Development Of Online Dating And Technology - 1881 Words

Development of online dating Yating, Wu 666285 Introduction Today, people can do many things digitally, and it would appear totally new content and new economic models in this digital age (Negroponte, Nicholas, 1996). In the decade, the percentage of Internet users escalates every year form 14.1% in 2004 to 40% in 2014, according to internetlivestats.com. Paralleling with the increasing of internet usage, online dating becomes a popular industry in some counties, and Pew Center study shows that the percentage of online dating adult user rises to 11% in 2013 from 3% in 2008 in the US (the majority of online dating). Therefore, online dating is considered to be a new profitable service. Besides, mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, become more prevalent; to achieve digital convergence more online dating websites provided applications which allow users to date online everywhere, and it is called mobile dating. According to a eMarketer’s report, released in 11 June 2014, that American adults spent more time on social network wi th mobile devices then with PCs, meaning that the way of doing online activities transferred from desktop to laptop and then to mobile devices. In this essay, it will mainly cover the online dating’s development and business model and its impact. Moreover, what makes online dating prevalent, and how do people change the way of finding a mate are also worth discussing. Why people do online dating? Only if people need it, it exists. TechnologyShow MoreRelatedSocial Media And Its Effect On Society1648 Words   |  7 Pagestrends in online dating and the surplus of people joining in on this new advance. Next, I will turn my focus to the justice system, where jurors are leaning on social media to aid in their decision making process in court. Lastly, whether social media has more of a positive or negative impact on adolescents will be questioned as well as finding solutions to keeping these sites and the people on them safe. Initially, social media was a simple way to connect with friends and family online, post picturesRead MoreAn Inside Look at 0nline Dating Essay1547 Words   |  7 PagesOnline Dating Online website allows individuals to contact and communicate with others through the Internet each. It follows the sociological principle of social networking. The quest of love has inspired people to invest in much thoughts and efforts in the process of building a romantic relationship. Thus, online dating becomes a popular tool for building a relationship or starting a relationship nowadays. In addition, in order to accomplish the goal of finding the perfect partner there are manyRead MoreHow Technology Has Influenced The Way People Interact With Each Other1542 Words   |  7 Pages The developments of technology have been rapidly growing over the years. Every few minutes something else is being refined. It s exciting to live through technological times and see the accelerated progress expand. Technology has greatly influenced the way people interact with each other. Social networking has connected with a great number of friends, families, communities, and had even helped some individuals find their long term love. American adults use technology for a variety of reasonsRead MoreAnalysis Of Modern Romance By Aziz Ansari1370 Words   |  6 Pagesfirst book Modern Romance, on June 16, 2015, where he teamed up with notable sociologists to uncover the mysteries of the changing dating scene around the world. Ansari states that relationships have been evolving for the past century for reasons ranging from people having different wants and desires to more advanced technology. These developments have revitalized the dating culture, but simultaneously have also mad e it very complex. Ansari’s reason for writing this book was that he was â€Å"fascinated byRead MoreSocial Medi Effects On Relationships1178 Words   |  5 Pagesdon’t realize the change that has occurred. Over the years social media has drastically increased and plays a huge role within relationships causing insecurity. Dating sites like EHarmony, Christian Mingle, and others have grown in popularity. Not only have the dating sites become more predominant, there are even ways to have dates online as opposed to in person. Social media contains social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and maybe even Myspace, if people still use it. SocialRead MoreThe Negative Advantage Of Social Media1020 Words   |  5 Pagesinstance direct communication such as texting, and email allows users to easily stay and maintain relationships. Individuals and families living heavily driven social media world will have several positive and negative factors that influence their development. According to Sharaievska, and Stodolska (2015), social media can have a beneficial role in maintaining and supporting long distance relationship and reviving past relationships. Platforms like Facebook did not help develop a new relationship butRead MoreThe World s Largest Computer Network And The Internet1093 Words   |  5 Pageswhat really matters in life. In the 1990’s we witnessed a tremendous change in technology by the advancement in computer systems and the internet. The Internet is the world s largest computer network and has revolutionized electronic networking. The number of people using the Internet continues to double annually, with at least 50 percent of all Americans â€Å"online† in 2000 (Cliffnotes). It’s used for online dating, business, as an informational tool, and many more key attributes to daily livingRead MoreHow Technology Has Changed The 21st Century Essay916 Words   |  4 PagesTechnology has evolved over the 21st century. Phones and the internet made its way to be the most convenient ways to communicate. Although the evolution of communication through cellular devices and the internet have successfully took off in many ways, the internet has deterred social