Walmart is the worlds larges... free essay sample

Walmart is the worlds largest organization by income, and the largest private organization on the planet with 2.3 million associates. It is a but publicly traded company, however very much still a family business, as the organization is controlled by the Walton family. Sam Waltons beneficiaries claim more than 50 percent of Walmart through their holding organization, Walton Enterprises. Walmart was the largest U.S. retailer in 2017, and 62.3 percent of Walmarts US$478.614 billion deals originated from U.S. activities.The Walmart essentiality as a business, was created from Sam Waltons objectives for extraordinary customer service. Walmarts history is attached to Sam Walton himself, thus a lot of Walmarts future are established in Mr. Sams values.Sam Walton was born in 1918 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. In 1942, at 24 years old, he enlisted in the military, as most of young men did at that time. He married Helen Robson in 1943. We will write a custom essay sample on Walmart is the worlds larges or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After his release from military duty, Sam and Helen moved to Iowa and afterward to Newport, Arkansas. And it was during this period, that Sam gained much of his experience, by working in retail business.In 1945, Sam Walton purchased a branch of the Ben Franklin stores from the Butler Brothers. His idea was pitching items at low costs to get higher-volume deals at a lower overall revenue. He encountered some financial issues in the very beginning as the lease of the building and the purchase of the branch were abnormally high, yet he ingeniously, was able to find suppliers that were cheaper than the suppliers used by the other stores, bringing his overall merchandise costs down. Sales grew 45% in his first year, to US$105,000 in income, which then expanded to $140,000 the following year and $175,000 the year after that. By the 5th year, the store was bringing $250,000 in revenue. As soon as his lease was up, Walton opened another store in Bentonville, naming it Waltons Five and Dime. That store is presently the Walmart Museum.The first Walmart was opened for business on July 2, 1962, in Rogers, Arkansas. Within its first five years, the company expanded to 24 stores across Arkansas and reached US$12.6 million in sales. In 1968, Sam opened his first store outside of Arkansas, expanding the business in Oklahoma.In 1969, Wal-Mart, Inc became incorporated, and WalMart Stores, Inc was founded. In 1970, the organization opened a distribution center in Bentonville, and with 38 stores operating, 1500 employees and sales upwards $40 million, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange with shares valued $47 and began to trade publiclyIn the 1980s, Walmart kept on evolving, and by the organizations 25th commemoration in 1987, there were 1,198 stores with offers of $15.9 billion and 200,000 associates. This year also marked the fulfillment of the organizations satellite system, a $24 million venture connecting every single working unit with the Bentonville office by means of two-way voice and information transmission and one-way video correspondence. At the time, the company was the largest private satellite network, allowing the corporate office to track inventory and sales and to instantly communicate to stores. In 1988, Walton stepped down as CEO and was succeeded by David Glass, yet he stayed as Chairman of the Board.Fast forwarding to the late 1990s and early 2000s Walmar t went international, opening stores in Argentina and Brazil in 1995, and Europe in 1999. In 2005, Walmart reported US$312. 4 billion in sales, it operated in 6,200 facilities around the world, including 3,800 stores in the United States and 2,800 elsewhere, employing more than 1.6 million associates.Today each week, nearly 270 million customers shop at Walmart, which is constituted by more than 11,700 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2018 revenue of $500.3 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide.

Free Essays on Hamlet And Insanity

, that, very far form being mad, he is perfectly capable of recognizing his enemies. Beneath his strange choice of imagery involving points of the compass, the weather, and hunting birds, he is announcing that he is calculatedly choosing the times when to appear mad. The dictionary defines sanity as â€Å"soundness of mind† and I will prove that Hamlet is sane through many examples that show of his soundness of the mind. Hamlet warned his friends he intended to fake madness, but Gertrude as well as Claudius saw through it, and even the slightly dull-witted Polonius was suspicious. His public face is one of insanity however, in his private moments of soliloquy, through his confidences to Horatio, and in his careful plans of action, we see that his madness is assumed. Samuel Johnson, a well respected author , has â€Å"no doubt that the hero’s ‘madness’†¦was merely ‘pretended’†(Neill, 309). After the Ghost’s first appearance to Hamlet, Hamlet decides that when he finds it suitable or advantageous to him, he will put on a mask of madness so to speak. He confides to Horatio that when he finds the occasion appropriate, he will â€Å"put an antic disposition on† (1.5.172). Mark Van Doren poins out in his book â€Å"Shakespeare,† that Hamlet’s â€Å"antic disposition† is used â€Å"as a device for seeming mad† (162). This strategy gives Hamlet a chance to find proof of Claudius’ guilt and to contemplate his revenge tactic. Although he has sworn to avenge his father’s murder, he is not sure of th... Free Essays on Hamlet And Insanity Free Essays on Hamlet And Insanity â€Å"I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw† (2.2.338-9). This is a classic example of the â€Å"wild and whirling words† (1.5.133) with which Hamlet hopes to persuade people to believe that he is mad. These words, however, prove that beneath his â€Å"antic disposition,† Hamlet is very sane indeed. Hamlet is saying that he knows a hunting hawk from a hunted â€Å"handsaw† or heron in other words, that, very far form being mad, he is perfectly capable of recognizing his enemies. Beneath his strange choice of imagery involving points of the compass, the weather, and hunting birds, he is announcing