...Individual Case Analysis on the Paper “Wal-Mart under Attack” • Why does Lee Scott, CEO, felt the need to present the Wal-Mart social responsibility commitment to the public? “At Wal-Mart, we do not really see it as philanthropy or CSR or the Triple Bottom Line. All of those approaches have merit and can have an impact…….. As businesses, we have a responsibility to society. We also have an extraordinary opportunity. There is no conflict between delivering value to shareholders and helping solve bigger societal problems.” Lee Scott, President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. National Retail Federation January 12, 2009. Since Lee Scott announced the company’s environmental goals, on “21st Century Leadership speech”, that included: to be supplied 100% by renewable energy; to create zero waste; and to sell products that sustain natural resources and the environment; there has been a constant effort toward being “green”. With the constant organized criticism regarding the Wal-Mart “way” of operating and their unsustainable growth model. A new and required position towards the Triple Bottom Line needed to be taken and the most important thing they required to make a big thing about it, make it public. Come on, they are the biggest company on the world, they are subject to lots of envies and/or disapprovals, and customers are changing the point of view regarding Wal-Mart. Even the media has had his share on criticizing Wal-Mart, on September 15, 2004, Wall Street Journal declared...
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...Endangered Tigers Today wild tigers exist in Eastern Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bhutan, India and Nepal. In order to live in the wild, tigers need water to drink, animals to hunt, and vegetation in which to hide. As the mountains, jungles, forests, and long grasses that have long been home to tigers disappear, so too, do tigers. Agricultural expansion, timber cutting, new roads, human settlement, industrial expansion and hydroelectric dams push tigers into smaller and smaller areas of land. These small areas of forests are surrounded by rapidly growing and relatively poor human populations, including increasing numbers of illegal hunters. Tigers compete with an expanding human population and industry for land and food, many tigers are killed by poachers who sell the tiger’s body parts as ingredients for traditional Chinese medicines. If these trends continue, the wild tiger may evolve from being an endangered species and off the endangered species list to become an extinct species. Without wilderness, the wild tiger will not survive. If the world is not careful, one of the beautiful creatures on the planet will become extinct. Everyday more and more tigers are being slaughtered for their skin, bones, meat, and other organs to produce clothes, home décor, medicine, food and even alcohol. For example bones are soaked in alcohol to make wine, and ground up bone mixed with herbs is believed to relieve pain such as arthritis...
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...A ROAD MAP FOR NATURAL CAPITALISM Business strategies built around the radically more productive use of natural resources can solve many environmental problems at a profit. BY AMORY B. LOVINS. L, HUNTER LOVINS. AND PAUL HAWKEN O ARTWORK BY CRAIG FRAZIER N SEPTEMBER i6, 1 9 9 1 , 3. Small gTOUp of s c i c n t i s t s w a s Isealed inside Biosphere II, a glittering 3.2-acre glass and metal dome in Oracle, Arizona. Two years later, when the radical attempt to replicate the earth's main ecosystems in miniature ended, the engineered environment was dying. The gaunt researchers had survived only because fresh air had been pumped in. Despite $200 million worth of elaborate equipment. Biosphere II had failed to generate breathable air, drinkable water, and adequate food for just eight people. Yet Biosphere I, the planet we all 145 A ROAD MAP FOR NATURAL CAPITALISM of those services doesn't appear on the business balance sheet. But that's a staggering omission. The economy, after all, is emhedded in the environment. Recent calculations published in the journal Nature conservatively estimate the value of all the earth's ecosystem services to be at least $33 trillion a year. That's close to the gross world product, and it implies a capitalized book value on the order of half a quadrillion dollars. What's more, for most of these services, there is no known substitute at any price, and we can't live without them. Some very simple changes to the way we run our This...
