Strategic analysis of WalMart

Strategic analysis of WalMart The secret of successful retailing is to give your customers what they want. And really, if you think about it from your point of view as a customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of good-quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction with what you buy; friendly, knowledgeable service; convenient hours; free parking; a pleasant shopping experience. Sam Walton (1918-1992) (WAL-MART FOUNDER) Wall mart bought a revolution in the field of retail industry with its tag line low Price Always. This is achieved through large scale of operation and bulk buying. Though it has a wafer thin profit margin, it is able to retain its cost leadership in market. Company History: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is not only the largest retailer in the world, it now also ranks as the largest corporation in the world. The retail giant dwarfs its nearest competition, generating three times the revenues of the worlds number two retailer, Frances Carrefour SA. Domestically, Wal-Mart has more than 1.2 million workers, making it the nations largest nongovernmental employer. U.S. operations include 1,478 Wal-Mart discount stores (located in all 50 states); 1,471 Wal-Mart Supercenters, which are combined discount outlets and grocery stores (and which make Wal-Mart the countrys top food retailer); 538 Sams Clubs, the number two U.S. warehouse membership club chain (trailing Costco Wholesale Corporation); and 64 Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets, smaller food and drug outlets also offering a selection of general merchandise. International operations, which commenced in 1991, include Wal-Mart discount stores in Canada and Puerto Rico; Wal-Mart Supercenters in Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom; and Sams Clubs in Brazil, China, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets are grocery stores that average about 42,000 square feet (3,901.9 m ²). They offer a variety of products, which include full lines of groceries, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty aids, photo developing services, and a limited selection of general merchandise. The first Neighborhood Market opened in 1998 in Bentonville, Arkansas. As of November 30, 2007, there were 128 Neighborhood Markets in the United States. Sams Club Sams Club is a chain of warehouse clubs which sell groceries and general merchandise, often in large quantities. Sams Club stores are membership stores and most customers buy annual memberships. However, non-members can make purchases either by buying a one-day membership or paying a surcharge based on the price of the purchase. Some locations also sell gasoline. The first Sams Club opened in 1983 in Midwest City, Oklahoma under the name Sams Wholesale Club. Sams has found a niche market in recent years as a supplier to small businesses. All Sams Club stores are open early hours exclusively for business members and its slogan, as such, is Were In Business for Small Business. WAL-MART GOING GLOBAL Wal-Mart and International Expansion Wal-Mart was entered into international markets by a conviction that it could achieve competitive advantage abroad by applying its combination of technology, logistics and human resources with its tremendous buying power with multinational consumer goods suppliers. Wal-Marts strategy has been to acquire companies and convert them into the Wal-Mart way stores. European retailers like Carrefour and Ahold, have more than 20 years of international experience than Wal-Mart. Multinational retailers entry is usually by mergers acquisitions, which is what Wal-Mart did in its initial entry into Mexico, with a joint venture with CIFRA, the most powerful retailer in Mexico. Models For Strategic Analysis ENVIORNMENTAL SCANNING OF WAL-MART External Environment Socio-cultural Throughout the world there is a large shift in our demographics. There currently is a larger aging population than ever before, and at the same time the birthrate in developed countries is decreasing, as it is increasing in underdeveloped countries. Due to advances in medicine individuals are living longer and longer, as it seems we can beat any disease. Health is becoming more and important to individuals as they exercise and eat better; everyone wants to stay healthy longer. At the same time in the United States in particular the population is getting fatter and fatter, preschool age children are being labeled as obese. Shopping has turned into a favorite pastime for the whole family, and when buying big-ticket items, everyone has a say. Increasingly there are more single-parent households, which does not leave much disposable income. Most two-parent households have both parents working and earning more, living in bigger houses, taking more vacations, and owning more cars. On the o ther hand we are currently experiencing a great deal of the American public has been downsized, and may be unemployed, starting a new career, or back in school. Technological Due to the current recession the government has been looking for any way possible to save money, and unfortunately research and development, non-military that is, was one of the first things to go. However many of the suppliers to retail are forced to continue their RD programs as competition is stiff and their product line needs to continually be updated. Technology is growing at an incredibly rapid pace that no one can keep up with it. There have been amazing growths in the areas of health, consumer goods, and food due to technology. As consumers are used to the ever-growing technology they are not as wary of it as in the past, but do not buy the newest thing, as quickly because the item it replaces is less than a year old. Production is becoming more and more automated which is pushing individuals