This Is Not America. Why Wal-Mart left Germany in 2006?
Walmart can boast that it has more than 8,500 stores in 15 countries, under 55 different names, that it's the largest private employer in the United States, the largest in Mexico (as Walmex), and the third largest in Canada. In fact, it's the biggest private employer in the whole world. It has 108 stores in China alone, and operates another 100 Chinese outlets under the name of Trust-Mart.
Still, for all of Walmart's conspicuous success, the retailing giant, after having set up shop in Germany in 1997, was forced to withdraw from the country in 2006, abandoning Germany's lucrative $370 billion retail market. Even though this happened five years ago, the German debacle still reverberates. It's still being discussed. After all, as anyone who's been paying attention can tell you, Walmart rarely fails in these endeavors.
Because America and Europe share similar cultural and political antecedents, one might naturally assume that an American enterprise would have a better chance of succeeding in Europe than in Asia. But the German smackdown proved that's not always the case. Indeed, while the nominal Communist regime of the People's Republic of China embraced Walmart's corporate philosophy, the Germans rejected it.
After nine years of trying to make a go of it, Wal-Mart sold its 85 stores to German rival Metro in 2006. Wal-Mart paid dearly for its about-face. The company took a $1 billion hit to quit the market, while Metro paid as much as $100 million less for the Wal-Mart stores than the value of the real estate, unsold merchandise, and other physical assets.
When Wal-Mart decided to expand in 1996, its managers saw Germany as a promising market. Europe's largest market is home to 82 million - far more than in England, France and Italy which each have a population of 60 million. Germany enjoys a healthy pro capita income, so consumer spending is robust. The country has good transport infrastructure, which is good when stocks need to be replenished. Given these excellent conditions, Wal-Mart must have thought success was guaranteed.
It wasn't to be. Its German venture ended disastrously, with the retreat costing the company $1 billion.
Just why did Wal-Mart Germany end so badly in Germany? The answer is simple but banal, and can be encapsulated by a line once sung by David Bowie: "This is not America."
Management's mistake was to implement a successful U.S. business formula in Germany without paying any attention to local idiosyncrasies.
"The problem was the company's business philosophy, which had always worked so well," wrote Frankfurt's Börsenzeitung in what pretty much amounted to an obituary. "It's people-centered - but that doesn't actually work when the people aren't American."
The problems added up. The company gave the job of masterminding Wal-Mart Germany to an American who didn't speak a word of German. This should surely have been indispensable to finding out what the Germ ...
Wal-Mart struggled in its expansion into the German retail market in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Key reasons for its struggles included a lack of strategic preparation and understanding of the German market. Ronald Tiarks, who was appointed to lead Wal-Mart's German division, did not have sufficient experience in Germany and made detrimental decisions like changing the official language to English. This angered existing employees. Wal-Mart also failed to properly integrate with German labor unions and did not establish effective supplier relationships. Due to these missteps, Wal-Mart faced difficulties that ultimately caused it to exit the German market.
Wal-Mart was the largest retailer in the world by 2008, but did not expand internationally until 1991 when it opened its first store in Mexico. It then grew through a combination of acquisitions, joint ventures, and building new stores ("greenfield" sites) in countries like Canada, Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, South Korea, and the UK. However, Wal-Mart struggled in Germany due to cultural and regulatory differences, including strong unions and consumer preferences for local brands, and ultimately sold its German operations in 2006.
Wal-Mart failed in Germany for several cultural, institutional, and strategic reasons. Culturally, Wal-Mart's American-style corporate culture did not align with German culture. Institutionally, German government restrictions limited Wal-Mart's ability to operate. Strategically, Wal-Mart acquired weak brands in poor locations and faced strong competition. Its entry also occurred during an economic recession. Overall, Wal-Mart lacked sufficient research, preparation, and understanding of the German retail market.
walmart closes up their shops in germanyaditi sehgal
walmart ,growth of walmart ,sucess of walmart ,cultural barriers ,financial barriers ,effects of walmart after withdrawing from germany , worlds biggest retailer closes up in germany
In November of 2013 Doug McMillon had just been named the CEO of Walma.docxsandraa52
Doug McMillon was named CEO of Walmart effective February 2014. He had diverse experience within Walmart in domestic operations, international operations, and Sam's Club. While Walmart was hugely successful, it faced challenges of market saturation, competition from discount retailers and online retailers, criticism over social issues, and pressure to sustain historic growth rates. Walmart's low prices and extensive use of technology, such as RFID and EDI systems with suppliers, helped it gain significant competitive advantages over other retailers. However, its dominance also put pressure on suppliers and was a source of criticism for some.
In November of 2013 Doug McMillon had just been named the CEO MalikPinckney86
In November of 2013 Doug McMillon had just been named the CEO of Walmart Stores, Inc.
effective February 1, 2014. McMillon had unique preparation for the job. He had held senior
executive positions in Walmart’s domestic operations and had presided over both the
company's international operations and Sam's Club, Walmart’s discount club chain.
McMillon would likely need to draw upon his diverse experiences to successfully lead the
company in the face of mounting challenges.
As recently as 1979, Walmart had been a regional retailer little known outside the South
with 229 discount stores compared to the industry leader Kmart’s 1,891 stores. In less than
25 years, Walmart had risen to become the largest U.S. corporation in sales. With more than
$469 billion in revenues, Walmart had far eclipsed not only Kmart but all retail competitors.
Yet another measure of Walmart’s dominance was that it accounted for approximately 45
percent of general merchandise, 30 percent of health and beauty aids, and 29 percent of
non-food grocery sales in the United States.
Despite its remarkable record of success, though, Walmart was not without challenges.
Many observers believed that the company would find it increasingly difficult to sustain its
remarkable record of growth. Walmart faced a maturing market in its core business that
would not likely see the growth rates it had previously enjoyed. Growth in same-store sales
had declined in multiple quarters in the previous year. Many investors believed that
Walmart had reached a point of saturation with its stores. Supercenters had provided
significant growth for Walmart, but it was not clear how long they could deliver the
company's customary growth rates. The company added new stores at a prodigious rate, but
the new stores often cannibalized sales from nearby Walmart stores. Walmart faced
problems in other business areas as w& The Walmart-owned Sam's Club warehouse stores
had not measured up to Costco, their leading competitor International operations were
another challenge for Walmart Faced with slowing growth domestically, it had tried to
capitalize on international opportunities. These international efforts, however, had met with
only success at best.
Walmart was also a target for critics who attacked its record on social issues. Walmart had
been blamed for pushing production from the United States to low-wage overseas
producers. Some claimed that Walmart had almost single-handedly depressed wage growth
m the US. Economy. For many, Walmart had become a symbol of capitalism that had run
out of control. Indeed, Time magazine asked, "Will Walmart Steal Christmas?" Much of the
criticism directed at Walmart did not go beyond angry rhetoric. In many cases, however,
Walmart had faced stiff community opposition to building new stores.
With such challenges, some investment analysts questioned whether it was even possible for
a company lilac Wal-Mart, with more than $469 billion in sa ...
This document summarizes the key aspects of the German food market. It notes that Germany is the largest market in the EU with 82 million wealthy consumers. The food retail sector is dominated by a few large players like Edeka, Aldi, and Lidl who compete on price. German consumers expect high quality products and value sustainability and organic options. Imported food comes primarily from other EU countries, and it can be difficult for non-EU suppliers to access the German market directly due to stringent regulations and established distribution systems.
ACCT116 – Master Class ScheduleSubject to (possibly major) revi.docxannetnash8266
Wal-Mart is facing challenges expanding into South America. While adapting products to local tastes, it faces fierce competition from established retailers like Carrefour. Wal-Mart lacks the scale in these markets to achieve the same efficiencies as in the US, and has faced distribution and supplier issues. It also made some missteps in initial merchandise selection and systems implementation. However, Wal-Mart believes that with time and experience it can overcome these early challenges and become a dominant retailer in South America as it builds out its store base and improves its operations.
Wal-Mart struggled in its expansion into the German retail market in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Key reasons for its struggles included a lack of strategic preparation and understanding of the German market. Ronald Tiarks, who was appointed to lead Wal-Mart's German division, did not have sufficient experience in Germany and made detrimental decisions like changing the official language to English. This angered existing employees. Wal-Mart also failed to properly integrate with German labor unions and did not establish effective supplier relationships. Due to these missteps, Wal-Mart faced difficulties that ultimately caused it to exit the German market.
Wal-Mart was the largest retailer in the world by 2008, but did not expand internationally until 1991 when it opened its first store in Mexico. It then grew through a combination of acquisitions, joint ventures, and building new stores ("greenfield" sites) in countries like Canada, Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, South Korea, and the UK. However, Wal-Mart struggled in Germany due to cultural and regulatory differences, including strong unions and consumer preferences for local brands, and ultimately sold its German operations in 2006.
Wal-Mart failed in Germany for several cultural, institutional, and strategic reasons. Culturally, Wal-Mart's American-style corporate culture did not align with German culture. Institutionally, German government restrictions limited Wal-Mart's ability to operate. Strategically, Wal-Mart acquired weak brands in poor locations and faced strong competition. Its entry also occurred during an economic recession. Overall, Wal-Mart lacked sufficient research, preparation, and understanding of the German retail market.
walmart closes up their shops in germanyaditi sehgal
walmart ,growth of walmart ,sucess of walmart ,cultural barriers ,financial barriers ,effects of walmart after withdrawing from germany , worlds biggest retailer closes up in germany
In November of 2013 Doug McMillon had just been named the CEO of Walma.docxsandraa52
Doug McMillon was named CEO of Walmart effective February 2014. He had diverse experience within Walmart in domestic operations, international operations, and Sam's Club. While Walmart was hugely successful, it faced challenges of market saturation, competition from discount retailers and online retailers, criticism over social issues, and pressure to sustain historic growth rates. Walmart's low prices and extensive use of technology, such as RFID and EDI systems with suppliers, helped it gain significant competitive advantages over other retailers. However, its dominance also put pressure on suppliers and was a source of criticism for some.
In November of 2013 Doug McMillon had just been named the CEO MalikPinckney86
In November of 2013 Doug McMillon had just been named the CEO of Walmart Stores, Inc.
effective February 1, 2014. McMillon had unique preparation for the job. He had held senior
executive positions in Walmart’s domestic operations and had presided over both the
company's international operations and Sam's Club, Walmart’s discount club chain.
McMillon would likely need to draw upon his diverse experiences to successfully lead the
company in the face of mounting challenges.
As recently as 1979, Walmart had been a regional retailer little known outside the South
with 229 discount stores compared to the industry leader Kmart’s 1,891 stores. In less than
25 years, Walmart had risen to become the largest U.S. corporation in sales. With more than
$469 billion in revenues, Walmart had far eclipsed not only Kmart but all retail competitors.
Yet another measure of Walmart’s dominance was that it accounted for approximately 45
percent of general merchandise, 30 percent of health and beauty aids, and 29 percent of
non-food grocery sales in the United States.
Despite its remarkable record of success, though, Walmart was not without challenges.
Many observers believed that the company would find it increasingly difficult to sustain its
remarkable record of growth. Walmart faced a maturing market in its core business that
would not likely see the growth rates it had previously enjoyed. Growth in same-store sales
had declined in multiple quarters in the previous year. Many investors believed that
Walmart had reached a point of saturation with its stores. Supercenters had provided
significant growth for Walmart, but it was not clear how long they could deliver the
company's customary growth rates. The company added new stores at a prodigious rate, but
the new stores often cannibalized sales from nearby Walmart stores. Walmart faced
problems in other business areas as w& The Walmart-owned Sam's Club warehouse stores
had not measured up to Costco, their leading competitor International operations were
another challenge for Walmart Faced with slowing growth domestically, it had tried to
capitalize on international opportunities. These international efforts, however, had met with
only success at best.
Walmart was also a target for critics who attacked its record on social issues. Walmart had
been blamed for pushing production from the United States to low-wage overseas
producers. Some claimed that Walmart had almost single-handedly depressed wage growth
m the US. Economy. For many, Walmart had become a symbol of capitalism that had run
out of control. Indeed, Time magazine asked, "Will Walmart Steal Christmas?" Much of the
criticism directed at Walmart did not go beyond angry rhetoric. In many cases, however,
Walmart had faced stiff community opposition to building new stores.
With such challenges, some investment analysts questioned whether it was even possible for
a company lilac Wal-Mart, with more than $469 billion in sa ...
This document summarizes the key aspects of the German food market. It notes that Germany is the largest market in the EU with 82 million wealthy consumers. The food retail sector is dominated by a few large players like Edeka, Aldi, and Lidl who compete on price. German consumers expect high quality products and value sustainability and organic options. Imported food comes primarily from other EU countries, and it can be difficult for non-EU suppliers to access the German market directly due to stringent regulations and established distribution systems.
ACCT116 – Master Class ScheduleSubject to (possibly major) revi.docxannetnash8266
Wal-Mart is facing challenges expanding into South America. While adapting products to local tastes, it faces fierce competition from established retailers like Carrefour. Wal-Mart lacks the scale in these markets to achieve the same efficiencies as in the US, and has faced distribution and supplier issues. It also made some missteps in initial merchandise selection and systems implementation. However, Wal-Mart believes that with time and experience it can overcome these early challenges and become a dominant retailer in South America as it builds out its store base and improves its operations.
Walmart is a large multinational retail corporation founded in 1962 in Arkansas. It operates stores worldwide and has over 2 million employees. Walmart pioneered strategies like just-in-time inventory and data-driven merchandising that helped drive down prices. However, its expansion into Germany in the late 1990s met with difficulties due to cultural and management differences from its American operations. Walmart ultimately exited Germany in 2006 after failing to adequately adapt to the local market.
This document discusses the global expansion strategies of several major retail companies. It provides background on the Indian retail industry and then focuses on examples of international expansion by Walmart, Carrefour, Tesco, Metro, and Kroger. Some key points made are that global expansion can provide opportunities for growth but also risks if a company fails to understand local market differences. Walmart and Carrefour struggled in markets like Japan and South Korea where their models did not adapt well to local preferences and culture. Tesco also failed in its expansion to the US. Localization is identified as important for success in foreign retail markets.
Wal-Mart began expanding internationally in the early 1990s by entering Mexico. It became Mexico's largest retailer by hiring local managers, understanding Mexican culture and preferences for fresh foods, and keeping prices low. When entering China in 1996, Wal-Mart also studied the culture and found that offering fresh meats and fish, rather than packaged, helped gain acceptance. Wal-Mart struggled when entering Germany in 1998, failing to understand cultural differences in management and customer preferences, and ultimately withdrew in 2006. Understanding cultural differences is key to the success of international expansion for organizations.
WHAT IS MADE IN GERMANY REALLY WORTH_LOVE ALUDOLove Aludo
Thinking business growth? Sustainable Development, or value for your money? Ever heard of Industry 4.0? What is their Management Style in Germany? Who are the Hidden Champions? German products are generally known for high quality, excellence, especially engineering precision, and with the increasing climate challenges, Germany is fast meeting milestones on its renewable and clean energy road map for the environment. But what goes into a German product? And what can your country or business learn from the German stereotype?
Wal-Mart has grown to become the largest retailer in the world since Sam Walton opened the first store in 1962. The document provides a history and chronology of Wal-Mart's expansion across the US and into new retail formats. It outlines Lee Scott's new role as CEO in the 2000s and poses the key question of what strategies he should employ to maintain Wal-Mart's dominance globally into the future.
WalMart's Global Strategies. This Power Point Presentation was prepared for MGT 340 Class at Pace University.
This Presentation will help you answer the following questions:
What was Walmart’s early global expansion strategy? Why did it choose to first enter Mexico and Canada rather expand into Europe and Asia?