relationships by acting as a barrier that prevents individuals to be able to have appropriate social development. Texting and soc ial media sites have created unique languages that applies when talking to a specificRead MoreThe Internet Age Has Affected Our Society Essay1448 Words   |  6 Pagesis known as digital language, or internet age. Consequently, this new phenomenon affected nearly everyone in our modern society and, as many other innovations, came with its benefits and drawbacks through the means of social networks, childhood development software and a habit-forming concept. While I agree that the internet age has affected our society in both, positive and negative ways, I strongly disagree with an idea which solely blames the newly formed language for these changes. Growing upRead MoreLong Distance Relationships1595 Words   |  7 PagesLong Distance Relationships – Modern Media LuvDaSun Res/110 August 18, 2010 Christopher Benedetti Abstract Long distance relationships are no longer a thing of the past. Modern technology has made it viable for partners to stay constantly in touch during a 24-hour period. A review of five peer-reviewed journals provides a variety of perspectives of long distance relationships. The articles focus on the positive and negative aspects of Long Distance Relationships. Weaknesses, strengths and differences

Ode on a grecian urn by John Keats review Essay Example For Students

Ode on a grecian urn by John Keats review Essay For the first time the speaker almost seems to relent on the perfection of never changing and, addressing the town directly, seems to hold real and generous feeling that it will always be desolate. For ever more in line 38 now refers to emptiness. It is as if the vivid, fresh mood of stanza three has been reversed. The speakers interaction with the urn ends, however, as being frozen, it can offer no more answers and there is nothing more that it can reveal. In stanza five, the speaker takes a step backwards and considers the urn in its entirety as an inanimate object and not in terms of the scenes on it. We are again reminded of the frailty of the human condition in line 46 with When old age shall this generation waste and that the urn is safe from the ravages of time and human history. It will remain a friend to man and finally comes the message that the urn has for us. The speaker has questioned the urn for four stanzas and the reply of Beauty is truth, truth beauty answers none of the questions which have been posed. It tells us nothing about the individual features on the urn and seems to come from what the urn actually is. It is an object of beauty that the speaker has experienced. If we take it that the final two lines are spoken solely by the urn (although this has long been a topic of debate) it is as if the urn is saying that the speaker has been asking all the wrong questions. The final paradox of the poem is that whilst maintaining its silence, the urn as still spoken and partially answered some questions although its response is not necessarily what was expected. Despite the happy, happy tone of some parts of Ode On A Grecian urn, it is hard not to feel sadness for the joy that is only be anticipated and never actually felt. By being preserved from the passage of time, the characters on the urn are also trapped by it, never being able to reach for new joys in the future. Preservation from time forbids growth which is a key element to life itself. The themes of struggle between staying constant and changing, of joy leading to sadness, are echoed throughout Keats odes. In the final stanza of Ode On Melancholy, Keats views pleasure and pain as inextricably linked: She dwells with Beauty Beauty that must die; And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh. Turning to Poison while the bee-mouth sips: Beauty must die, joy is fleeting and the flower of pleasure will turn to poison. This seems to echo the sadness found in Grecian Urn. It is as if the joy of anticipation is overshadowed by the anticipation of the sadness which is sure to follow. In Grecian Urn, time always brings decay; here pleasure always leads to sorrow. These struggles however seem to become reconciled in Ode To Autumn. If the struggle with the urns preservation was symbolic of Keats own struggle to evade death, his overall feeling seems to have mellowed in his ode to autumn. The selection of this particular season implicitly takes up the themes of temporality, mortality and change but whereas the urns perfection lay in being immune to the passage of time, autumns seems to be that it embraces it. Despite the impending coldness and desolation of winter, autumn is a time of plenty and warmth in this ode. In the urn, the speaker found joy in it staying spring forever, but now autumn is told not to think of the songs of spring but to recognize the music it has of its own. .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f , .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f .postImageUrl , .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f , .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f:hover , .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f:visited , .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f:active { border:0!important; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f:active , .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9f45a9552d06d4b0b8be5ae5428f118f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Horses And How They Grow EssayNot only has time not damaged the beauty of nature, it has actually allowed more beauty to develop, beauty which could not be possible within the limitations of the urn. Even the understated sense of inevitable loss in the final line does no seem tragic as the birds will return as the seasonal cycle continues. Instead of joy always leading to sorrow, sorrow will now lead to joy. Hemant Sahi 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Keats section.

