Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Counter Culture of the 1920s Essay - 1493 Words

The counter culture of the 1920’s has affected the way the American lifestyle is today. Counter culture is a culture that primarily consists of younger people, with values and lifestyles opposing those of the original established culture. (Dictionary.com) A need for change. The 1920’s are also known as the â€Å"Jazz Age,† which was coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the â€Å"Roaring Twenties.† It was a decade of change. (Hakim, 41) The counterculture of the 1920’s resulted from the Age of Jazz, Flappers, and the Harlem Renaissance. Out of the streets of New Orleans, a new form of music arose. This new type of music was not known as African or European, but simply American. It was jazz. In 1900 jazz first developed, but it wasn’t until the†¦show more content†¦Louis was born in New Orleans where he grew up and learned to play the trumpet. He also learned to sing. Because of his long improvised solos, he inspired jazz so that long solos became an important part of jazz pieces and performances. (Cayton, 462) Armstrong was the king of jazz trumpet players. The new style that he created gave a voice-like quality to his horn. (Hakim, 58) Although Jazz was very popular itself, a majority of the fans and listeners were younger people. Flappers were commonly known during this time. They danced to the jazz music with a whole new style. A flapper was a modern woman of the 1920’s with bobbed hair, short skirts, and dramatic make-up. (sparknotes.com) The flapper was also used to represent a new type of young woman. It represented a woman that was bold, rebellious, and energetic. Only a small percentage of American women were flappers. The image of the flapper had a huge impact on the rest of the nation’s fashion and behavior. Most women began to cut their hair short. It was called bobbing. Many parents wouldn’t allow it. To the older generation, it seemed taboo to have short hair. Some of the daughters of these people felt old-fashioned for not having their hair cut short. (Hakim, 42) Before the twenties, it was rare for a woman’s ankle to be glimpsed upon beneath long skirts. Yet, during the ’20’s, the ankles were highly visible as the hemlines for women’s skirts rapidly went up and up, asShow MoreRelatedThe Roaring Twenties By F. Scott Fitzgerald860 Words   |  4 Pageswas a celebration of youth and culture. All of America seemed to have an unquenchable thirst for entertainment and art. So life during the 1920’s brought new forms of entertainment, new movements in the arts, and new attitudes and fashion for women. Movies quickly became a national pastime, radios became a primary news source, painters started capturing the realities and dreams of America, and music composers created a distinct type of music called jazz. The 1920’s also brought forward insightfulRead MoreThe Fall Of Patriotic Ideals1535 Words   |  7 PagesAfter the 1940’s, tensions between America and the Soviet Union rose into a world conflict. Once more the American people were tasked with protecting the world from the evils of tyranny. Although the Cold War never did result in a direct conflict between the Soviet Union and America, the two nations battled through a series of proxy wars. In the 1950’s, American soldiers were deployed to South Korea to protect America’s ally from the threat of a North Korean invasion. In the 1960’s American soldiersRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1046 Words   |  5 PagesIn the 1920’s a plethora of things shaped the society. There were so many drastic changes and differences. occurring this time from people s, homes, cars, and money the 20’s encountered some complex times. As Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby he focused on different things like the stock market, homes, and cars. The 1920’s America was in a time of prosperity and economic growth. Fashion, innovation and business, architecture was thriving more than ever before. Citizens were giving a chance toRead MoreCinderella Man Analysis1474 Words   |  6 PagesUnited States began transitioning into an urbanized society and into the Gilded Age during the 1880’s through the 1920’s. The country seemed to be perfect beyond the surface, yet corruption struck the nation underneath. In response, the Progressive Era was introduced to the United States to eliminate the widespread issues in the country. The movie Cinderella Man accurately portrays the life in the 1920’s, Great Depression, and the New Deal through James Braddock’s life before and after his heroic recoveryRead MoreThe Impact Of Migration On African American History913 Words   |  4 PagesAfrican Americans participated in migration just as much as whites did and have been migrating all throughout the United Sta tes since the first African slave ship made its way to Jamestown in 1619. Florette Henri’s Black Migration: Movement North, 1900-1920 (1975) focuses on the beginning of the large-scale relocation of black people from the South to the North and West. The book’s overall theme is, as Henri states in the preface, that black Americans in the early decades of the century had far moreRead MoreEffects Of World War I Ended On The 1920s1567 Words   |  7 PagesHarding proposed â€Å"a return to normalcy†. This promised a return of the United States prewar mentality, without the thought of war contaminating the minds of