Obesity And Obesity Among Hispanic And African American...

Diabetes and Obesity Name Institution Diabetes and Obesity Abstract There exists a close relationship between diabetes and obesity. The two conditions have troubled the global sector, leading to numerous deaths and excessive expenditure. This study evaluates the relationship between exercise/diets with obesity and diabetes among Hispanic and African American populations. The two communities face challenges of contracting diabetes and obesity owing to their lifestyle. There is much to compare among the African American and Hispanic people as far as their culture and observance of healthy living are concerned. The study also presents a future projection of the issues that need addressing to mitigate obesity and†¦show more content†¦African Americans The most notable problem that has intensified the problem of diabetes and obesity among African Americans is diet. The trajectory of African American lifestyle is characterized by misfortunes rendering their dietary situation vulnerable (BorrellSamuel, 2014). From the historical factors that led to their presence in the foreign country, the Africans were subjected to a diet that was not friendly to their health. Used as machines by their masters, Africans found their eating habits in a cultural framework that emphasized on proteins to make them energetic and able to work. Therefore, the unprecedented subjection to unbalanced diet started from the moment they set foot on the new land. According to Heuman, Scholl, Wilkinson (2013), unavailability of healthy food and the destitute amount of resources to secure healthy eating has been inimical to healthy living among African Americans. Indeed, owing to the poor economic background, most Africans rely on fast food outlets and takeaways t hat comprise unhealthy and chemical-induced meals concentrated with calories and fats. The current state of African American health is sickening. The manifestation of sedentary lifestyle multiplies the problem of leading to detritions of health (Sucher, Kittller, Nelms, 2016). Although this state is real among all populations in the UnitedShow MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity Among African American And Hispanic American Families Essay1534 Words   |  7 Pages1. Statement of the Problem/Phenomenon of Interest This study was designed to investigate the problem of childhood obesity among African-American and Hispanic-American families in a rural school district in southeast Texas. In 2008, there were 200 million males and nearly 300 million females who were obese and approximately 42 million children, five years and under, were obese in 2013 (World Health Organization Factsheet 311, 2014). First Lady Michelle Obama launched her LET’S MOVE! initiativeRead MoreThe Prevalence Of Overweight / Obesity1616 Words   |  7 PagesStatement: POPULATION/PATIENT PROBLEM: Both researchers studied the incidence of overweight/obesity in African-American children. One related it to the low socioeconomic status of the caregivers (SEP) and this study/research was conducted in Pitt County, North Carolina. The other research, four childhood obesity perceptions among African-American caregivers in a rural area Georgia community relates overweight/obesity on the parents’ level of education, income, eating habits and lack of physical activitiesRead MoreA Brief Note On African American Adults And Obesity1480 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Weinshenker November 17, 2016 African American Adults and Obesity Introduction: In the US, there are tremendous disparities in health outcomes across different racial and ethnic groups. Non-Hispanic, African American adults, in particular, are known to â€Å"bear a disproportionate burden of disease, injury, death, and disability† when compared to the rest of the population. Many factors contribute to these disparities. According to the CDC, among the contributors are â€Å"socioeconomic factorsRead MoreThe Influence Of Obesity In America808 Words   |  4 PagesWithin the last decade, the rate of obesity has been increasing. In 2012, at least one-third of U.S. adults were obese.1 It is expected by 2018 that the number of obese adults increases to half of U.S. adults.2 The rates for children and adolescents are increasing as well. In 2012, about seventeen percent of children and adolescents were obese.2 However, the number of obese individuals vary throughout the U.S. The South and Midwest have a higher prevalence of obesity while the West and Northea st haveRead MoreObesity And The World Health Organization1701 Words   |  7 Pagesliving continue to boost, weight increase and obesity are posing a rising threat to certain well-beings in countries all over the world. Obesity, now confirmed as a nationwide endemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is likely to get worse and amplify over time. â€Å"The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese† (Obesity: in Statistics, 2008, 2nd Statement). It is definiteRead MoreThe World Health Organization (Who, 2016) Has Recognized1510 Words   |  7 Pages The World Health Organization (WHO, 2016) has recognized childhood obesity as one of the most significant public health issues of the 21st century. In 2011-2014, the prevalence of obesity among children living in the United States aged 2-19 was 17% (Ogden, Carroll, Fryar, Flegal, 2015). While this percentage has stabilized in the past 10 years, millions of children are affected by this disease and at risk for chronic comorbities (Shapiro, Arevalo, Tolentino, Machuca, Applebaum, 2014). UnfortunatelyRead MoreEssay On Obesity In African American Children1524 Words   |  7 Pages Obesity in African American children between the ages of 2-19. Obesity in African American children has been found to be much higher than in Caucasian American children. There is almost a 6% disparity between them. Alarmingly, this continues to grow and is currently affecting younger children in the African communities. A survey polled between 1999 to 2012 showed the following: 35.1 percent of African American children ages 2 to 19 were overweight, compared with 28.5 percent of WhiteRead MoreHealth Disparities Within Dekalb County1709 Words   |  7 Pageswell-being of its communities today as it relates to cultures and institutions. The population of African Americans is higher in Georgia than in the United States because of the transatlantic slave trade, which brought an abundance of African Americans to the state by force. The history of slavery still impacts African Americans today and causes many health disparities that can be seen around the world not only in Georgia. The obvious and tragic impact of health disparities in our communities is the disproportionateRead MoreChildren And Obesity783 Words   |  4 Pagesis considered to be obese. The rates of obesity, however, vary by age. 8 percent of children between 2 and 5 are obese. Among those between 6 and 11, 18 percent of these children are obese (Segal, Rayburn, Alejandra, 2016). Finally, 21 p ercent of those 12 and 19 years are obese. As mentioned before, obesity among children between 2 and 5 are decreasing. But those among age groups 11 and 19 are increasing. This may explain the constant rate of obesity among children. Variation in Gender, Race andRead MoreThe Healthcare Delivery System of the United States: Obesity715 Words   |  3 Pages The healthcare delivery system of the United States: Obesity Introduction One of the primary health concerns in the United States is that of the obesity epidemic. Currently, more than one third of adults older than 20 years are obese (James et al 2012) This is of concern to all Americans because the United States healthcare system fuses both a public and private approach to healthcare. Most individuals with health insurance obtain healthcare through their employers; those that do not must

External Environment Analysis of Walmart †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Do External Environment Analysis of Walmart? Answer: Introduction Wal-Mart is one of the largest retailing chains in the worlds supermarkets industry. This biggest chain of retailing stores is of 54 years old. It is founded by Sam Walton and His family is the current owner of the company (Wal-Mart, 2017). Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Alaska, United states. It has captured the worldwide area of the retailing china market. Furthermore, the company has approximately 11,695 stores and 2.3 million employees working under them in the whole world. There are four divisions of Walmart that is Global ecommerce, Walmart international, Sams club and Walmart U.S. (Wal-Mart, 2017). Along with this, company has various subsidiaries that offers many products and services plus expanded its business in several countries with different names such as Walmart Canada, Walmart Mexico, Walmart Chile, Walmart de Mxico y Centroamrica, @WalmartLabs, Walmart Neighborhood Market, Asda, Amigo Supermarkets, Vudu, Massmart, Seiyu Group, Bompreo, Lder, Jet.com, Hayneed le, Moosejaw, ModCloth. The earnings before interest and tax in 2016 were US$22.76Billion and total revenues as US $ 13.64Billion (Wal-Mart, 2017). In this present case, internal and external environment of the Walmart has been analyzed using different tools and techniques such as 7 S McKinseys model, Porters value china strategy, Porters generic model for competitive advantage and Porters five force model along with SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis (Harrison and St. John, 2009). This study will explore the entire strategic management of Walmart stores with the view on the culture and structure of the organization. External and internal factors that influence the Walmarts position in the retaining industry and local markets of US are also being investigated in the current research. Thus, this research is very imperative in analyzing the overall concept of management and related strategies which has provided a wide success to Walmart. Internal Environment Analysis of Walmart This section is examining the objective and goals of Walmart with the help of McKinsey analysis to detail about the