out of jobs. The Internet is widely available in the United States, but that is not the case in the rest of the world. Even in parts of Europe many houses do not have computers much less access to the Internet. Telecommunications structures continue to be improved upon or even built. Politico-Legal USA has democratic form of government. In fact it is the one of the worlds oldest democracy of more than 200 years where everyone has a saying in the government. Pressure groups play a vital role in US democracy, a retail chain giant like Wal-Mart have their representatives in congress and senate. Hence , they keep a keen eye on all the policies and laws so that it is conducive with the Wal-marts future plans In case of any blockage lobbying is used by them. Economic US has capitalist system of economy, the mode of production is controlled by private enterprises. The economic conditions are favorable for operation of private firms. In fact big retail chains like Wal-mart has revolutionized the US economy Always Low Prices- ALWAYS .With trends of globalization Wal-mart is able to spread its wings in Asia-Pacific region where the economy is liberalized . Globalization, Liberalization and Privatisation gives economic policy that are is consonance with growth and expansion strategies of Wal-mart. Internal Environment Being the largest non-government employer and corporation in the world, Wal-Mart is bound to have an interesting internal structure put in place. So what exactly is the method to all the madness? Lets look inside Wal-Marts Internal Environment. Corporate Structure Wal-Mart is a public corporation, however the majority of the stock is still held by Walton family members. Therefore, there is lots of family involvement at the top level. The headquarters are in Bentonville, Arkansas, along with the control and decision making ability of the organization. There is a very hierarchical structure in place which only fuels the good old boys club for top management. The other unique element in Wal-Marts corporate structure is a strong culture that is fueled by the Wal-Mart way of doing things, which as far as they are concerned is the only way. WAL-MART ANALYSIS INTERNAL ANALYSIS ANALYZING RESOURCES Financial Resources Wal-Mart is the worlds largest and most profitable retailer. Wal-Marts pre tax return on sales was 8% during 1989 which was double the industry standard and it continues to be the front runner till today. Wal-Mart commands market value 10 times more than its book value. Wal mart stores FISCAL YEAR SEGMENT NET SALES SEGMENT OPEARTION INCOME 2007 7.8% $17029 2006 9.4% $15324 2005 10.1% $14163 Sams Club FISCAL YEAR SEGMENT NET SALES SEGMENT OPEARTION INCOME 2007 4.5% $1512 2006 7.29% $1385 2005 7.59% $1280 International FISCAL YEAR SEGMENT NET SALES SEGMENT OPEARTION INCOME 2007 30.2% $4259 2006 12.7% $3509 2005 19.3% $3197 Human Resources Wal-Mart promotes internal staff development and over 60% of its store managers are promoted internally then direct recruits. Wal-Mart believes in recruiting people with a flair for customer service and trains them accordingly to its strong company values. Employees are treated as owners as more than 70% of employees have shares of the company and incentives are paid in stock options too. Physical Resources Wal-Mart developed its computerized inventory system way back in 1970 that decreased check-out and reordering times and built highly automated distribution centres, reducing shipping cost and time. Wal-Mart has continued to be an innovator and has this has led it to create and sustain its competitive advantage by being the first and to be continuous to replace systems and processes replicated by competitors. Intellectual or Intangible Resources Wal-Marts core resources are its customers which total over 40 million per year. Wal-Mart has over 1.3 million associates (employees) at its stores, worldwide. The author feels this itself is unique which helps Wal-Mart get 1.3 million unique, hardcore loyal customers. Wal-Mart uses its technological capabilities to sustain its cost leadership in distribution and superior inventory systems. Culture Analysis Wal-Marts culture is as unique and distinctive as possible considering the mammoth that it has grown into today. Usually firms even of a small and medium company find it hard to maintain and build good customer service but Wal-Mart has always had it as its foundation and till today preaches and practices exemplary customer service. Wal-Marts Corporate Citizenship actively helps development of the community with programs spread across education, health, and environment. Wal-Marts Code Adam, a tribute to a lost child in a retail store helps prevent children getting lost in stores today which make it a safer place for families to shop. Wal-Marts Ten Foot Rule and Sundown Rule all promote the employees to treat the customer right, first time, always. Employees are treated as Associates inspiring their status. The everyday morning cheers act as a ritual and cheer and energize the associates making them part of the organization. Associates acting as greeters at the entrance of every store worldwide is unique and makes the customer more welcome and special. P.E.S.T. ANALYSIS FOR WAL-MART P.E.S.T. Analysis Political Influences à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ European Customs and Regulations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ FDI Restrictions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ UKs Zoning Regulations Economic Influence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ War in Iraq à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Terrorism à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exchange Rates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Low levels of productivity in Asian Countries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Wall