What cultural problems did Walmart face in some of the international markets it entered? Which early strategies succeeded and which failed? Why? What lessons did it learn from its experience in Germany and Japan?
How would you characterize Walmart’s Latin American strategy? What countries were targeted as part of this strategy? What potential does this region brings to Walmart’s future global expansion? What cultural challenges and opportunities has Walmart faced in Latin America?
What group of countries will be targeted for Walmart’s future growth? What are the attractiveness and risk profiles of these countries? What regions of the world do you think will be vital for Walmart’s future global expansion?
1) The document discusses the success of Walmart and compares it to the Dutch discount retailer Action.
2) Walmart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton in Arkansas and has grown to be the largest company in the world by revenue, with over $476 billion in revenue and 2.1 million employees across 11,000 stores in 27 countries.
3) Action is a fast growing Dutch discount retailer founded in 1993, which now has over 500 stores in multiple European countries and over 20,000 employees. It was acquired by a private equity firm in 2011 in a deal worth over 500 million euros.
Carrefour is a French international hypermarket chain and the second largest retailer in the world. It operates various store formats including hypermarkets, supermarkets, discount stores and convenience stores across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Carrefour is exploring partnerships in India to enter the market through a cash-and-carry business initially while its future plans also involve expanding to other high-growth potential markets globally.
1) Walmart struggled when entering the German market in the late 1990s due to stringent regulations around store size and development. German competitors like Metro and Aldi were already well-established with loyal customer bases.
2) Porter's 5 forces analysis showed high bargaining power for suppliers and customers in Germany. Competition was also intense from dominant German retailers.
3) While Walmart's entry provided some benefits like jobs, it made mistakes by imposing an American approach and not adapting to the local market. To succeed, Walmart needs to create goodwill and develop European suppliers.
Walmart was founded in 1962 and has since grown to be the world's largest retailer. It operates over 10,000 stores across 27 countries. While maintaining low prices through efficient supply chain management, Walmart faces challenges from increasing global competition and adapting to technological changes in retail. Strategies like cost leadership and an international focus on different local markets have helped Walmart succeed, but keeping up with the digital age presents new strategic difficulties to overcome.
The document discusses Toyota's strategy of pursuing a low-cost leadership approach. It provides two major approaches for achieving low costs: 1) efficient management of value chain activities through economies of scale, learning curves, outsourcing etc. and 2) revamping the value chain through direct sales, increasing supplier efficiency, and reducing material handling. Toyota has been successful through this strategy by starting as a textile company and expanding internationally over decades to become a major automaker, introducing hybrid vehicles like the Prius to new markets.
This document provides a summary of the book "The Wal-Mart Effect" including:
- A brief history of Walmart's founding and early business practices under Sam Walton.
- Current statistics on Walmart's size and impact as the largest corporation in the world.
- An analysis of factors contributing to Walmart's success including efficient supply chain management and low payroll costs.
- Both positive and negative impacts of Walmart on local economies and debates around their labor practices.
Please read the case Fraud at WorldCom in the book provided below .docxchristalgrieg
Please read the case Fraud at WorldCom in the book provided below (chapter 13) Page 310
And answer the following questions
1. What is the dilemma?
2. Do shareholders have de facto control over managers? What decisions do shareholders typically make? Please explain
One double-spaced page.
.
Please read the below two discussion posts and provide the response .docxchristalgrieg
Please read the below two discussion posts and provide the response for each discussion in 75 to 100 words.
Post#1
Nowadays, there are numerous advancements in technology. As a result, the traditional workplace has gradually transformed with home offices and virtual workplaces where employees can hold meetings using video teleconferencing tools and communicate through email and other applications such as Slack (Montrief, et al., 2020). This makes the cloud more busy which brings up the need for improved cloud security.
Generally, in a public cloud, there exists a shared responsibility between the user and the Cloud Service Provider (CSP). Due to the rise of cyber-related crimes over the years, security for things like data classification, network controls and physical security need clear owners. The division of such responsibilities is called shared responsibility model for cloud security. “According to Amazon Web Services (AWS), security responsibility is shared by both CSP and CSC and they called it as Shared Security Responsible Model” (Kumar, Raj, & Jelciana, 2018). “While client and endpoint protection, identity and access management and application level controls are a shared responsibility the responsibility resides largely with the client organization” (Lane, Shrestha, & Ali, 2017). However, the responsibilities may vary depending on the cloud service provider and the cloud environment the user is using to operate. Nevertheless, despite the cloud services used, the burden of protecting data lays upon the user.
Normally, security is broken down into two broad categories: security of the cloud and security in the cloud. Security of the cloud is a section of the shared responsibility model handled by the cloud service provider. It comprises of hardware, host operating systems and physical security of the infrastructure. Most of these logistical challenges are offloaded when an organization moves its operations to the cloud. In contrast, security in the cloud is the security responsibility handled by the user. “The cloud service customer is responsible for securing and managing the applications that run in the cloud, the operating systems, data-at-rest, data-in-transit, policies and other responsibilities” (Bennett & Robertson, 2019). Since access to customer data remains the most critical component in cloud computing, it also determined the level of security in the cloud to be implemented by the customer.
The customer is responsible for the following components. First, the customer is responsible for data security. While the provider is responsible for automatically encrypting data in transit and in storage, the customer is expected to configure file system encryption and protection of network traffic. Secondly, the customer is responsible for physical security of computers and other devices used to access the cloud. Thirdly, the customer is responsible for application security. Security of manag.
Please read the below discussion post and provide response in 75 to .docxchristalgrieg
Please read the below discussion post and provide response in 75 to 100 words
Post#1
Cloud security plays an important role in every field like business and personal world. With a large number of benefits it has some myths also. Cloud security is solely the cloud provider’s responsibility: a standard misconception is that the cloud provider automatically takes care of all the safety needs of the customer’s data and process while in the cloud. Password policies, release management for software patches, management of user roles, security training of staff, and data management policies are all responsibilities of the purchasers and a minimum of as critical because the security is done by the general public cloud provider. While users are hardening internal security, don’t assume that cloud provider backs up data and will be able to restore it just in case of a security breach. It is instrumental and important that users simply implement a backup solution that backs up data that's hosted on the cloud to an onsite backup or to a different cloud provider. In addition, in case of a security breach, user will get to restore data from backups. “There is indeed a good case to make for fair taxation and that uneven effective tax rates can distort competition and lead to smaller tax revenues” (Bauer, 2018).
Don’t get to manage the cloud: many people believe that since the cloud infrastructure is usually basically just a managed service, that the safety of the services is additionally managed. Many cloud based systems are left inadvertently unsecured because the customer doesn't know that they have to try to something to secure them, as they assume that the provider has done what an in-house staff would traditionally have done by default. Cloud security requires an equivalent discipline for security of any data center. Cloud data centers are as resilient as any, but the weakness comes if the policies, processes and tools aren’t regularly monitored by the IT operations staff responsible (Determann, 2016).
Ignore BYOD and be more secure: not supporting and implementing a BYOD policy does not mean an enterprise will be less at risk of a data breach, SVP of cloud and hosting sales. The BYOD movement is here to stay. Some experts recommend deploying a mobile content management (MCM) solution, as protecting the data will be what ultimately defines business’ security and compliance requirements. “Despite the Australian Federal Government's ‘cloud-first’ strategy and policies, and the Queensland State Government's ‘digital-first’ strategy, cloud services adoption at local government level has been limited—largely due to data security concerns” (Ali, Shrestha, Chatfield, & Murray, 2020). Cloud data isn’t saved on mobile devices: I still hear people speaking about cloud deployment as if using this service means users are not saving any enterprise data on mobile devices, which this might make device data protection a moot point. Apps that are connecting to de.
Please read the assignment content throughly Internet Resources .docxchristalgrieg
Please read the assignment content throughly
Internet Resources Chart [due Mon]
Assignment Content
Create
a chart of Internet-based resources for early childhood literacy development.
Include
at least two different resources for each of the following topics:
Oral language
Environmental print
Morphemic analysis
Spelling
Vocabulary
Summarize
each resource. A total of 700 words should be used in the chart.
Submit
your assignment.
.
Please read the article by Peterson (2004). Your responses to th.docxchristalgrieg
Please read the article by Peterson (2004). Your responses to the following questions must be typed. Please be sure to include an APA-style citation
1. What is the purpose of this review paper
2. Describe
Incidental teaching
Mand-model
Time delay
Milieu language teaching
How are they the same?
How are they different?
3. What is discrete trial training? How is naturalistic teaching different?
4. What is generalization in language acquisition? How does naturalistic teaching promote generalization in language acquisition?
5. What were the conclusions of this review?
6. Be sure to provide and APA-style source citation for Peterson (2004) at the end of your paper
.
Please read the article which appears below. Write and submit an.docxchristalgrieg
Please read the article which appears below. Write and submit an
600 word report.
There is no right or wrong answer. Your report will be graded on your understanding of the problem of teenagers in high school having babies - and the attitude of the teens - whether you agree or disagree it is a good idea for the school to open a day care center to help these mothers (tell us why you agree or disagree), whether you agree or disagree with the teacher who wrote this article - tell us why you agree or disagree - why sociologists might want to study problems like this one, what sociologists might be able to contribute to solving problems like the one described . Link your answer to material we are studying. How well you express yourself - grammatical construction - spelling - is important. Maybe you can't make up your mind about this article. That's OK too. But it is important that you explain WHY.
Material you studied about agents of social change, primary and secondary groups in the chapters on
Culture - Socialization- Social Interaction - Social Structures - Groups and Organizations- should give you lots of ideas for your assignment.
They're Having Babies. Are We Helping?
By Patrick Welsh
The girls gather in small groups outside Alexandria's T.C. Williams High School most mornings, standing with their babies on their hips, talking and giggling like sorority sisters. Sometimes their mothers drop the kids (and their kids) off with a carefree smile and a wave. As I watch the girls carry their children into the Tiny Titans day-care center in our new $100 million building, I can't help wondering what Sister Mary Avelina, my 11th-grade English teacher, would have thought.
Okay, I'm an old guy from the 1950s, an era light-years from today. But even in these less censorious times, I'm amazed -- and concerned -- by the apparently nonchalant attitude both these girls and their mothers exhibit in front of teachers, administrators and hundreds of students each day. Last I heard, teen pregnancy is still a major concern in this country -- teenage mothers are less likely to finish school and more likely to live in poverty; their children are more likely to have difficulties in school and with the law; and on and on.
But none of that seems to register with these young women. In fact, "some girls seem to be really into it," says T.C. senior Mary Ball. "They are embracing their pregnancies." Nor is the sight of a pregnant classmate much of a surprise to the students at T.C. anymore. "When I was in middle school, I'd be shocked to see a pregnant eighth-grader," says Ball. "Now it seems so ordinary that we don't even talk about it."
Teenage pregnancy has been bright on American radar screens for the past year: TV teen starlet Jamie Lynn Spears's pregnancy caused a minor media storm last December. The pregnant-teen movie "Juno" won Oscar nods. And there was Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, bringing the issue front and center d.
Please Read instructions Role Model LeadersChoose one • 1 .docxchristalgrieg
Please Read instructions
Role Model Leaders
Choose one • 1 point
In a study by Kouzes and Posner, who was identified as the person that the majority of people would select as their most important role model for leadership?
Teacher or coach
Business leader
Family member
Community or religious leader
QUESTION 2
Five Practices
Choose one • 1 point
Which of the following is
not
one of the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership?
Model the Way
Leave a Legacy
Encourage the Heart
Enable Others to Act
QUESTION 3
Organizational Behavior
Choose one • 1 point
Organizational Behavior is a defined business function that has nothing to do with human behavior.
True
False
QUESTION 4
Leader and Constituents
Choose one • 1 point
What strengthens and sustains the relationship between leader and constituents is that leaders are:
Obsessed with what is best for others, not themselves
Obsessed with what is best for making the most money for themselves
Obsessed with what is best for themselves, not others
Obsessed with what is best for the business, not others
QUESTION 5
The Most Fundamental Truth
Choose one • 1 point
According to Kouzes and Posner, which of the Ten Truths about Leadership is the most fundamental truth of all?
Credibility is the Foundation of Leadership
Challenge is the Crucible for Greatness
You Can’t Do It Alone
You Make a Difference
QUESTION 6
Credibility
Choose one • 1 point
A culture of leadership ______________ and ______________ is created when people at all levels genuinely expect each other to be credible, and they hold each other accountable for the actions that build and sustain credibility.
Excellence and integrity
Independence and coerciveness
Confidence and charisma
Dissatisfaction and distrust
QUESTION 7
Organizational Behavior
Choose one • 1 point
The study of Organizational Behavior helps us to understand organizational culture, power, and political behavior.
True
False
QUESTION 8
Organization’s vision and values
Choose one • 1 point
Who is the person that has the most influence over your desire to stay or leave an organization, and your commitment to the organization’s vision and values?
CEO
Co-workers
Board of Directors
Your most immediate manager
QUESTION 9
Willingly Follow
Choose one • 1 point
In a survey by Kouzes and Posner, which of the following characteristics scored the highest that people looked for in someone that they would be willing to follow:
Independent
Supportive
Honest
Straightforward
QUESTION 10
Expectation of Leaders
Choose one • 1 point
In addition to the three factors that measure source credibility, the vast majority of constituents have one other expectation of leaders. They expect leaders to be:
Admired
Forward-looking
Independent
Enthusiastic
QUESTION 11
Leadership is a Relationship
Choose one • 1 point
Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who are learning to lead
.
Tru.
Please read each attachment for instructions, please answer each q.docxchristalgrieg
Please read each attachment for instructions, please answer each question all 8 with an answer after reading each attachment. Do not answer each question in a running paragraph. question/answer in at least 200 -300 word detailed with references from attachments and one extra where needed.
I do not have a second chance to correct
Activity: Counseling Immigrants
Instructions:
This activity is composed of three parts. In order to complete part I, you must read the article “Counseling Haitian Students and their Families: Issues and Interventions.” In order to complete part II, you must read the “APA Immigration Report Executive Summary,” and in order to complete part III, you must read “Counseling Model for Immigrants.”
Part I
1) Explain the differences between what parents are expected to do in American schools and what parents are expected to do in Haitian schools.
2) Why did Jean’s parents did not seek contact with teachers?
3) Haitian students face significant prejudice from teachers and classmates based on their race, the negative image of voudou, their former classification as a high-risk group for AIDS, and the violence and corruption of Haiti’s domestic politics. Name the interventions suggested by Joseph (1984).
Part II
1. The United States today has approximately _______ million immigrants—the largest number in its history. As a nation of immigrants, the United States has successfully negotiated larger proportions of newcomers in its past (______% in 1910 vs. _____% today). Notably, nearly _________ ____________of the foreign-born are naturalized citizens or authorized noncitizens.
2. Nearly a ___________ of children under the age of 18 have an immigrant __________.
3. One third of the foreign-born population in the United States is from ________, and a total of _______% originate from Latin America (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010).The four states with the largest numbers of immigrants (California, __________, New Mexico, and _________) have already become “majority/minority” (______ than ________% White) states (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011a).
4. Immigrants arrive in the United States with varied levels of education. At one end of the spectrum are highly educated immigrant adults (Portes & Rumbaut, 2006) who comprise a ___________ of all U.S. __________, ________% of the nation’s __________ and ____________ workers with bachelor’s degrees, and _______% of scientists with ______________.
5. An estimated ________ languages are currently spoken in homes in the United States.
6. Psychological acculturation refers to the dynamic process that immigrants experience as they __________ to the culture of the new country.
7. The constellation of presenting issues for immigrants tends to fall within the areas of _________________- based presenting problems, __________-based presenting problems, and _________________, ____________, and ______________–based problems.