The Precise Essays - Politics Of France, European People

The Precise Q: If you had to identify the most significant causes of the Revolution, what would they be? A:First and foremost, it would be most important to analyse the political situation of France before the Revolution. The long reign of Louis the XIV (1643-1715) marked absolute monarchy at its peak in France. When Louis XIII died the next in line to take the throne was only 5 years old, Louis XIV. His mother ruled for him along side the new Chief Minister, Mazarin, who had been trained by Richelieu. Mazarin was easily hated because of his overbearing attempts to raise taxes. In the 1640's a group of courageous nobles backed by peasants led a series of revolts against the crown. The revolts alarmed the young king into believing that only a country with absolute monarchy could prevent civil war. Louis believed that his power came from God and no one should question it since he had the ?divine right.? After Mazarin's death in 1661, Louis XIV ruled as an absolute monarchy. "L'etat c'est moi" in French, meaning "I am the state", was Louis' description of his power, which shows just how insane France was becoming. Louis worked hard to build up France's glorious monarchy while his people suffered from oppression. Because of his reign's splendor, he was called the "Sun King." Louis spent fortunes on lavish palaces and opulent city buildings. The most magnificent was Versailles, near Paris, where the royal family resided. Louis ordered many officials to live with him. Those who were against him spent their time pampering King Louis XIV in hopes that he would give them pensions or higher positions in his court. In 1665 Louis the XIV named Jean Baptiste Colbert as his minister of finance to strengthen France's economy. Colbert improved taxation, supported shipbuilding and the navy, and helped industry. These times did not last very long, though. Louis' luxurious lifestyle and France's frequent wars drained the treasury. France, unlike England, had no law that could halt the amount of money that the king could spend. Another reason for the decline was Louis' religious intolerance. Louis was worried that the "Huguenots" would cause rebellion, so he forced them to convert to Catholicism. When that did not work he reverted to persecution. Many of the Huguenots fled to Protestant countries and North America. After the end of the Thirty Years War Louis wanted to expand French lands to the north and east to give France a border that was easier to defend. To make this wish a reality Louis reorganised the French army. Other European states, afraid of what his actions would be, formed alliances to resist him. Between 1667 and 1714 France went to war 4 times. The most destructive of these was the "War of the Spanish Succession". The war went poorly for France, but the war ended before France suffered great losses, which resulted in more oppression of the French people. The Peace of Utrecht, made up of several treaties, restored the balance in Europe. By the end of Louis the XIV's reign, the treasury was almost empty. Wars and careless spending had left France in debt. These troubles were made worse by the wars during the reign of Louis XV. Financial problems helped weaken the monarchy and bring on the French Revolution in 1789. Another significant reason of conflict was the incredibly stupid Three Estates system. In France, preceding the Revolution, the citizens of the country were split up into three groups or estates. The first estate was divided into two groups: the lower clergy and the higher clergy. The higher clergy came from wealthy families and the lower clergy consisted of parish priests. In the second estate were the nobles. They held the highest offices in government and paid little or no taxes. The third estate, which was the largest, consisted of peasants, city workers, and the middle class. The people in the third estate were the merchants, bankers, lawyers, doctors, & government workers. Of the three estates, the first, second, and third, the first two of these groups had all the political power, though they were a mere two percent of the total population. They also had control over the majority of the land. To add to this the nobles, the second estate, forced the peasants of the third estate to do labor and give goods to them, at no charge. This abuse of power against the lower class gave the peasants a reason to despise their "superiors." And to top

Free Online Public Schools for California Students

Free Online Public Schools for California Students California offers resident students the opportunity to take online public school courses for free. Below is a list of no-cost online schools currently serving elementary and high school students in California. In order to qualify for the list, schools must meet the following qualifications: classes must be available completely online, they must offer services to state residents, and they must be funded by the government. Virtual schools listed may be charter schools, state-wide public programs, or private programs that receive government funding. List of California Online Charter Schools and Online Public Schools California Virtual AcademiesChoice 2000Insight School of California - Los AngelesPacific View Charter School - Serving San Diego, Riverside, Orange, and Imperial Counties About Online Charter Schools and Online Public Schools Many states now offer tuition-free online schools for resident students under a certain age (often 21). Most virtual schools are charter schools; they receive government funding and are run by a private organization. Online charter schools are subject to fewer restrictions than traditional schools. However, they are reviewed regularly and must continue to meet state standards. Some states also offer their own online public schools. These virtual programs generally operate from a state office or a school district. State-wide public school programs vary. Some online public schools offer a limited number of remedial or advanced courses not available in brick-and-mortar public school campuses. Others offer full online diploma programs. A few states choose to fund â€Å"seats† for students in private online schools. The number of available seats may be limited and students are usually asked to apply through their public school guidance counselor. Choosing a California Online Public School When choosing an online public school, look for an established program that is regionally accredited and has a track record of success. Be wary of new schools that are disorganized, are unaccredited, or have been the subject of public scrutiny. For more suggestions on evaluating virtual schools see  how to choose an online high school.