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...EMPOWERING THE NEW HEALTHCARE ECOSYSTEM 2 EMPOWERING THE NEW HEALTHCARE ECOSYSTEM Today, the healthcare industry finds itself on the threshold of a new era in which key stakeholders, empowered by technology, are breaking down barriers and redefining what’s possible in medical care. Find out how IT is shaping this new healthcare ecosystem. A NEW ERA Never before has the healthcare industry offered so much hope amid so much uncertainty. In the last decade, we have seen the unlocking of the human genome, which has put personalized and predictive medicine within reach for the first time in history. Advances in biomedicine and pharmaceuticals are achieving unprecedented success against formerly intractable diseases. And the next generation of information technology is sparking innovation across the healthcare value chain. Yet we are also living in a time of great economic and social upheaval, with healthcare businesses and organizations contending with extraordinary new financial, demographic, and regulatory pressures. A challenging global economy continues to strain the bottom lines of providers, payers, and pharmaceutical companies - not to mention the businesses and taxpayers who ultimately foot the bill. What’s more, the economics of healthcare are set to become even tougher in the years ahead as aging populations in industrial countries place new demands on both private and public healthcare systems. Tighter finances and thinning margins have made cost cutting and operational...
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...1986. Ever since, WCS-India has developed into a comprehensive collection of activities that revolve around major global conservation strategies of WCS - scientific research, national capacity building, site-based conservation and developing new models of wildlife conservation. Acting synchronously, all these initiatives have contributed significantly to wildlife conservation in India and rest of the world during the last three decades. Wildlife Conservation Society India Program India is a mega-diversity country that is distinctly rich in vertebrate fauna. This is a result of its distinct biosphere, and, evolutionary and social histories it has faunal elements from the Indo-Malayan, Afro-tropical and palearctic regions. India boasts of about 500 species of mammal, 2000 types of Bird and at least 30,000 kinds of insects, providing an unmatched range and diversity. Book a Wildlife Tour India has an age old culture that considers human as a part of nature rather than as its masters; that displays a higher degree of equitableness for other life forms in contrast to any other part of the world. Partly as a result - and partly due to India's colonial past - several excellently protected nature reserves have been sanctioned during the last three decades. These now cover about 4% of the land area. However, there are threatening challenges to 'saving wildlife' in India - a billion strong human population largely dependent on land-based occupations; high degree of reliance on biomass...
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...Ecosystem Case Study. Assess contemporary management practices that have been applied to reduce these impacts. PLAN IMPACTS Global warming —> Water temp —> Coral bleaching —> increased starfish Pollution—> agricultural run off overfishing Industrialisation —> oil spills, shipping toursim STRATEGIES - Traditional Banning dredging and offshore dumping Zoning Increasing funding for farmers to reduce run off through water quality- from budget. Budget increased by 25 million per annum for 4 years in oder to restore reef as of 1st July 2014. GBRMPA 1995 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 25 year plan. Justification; why save the reef? tourist attraction 7th wonder of the word contributes 6 billion to Australian economy produces 63 000 jobs The Great Barrier Reef is the longest coral reef structure in the world extending over 2300 km from papua new guinea on Queensland’s east coast. It renowned for it visibility from space considering it holds more than 2900 individual reefs and is home to over ‘6 300’ different species (wwf). Although this ecosystem is protected as a World Heritage site, it has still been significantly impacted by human activities, including pollution, mining and urban run off. Traditional management strategies have been a vast help over the past thousands of year but the severity of human impacts have dramatically increased in the past 50 years and contemporary strategies have been put into practise in attempt to reduce these...
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...Enhancing the Marketing Plan The company’s competitors, and the strengths and weaknesses of each (SWOT) Competition in health care industry gains the clients since it assist maintain costs, enhance quality, and promote innovation. However, how to contain an organization in the fast growing industry is a complex task to the partners and members in the field. HealthCare Express for instance, find, it hard to keep track of operations, especially in this industry where changes in products needs legal approval; thus competition is very stiff because products and services are almost presented in the same way. The main competitor for HealthCare Express is Patient First, Inc. This organization, just like Healthcare Express has deepened its roots to offer services such as providing urgent care, daytime, evenings, weekends, holidays, after doctor’s office hour’s convenient and affordable medical services for clients varying from newborns to geriatrics, and respiratory therapy services. These specialized fields act as the backbone of the Patient First, Inc. where its strengths lie, as compared to other organizations. Since the Healthcare Express also has, some of this specialized in house services, Patient First, Inc. gives it tough competition, and clients have to choose between these two competitors when deciding on most of the services and products (Stewart & Hirsch, 2011).. The other strengths for Patient First, Inc. is that the company is dedicated to offering quick, personalized...