8. To increase the accessibility and efficacy of services, clinicians and p.
PLEASE READ BEFORE STARTING! 500 WORD PAPER ONLY USING THE NOTES I.docxchristalgrieg
**PLEASE READ BEFORE STARTING! 500 WORD PAPER ONLY USING THE NOTES I HAVE PROVIDED BELOW. ESSAY QUESTION IS RIGHT BELOW AS WELL.**
Three common approaches to understanding leading – traits, behaviors, and situational or contingency approaches - may or may not be effective in leading/managing a healthcare program. Briefly summarize each and its appropriateness for healthcare management.
Health Program Management (Longest, 2015)
“Leading effectively means influencing participants to make contributions that help accomplish the mission and objectives established for a program.” (Longest, 2015, p. 139)
Traits approach
“Based on the proposition that traits - encompassing skills, abilities, or characteristics - inherent in some people explain why they are more effective at leading than others.” (Longest, 2015, p. 140)
Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991, 48) stated, “Key leader traits include: drive (a broad term which includes achievement, motivation, ambition, energy, tenacity, and initiative); leadership, motivation (the desire to lead but not to seek power as an end in itself); honesty and integrity; self-confidence (which is associated with emotional stability); cognitive ability; and knowledge.” (as cited in Longest, 2015, p. 140)
Behaviors approach
“Traits cannot fully explain effectively leading, is based on the assumption that particular behaviors or sets of behaviors that make up a style of leading might be associated with success in leading.” (Longest, 2015, p. 140)
Planning, clarifying, monitoring, problem solving, supporting, recognizing, developing, empowering, advocating change, envisioning change, encouraging innovation, facilitating collective learning, networking, external monitoring, representing (Longest, 2015, p. 142)
Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s continuum of leader styles model: (Longest, 2015, p. 147)
Autocratic leaders - makes decisions and announces them to other participants
Consultative leaders - convince other participants of the correctness of a decision by carefully explaining the rationale for the decision and its effect on the other participants and on the program
Participative leaders - present tentative decisions that will be changed in other participants can make a convincing case for different decisions
Democratic leaders - define the limits of the situation and problem to be solved and permit other participants to make the decision
Laissez-faire leaders - permit other participants to have great discretion in decision making
“Leaders must adapt and change styles to fit different situations.” (Longest, 2015, p. 147)
“An autocratic style might be appropriate in certain clinical situations in programs where work frequently involves a high degree of urgency. But this style could be disastrous in other situations, such as when a manager must decide how to offer a new service in a program or improve communication with participants.” (Longest, 2015, p. 147)
Situational/Contingency approach
“.
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One double-spaced page.
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Please read the below two discussion posts and provide the response for each discussion in 75 to 100 words.
Post#1
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Please read the assignment content throughly Internet Resources .docxchristalgrieg
Please read the assignment content throughly
Internet Resources Chart [due Mon]
Assignment Content
Create
a chart of Internet-based resources for early childhood literacy development.
Include
at least two different resources for each of the following topics:
Oral language
Environmental print
Morphemic analysis
Spelling
Vocabulary
Summarize
each resource. A total of 700 words should be used in the chart.
Submit
your assignment.
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Please read the article by Peterson (2004). Your responses to th.docxchristalgrieg
Please read the article by Peterson (2004). Your responses to the following questions must be typed. Please be sure to include an APA-style citation
1. What is the purpose of this review paper
2. Describe
Incidental teaching
Mand-model
Time delay
Milieu language teaching
How are they the same?
How are they different?
3. What is discrete trial training? How is naturalistic teaching different?
4. What is generalization in language acquisition? How does naturalistic teaching promote generalization in language acquisition?
5. What were the conclusions of this review?
6. Be sure to provide and APA-style source citation for Peterson (2004) at the end of your paper
.
Please read the article which appears below. Write and submit an.docxchristalgrieg
Please read the article which appears below. Write and submit an
600 word report.
There is no right or wrong answer. Your report will be graded on your understanding of the problem of teenagers in high school having babies - and the attitude of the teens - whether you agree or disagree it is a good idea for the school to open a day care center to help these mothers (tell us why you agree or disagree), whether you agree or disagree with the teacher who wrote this article - tell us why you agree or disagree - why sociologists might want to study problems like this one, what sociologists might be able to contribute to solving problems like the one described . Link your answer to material we are studying. How well you express yourself - grammatical construction - spelling - is important. Maybe you can't make up your mind about this article. That's OK too. But it is important that you explain WHY.
Material you studied about agents of social change, primary and secondary groups in the chapters on
Culture - Socialization- Social Interaction - Social Structures - Groups and Organizations- should give you lots of ideas for your assignment.
They're Having Babies. Are We Helping?
By Patrick Welsh
The girls gather in small groups outside Alexandria's T.C. Williams High School most mornings, standing with their babies on their hips, talking and giggling like sorority sisters. Sometimes their mothers drop the kids (and their kids) off with a carefree smile and a wave. As I watch the girls carry their children into the Tiny Titans day-care center in our new $100 million building, I can't help wondering what Sister Mary Avelina, my 11th-grade English teacher, would have thought.
Okay, I'm an old guy from the 1950s, an era light-years from today. But even in these less censorious times, I'm amazed -- and concerned -- by the apparently nonchalant attitude both these girls and their mothers exhibit in front of teachers, administrators and hundreds of students each day. Last I heard, teen pregnancy is still a major concern in this country -- teenage mothers are less likely to finish school and more likely to live in poverty; their children are more likely to have difficulties in school and with the law; and on and on.
But none of that seems to register with these young women. In fact, "some girls seem to be really into it," says T.C. senior Mary Ball. "They are embracing their pregnancies." Nor is the sight of a pregnant classmate much of a surprise to the students at T.C. anymore. "When I was in middle school, I'd be shocked to see a pregnant eighth-grader," says Ball. "Now it seems so ordinary that we don't even talk about it."
Teenage pregnancy has been bright on American radar screens for the past year: TV teen starlet Jamie Lynn Spears's pregnancy caused a minor media storm last December. The pregnant-teen movie "Juno" won Oscar nods. And there was Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, bringing the issue front and center d.
Please Read instructions Role Model LeadersChoose one • 1 .docxchristalgrieg
Please Read instructions
Role Model Leaders
Choose one • 1 point
In a study by Kouzes and Posner, who was identified as the person that the majority of people would select as their most important role model for leadership?
Teacher or coach
Business leader
Family member
Community or religious leader
QUESTION 2
Five Practices
Choose one • 1 point
Which of the following is
not
one of the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership?
Model the Way
Leave a Legacy
Encourage the Heart
Enable Others to Act
QUESTION 3
Organizational Behavior
Choose one • 1 point
Organizational Behavior is a defined business function that has nothing to do with human behavior.
True
False
QUESTION 4
Leader and Constituents
Choose one • 1 point
What strengthens and sustains the relationship between leader and constituents is that leaders are:
Obsessed with what is best for others, not themselves
Obsessed with what is best for making the most money for themselves
Obsessed with what is best for themselves, not others
Obsessed with what is best for the business, not others
QUESTION 5
The Most Fundamental Truth
Choose one • 1 point
According to Kouzes and Posner, which of the Ten Truths about Leadership is the most fundamental truth of all?
Credibility is the Foundation of Leadership
Challenge is the Crucible for Greatness
You Can’t Do It Alone
You Make a Difference
QUESTION 6
Credibility
Choose one • 1 point
A culture of leadership ______________ and ______________ is created when people at all levels genuinely expect each other to be credible, and they hold each other accountable for the actions that build and sustain credibility.
Excellence and integrity
Independence and coerciveness
Confidence and charisma
Dissatisfaction and distrust
QUESTION 7
Organizational Behavior
Choose one • 1 point
The study of Organizational Behavior helps us to understand organizational culture, power, and political behavior.
True
False
QUESTION 8
Organization’s vision and values
Choose one • 1 point
Who is the person that has the most influence over your desire to stay or leave an organization, and your commitment to the organization’s vision and values?
CEO
Co-workers
Board of Directors
Your most immediate manager
QUESTION 9
Willingly Follow
Choose one • 1 point
In a survey by Kouzes and Posner, which of the following characteristics scored the highest that people looked for in someone that they would be willing to follow:
Independent
Supportive
Honest
Straightforward
QUESTION 10
Expectation of Leaders
Choose one • 1 point
In addition to the three factors that measure source credibility, the vast majority of constituents have one other expectation of leaders. They expect leaders to be:
Admired
Forward-looking
Independent
Enthusiastic
QUESTION 11
Leadership is a Relationship
Choose one • 1 point
Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who are learning to lead
.
Tru.
Please read each attachment for instructions, please answer each q.docxchristalgrieg
Please read each attachment for instructions, please answer each question all 8 with an answer after reading each attachment. Do not answer each question in a running paragraph. question/answer in at least 200 -300 word detailed with references from attachments and one extra where needed.
I do not have a second chance to correct
Activity: Counseling Immigrants
Instructions:
This activity is composed of three parts. In order to complete part I, you must read the article “Counseling Haitian Students and their Families: Issues and Interventions.” In order to complete part II, you must read the “APA Immigration Report Executive Summary,” and in order to complete part III, you must read “Counseling Model for Immigrants.”
Part I
1) Explain the differences between what parents are expected to do in American schools and what parents are expected to do in Haitian schools.
2) Why did Jean’s parents did not seek contact with teachers?
3) Haitian students face significant prejudice from teachers and classmates based on their race, the negative image of voudou, their former classification as a high-risk group for AIDS, and the violence and corruption of Haiti’s domestic politics. Name the interventions suggested by Joseph (1984).
Part II
1. The United States today has approximately _______ million immigrants—the largest number in its history. As a nation of immigrants, the United States has successfully negotiated larger proportions of newcomers in its past (______% in 1910 vs. _____% today). Notably, nearly _________ ____________of the foreign-born are naturalized citizens or authorized noncitizens.
2. Nearly a ___________ of children under the age of 18 have an immigrant __________.
3. One third of the foreign-born population in the United States is from ________, and a total of _______% originate from Latin America (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010).The four states with the largest numbers of immigrants (California, __________, New Mexico, and _________) have already become “majority/minority” (______ than ________% White) states (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011a).
4. Immigrants arrive in the United States with varied levels of education. At one end of the spectrum are highly educated immigrant adults (Portes & Rumbaut, 2006) who comprise a ___________ of all U.S. __________, ________% of the nation’s __________ and ____________ workers with bachelor’s degrees, and _______% of scientists with ______________.
5. An estimated ________ languages are currently spoken in homes in the United States.
6. Psychological acculturation refers to the dynamic process that immigrants experience as they __________ to the culture of the new country.
7. The constellation of presenting issues for immigrants tends to fall within the areas of _________________- based presenting problems, __________-based presenting problems, and _________________, ____________, and ______________–based problems.
8. To increase the accessibility and efficacy of services, clinicians and p.
PLEASE READ BEFORE STARTING! 500 WORD PAPER ONLY USING THE NOTES I.docxchristalgrieg
**PLEASE READ BEFORE STARTING! 500 WORD PAPER ONLY USING THE NOTES I HAVE PROVIDED BELOW. ESSAY QUESTION IS RIGHT BELOW AS WELL.**
Three common approaches to understanding leading – traits, behaviors, and situational or contingency approaches - may or may not be effective in leading/managing a healthcare program. Briefly summarize each and its appropriateness for healthcare management.
Health Program Management (Longest, 2015)
“Leading effectively means influencing participants to make contributions that help accomplish the mission and objectives established for a program.” (Longest, 2015, p. 139)
Traits approach
“Based on the proposition that traits - encompassing skills, abilities, or characteristics - inherent in some people explain why they are more effective at leading than others.” (Longest, 2015, p. 140)
Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991, 48) stated, “Key leader traits include: drive (a broad term which includes achievement, motivation, ambition, energy, tenacity, and initiative); leadership, motivation (the desire to lead but not to seek power as an end in itself); honesty and integrity; self-confidence (which is associated with emotional stability); cognitive ability; and knowledge.” (as cited in Longest, 2015, p. 140)
Behaviors approach
“Traits cannot fully explain effectively leading, is based on the assumption that particular behaviors or sets of behaviors that make up a style of leading might be associated with success in leading.” (Longest, 2015, p. 140)
Planning, clarifying, monitoring, problem solving, supporting, recognizing, developing, empowering, advocating change, envisioning change, encouraging innovation, facilitating collective learning, networking, external monitoring, representing (Longest, 2015, p. 142)
Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s continuum of leader styles model: (Longest, 2015, p. 147)
Autocratic leaders - makes decisions and announces them to other participants
Consultative leaders - convince other participants of the correctness of a decision by carefully explaining the rationale for the decision and its effect on the other participants and on the program
Participative leaders - present tentative decisions that will be changed in other participants can make a convincing case for different decisions
Democratic leaders - define the limits of the situation and problem to be solved and permit other participants to make the decision
Laissez-faire leaders - permit other participants to have great discretion in decision making
“Leaders must adapt and change styles to fit different situations.” (Longest, 2015, p. 147)
“An autocratic style might be appropriate in certain clinical situations in programs where work frequently involves a high degree of urgency. But this style could be disastrous in other situations, such as when a manager must decide how to offer a new service in a program or improve communication with participants.” (Longest, 2015, p. 147)
Situational/Contingency approach
“.
Please read Patricia Benners Five Stages of Proficiency. Explai.docxchristalgrieg
Please read Patricia Benner's Five Stages of Proficiency. Explain the importance of this theory through a nurse's perspective. No references are required. Your summary should be at least 300 words using good spelling and grammar. Can be single or double spaced.
Attached Files:
Dr. Patricia Benner is a nursing theorist who first developed a model for the stages of clinical competence in her classic book “From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice”. Her model is one of the most useful frameworks for assessing nurses’ needs at different stages of professional growth. She is the Chief Faculty Development Officer for Educating Nurses, the Director of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching National Nursing Education and honorary fellow of the Royal College of Nursing.
Dr. Benner was born in Hampton, Virginia, and received her bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Pasadena College in 1964, and later a master’s degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing from the University of California, Berkeley. After completing her doctorate in 1982, she became an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiological Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Benner is an internationally known lecturer and researcher on health, and her work has influenced areas of clinical practice as well as clinical ethics.
This nursing theory proposes that expert nurses develop skills and understanding of patient care over time through a proper educational background as well as a multitude of experiences. Dr. Benner’s theory is not focused on how to be a nurse, rather on how nurses acquire nursing knowledge – one could gain knowledge and skills (“knowing how”), without ever learning the theory (“knowing that”). She used the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition as a foundation for her work. The Dreyfus model, described by brothers Stuart and Hubert Dreyfus, is a model based on observations of chess players, Air Force pilots, army commanders and tank drivers. The Dreyfus brothers believed learning was experiential (learning through experience) as well as situation-based, and that a student had to pass through five very distinct stages in learning, from novice to expert.
Dr. Benner found similar parallels in nursing, where improved practice depended on experience and science, and developing those skills was a long and progressive process. She found when nurses engaged in various situations, and learned from them, they developed “skills of involvement” with patients and family. Her model has also been relevant for ethical development of nurses since perception of ethical issues is also dependent on the nurses’ level of expertise. This model has been applied to several disciplines beyond clinical nursing, and understanding the five stages of clinical competence helps nurses support one another and appreciate that expertise in any field is a process learned over time.
Dr. Benner’s Stages of Clinical Competence
Stage 1 Novice: .
***************Please Read Instructions **************
OBJECTIVES:
Use personal influence with a group or team.
Identify the behaviors that exemplify the leadership truths.
Understand the stages of team development.
Explain how motivation impacts performance.