What Is Human Services Common Intervention Strategies Essay

What Is Human Services Common Intervention Strategies - Essay Example The second issue is related to the ambiguity to differentiate among similar terms such as "community services," "welfare services," "human services." These terms are used interchangeably with different focus. It indicates and adds to the failure of the stakeholders in differentiating, defining and drawing a line where needed to the detriment in distribution of resources for executing welfare programs and development work under the umbrella of social services or human services. The 1962 amendments to the Social Security Act initiated a policy change by states and the federal government contributing equally, which was erstwhile limited to advanced states conducting social service programs. The purpose of the social services under the Social Security Act are "to help maintain and strengthen family life" and to assist families "to attain or retain capability for the maximum self-support and personal independence consistent with the maintenance of continuing parental care and protection." The administrative guidance stresses on services to help receivers â€Å"achieve employment and self sufficiency (Randall, 1975). The history of social services development and expenditure starting in 1969 till 1972 by Derthick provides a mirror of the legislation and functioning of social services. The area of Human Services is widely defined, distinctly meeting the purpose of fulfilling human needs via an interdisciplinary knowledge base, stressing on taking precautions, treating human issues, and showing dedication for raising the general standard of life of the people deserving attention. It is the responsibility of the human services professionals to encourage better service delivery systems by looking not only at the quality aspect of human services, but also by desiring to provide better reach, answerability, and cooperation among professionals and organizations in service delivery (NOHS, 2009). The goal of human services professionals as well as agencies is to empower the groups doing human services by: * Enlarging professional growth opportunities * Encouraging professional and agency-wide recognition through certification * Increasing internal and external information exchange * Supporting and enforcing a social policy and agenda * Fostering the monetary sustainability and development of the stake holding agencies (NOHS, 2009). The Nature of Generalist Practice Generalist practice for human services is based on the creation of social work values, insight, and abilities that can be used on people and organizations as appraisal and intervention strategies for different-in-size systems by creating and using people, families, groups, and communities (Bemidji State University, 2011). According to the Baccalaureate Program Directors (BPD), generalist social work functionaries collaborate with people, families, groups, communities and agencies in a range of social work environments. Generalist practitioners observe customers and their systems from a stren gths outlook so that the inner abilities of all human beings could be identified, advocated, and structured. By employing a professional problem resolving process, they communicate, measure, factor services, support, guide, tutor, and manage with clients by remaining on their and their systems’ side. It is the job of generalist practitioner to involve in community and institutional growth and check its service performance for bettering the service delivery system attuned towards the client (Bemidji State University, 2011). Common Intervention Strategies Human services intervention strategies depend from agency to agency guided by certain skills

Business environment Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business environment Report - Essay Example The changing business strategies to cope with the fast transforming socio-economical paradigms of the times have become crucial factors that enable the businesses to compete against their rivals. The external factors are often the major proponents that necessitate organizational changes. The world economy is presently undergoing tremendous turmoil. In the recent past, the American economy has been under tremendous strain with its deteriorating job market and dismal performance of its various public private companies. Its offshore business has also suffered as a result of bad economic policies of the current republican government, headed by George Bush. The bankruptcy of few of its major financial institutions has resulted in the financial meltdown that has created a serious crisis situation in the American economy that has cascaded down to the rest of the world. The recessive trend in the American economy has forced the businesses to meet the challenges with creative business strategies and embrace the changing business compulsions with vigour and vitality. In a news report in the ‘Guardian’ on 3 December 2008, it was reported that UK’s top retailer, Tesco was really struggling against ‘Morrisons’ to maintain its position. While Tesco had registered its worst sales in 14 years during the Christmas, Morrisons had surged ahead towards the position of top retailer! The article was succinct in describing the cause and effects of the current recessive trend in the retail industry and the various ways through which they were trying to meet the challenges and attract customers to increase their sales. In yet another news item in the same issue, Christ Hirst had highlighted the ‘Christmas supermarket advertisements’. Hirst has revealed that the advertisements play a significant role in the boosting the sales figure and Morrisons’ ‘The campaign is about freshness and provenance,

