Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Management - Assignment Example Its manufacturing division has 42 food plants and it operates in over 750 stores directly or through subsidiaries (Kroger, 2011). Vision, Mission & Values of Kroger The Kroger Co., one of the leaders in the retail industry has a strong vision and mission statement with people being the first priority in its business. The vision statement of the company should be ‘It’s all for the people’. The company’s main focus is serving the customer, the people of the society with different types of supports for the community. The core value for the firm is to do business with honesty and telling the truth to the associates and customers. With its integration of a mix cultured people in the workplace the company respect the values and opinions off all its employees (Kroger, 2011). To be the leader in the retail industry with its variety of services The Kroger Co. is also involved in social community activities because they believe that it’s the people for whom th ey work so they must respect and care for the community. Every year the company invests on hundreds of communities for various social causes for the betterment of the society. In the past 3 years the total investment is around $8 million in the areas of education, diversity, community needs, women’s health and fight against hunger campaigns. Kroger understands its importance as it is also beneficial for the business process. Kroger being one of the leaders who wants to be the top ranked retailer needs to be in the mind of the people with the positive impacts from its social activities served towards the community (Kroger-a, 2011, p.2). Internal and External Analysis SWOT Analysis SWOT is the acronym for the internal Strength and Weakness for the company and the external Opportunities and the Threats from other firms. Through this technique the company understands its situation in the market and its possible opportunities and the threats from the market. The company’s m ain aim is to maximize the strength and opportunities while minimizing the weakness and the threats. Kroger with about 2486 supermarket and multi-departmental stores over 31 states has a strong position in the US market. It mainly concentrates in the grocery and the food retailing sector. With its attractive location and variety of products and competing price, Kroger holds a strong market position. But the company faces intense competition from player in the retail market like Wal-Mart Stores, The Home Depot and Costco Companies. On the other hand the consolidation in the food market segment has a big competition in the US retail chain market and affects the market share and profit margin. Food contamination is another issue which can harm a brands image. Expansion of the company in different sectors like the finance market is a great opportunity for the firm. The personal finance brand of Kroger helps the people to avail an easy way to buy through grocery banking. As a threat the slowing economy and the higher level of inflation affecting the food industry as it increases the transport cost and thus affecting the price of food. Cost sensitive customers may shift to low cost food products which will affect the profit margin. Figure 1: SWOT Analysis (Source: Author’s creation) PESTLE Analysis Pestle analysis is the tool to understand the market scenario and the external

A historical approach to The Guest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A historical approach to The Guest - Essay Example The story’s rich historical derivation makes it ideal for an examination through the lenses of historical criticism, as such, one can examine the occurrences themes and stylistic and the impacts of the larger historical backdrop both within and without the text. Concisely, the story revolves around three major characters are Daru, Baducci the gendarme and the Arab prisoner. Daru is a schoolteacher stationed in the desert school where the gendarme brings the Arab who has been accused of murder. Daru receives them hospitably and makes them tea in the schoolroom; he unties the prisoner’s hands and makes both of the as comfortable as he could with his limited facilities. That he takes off the ropes binding the prisoner, connotes the shame felt by colonialist for treating their subjects as if they were less than human (Just 904). Daru is told that the French suspect an uprising, he should deliver the prisoner to the town so that the gendarme can return and prepare in case it materializes the schoolteacher however turns down the task of delivering the prisoner. Balducci tells him it is an orderfrom the authorities but Daru insists that he will not comply; he does not stop him from leaving the prisoner there and even signs a document to att est to the fact. Daru accommodates the prisoner for the night, the next morning, despite his insistence that he would not take him to the authorities; he leads him in the direction of the town. Halfway there, he stops at a crossroads and tells him he can choose to deliver himself to the police or he can escape. He gives the prisoner food and money and leaves him to make up his mind. He heads back to the school where ironically, someone has written on the board that he would pay for the delivering â€Å"their brother†. Here, Camus uses dramatic irony to bring out the absurdity of the situation in which Daru finds himself because had Author of the threat known