GOAL:
The purpose of this assignment is to provide an opportunity to express understanding of content associated with the chapters covered in Week Two (
Values Drive Commitment
,
Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart
, and
You Can't Do It Alone
). For this assignment, you must use the Full Sail Online Library resources for at least one source in answering the questions. Make sure you clearly indicate which source(s) are from the online library. To access the Full Sail Library sources, go to Connect/Departments/Library. You will see a list of databases available. The library is open Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 9:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and can be reached at x8438.
Chapter Five
discusses the importance of
working in teams
and the
importance of emotional intelligence
in both your personal and social skills. How well are you in these areas? The goal of this week's discussion is to use the resources from this week to
develop, create, and implement a team activity with you being the leader.
INSTRUCTIONS:
First Post – due Thursday by 11:59pm EST *Due date extended due to the nature of the activity. Use this time to create an amazing activity!
Persuade at least four to eight people to do some notable activity together for at least two hours
that they would not otherwise do without your intervention. Your only restriction is that you cannot tell them why you are doing this.
The group can be any group of people: friends, family, teammates, club members, neighbors, students, or work colleagues
. It can be almost any activity
except for
watching television, eating, going to a movie, or just sitting around talking. It must be more substantial than that. Some options include a party, an organized debate, a songfest, a long hike, a visit to a museum, or volunteer work such as picking up litter, visiting a nursing home, or helping on a community project.
After completing your leadership activity, be prepared to discuss:
1. What was the activity selected?
Use specifics to describe your activity including
who attended (friends, family, co-workers, etc), location, and date. What did it feel like to make something happen in the world that would not have happened otherwise without you?
2.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
is important to develop to build relationships with others. How did you use EQ to empower others, listen to individual needs, and build relationships?
3. With this act of leadership,
what values did you exemplify
? (Use the
Values Drive Commitment c
hapter
concepts in your response.)
4. Were your members a group or a team? Using the
stages of team development
(Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing), describe the specific behaviors that de.
Please react to this student post. remember references and plarigari.docxchristalgrieg
Please react to this student post. remember references and plarigarism
Descending Spinal Tract
Corticospinal, reticulospinal, and vestibulospinal
Sends impulses from the brain to muscle groups
Control muscle tone, posture, and motor movements
Efferent
A
scending Spinal Tract
Spinothalamic and spinocerebellar
Sends sensory signals to accomplish complex tasks
Ascending tracts recognize exact stimulus and location
Contains fibers that discriminate rough from light touch, temperature and pain
Afferent
If the spinal cord is completely severed, then complete loss of function below the point if injury is expected (Ball, Dains, Flynn, Solomon & Stewart, 2015).
The nervous system is a group of nerves and neurons that transmit messages to different parts of the body. It is in charge of coordinating and controlling the body (Ball et al., 2015). The nervous system is divided into the central and the peripheral nervous system, further subdivided into autonomic, sympathetic and parasympathetic. The central nervous system is comprised of the brain. The peripheral nervous systems is comprised of the cranial and spinal nerves and the ascending and descending pathways (Ball et al., 2015). With all parts functioning properly the nervous system is able to receive and identify stimuli, control voluntary and involuntary body functions (Ball et al., 2015).
The three major units of the brain are the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brainstem (Ball et al., 2015).
The difference between the ascending and descending tracts is that the ascending is sensory (afferent) because it delivers information to the brain and the descending tract delivers motor (efferent) information to the periphery (Ball et al., 2015)
The pituitary gland regulates metabolic processes and controls growth, lactation, and vasoconstriction through hormonal regulation (Ball et al., 2015).
The fourth cranial nerve is called trochlear and it is in charge of the downward and inward movement of the eye (Ball et al., 2015).
Risk factors for cerebrovascular accidents include hypertension, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, stress, high cholesterol/triglycerides/lipoproteins, congenital conditions and family history of cerebrovascular accidents (Ball et al., 2015).
The 5.07 monofilament test is used to test sensation in different parts of the foot in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus or peripheral neuropathy (Ball et al., 2015).
The 0 to 4+ scale is used to grade the response when testing the reflex. 0 indicates no response and 4+ indicates hyperactive reflex (Ball et al., 2015).
Older adults may be taking medication for other conditions that can affect their balance, mental status and coordination and it is important know this in order to rule out whether a symptom is due to a side effect or a cause for concern (Ball et al., 2015).
Meningitis that occurs during the first year may cause epilepsy later on in life, also any infection in the first year of life can impa.
Please provide the following information about your culture which is.docxchristalgrieg
Please provide the following information about your culture which is the ANCIENT EMPIRE:
Content
Introduction with a thesis statement
Provide a brief history of your culture
Explain how your chosen culture is represented in the United States
Is your culture individualistic or collectivistic? Provide at least one example
What are some of the artistic (art, music, architecture, dance) contributions of your culture?
What are some values of your culture? Provide at least three examples
Discuss your culture’s religion(s)? Include name and basic belief system of at least one of the major faiths
What are some of the sex and gender role differences in your culture? Provide at least three examples
Discuss what we would need to know to acculturate into your culture (if it is a culture from the past, what would we need to do in order to fit in during that timeframe). Provide at least one concrete suggestion
Conclusion
Specific Paper Requirements:
Four-page minimum: six-page maximum (Times New Roman, 1-inch marginsm 12-pt. font, double-spaced)
Quality of writing: Must contain in-text citations in APA format
Spelling and Grammar
Correct APA style format
A minimum of three or more credible sources (books, journal articles, magazine/newspaper articles, etc.)
Paper Outline:
Introduction
History
Cultural Context
Represented in the United States
Individualistic/Collective
Artistic
Values
Religion
Sex and Gender Roles
Acculturation
Conclusion
References
.
Please proof the paper attached and complete question 6 and 7..docxchristalgrieg
Please proof the paper attached and complete question 6 and 7.
Moore Plumbing Supply Company
Capital Structure
Mort Moore founded Moore Plumbing Supply after returning from duty in the South Pacific during World War II. Before joining the armed forces, he had worked for a locally owned plumbing company and wanted to continue with that type of work once the war effort was over. Shortly after returning to his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, he became aware of an unprecedented construction boom. Returning soldiers needed new housing as they started families and readjusted to civilian life. Mort felt that he could make more money by providing plumbing supplies to contractors rather than performing the labor, and he decided to open a plumbing supply company. Mort’s parents died when he was young and was raised by his older brother, Stan, who ran a successful shoe business during the 1920’s. Stan often shared stories about owning his own business and in particular about a large expansion that was completed just before the market collapsed. Because of the economic times, Stan lost the business but was lucky to find employment with the railroad. He dutifully saved part of each paycheck and was so thankful that his brother returned home safely that he decided to use his sizable savings to help his brother open his business. Mort kept in mind his brother’s failed business and vowed that his company would operate in such a way that it would minimize its vulnerability of general business downturns.
Moore’s extensive inventory and reasonable prices made the company the primary supplier of the major commercial builders in the area. In addition, Mort developed a loyal customer base among the home repair person, as his previous background allowed him to provide excellent advice about specific projects and to solve unique problems. As a result, his business prospered and over the past twenty years, sales have grown faster than the industry. Because of the large orders, the company receives favorable prices from suppliers, allowing Moore Plumbing Supply to remain competitive with the discount houses that have sprung up in the area. Over the years, Mort has kept his pledge and the company has remained a very strong financial position. It had a public sale of stock and additional stock offers to fund expansions including regional supply outlets in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Sioux City, Iowa.
Recently, Stan decided that the winters were too long and he wanted to spend the coldest months playing golf in Florida. He retired from the day-to-day operations but retained the position of President and brought in his grandson, Tom Moore, to run the company as the new Chief Executive Officer. Tom was an excellent choice for the position. After graduating summa-cum-laud with a degree in communications from the University of Wisconsin, he worked in the Milwaukee operation where he was quickly promoted to manager. In ten years, sa.
Please prepare PPT( 5 Slides and 1 citation slide) and also explain .docxchristalgrieg
Please prepare PPT( 5 Slides and 1 citation slide) and also explain all slides in word format about 300 words to give presentation
Types of Stakeholders:
Suppliers - Sandeep
Owners - Sandeep
Employees - Sandeep
Stakeholder Impact of Ethics on Stakeholders – Ravi/Rushil/Sandeep/Krishna
References
.
Please prepare a one-pageProject Idea that includes the .docxchristalgrieg
Please prepare a
one-page
Project Idea
that includes the following:
1. What type of project
would you like to do: develop a proposal for a new business; develop a plan to green an existing business; creative project; or research project?
2. What is the big idea
that you would like to pursue? (1-2 sentences)
3. Why
did you decide on this idea? (2-3 sentences)
4. If working in a team
, please list each team member and include either one specific role that they will play in the project or one link to a helpful resource that they have found that will inform the team’s project.
If doing an individual project
, please list at least one resource that will inform your thinking.
5. Develop a
proposed timeline
for the project (including the deliverables below, plus additional steps needed to produce the deliverables).
See the project guidelines under Course Documents or linked
here
for more information.
.
Please prepare at least in 275 to 300 words with APA references and .docxchristalgrieg
Please prepare at least in 275 to 300 words with APA references and citation.
1) Please describe the meaning of diversification. How does diversification reduce risk for the investor?
2) What is the opportunity cost of capital? How can a company measure opportunity cost of capital for a project that is considered to have average risk?
.
Please provide references for your original postings in APA form.docxchristalgrieg
Please provide references for your original postings in APA format.
1. Discuss the types of backup locations, per the text and Powerpoint presentation raeadings for the week.
2. Would a single backup location be adequate or should a combination be used? What combination would you recommend?
.
Please provide an update to include information about methodology, n.docxchristalgrieg
Please provide an update to include information about methodology, new literature discovered, or even questions regarding current progress. Topic selection is Cyber Security in Industry 4.0: The Pitfalls of Having Hyperconnected Systems can be found at https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/iasme/10/1/10_100103/_pdf. APA citation is the following. Dawson, M. (2018). Cyber Security in Industry 4.0: The Pitfalls of Having Hyperconnected Systems. Journal of Strategic Management Studies, 10(1), 19-28. (250 words)
.
Please provide an evaluation of the Path to Competitive Advantage an.docxchristalgrieg
Please provide an evaluation of the Path to Competitive Advantage and Motivation and
Feedback and answer the following questions:
1. How can managers enhance employee motivation through performance management
techniques?
2. It is well known that individuals on international assignments operate under unique
contextual and cultural realities. How would motivation differ in such environments?
*********
1 page follow APA 7 citation.
.
This document provides an overview of wound healing, its functions, stages, mechanisms, factors affecting it, and complications.
A wound is a break in the integrity of the skin or tissues, which may be associated with disruption of the structure and function.
Healing is the body’s response to injury in an attempt to restore normal structure and functions.
Healing can occur in two ways: Regeneration and Repair
There are 4 phases of wound healing: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. This document also describes the mechanism of wound healing. Factors that affect healing include infection, uncontrolled diabetes, poor nutrition, age, anemia, the presence of foreign bodies, etc.
Complications of wound healing like infection, hyperpigmentation of scar, contractures, and keloid formation.
Beyond Degrees - Empowering the Workforce in the Context of Skills-First.pptxEduSkills OECD
Iván Bornacelly, Policy Analyst at the OECD Centre for Skills, OECD, presents at the webinar 'Tackling job market gaps with a skills-first approach' on 12 June 2024
Philippine Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) CurriculumMJDuyan
(𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝟏𝟎𝟎) (𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏)-𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐏𝐏 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬:
- Understand the goals and objectives of the Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) curriculum, recognizing its importance in fostering practical life skills and values among students. Students will also be able to identify the key components and subjects covered, such as agriculture, home economics, industrial arts, and information and communication technology.
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫:
-Define entrepreneurship, distinguishing it from general business activities by emphasizing its focus on innovation, risk-taking, and value creation. Students will describe the characteristics and traits of successful entrepreneurs, including their roles and responsibilities, and discuss the broader economic and social impacts of entrepreneurial activities on both local and global scales.
हिंदी वर्णमाला पीपीटी, hindi alphabet PPT presentation, hindi varnamala PPT, Hindi Varnamala pdf, हिंदी स्वर, हिंदी व्यंजन, sikhiye hindi varnmala, dr. mulla adam ali, hindi language and literature, hindi alphabet with drawing, hindi alphabet pdf, hindi varnamala for childrens, hindi language, hindi varnamala practice for kids, https://www.drmullaadamali.com
Chapter wise All Notes of First year Basic Civil Engineering.pptxDenish Jangid
Chapter wise All Notes of First year Basic Civil Engineering
Syllabus
Chapter-1
Introduction to objective, scope and outcome the subject
Chapter 2
Introduction: Scope and Specialization of Civil Engineering, Role of civil Engineer in Society, Impact of infrastructural development on economy of country.
Chapter 3
Surveying: Object Principles & Types of Surveying; Site Plans, Plans & Maps; Scales & Unit of different Measurements.
Linear Measurements: Instruments used. Linear Measurement by Tape, Ranging out Survey Lines and overcoming Obstructions; Measurements on sloping ground; Tape corrections, conventional symbols. Angular Measurements: Instruments used; Introduction to Compass Surveying, Bearings and Longitude & Latitude of a Line, Introduction to total station.
Levelling: Instrument used Object of levelling, Methods of levelling in brief, and Contour maps.
Chapter 4
Buildings: Selection of site for Buildings, Layout of Building Plan, Types of buildings, Plinth area, carpet area, floor space index, Introduction to building byelaws, concept of sun light & ventilation. Components of Buildings & their functions, Basic concept of R.C.C., Introduction to types of foundation
Chapter 5
Transportation: Introduction to Transportation Engineering; Traffic and Road Safety: Types and Characteristics of Various Modes of Transportation; Various Road Traffic Signs, Causes of Accidents and Road Safety Measures.
Chapter 6
Environmental Engineering: Environmental Pollution, Environmental Acts and Regulations, Functional Concepts of Ecology, Basics of Species, Biodiversity, Ecosystem, Hydrological Cycle; Chemical Cycles: Carbon, Nitrogen & Phosphorus; Energy Flow in Ecosystems.
Water Pollution: Water Quality standards, Introduction to Treatment & Disposal of Waste Water. Reuse and Saving of Water, Rain Water Harvesting. Solid Waste Management: Classification of Solid Waste, Collection, Transportation and Disposal of Solid. Recycling of Solid Waste: Energy Recovery, Sanitary Landfill, On-Site Sanitation. Air & Noise Pollution: Primary and Secondary air pollutants, Harmful effects of Air Pollution, Control of Air Pollution. . Noise Pollution Harmful Effects of noise pollution, control of noise pollution, Global warming & Climate Change, Ozone depletion, Greenhouse effect
Text Books:
1. Palancharmy, Basic Civil Engineering, McGraw Hill publishers.
2. Satheesh Gopi, Basic Civil Engineering, Pearson Publishers.
3. Ketki Rangwala Dalal, Essentials of Civil Engineering, Charotar Publishing House.
4. BCP, Surveying volume 1
it describes the bony anatomy including the femoral head , acetabulum, labrum . also discusses the capsule , ligaments . muscle that act on the hip joint and the range of motion are outlined. factors affecting hip joint stability and weight transmission through the joint are summarized.
This Is Not America. Why Wal-Mart left Germany in 2006 Walmart .docx
1. This Is Not America. Why Wal-Mart left Germany in 2006?
Walmart can boast that it has more than 8,500 stores in 15
countries, under 55 different names, that it's the largest private
employer in the United States, the largest in Mexico (as
Walmex), and the third largest in Canada. In fact, it's the
biggest private employer in the whole world. It has 108 stores
in China alone, and operates another 100 Chinese outlets under
the name of Trust-Mart.