the American people. With this in mind, the 1920s began- but Americans in the 1930s witnessed dramatic changes in their lives from the 1920s. The 1920s was a period of prosperity and economic success, while the 1930s was a time of economic downfall. The economy fluctuated between times of great prosperity and times of undoubtable depression. FollowingRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1599 Words   |  7 PagesFrancis Scott Fitzgerald was an author who wrote several books based around his time of life. Fitzgerald lived during the Roaring 20’s and recorded many important events and theme s that occurred around him. One of Fitzgerald’s most popular novels is named The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is written to reproduce the environment that Fitzgerald was living in. This semiautobiographical work uses fictitious characters to portray how people around Fitzgerald acted and what the overall theme ofRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald818 Words   |  4 PagesThirteen â€Å"Dry† Years: The Amendment that Banned Alcohol for Thirteen Years On January 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment was enforced throughout the United States: Prohibition. The18th Amendment banned the selling, manufacturing, and production of alcohol. Just a short thirteen years later the 21st Amendment was passed, repealing the18th Amendment. Banning alcohol intended to lower crime rates and eliminate other social problems in the early 21st century. However, the banning of alcohol did not end socialRead More T.s. Eliot Essay1241 Words   |  5 Pages As one of Americas first modernist poets, T. S. Eliots unique style and subject matter would have a dramatic influence on writers for the century to come. Born in 1888 in St. Louis Mo. at the tail end of the quot;Cowboy eraquot; he grew up in the more civilized industrial era of the early 20th century, a time of the Wright Brothers and Henry Ford. The Eliot family was endowed with some of the best intellectual and political connections in America of that time, and as a result went to only theRead MoreThe Women s Suffrage Movement1443 Words   |  6 PagesThe woman suffrage movement, which succeeded in 1920 with the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment, coincided with major national reform movements seeking to improve public education, create public health programs, regulate business and industrial practices, and establish standards agencies to ensure pure food and public water supplies. In 1870, the first attempt that Virginia women, as a campaign, fought for the right to vote in Ne w Jersey when native Anna Whitehead Bodeker invited several men and

Monday, December 16, 2019

Symbolism in the Road Not Taken, “A Worn Path”, and I Used to Live Here Once Free Essays

string(180) " slowly in the dark pine shadows, moving a little from side to side in her steps, with the balanced heaviness and lightness of a pendulum in a grand-father clock† \(Clugston, R\." 2Symbolism in Literature Published by susansteppe, February 27, 2011 Symbolism in â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, â€Å"A Worn Path†, and â€Å"Used to Live Here Once†. When looking at the short story and poem it is impossible to see it all in a literal form. There is always some sort of symbolism that occurs within the body of the text, but what is symbolism. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism in the Road Not Taken, â€Å"A Worn Path†, and I Used to Live Here Once or any similar topic only for you Order Now It can be defined differently by many people. Even when looking at a dictionary it does not typically give a thorough answer. It is because symbolism is created by the author. However, it can be contradicted or have a completely obscure meaning to the reader. This is the exact reason why symbolism cannot be defined. However, it can be interpreted. Understanding the journey that characters take and their symbolic nature is definitely worth decoding. In fact, the symbolism of the journey is usually the basis behind the literary work itself. One of the well-known literary works with a symbolic journey is Robert Frost’s â€Å"The Road Not Taken. † In the poem there is a man who has come to a crossroad in his life. One path is traveled on frequently while the other path is not. He has to make a decision as to what path he should take. No matter what, he knows that he cannot turn back once he has made the choice, but it is implied. He chooses the path less traveled and, in turn, it happens to be the best choice he had ever made. Many have analyzed this poem and many have come up with different ideas of what it actually means. Some say it is about suicide, some say it is about life changes, while others insist it is about life changes. When is the interpretation wrong? The reader gets what they must out of the poem as they read it. It depends on what life situation they are going through at that time. The author, Robert Frost, knew what he was writing about. Therefore, the interpretation of the poem actually merges itself with the reader. Regardless, there is a journey that occurs throughout this poem. To analyze the literary work there needs to be a beginning. Read more in Poetry  « Does a Sonnet Always Have 14 Lines? Poetry Comparison Essay – â€Å"The Evacuee† and â€Å"Death of a Naturalist†  »In the first two lines of Robert Frost’s poem he says: â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both† (Clugston, R. W. , 2010; section 2. 