Street Improvements Social Influence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marketing strategies ineffective à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Absence of Bulk Buying à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Language and Cultural Barriers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Anti-Globalisation Movements Technological Influence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Advances in Technology and Satellite systems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of basic infrastructure Political Influences The political influences in this industry is probably the most burning concern with organizations going global and many countries restricting the growth of companies by many countries. European Customs and Regulations heavily hamper expansion plans. FDI in many countries are still heavily regulated and global companies are yet to set foot into emerging markets like India. Economic Influences War on Iraq has had a negative impact on consumer spending and outlook. Disproportionate levels of income and consumer spending in developing countries like India and China will impact growth of global companies. Exchange rates affect global sourcing and pricing policies on a day to day basis. Recent developments with Wall Street have helped foster a better relation and helped in Wal-Marts listing and ratings. Social Influences Developing countries are not used to push type marketing and aggressive selling. Bulk buying patterns predominantly present in USA, is non-existent in Asian countries. Language and cultural factors is a barrier to globalisation. Anti-Globalisation movements in the recent past has affected growth of global companies, especially companies originated USA. Technological Influences Development in technology and satellite systems has given a boost to Wal-Mart. Basic infrastructure still lacks for effective warehousing and distribution, the lifeline of a retail chain. PORTERS 5 FORCES ANALYSIS FOR WAL-MART Porters Analysis SUBSTITUTES CUSTOMERS SUPPLIERS MARKET NEW ENTRANTS Horizontal Forces Mature markets Vertical Forces Growth Markets Vertical and Horizontal Competitive and changing markets WAL-MART SUPPLIERS POWER Wal-Mart enjoyed a 50 percent market share position in the discount retail industry. Procter Gamble, Clorox, and Johnson Johnson were among its nearly 3,000 suppliers. Though Wal-Mart may have been the top customer for consumer product manufacturers, it deliberately ensured it did not become too dependent on any one supplier; no single vendor constituted more than 4 percent of its overall purchase volume. Further, Wal-Mart had persuaded its suppliers to have electronic hook-ups with its stores. About 85 percent of all the merchandise sold by Wal-Mart was shipped through its distribution system to its stores. (Competitors supplied to their retail outlets on average less than 50 percent of the merchandise through their own distribution centers.) Wal-Mart used a saturation strategy for store expansion. The standard was to be able to drive from a distribution center to a store within a day. A distribution center was strategically placed so that it could eventually serve 150-200 Wal-Mart stores within a day. Stores were built as far away as possible but still within a days drive of the distribution center; the area then was filled back (or saturated back) to the distribution center. Each distribution center operated 24 hours a day using laser-guided conveyer belts and cross-docking techniques that received goods on one side while simultaneously filling orders on the other. The company owned a fleet of more than 3,000 trucks and 12,000 trailers. (Most competitors outsourced trucking.) Wal-Mart had implemented a satellite network system that allowed information to be shared between the companys wide network of stores, distribution centers, and suppliers. The system consolidated orders for goods, enabling the company to buy full truckload quantities without incurring the inventory costs. The bargaining power of suppliers and buyers is low with Wal-Mart having established a near monopoly in its home market and increasing its market-share in its overseas operations. Wal- Mart is already Canadas and Mexicos top retail chain and in UK is at the third position. Threat of entry remains low in the home market and globally. The entry scene is limited to existing retail chains as the cost of setup is substantial. Regulatory restrictions are also a concern here. Threat of substitute products is low to medium with consumers having a choice from different stores to buy the same product at highly competitive prices. A sixth force, called the complementors enable the firm whose products or services work in conjunction with enabling a synergistic effect .Wal-Mart sees more customers than the banks do these days. Recent antitrust lawsuits over Visa and MasterCard by retailers, headed by Wal-Mart, alleging the use of expensive debit cards and the costs borne by the retailers may upset the market .The intensity of competitive rivalry can be classified low to medium The power obtained by the low bargaining power of suppliers and buyers is offset by the threat of substitutes and threat of entry. Overall a substantial amount of power still lies with Wal-Mart considering the scale of operations and maturity in its industry. WAL-MART S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS Strengths Wal-Mart is the largest corporation in the world giving it enormous status and recognition in the industry and new markets. Wal-Mart is great at building and maintaining relationships with suppliers. Wal-Mart is a continuous learning organization with integrated systems and frequent meetings with store and aisle managers and systems that receive 8.4 million updates every minute on