Still, for all of Walmart's conspicuous success, the retailing
giant, after having set up shop in Germany in 1997, was forced
to withdraw from the country in 2006, abandoning Germany's
lucrative $370 billion retail market. Even though this happened
five years ago, the German debacle still reverberates. It's still
being discussed. After all, as anyone who's been paying
attention can tell you, Walmart rarely fails in these endeavors.
Because America and Europe share similar cultural and political
antecedents, one might naturally assume that an American
enterprise would have a better chance of succeeding in Europe
than in Asia. But the German smackdown proved that's not
always the case. Indeed, while the nominal Communist regime
of the People's Republic of China embraced Walmart's corporate
philosophy, the Germans rejected it.
After nine years of trying to make a go of it, Wal-Mart sold its
85 stores to German rival Metro in 2006. Wal-Mart paid dearly
for its about-face. The company took a $1 billion hit to quit the
market, while Metro paid as much as $100 million less for the
Wal-Mart stores than the value of the real estate, unsold
merchandise, and other physical assets.
When Wal-Mart decided to expand in 1996, its managers saw
Germany as a promising market. Europe's largest market is
home to 82 million - far more than in England, France and Italy
which each have a population of 60 million. Germany enjoys a
healthy pro capita income, so consumer spending is robust. The
country has good transport infrastructure, which is good when
2. stocks need to be replenished. Given these excellent conditions,
Wal-Mart must have thought success was guaranteed.
It wasn't to be. Its German venture ended disastrously, with the
retreat costing the company $1 billion.
Just why did Wal-Mart Germany end so badly in Germany? The
answer is simple but banal, and can be encapsulated by a line
once sung by David Bowie: "This is not America."
Management's mistake was to implement a successful U.S.
business formula in Germany without paying any attention to
local idiosyncrasies.
"The problem was the company's business philosophy, which
had always worked so well," wrote Frankfurt's Börsenzeitung in
what pretty much amounted to an obituary. "It's people-centered
- but that doesn't actually work when the people aren't
American."
The problems added up. The company gave the job of
masterminding Wal-Mart Germany to an American who didn't
speak a word of German. This should surely have been
indispensable to finding out what the German salespersons
would need to know about local shopping habits.
Another problem was that Wal-Mart initially bought up a chain
of 21 stores, then another 74, which included sites previous
owners had failed to make profitable.
The authorities also kept a close eye on Wal-Mart. Anti-trust
lawyers banned its practice of luring consumers with price-
dumping, while Germany's stringent laws governing opening
hours meant stores couldn't stay open too long. German labor
law prevented the easy-come, easy-go hiring and firing common
in the U.S., and the unions and the public alike were outraged
by what Germans saw as an absurd ban on flirting in the
workplace. All in all, Wal-Mart operated what the newspaper
Handelsblatt described as a "bizarre company culture."
The retreat was hardly surprising given Wal-Mart's numerous
missteps in Germany. Perhaps its most glaring was misjudging
the German consumer and business culture. For instance,
German Wal-Marts adopted the U.S. custom of bagging
3. groceries, which many German consumers find distasteful
because they tend not to like strangers handling their food.
Germans also feared they would have to pay extra for the
service, forcing Wal-Mart to re-assign its bag-packers.
Though no one can say precisely why the venture failed, there's
been no shortage of explanations. One is that Germany was too
"green" for a slash-and-burn outfit like Walmart, with its plastic
bags and plastic junk. Another is that Walmart couldn't hack the
pro-labor union culture of Germany. The company encountered
difficulties in dealing with the union leadership at its German
stores. Another is that Germany is anti-American when it
comes to name-brand retailers (even though Dunkin' Donuts and
Starbucks are popular there). Another is that German consumers
prefer small neighborhood stores rather than impersonal chain
(even though Aldi, a discount supermarket chain, is successful).
Another fatal flaw was that Germany's retail market is already
saturated with discounters such as Aldi and Lidl, meaning that
any new arrival inevitably finds itself in the midst of a cutthroat
price war. Germany has the cheapest groceries in Europe.
Moreover, real incomes have barely grown in recent years,
which has dampened consumer spending. Retailers are vying for
customers by cutting back profit margins. In the foods sector,
the yield returns in Germany are less than 2 percent, often even
only at 1.5 percent. Against this backdrop, presenting German
consumers with unfamiliar U.S. brands was doomed to failure.
With just 95 outlets, Wal-Mart also remained too small.
Originally, it had wanted to build 50 superstores as quickly as
possible, but while Germany has one-third of the population of
the U.S., it doesn't have one-third of its surface area. It is only
about as big as Oregon - and consequently, every square foot is
either developed, or about to be. German planning law therefore
has a lot of obstacles when someone wants to construct stores
on the Wal-Mart scale. So instead of increasing its number of
stores, Wal-Mart actually had to close a few down - some of
which were taken over by Wal-Mart's rivals once its leases ran
out.
4. But the full extent of Germany's strategic retaliation against
Wal-Mart only became clear when the local competition -
primarily the Metro Group - snatched a number of chains up for
sale from under Wal-Mart's nose. The bottom line: the American
company had to abandon its expansion plans.
Paradoxically, the U.S. giant ended up terminally dwarfed in
Germany. Experts estimated that a turnover of ?8 billion ($10
billion) would have been needed to reduce each store's logistics
costs to a sensible size, but Wal-Mart barely managed to scrape
together a turnover of ?2 billion ($2.5 billion), a result expected
to get even worse. One consequence was less competitive prices
than those of their rivals.
These weren't management's only mistakes. Germany is a
country that loves stability, even on the executive floor. Chaotic
leadership and frequent personnel changes make a frivolous
impression and suggest company problems. "American
management methods are often primitive," said Aldi's former
CEO Dieter Brandes in the weekly magazine Stern. "It's all
about budgets, not customers. When the figures look bad, no
one looks for the roots of the problem; they just replace the
CEO."
And soon enough, Wal-Mart did indeed replace its CEO in
Germany - with a Brit. Unfortunately, cultural differences
between Britain and Germany are even greater than those
between the U.S. and Germany. Based as he was in England, he
too failed to grasp what makes German consumers tick, and
after a few months at the helm, he too had to go. The German
who took over had plenty of experience with kiosks and gas
stations, but not with superstores.
Wal-Mart's German failure could be summed up by a German
proverb - translated, it means: "A nightmarish end is better than
a nightmare that doesn't end."
OUTNUMBERED. It also imported its U.S.-style company
ethic, which includes strongly discouraging interoffice
romances. Many employees found the code intrusive. The
5. company also had repeated clashes with unions. "Wal-Mart was
not very humble when they went in," says Bryan Roberts, an
analyst at Planet Retail, an industry research firm. "They
wanted to impose their own culture."
Just as important was Wal-Mart's apparent underestimation of
the competition and its miscalculation of the market. Wal-Mart
may be the king of low prices in the U.S., but it was often
undercut in Germany by local rivals such as Aldi and Lidl. One
reason for that may have been that Wal-Mart never had enough
stores in Germany to effectively compete. Aldi has some 4,000
stores, giving it a big advantage in logistics and advertising.
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Wal-Mart tried to respond with low prices coupled with more
US-style customer service. Used to the most basic of shops,
German shoppers shied away, fearing the US company would
have to cover extra personnel costs by charging higher prices.
At least six other chains were driven out of Germany by slow
sales and low margins in early 2000s. Gap Inc., Laura Ashley
Holdings Plc, Marks & Spencer Group Plc, HMV Group Plc,
Kingfisher Plc and Gruppo Coin SpA all had to fled.
The foreign companies found growth elusive in an economy that
barely expanded during the 2000s. Growth of the retail market,
worth about 390 billion euros ($496 billion), was no more than
1 percent, held back by near-record unemployment and stagnant
wages. One analyst stated, ``German consumers are really
watching their money…The market is all about hard
discounters.''
As well as facing stiff competition from Metro and another
German rival, Aldi, Wal-Mart has been challenged by weak
consumer spending and a rigid labor market.
“Continental European systems are the polar opposite to those
6. Wal-Mart is used to,” said Maurizio Zollo, an M&A specialist at
French-based business school Insead. “The company’s strategic
formula is based on a very powerful logistics machine, but also
on huge intention to cut workforce and employment costs. The
problem is that the formula works very well in certain contexts,
but it needs to be adapted very strongly in places like Germany
and France.”
Philippe Haspeslagh, director of Insead’s strategic issues in
mergers and acquisitions, said that the position of Wal-Mart in
Germany from the beginning had been too small. “If Wal-Mart
had wanted to really make it in Germany, they would have had
to buy something much bigger,” he said, referring to the two
small retail operations that it bought to gain entry into the
market in 1998. “Taking a German traditional retailer in a weak
position has proven just too hard a nut to crack.”
Wal-Mart's business model, which has been increasingly
criticised even in the US, involves driving down the prices of
groceries and other general merchandise through putting
pressure on suppliers and keeping out unions.
But in Germany, where domestic "value retailers" already
dominate the grocery market, it found customers were turned off
by the early designs of its stores, by a too-narrow range of
produce, and by the famous "greeters", who welcome shoppers
to the store and are instructed to smile when within a certain
distance of a customer. It also became embroiled in labour
disputes that led to strikes.
Robert Buchanan, a retail analyst at the US brokerage AG
Edwards, said he was pleased Wal-Mart had decided to cut its
losses. "They sent a lot of expats over who didn't know the
German market, so it makes sense to focus on countries where
they have had more success," he said.
Wal-Mart bought into Germany in 1998, but its vice-chairman,
Michael Duke, said the German market was already highly
competitive and Wal-Mart had proved unable to generate the
economies of scale it needed to drive prices below those of
competitors. The company also blamed high unemployment and
7. weak consumer spending in Germany for making the market
even harder to crack.
US Model not effective here
Andreas Knorr and Andreas Arndt of the University of Bremen
didn't mince words in their study called "Why did Wal-Mart
Fail in Germany?"
The authors wrote: "Wal-Mart's attempt to apply the company's
proven US success formula in an unmodified manner to the
German market turned out to be nothing short of a fiasco."
One example of that might be that Wal-Mart's American
managers pressured German executives to enforce American-
style management practices in the workplace. Employees were
forbidden, for instance, from dating colleagues in positions of
influence. Workers were also told not to flirt with one another.
A German court ruled last year against the company's attempt to
introduce a telephone hotline for employees to inform on their
colleagues.
High labor costs may have been a big hurdle for Wal-Mart
Germany, as well as workers who tried to resist management's
demands which they felt were unjust.
One Wal-Mart employee told the newsmagazine Der Spiegel
that management had threatened to close certain stores if staff
did not agree to work to working longer hours than their
contracts foresaw and did not permit video surveillance of their
work.
Wal-Mart Germany has had several run-ins with the trade union
ver.di, which represents retail store workers.
Understanding the locals
Besides running up against German labor law and tradition,
analysts say Wal-Mart also misfired when it came to knowing
the market they were attempting to crack.
American styles don't always translate well
"We made mistakes," said Wal-Mart Germany's CEO David
Wild in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
"Many of our (product) buyers in Germany were Americans.
8. Some real goof-ups occurred as a result."
"Like, did you know that American pillowcases are a different
size than German ones are?" he asked. Wal-Mart Germany
ended up with a huge pile of pillowcases they couldn't sell to
German customers.
"If you want to be successful in a foreign market, you have to
know what your customers want. That's the most important
lesson," Wild said, who is from England. "It does not good to
force a business model onto another country's market just
because it works well somewhere else."
Germany's discount retail market is turning out to be a tough
one to crack for some of the world's biggest companies.
Homegrown discount retailers offer very low prices. German
shoppers are frugal and demanding. And regulations restrict
store hours and other retailing basics. Wal-Mart's biggest global
competitor, Carrefour SA of France, operates in 29 countries,
but has steered clear of Germany.
Some other companies have begun adjusting their formulas in
an effort to make headway in the German retail market.
Consumer-goods companies such as Unilever, which has
headquarters in Rotterdam and London and makes such brands
as Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, have traditionally
been wary of working closely with German discounters. They
worried that the no-frills stores cast a negative light on their
brands.
But over the last several years, Unilever and Nestle have begun
making a concerted effort to work with the discounters. They
have tried to exploit the fact that discounters are searching for
new ways to get shoppers to spend more, a perpetual problem in
Germany, where the economy has struggled because people
aren't spending.
Nestle has repackaged its candy brands and cappuccino flavors
into mixed assortments to meet demand from the retailers for
bigger packs. Consumer-goods companies are also coming up
with less expensive varieties of some of their main brands to
compete with store-brand items.
9. Wal-Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott warned that the stores it
purchased in Germany "are difficult stores.... It is clearly a very
challenging market for us that we have not figured out."
Behind Rivals
Still, Wal-Mart has fallen behind some of its rivals in expanding
globally. After it completes the sales of its German and South
Korean operations later this year, it will operate in just 11
countries outside the U.S., compared with 29 for Carrefour and
30 for Metro, the world's third-largest retailer by sales.
In addition, Wal-Mart is beginning to face aggressive German-
style discounting on its home turf. Aldi Einkauf GmbH, a
German retailer, has opened more than 700 stores in the U.S.,
and Eden Prairie, Minn.-based SuperValu Inc. SVU -0.40%
now has more than 1,200 small, no-frills Save-A-Lot stores in
the U.S.
After Wal-Mart acquired two small, struggling German retail
chains eight years ago, it ran up against several problems. It
found itself being underpriced by local retailers called hard
discounters, such as Aldi. German shoppers flock to these
stores, which sell a limited selection -- often 850 to 1,000
items, compared with 100,000 at Wal-Mart -- and stock mainly
their own store brands.
Some 80% of German consumers are about 20 minutes from an
Aldi, according to Nestle's research. The hard discounters
account for about 40% of the German retail market, compared
with Wal-Mart's share of less than 2%, analysts say.
German shoppers are accustomed to buying merchandise strictly
based on price, German retail consultants say. They are willing
to buy laundry detergent at one store and then go to another to
get a better price on paper towels. That behavior is called
"basket splitting." It is the antithesis of what American
shoppers like: one-stop shopping. A big plank of Wal-Mart's
strategy in the U.S. and elsewhere is getting shoppers to turn to
it for an increasingly wide array of goods.
Wal-Mart has said it made other mistakes as well. The two
10. retailers it purchased were headquartered in different cities. It
chose one city for the merged headquarters, prompting many
executives from the other retailer to quit rather than relocate.
Its German unit has had four presidents in eight years. It ran up
against strong unions, as well as laws against selling goods at
below cost, which made it difficult to lure shoppers with so-
called loss leaders. Initially, Germany's stringent operating laws
required it to shutter stores by 6 p.m. on weekdays and 4 p.m.
on Saturdays, although those restrictions eased a bit in recent
years.
While there is probably some validity to all of these
explanations, three additional cross-cultural idiosyncrasies have
been identified as determining factors.
One issue was the chanting. Walmart employees are required to
start their shifts by engaging in group chants and stretching
exercises, a practice intended to build morale and instill loyalty.
Fiendish as it sounds, Walmart employees are required to stand
in formation and chant, "WALMART! WALMART!
WALMART!" while performing synchronized group
calisthenics.
Unfortunately, this form of corporate boosterism didn't go over
particularly well with the Germans. Maybe they found it
embarrassing or silly; maybe they found it too regimented. Or
maybe they found this oddly aggressive, mindless and exuberant
exercise in group-think too reminiscent of other rallies....like
one that occurred in Nuremberg several decades earlier.
Another issue was the smiling. Walmart requires its checkout
people to flash smiles at customers after bagging their
purchases. Plastic bags, plastic junk, plastic smiles. But because
the German people don't usually smile at total strangers, the
spectacle of Walmart employees grinning like jackasses not
only didn't impress consumers, it unnerved them.