that he is calculatedly choosing the times when to appear mad. The dictionary defines sanity as â€Å"soundness of mind† and I will prove that Hamlet is sane through many examples that show of his soundness of the mind. Hamlet warned his friends he intended to fake madness, but Gertrude as well as Claudius sa w through it, and even the slightly dull-witted Polonius was suspicious. His public face is one of insanity however, in his private moments of soliloquy, through his confidences to Horatio, and in his careful plans of action, we see that his madness is assumed. Samuel Johnson, a well respected author , has â€Å"no doubt that the hero’s ‘madness’†¦was merely ‘pretended’†(Neill, 309). After the Ghost’s first appearance to Hamlet, Hamlet decides that when he finds it suitable or advantageous to him, he will put on a mask of madness so to speak. He confides to Horatio that when he finds the occasion appropriate, he will â€Å"put an antic disposition on† (1.5.172). Mark Van Doren poins out in his book â€Å"Shakespeare,† that Hamlet’s â€Å"antic disposition† is used â€Å"as a device for seeming mad† (162). This strategy gives Hamlet a chance to find proof of Claudius’ guilt and to contemplat e his revenge tactic. Although he has sworn to avenge his father’s murder, he is not sure of th...

Toy Watch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toy Watch - Essay Example As the discussion declares Toy Watch is basically a wrist watch company based in Italy. Its innovation lies in its plastic watchbands in bracelet style which gave stiff competition to luxury statement provided by Swatch watches. The company was founded in the year 2005 but in less than 2 years, it has reported mammoth profits because of its new product idea and a well-organized distribution and promotion policy intact with low prices that are affordable by any consumer group. Its heart throb features are its light weight, oversized dials and Italian designing marvel by Marco Mavilla, a Milan-based designer. The popularity and success of Toy Watch is also supplemented by its endorsements with celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, First Lady Michelle Obama, Katie Holmes and so on. This paper stresses that the strategies of a company are examined in terms of four features of namely the product, price, place and promotion. Also termed as four P’s model, the marketing mix determines how the strategy should be pursued in different markets with varying customer preferences, saturation and competition levels. Talking of Toy Watch product, its tactical features are its stylish designing and use of polycarbonate material which blends well with any kind of traditional watch material like steel, ceramic, plastic or crystal and gives the same Italian finish with light weight and unimaginable designs. Its color choices also reveal its product planning and development genius because wrist watches top the priority list of fashion accessories and every day a new design kicks off the older one. As such, with a plethora of color ranges, Toy Watch has targeted the teenage group very effectively when they go for individual dress matching with every single accessory. In te rms of pricing, this is again the competitive edge of Toy Watch whereby it uses penetration pricing to capture the new markets created and gained by this class of plastic band watches. Because of low pricing tactics, Toy Watch was able to garner more market share owing to the affordability its products offered to the various teenager and other groups. The luxury concept of Toy Watch products is applied in its distribution strategies too (Soller 2006). With endorsements from top notch celebs and presenting the watches in jewellery shops and exclusive retailers like Fifth Avenue, Selfridges and Harrods (Italia n.d). This keeps its quality and luxury image intact despite its low pricing. Promotion wise, Toy Watch makes use of not only charity shows but also female sizzling personalities and revolutionary technologies in advertising the distinctive factor of their products. For instance, it partnered with Keep A Child Alive Charity whereby half of the revenues coming from sale of its se lected watches would go towards this charity initiative. Such efforts link the social responsibility and ethical consciousness of the company with the customers and favor the brand image. With Miyota Quartz Movement (Howard n.d) and presentation of Toy watch products on Oprah Winfrey show (Green n.d), it has captured all segments of consumers ranging from most sought after personalities to common men. Factors adding to the customer value Theoretically, customer value propositions which aim to provide them the maximum returns on their investments and utilities of time, place

With reference to a particular country case study, critically outline Essay

With reference to a particular country case study, critically outline and assess the key features of neoliberal development policy in that country - Essay Example exican debt of nineteen eighty-two even after adopting adjustments in structures and policies of promotional exports that were inspired by the â€Å"Washington consensus†. The early nineties marked a period of optimistic expectations that the recovery would take place. Despite this, the regional increase of the quantum of export and integration of into a global economy in large-scale made growth in the economy to remain evasive. The growth rate of the regional per capita in the year became 0.43 percent from the year 1980 and 2005. Moreover, this was aggravated by the recent financial crisis in Ecuador. Basing on the prices of raw materials, the recovery is still insufficient to create changes on the pattern. According to â€Å"Washington consensus†, the economic growth must be generated from the exports and its effect on trickling down must lead to the social development. The economic performance of several Latin America countries has been disappointing for the last twenty-five years or so. The years have been marked by stagnation in economy and increase in crisis vulnerability have been made worse with the increase in poverty, increased social inequality and deterioration in the environment (Molyneux 2008, pp.775–797). Ecuador is among the Latin American countries that are  among the less developed with 1.461USD per capita income by the year 2001. This was relative below the average income per capita in the region. Viewing it closer, it reveals Ecuador’s poor performance in the economy even with the regional context that is weak. During the last decades, several countries in Latin America hade export expansion, but relatively small income growth only few country had high economic growth. Ecuador’s primary products composed of bananas, oils, Coffee, shrimps and flowers represent the country’s major exports. The factors that have historically influenced the country such as social, ethnic and regional disparities remain pervasive. The economy of Ecuador is