2). There is a certain symbolism in the yellow wood. It is not that the forest was filled with yellow trees. It was obviously at the beginning of fall. Fall is the season that everyone slows down from the summer. The anticipation of winter is coming and can cause a sort of depression in some people. It would explain why he wanted to travel both. The following line says: â€Å"And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth† (Clugston, R. W. , 2010; sec 2. 2). Here the reader comes to understand that the man took his time looking down the path. This could symbolize patience or a lack of movement, which would again go along with the idea that the man was depressed. Another aspect of the idea of depression, one path had leaves on it while the other was grassy. When someone is depressed they do not want to go down a dreary path. Instead, they would want to go down the grassy path that looked less traveled. Perhaps then something would change in their life. The actual symbolism of the paths themselves goes right along with that idea. However, the man was obviously optimistic because he did think about saving the one path for another day. He does contradict himself when he doubts that he will come back. The symbolism occurs with his doubts. He knows that once he goes down one path that he will not be able to come back at all. When the reader thinks about it there is an ordinary situation with this scenario because the entire poem is about a man who stops when he comes to a fork in the road. Nevertheless, the road actually is a symbol for life. That is where the imaginative language is used, and it is used in order to create emotion. Should the man go down the path with the leaves covering it? What are the leaves representing? The leaves were not scattered everywhere, so the road was less traveled upon. In fact, the leaves represent the difficult trials that were to follow. Basically, it is easier to walk a path that has nothing in the way then one that does not. Therefore, the images that are particularly effective are the two paths and the leaves. These symbols change the tone of the poem to confusion, but it actually provokes deep thought when the traveler states that he took the one less traveled by. In the short story â€Å"A Worn Path† symbolism of the journey also occurs. Yet, it is much different from Frost’s â€Å"A Path Not Taken. In Frost’s poem he has the choice of two different paths, but in â€Å"A Worn Path† the old woman, Phoenix Jackson, takes the same path over and over again. The path that Phoenix takes is a path that she has taken many times before in order to get medicine for her grandson. The symbol of the path is life’s long journey. After all, she is an old woman who has dealt with many things in her life. The symbolism of the pendulum in a grandfather clock also pertains to her age. She is an old woman, a poor one at that, who walks with a cane made from an old umbrella. She was very old and small and she walked slowly in the dark pine shadows, moving a little from side to side in her steps, with the balanced heaviness and lightness of a pendulum in a grand-father clock† (Clugston, R. You read "Symbolism in the Road Not Taken, â€Å"A Worn Path†, and I Used to Live Here Once" in category "Papers" W. , 2010 sec 6. 3). When Phoenix hears the noises in the thicket she is determined to make sure they stay away. This represents her strength of mind. Her willpower is a large part of the symbolism within the story because of the long journey she has to take. She is not on a mission to help herself. Instead, she is on a mission to help a part of her family. Therefore, it is a purpose driven trip, so when the animals make noise in the distance she does everything possible to make sure she scares them off. It is a life-saving task in which she cannot fail. It is then that Phoenix has to climb a hill that is almost too difficult for her. The hill actually symbolizes the struggle of life. When everyone is a child it is easy to do anything. Hills are no big deal to climb, bicycles are easy to ride, and running everywhere is as simple as eating. However, as a person ages it is more difficult to do things. That is where the hill comes in to play. She needs to climb the hill in order to conquer aging. There was no way that she could give up easily because of the journey she was taking. Also on the hill is a bush that catches her dress. The bush signifies the obstacles in her life. She obviously lived a hard life. She had many wrinkles, her clothes spoke for themselves, and she had not been able to clean herself every day. The fact that she was poor epitomizes the fact that she had lived a hard life up until this point. Once she freed herself from the bush it characterized her willpower again. Nothing was going to stop her from completing her task. Another important factor about the bush was that she yelled at it. She called in a pretty green bush. That symbolizes the fact that she did not recognize the many of the obstacles in her life until they actually came to pass. After she struggles with the bush she sees the sun. The sun signifies the importance of dealing with the struggles in her life. Basically, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. She was freed from that turmoil that happened in her life and she could go on. There was a new beginning, or she could start things