The third was the "ethics problem." Back in 1997, Walmart not
only required employees to spy on fellow workers (and report
any misconduct), but prohibited sexual intimacy among its
employees. Apparently, while the folks running the Bentonville,
11. Arkansas-based company had no problem with screwing the
environment, they couldn't abide employees doing it to each
other (alas, a German court struck down Walmart's "ethics
code" in 2005).
Whatever the specific reasons, the German market is now
verboten to Walmart. Clearly, the failed experiment was a
severe blow to the company's pocketbook and pride. And while
no one can predict where a company as aggressive and
acquisitive as Walmart will turn up next, presumably, they will
pick up the slack by opening a store in Libya.
Sources:
http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-07-28/wal-marts-
german-retreatbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-
financial-advice
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-macaray/why-did-
walmart-leave-ger_b_940542.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a
kz4Hk7vnYTQ
http://www.forbes.com/2006/07/28/walmart-germany-metro-
cx_po_0728walmart.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/mighty-
walmart-admits-defeat-in-germany-409706.html
http://www.dw.de/worlds-biggest-retailer-wal-mart-closes-up-
shop-in-germany/a-2112746-1
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB115407238850420246
http://www.atlantic-
times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=615
The lengths of pregnancies in number of days are normally
distributed with a mean of 268 days and a standard deviation of
15 days. Answer the following questions and show your work.
a. If a pregnancy length is randomly taken from this
distribution, what is the probability that the length of that
12. pregnancy is less than 260 days?
b. If a sample of 25 pregnancies is taken from this distribution,
what is the probability that their mean will be less than 260
days?
c. Explain why these two answers (from a and b) are different.
This Is Not America. Why Wal-Mart left Germany in 2006?
Walmart can boast that it has more than 8,500 stores in 15
countries, under 55 different names, that it's the largest private
employer in the United States, the largest in Mexico (as
Walmex), and the third largest in Canada. In fact, it's the
biggest private employer in the whole world. It has 108 stores
in China alone, and operates another 100 Chinese outlets under
the name of Trust-Mart.
Still, for all of Walmart's conspicuous success, the retailing
giant, after having set up shop in Germany in 1997, was forced
to withdraw from the country in 2006, abandoning Germany's
lucrative $370 billion retail market. Even though this happened
five years ago, the German debacle still reverberates. It's still
being discussed. After all, as anyone who's been paying
attention can tell you, Walmart rarely fails in these endeavors.
Because America and Europe share similar cultural and political
antecedents, one might naturally assume that an American
enterprise would have a better chance of succeeding in Europe
than in Asia. But the German smackdown proved that's not
always the case. Indeed, while the nominal Communist regime
of the People's Republic of China embraced Walmart's corporate
philosophy, the Germans rejected it.
After nine years of trying to make a go of it, Wal-Mart sold its
85 stores to German rival Metro in 2006. Wal-Mart paid dearly
for its about-face. The company took a $1 billion hit to quit the
market, while Metro paid as much as $100 million less for the
Wal-Mart stores than the value of the real estate, unsold
merchandise, and other physical assets.
13. When Wal-Mart decided to expand in 1996, its managers saw
Germany as a promising market. Europe's largest market is
home to 82 million - far more than in England, France and Italy
which each have a population of 60 million. Germany enjoys a
healthy pro capita income, so consumer spending is robust. The
country has good transport infrastructure, which is good when
stocks need to be replenished. Given these excellent conditions,
Wal-Mart must have thought success was guaranteed.
It wasn't to be. Its German venture ended disastrously, with the
retreat costing the company $1 billion.
Just why did Wal-Mart Germany end so badly in Germany? The
answer is simple but banal, and can be encapsulated by a line
once sung by David Bowie: "This is not America."
Management's mistake was to implement a successful U.S.
business formula in Germany without paying any attention to
local idiosyncrasies.
"The problem was the company's business philosophy, which
had always worked so well," wrote Frankfurt's Börsenzeitung in
what pretty much amounted to an obituary. "It's people-centered
- but that doesn't actually work when the people aren't
American."
The problems added up. The company gave the job of
masterminding Wal-Mart Germany to an American who didn't
speak a word of German. This should surely have been
indispensable to finding out what the German salespersons
would need to know about local shopping habits.
Another problem was that Wal-Mart initially bought up a chain
of 21 stores, then another 74, which included sites previous
owners had failed to make profitable.
The authorities also kept a close eye on Wal-Mart. Anti-trust
lawyers banned its practice of luring consumers with price-
dumping, while Germany's stringent laws governing opening
hours meant stores couldn't stay open too long. German labor
law prevented the easy-come, easy-go hiring and firing common
in the U.S., and the unions and the public alike were outraged
by what Germans saw as an absurd ban on flirting in the
14. workplace. All in all, Wal-Mart operated what the newspaper
Handelsblatt described as a "bizarre company culture."
The retreat was hardly surprising given Wal-Mart's numerous
missteps in Germany. Perhaps its most glaring was misjudging
the German consumer and business culture. For instance,
German Wal-Marts adopted the U.S. custom of bagging
groceries, which many German consumers find distasteful
because they tend not to like strangers handling their food.
Germans also feared they would have to pay extra for the
service, forcing Wal-Mart to re-assign its bag-packers.
Though no one can say precisely why the venture failed, there's
been no shortage of explanations. One is that Germany was too
"green" for a slash-and-burn outfit like Walmart, with its plastic
bags and plastic junk. Another is that Walmart couldn't hack the
pro-labor union culture of Germany. The company encountered
difficulties in dealing with the union leadership at its German
stores. Another is that Germany is anti-American when it
comes to name-brand retailers (even though Dunkin' Donuts and
Starbucks are popular there). Another is that German consumers
prefer small neighborhood stores rather than impersonal chain
(even though Aldi, a discount supermarket chain, is successful).
Another fatal flaw was that Germany's retail market is already
saturated with discounters such as Aldi and Lidl, meaning that
any new arrival inevitably finds itself in the midst of a cutthroat
price war. Germany has the cheapest groceries in Europe.
Moreover, real incomes have barely grown in recent years,
which has dampened consumer spending. Retailers are vying for
customers by cutting back profit margins. In the foods sector,
the yield returns in Germany are less than 2 percent, often even
only at 1.5 percent. Against this backdrop, presenting German
consumers with unfamiliar U.S. brands was doomed to failure.
With just 95 outlets, Wal-Mart also remained too small.
Originally, it had wanted to build 50 superstores as quickly as
possible, but while Germany has one-third of the population of
the U.S., it doesn't have one-third of its surface area. It is only
about as big as Oregon - and consequently, every square foot is
15. either developed, or about to be. German planning law therefore
has a lot of obstacles when someone wants to construct stores
on the Wal-Mart scale. So instead of increasing its number of
stores, Wal-Mart actually had to close a few down - some of
which were taken over by Wal-Mart's rivals once its leases ran
out.
But the full extent of Germany's strategic retaliation against
Wal-Mart only became clear when the local competition -
primarily the Metro Group - snatched a number of chains up for
sale from under Wal-Mart's nose. The bottom line: the American
company had to abandon its expansion plans.
Paradoxically, the U.S. giant ended up terminally dwarfed in
Germany. Experts estimated that a turnover of ?8 billion ($10
billion) would have been needed to reduce each store's logistics
costs to a sensible size, but Wal-Mart barely managed to scrape
together a turnover of ?2 billion ($2.5 billion), a result expected
to get even worse. One consequence was less competitive prices
than those of their rivals.
These weren't management's only mistakes. Germany is a
country that loves stability, even on the executive floor. Chaotic
leadership and frequent personnel changes make a frivolous
impression and suggest company problems. "American
management methods are often primitive," said Aldi's former
CEO Dieter Brandes in the weekly magazine Stern. "It's all
about budgets, not customers. When the figures look bad, no
one looks for the roots of the problem; they just replace the
CEO."
And soon enough, Wal-Mart did indeed replace its CEO in
Germany - with a Brit. Unfortunately, cultural differences
between Britain and Germany are even greater than those
between the U.S. and Germany. Based as he was in England, he
too failed to grasp what makes German consumers tick, and
after a few months at the helm, he too had to go. The German
who took over had plenty of experience with kiosks and gas
stations, but not with superstores.
16. Wal-Mart's German failure could be summed up by a German
proverb - translated, it means: "A nightmarish end is better than
a nightmare that doesn't end."
OUTNUMBERED. It also imported its U.S.-style company
ethic, which includes strongly discouraging interoffice
romances. Many employees found the code intrusive. The
company also had repeated clashes with unions. "Wal-Mart was
not very humble when they went in," says Bryan Roberts, an
analyst at Planet Retail, an industry research firm. "They
wanted to impose their own culture."
Just as important was Wal-Mart's apparent underestimation of
the competition and its miscalculation of the market. Wal-Mart
may be the king of low prices in the U.S., but it was often
undercut in Germany by local rivals such as Aldi and Lidl. One
reason for that may have been that Wal-Mart never had enough
stores in Germany to effectively compete. Aldi has some 4,000
stores, giving it a big advantage in logistics and advertising.
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Wal-Mart tried to respond with low prices coupled with more
US-style customer service. Used to the most basic of shops,
German shoppers shied away, fearing the US company would
have to cover extra personnel costs by charging higher prices.
At least six other chains were driven out of Germany by slow
sales and low margins in early 2000s. Gap Inc., Laura Ashley
Holdings Plc, Marks & Spencer Group Plc, HMV Group Plc,
Kingfisher Plc and Gruppo Coin SpA all had to fled.
The foreign companies found growth elusive in an economy that
barely expanded during the 2000s. Growth of the retail market,
worth about 390 billion euros ($496 billion), was no more than
1 percent, held back by near-record unemployment and stagnant
wages. One analyst stated, ``German consumers are really
17. watching their money…The market is all about hard
discounters.''
As well as facing stiff competition from Metro and another
German rival, Aldi, Wal-Mart has been challenged by weak
consumer spending and a rigid labor market.
“Continental European systems are the polar opposite to those
Wal-Mart is used to,” said Maurizio Zollo, an M&A specialist at
French-based business school Insead. “The company’s strategic
formula is based on a very powerful logistics machine, but also
on huge intention to cut workforce and employment costs. The
problem is that the formula works very well in certain contexts,
but it needs to be adapted very strongly in places like Germany
and France.”
Philippe Haspeslagh, director of Insead’s strategic issues in
mergers and acquisitions, said that the position of Wal-Mart in
Germany from the beginning had been too small. “If Wal-Mart
had wanted to really make it in Germany, they would have had
to buy something much bigger,” he said, referring to the two
small retail operations that it bought to gain entry into the
market in 1998. “Taking a German traditional retailer in a weak
position has proven just too hard a nut to crack.”
Wal-Mart's business model, which has been increasingly
criticised even in the US, involves driving down the prices of
groceries and other general merchandise through putting
pressure on suppliers and keeping out unions.
But in Germany, where domestic "value retailers" already
dominate the grocery market, it found customers were turned off
by the early designs of its stores, by a too-narrow range of
produce, and by the famous "greeters", who welcome shoppers
to the store and are instructed to smile when within a certain
distance of a customer. It also became embroiled in labour
disputes that led to strikes.
Robert Buchanan, a retail analyst at the US brokerage AG
Edwards, said he was pleased Wal-Mart had decided to cut its
losses. "They sent a lot of expats over who didn't know the
German market, so it makes sense to focus on countries where
18. they have had more success," he said.
Wal-Mart bought into Germany in 1998, but its vice-chairman,
Michael Duke, said the German market was already highly
competitive and Wal-Mart had proved unable to generate the
economies of scale it needed to drive prices below those of
competitors. The company also blamed high unemployment and
weak consumer spending in Germany for making the market
even harder to crack.
US Model not effective here
Andreas Knorr and Andreas Arndt of the University of Bremen
didn't mince words in their study called "Why did Wal-Mart
Fail in Germany?"
The authors wrote: "Wal-Mart's attempt to apply the company's
proven US success formula in an unmodified manner to the
German market turned out to be nothing short of a fiasco."
One example of that might be that Wal-Mart's American
managers pressured German executives to enforce American-
style management practices in the workplace. Employees were
forbidden, for instance, from dating colleagues in positions of
influence. Workers were also told not to flirt with one another.
A German court ruled last year against the company's attempt to
introduce a telephone hotline for employees to inform on their
colleagues.
High labor costs may have been a big hurdle for Wal-Mart
Germany, as well as workers who tried to resist management's
demands which they felt were unjust.
One Wal-Mart employee told the newsmagazine Der Spiegel
that management had threatened to close certain stores if staff
did not agree to work to working longer hours than their
contracts foresaw and did not permit video surveillance of their
work.
Wal-Mart Germany has had several run-ins with the trade union
ver.di, which represents retail store workers.
Understanding the locals
Besides running up against German labor law and tradition,
19. analysts say Wal-Mart also misfired when it came to knowing
the market they were attempting to crack.
American styles don't always translate well
"We made mistakes," said Wal-Mart Germany's CEO David
Wild in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
"Many of our (product) buyers in Germany were Americans.
Some real goof-ups occurred as a result."
"Like, did you know that American pillowcases are a different
size than German ones are?" he asked. Wal-Mart Germany
ended up with a huge pile of pillowcases they couldn't sell to
German customers.
"If you want to be successful in a foreign market, you have to
know what your customers want. That's the most important
lesson," Wild said, who is from England. "It does not good to
force a business model onto another country's market just
because it works well somewhere else."
Germany's discount retail market is turning out to be a tough
one to crack for some of the world's biggest companies.
Homegrown discount retailers offer very low prices. German
shoppers are frugal and demanding. And regulations restrict
store hours and other retailing basics. Wal-Mart's biggest global
competitor, Carrefour SA of France, operates in 29 countries,
but has steered clear of Germany.
Some other companies have begun adjusting their formulas in
an effort to make headway in the German retail market.
Consumer-goods companies such as Unilever, which has
headquarters in Rotterdam and London and makes such brands
as Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, have traditionally
been wary of working closely with German discounters. They
worried that the no-frills stores cast a negative light on their
brands.
But over the last several years, Unilever and Nestle have begun
making a concerted effort to work with the discounters. They
have tried to exploit the fact that discounters are searching for
new ways to get shoppers to spend more, a perpetual problem in
Germany, where the economy has struggled because people
20. aren't spending.
Nestle has repackaged its candy brands and cappuccino flavors
into mixed assortments to meet demand from the retailers for
bigger packs. Consumer-goods companies are also coming up
with less expensive varieties of some of their main brands to
compete with store-brand items.
Wal-Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott warned that the stores it
purchased in Germany "are difficult stores.... It is clearly a very
challenging market for us that we have not figured out."
Behind Rivals
Still, Wal-Mart has fallen behind some of its rivals in expanding
globally. After it completes the sales of its German and South
Korean operations later this year, it will operate in just 11
countries outside the U.S., compared with 29 for Carrefour and
30 for Metro, the world's third-largest retailer by sales.
In addition, Wal-Mart is beginning to face aggressive German-
style discounting on its home turf. Aldi Einkauf GmbH, a
German retailer, has opened more than 700 stores in the U.S.,
and Eden Prairie, Minn.-based SuperValu Inc. SVU -0.40%
now has more than 1,200 small, no-frills Save-A-Lot stores in
the U.S.
After Wal-Mart acquired two small, struggling German retail
chains eight years ago, it ran up against several problems. It
found itself being underpriced by local retailers called hard
discounters, such as Aldi. German shoppers flock to these
stores, which sell a limited selection -- often 850 to 1,000
items, compared with 100,000 at Wal-Mart -- and stock mainly
their own store brands.
Some 80% of German consumers are about 20 minutes from an
Aldi, according to Nestle's research. The hard discounters
account for about 40% of the German retail market, compared
with Wal-Mart's share of less than 2%, analysts say.