Business leadership plays a vital role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business leadership plays a vital role - Essay Example Business leaders create vision and describe dreams in a way that people would want to follow them. Leaders especially in the commercial business world, have a great amount of emotional intelligence. The intelligent quotient and technical aspects are critical for leaders but they also need to have additional traits that will make them stand out from the rest and be successful. In the above paragraph, I was concerned with what leaders do to achieve what we see them achieve. However, it's evident that what they ought to do is quite different. Many people will agree that the single task of leaders is to see results delivered. This is partly true. Many people have made millions of money training business executives on leadership. All this is in pursuit of leadership that is to achieve bold objectives. The major concern is the finance, strategy and organization of the business (Goleman 2001). Leadership experts offer advice based on: the results of their research, what they believe and their professional experience. I have learnt that good leaders should be able to adopt different managing styles. Researchers suggest that there are essentially six leadership styles in the business industry. Each of the styles emanates from different components but the basis being emotional intelligence. ... Personally, I am multitalented and have attained good academic credentials that have shaped my reasoning and thinking. After pursuing an MBA program, I have been equipped with the necessary general management and strategy skills to both expand the scope of business and increase the profitability of the company or organization that I may end up in. The modern corporate world of businesses is overriding barriers like geographical boundaries in pursuit of business excellence. The economy is embracing changes at international levels and adopting world class standards such as globalization in an effort to increase opportunities everywhere in the world. For this reason, I intend to utilize my vocational management skills in MBA curriculum so as to be better placed to manage global businesses and also work in other countries with different cultures altogether (Goleman 2001). The six styles of management that have been identified are coercive, authoritative, democratic, pacesetting, coaching and affiliative. I have assessed the six leadership styles and discovered that only four of them are efficient. These four are the ones which I will adopt in my leadership and in future endeavors. Coercive and pacesetting styles are very tough. Coercive for instance is described as the use of force or threats to get employees do what is required of them. This holds back organizational flexibility and undermines the motivation in the working environment. Many employees may grow to be rebellious (Goleman 2001). Pacesetting style involves setting very high performance standards for the workers and exempting oneself. This can cause motivation to some employees and great results could be observed;

Tata CSR Corporate Social Responsibility Tata Group

Tata CSR Corporate Social Responsibility Tata Group Introduction Definition and History of CSR Corporate social responsibility (CSR) means considering the wellbeing of humanity by taking responsibility of the impact of organizations actions on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities and other stakeholders, as well as the surroundings. Organizations have realized that in addition to growing businesses it is also very important to build responsible and sustainable relationships with the large community. Hence, CSR has become increasingly famous in the Indian corporate scenario and is one of the key drivers of CSR. It was in the early 1970s when the term CSR came in to ordinary use after many international corporations were formed, but rarely abbreviated. The term stakeholder means those impacted by organizations activities. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) defined as the principled behavior of a company towards the general public, evident itself in the form of such noble programs initiated by for-profit organizations. Additional motive for this rapid acceptance of CSR is the state of the Indian society. Though India is one of the fastest growing economies, socio-economic issues like poverty, illiteracy, lack of healthcare etc. are still universally present and the government has limited resources to embark upon these challenges. This state of affairs has opened up several areas for businesses to contribute towards social development. CSR is not a latest notion in India. Corporates like the TATA, ITC, Aditya Birla, and Indian Oil Corporation, are few to name who are involved in helping the society ever since their foundation. Several other organizations through donations and charity events have been doing their part for the society. Today, CSR in India has gone ahead of only charity and donations. It is approached in a more organized and structured fashion. It is now considered as an essential part of the corporate strategy. Companies have CSR teams that develop specific policies, strategies and goals for their CSR programs and set aside budgets to sustain them. These programs are based on a clearly defined social philosophy or are closely aligned with the companys business expertise. Employees volunteer their time and contribute their skills, to implement them and are considered as the backbone of these initiatives. Overall development of a community to supporting