anew. Unfortunately, that was not the end of her struggle through life because there was the large log in the way. The log embodies the act of accomplishment. No one could stand in for her. She, Phoenix, had to overcome her own tussle. Once again, a fight for security is symbolized with the barbed wire fence. On her journey she sees a buzzard, which is a symbol of death. When thinking about a buzzard many imagine them circling around a carcass. It is their way of claiming their meal for the day. Nevertheless, this one was just sitting there. The fact that he was not moving could symbolize death waiting for her. Yet, Phoenix was not ready for death. She may be getting old, but there was no room for death in her excursion. Shortly after she sees the buzzard she comes upon a scarecrow. Buzzards, crows, and other birds usually sit on the arms of a scarecrow. That exemplifies death as well, but instead of avoiding the scarecrow she dances in front of it. She was mocking death, or telling death in her own way that she would have no part of it. After all, she was on a mission to help her grandson. He had a throat condition, probably asthma, which prevented him from doing many things. There was no way she was going to give up her exertion. When Phoenix finally reached her destination it was a symbol of accomplishment. When thinking about the entire path it indicates the journey throughout life. As a baby everything is taken care of. There are no worries within life because there is someone to lean on. That is the first part of the path. The second part of the path, the hill, is the beginning of hardships. Each tribulation got bigger and bigger the older Phoenix became until she came to a point in her life when her burdens were easier to overcome. Yet, when she does get the medicine for her grandson she has to go through the entire trip over again. Again, it symbolizes more difficulties in life and the many obstacles that she had to deal with in her life. â€Å"A Worn Path† is the perfect depiction of how many people’s lives turn out. No one gets a free ride in life, which means everyone has to deal with their own miseries, troubles, and sufferings in order to become better people. Phoenix is a strong-natured, strong-willed, and head-strong woman because she dealt with her ordeals in life. It may have been difficult at times, but she became an accomplished woman in her own right. Another short story that symbolizes life’s journey is â€Å"Used to Live Here Once. † The first trek of her journey was the rocks in the stream. Each rock represents a significant part of the trials everyone has to deal with in life. For instance, the round unsteady rock symbolizes the rocky road people must endure throughout life. No one truly gets the easy way out of life because there is always something that makes the journey unstable. The safe stone represents childhood. When someone is a child they do not need to be dependent on themselves in order to get through their distresses in life. A mother carries her newborn, feeds them, and cares for them. Basically, the newborn has no worries. Even as a child growing up there are really no burdens to deal with. There might be anxieties, but the child’s mother, or father, is there to catch them when they fall. They can look around as long as they want at their life and perhaps where they might be in the future. The rock, itself, is the parents. The next rock was no so safe because it was slippery and when the water rose it would be covered. This rock indicates the time of life when there are trials and tribulations to endure. The first is, of course, becoming a teenager. There are worries, distresses, pains, and hardships to deal with. The rising of the water actually designates the rush of life after becoming an adult. A person is on their own with no one to catch them, but themselves. They need to have a watchful eye whenever difficulties arise, and sometimes those ordeals can be overbearing. There are even times when that person falls, but they always get up again. Reaching the other side of the stream designates or symbolizes the triumph over the tribulations in life. It is safe, so there is nothing to fear. The ground is secure and it is easy sailing from there. The road that the woman travels on is much wider than it used to be. It says in the story, â€Å"The road was much wider than it used to be but the work had been done carelessly† (Clugston, R. W. , 2010, sec 7. 5). This can be interpreted a couple different ways. One way is that life is unpredictable. In other words, there is no telling what could happen next because no one knows their future. The second way of understanding the wider road is to signify change. When people become older and go through their struggles, or heir rocks, they become different people. Everything that a person endures allows them to grow into the person that they are. For instance, a child that has had a mellow life growing up suddenly decides to join the military when they become of age. They go to boot camp one person, but come back someone completely different. It is because they dealt with obstacles throughout boot camp and had to grow up int o an adult. That is a forced measure of growing up, but the concept is the same. Each trouble or ordeal they go through makes them into a better person. When the woman gets near the house she sees more changes. A house gone and one built a car, and items that were no