transactions from its stores. More than 70 million customers roam Wal- Mart aisles each week (Fortune, 2003). Wal-Marts distribution centre and logistics capabilities are a key strength adding value to its entire system. Wal-Marts cross-docking and effective inventory managements gives its a 3% cost advantage which helps sustain its Every Day Low Price strategy . Weaknesses Wal-Mart shows little adaptability to its formats in overseas expansions. Wal-Mart is still to develop its expertise in international marketing. Shows weakness in its expansion by not fulfilling expansion plan of opening 50 new stores in Germany during 2001. Opportunities Growing middle class of consumers in emerging markets like China and India, gives Wal- Mart a tremendous opportunity for global expansion. There is growing consolidation in the market with the weak economy which is also leaving many competitors up for sale at below book value. Growth of e-commerce enables a new business channel and Wal-Mart has aggressively trying to capture and create its presence in this medium too. Threats Recent years have witnessed anti-globalisation movements affecting global companies and American companies in general and Wal-Mart can face stiff resistance from consumers in new markets. Recent wars and outbreaks have affected sales globally. Increased competition in mature markets like Germany and U.K. with established retail chains dominating despite Wal-Marts entry. Growing trade blocks and zoning regulations hamper Wal-Marts expansion plans. Summary The beauty of Wal-Marts Value Chain is the scale of operations and the control it exercises over each activity. Wal-Mart takes care of all the activities internally except partially outsourcing its logistics requirements. Its systems integration from inventory, to stores, to headquarters to suppliers is the lifeline of its success. Transportation undertaken by its own fleet of trucks is an added advantage. The core activity remains in its bulk buying and inventory management which supports Wal-Marts competitive advantage of pricing and every element shows traces of cost leadership. Total integration is key here. Wal-Mart located its discount stores around regional warehouses allowing a streamlined and low cost physical distribution . CONCLUSION Wal-Mart considering its scale and scope of operations has given a dynamic perspective in analysis of the many frameworks analyzed with. Strategists like Govindrajan and Gupta, who specialize in globalisation, endorse and acknowledge Wal-Mart as a global organization and highly lauding Ironically, Rugman, argues, Wal-Mart as a regional player with regional strategy considering that Wal-Mart has only 9.6% of its stores outside its home region and only 16.3% of revenue is generated from stores outside its home country. Again considering classification such as the NAFTA and the TRIAD, large economies (Countries) are clubbed together and treated as one which the author disagrees to justify as one. Arguments such as only a certain percentage of business is generated outside the TRIAD making a business less global are arguments the author disagrees with. With the EU becoming as one then soon, the world will become large chunks of amalgamations. The simple definition or presence in different markets should be taken into consideration of being global. Many strategists do not give concessions for the time the business has started to expand globally. Wal-Mart for instance has grown to such a strong position over 40 years, this would take considerable time to replicate and adapt in international markets. Analysis using Yips Globalisation / Localisation Drivers shows the industry and Wal-Mart in general moving towards globalisation but yet maintaining key aspects to localisation. This could be the way ahead. The Transnational Model illustrates the same key aspect. Marketing strategy and product variation though it can be global, it needs to be tuned to the local market catered considering the emergence of localisation preference in consumers. The market has gone too global, that consumers place an emphasis of localisation. Acknowledgements are made that the industry is maturing far greater than Internationalisation but its yet to be seen as a global player. But its a matter of time before it expands it to new markets and creates a foothold. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR WAL-MART Analysis of the generic strategy and the supporting value chain, gives us a good insight into sources of Wal-Marts competitive advantage. When two or more firms compete within the same market, one firm possesses competitive advantage over its rivals when it earns a persistently higher rate of profit . Wal-Marts capability to outperform its rivals is achieved with its ability to outperform its competitors quickly and effectively. Supporting this is its, highly integrated systems, technological advances, highly efficient inventory management skills, few markdowns and few stock-outs. This is supported also by its corporate culture encouraging and rewarding initiative and innovation. Low cost leadership helps the firm above average returns in the industry despite strong competitive forces . Traces of cost leadership are noticeable in the value chain. Wal-Mart saves costs by holding stocks for less than 48 hours in its inventory. Wal- Mart is known to negotiate with suppliers for the lowest cost of the product without any frills and marketing expenses which adds to the cost later. Wal-Marts purchase by the truckload saves costs again by bulk purchasing. Wal-Marts inventory handling and logistics distribution with its own fleet of 2000 plus trucks help attain a cost effective distribution channel than relying on unreliable suppliers networks which costs in delays. But is Wal-Marts strategy based solely on cost or does it have any other attributes