specific causes like education, environment, healthcare etc. forms part of CSR programs. Organizations like Bharath Petroleum, Maruti Suzuki India, and Hindustan Unilever, adopt villages where they focus on holistic development. They provide better medical and sanitation facilities, build schools and houses, and help the villagers become self-reliant by teaching them vocational and business skills. This is one of the examples of CSR. On the other hand GlaxoSmithKlines CSR programs primarily focus on health and healthy living. They work in tribal villages where they provide medical check-up and treatment, health camps, health awareness programs, etc. They also provide money, medicines and equipment to non-profit organizations that work towards improving health and education in under-served communities. Many CSR initiatives are implemented by corporate in partnership with Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are well versed in working with the local communities and are experts in tackling specific social problems. SAP India in partnership with Hope Foundation, an NGO that works for the enhancing the poor and the needy throughout India, has been working on short and long-term transformation initiatives for the tsunami victims. Together, they also started The SAP Labs Center of HOPE in Bangalore, which serves as a home for street children, where they provide food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education. Take the following illustration: Companies need to answer to two aspects of their operations: 1. The quality of their management both in terms of people and processes (the inner circle).   2.The nature of, and quantity of their impact on society in the various areas. Outside stakeholders are taking an increasing interest in the activity of the company. Most look to the outer circle what the company has actually done, good or bad, in terms of its products and services, in terms of its impact on the environment and on local communities, or in how it treats and develops its workforce. Out of the various stakeholders, it is financial analysts who are predominantly focused as well as past financial performance on quality of management as an indicator of likely future performance. Why is CSR important? Consumers investors: growing expectation for organisations to behave responsibly Consumer awareness: Green and Ethical consumerism Legislation: HS, EPA, Sustainability, Codes of Practice Globalisation: Adoption of Best Practice, Consumer Legal Acceptance. Business advantages of CSR: Human Resources Recruitment, retention and morale of Staff Risk Management Investment in ethical brand equity Greenwash effect? Brand Differentiation As USP Build brand loyalty Reputation and brand attractiveness Business Development New markets, products and services Resources Management Better management and conservation of strategic assets Stakeholder Management Better internal and external relationships Freedom of operation: reduce government, public, NGO intervention in organisation History of Tata Group In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business but is in fact the very purpose of its existence. Jamsetji N. Tata, Founder, Tata Group The Trusts Vision: Shri Ratan Tatas thoughts, in 1913, on the manner in which the Trusts fund could be used: .. for the advancement of Education, Learning and Industry in all its branches, including education in economy, sanitary science and art, or for the relief of human suffering or for other works of public utility To engage qualified and competent persons to study into matters that pertain to the social, economic or political welfare of the Indian community, the object being to design schemes of a practical nature calculated to promote the well-being of the said community, care being taken that such work is not undertaken from the stereotype point of view but from the point of view of fresh light that is thrown from day to day by the advance of science and philosophy on problems of human well-being Further he also directed that: No experiment and no venture should be aided or undertaken unless the scheme thereof is carefully prepared No institution or organization should be aided of which the accounts are not subject to periodical audits and are not regularly issued and which would not be open to inspection and examination. Industry Profile of the TATA Group The Tata Group comprises 114 operating companies in seven business sectors: Tata Auto Comp Systems Automotive Tata Steel Materials Tata Power Energy Rallis India Chemicals Tata Realty and Infrastructure Service Tata Tea Consumer Products Tata Technologies Information Systems and Communications Globally: The Tata Group has operations in more than 54 countries. The companies export products and services to 120 nations, across six continents. The Tata Group is one of Indias principal and most valued business multinationals, with revenues in 2005-06 of $21.9 billion (Rs 967,229 million), the equivalent of about 2.8 per cent of the countrys GDP, and a market capitalization of $55.1 billion. Tata companys total employee strength is around 2,46,000. Amongst the 28 public listed enterprises of Tata Group are Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors and Tata Tea have a combined market capitalization that is the maximum among Indian business houses in the private sector, and a shareholder base of over 2 million. The five core values of Tata family are integrity, understanding, excellence, unity and responsibility. Purpose of the TATA Group: To improve the quality of life of the societies they serve. The Group brings a unique set of competences through leadership in sectors of national economic significance. This requires them to grow assertively in focused areas of business. Their legacy of returning to society what they earn put forward trust among consumers, employees, shareholders and the community. The TATA represents leadership with trust in a exceptional way. Milestones: 1868 In the mid 19th century, TATA Group was started by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata 1874 The Group entered into textiles by setting up the Central India Spinning, Weaving and Manufacturing Company. 1902 Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Indias first luxury hotel, opened in 1903. 