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...damaged ecosystems, the prevailing issue for oceans being coral bleaching. Coral reefs represent less than point one percent of the world’s ocean floor and help support almost twenty-five percent of all marine species (Perry). The United States, since the nineties, has been working to improve the conditions of coral reefs. There are disagreements and opposing claims that coral bleaching stems from other factors besides fluctuating water temperatures. Coral reef bleaching is still a prevalent issue that the United States alongside other countries needs to work towards a more efficient solution in preserving oceanic life. The general public is informed on the progression of coral reef bleaching, but not the factors that cause the issue. People are choosing to be ignorant of the situation involving coral reefs by not taking action. The underlying problem could be resolved with the knowledge of existing relationships in the diverse habit. The National Oceanic and Administration has asserted that coral bleaching...
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...Chapter IV Internal Analysis I. Analysis of the company’s existing strategies Herman Miller is a globally recognized provider of furnishings and related technologies and services, based in Zeeland, Michigan. The company’s corporate mission is simply this: “Inspiring Designs to Help People Do Great Things.” Herman Miller designs and those developed in partnership with world class independent designers solve real problems for people wherever they work, live, learn, and heal. In line with their vision to meet the needs and aspirations of a growing global population, Herman Miller places great importance on design, the environment, community service, and the well-being of their customers and employees. They believe that human life is dependent on both economic vitality and a healthy environment, and that it is possible to grow in the furniture industry without compromising the sustainability of ecosystem on which all life depends. (Herman Miller, 2015) Here are some of the existing strategies used by Herman Miller: Strategy | Description | Results | Suggestions | Limit fixed production costs by sourcing component parts from strategic suppliers | Herman Miller increases the variable nature of their cost structure by outsourcing component parts from partner suppliers while retaining proprietary control over those production processes | Manufacturing operations are largely assembly-based | MAINTAIN | Inventory control through Just In Time (JIT) process | MLHR manufactures...
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...2/16/2014 Intellectual Property creation witnessing steady growth in India: Report - Economic Times You are here: Home > Collections > India RELATED ARTICLES Budget 2012: Relax corporate tax and surcharges to boost... March 5, 2012 Intellectual Property creation witnessing steady growth in India: Report PTI Jun 26, 2013, 06.43PM IST Bharti Airtel gives IP contract to Alcatel Lucent India June 1, 2012 Tags: Texas Instruments general motors | Mercedes-Benz | investments | intellectual property | Intel | Hewlett-Packard | | gdp | Alstom | Alcatel Lucent Alcatel-Lucent launches IP Transformation Center Septemb er 8, 2009 IN-DEPTH COVERAGE India Intellectual Property Alcatel-lucent Alstom NEW DELHI: The country's contribution to Intellectual Property (IP) creation is witnessing a steady growth, however, investments in R&D and patent activities in the country are still relatively slow when compared to developed nations, a report says. According to globalisation and market expansion advisory firm Zinnov's study 'Enhancing the IP Quotient in MNC R&D centres', IP creation is witnessing steady growth in MNC R&D centres, but investments in R&D and patent activities in India are still relatively slow. (A sector-wise analysis…) The study further said India spends just 1 per cent of its GDP on R&D, while countries like Israel spends 4.2 per cent, Japan 3.7 per cent, US 2.7 per cent and China 2.0 per cent...
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...Smart Service Queensland Information Systems and Green IT Strategies 2010 Submitted: 18/10/2010 Prepared by: Varun Kewal (Student No: W0103335) varun_kewal@hotmail.com Word Count: 2,847 words Letter of Transmittal Green Tech Pty Ltd 23 Virtual Drive Technology Park, QLD 4125 18 October 2010 The Director Smart Service Queensland 37 Creek Street Brisbane QLD 4000 Dear Ms Jeans, Please find attached our report analysing the IT infrastructure for SSQ and value that can be added with the implementation Green IT strategies. As discussed with you in our meeting on 2 August, we have focused on the issues and challenges being faced by the current IT infrastructure and possible solutions. We have paid particular attention to the IT Infrastructure Ecosystem in place and have provided a breakdown of the different hardware and software in place currently and what opportunities exist to make improvements to improve processing power as well as realise savings in the long run. Our analysis highlighted that there are issues and challenges currently being faced due to the current IT Infrastructure in place. We recommend that you proceed with the replacement of current IT hardware that is nearly at the end of it’s 5 year cycle as already identified by the ICT Manager Steve Young. I wish to take this opportunity to thank Mr Young for making himself available to provide invaluable data to assist with this report. We have also identified a number of...