The phenomenon of globalization

The phenomenon of globalization WAL-MARTS FOREIGN ENTRY IN GLOBAL MARKETS The phenomenon of globalization has determined many firms to spread out to overseas markets. The purpose of this paper is to examine the firms strategies for new market entry and the major issues they need to deal with while entering into new foreign markets and Wal-Mart is utilized as an example. During this expansion some firms succeeded and some failed also. Wal-Marts entry in the foreign market and its operations in the China and U.K where it was successful are examined and it can be inferred that the cultural differences and the political influences play a vital role in selecting entry mode and setting operational strategies. Also, In order to understand the failure in German retail market amongst many, the following influential factors will be considered that Germany has different culture and consumer behaviour, oligopoly market environment, unfavorable legislation and influential labour union. Additionally this entry and exit of Wal-mart affected, inevitably, other countries and most of the competitors in many aspects. In the domestic market of U.S , Wal-Mart has a considerable success. Since Wal-Mart began international operations in Mexico in 1991, it has violently expanded foreign investments all over the world, including Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Far East. Wal-Mart expanded its international operations such as in United Kingdom, South America and China where its going highly successful , whereas in South Korea and German markets its operations were unsuccessful and it was forced to pull out of these markets mainly due to sustained losses in an incompatible culture and highly competitive market. However, Wal-mart failed to position itself when trying to penetrate the German retail market through replicating its US strategies. Initially, firms should have clear purpose for expanding overseas. Firms tend to go international for many different reasons, for example, firms may be interested in structuring a global brand image, the home market may be saturated, external initiatives to spread the product, or grabbing more market share etc. Prior to entering a particular foreign market, firms need to look upon the consumer purchasing power, market size, entry barriers, political stability and cultural and language differences. Culture plays an essential role in shaping whether a firm can last in a foreign market. . Consumers in different cultures may have different attitudes toward the same product and may value things differently. Therefore, international managers should take into account the cultural factor carefully in decision-making. Furthermore, Psychic distance also requires to be carefully addressed in the market selection stage. Psychic distance is defined as factors precluding or disturbing the flows of information between firms and markets in terms of differences in culture, language, political systems, levels of industrial development, etc (Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul, 1975). Theoretically firms have a tendency to penetrate psychically close market to moderate risk. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Wal-Mart) is the worlds biggest American retail corporation in the world. Wal-Mart is a company which is renowned for its influence on US government. Wal-Mart has a friendly legislature and government policy in accordance to its company policies and method which indeed helps them to achieve goal such as restricting tariff protections, limiting port security, the elimination of the estate tax and obtaining lucrative subsidies. According to survey Wal-Mart has received 1.2 billion from US government in form of subsidies, grants and fund. Following are few examples which shows how US government helped Wal-Mart in US: More Than $1 Billion from tax-payer funded Subsidies. A May 2004 report analyzed how Wal-Mart received more than $1 billion from over 244 taxpayer-funded subsidies status, job training/recruiting funds, and general grants. Millions To broaden the Street to Its Headquarters. In 2005, a federal highway bill signed by President Bush of $35 million to broaden Eighth Street in Bentonville which goes to Wal-Marts corporate headquarters. Employing Teens in Unsafe Conditions. An agreement was signed by the Wal-Mart with the Departments Wage and Hours Division about future child labor conditions that the teens aged 16 and 17 are prohibited to participate in activities Negotiating for Weak Enforcement. An audit by the (OIG) of the child labor found an agreement between Wal-Mart and the Department of Labor which showed serious breakdowns in the WHD [Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division] process for developing, negotiating and approving such agreements. These resulted in the WHD entering into an agreement that gave substantial concessions to Wal-Mart. In the early 1990s, Wal-Mart was enforced to expand its business into the new foreign market due to critical U.S market conditions. Firstly, In the US it faced market saturation. Wal-Mart comes up with 200 new stores each year and this fast expansion results in the short distance between its old stores and new stores. Further, the retail price difference between Wal-Mart and its key competitors has been lessened so consumers had little incentive to go to Wal-Mart. Therefore, rather