German shoppers are accustomed to buying merchandise strictly
based on price, German retail consultants say. They are willing
to buy laundry detergent at one store and then go to another to
21. get a better price on paper towels. That behavior is called
"basket splitting." It is the antithesis of what American
shoppers like: one-stop shopping. A big plank of Wal-Mart's
strategy in the U.S. and elsewhere is getting shoppers to turn to
it for an increasingly wide array of goods.
Wal-Mart has said it made other mistakes as well. The two
retailers it purchased were headquartered in different cities. It
chose one city for the merged headquarters, prompting many
executives from the other retailer to quit rather than relocate.
Its German unit has had four presidents in eight years. It ran up
against strong unions, as well as laws against selling goods at
below cost, which made it difficult to lure shoppers with so-
called loss leaders. Initially, Germany's stringent operating laws
required it to shutter stores by 6 p.m. on weekdays and 4 p.m.
on Saturdays, although those restrictions eased a bit in recent
years.
While there is probably some validity to all of these
explanations, three additional cross-cultural idiosyncrasies have
been identified as determining factors.
One issue was the chanting. Walmart employees are required to
start their shifts by engaging in group chants and stretching
exercises, a practice intended to build morale and instill loyalty.
Fiendish as it sounds, Walmart employees are required to stand
in formation and chant, "WALMART! WALMART!
WALMART!" while performing synchronized group
calisthenics.
Unfortunately, this form of corporate boosterism didn't go over
particularly well with the Germans. Maybe they found it
embarrassing or silly; maybe they found it too regimented. Or
maybe they found this oddly aggressive, mindless and exuberant
exercise in group-think too reminiscent of other rallies....like
one that occurred in Nuremberg several decades earlier.
Another issue was the smiling. Walmart requires its checkout
people to flash smiles at customers after bagging their
purchases. Plastic bags, plastic junk, plastic smiles. But because
the German people don't usually smile at total strangers, the
22. spectacle of Walmart employees grinning like jackasses not
only didn't impress consumers, it unnerved them.
The third was the "ethics problem." Back in 1997, Walmart not
only required employees to spy on fellow workers (and report
any misconduct), but prohibited sexual intimacy among its
employees. Apparently, while the folks running the Bentonville,
Arkansas-based company had no problem with screwing the
environment, they couldn't abide employees doing it to each
other (alas, a German court struck down Walmart's "ethics
code" in 2005).
Whatever the specific reasons, the German market is now
verboten to Walmart. Clearly, the failed experiment was a
severe blow to the company's pocketbook and pride. And while
no one can predict where a company as aggressive and
acquisitive as Walmart will turn up next, presumably, they will
pick up the slack by opening a store in Libya.
Sources:
http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-07-28/wal-marts-
german-retreatbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-
financial-advice
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-macaray/why-did-
walmart-leave-ger_b_940542.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a
kz4Hk7vnYTQ
http://www.forbes.com/2006/07/28/walmart-germany-metro-
cx_po_0728walmart.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/mighty-
walmart-admits-defeat-in-germany-409706.html
http://www.dw.de/worlds-biggest-retailer-wal-mart-closes-up-
shop-in-germany/a-2112746-1
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB115407238850420246
http://www.atlantic-
times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=615
24. organic farming, Byron Bay, 750 km
north of Sydney; sales had grown
nationally then internationally via
café chains, independents and retail
channels.
Moving from a pure exporting model in 2008, Byron Bay
Cookie Company had invested in a
joint venture, manufacturing under
license in the UK for its European
customers. More recently in 2011,
it had begun test-marketing retail-
oriented franchising agreements,
Byron Bay Bakehouse, in its
domestic Australian market and had
opened a sales office in Texas, USA
to facilitate market development
in North American markets.
Internationally, competition in the
sector was, however, intense. In the
case of the US, Byron Bay Cookie
Company was entering a market
with many established regional and
national cookie brands and coffee
chains necessitating a strategy
that played to its advantages as a
niche gourmet product. Further, in
the UK recently, several cheaper
and lesser quality ‘me-too’ products
added to the challenges of rising
input costs and price pressures
from buyers in coffee shop chains
looking to improve margins during
the economic downturn since 2008.
25. With sales in 2012 on target for €11 million from 20 different
country
markets, the company continued to
face issues with managing currency
fluctuations, complicated distribution
structures and pricing pressure from
competitors as well as quality control
in the supply chain and marketing
communications. Additionally there
was the pressing need to increase
automation in the baking process
to support scalable growth and
quality control as international
sales continued to grow. These
circumstances compelled Byron
Bay Cookie Company to seek new
sources of competitive advantage
while facing the conundrum of how
to grow the brand without losing sight
of its origins in the face of tougher
market conditions.
Provenance, Quality and Taste
Byron Bay Cookie Company produced a range of 20 products
across 240 stock keeping units
(SKUs) selling in over 20 countries
globally. It sold about 70% of turnover
through food-service channels with
the remainder destined for retail.
International sales relied on systems
of distributors selling via other
distributors to food-service clients,
supported by Byron Bay Cookie
Company’s own sales and marketing
26. team. Growing at about 17% per
annum and employing 75 people,
the business was on target to sell
about €15 million worth of goods in
its twentieth anniversary year, 2012.
Founded in 1992 by Maggi Miles and Gary Lines, the Byron
Bay
Cookie Company was literally a
cottage industry start-up. Baked
using a regular kitchen stove, the
partners sold their indulgent cookies
through local restaurants and
cafés, which were enthusiastic to
support local enterprise. Situated on
Australia’s most easterly point, Byron
Bay had a magnetic appeal for being
a laid-back idyllic beach-town for
international tourists, backpackers
and Australian people seeking a
slower pace of life. As such its name
travelled far and wide with a cachet
for being a piece of heaven on earth.
Since inception there was a focus on flavour and ingredients in
Byron Bay Cookie Company’s
cookies, based on high-inclusion
rates and high quality ingredients.
But premium pricing had never been
a problem in the friendly business
atmosphere of the Byron Bay
community, giving latitude to Miles
and Lines to perfect their cookie
27. recipes. Marketing was primarily
by word of mouth and through
product championship, with resellers
relaying the brand’s story supported
by in-store merchandising.
All visual stimuli underscored the quality message, using
packaging, in-store point of sales
materials and electronic marketing,
especially social media, to
communicate the brand’s values.
In cafés for example, cookies were
stacked in traditional glass jars while
retail packaging for boxed goods
and individually wrapped cookies
was elegantly simple. Additionally
in coordination with café clients,
the marketing department produced
branded materials to support special
promotions and point of sale deals
as required. Later it also began
to place emphasis on processes
and standards in display and
merchandising such as how to fill,
present and maintain the cookie
jars, to ensure the first point of
contact with the customer, whether
in a café in UK, USA or Ireland was
always the same, artisanal high-
quality experience.
Gordon Slater
By 2002, however, the company had reached a point where it
was evident management needed
28. to bring in other skills to the
business in order for it to develop
its premium positioning in a market
ready proposition nationwide and
beyond. Slater, a local orthopedic
surgeon, was already a fan of the
cookies and believed he could bring
something to the business, offering
to invest in return for equity and a
directorship role. He later purchased
the remainder of the business from
the founders, setting course for
international expansion.
Slater was convinced people the world over would connect
emotionally with the Byron Bay
name once they experienced the
wonderful flavours in the cookie
recipes supported by branding that
captured the original artisan feel of
the brand. One of the first significant
developments was the decision to
begin exporting to the UK, which
along with increased sales and brand
awareness, brought new challenges
in logistics and quality control.
Cookies to Europe
Timing was critical to the success of the UK market entry. The
café market in the UK was just
taking off and it made sense to get
in early. Additionally, the exchange
rate between Australian dollars and
British sterling was running at about
29. 3 to 1, making it economical and
competitive to export the company’s
cookies. Further, close cultural
ties and large volumes of people
travelling to and fro between the
two countries indicated that word
of mouth would help generate and
sustain demand for good quality
products.
Recruiting Mark Perrin as the UK sales manager, the company
began targeting corporate accounts
and independents around the
London area. Within a few short
years Byron Bay Cookie Company
cookies were selling in 500 cafés
throughout central London alone.
This success presented new
priorities for the management team
particularly in operating a reliable
logistics chain that could deliver
cookies to London fresh, within a
matter of days since they were made
by hand in the remote environs of
Byron Bay.
The company continued to experiment with ambient
temperature shipping among other
technologies and increasing product
shelf life beyond 6 weeks while
the UK business grew; yet it soon
became apparent that exporting
was unsustainable under emerging
market conditions. Food miles for
example were increasingly becoming
an issue for local buyers in the
30. UK. Secondly, currency exchange
rates had negatively impacted the
business’ margins, which were
already reduced through the use of
independent distributors. Inevitably
the situation seemed to provoke the
question as to how much Byron Bay
Cookie Company wanted to stay in
the UK market.
Strategic Developments
Compelled to commit, Slater entered into a joint venture
manufacturing agreement with a
company in Manchester to produce,
under license, cookies according
to his company’s recipes. This
manufacturing facility could then
supply the UK and European
markets, including Ireland and
continental Europe. The decision to
invest in the UK also gave Byron Bay
Cookie Company the opportunity
to streamline costs by maintaining
a direct sales presence. Perrin,
supported by his administrative
team, could deal directly with clients
throughout the UK while working with
distributors in mainland European
markets and Ireland. As such the
move helped reduced its carbon
footprint, distribution costs while
improving margins that allowed
31. it to better cope with currency
fluctuations between sterling and
the Australian dollar. With the joint
venture, Perrin’s role adapted as
well, managing master distributors
in the UK while developing the
business internationally via sales
activities, food shows like SIAL and
Anuga and relationship building with
new distributors.
In the case of the US, the situation was quite different from the
UK
market, however. It was 2009 and
the UK market was going well when
Slater and his team decided to enter
the US. Due to its enormous size,
intense competition among cookie
brands and resulting cost pressures
for producers, management
decided to establish a sales office
to deal directly with local cafés
and independent businesses as
opposed to larger branded chains,
while outsourcing warehousing to
a third party. This presented Byron
Bay Cookie Company with a niche
opportunity reasoning larger brands
could not tailor their sales and
distribution structures to cater to the
individual needs of locally oriented
businesses.
Focusing on smaller production runs and relationship building,
Byron Bay Cookie Company began
32. developing a foothold in this niche
as an upmarket boutique cookie,
exclusively available in independent
cafés. With continuing growth in
US sales it was considering a joint
venture manufacturing agreement
and was actively seeking trusted
partners with whom it could work.
Competitive Advantage
Remarking on the distinctly rich tastes and textures, Slater once
explained, “it is the real, fresh flavor
of chocolate and fruit that sets our
products apart as we do not use
preservatives”. Meanwhile, larger
competitors could not match the
quality and taste, constrained as
they were by their own cost and
distribution structures; a situation,
which only further distinguished
Byron Bay Cookie Company
products from other biscuits in the
marketplace.
It remained committed to the philosophy of using top quality
dried fruits, nuts and chocolates
in its mixes which justified the
price premium charged over lesser
quality substitute products. Yet as
cost pressures increased for rare
ingredients such as macadamia nuts
and coffee chain clients sought to
improve retail margins, management
worked to reassert brand value
33. through relationship building and
point of sale deals. Meanwhile it had
also begun to evaluate new sources
combo deal
Buy any regular
latte and
a Byron Bay Co
okie* for
only: £
*
Cookie shown:
Banoffee Pie
www.byronbaycookies.co.uk
For more information and to download a range of Point Of Sale
material please visit
how to
stack and fill your cafe
cookie jar
1 Carefully place the cookies in the jar, using either the tongs
provided or whilst wearing a pair of disposable gloves. 2To
form three neat columns place one cookie at the back of the jar
then two at the front (slightly overlapping). Continue filling the
jar in a circular fashion until it is full - this should
use exactly 18 cookies (3 packets)
3 Tie a label loosely around the neck of the jar, not around the
handle. Please let us know if you need any replacement tags.
34. 4Always rotate your stock and keep the jar full - no one likes to
buy the last cookie! On a weekly basis you should wash, clean
and dry the jar to ensure that the cookies are kept in
the best conditions.
5 Store your back-up stock away from direct sunlight and heat -
ideally at room temperature (13-22°C). 6Never drop a box of
cookies as they will shatter! Remember to display your point of
sale so everyone knows that you sell the world’s most delicious
cookies!
Please follow these simple steps to make Byron Bay Cookies
work for you...
www.byronbaycookies.co.uk
Go BANANAS
FoR BANoFFEE
PIE FRAPPE
Go BANANAS
FoR BANoFFEE
PIE FRAPPE
Enjoy a
Banoffee p
ie
frappe for
only
£
Made using a Byron Bay Banoffee Pie Cookie!
35. of competitive advantage through
new product development.
One such area was the company’s success in developing product
lines for the ‘nothing-added’
segment, with particular success
in the gluten-free category. Key
to the company’s success was, in
Perrin’s opinion, attributable to the
fact that gluten-free products were
marketed to all customers rather
than as a specialty product line sold
through health food shop channels
for example.
This allowed Byron Bay Cookie Company effectively
differentiate
its cookies, available in mainstream
cafes and retail outlets, from
other copycat brands entering the
market place competing mainly on
price. Additionally, more recently,
management had begun leveraging
the intellectual property of its
recipes into new consumer oriented
propositions such as its Cookie Mix
and its franchising retail concept
both launched in 2011.
Furthermore, management had also begun a phase of mergers
and acquisitions to beef up its
portfolio. In that respect, it purchased
a number of smaller Australian
brands operating in related food
36. categories including Luken & May
Biscuits and Falwasser Crispbreads.
Bringing both gourmet food brands
into the fold, management launched
Byron Bay Gourmet Foods.
With a focus on quality and healthiness, these newly
acquired product lines featuring
crackers and crispbreads were
aimed at the higher end specialty
shops such as delis, cafés and food
service sectors. It was hoped these
additions would present cross-
selling opportunities into existing
channels for products from its
enlarged portfolio.
Looking Ahead
With all the developments in the period 2010-2011, the
business was experiencing double-
digit growth, but it was still below the
20% target. While the augmented
portfolio presented new commercial
sales opportunities, it was the move
to exploit the intellectual property
inherent in Byron Bay Cookie
Company’s cookies that seemed
to represent the greatest potential
for longer-term international sales
growth. In addition, the decision
to establish a joint venture
manufacturing arrangement in the
US would begin paying dividends in
the medium-term.
37. While it was still too early to determine the potential
for the franchising model, it was
evident that the company’s ability
to leverage its intellectual property
into exciting and novel niches such
as gluten free cookies and cookie
dough mix, was paying dividends,
consolidating its brand in the market
place and extending it into credible
new ventures.
These developments seemed well-suited to neutralising the
threat from cheaper and lesser
quality ‘me-too’ brands including
those developed for supermarket
retailers and those competing in
the café space. Yet as the company
continued to grow internationally it
would face challenges in reconciling
the conflicts between the needs for
consistency and Byron Bay Cookie
Company’s reputation as an artisan
brand as well as the need to be
competitive while remaining true to
its quality commitment.
Looking ahead, Slater was adamant the creative energy behind
the
products would remain in Byron Bay,
the heart and soul of the company,
while other elements could easily
be outsourced or simply re-located
as market circumstances required.
To bolster the company’s strategic
38. position he had implemented
plans to recruit more highly skilled
personnel into the team, including
food technicians, marketing and
sales people that would support
this focus on international growth.
In the meantime he and Mark Perrin
and the newly appointed US sales
manager were due to discuss how
to coordinate sales activities in the
coming year.
