬Å"a survivor’s guide to life in the chattering classes.† But before you pounce on and decry us in the educational realm as hypocrites, have a read on to see what Bayard has to say about the science of non-reading Non-reading is not just the absence of reading. It is a genuine activity, one that consists of adopting a stance in relation to the immense tide of books that protects you from drowning. On that basis, it deserves to be defended and even taught. The key to non-reading and making it work, as psychoanalyst and University of Paris literature professor Bayard says, is orientation. Thinking back to all of the books weve read, thought weve read, read about, or merely heard whispers of, the way we process and recall all of these works is based on how we orientate them in our memories; its how one knows without ever opening, say,  Ulysses,  its importance to the literary world. We then navigate the vast library of all of these read and unread books in terms of their significance to literature as a whole: A book is an element in the vast ensemble I have called the  collective library, which we do not need to know comprehensively in order to appreciate any one of its elements†¦ The trick is to define the book’s place in that library, which gives it meaning in the same way a word takes on meaning in relation to other words. Bayard goes so far as to stress the importance of making these connections between books  over  simply reading and comprehending a single book: Rather than any particular book, it is indeed these connections and correlations that should be the focus of the cultivated individual, much as a railroad switchman should focus on the relations between trains - that is, their crossings and transfers - rather than the contents of any specific convoy. Now this is not to say that we encourage or condone that you not read, and especially that you not read what is assigned of you in class. But it brings up a good point. I have never read, nor do I really desire or have the time to read, War and Peace, at least not anymore than I want to read a growing list of about 50 other, newer titles that I have to catch up on  (ones that arent 363 chapters long). But thats not to say that I shouldnt be able or expected to know the novels significance. In Bayards eyes, there is more shame in admitting that you dont know what a book is about than being able to talk about a book you havent read for yourself: Only in accepting our non-reading without shame can we begin to take an interest in what is actually at stake, which is not a book but a complex interpersonal situation of which the book is less the object than the consequence. In summation, rather than giving us permission to disregard great works of literature, Bayard gives us his ode to books with How To Talk About Books, stating that this is a method we must  practice to employ the fantastic way that literature helps us make sense of a confusing world. So there you have it. You may freely use study guides to become a fuller person with a more fruitful inner library. For further non-reading, you may also want to flip through  Flavorwires neat little cheat sheet to help you talk about the  ten important books you probably havent read. In the meantime, feel free to use this as an excuse to not read Bayards book. Just make sure you label it afterwards, according to the authors tidy (anal) cataloguing system: UB book unknown to me SB  book I have skimmed HB  book I have heard about FB  book I have forgotten