capabilities and competencies of an organization that entails the investigation of Share value Strategy, Structure, System, Style, Staff and Skill (Furrer, 2010). Moreover, the value china analysis and companies culture will be illustrated in this study. In addition to this, section will explore strength and weaknesses and strategies that helped the company in attaining competitive advantage of the company as below: 7S McKinseys Model This model enables a user to determine and analyze the capabilities and competencies of the organization. It analyzes improvement areas where the top management can focus on the desire of the customers and manufacturing products accordingly. Along with this, it helps in increase in the performance and profitability of the company (Filho, et. al., 2010). It also aids company in change of management such as acquisition and merger. Furthermore, 7S McKinsey model gives information about the near changes in the future and explores the opportunity to execute the apt strategies according to the situation. In case of Walmart, 7S McKinsey Model is described to analyze the internal environment of the organization as follows: Share value: Values and mission of the organization is one of the most important aspects that provides the target goal to the company and create base for all other six Ss (Davies and Ellison, 2003). It embraces organizational culture, team culture, and work culture of Walmart which is foundation of strength of the organization. It involves work ethics and corporate culture (Wal-Mart, 2017). The vision statement of Walmart is To be the best retailer in the heart and heart of consumers and employees. The companys objective is providing various qualitative services to the customer with a low budget. Walmart has a shared value in the areas like local community, opportunity and sustainability. Strategy: the company has pertinent focus on reducing the cost of the products and services offered to customers. Walmart has a tendency to facilitate all the products in a single roof to buyers and with a lowest price from other retailers (Janet, et. al., 2015). It also caters flexible and advanced way of shopping. The company has a vision to grow and expand in every countrys retail industry as a strategy. Structure: the company performs its management of system and entire control and monitoring of the organization from headquarter at Bentonville (Wal-Mart, 2017). Walmart doesnt have any regional office and has a geographic structure. The company has a formal structure with specialized tasks. The approach for structure of company is mechanistic. System: Low prices strategy is the basis and mission of Walmart to achieve in day to day operations. To make the operations flexible integration of information technology helps the company at the time of point of sale (Janet, et. al., 2015). For the purpose of speed delivery and reduce the wastage and inventories, the company has incorporated information technology network and computers in the store. The system of organization also controls and monitors the standards and policies incorporated with the HRM system and RFID system which should be executed effectively. Style: a strong leadership style and management style is essential for the company like Walmart because its business is expanded and has various department to operate (Filho, et. al., 2010). The company should also consider creating and maintaining its style by reviewing and changing styles. Moreover, for convenient functioning of operations, the company should consider to take care of staff gaps. Staff: Walmart has enormous employees around the world and management with employee satisfaction is a need of the company. Along with this, their jobs and responsibilities are clearly defined by the management which is competent with the current requirements (Filho, et. al., 2010). Training programs and development programs also facilitated for each division. Performance measurement with the regular feedbacks is also necessary to review staff management and their work pattern. Company also encourages womens empowerment at a global level. Skill: One of the most common skill challenges is job allocation to the suitable employee. Thus, Walmart has also this issue and recommended to curtail this issue to match the individual skills with the profile of the job (Janet, et. al., 2015). Additionally, to motivate employees as a strong leader, strategies like appreciation, rewards and encouraging activities should be taken for effective and efficient team work. Company considers high technical skilled employees for their operations and functions. Porters Value Chain Analysis Value chain analysis provides analytical framework to achieve competitive advantage and analysis of value creation in the business activities (Mason and Evans, 2015). Porters value chain analysis is divided into two parts that is primary and support activity and associated department within these activities are logistics, operations, marketing, sales and service as well as firm infrastructure, human resources, technology development and procurement that gives a reasonable margin (Mason and Evans, 2015). Walmart value chain is very effective and efficient that manages the lowest cost price of the company ensures the competitive edge to the company as cost leader in the retailing market of U.S. detailed examination of the value chain of Wal-Mart is as follows: Primary Activities Inbound logistics: Suppliers of about 50% Wal-Mart products are from Overseas and non-store inventory of Wal-Mart.com has 75% of the product sales (Wal-Mart, 2017). The inbound logistic are based on the three fundamentals that is minimum use of links associated with the supply chain, development of new partnership with various vendors and using inventory strategies like cross docking. The company prefers to manage it supply chain operation with directly to the manufacturers rather than any local supplier (Jolibert, et al. 2012). It has facilitated optimistic results to the company as t is reviewed in many of the past articles and journals which proves this claim. The company is persistently improving its supply chain management and holding the market position as a very effective cost management in value chain strategy. In addition to this, the negotiation of the company is very strong and not at all flexible with business partners. The bargaining power of vendors is very strong in Wa l-Mart which ensures its competitive advantage over other firms (Mason and Evans, 2015). The company always forms a strategic partnership considering sustainability prospect and high volume buying of products in a lower cost from the suppliers. Moreover, the loading and unloading procedures are very flexible for the truck drivers. Railroad cars and semi-trailer trucks are used to move material from one place to another and there is no other storage center in between the transfer from inbound and outbound truck. Operations: Wal-Mart operates in more than 27 countries in the world and has around 11250 stores around the world. More than 2.3 Million customers are being offered its products and services each week (Wal-Mart, 2017). Company has wide range of operational divisions such as supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, including specialty electronics, Sams Clubs, restaurants, home improvement, digital retail, apparel stores, cash carry, convenience stores and drug stores. Mainly company has notable three divisions that contribute maximum earning to the company including Wal-Mart U.S., Wal-Mart international and Sams Club (Wal-Mart, 2017). The company functions around 50 states in US and all the stores are connected with the digital retailing facility. Additionally, Porto Rica and Washington D.C. are also included in this segment. More than 60% of sales are being recorded from Wal-Mart U.S. in previous years. Estimate of 28% sales is from Wal-Mart international that oper ates as retailer as well as wholesaler outside of the U.S (Wal-Mart, 2017). This company has also established its business globally by acquisition and mergers. Additionally, Sams club has 48 states in its range operated with digital retailing and contributes more than 11% in the revenue segment of the Wal-Mart group. Outbound logistics: the company has complex and multipart outbound logistics. 11 out of 27 countries are operating in digital retailing as well. The size of the stores are also varies and Wal-Mart operates in wide size such as 1.2 million square ft. The company uses its recourses optimally and in a very systematic manner (Wal-Mart, 2017). Cost reduction and operation efficiency are the main motive of his resource. The effective strategy implement in loading building solution has saved the extra cost of the company plus fully utilized the diesel fuel expenses in an appropriate manner. Marketing and Sales: the company emphasized and hypes the convenient access of customers via carious channels, brand image of the company and highly competitive prices (Jolibert, et al. 2012). The company also has assortment of product in its store in a single roof experience. The company has online and an offline benefit that attracts the potential customers plus sustainability is motive of Wal-Mart as a cost leadership business strategy internationally. Along with this, Wal-Mart is focused to the target customers and facilitates marketing messages to the potential segment (Wal-Mart, 2017). Services: The service of the company is very superior but has issues in representation such as customers service problems. This problem arises in order to attain competitive edge company pays sets low wage rate to the employees (Mason and Evans, 2015). On the other hand, company is constantly trying to improve its customer services and issues related to low wage report. 