based on its characteristics. Wal-Mart appears to have a differentiation strategy. The differentiation strategy is one of differentiating the product or service offering of the firm, creating something that is perceived industry-wide as being unique. It can be design or brand image, technology, features, customer service, dealer network or other dimensions High degree of customer service with store greeters and no questions asked policies reaffirms Wal-Marts differentiation from its competitors. Every Day Low Price strategy helped reinforce Wal-Mart was the lowest price. The third generic strategy advocated by Porter is the focus strategy. The focus strategy is focusing on a particular buyer group, segment of the product line or geographic market as with differentiation, focus may take many forms .Wal-Mart right from its foundation located its stores to out of town areas with small populations. This was a segment ignore by its competitors giving Wal-Mart an edge over competition by locating itself in a low competitive environment before it creates competition. Wal-Marts focus on the segment of people targeted as well as its location of stores, does give it an attribute of the focus strategy. Effective implementation of any of these generic strategies usually requires total commitment and supporting organizational arrangements that are diluted if there is more than one primary target .Arguably Porter termed organizations attempting cost leadership and differentiation together as stuck-in-the-middle and it does not lead to competitive advantage and its sustainability. Academic criticism is not new and Porter has received his share of it. Most strategists feel low cost leadership alone, does not lead to competitive advantage unless there is an element of differentiation. A strategy combining elements of low cost, price and leadership is known as hybrid strategy .Mintzberg advocated the hybrid strategy for it combines both elements of low cost leadership with differentiation. However, the fact can not be denied that Wal-Mart has a focus strategy as well as a differentiation strategy. Overall the company thrives on cost leadership. The global validity of these are tested with Wal-Marts core strategy in every market it operates, it maintains cost leadership in all activities as well as it maintains its differentiation by having exemplary service. The adoption of the focus strategy globally can be critiqued as Wal-Mart is unable to expand into most markets like UK and Europe with tight zoning regulations and its entry into these markets have been through mergers and acquisitions. But the focus of the segment of customers targeted remains undiluted though the focus of location geographically is understood to be compromised considering the market conditions. SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Wal-Marts sustainable competitive advantage can be attributed to its cost advantage supported by its inventory management skills and processes and expertise in supply chain management (which can not be replicated considering the scale of operations) and its culture which promotes aggressive customer service and satisfaction through satisfied and happy associates.The ability to build and maintain relationships with its customers, suppliers, and its associates and its speed in innovation and initiative ness is also a source of sustainable competitive advantage. CORE COMPETENCIES FOR WAL-MART Prahalad and Hamel (1990) define core competencies as the collective learning of the organization, especially how to co-ordinate diverse production skills and integrate multiple streams of technologies. The cumulative learning acquired with experience in an industry enhances a firms competence. Wal-Marts core competence can be said to be its knowledge achieved by its inventory management skills with its supply chain management facilitated by its innovations like the cross-docking techniques and its innovation in information technology and in relationship strategy maintained with its customers, suppliers, and associates and its cost strategy achieved with its scale of operations. This passes the three tests whereby its providing added value to customers and is difficult for competitors to imitate considering the scale of operations to achieve such economies and provides access to wider markets. Wal-Marts achieves competencies from: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cross docking à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supply chain management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Communication strategy with suppliers and associates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Relationship strategy with suppliers and associates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People strategy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cost strategy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Location and market strategy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ability and inspiration from Sam Walton à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customer service strategy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Knowledge management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Innovation in I.T. and warehousing and inventory management Although an exhaustive list, Wal-Mart does achieve and maintain the above in proportions unseen in its industry. Although they are imitateable, competitors have been unable to replicate the entire series and sustain it. Profit verses non-profit objectives: We can see one difference in both the objectives i.e. in profitable objectives we have to emphasise revenue, profit growth and our product must be able to fulfil our customer demands. But non-profit objectives are just to complete the need of our organisation i.e. general community, health and welfare.