1907 Indias 1st Iron and Steel plant in Jamshedpur is The Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel) the plant began its production in 1912. 1968 Indias 1st software Services Company is established as a division of Tata Sons called Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). 1995 Tata QMS institutes the JRD QV Award, modeled on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Value Award of the United States, this laid basis of the Tata Business Excellence Model. 1998 Tata Indica, started by Tata Motors is Indias first indigenously designed and manufactured car. 2000 The first major acquirement of an international brand by an Indian business group was Tata Tea acquiring the Tetley Group, UK 2006 Launched Credit Card In Kolkata, the foundation stone for the Tata Medical Centre was shown. MCA-2, Indias largest e-governance initiative was launched by TCS. For the third time, Tata Steel ranked worlds best steel maker by World Steel Dynamics. US-based Eight O Clock Coffee was acquired by Tata Coffee. Tata Sky satellite television service was launched across the country. 2007 In a wider leap, the Anglo-Dutch steel major Corus has vaulted the former to the fifth position from 56th in global steel production capacity, in the Tata Steels acquisition TATA Singur project MB Kulkarni, General Manager (Construction) of Tata Motors, Our work plans are planned in such a way that whatever are the product target dates, in 2008 rolling of the vehicle will take place. Group Chairman Ratan Tatas dream peoples car will be rolled out by next year. For the factory 700 acres of land will be used and manpower has been planned and organized for the construction. TATAs Corporate Social Responsibility SILVER LININGS The company has streamlined its CSR activities into four major areas: HEALTH EMPLOYABILITY EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT Health: The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete mental, physical and social well-being and not merely the absence of infirmity or disease. The health status is usually measured in terms of life expectancy at birth, fertility rate, infant mortality rate, crude birth/death rate. According to the Country Health System Profile, World Health Organization, public health infrastructure in rural India consists of a 3 tier system: A sub centre for every 5,000 population with a male and female worker, A Primary Health Centre (PHC) for every 30,000 population with a medical doctor and other paramedical staff, and A Community Health Centre (CHC) for every 100,000 population with 30 beds and basic specialists. In urban areas, it is 2 tier systems with Urban Health Centre (UHC)/Urban Family Welfare Centre (UFWC) for every 100,000 population followed by general hospital. The existing public health infrastructure is not evenly distributed across the States. Many institutions are not functional due to staff shortage and non-availability of drugs and consumables and essential equipment. As a result of such inadequate public health facilities, it has been estimated that less than 20 percent of the population, which seek OPD services, and less than 45 percent of that which seek indoor patient treatment, avail of such services in public hospitals. A large portion of population seek medical care services from private sector despite the fact that most of these patients do not have the means to make out-of-pocket payments for private health services (National Health Policy 2002). Keeping these figures in mind, the Company has launched several initiatives for improving the health status of community members in the CSR project areas across locations. The initiatives include both preventive as well as curative health care services. In addition, infrastructural development for ensuring a perennial supply of clean drinking water and improved health through better sanitation facilities is also included in the CSR program of the Company. Figures for 2006 : Alignment to Millennium Development Goals Impact in 2007-08 Millennium Development Goals 5: Improve Maternal Health Institution of Village Health Workers established Community members identified and trained for providing basic health care to village communities Antenatal cate and anaemua detection and treatment for 590 women Millennium Development Goals 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases Curative Preventive health services were provided to over 92,390 people through the Companys community health programmes, including immunization drives for polio, measles. Special country-wide programmes were conducted for drivers during service camps. 46,548 drivers availed of the free general health and eye check-up camps and AIDS awareness programmes Employability Employability facts Annually Indias labour force is growing at a rate of 2.5% and employment only by 2.3% Indias workforce is self-employed by 60%. Around 30% are casual workers i.e. they work only when they are able to get jobs and remain unpaid for the rest of the days In the Unorganized sector Approximately, approximately 90% of the labour force is employed, i.e. sectors which do not provide other benefits of employment combined with the social security Organized sector. In addition to the Apprenticeship programmes that are run within the premises of the manufacturing units, as per the Apprenticeship Act 1961, the Company has also initiated several efforts to enhance employability of youth. To upgrade the quality of Industrial Training Institute (ITIs), the company has built public-private partnership with government authorities. In the year 2007-08, the upgradation process has been initiated in four it is, who are equipped with latest machines and tools. To understand the manufacturing processes, the students have been taken on exposure visits and for their faculty, Train the Trainer programmes have been organized. Technical and vocational programmes are run for rural youth from the project areas, like Motor Mechanic Vehicle Trade Course, electrical, welding, a/c refrigeration, computer skills, bee-keeping, etc. Special programmes are also run for women including sewing training, beautician courses, manufacturing food products and utility items and cable harnessing and assembly work. More than 9,000 youth and women have benefited