1.3.2 Support Activities: it involves major structures of the company such as firm infrastructure, human resource management, technological development and procurement (Jolibert, et al. 2012). Support activities help the primary activities in operating the functions of the company with more clarity along with it encourages the improvement in value chain.; Porters Generic Model of Competitive Advantage Porters model of generic strategy is based on the attainment of competition advantage which sustains and creates the better performance of organization (Thompson, 2001). Walmart has also implemented the generic strategy of cost leadership to capture the wide market and achieve competitive edge of lowest cost in the retailing market. There are three types of scopes a company have to capture market with suitable strategy. First, cost leadership that helps in reducing the cost of the product/services and raising the profits of the organization by choosing average price strategy in the industry (Tanwar, 2013). With the fall in the cost of product, market share also increases per share and company charges less prices for shares but still able to make a good profit. When a company accomplishes cost leadership strategy basic factors that help in successful attainment involves effective value chain and logistics, capital invested in technology to abate the cost price of products and low capital base for labor, facilities and materials (Thompson, 2001). Second is differentiation strategy that offers unique and innovative products/services to the customers than other competitors (Crosson and Needles, 2007). The factors that influences it includes nature of industry, product/service offered to customers and its related functionality, support services, durability, features and brand image. High quality and innovative product and services with the aggressive marketing and sales techniques provide assistance to the organization to embrace cost differentiation (Tanwar, 2013). Third is focus where a company chooses any of the one strategy to capture the niche market. The companys emphasized on the brand loyalty of customers with these two strategies that is cost leadership or differentiation. Lastly is hybrid strategy that implies when company applies both the strategies simultaneously. In the present scenario, Walmart focuses on delivering its goods and attaining competitive advantage with the cost leadership according to the porters generic theory. It maintains its lowest price of product and services at the point of sale (Wal-Mart, 2017). Incorporation of information technology in operation and reduced wages of employees helps the company in achieving lowest cost of products and services. The company determines the operation cost lowest as compared to other retiling organizations. The capital investment is very selective by the company and each operation is considered equally important in saving the money like low down of employees salary (Thompson, 2001). Furthermore, large scale of production of products with high sales volume is also procured by the company. An economy of scale is also realized to help of the cost leadership strategies. In addition to this, in some cases besides the cost leadership company also uses differentiation strategy by offering new and innovative products integrating advanced technology (Wal-Mart, 2017). The own brand products of the company are based on this strategy to make different impression and strong brand in the market. Strengths and Weaknesses SWOT analysis if a very famous tool to analyze and audit strategic position of a company associated with its internal and external environment. It determines a view on the organizations resources and capabilities that aids the company in its operation and functions (50MINUTES.COM., 2015). Walmart has some internal elements that influence the companys strength and weaknesses. These factors can be easily controlled and monitored by the company. Thus, in the internal environment strength and weakness of the Walmart is overviewed as follows: Strength: Walmart has a strong bargaining power over supplies and renowned brand name in the retailing market all over the world. The company focuses on the supply chain management and manages it very effectively and efficiently (Avlonitis and Papastathopoulou, 2006). The organizational culture of Walmart is very flexible for the employees as well as based on values and ethics which make it stronger and subtle. The company has a strong team of trained and skillful associates that manages the company and corporate affairs significantly. Furthermore, Walmart is very famous and has a strong presence in U.S. especially Latin America and Canada (Wal-Mart, 2017). The strategies of Walmart are focused on achieving lowest price of the products/services along with the development of customer oriented products. The company implements the expansion strategy for its growth and development in international markets. Integration of information system is very helpful for the company because of cogen t it resources and financial support. The company also emphasis on the betterment of each customers experience example free parking lots which helps in pleasant experience of customer services. Weakness: The internal weakness of Walmart comprises the relative low country expansion as compared to other giant retailing companies of the world. The company entices customers with price sensitivity only (Wal-Mart, 2017). Moreover, Walmart has a high rate of turnover in inventories and high turnover rate of employees because of poor job paid to employees and hiring of new employees cost training and skilled program expenses in the company. The company only expands internationally and in the domestic markets with the help of financial resources and no innovative strategy to capture the global market. The expansion of the company is so large that it may lose the strategy and control over the company after some time (Hutt and Speh, 2012). The company also deals in products/services where some of the most focused competitors are already covered and topped in the market sector. Wal-Mart has so many lawsuits because of extra hour, gender discrimination and low wages in U.S. which cause so much money loss. External Environment Analysis of Walmart This section analyses the status of Wal-Mart relevant to the external environment with the apt theories to present valid research data (Avlonitis and Papastathopoulou, 2006). It includes opportunities and weaknesses of the company along with Porters Five Force and PESTLE analysis of Wal-Mart as follows: Opportunities and Threats Opportunities: As a future prospect the company can capture potential market of Asia and Europe market in the upcoming years along with this there are various countries left for the expansion. The website and application sale has been increased in the past few years, which is also creating new opportunities for the company. Alliances and mergers can help Walmart in acquiring the market places where local and rival competitors have stronger position than its market position (Wal-Mart, 2017). Along with this, the feature in the websites and application can be improved with time and creative ideas can also be attached to try new experiences. Joint venture and collaboration can be done to expand new countries and international markets. Company can offer everyday low price to the customers. Existing foreign markets like UK, Porto Rico, Taiwan, Canada, Korea and Mexico can be further expanded in local markets with the increasing sales outcome. Threats: It has been investigated that Wal-Mart is now has a sustainable market leader position that can be conveniently captured by other competitors by analyzing the organization precisely. There are various strong participants in the retailing sector such as Tesco and Carrer-Four in the U.S. Rate of taxes and tariff is additional hurdle which is different in every country that incurs extra finance threat for Wal-Mart (Wal-Mart, 2017). Furthermore, Walmart is well studied organization from internal factors to external elements are exposed in the market which can be a threat associated with market positioning. Each country has different cultural, practices and political challenges, thus it makes difficult for the company to cope up with each and every countries tradition and values (Hutt and Speh, 2012). Porters Five Forces Analysis This model analyzes productivity of the organization influenced by the external forces. It particularly provides the theory of Porter related to the competition in the industry that impacts the ultimate profitability of the Walmart. Thus, this essential analysis has been given in five parameters as below: Threats of New Potential Entrance: The degree of new entrant threat is very strong. Due to lowest cost is offered to the customers, the company has moderate capital cost and brand development is also at moderate cost (Cravens). Other factors that affects the entry is location, convenience of customers, market entry, specialty and other factors which can be easily attained by new entrants. Threats of Substitute Product/Services: Weak force has been found in case of threat of substitute products and services because there is considerable availability of substitute which provides moderate force (Crosson and Needles, 2007). Along with this, law variety and higher cost of substitute confine this threat. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: This degree of force is weak because of enormous suppliers for the same product (Cravens). Therefore, the competition between the suppliers is also very intense and supply has a high availability in the market. Bargaining Power of Buyers: In case of bargaining from buyers, the force is weak because there are various buyers of the same product and high density of buyers. Moreover, every customer purchases small quantity of the product in general (Crosson and Needles, 2007). Rivalry among Current Competitors: strong competition has been seen in the competitive market regarding retailing sector. Several big and small firms are catering the same retailing and supermarket services. There are many varieties in the retail firms and use aggressive approach to capture the whole market (Leahy, 2012). The competitors of Walmart are in many shapes and size due to high competition intensive market policies and approach. PESTEL Analysis PESTEL refers to seven factors that affect the external environment of whole the firm which are political, economical, social/cultural, environmental, legal and technological (Yksel, et al., 2012). It is very effective in analyzing the apparent challenges faced by any particular industry and its creative as well as regular solution. The PESTEL framework has a theory of external environment analysis theory that provides great help to the organization to maintain its standards and at the time of initiating business at a particular industry (Marketing Management, 2000). In this case, Walmarts PESTEL framework is give below: Political: the political factor is highly influenced with the government policies and rules in the retailing industry. Opportunities are high when there is stability in the politics in a particular geographical area (Yksel, et al., 2012). Along with this, globalization should also be supported by the government to cater better service and make opportunities for multinational companies like Walmart. The threat is only pressure of government to set the standards and increasing rates of wages to the employees. Economical: if the majority of economies are stable then it will be an economical opportunity for the Walmart. Consistent development and growth of any country is also profitable for the company as it increases purchasing power of the customers (Reading, 2004). Reduction in unemployment is also favorable for the company due to large money flow will start in the economy. Thus these chances should be grabbed by the organization and grow its business in apt situation under these conditions. Social/Cultural: the company is being highly influenced by the factors that entail high quality and healthy lifestyle trend, cultural diversity and urban migration in a very positive manner. Besides that, the current trend is more emphasized by the healthy products consumption (Reading, 2004). Therefore, company can increase it health oriented product lines and addition of culture related products will help the company to exploit increasing consumer demand and adjustments of apt strategies. Technological: Technological trend is the most vulnerable factor in this industry. However, it brings various prospects that help the company to grow such as augmentation in business automation; it helps in analysis of business or large number of data (Jin and Lin, 2012). Furthermore, the technological advancement also enables extra platform which brings convenience and expansion of business as mobile applications and stores that is used by maximum customers. Environmental: As a profitable influence to the business of Walmart sustainable trends in business can be affirmative. Apart from this, environment friendly products are also setting trend in the retailing industry that can be very helpful for organization as well as environment (Jin and Lin, 2012). Operational efficiency is the most concern part in the sustainability of business. Likewise, technological improvement and betterment of policies and standards in the retailing market is also an opportunity for the company. Legal: the food safety regulation gives the chance of amelioration of quality of food to the organization than its competitors and setting an international standard. The employment regulation is also an opportunity in U.S. market through human resource management to increase the employment rate of the country (Leahy, 2012). On the other hand, tax law reform is a threat to the financial conditions and accounting department of the firm. Conclusion It can be depicted from the above discussion that Wal-Mart has a very respective position in the market and management skills of top management is very skillful to achieve success in a huge geographical area. Wal-Mart focuses on giving best services and experiences to the customers with the low cost theory in as market leadership. With the good reputation and providing variety of services, company is continuously growing and expanding internationally. References Wal-Mart. 2017. Global Compliance Program Report 2017. Retrieved on May 12, 2017, from https://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/global-compliance-program-report-on-fiscal-year-2017 Tanwar, R. 2013. Porters Generic Competitive Strategies. Journal of Business and Management 15(1), pp 11-17. Thompson, J. L. 2001. Understanding Corporate Strategy. Cengage Learning EMEA. Yksel, I. et al. 2012. Developing a Multi-Criteria Decision Making Model for PESTEL. PESTLE Analysis: Understand and plan for your business environment Analysis. International Journal of Business and Management. 7(24), 52-66. Marketing Management. 2000. Marketing Management. Atlantic Publishers Distri Mason, R. and Evans, B. 2015. The Lean Supply Chain: Managing the Challenge at Tesco. Kogan Page Publishers. Reading, C. 2004. Strategic Business Planning: A Dynamic System for Improving Performance Competitive Advantage. Kogan Page Publishers. Jin, D. and Lin, S. 2012. Advances in Electronic Commerce, Web Application and Communication. Springer Science Business Media. Jolibert, A., et al. 2012. Marketing Management: A Value-Creation Process. 2nd ed. Palgrave Macmillan. Leahy, T. 2012. Management in 10 Words. Random House. Janet, M., et. al. 2015. Factors Influencing Competitive Advantage among Supermarkets in Kenya: A Case of Nakumatt Holdings Limited. International Journal of Novel Research in Humanity and Social Sciences. 2(3) pp. 63-77. Filho, J. M. et. al. 2010. Strategic corporate social responsibility management for competitive advantage. BAR - Brazilian Administration Review 7(3). Furrer, O. 2010. Corporate Level Strategy: Theory and Applications. Routledge. Harrison, J. S., and St. John, C. H. 2009. Foundations in Strategic Management. 5th ed. Cengage Learning. Hutt, M. D., and Speh, T. W. 2012. Business Marketing Management: B2B. Cengage Learning. 50MINUTES.COM. 2015. Management Marketing. 50 Minutes. Avlonitis, G., and Papastathopoulou, P. 2006. Product and Services Management. SAGE. Cravens. Strategic Marketing 8E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Crosson, S. and Needles, B. 2007. Managerial Accounting. 8th ed. Cengage Learning. Davies, B., and Ellison, L. 2003. The New Strategic Direction and Development of the School: Key Frameworks for School Improvement Planning. 2nd ed. Routledge. Wal-Mart. 2017. About Us. Retrieved on May 12, 2017, from https://www.walmart.com/ Wal-Mart. 2017. Annual Report 2017. Retrieved on May 12, 2017, from https://s2.q4cdn.com/056532643/files/doc_financials/2017/Annual/WMT_2017_AR-(1).pdf Wal-Mart. 2017. GRR Report 2017. Retrieved on May 12, 2017, from https://s2.q4cdn.com/056532643/files/doc_financials/2017/Annual/WMT_2017-GRR-Report.pdf

The railroad in the United States Essay Example

The railroad in the United States Essay In the simplest manner: the railroad changed the face of a nation. The railroad in the United States changed how people traveled, did business, and how Washington governed people. The railroad created new standards and new laws that still affect the way we live today. It helped create a new type of wealth that had never been seen before and became the first big business in the United States. Without the railroads impact, it would be difficult to fathom where the United States and the world would be today.The golden age of the railroad is considered to be by many the period that stretched between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the First World War.1 Railroading from 1865 to 1929 covers the great expansion, the golden age and the beginning decline of the railroad. The emergence of the modern America, and the beginning of the Great Depression of the United States also can be seen within these dates; this emphasizes the large role that the railroads had in the industrializa tion of the America. It is clear that the history of the United States coincides with the history of the railroad; during these times the railroad played a vital a vital role in thebuilding of the United States. But, the relationship was symbiotic, because it is also possible to see that the direction in which the country was going played a role in how the railroad was formed, controlled, and regulated. Truly, the railroad is a form of transportation that helped make the United States what it is today.The year 1865 finally brought an end to war that had sliced a nation in half. The war, however, was not a destructive force to the railroads. With the exception of the southern lines, American railroads were generally in excellent shape in 1865.2 The Civil War brought new strength to the American railroads. The need to provide for the war had caused the railroads of the United States to expand by as much as 35,500 miles at the end of the war.3 The War had brought new strength to the ra ilroads and the railroads were now standing before their golden age. This golden age began with a big bang: the completion of the transcontinental railway.The story of the transcontinental railway could very well be suited for a Hollywood movie. It involves corruption, greed, great visions, and great strength. Public demand for a transcontinental railway was originally inspired by a proposal made in 1836 by the American statesmen John Plumbe and Robert John Walker.4 The demand for therailway was later increased with the arrival of the gold rush in 1849. In 1861, the Pacific Railway Bill was passed, this bill called for the building of the transcontinental line to be done by two companies, Union Pacific Company and the Central Pacific Company. The job of the Union Pacific Company was to build west from Omaha, while the job of the Central Pacific Company was to build east from Sacramento5. The bill also called for the companies to receive a right-of-way strip for their line (and whate ver they needed for rail yards, sidings, and other facilities), as well as five alternate land sections on each side of the track.6 The companies were also offered loans that went from $16,000 per mile of track in the lowlands to as much as $48,000 a mile in the mountainous regions.7The Union Pacific got of to slow start until they acquired a good engineer by thename of General Dodge, who was one of Shermans Civil War railroad men. UnderGeneral Dodges direction the work on the Union Pacific soon took on a furious pace and a