than summing up the market share from its competitors, the new stores in fact gained the market share from its old stores. Finally, the progress in demand was declining because of the decreasing family sizes in the U.S. (Kim 2008) . Taking into account, all these factors, the international expansion appears as a prior strategy for Wal-Mart to promote its business growth. Wal-Mart initiated to expand internationally in 1991 with the creation of a joint venture with Citra, S.A. de C.V, Mexicos largest retailer. According to the Wal-Mart they promote its growth internationally because We need to be the growth of Wal-Mart some day when the United States slows down (as cited in Molin, 2004). The company feels the international market as a alternate when there was limited growth in the US. After creating a joint venture in 1991, Wal-Mart came out as a large international player and within one and half decade it expanded its operations in globally in many countries. Wal-Mart did not use single strategy to enter in different countries. They decide on the basis of the business, competitive and economic environments that exist in. Wal-Mart made its presence in local markets by first considering the uniqueness of each market, and then by altering its business model to suit that market. After choosing the country like China, the management makes the decision after analyzing the environment that seemed to be positive in China. The China is a country with a history of tremendous level of 1.3 billion population. In China , the governments liberalization initiative and its open policy increased disposable income of consumers because of limited competition offered by similar business models its high constant economic growth and. The retail sale in China is $1.2 trillion in 2007 and the growth of market is expected $ 2.4 trillion by 2020, which indicates that there is a big opportunity for the company. These factors attracted the Wal-Mart company to research and make their presence in China. In 1996,Wal-Mart entered China and it grew slowly. Some people pointed out on its slow growth, but according to me, the strategy of slow growth helps the Company to examine the environment in a completely different culture with regard to US. Wal-Mart had taken up those merchandising and store designs that suits the Chinese consumer requirements best. The company also tries to adopt the local culture and sourced the products from local manufactures who are familiar with the local taste of the people. Company also met the government trade and business guidelines, by adopting such type of the environment it helped the company to grow and launch its expansion plans in China. Wal-Mart is also participating in CSR- corporate social responsibility such as by getting involved in the local community and the society by donating the funds and providing the kind support of $ 8 million over the past 13 years. All such awards achieved by the company itself show its achievement in China. Another issue that contributed to Wal-Marts success in China, was labour unionization. At first, Wal-Mart was reluctant to support the idea of unionization, but the constant efforts of All-China Federation of Trade Union led to formation of union amongst Wal-Mart employees, which has contributed positively to its success. Currently, Wal-Mart carries on 7,873 stores worldwide in 15 countries among which 3,615 stores in the foreign countries and remaining in the US. Moreover its international segment gives 24.6% of the companys total revenue in 2009 fiscal year. (Global Market Direct, 2009) However, even with such enhanced international sales, Wal-Marts international division is still faraway from its one-third of total sales goal, which it was essentially expected to achieve by 2005. (1999 Annual Report) If we analyse Wal-Marts international business, we will find out a mixed story. It had substantial success in Canada, China, Mexico and the United Kingdom, but it was unsuccessful to place itself in Germany and South Korea. Wal-Mart was leading retailer and employer in US for last decade. There were more than 5000 stores in US itself. This made easier for the firm in structuring a good brand image in spite of offering cheap products. Due to its knowledge, low pricing, strategic resources, geographical presence, strategic investment, product differentiation and managerial excellence, the firm constantly had an upper edge on its competitors and generally drives them out of the business. Further reasons for Wal-Marts success was its elite relations with bureaucrats and government. Government policies usually were in harmony to Wal-Mart business and strategies. Wal-Mart had many weaknesses and pit holes also despite of being worlds no. 1 company. Wal-Mart was always criticized for poor labour practices by labour unions. In US the average salary per hour is $ 13 where as in Wal-Mart the lowest salary rate is US$ 9 per hour. Employees have prolonged working hours around ten hours a day. Further Wal-Mart is charged for adopting the tax avoidance schemes. It has also build a great reputation for destroying small and medium business. Therefore its never greeted in any society. The main weakness of Wal-Mart has been its international operation. It struggled to create a great mark in international market especially in Germany unlike America. It has been losing money from the year it penetrated German market. It has also been found that in some cases those inferior quality products are being sold because of discounted price. As a result consumers who are not price