longer there. Yet, she is so excited about coming back to place she grew up she does not really care. This, again, symbolizes the changes in life that occur. Once life has changed and the hardships are endured nothing is the same. Trials in life either become more difficult or easier to deal with. There is no telling but, nonetheless, the changes stay. Then the woman comes upon the two children playing in the yard. She attempts to say hello, but the children ignore her. She thinks it is because she is colored. The woman gets closer to the children and she attempts to say hello again. However, they do not answer still. When she gets very close to the children one of them say it is cold, so they leave. This is when she realizes that she is no longer among the living. Therefore, the entire trip she took symbolizes the entire cycle of being born to the moment of death. In conclusion, the symbolisms between â€Å"The Path Not Taken,† â€Å"A Worn Path,† and â€Å"Used to Live Here Once† are quite similar. All three are about life’s challenges and the struggles throughout life. There are always decisions that need to be made through life and there are always going to be obstacles that get in the way. It is getting through those tribulations that are the trick. Not only that, but it is crucial not to give up. The stories portray that indefinitely. In â€Å"The Path Not Taken† the man takes the road less traveled. Yes. He had to go through many troubles throughout his life, but in the end he chose the right path. In â€Å"A Worn Path† the old woman pretty much has to go through the same difficulties throughout her life, but her endurance presides over her. Therefore, she has made the right choice. Last, but not least, in â€Å"Used to Live Here Once† the woman path symbolizes the entire trek through life from birth to death. These three literary works are definitely worth reading, but they are also there to teach about life itself. References Clugston, R. W. (2010) Journey into Literature. San Diego, CA. Bridge point Education. (http://content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG125. 10. 1/sec2. 2) (http://content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG125. 10. 1/sec6. 3) (http://content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG125. 10. 1/sec7. 5) Phillips, R. T. (March 1986) Diverging and Converging Paths: Horizontal and Vertical Movement in Robert Frost’s Mountain Interval. Vol 58, Issue 1, pg. , 17 p. American Literature. Moberly, K. (Winter 2005/Spring 2006) Toward the North Star: Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† and the Slave Narrative Tradition. Vol. 59, Issue ? , p. 107-127, 21p. Mississippi Quarterly. Piwinski, D. J. (Winter 2008) Mistletoe in Eudora Welty’s ‘A Worn Path. ’ 16 (1): 40-42. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews Flag It Spam Adult Content Plagiarism Insufficient Quality Wrong Category Select the Right Category about Writing Autos Books Business Computers Creative WritingDomesticGamingGeneralHealthInternetMoviesMusicNewsOff eatPetsPoetryRecipesReligionScienceShort Stories Society Sports Television Travel Women Selected for you by a sponsor: 10 Signs You May Be in an Emotionally Abusive Relationship (HeathCentral. com) What Happened to Marie Osmond’s Face? (Style Goes Strong) You might be interested in: A Summary and Review of The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Co x: A Guide for Thinking Executives – and Those Who Want to be One (Book stove) Childhood Phrases and Their Darker Meanings (Book stove) Tahrir Flame Flame (Trifter) The Stupid King (Trifter) How to cite Symbolism in the Road Not Taken, â€Å"A Worn Path†, and I Used to Live Here Once, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Analysis of the Environment of Woolworths-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Write a report on your chosen firm/organisation which examines the key trends and dimensions of the internal contexts in which both the strategy and the strategy process of the company are embedded. Answer: Introduction This section is briefly introducing the details of the key performance indicators which are useful in measuring the performance of any organization. The study is focused on one of the most reputed retail chain Woolworths which is located in Australia. It should be discussing on the analysis of the internal environment of Woolworths. The three key performance indicators which are evident in Woolworths would be the culture of Woolworths, brand image and profitability of the company. The company is developing an embedded and store led culture within the team and develops goals which are fulfilling the requirements of the customers. The customer claims reduced by 19 percent in the year 2017 and the Lost Time Injury Frequency rate has reduced down to 6.76 and the Total Injury Frequency Rate of 12.97 (woolworthsgroup.com.au, 2018).It is also seen that the company has the dedicated and diverse team which has been bringing the culture into play and the culture is aligned with the goals of the customers. The brand image of the company provides an indication of how much the company is liked by the customers which is the second KPI for Woolworths. The next performance indicator for Woolworths should be the high profitability and sales of the company. There has been the growth of around 3.7 percent from 2016. There is the growth of say 4.5 percent and 4.3 percent in Australia