military atmosphere; military preparedness and quickness were exactly what was needed to deal with the hostile Indians.Life on the Central Pacific was by no means pleasant, but they did not have much a problem with the Indians.8 However, one thing that was a problem on the Central Pacific was the lack of labor. California, being largely uninhabited at the time, did not provide a large labor resource; and so the managers of the Central Pacific had to look elsewher e for their labor needs. One of the places they looked for new labor was China. The Chinese turned out to be well suited for the job, and at one point nine-tenths of the labor force of the Central Pacific was Chinese.Eventually the two the companies came within sight of each other, and a meeting place for the two rails was designated. The meeting place chosen was a waterless basin of sagebrush just north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This place was called Promontory Point. It was decided that the two companies would meet and there would be a greatceremony to connect the railways. The ceremony was planned, and all of the railroad officials and dignitaries came to drive in the final spike. On May 10, 1869, this event finally took place. The driving in of the final spike came with a little embarrassment: First, one of the leaders of Central Pacific went up to drive in the golden spike and missed; next, the leader of the Union Pacific stepped up to drive in the golden spike and he too missed.9 Eventually, the final spike was driven in: though it is not clear who actually did it. Despite all this, the nation celebrated for the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast had at last become connected by rail; and the railroad now stood on threshold of its golden age.The years following the completion of the transcontinental line brought an abundance of new railways. The rail network in the United States went from 35,000 miles in 1865 to 164,000 miles in 1890. This building was brought to an all-time high, when in 1916 the total length of the rail network in the United States reached 254,000 miles.10With such a rapid pace of construction, the building in the half-century after the Civil War led to an average annual construction, of over 4,000 miles a year. Even though this rapid construction was not equally spread throughout the country, every area did see some expansion.The transcontinental rail also led to great expansion in the West. The transcontinental railway, and th e railways following, brought eastern markets within a few days of western grain and cattle lands, and eventually helped create great cities in the West itself.11 The new railways of the West also brought about the virtual extermination of the buffalo. The new rails cut the herds in half and destroyed their natural habitat. It also became a game for people heading west on the railway to shoot the animal from their train window.12Now that the railroad spanned across the continent, the railroad was becoming a major player in the expansion of industry. The industry of the United States was rapidly expanding, and the railroad was becoming more than just a small factor in a great group of expanding industries. Railroads encouraged growth not only through the offering of their transport services, but also through the transportation need, of other industries. Railroads were not only the biggest shippers of industrial products; they were also American industrys best customers.13 The railroa ds became a huge buyer of steel, coal, lumber, and oil. To say that the railroad was an important factor in the industrialization of America is a huge understatement. The railroad became the pulse of industry and was considered by many the leading factor in the expansion of industry in the United States.While the network of rails was spreading, great financial networks were also developing. Groups of once independent railroad companies were grabbed up and consolidated to form large railroad systems.14 One prime example of this was The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, which were formed by the consolidation of about 200 originally independent lines.The large consolidation brought about the need for new standards and new technology that would help the railroad continue to grow and operate more efficiently. One of the new standards that was needed was a standard gauge for the railroads to operate on. This was needed because the expansion of the rails had now brought the need to move the freight from one line to another. This was not possible because throughout the country there were different gauges. For example in the south the popular gauge was five feet, but on other railroads like the Erie the gauge was six feet. It was decided amongst railroads that a standard must decided on, and that standard became four feet, eight and one half inches.15Another standard that was created and is still used today is standardized time. Until the movement for Standard Time, each town had its own time. There were, for example, thirty-eight different times in the state of Wisconsin alone. Given the amount of different times, the speed of trains, and the distance these trains traveled. This spelled one thing: complete chaos. Eventually the problem was solved in 1883, when the General Time Convention was held by the railroads. At this convention it was decided that the continental United States would be broken up into four standard time zones. People soon found it easy t o set their clocks by railroad time, and thus the railroad standard became a national standard.Other technological innovations that were created to aid the expansion and consolidation of the railways were: the use of steel rails, the automatic coupler, and the air brake. The automatic coupler allowed a coupler to close on impact, but still be able to open from the side of the car. The air brake, invented by George Westinghouse, allowed trains to stop much quicker than they had been able to in the past.Besides bringing about new technology, the consolidation of the railways also brought about the great railroad barons. The railroad had become a likely stop for the strong businessmen interested in making millions by manipulating the rail system. But in gaining such immense power, many railroad builders and consolidators became unethical and ruthless in their business practices. Watered stock, stock market rigging, corrupt rate wars, rebating and labor violence all became part of the n ew railroad picture. 16Railroad barons like Jay Gould James Fisk were masters at these tricks. One example of how money was made was by stock watering, which was the process of increasing the number of shares of a company without adding to the companys assets.17Perhaps one of the greatest of the great railroad barons was Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. Originally from the steamboat business, Vanderbilt gained control of such railroads as the New York Central and the Erie through ruthless business practices. A prime example of Vanderbilts ruthless practices is how he obtained control over the New York Central Railroad. Vanderbilt was frustrated with the current managers of the New York Central because they often bypassed his railroad when sending freight into New York City. So, Vanderbilt simply stopped shipping their freight and passengers one day. The New York Central stock rapidly began to drop on Wall Street because of Vanderbilts actions. Seeing that the stock was now cheap, Van derbilt began buy up the stock while it was cheap, and the company eventually fell into his hands.18 But practices like this could only go on for so long.The railroads activities had become too corrupt for most people and were beginning to become a financial burden for many farmers and business owners. Business owners and farmers began to resent the railroad and decided that something must be done. Taking the initiative was a group called the Patrons of Husbandry, popularly known as the Grange. The Grange was originally formed as a social group to bring farmers out of the isolation of their farmhouses.19 They had picnics, suppers, and other events, that well frequently held at the local Grange Hall. However, as railroad abuse increased the group shifted from entertainment purposes to more political purposes.The Grangers bonded together to establish many things that helped farmers, but their primary purpose eventually became to bring reform to the railroads.20 The Grangers quickly gr ew in size and gained enough power to elect people free of railroad influence, in the state legislatures. They pushed for new laws that would regulate the railroads monopolies, and eventually succeeded. But the Grangers success only came at the state level through what were called Granger laws. Even though these laws were aimed to regulate monopolies, though such things as freight and passenger rates, they were easily evaded by the railroads. However, some progress had been won. The nation was beginning to shift from an attitude of laissez-faire capitalism to a more progressive state of mind.One of the biggest things people learned from the Granger laws was that reform of the railroads was going to have to take place on a national level. In 1885, a Senate committee conducted an investigation of railroad business practices. The final report from the committee listed the familiar abuses of the railroads, such as watered stock and unreasonably high rates. This investigation made it cle ar that Federal Government must do something and in 1887 it did. The Interstate Commerce Act, in language that was perhaps deliberately vague, required that all interstate rates be reasonable and just and prohibited the familiar competitive practices of rebates, drawbacks, and pools.21 The act also required that the railroad publish their rate schedules and file them with the government. An Interstate Commerce Commission was created to administer the act and enforce it. The success of the Interstate Commerce Act was short lived and was easily evaded because of its loose wording.22 In 1890 the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed, but it too failed in regulating the railroads because of