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...in courts, even before they reached the permitting stage. And the cost of new capacity is also a major factor. A two day power blackout that struck in north east U.S on 14,2003 gave a wakeup call to regulators of the system which effected 50 million customers. But the risk of outages continued during peak demand periods due to capacity constraints. To reach the demand supply should be increased or gains should be encouraged and also the managements problems faced in ENERNOC should be solved by good strategy. Analysis: The major key consideration for adding a power plant is environmental consequences like global warming, energy related emissions of carbon dioxide(C02) which accounted 61% of all green house gas emissions(stated by IPCC). Demand response put conservationist and consumers in the same page by sharing incentives to provide service without increase in emissions. This is a short term solution for generating capacity but from the environmental perspective energy savings and reduction in emission still a global imperatives. EnerNOC...
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...Material selection is full of trade-off decisions, and effective strategies vary widely based on your goals and situation. Sustainable materials can mean many things, and this page explains some considerations besides the materials’ energy performance. Lifecycle Assessment is the most thorough way to determine the environmental impacts of your building materials. However, LCA can be very costly, varies project-to-project, and is not yet extremely prevalent. Instead, the building and building products industries have a host of measures and “certifications” for green building products. BuildingGreen’s Green Building Product Certification Guide is a fantastic resource for understanding this (sometimes intentionally) complex world. The following is a quick rundown of factors about how the material is produced and disposed of that can be important to consider. Materials using recycled content not only require less virgin resources, they also use less energy and chemicals to process. For instance, recycled ("secondary") aluminum has 90% less embodied energy than virgin ("primary") aluminum. It is beneficial to both use recycled material, and design your constructions to be recycled as well. Using Recycled Materials To use recycled content in your building, call suppliers to source recycled materials. Be sure to verify the physical properties (strength, stiffness, etc.) of the material with recycled content. If they are lower-performance, you may need to alter...
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...daily life, there are so many products that can be seen everywhere, for instance, glass, paper, steel, plastic products and rubber products. Hence, ignoring recycling is a large waste, that means just throwing garbage or disposing of it in landfills which is not a permanent solution. As the impassioned discussion over the issue of recycling comes into the spot light of the world, it has long been asserted that the issue of recycling in modern times is very important. Recycling makes participants feel fine, and is considered by some to be a moral responsibility, which has become a ‘social norm’ (BIEC, 1997). This essay will try to demonstrate three main benefits of recycling including its important role in economies, environment and energy-saving. Recycling generates substantial economic benefits and it has made a vital contribution to job creation and economic development. A great illustration of it is that recycling helps people save money and creates jobs in waste management and manufacturing industries. Recycling programs cost less to operate than waste collection, land filling and incineration. According to Beck (2001), there are direct impacts and indirect impacts of recycling. In Massachusetts, recycling saves $557 million annual payroll and $3.5 billion revenues, which contributes to rendering roughly $64 million in state tax receipts. Indirect impacts include the diversification of the relevant service businesses such as agents, equipment manufacturers, accounting firms...
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...purpose of the report is to inform you of our analysis of your current IT infrastructure as well as the costs and benefits of a cloud computing adoption strategy. The content of this report concentrates on the structural and acoustical aspects of the CSU Performing Arts Center. This report also discusses cable-stayed technology. Sincerely, Kai Minors 1. Executive Summary 2. Part 1: Introduction i. The Organization ii. Corporate structure iii. The major business processes iv. Statement of the problem 3. Current IT Infrastructure and Challenges i. Ecosystem ii. Current usage and efficiencies 4. Cloud Computing: Costs and Benefits. i. Overview of Cloud Computing ii. Goals and success factors of an agile IT infrastructure. iii. Benefits/Costs of Cloud Computing iv. Private vs. Hybrid vs. Public Cloud 5. Cloud Adoption Strategy 6. Recommendations 7. Conclusion 8. References 9. Appendix 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this report is to submit as an assessment for the University of Southern Queensland’s MBA Program The specific problem addressed in the report is to clearly identify the current IT infrastructure of a company including its issues and challenges as well as a recommendation of a cloud computing adaptation strategy. The study is in the form of an IT infrastructure...
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