elastic have a preference over other brands. It also bears the huge labour turnover, about 44% employees leave Wal-Mart every year according to the national survey. These were some major weakness that the firm desires to come up in near future for its survival and sustenance. A number of factors that resulted Wal-Marts failure in Germany are such as different corporate culture, political influence, stiff competition and inefficient management and marketing strategies. Firstly, David Wild CEO in 2004, believed that cultural differences between American and German consumers were considerable challenges to Wal-Mart. Debby CEO in 2006 concluded that German shoppers are accustomed to shop at small scale discount stores such as Aldi and Netto that provides a limited range of products with special offers each week and no customer service, unlike US customers. In addition to different corporate culture, the competition has become gradually more intense between Wal-Mart and domestic retailers. The price difference has so lessened that sometimes even Wal-Mart had a higher price than their competitors. Consequently, consumers had little incentive to visit Wal-Mart Germany because of no obvious price advantage. Some other factors that lead to Wal-Marts failure in Germany were, their strategy of acquiring the top competitor did not work, as the German government did its best to ensure the welfare of the domestic players. Also, due to wage restrictions, Wal-Mart could not practice wage bargaining, as it did back in U.S, this was a huge, uncommon expenditure for the company. Its American strategy of restricting employee freedom and forcing them to work extra hours, brought up problems of high labour turnover and a negative image as an employer. Wal-Mart failed to have an effective management at the top level. Its CEOs changed every year,this in an obvious way effected the companys performance. Wal-Mart constantly ignored the strictness of German laws, and was charged heavy penalties for doing so. One of the most challenging thing for Wal-Mart was capturing the market- share. As per German legislation it was illegal to sell products below cost,because of which Wal-Mart could never achieve the L ow price leader tag. It is impossible to smoothly run any organization, until there is co-operation between the employees and the employer. Wal-Mart faced a severe labour unrest,which hampered its brand-image. Kay Hafner,CEO of Wal-Mart reduced the wages to cut cost, this negatively influenced individual behaviour , as an anti-union decision. As suggested by Arndt and Knorr, a firm needs to understand the specifications when indulging in global expansion.Out of all the CEOs, only David Wild has been sensitive to cultural difference.He did bring about changes based on this understanding,which had some positive results,yet not profitable enough to impress investors for future investments. Moreover,as per German legislation their were some specific retail related laws,such as, limited legal working hours (80 hours/week) which were way less than the other European countries and had strict rules governing closure on Sundays and holidays. Wal-Mart repeatedly infringement German laws but were able to do away with it mainly because of global presence and influence on the government of US which played a major role in global politics. Some of incidences where the company broke few laws and was able to get away are summed up below:- unfair trade practices such as selling goods below the cost price was prohibited in Germany but Wal-Mart was found violating these laws as it randomly sold some product below cost. German law required a company to disclose it financial statements annually, Wal-Mart seldom did that and was spared without any fine or legal proceedings at number of occasions. Obligatory Deposit Regulationdings law stipulated the retailer to provide deposit-refund-system on few products like metal beverages, cans etc. But Wal-Mart never followed this law. Thus from the above incidences it can be concluded that Wal-Mart used its global influence to refrain from some of the German laws. However, because German culture is quite different from American culture and because of unfamiliarity with the legislation, it would be difficult for Wal-Mart to make marketing and promotion right. And in fact these difficulties had been proved in Wal-Mart Germany. Consequently, rather than choosing Germany as the gateway to Europe, virtually after two years of operating in Germany it had entered in U.K .Even though U.K is not in the Euro zone and its geographic location is less favorable than Germany, it has a similar culture and legal environment as U.S. which makes it easier to operate the companys business and strategies. It has considerable success in the UK market which is called by as a Wal-Mart-ready market[palmer 2005] .Therefore, the lessons learned from from Germany has proven useful for U.K. In the United Kingdom, Wal-Mart operates under its distinct organizational culture the Wal-Mart Way, where executives act as servants and employees are known as associates. Associates are empowered to adapt to local culture and are encouraged to try out new ideas. Consequently, associate cohesiveness is strengthened, and they are willing to work hard to achieve the best results. In addition, satisfying customer needs is always placed as main goal of the company. The company aims to offer British families the things they need at affordable prices, as well as providing superior customer service and convenience. Needless to say, Wal-Mart did face challenges