loose wording.23The move for railroad regulation was ultimately lost until the arrival of Theodore Roosevelt and a strong Progressive movement. Roosevelt considered railroad regulation to be a major issue and strongly moved for the greater empowerment of the Interstate Commerce Commission. His wish was gr anted in 1906 when the Hepburn Act was passed. The Hepburn Act greatly extended the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission. It also abolished the granting of passes and made the laws against rebates stronger.24 Following the Hepburn Act, were more and more laws aimed at regulating therailroads. As the new regulations went into effect, the railroad slowly began to slip down hill. But concern with the regulations was turned away from with the arrival of the First World War.Many problems faced the railroads as America entered World War I in 1917. One was the increase of rail traffic caused by the war. The railroads became very busy and subsequently operating cost rose. The railroads began to lose money due to the Interstate Commerce Commissions hold on the rates.25 Another problem that faced the railroads during World War I was that of management. Railroad executives found it very difficult to operate their rail lines together during the war. The creation of a railroad War Board w as an attempt to help the situation, but it did not work very well. Eventually it was decided by the government that they must take over, so an act was passed that allowed the Interstate Commerce Commission to control the movement, distribution, and exchange of railroad cars. This too failed because the commission was inept in exercising its authority. Given all the failed attempts, the government decided in 1918 to take complete control of the railroad.26 The government remained in charge of the railroad until the Transportation Act of 1920, which called for their return to private management.The future was not bright for the railroads: ever since the arrival of the First World War the railroads had experienced a general decline. This was due mostly to the development of new types of transportation. Millions now owned Henry Fords model T automobile, and various other cars.27 The twenties brought the arrival of motorbuses, which also took away from the railroads business. Other new forms of transportation, such as trucks and airplanes, also took their toll on the business of the railway. So, as the nation was roaring through the Twenties and heading for the Great Depression, the railroad was becoming ever increasingly a thing of the past.If there is to be an a lasting lesson from the history of the railroads from 1865-1929 it is that major industrial innovations can only live an unregulated life for so long. The United Stated was a booming country experiencing wide spread industrialization. The railroad was an essential part of this boom, but railroads had to change just as the to country had to change. The free going attitude of laissez-faire can only last so long in a country where equality and fairness before the law are valued. The railroads fully rode the first wave of industrialization and faded into the background when their time had come. The significance of the railroad will probably never be fully realized, but their impact will always be felt. The railroad in the United States Essay Example The railroad in the United States Essay In the simplest manner: the railroad changed the face of a nation. The railroad in the United States changed how people traveled, did business, and how Washington governed people. The railroad created new standards and new laws that still affect the way we live today. It helped create a new type of wealth that had never been seen before and became the first big business in the United States. Without the railroads impact, it would be difficult to fathom where the United States and the world would be today.The golden age of the railroad is considered to be by many the period that stretched between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the First World War.1 Railroading from 1865 to 1929 covers the great expansion, the golden age and the beginning decline of the railroad. The emergence of the modern America, and the beginning of the Great Depression of the United States also can be seen within these dates; this emphasizes the large role that the railroads had in the industrializa tion of the America. It is clear that the history of the United States coincides with the history of the railroad; during these times the railroad played a vital a vital role in thebuilding of the United States. But, the relationship was symbiotic, because it is also possible to see that the direction in which the country was going played a role in how the railroad was formed, controlled, and regulated. Truly, the railroad is a form of transportation that helped make the United States what it is today.The year 1865 finally brought an end to war that had sliced a nation in half. The war, however, was not a destructive force to the railroads. With the exception of the southern lines, American railroads were generally in excellent shape in 1865.2 The Civil War brought new strength to the American railroads. The need to provide for the war had caused the railroads of the United States to expand by as much as 35,500 miles at the end of the war.3 The War had brought new strength to the ra ilroads and the railroads were now standing before their golden age. This golden age began with a big bang: the completion of the transcontinental railway.The story of the transcontinental railway could very well be suited for a Hollywood movie. It involves corruption, greed, great visions, and great strength. Public demand for a transcontinental railway was originally inspired by a proposal made in 1836 by the American statesmen John Plumbe and Robert John Walker.4 The demand for therailway was later increased with the arrival of the gold rush in 1849. In 1861, the Pacific Railway Bill was passed, this bill called for the building of the transcontinental line to be done by two companies, Union Pacific Company and the Central Pacific Company. The job of the Union Pacific Company was to build west from Omaha, while the job of the Central Pacific Company was to build east from Sacramento5. The bill also called for the companies to receive a right-of-way strip for their line (and whate ver they needed for rail yards, sidings, and other facilities), as well as five alternate land sections on each side of the track.6 The companies were also offered loans that went from $16,000 per mile of track in the lowlands to as much as $48,000 a mile in the mountainous regions.7The Union Pacific got of to slow start until they acquired a good engineer by thename of General Dodge, who was one of Shermans Civil War railroad men. UnderGeneral Dodges direction the work on the Union Pacific soon took on a furious pace and a military atmosphere; military preparedness and quickness were exactly what was needed to deal with the hostile Indians.Life on the Central Pacific was by no means pleasant, but they did not have much a problem with the Indians.8 However, one thing that was a problem on the Central Pacific was the lack of labor. California, being largely uninhabited at the time, did not provide a large labor resource; and so the managers of the Central Pacific had to look elsewher e for their labor needs. One of the places they looked for new labor was China. The Chinese turned out to be well suited for the job, and at one point nine-tenths of the labor force of the Central Pacific was Chinese.Eventually the two the companies came within sight of each other, and a meeting place for the two rails was designated. The meeting place chosen was a waterless basin of sagebrush just north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This place was called Promontory Point. It was decided that the two companies would meet and there would be a greatceremony to connect the railways. The ceremony was planned, and all of the railroad officials and dignitaries came to drive in the final spike. On May 10, 1869, this event finally took place. The driving in of the final spike came with a little embarrassment: First, one of the leaders of Central Pacific went up to drive in the golden spike and missed; next, the leader of the Union Pacific stepped up to drive in the golden spike and he too missed.9 Eventually, the final spike was driven in: though it is not clear who actually did it. Despite all this, the nation celebrated for the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast had at last become connected by rail; and the railroad now stood on threshold of its golden age.The years following the completion of the transcontinental line brought an abundance of new railways. The rail network in the United States went from 35,000 miles in 1865 to 164,000 miles in 1890. This building was brought to an all-time high, when in 1916 the total length of the rail network in the United States reached 254,000 miles.10With such a rapid pace of construction, the building in the half-century after the Civil War led to an average annual construction, of over 4,000 miles a year. Even though this rapid construction was not equally spread throughout the country, every area did see some expansion.The transcontinental rail also led to great expansion in the West. The transcontinental railway, and th e railways following, brought eastern markets within a few days of western grain and cattle lands, and eventually helped create great cities in the West itself.11 The new railways of the West also brought about the virtual extermination of the buffalo. The new rails cut the herds in half and destroyed their natural habitat. It also became a game for people heading west on the railway to shoot the animal from their train window.12Now that the railroad spanned across the continent, the railroad was becoming a major player in the expansion of industry. The industry of the United States was rapidly expanding, and the railroad was becoming more than just a small factor in a great group of expanding industries. Railroads encouraged growth not only through the offering of their transport services, but