from these programmes across Companys locations. Alignment to Millennium Development Goals Impact in 2007-08 Millennium Development Goals 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger The Company has identified 10 ITIs across the country to upgrade their facilities and enhance the relevance of their programmes to industry needs, as a part of its skill development programme, In 2007-08, four ITIs have been covered. Training in various technical and vocational trades was given to around 1,085 youth from areas adjecent to the Companys plants. Over 350 local youth have been trained in partnership with the government and the social sector, making them employable at the new plant location of Singur. All 18 students of the Company-supported Mechanic Motor Vehicle Trade Course, 2007-08, in association with the Ramakrishna Mission at Sakwar, Thane district, Maharashtra, have been successfully placed at the Companys dealerships. Two students from the previous batch have been facilitated to become entrepreneurs and have opened their own workshop on the Mumbai-Ahemedabad Highway Millennium Development Goals 3: Promote gender equality and empower women To make the women economically independent, around 1,058 women have been trained in utility items, manufacturing food products and, beautician courses, sewing Education The root of poverty often lies in illiteracy. Social infrastructure like education is as important as physical infrastructure, not only for sustaining high growth but also for enhancing welfare. Education Facts About India Less than half of Indias children between the age 6 and 14 go to school A little over one-third of all children who enroll in grade one reach grade eight Children aged 6 14 years do not attend school, the count of which is atleast 35 million 52% of girls in the age group of 5 to 9 years are illiterate 53% of habitation has a primary school 20% of habitation has a secondary school In nearly 60% of schools, not more than one or two teachers are there to teach Classes I to V The reasons for leaving given by 3 in every four drop-outs are need to work to support their families, little interest in studies and high cost of private education Contribution of Tata Motors towards improving education through infrastructural development for promoting schooling among the villagers and through upgradation of educational facilities like building computer laboratories, sports ground, etc. and organising training to teachers programmes to better the quality of education. Alignment to Millennium Development Goals Impact in 2007-08 Millennium Development Goals 1: Achieve universal primary education: From over 25 villages, infrastructure was improved in 13 schools, promoting higher education for 2,000 children. From across 33 schools, Shiksha Prasar Kendra, a Tata Motors society at Jamshedpur, supported 18,000 students of which 7,500 are girls Quality of education improved: In 4 schools Teachers training programme was conducted With participation from over 4,300 students, extra-curricular activities was organised in 31 schools In West Bengal at Beraberi High School, Singur, computer labratory was built 375 students were awarded with scholarships for higher studies Environment Climate Change is the environmental issue facing the world today, which is any long-term significant change in the average weather experienced by a given region. Facts on Environment Reports concluded by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are: Since the mid-20th century most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations. From new estimates of the combined anthropogenic forcing due to greenhouse gases, land surface changes and aerosols, it is likely that human activities have exerted a substantial net warming influence on climate since 1750. Anthropogenic aerosols produce a net negative radiative forcing (cooling influence) with a greater magnitude in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere The IPCC, which represents consensus in the scientific community, defines extremely likely, virtually certain, very likely, and as indicating probabilities greater than 90%, 95%, and 99%, respectively. Tata Group places a special emphasis on environmental and ecological issues in view of the threat to environment. The Groups efforts to preserve and regenerate environment find expression in the slew of projects and programmes it has undertaken in and around its facilities and operations. In this context a focus area for the group is the climate change crisis. Tata Motors beliefs on sustainability have led to a corporate policy that emphasises environment preservation, the Company works on projects that include reducing effluents and emissions, maintaining local ecologies, repairing green cover and improving long term corporate sustainability. Alignment to Millennium Development Goals and Bharat Nirman Target Impact in 2007-08 Millennium Development Goals 7: Ensure environment sustainablity With an 80% survival rate, over 175,242 saplings have been planted. To promote use of environment-friendly practices smokeless chullahs has been constructed. Agricultural training was given to minimize the use of environmentally hazardous methods and materials. Provide awareness camps on environment related issues. Bharat Nirman Target: 10 million hectares of additional irrigarion capacity to be created by 2009 Check dams and community irrigation wells have been constructed at villages near Pune, improved irrigation to augmenting incomes of families. In Jamshedpur, in over 152 acres tree plantation has extensively been carried out and 85 acres of land has been brought under irrigation Other CSR Objectives Sumant Moolgaokar Development Foundation Sumant Moolgaokar Development Foundation (SMDF) has been founded in memory of our ex-chairman Late Shri Sumant Moolgaokar with a view to perpetuate his exemplary work in rural development. Tata Steel has evolved, over the years, an encompassing culture of social responsibility that not only sustains but also enriches the lives of the communities it supports. The companys corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy was inspired by Jamsetji Tatas conviction that, In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder, but is, in fact, the very purpose of