Food and Endeavour Drinks. There has been the gross profit margin of around 28.71 percent. It is seen that the sales for the year of $36.4 billion has been incare4sed 4.5 percent on the previous year while the comparable sales has been increased by 3.6 percent (woolworthsgroup.com.au, 2018).There has been the online sale grew by 15.8 percent. It is also seen that the sales for the year has been enhanced in hotels. Internal Environment AnalysisResources and Capabilities Woolworths is considered as one of the largest and reputed retail chain operating in Australia. The resources are very important in bringing sustainability to the business. There are basically two types of resources which include the tangible and the intangible resources. A tangible resource is the resource which can be felt or touched wand that indicates that the resource is physically available (Evans, Stonehouse Campbell, 2012). The intangible resource is the one which is not felt but it is significant in developing the core competencies for any organizations. The tangible resource for Woolworths could be that they have around 3000 stores across Australia and New Zealand and have the employees of around 185,000. Woolworths has the effective management and the human resources. They also have the well designed and well equipped machineries inside the stores so that they can be able to provide high quality services and customer satisfaction (Keupp, Palmi Gassmann, 2012). One of the intangible resources could be that Woolworths should be developing and delivering quality and value driven products and services to the customers. It is important that there is the need of developing the high quality products and services to be given to the customers with the enhanced employee engagement practices and right kind of motivation to be given to them so that they can become customer centric and hopefully they will be achieving the requirements of the customers on a daily basis as well (Lasserre, 2017). The next intangible resource which they have is basically the high brand equity and reputation for their excellent quality fresh foods and their strong relationship with the alliance and partnering organizations they have been collaborated with. Capabilities are defined as the resources when come together in the achievement of the organizational objectives. One such capability for Woolworths is to be delivering high quality products and services to the customers. The next could be the development of the good compensation packages and incentive systems for their employees working in the respective stores helps them to improve their performance. The next could be the wide range of products and services along with the huge volume of stores they have which helps in enhancing their capabilities. Core Competencies of the firm A core competency is defined as the capability of any firm which helps in developing competitive advantage for that firm. The wide variety of food products and services they deliver it to the customers adds a competitive advantage. The effective culture as well the huge volume of stores helps in reaching out millions of customers providing them immense satisfaction (ausfoodnews.com.au, 2018).The innovation they make for example petrol retailing. They have also vertically integrated some of their suppliers in reduce their competition in the market. VRIO Analysis The VRIO analysis is the analysis where there is the identification of the resources which has been segmented into different categories. This explains that if the resources which are identified can be integrated then only it creates competitive advantage. Value- The Company has its dedicated and high skilled and talented staffs who can deliver high quality services to the customers. Rarity- They basically relies on the capabilities which are valuable but they are common in other retail stores like the quality and innovative products and the skilled employees (Stead Stead, 2014). Imitation- Woolworths has been adopting the green refrigeration technology which has taken several years to adopt and this is quite costly to imitate for the competitors. Organization-The company has been exploited the resources quite successfully within the retail market of Australia. This will help them to exploit the competitive advantage they are enjoying it now. Value Chain Analysis The value chain analysis is the tool which is useful in creating value for the activities they are doing for holding a high position within the retail industry of Australia (Rothaermel, 2015). So the value chain analysis has been depicted below Inbound Logistics- They have their own distribution centers and this results in added advantage of procuring huge volumes and reduce the cost price (Hill, Jones Schilling, 2014). They should also be taking the advantage from the suppliers by providing the discounts. Operations- Woolworths has owned local farmers who can be able to provide fresh raw materials and this result in the development of fresh products with cost reduction to the customers. Outbound Logistics-There has been the application of the in store vendor quality management system to be implemented so that the freshness of the products and its quality could be maintained for a long period of time (Slack, 2015). Marketing and Sales- Woolworths has been using advertisements and the social media marketing as the tool for promoting the new products (Evans, Stonehouse Campbell, 