also through the transportation need, of other industries. Railroads were not only the biggest shippers of industrial products; they were also American industrys best customers.13 The railroa ds became a huge buyer of steel, coal, lumber, and oil. To say that the railroad was an important factor in the industrialization of America is a huge understatement. The railroad became the pulse of industry and was considered by many the leading factor in the expansion of industry in the United States.While the network of rails was spreading, great financial networks were also developing. Groups of once independent railroad companies were grabbed up and consolidated to form large railroad systems.14 One prime example of this was The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, which were formed by the consolidation of about 200 originally independent lines.The large consolidation brought about the need for new standards and new technology that would help the railroad continue to grow and operate more efficiently. One of the new standards that was needed was a standard gauge for the railroads to operate on. This was needed because the expansion of the rails had now brought the need to move the freight from one line to another. This was not possible because throughout the country there were different gauges. For example in the south the popular gauge was five feet, but on other railroads like the Erie the gauge was six feet. It was decided amongst railroads that a standard must decided on, and that standard became four feet, eight and one half inches.15Another standard that was created and is still used today is standardized time. Until the movement for Standard Time, each town had its own time. There were, for example, thirty-eight different times in the state of Wisconsin alone. Given the amount of different times, the speed of trains, and the distance these trains traveled. This spelled one thing: complete chaos. Eventually the problem was solved in 1883, when the General Time Convention was held by the railroads. At this convention it was decided that the continental United States would be broken up into four standard time zones. People soon found it easy t o set their clocks by railroad time, and thus the railroad standard became a national standard.Other technological innovations that were created to aid the expansion and consolidation of the railways were: the use of steel rails, the automatic coupler, and the air brake. The automatic coupler allowed a coupler to close on impact, but still be able to open from the side of the car. The air brake, invented by George Westinghouse, allowed trains to stop much quicker than they had been able to in the past.Besides bringing about new technology, the consolidation of the railways also brought about the great railroad barons. The railroad had become a likely stop for the strong businessmen interested in making millions by manipulating the rail system. But in gaining such immense power, many railroad builders and consolidators became unethical and ruthless in their business practices. Watered stock, stock market rigging, corrupt rate wars, rebating and labor violence all became part of the n ew railroad picture. 16Railroad barons like Jay Gould James Fisk were masters at these tricks. One example of how money was made was by stock watering, which was the process of increasing the number of shares of a company without adding to the companys assets.17Perhaps one of the greatest of the great railroad barons was Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. Originally from the steamboat business, Vanderbilt gained control of such railroads as the New York Central and the Erie through ruthless business practices. A prime example of Vanderbilts ruthless practices is how he obtained control over the New York Central Railroad. Vanderbilt was frustrated with the current managers of the New York Central because they often bypassed his railroad when sending freight into New York City. So, Vanderbilt simply stopped shipping their freight and passengers one day. The New York Central stock rapidly began to drop on Wall Street because of Vanderbilts actions. Seeing that the stock was now cheap, Van derbilt began buy up the stock while it was cheap, and the company eventually fell into his hands.18 But practices like this could only go on for so long.The railroads activities had become too corrupt for most people and were beginning to become a financial burden for many farmers and business owners. Business owners and farmers began to resent the railroad and decided that something must be done. Taking the initiative was a group called the Patrons of Husbandry, popularly known as the Grange. The Grange was originally formed as a social group to bring farmers out of the isolation of their farmhouses.19 They had picnics, suppers, and other events, that well frequently held at the local Grange Hall. However, as railroad abuse increased the group shifted from entertainment purposes to more political purposes.The Grangers bonded together to establish many things that helped farmers, but their primary purpose eventually became to bring reform to the railroads.20 The Grangers quickly gr ew in size and gained enough power to elect people free of railroad influence, in the state legislatures. They pushed for new laws that would regulate the railroads monopolies, and eventually succeeded. But the Grangers success only came at the state level through what were called Granger laws. Even though these laws were aimed to regulate monopolies, though such things as freight and passenger rates, they were easily evaded by the railroads. However, some progress had been won. The nation was beginning to shift from an attitude of laissez-faire capitalism to a more progressive state of mind.One of the biggest things people learned from the Granger laws was that reform of the railroads was going to have to take place on a national level. In 1885, a Senate committee conducted an investigation of railroad business practices. The final report from the committee listed the familiar abuses of the railroads, such as watered stock and unreasonably high rates. This investigation made it cle ar that Federal Government must do something and in 1887 it did. The Interstate Commerce Act, in language that was perhaps deliberately vague, required that all interstate rates be reasonable and just and prohibited the familiar competitive practices of rebates, drawbacks, and pools.21 The act also required that the railroad publish their rate schedules and file them with the government. An Interstate Commerce Commission was created to administer the act and enforce it. The success of the Interstate Commerce Act was short lived and was easily evaded because of its loose wording.22 In 1890 the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed, but it too failed in regulating the railroads because of loose wording.23The move for railroad regulation was ultimately lost until the arrival of Theodore Roosevelt and a strong Progressive movement. Roosevelt considered railroad regulation to be a major issue and strongly moved for the greater empowerment of the Interstate Commerce Commission. His wish was gr anted in 1906 when the Hepburn Act was passed. The Hepburn Act greatly extended the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission. It also abolished the granting of passes and made the laws against rebates stronger.24 Following the Hepburn Act, were more and more laws aimed at regulating therailroads. As the new regulations went into effect, the railroad slowly began to slip down hill. But concern with the regulations was turned away from with the arrival of the First World War.Many problems faced the railroads as America entered World War I in 1917. One was the increase of rail traffic caused by the war. The railroads became very busy and subsequently operating cost rose. The railroads began to lose money due to the Interstate Commerce Commissions hold on the rates.25 Another problem that faced the railroads during World War I was that of management. Railroad executives found it very difficult to operate their rail lines together during the war. The creation of a railroad War Board w as an attempt to help the situation, but it did not work very well. Eventually it was decided by the government that they must take over, so an act was passed that allowed the Interstate Commerce Commission to control the movement, distribution, and exchange of railroad cars. This too failed because the commission was inept in exercising its authority. Given all the failed attempts, the government decided in 1918 to take complete control of the railroad.26 The government remained in charge of the railroad until the Transportation Act of 1920, which called for their return to private management.The future was not bright for the railroads: ever since the arrival of the First World War the railroads had experienced a general decline. This was due mostly to the development of new types of transportation. Millions now owned Henry Fords model T automobile, and various other cars.27 The twenties brought the arrival of motorbuses, which also took away from the railroads business. Other new forms of transportation, such as trucks and airplanes, also took their toll on the business of the railway. So, as the nation was roaring through the Twenties and heading for the Great Depression, the railroad was becoming ever increasingly a thing of the past.If there is to be an a lasting lesson from the history of the railroads from 1865-1929 it is that major industrial innovations can only live an unregulated life for so long. The United Stated was a booming country experiencing wide spread industrialization. The railroad was an essential part of this boom, but railroads had to change just as the to country had to change. The free going attitude of laissez-faire can only last so long in a country where equality and fairness before the law are valued. The railroads fully rode the first wave of industrialization and faded into the background when their time had come. The significance of the railroad will probably never be fully realized, but their impact will always be felt.