Gazing out over the golden crescent of beach nuzzling the
lush forests of Byron Bay, Slater
called his secretary to arrange his
next business trip to the US and UK.
Pondering how much had changed
since he took over the company
in 2002 Gordon Slater wondered
what was the best way to grow his
company and retain that iconic status
for which it had become known?
Key Learnings
Retaining a brand’s artisan appeal when it internationalises
brings
significant changes to operations
and communications management,
presenting risks the brand may lose
touch with its roots. Defining export
and internationalisation strategies
that
39. Identifying the core value in the brand is critical- it may not
always
be the obvious. For Byron Bay which
has built a reputation on provenance
and heritage, management seem to
have identified the recipes as their
core value, building new businesses
around that intellectual property in
the form of franchises and cookie
dough for example.
Lean organizational models may help keep costs down but there
is a balance to maintain with brand
building activities and the risks of
commoditization by losing control
of the brand story through layers of
distribution.
Balancing push and pull marketing to support a quality and
premium
brand positioning may present
challenges in the absence of direct
relationships with the end customers.
Byron Bay Cookie Company
attempts to build those relationships
through 2-for-1 promotions and in-
store merchandising while pushing
premium positioning with its clients,
independent cafes.
Byron Bay Cookie Company’s international success seems to
have benefited from the reputation
of their hometown and their
internationalisation strategy seems
to have followed a classic approach
41. his business. Described by Etihad
Airlines in its in-flight magazine as one
of Australia’s iconic brands, the high-
inclusion gourmet cookie business
had successfully built a reputation
for quality and flavour combined
with its heritage. Originating in one
of Australia’s most desirable beach
communities and heartland of
organic farming, Byron Bay, 750 km
north of Sydney; sales had grown
nationally then internationally via
café chains, independents and retail
channels.
Moving from a pure exporting model in 2008, Byron Bay
Cookie Company had invested in a
joint venture, manufacturing under
license in the UK for its European
customers. More recently in 2011,
it had begun test-marketing retail-
oriented franchising agreements,
Byron Bay Bakehouse, in its
domestic Australian market and had
opened a sales office in Texas, USA
to facilitate market development
in North American markets.
Internationally, competition in the
sector was, however, intense. In the
case of the US, Byron Bay Cookie
Company was entering a market
with many established regional and
national cookie brands and coffee
chains necessitating a strategy
that played to its advantages as a
42. niche gourmet product. Further, in
the UK recently, several cheaper
and lesser quality ‘me-too’ products
added to the challenges of rising
input costs and price pressures
from buyers in coffee shop chains
looking to improve margins during
the economic downturn since 2008.
With sales in 2012 on target for €11 million from 20 different
country
markets, the company continued to
face issues with managing currency
fluctuations, complicated distribution
structures and pricing pressure from
competitors as well as quality control
in the supply chain and marketing
communications. Additionally there
was the pressing need to increase
automation in the baking process
to support scalable growth and
quality control as international
sales continued to grow. These
circumstances compelled Byron
Bay Cookie Company to seek new
sources of competitive advantage
while facing the conundrum of how
to grow the brand without losing sight
of its origins in the face of tougher
market conditions.
Provenance, Quality and Taste
Byron Bay Cookie Company produced a range of 20 products
across 240 stock keeping units
43. (SKUs) selling in over 20 countries
globally. It sold about 70% of turnover
through food-service channels with
the remainder destined for retail.
International sales relied on systems
of distributors selling via other
distributors to food-service clients,
supported by Byron Bay Cookie
Company’s own sales and marketing
team. Growing at about 17% per
annum and employing 75 people,
the business was on target to sell
about €15 million worth of goods in
its twentieth anniversary year, 2012.
Founded in 1992 by Maggi Miles and Gary Lines, the Byron
Bay
Cookie Company was literally a
cottage industry start-up. Baked
using a regular kitchen stove, the
partners sold their indulgent cookies
through local restaurants and
cafés, which were enthusiastic to
support local enterprise. Situated on
Australia’s most easterly point, Byron
Bay had a magnetic appeal for being
a laid-back idyllic beach-town for
international tourists, backpackers
and Australian people seeking a
slower pace of life. As such its name
travelled far and wide with a cachet
for being a piece of heaven on earth.
44. Since inception there was a focus on flavour and ingredients in
Byron Bay Cookie Company’s
cookies, based on high-inclusion
rates and high quality ingredients.
But premium pricing had never been
a problem in the friendly business
atmosphere of the Byron Bay
community, giving latitude to Miles
and Lines to perfect their cookie
recipes. Marketing was primarily
by word of mouth and through
product championship, with resellers
relaying the brand’s story supported
by in-store merchandising.
All visual stimuli underscored the quality message, using
packaging, in-store point of sales
materials and electronic marketing,
especially social media, to
communicate the brand’s values.
In cafés for example, cookies were
stacked in traditional glass jars while
retail packaging for boxed goods
and individually wrapped cookies
was elegantly simple. Additionally
in coordination with café clients,
the marketing department produced
branded materials to support special
promotions and point of sale deals
as required. Later it also began
to place emphasis on processes
and standards in display and
merchandising such as how to fill,
present and maintain the cookie
jars, to ensure the first point of
45. contact with the customer, whether
in a café in UK, USA or Ireland was
always the same, artisanal high-
quality experience.
Gordon Slater
By 2002, however, the company had reached a point where it
was evident management needed
to bring in other skills to the
business in order for it to develop
its premium positioning in a market
ready proposition nationwide and
beyond. Slater, a local orthopedic
surgeon, was already a fan of the
cookies and believed he could bring
something to the business, offering
to invest in return for equity and a
directorship role. He later purchased
the remainder of the business from
the founders, setting course for
international expansion.
Slater was convinced people the world over would connect
emotionally with the Byron Bay
name once they experienced the
wonderful flavours in the cookie
recipes supported by branding that
captured the original artisan feel of
the brand. One of the first significant
developments was the decision to
begin exporting to the UK, which
along with increased sales and brand
awareness, brought new challenges
in logistics and quality control.
46. Cookies to Europe
Timing was critical to the success of the UK market entry. The
café market in the UK was just
taking off and it made sense to get
in early. Additionally, the exchange
rate between Australian dollars and
British sterling was running at about
3 to 1, making it economical and
competitive to export the company’s
cookies. Further, close cultural
ties and large volumes of people
travelling to and fro between the
two countries indicated that word
of mouth would help generate and
sustain demand for good quality
products.
Recruiting Mark Perrin as the UK sales manager, the company
began targeting corporate accounts
and independents around the
London area. Within a few short
years Byron Bay Cookie Company
cookies were selling in 500 cafés
throughout central London alone.
This success presented new
priorities for the management team
particularly in operating a reliable
logistics chain that could deliver
cookies to London fresh, within a
matter of days since they were made
by hand in the remote environs of
Byron Bay.
The company continued to experiment with ambient
47. temperature shipping among other
technologies and increasing product
shelf life beyond 6 weeks while
the UK business grew; yet it soon
became apparent that exporting
was unsustainable under emerging
market conditions. Food miles for
example were increasingly becoming
an issue for local buyers in the
UK. Secondly, currency exchange
rates had negatively impacted the
business’ margins, which were
already reduced through the use of
independent distributors. Inevitably
the situation seemed to provoke the
question as to how much Byron Bay
Cookie Company wanted to stay in
the UK market.
Strategic Developments
Compelled to commit, Slater entered into a joint venture
manufacturing agreement with a
company in Manchester to produce,
under license, cookies according
to his company’s recipes. This
manufacturing facility could then
supply the UK and European
markets, including Ireland and
continental Europe. The decision to
invest in the UK also gave Byron Bay
Cookie Company the opportunity
to streamline costs by maintaining
48. a direct sales presence. Perrin,
supported by his administrative
team, could deal directly with clients
throughout the UK while working with
distributors in mainland European
markets and Ireland. As such the
move helped reduced its carbon
footprint, distribution costs while
improving margins that allowed
it to better cope with currency
fluctuations between sterling and
the Australian dollar. With the joint
venture, Perrin’s role adapted as
well, managing master distributors
in the UK while developing the
business internationally via sales
activities, food shows like SIAL and
Anuga and relationship building with
new distributors.
In the case of the US, the situation was quite different from the
UK
market, however. It was 2009 and
the UK market was going well when
Slater and his team decided to enter
the US. Due to its enormous size,
intense competition among cookie
brands and resulting cost pressures
for producers, management
decided to establish a sales office
to deal directly with local cafés
and independent businesses as
opposed to larger branded chains,
while outsourcing warehousing to
a third party. This presented Byron
49. Bay Cookie Company with a niche
opportunity reasoning larger brands
could not tailor their sales and
distribution structures to cater to the
individual needs of locally oriented
businesses.
Focusing on smaller production runs and relationship building,
Byron Bay Cookie Company began
developing a foothold in this niche
as an upmarket boutique cookie,
exclusively available in independent
cafés. With continuing growth in
US sales it was considering a joint
venture manufacturing agreement
and was actively seeking trusted
partners with whom it could work.
Competitive Advantage
Remarking on the distinctly rich tastes and textures, Slater once
explained, “it is the real, fresh flavor
of chocolate and fruit that sets our
products apart as we do not use
preservatives”. Meanwhile, larger
competitors could not match the
quality and taste, constrained as
they were by their own cost and
distribution structures; a situation,
which only further distinguished
Byron Bay Cookie Company
products from other biscuits in the
marketplace.
It remained committed to the philosophy of using top quality
50. dried fruits, nuts and chocolates
in its mixes which justified the
price premium charged over lesser
quality substitute products. Yet as
cost pressures increased for rare
ingredients such as macadamia nuts
and coffee chain clients sought to
improve retail margins, management
worked to reassert brand value
through relationship building and
point of sale deals. Meanwhile it had
also begun to evaluate new sources
combo deal
Buy any regular latte and
a Byron Bay Cookie* for
only: £
*Subject to availability. Image shown for illustrational purposes
only. Offer may exclude Byron Bay Gluten-Free Cookies.
Cookie shown:
Banoffee Pie
www.byronbaycookies.co.uk
For more information and to download a range of Point Of Sale
material please visit
how to
stack and fill your cafe
cookie jar
1
51. Carefully place the cookies in the jar, using e
ither the tongs
provided or whilst wearing a pair of disposa
ble gloves.
2
To form three neat columns place one cookie
at the back of
the jar then two at the front (slightly overlapp
ing). Continue
filling the jar in a circular fashion until it is fu
ll - this should
use exactly 18 cookies (3 packets)
3
Tie a label loosely around the neck of the jar
, not around the
handle. Please let us know if you need any r
eplacement tags.
4
Always rotate your stock and keep the jar fu
ll - no one likes
to buy the last cookie! On a weekly basis yo
u should wash,
52. clean and dry the jar to ensure that the cook
ies are kept in
the best conditions.
5
Store your back-up stock away from direct su
nlight and
heat - ideally at room temperature (13-22°C)
.
6Never drop a box of
cookies as they will shatter! Remember
to display your point of sale so everyone kno
ws that you
sell the world’s most delicious cookies!
Please follow these simple steps to make Byron Bay Cookies
work for you...
www.byronbaycookies.co.uk
Go BANANAS
FoR BANoFFEE
PIE FRAPPE
Go BANANAS
FoR BANoFFEE
PIE FRAPPE
Enjoy a
53. Banoffee p
ie
frappe for
only
£
Made using a Byron Bay Banoffee Pie Cookie!
of competitive advantage through
new product development.
One such area was the company’s success in developing product
lines for the ‘nothing-added’
segment, with particular success
in the gluten-free category. Key
to the company’s success was, in
Perrin’s opinion, attributable to the
fact that gluten-free products were
marketed to all customers rather
than as a specialty product line sold
through health food shop channels
for example.
This allowed Byron Bay Cookie Company effectively
differentiate
its cookies, available in mainstream
cafes and retail outlets, from
other copycat brands entering the
market place competing mainly on
price. Additionally, more recently,
management had begun leveraging
the intellectual property of its
54. recipes into new consumer oriented
propositions such as its Cookie Mix
and its franchising retail concept
both launched in 2011.
Furthermore, management had also begun a phase of mergers
and acquisitions to beef up its
portfolio. In that respect, it purchased
a number of smaller Australian
brands operating in related food
categories including Luken & May
Biscuits and Falwasser Crispbreads.
Bringing both gourmet food brands
into the fold, management launched
Byron Bay Gourmet Foods.
With a focus on quality and healthiness, these newly
acquired product lines featuring
crackers and crispbreads were
aimed at the higher end specialty
shops such as delis, cafés and food
service sectors. It was hoped these
additions would present cross-
selling opportunities into existing
channels for products from its
enlarged portfolio.
Looking Ahead
With all the developments in the period 2010-2011, the
business was experiencing double-
digit growth, but it was still below the
20% target. While the augmented
portfolio presented new commercial
sales opportunities, it was the move
to exploit the intellectual property
55. inherent in Byron Bay Cookie
Company’s cookies that seemed
to represent the greatest potential
for longer-term international sales
growth. In addition, the decision
to establish a joint venture
manufacturing arrangement in the
US would begin paying dividends in
the medium-term.
While it was still too early to determine the potential
for the franchising model, it was
evident that the company’s ability
to leverage its intellectual property
into exciting and novel niches such
as gluten free cookies and cookie
dough mix, was paying dividends,
consolidating its brand in the market
place and extending it into credible
new ventures.
These developments seemed well-suited to neutralising the
threat from cheaper and lesser
quality ‘me-too’ brands including
those developed for supermarket
retailers and those competing in
the café space. Yet as the company
continued to grow internationally it
would face challenges in reconciling
the conflicts between the needs for
consistency and Byron Bay Cookie
Company’s reputation as an artisan
brand as well as the need to be
competitive while remaining true to
56. its quality commitment.
Looking ahead, Slater was adamant the creative energy behind
the
products would remain in Byron Bay,
the heart and soul of the company,
while other elements could easily
be outsourced or simply re-located
as market circumstances required.
To bolster the company’s strategic
position he had implemented
plans to recruit more highly skilled
personnel into the team, including
food technicians, marketing and
sales people that would support
this focus on international growth.
In the meantime he and Mark Perrin
and the newly appointed US sales
manager were due to discuss how
to coordinate sales activities in the
coming year.
Gazing out over the golden crescent of beach nuzzling the
lush forests of Byron Bay, Slater
called his secretary to arrange his
next business trip to the US and UK.
Pondering how much had changed
since he took over the company
in 2002 Gordon Slater wondered
what was the best way to grow his
company and retain that iconic status
for which it had become known?
Key Learnings
57. Retaining a brand’s artisan appeal when it internationalises
brings
significant changes to operations
and communications management,
presenting risks the brand may lose
touch with its roots. Defining export
and internationalisation strategies
that
Identifying the core value in the brand is critical- it may not
always
be the obvious. For Byron Bay which
has built a reputation on provenance
and heritage, management seem to
have identified the recipes as their
core value, building new businesses
around that intellectual property in
the form of franchises and cookie
dough for example.
Lean organizational models may help keep costs down but there
is a balance to maintain with brand
building activities and the risks of
commoditization by losing control
of the brand story through layers of
distribution.
Balancing push and pull marketing to support a quality and
premium
brand positioning may present
challenges in the absence of direct
relationships with the end customers.
Byron Bay Cookie Company
attempts to build those relationships
58. through 2-for-1 promotions and in-
store merchandising while pushing
premium positioning with its clients,
independent cafes.
Byron Bay Cookie Company’s international success seems to
have benefited from the reputation
of their hometown and their
internationalisation strategy seems
to have followed a classic approach
pursing initial markets that were
culturally similar e.g. UK and Ireland
and therefore possibly easier to enter.
Notes and Take Homes From Byron Bay Cookie Company