2012). They also provide discounts, customer loyalty cards in order to increase their sales. Customer Service- The use of the trolley system inside the stores and the refund policies has been useful in providing high quality customer service resulting in high customer loyalty. Discussion on the culture of the firm There is a transformation to be made in the culture of Woolworths. After the new CEO has been appointed, the new CEO is sending the staffs to the boot camp before they start their career in the respective stores of Woolworths (mumbrella.com.au, 2018).They are paying quite heavy in order to make them motivated and they are also organizing meetings in head offices for the staffs to identify themselves. They have also provided good working conditions to work on. Strategic Issues Explaining the major strategic issues of Woolworths The major strategic issues for Woolworths could be the decline in the sales and profit margins for the shareholders of the company. It should also be the prices of the products they deliver it to the customers and fostering of growth within the retail market of Australia as there was increase in competitors in the market taking place for Woolworths. In the context of the sales decline and less profit margin for Woolworths, there is some of the statistical evidence which justifies the issue for this company. The company has 190,000 employees working currently and it is needed to be increased. There is around net loss of $973 million achieved at Woolworths. The profitability for Woolworths is $925 million which is down by 33 percent in the year 2016 (ausfoodnews.com.au 2018).They have only made a profit of $1.3 billion which is less than its competitors like Coles and Wesfarmers as well. This could be improved with improved quality of products to the customers as well as innovation in the promotion of the products as well. In the context of the prices for Woolworths, the company is altering its pricing policies and developing new pricing strategies in order to overcome the pricing issue. The pricing issue is basically making it difficult for Woolworths to be able to compete with the new and small retailers coming in this retail market (Killen et al., 2012). It is seen that there is the around $125 million or price reductions for the customers to be taken place from 2015 and this helps in enhancing the value proposition for the business (the conversation, 2018). They are also trying to match the in store prices of the products with the online stores. In the context of enhancing growth and efficiency of the company, it is useful that they have been trying to introduce lean retail management model where the waste is eliminated and he wastes are recycled or make it consumed by the animals so that there is no wastage of food products took place. There is reduction in the level of inventory to be taken place as well for Woolworths. Conclusion From the study it is evident that Woolworths has been reinventing and changing their business strategies in order to become much more competitive within the retail market of Australia. It is concluded that there is the development of the high quality products and its delivery at the right time will help in enhancing the customer satisfaction. It is also concluded that Woolworths has a sound working environment and fresh culture to be developed in order to meet the customer expectations. It concludes that they have the quality and talented staffs who can provide high quality services to the customers. References ausfoodnews.com.au (2018).Ausfoodnews.com.au. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2015/05/06/woolworths-announces-new-strategies-to-win-over-grocery-shoppers-afn-reveals-full-detail.html Evans, N., Stonehouse, G., Campbell, D. (2012). Strategic management for travel and tourism. Taylor Francis. Harrison, J. S., John, C. H. S. (2013). Foundations in strategic management. Cengage Learning. Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R., Schilling, M. A. (2014). Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., Hoskisson, R. E. (2012). Strategic management cases: competitiveness and globalization. Cengage Learning. Keupp, M. M., Palmi, M., Gassmann, O. (2012). The strategic management of innovation: A systematic review and paths for future research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 14(4), 367-390. Killen, C. P., Jugdev, K., Drouin, N., Petit, Y. (2012). Advancing project and portfolio management research: Applying strategic management theories. International Journal of Project Management, 30(5), 525-538. Lasserre, P. (2017). Global strategic management. Palgrave. mumbrella.com.au (2018).Woolworths: Where did it go wrong? - Mumbrella.Mumbrella. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://mumbrella.com.au/woolworths-where-did-it-go-wrong-308694 Rothaermel, F. T. (2015). Strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education. Slack, N. (2015). Operations strategy. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Stead, J. G., Stead, W. E. (2014). Sustainable strategic management. Routledge. theconversation (2018).The Conversation. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://theconversation.com/retail-outlook-big-retailers-feel-the-pressure-of-new-challengers-54745 woolworthsgroup.com.au (2018).Woolworthsgroup.com.au. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/icms_docs/188795_annual-report-2017.pdf