Deception Point Page 66

The old man turned off the television. â€Å"NASA claimed Dr. Harper was not feeling well that night.† He paused. â€Å"I happen to think Harper was lying.† Lying? Sexton stared, his fuzzy thoughts unable to piece together any logical rationale for why Harper would have lied about the software. Still, Sexton had told enough lies in his life to recognize a poor liar when he saw one. He had to admit, Dr. Harper sure looked suspicious. â€Å"Perhaps you don't realize?† the old man said. â€Å"This little announcement you just heard Chris Harper give is the single most important press conference in NASA history.† He paused. â€Å"That convenient software fix he just described is what allowed PODS to find the meteorite.† Sexton puzzled. And you think he was lying about it? â€Å"But, if Harper was lying, and the PODS software isn't really working, then how the hell did NASA find the meteorite?† The old man smiled. â€Å"Exactly.† 77 The U.S. military's fleet of â€Å"repo† aircraft repossessed during drug-trade arrests consisted of over a dozen private jets, including three reconditioned G4s used for transporting military VIPs. A half hour ago, one of those G4s had lifted off the Thule runway, fought its way above the storm, and was now pounding southward into the Canadian night en route to Washington. Onboard, Rachel Sexton, Michael Tolland, and Corky Marlinson had the eight-seat cabin to themselves, looking like some kind of disheveled sports team in their matching blue U.S.S. Charlotte jumpsuits and caps. Despite the roar of the Grumman engines, Corky Marlinson was asleep in the rear. Tolland sat near the front, looking exhausted as he gazed out the window at the sea. Rachel was beside him, knowing she could not sleep even if she'd been sedated. Her mind churned through the mystery of the meteorite, and, most recently, the dead room conversation with Pickering. Before signing off, Pickering had given Rachel two additional pieces of disturbing information. First, Marjorie Tench claimed to possess a video recording of Rachel's private deposition to the White House staff. Tench was now threatening to use the video as evidence if Rachel tried to go back on her confirmation of the meteorite data. The news was particularly unsettling because Rachel had specifically told Zach Herney that her remarks to the staff were for in-house use only. Apparently Zach Herney had ignored that request. The second bit of troubling news dealt with a CNN debate her father had attended earlier in the afternoon. Apparently, Marjorie Tench had made a rare appearance and deftly baited Rachel's father into crystallizing his position against NASA. More specifically, Tench had cajoled him into crudely proclaiming his skepticism that extraterrestrial life would ever be found. Eat his hat? That's what Pickering said her father had offered to do if NASA ever found extraterrestrial life. Rachel wondered how Tench had managed to coax out that propitious little sound bite. Clearly, the White House had been setting the stage carefully-ruthlessly lining up all the dominoes, preparing for the big Sexton collapse. The President and Marjorie Tench, like some sort of political tag team wrestling duo, had maneuvered for the kill. While the President remained dignified outside the ring, Tench had moved in, circling, cunningly lining up the senator for the presidential body slam. The President had told Rachel he'd asked NASA to delay announcing the discovery in order to provide time to confirm the accuracy of the data. Rachel now realized there were other advantages to waiting. The extra time had given the White House time to dole out the rope with which the senator would hang himself. Rachel felt no sympathy for her father, and yet she now realized that beneath the warm and fuzzy exterior of President Zach Herney, a shrewd shark lurked. You did not become the most