initially even in U.K. The British Planning Policy(PPS6) has clearly limited the construction of huge retail outlets on the outskirts of a town, which was one of its most effective strategy in the U.S According to PPS6,the local governments were required to do so until there was a call for .Wal-Mart responded to this situation by protesting the restrictive policies to the top government officials. Eventually, Wal-Mart acquired an existing retail chain ASDA, and this proved to be fruitful as it served as the best strategic fit between the companies. In the UK, ASDA was the only operator with a consistent non-food offer and Wal-Marts organisational culture had already incorporated into ASDAs management principles before the acquisition taken place. Based on the above examination of Wal-Mart, it can be concluded that Wal-Mart possessed a great influence on the US government and it used its great influence to get various tax reliefs, subsidies etc and when it entered other countries like UK, China and Germany etc, it followed the same policy to influence the government and capitalize on these relationships. Besides that there were few incidences in which the US government helped Wal-Mart in its international operations and having good relations with the foreign government which brings about the companies involvement in global politics, which is the essence of the report. However,while expanding globally Wal-Mart besides carrying all these good relationships still had to confront with the cultural, political and the other economic factors when it entered in the foreign markets because Wal-Mart to be successful only transports its domestic policy to global markets. No such one strategy or model is applicable which is appropriatefor all the markets. Consequently ,Wal-Marts US model cant be consistently applied in other countries, even in UK whose culture is very alike to that of the US. Hence, adaptation to local culture and familiarity with its legislations is a crucial step for Wal-Mart or any firm while entering to the global markets. Therefore, Firms should always make cultural and political considerations as a part of strategic planning, and locating activities in countries that possess these attributes necessary for competing in these activities of foreign entry. REFERENCES IGO Retail Analysis. (2009). Company Summary-Introduction: Wal-Mart. [Online] Available from: http://www.igd.com/analysis/channel/profile_detail.asp?channelid=1channelitemid=27profileid=1541 [Accessed:2 November 2009] Buckley, J. Peter and Ghauri, N. Pervez (1999), The Internationalization of the firm: A Reader, 2nd Edition. London: International Thompson Business Press. Johanson, Jan and Finn Wiedersheim-Paul (1975), The Internationalization of the Firm: Four Swedish Case Studies, Journal of Management Studies, October, pp. 305-22. Johanson, J. and Vahlne Jan-Erik (1977), The Internationalization Process of the Firm- A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 8, Issue. 1, pp. 23-32 John Robin, Cox Howard, Grazia Letto-Gilles, Grimwade Nigel, Allen Michael, Finn Edward (2002), Global Business strategy. Thomson Osland, E. Gregory, Charles, R. Charles, and Zuo Shaoming (2001), Selecting international modes of entry and expansion, Marketing Intelligence Planning Journal, Vol.19, Issue 3, pp. 153-161. Ricker (2007) Internationalization Theory, http://www.studentbibliotek.se/doku.php/internationalization_theory Problems in international market, patiporn kitlertphiroj, University college of denver) Landler, M. and Barbaro, M., (2006). Wal-Mart finds that its formula doesnt fit every culture. The New York Times, August2.2.pp.1-3[online] Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/business/worldbusiness/02walmart.html?_r=1 Wal-Mart (n.d.): 3 Basic Belief Value,[online] Available from: http://walmartstores.com/AboutUs/321.aspx [Assessed: 25 October 2009] Eurofood (1999), Wal-Mart buys Asda in UK retail shock, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DQA/is_1999_June_17/ai_55041044/ Fernie, J., Arnold, S. (2002), Wal-Mart in Europe: prospects for Germany, the UK and France, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Vol. 30, Issue.2, pp.92-102. Knorr, A. And Arndt, A. (2003), Why did Wal-Mart dail in Germany, available at: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/publikationen/pdf/w024.pdf(accessed November 3, 2009). Pioch, E., Gerhard, U., Fernie, J. and Arnold, S. J. (2009), Consumer acceptance and market success: Wal-Mart in the UK and Germany, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Volume 37 Number 4, pp. 205-225. IGD Analysis (2005): Chinese Wal-Mart chant gets louder. [online] Available from http://www.igd.com/analysis/news/index.asp?nid=2094 [Accessed online: 2 November 2009] Christopherson, S. (2007). Barrier to US style lean retailing: the case of Wal-Mart failure in Germany. Journal of Economic Geography, Vol. 4, No.7, pp.1-19 http://walmartwatch.com/blog/archives/secret_meeting_details_confirmed_wa_mart_lobbied_uk_government/ http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/4737/ http://joeg.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/7/4/451 http://walmartwatch.com/issues/political_influence/ http://www.examiner.com/x-21521-Huntington-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m11d28-Wal-Mart-does-again-this-time-in-Canada (http://www.themanagementor.com/kuniverse/kmailers_universe/mktg_kmailers/wal-mart.htm) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart) http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/WalMart-Stores-Inc-html)