its existence. Tata Steels approach to its business has evolved from this concept and the wealth it has created is continuously returned to the people through its community initiatives. And they are following the saying of their ancestors as: Tata Steel CSR team was to work for the welfare of the socially and economically disadvantaged communities living in and around its areas of operation, including the mines and collieries serving the plant. The basic concept of Tata Steel Parivar originates from the century old Corporate Social Responsibility of the Company, which is aptly defined as: Tata steel believes that the primary purposes of the business is to improve the quality of the life. New Life with a New Hope The Commitment of Tata Steel for improving the quality of life of the displaced families has led to the creation of the Tata Steel Parivar concept and each displaced family will be a member of the Tata Steel Parivar. Over the years, its initiatives have encompassed provision of: Healthcare services, Drinking water, Rain water harvesting, Tribal development, Relief and rehabilitation endeavors, Income and employment generation, Womens health and education, Awareness programmers on the ill-effects of drugs, Alcohol and HIV/AIDS, and Patronage to sports and cultural activities. Achievements of TATA Groups CSR Tata Steels Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives have earned the steel giant the UK trade Investment (UKTI) India Business Award 2009. Besides acquiring businesses around the world, the Tata group now plans to introduce the world to the Tata way of doing business. The group plans to take overseas the Tata trusts and all the community work that it does as part of its international corporate social responsibility. Tatas Endeavour to strengthen the fabric of India has manifested itself in multiple ways. A crucial component of the Tata idea of nation building was, and remains, the creation and sustaining of exceptional institutions of learning, research, knowledge and intellectual capital. It had created a land mark in educational sector and environmental sector, this can be seen as: TATA GROUP is boomining in every sector whether it is business or corporate social responsibility because: TATAS Commitment to the Environment: The Tata ethos places a special emphasis on environmental and ecological issues. Its efforts to preserve and regenerate the environment find expression in the slew of projects and programmers it has undertaken in and around its facilities and operations. A focus area, in this context, is the climate change crisis. Tata companies work on projects that include repairing green cover, reducing effluents and emissions, maintaining local ecologies and improving long term corporate The Tata group has a set of explicit guidelines on environmental and ecological issues, and a broad range of policies aimed at helping Tata companies protect, conserve and restore our natural resources. The Three Pillars of Sustainability 2020 Adapting to New Markets: Internal Sustainability Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group, predicated economic success on putting the community first and investing patiently in social initiatives 140 years ago. Till date, this strategy has enabled Tata to excel in India. A big reason for this is the brand recognition that Tata enjoys in India. However, brand recognition is less of a competitive advantage as Tata expands globally. Many argue that given the current heightened pace of globalization and change in technology, Tatas tenet of investing in long-term social initiatives threatens its short-term competitiveness. The first challenge that Tata must address is to align its existing Corporate Social Responsibility policies, both internal (in regards to the treatment of its workers and green initiative) as well as external (support for surrounding communities) with the customs and challenges of the new markets in which it operates. While Tata created a synergy between Corporate Social Responsibility and profits in India, it must recognize that, going forward, no one-size-fits-all Corporate Social Responsibility strategy exists. In order to facilitate a more effective alignment of local concerns with Tatas global Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, we propose setting up a New Markets Corporate Social Responsibility Committee under the TCCI that will be tasked with collaborating with local executives, as well as civic and governmental leaders to identify and drive social initiatives that will best benefit the communities in the new markets that Tata operates in. As the Tata Groups operations grow physically segregated, it becomes more difficult to align activities with their values and purpose. To ensure this, we propose that the voluntary Tata Index be made mandatory and moved under the TQMS group. To ensure fairness across companies that have different levels of operations within and outside India, the New Markets Corporate Social Responsibility Committee will be responsible for formulating the New Markets Multiplier Factor, which will normalize the Tata Index to a common denominator for all group comp anies. The next 10 years will be vital in the evolution of Tata as a global brand, and these steps will ensure that domestic operations support the continued growth of Tatas global brand and its reflection of leadership in the field of corporate social responsibility. Stepping it up a Notch: Evaluating Product Lifecycle Impact on Society Throughout its history, the Tata group has been considered a poster child of ideal corporate citizenship throughout India. As Tata continues to expand globally, its responsibilities towards its stakeholders investors, employees, and communities are changing. If anything, they are on the rise. Tata must increasingly look beyond its own operations, and consider the impact of its products, both good and bad, on not just the groups direct shareholders, but on the society as a whole. This focus on stakeholders will lead to a sustainable competitive advantage and increased profits both. To this we propose a Product Lifecycle Impact Metric (Exhibit 3). This metric will quantify the projected impact of the Tata Groups products and services over their expected lifetimes. While taking the positive impact of the products and services (such as increased customer productivity, above average fuel mileage, more affordable products etc.) into consideration, this metric will also account for the negative impacts on society (such as increased traffic clogging, environmental effects etc.). While an exact measurement would be impossible to obtain, by working within a structured framework, and with the input of social and civic leaders, Tata could effectively estimate these impacts across their various industries. We are aware that certain businesses or products, though highly profitable, are more prone to have higher negative impacts on society. For instance, while some concerns regarding the Nano have already been mentioned, one would be hard pressed to find many negative lifecycle impacts of the watches manufactured by Titan Industries (besides the manufacturing, shipping, and eventual dispos