powerful man in the world without a killer instinct. The question now was whether this shark was an innocent bystander-or a player. Rachel stood, stretching her legs. As she paced the aisle of the plane, she felt frustrated that the pieces to this puzzle seemed so contradictory. Pickering, with his trademark chaste logic, had concluded the meteorite must be fake. Corky and Tolland, with scientific assurance, insisted the meteorite was authentic. Rachel only knew what she had seen-a charred, fossilized rock being pulled from the ice. Now, as she passed beside Corky, she gazed down at the astrophysicist, battered from his ordeal on the ice. The swelling on his cheek was going down now, and the stitches looked good. He was asleep, snoring, his pudgy hands clutching the disk-shaped meteorite sample like some kind of security blanket. Rachel reached down and gently slipped the meteorite sample away from him. She held it up, studying the fossils again. Remove all assumptions, she told herself, forcing herself to reorganize her thoughts. Reestablish the chain of substantiation. It was an old NRO trick. Rebuilding a proof from scratch was a process known as a â€Å"null start†-something all data analysts practiced when the pieces didn't quite fit. Reassemble the proof. She began pacing again. Does this stone represent proof of extraterrestrial life? Proof, she knew, was a conclusion built on a pyramid of facts, a broad base of accepted information on which more specific assertions were made. Remove all the base assumptions. Start again. What do we have? A rock. She pondered that for a moment. A rock. A rock with fossilized creatures. Walking back toward the front of the plane, she took her seat beside Michael Tolland. â€Å"Mike, let's play a game.† Tolland turned from the window, looking distant, apparently deep in his own thoughts. â€Å"A game?† She handed him the meteorite sample. â€Å"Let's pretend you're seeing this fossilized rock for the first time. I've told you nothing about where it came from or how it was found. What would you tell me it is?† Tolland heaved a disconsolate sigh. â€Å"Funny you should ask. I just had the strangest thought†¦ â€Å" Hundreds of miles behind Rachel and Tolland, a strange-looking aircraft stayed low as it tore south above a deserted ocean. Onboard, the Delta Force was silent. They had been pulled out of locations in a hurry, but never like this. Their controller was furious. Earlier, Delta-One had informed the controller that unexpected events on the ice shelf had left his team with no option but to exercise force-force that had included killing four civilians, including Rachel Sexton and Michael Tolland. The controller reacted with shock. Killing, although an authorized last resort, obviously never had been part of the controller's plan. Later, the controller's displeasure over the killings turned to outright rage when he learned the assassinations had not gone as planned. â€Å"Your team failed!† the controller seethed, the androgynous tone hardly masking the person's rage. â€Å"Three of your four targets are still alive!† Impossible! Delta-One had thought. â€Å"But we witnessed-â€Å" â€Å"They made contact with a submarine and are now en route to Washington.† â€Å"What!† The controller's tone turned lethal. â€Å"Listen carefully. I am about to give you new orders. And this time you will not fail.† 78 Senator Sexton was actually feeling a flicker of hope as he walked his unexpected visitor back out to the elevator. The head of the SFF, as it turned out, had not come to chastise Sexton, but rather to give him a pep talk and tell him the battle was not yet over. A possible chink in NASA's armor. The videotape of the bizarre NASA press conference had convinced Sexton that the old man was right-PODS mission director Chris Harper was lying. But why? And if NASA never fixed the PODS software, how did NASA find the meteorite?