Robby Gamble Essays (1075 words) - Automation, Factory, Free Essays

Robby Gamble Essays (1075 words) - Automation, Factory, Free Essays Robby Gamble Professor Kelly EH1102-024 9 March, 2017 Is a robotic takeover upon us? Would you believe me if I told you in the near future 70 percent of the occupations American youth are aspiring to fill will be replaced by automation? As outlandish as this claim may sound, history has proven it to be true. In the early 19 th century the majority of the American workforce was centered around farms . As time progressed and the Industrial Revolution came along, a plethora of new jobs were generated in factories, and based around the machinery produced in theses factories. Thus , many Americans left their jobs on farms and flocked to factories . "Today automation has eliminated all but 1 percent of [farmer's] jobs, replacing them, (and their work animals) with machines (Kelly 299)." This concept is the premise of what Kevin Kelly, an author, founding member, and senior maverick at Wired , discusses in his article "Better than Human: Why Robots Will-and Must- Take Our Jobs". Kelly believes that an automation takeover is unavoi dable, and through this takeover , humans will be further advanced as a species. While I do believe Kelly ' s argument holds truth and validity, I do no t necessarily believe this takeover will be completely beneficial to the human race, the time period in which this takeover supposedly will happen is up for debate . Kelly begins his article by discussing the various methods by which automation and artificial intelligence has and is already being integrated into the American work force. He gives an example of an AI name d B axter. There are three things that separate Baxter from different forms of automation; Baxter has eyes, so he can sense his surroundings making him less hazardous than other machinery; Baxter can be easily programmed, so it does not take a higher level of education to program him , it does not take long to program him , and he will consistently preform whatever task he is assigned; a nd finally, Baxter is less costly than AI that is similar to him . As Kelly moves forward in his argument, he shifts his focus from different forms of automation to the actual relationship humans have with automation. Kelly uses a visual aid to convey the human robotic relationship. His visual aid can be broken down into four quadrants: Jobs today that humans do-but machines will eventually do better, Current jobs that humans can't do but machines can, Robots jobs that we can't even imagine yet, and Jobs that only huma ns will be able to do- at first. His visual aid serves as an excellent method to explain his idea that robots will take over the jobs we currently have, and they will force us to create new jobs. This continuous cycle will allow humans to focus on art, music, and other creative outlets that define the essence of being human. Finally, Kelly closes his argument by giving his readers something similar to the five stages of grief, but it is seven stages long and focus on accepting robots replacing humans in the workplace. While I do support Kelly's claims I do not do so whole heartedly. Kelly fails to i nclude the fact that people from every day citizens to the president of the United States are already arguing that jobs are being shipped across seas and taken over by robots. With that being said, I do not believe it will be easy to further integrate artificial intelligence into the workplace on a large scale swiftly. I truly believe that survival is something that comes natura l l y to humans, so its unlike ly that robots have the potential to wipe humans off the face of the planet, however I do question the human ability to maintain a high level of creativity and innovation. Kelly is very optimistic about this cycle of creation; however, it is hard to determine how long originality will last. An example is found in modern music. Major artists, such as Kanye West, are guilty of sampling music created in previous generations to create new music. While some may argue that looking to the past for inspiration can

New Product in Marketing Aspect Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

New Product in Marketing Aspect - Assignment Example This strategy aims at increasing membership rather than maximizing on profits. The company also emphasizes on expansion and acquiring of additional markets, with little focus on marketing strategies, such as, market prices, share prices and characteristic the target market (Yglesias, 2014). Although this leads to increased sales turnover, it is also accompanied with increased operation costs, which reduces the gross and net profit margin significantly. Therefore, there is need for the company to develop sound pricing strategies that focus on maximization of revenue and profits alongside its objective on growth and expansion. Dynamically continuous innovation refers to a technology that articulates effect on consumption practices and patterns, through incorporation of a new technology (Hoyer & Deborah, 2008). Recently, the Guardian Telecom Company has launched an extensive line of indoor industrial voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephones, in an effort to provide versatile telephone products, designed for use in adverse areas. The technology requires a simple connection to Guardian’s VOIP, over the internet protocol address, and to the users’ phones. The new technology aims to enhance consumer support and communication, in industrial areas that are prone to moderately harmful environment. Compared to consumer phones, this technology is ideal for emergencies and direct assistance communication, since it enables the consumers to initiate calls from any locations with the availability of internet connection (Valdes & Dave, 2014). In addition to its intended use, this new product also pro vides additional services to include, call waiting, call transfer, and repeat dial features. Stewart, J. (2014). Is Amazon’s fairy retail story coming to an end? Retrieved on 7 May 2014 from

The Impact of South Korea's Pre-War Manufacturing Experience Essay

The Impact of South Korea's Pre-War Manufacturing Experience - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Korea is the third largest economy in Asia, next to Japan and China. An economic backwater in the 1950s and prior to that, South Korea has practically built its current economic progress from scratch. Its road to success is widely credited from the low-cost but high-quality export production which drives an annual trade growth rate of at least 12%, making the country the thirteenth-largest trading economy in the world. The Korean economy boasts of a long-term growth which converted the once low-income and war-torn country into an economic powerhouse in a span of mere decades. In fact, in just half of a century later since the Korean peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel, the southern state has demonstrated that poor and weak country, constantly being subjugated by its more powerful neighbors, can leapfrog the international hierarchy of development and practically eliminate the incidence of poverty. Today, its export-driven economy enabled the country to become the world’s largest shipbuilder, the third biggest manufacturer of large capacity memory chips, and a substantial player in the global automobile industry. The pre-industrial economy of Korea points to several factors for its system and influences – Japanese occupation; the conflicts, such as the Korean War and the Second World War; Korea’s partition; and, finally, and Park Chung Hee and his Korean Model. When Japan bested China in the Sino-Japanese War in 1894, it began to interfere with Korean affairs until it fully annexed the country in 1910. In effect, it was the Japanese who developed Korea’s economy, educational system, and infrastructure. However, such hand in Korea’s development was harsh and that it was mainly geared towards designing the Korean economy to benefit further the Japanese economy and not for some altruistic reasons.

Epistemology - Doubt Essay Example for Free

Epistemology Doubt Essay Being certain about something can sometimes be misleading or misunderstood. You either assure certainty or question doubt. You can easily be a cocky football player, think you have the best team, and go into the game knowing you’re going to win and have no doubt that the other team is better than you, but end up losing. But as soon as you have doubt and get intimidated by the other team you instantly try your best to win the game, no matter the obstacles and challenges you go through and prove to the other team you’re better. Yes, it’s true that when you are certain about things faith and arrogance takes over and leads us to become acknowledged or at the top. But why would someone great and successful ever experience doubt? In society we have to know what we want to accomplish and how we want to get it done. One can be doubtful on being able to attain the dreams, discoveries, and challenges that come towards our life. But in the positive, a lot of the times you doubt your self so you can have the ability to push yourself to do bigger and better things. For example, you can surely take a test in class and think it’s easy and be certain that you did really well on it. But, there is always that doubt that you didn’t do well because you didn’t study or weren’t well prepared for this test. When you know something you not only have an opinion, but that opinion is true. We cant just say because we believe something, it is certain. Although everything we know is also certain, not everything we think is certain is known. A person can be certain about something that is true but in fact is, he can be wrong about it. Certainty and doubt go hand in hand because too much certainty can make a person close-minded and ignorant. Not willing to accept facts based on illogical connections to the opinions of others that have an influence strong enough to cause an irrational mental model of what is acceptable to base future opinions on and this leads to decision making that does not follow logic, but rather a misguided, irrational and closed minded. It is highly important for certainty and doubt to coexist and interact with each other to keep us in reality. Sure enough, certainty can help us to accomplish what we want to. But doubt helps us visualize limits and know how much of something we need to accomplish. Everyday I go through doubts. I doubt I’m going to finish this essay, I doubt I’m going to make it through another day of school, I doubt I’ll be able to pay my phone bill before this week, but at least I’m certain about when I come back from New Orleans this weekend I’ll be more than broke. But we as humans are made to accomplish and succeed. Giving up is not an option; more like doubting yourself isn’t. But with certainty helps us find what we really want to get done. Like this essay for example, It might not be the best in my class, (doubt) but I know I did well enough to get through my goal for this semester, which is getting a eighty or higher in all my essays for AP English (certainty).