Division Between Ancient and Modern Science Essay -- Religion Philosop

Division Between Ancient and Modern Science Introduction Power has played a significant role in the motivation of scientific progress, specifically in comparing modern science and ancient science. Power-seekers have been greatly attracted to scientific pursuits, seeking monetary, life-giving or glory-earning ends. In ancient science "the lure of health, wealth, and eternal life charmed many an alchemist to the poorhouse, madness, or an untimely death" (Coudert 35), while modern society itself has embraced scientific development with a similar fervor. Amidst many similarities, the rift between ancient and modern science is enormous and has frequently left historians puzzled. Although it is clear to historians that the stagnant science of ancient times developed into the modern scientific pursuit in the 17th century, it is not clear what specifically caused this revolution of scientific thought. This essay will discuss differences in motives which have driven ancient and modern science, arguing that 17th century alterations of power structures led to the ultimate division between modern and ancient science and the eruption of modern science as it is today. Comparisons will be drawn regarding knowledge accessibility, prevailing philosophies and ideologies, and the relationship between science and the church. Knowledge Accessibility: ancient secrets vs. modern community knowledge To begin, a major shift in scientific thinking arrived with the dawn of the printing press and the new-found accessibility of knowledge. "Alchemy was from its origins a secret art;" (Roberts 66) secrecy was an absolute necessity in early science when a powerful recipe or method had been discovered, as such knowledge was a valuable commodit... ... Read, John. Through Alchemy to Chemistry: A Procession of Ideas & Personalities. London: G. Bell, 1957. Roberts, Gareth. The Mirror of Alchemy: Alchemical Ideas and Images in Manuscripts and Books: From Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century. Buffalo: U. of Toronto, 1994. Yearly, Steven. Science, Technology, and Social Change. Boston: Unwin Hyman, 1988. Works Consulted: Sazlberg, Hugh W. From Caveman to Chemist: Circumstances and Achievements. Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society, 1991. Sirvin, Nathan. Chinese Alchemy: Preliminary Studies. Cambridge: Harvard, 1968. Thorndike, Lynn. History of Magic & Experimental Science. Vol. 1 New York: Colombia, 1964. Waite, Arthur E. Alchemists Through the Ages. Blauvelt, N.Y.: Rudolf Steiner, 1970. Wilson, David A. Alchemy: Creating Gold From Base Metal. Black Mountain, N.C.: Lorien House, 1988. Division Between Ancient and Modern Science Essay -- Religion Philosop Division Between Ancient and Modern Science Introduction Power has played a significant role in the motivation of scientific progress, specifically in comparing modern science and ancient science. Power-seekers have been greatly attracted to scientific pursuits, seeking monetary, life-giving or glory-earning ends. In ancient science "the lure of health, wealth, and eternal life charmed many an alchemist to the poorhouse, madness, or an untimely death" (Coudert 35), while modern society itself has embraced scientific development with a similar fervor. Amidst many similarities, the rift between ancient and modern science is enormous and has frequently left historians puzzled. Although it is clear to historians that the stagnant science of ancient times developed into the modern scientific pursuit in the 17th century, it is not clear what specifically caused this revolution of scientific thought. This essay will discuss differences in motives which have driven ancient and modern science, arguing that 17th century alterations of power structures led to the ultimate division between modern and ancient science and the eruption of modern science as it is today. Comparisons will be drawn regarding knowledge accessibility, prevailing philosophies and ideologies, and the relationship between science and the church. Knowledge Accessibility: ancient secrets vs. modern community knowledge To begin, a major shift in scientific thinking arrived with the dawn of the printing press and the new-found accessibility of knowledge. "Alchemy was from its origins a secret art;" (Roberts 66) secrecy was an absolute necessity in early science when a powerful recipe or method had been discovered, as such knowledge was a valuable commodit... ... Read, John. Through Alchemy to Chemistry: A Procession of Ideas & Personalities. London: G. Bell, 1957. Roberts, Gareth. The Mirror of Alchemy: Alchemical Ideas and Images in Manuscripts and Books: From Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century. Buffalo: U. of Toronto, 1994. Yearly, Steven. Science, Technology, and Social Change. Boston: Unwin Hyman, 1988. Works Consulted: Sazlberg, Hugh W. From Caveman to Chemist: Circumstances and Achievements. Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society, 1991. Sirvin, Nathan. Chinese Alchemy: Preliminary Studies. Cambridge: Harvard, 1968. Thorndike, Lynn. History of Magic & Experimental Science. Vol. 1 New York: Colombia, 1964. Waite, Arthur E. Alchemists Through the Ages. Blauvelt, N.Y.: Rudolf Steiner, 1970. Wilson, David A. Alchemy: Creating Gold From Base Metal. Black Mountain, N.C.: Lorien House, 1988.