Essay on Domestic Violence in Rural Areas - 2224 Words

Domestic violence is a serious criminal, familial, and societal problem. Statistics indicate that many women fall victim to domestic violence however it is impossible to quantify the actual pain and degradation they face. Fear and terror are equally impossible to quantify as women and family anticipate their next assault. Domestic violence touches all walks of life therefore the use of gender specific language should not be construed to mean that domestic violence is only perpetrated on women or in heterosexual relationships. However, academic research consistently demonstrates that the majority of domestic violence victims are female and the batters male. For the purpose of this paper, violence perpetrated on women from men will be†¦show more content†¦While these fears are universal among women, women in rural areas seem to be at greater disadvantages than women in urban and suburban communities in terms of getting away from their perpetrators or receiving assistance from the criminal justice system. This disadvantage is primarily due to geographical and social isolation. Rural Regions Defined The culture of rural regions differs significantly from urban regions in terms of demographics, homogeneity and diversity. Rural regions in terms of demographics are regions that consist of approximately 2,500 or less persons. These regions are understood to be countrysides or small towns when compared to urban dichotomies. Rural communities are also referred to as primitive societies in which farming, hunting, coal mining, and agriculture occupations exist. 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Lavender Menace the Phrase, the Group, the Controversy

The phrase lavender menace was  coined by NOW leader Betty Friedan, who used it at a NOW meeting in 1969, claiming  that outspoken lesbians were a threat to the feminist movement, arguing that the presence of these women distracted from the goals of gaining economic and social equality for women. The color lavender is associated with the  LGBT/gay rights  movement in general.  Ã‚   Ironically, this exclusion of and challenge to those questioning heterosexuality was a major impetus for the creation of lesbian feminist groups and a lesbian feminist identity.  Many feminists, not just Friedan, in the  National Organization for Women  (NOW) felt that lesbian issues were irrelevant to the majority of women and would hinder the feminist cause, and that identifying the movement with lesbians and their rights would make it harder to win feminist victories. Many lesbians had found a comfortable activism home within the rising feminist movement, and this exclusion stung.  It called into serious question for them the concept of sisterhood. If the personal is political how could sexual identity, women identifying with women and not with men,  not  be part of feminism? At the time, many feminists, and not only lesbians, criticized Friedan. Susan Brownmiller, a straight woman feminist and a theorist about rape and later pornography, wrote in an article in  Time  that  there was  A lavender herring, perhaps, but no clear and present danger.  This remark further infuriated many lesbian feminists, as they saw it as minimizing their importance. A few lesbian feminists, agreeing that association of the movement with lesbians  could delay the fights to win other womens rights, stayed with the mainstream feminist movement.  Many lesbian feminists left NOW and other general feminist groups and formed their own groups. Lavender Menace: the Group The Lavender Menace was one of the groups created as backlash to this exclusion of lesbians.The group formed in 1970, with many members involved in the Gay Liberation Front and the National Organization for Women. The group, including Rita Mae Brown who resigned from a NOW staff job,  disrupted the 1970 Second Congress to Unite Women, sponsored by NOW.  The congress had excluded any lesbian rights issues from the agenda.  The activists cut the lights at the conference, and when the lights came on they had shirts with the name lavender menace on them.  They handed out a manifesto they called the Woman-Identified Woman. Other members included  Lois Hart, Karla Jay,Barbara Love, Artemis March and Ellen Shumsky. NOW Comes Around In 1971, NOW included lesbian rights among its policies, and eventually lesbian rights became one of the six key issues NOW addressed. In 1977, at the National Womens Conference in Houston, Texas, Betty Friedan apologized for her promotion of exclusion of lesbians as disrupters of the womens movement, and supported actively a resolution against sexual preference discrimination.  (When this passed, the Mississippi delegation hoisted signs saying Keep Them in the Closet.) In 1991, newly-elected NOW president Patricia Ireland stated her intention to live with a female partner. She remained president of the organization for ten years.  NOW sponsored a Lesbian Rights Summit in 1999. Pronunciation: ˈla-vÉ™n-dÉ™r ˈ men-us Memoir: Tales of the Lavender Menace In 1999, Karla Jay published a memoir she titled  Tales of the Lavender Menace.  In her book, she tells the story of radical feminism and lesbian feminism in New York and California, 1968 through 1972. She was part of the Columbia student uprising, several radical feminist, lesbian liberation, and lesbian feminist groups, and the takeover by women of The Ladies Home Journal, among her activities at the time.  Jay was later a co-founder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives and worked with that institution for 25 years.