Ralphs vs. Albertson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ralphs vs. Albertson - Essay Example Ralph is headquartering in Cincinnati Ohio. Later Ralph was acquired by Kroger from Fred Meyers. The reason behind the success story of Ralph is that the founder believed in two philosophies and his innovation. He value priced top quality product and costumer comes first service intention. And his innovative approach to traditional handling of fresh produce brought accolades by all the customers. Albertson took lead and developed to leaps and bounds their approach to customer service. Albertson stores efficiently utilize their capital assets in developing their stores. This also includes establishing new stores in new neighborhood. Albertson stores were very innovative and were specifically designed to perfectly fit in the neighborhood. Albertson stores approach of new projects was very advanced and was based on teamwork; generation of new ideas and the most important was implementation of best practice. Compared to Ralph Albertson stores use its capital and non capital assets in a m anner that it should again fetch income. Albertson leased out its surplus properties that fetch a decent income and some of the properties are even sold at a higher price than acquired. Albertson stores earn higher profits as compared to Ralph.

Globalisation and the International Business Environment Essay

Globalisation and the International Business Environment - Essay Example 64-65) as the opposite of localisation; it is the process of adapting products for use outside the home nation (think steering wheels in cars or Chinese versions of Windows). Firms must internationalise if they want to sell to markets outside their home country, because foreign markets have different cultures, needs and wants, demanding that firms make adjustments to products and services, organisational structures, leadership and people systems, and supply chains, amongst others. In a landmark paper on the topic, Whitley (1994) observed that the post-war internationalisation process of firms was primarily driven by increases in foreign direct investment by transnational (or multinational) enterprises. This led to increased interdependence of the industrialised economies and changes in the world economy with the following characteristics: (1) the establishment of a distinct global system of coordination and competition, (2) the denationalisation of leading firms, and (3) the international standardisation of managerial structures and practices. It can be said that the natural progression from internationalisation to interdependence and greater integration of the world economy resulted in the complex phenomenon that we now call "globalisation". Globalisation is a concept that is best described than defined because of its complexity. A simple definition, like "globalisation is the integration of the world economy, reshaping business, reordering lives, creating social classes, different jobs, unimaginable wealth, and wretched poverty" (Micklethwait and Wooldridge, 2000, p. xvi), would not do justice to the term because it focuses too much on the economic aspect. Globalisation is much more than just money, business, and wealth. As Stiglitz (2002, p. 9-10) described it, globalisation "integrates countries and peoples, their economies and politics, their cultures and fates. It breaks down artificial barriers to the flow of goods, services, capital, knowledge, ideas, and (to a lesser extent) peoples across borders. It creates new institutions that joined with existing ones to work across borders". There are then good and bad sides, so whilst many condemn environmental degradation, corruption of cultures, and the spread of squalor, poverty, misery, and greed, many also praise the improved access to cheaper medicines and food, better living conditions, gradual eradication of poverty, and increased opportunities for millions of people around the globe. Therefore, whilst many consider internationalisation and globalisation as synonymous terms, the former would refer to an outward process where firms adapt to and increase their presence in international markets, whilst the latter can be described simply as its natural integrating result. Globalisation is nothing new, but in its past incarnations, the inability of previous generations to manage its bad side has made it a factor that led to two of the bloodiest wars that mankind has ever experienced. Knowing this background reminds us of what the philosopher Santayana said about learning the lessons of history so that we would not be doomed to repeat it. Main Drivers of Globalisation Like success which has many fathers, globalisation (according to whoever is the author) has many drivers (Yip, 2003; Johnson et al., 2003; Stiglitz, 2002; Micklethwait et al., 2000; Porter, 1990) that we can summarily classify into five groups. These drivers are the key

Freud vs. Jung Theories Essay Example for Free

Freud vs. Jung Theories Essay Some debate over who is right over Freud and Jung’s theories are questionable. Freud’s theory believed our consciousness is a thin slice of the total mind and describes it in an imagine of an iceberg. Believed that our unconscious mind holds all of our experiences, memories, and repressed materials. Our unconscious motives often competed with our conscious and create internal conflict which is in neurotic symptoms (anxiety and depression). Also Freud believed personality consisted of three systems: The Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id contains a humans basic, instinctual drives including bodily needs, wants, desires, and impulses, particularly our sexual and aggressive drives. The ego comprises the organized part of the personality structure that includes defensive, perceptual, intellectual-cognitive, and executive functions. Lastly, the super-ego is the judicial branch of a persons personality and includes a persons moral code, the main concern being whether an action is good or bad. Sadly, these three aspects of personality also conflict resulting in neurotic behaviour. Carl Jung’s theory divides the psyche into three parts. The first is the ego, which he identifies with the conscious mind. Next is the personal unconscious, which includes anything which is not presently conscious, but could be. Lastly the personal unconscious is like most people’s understanding of the unconscious in that it includes both memories that are easily brought to mind and those that have been suppressed for any reason. There are some experiences that show the effects of the collective unconscious more clearly than others. An example would be the near-death experience. They speak of leaving their bodies, seeing their bodies and the events surrounding them clearly, of being pulled through a long tunnel towards a bright light, of seeing old relatives or religious figures waiting for them, and disappointed having to leave this happy scene to return to their bodies and return to reality. Some terms Jung created was Archetypes, which is naturally born instincts that we may have been presented by our long gone ancestors. Overall, Freud felt that sex was the single most important force that shaped and guided personality. Believed that your childhood greatly influenced your personality. Jung believed that both the future and the past are important in influencing ones personality. I greatly agree with Jung because not just only a specific time period could change your personality, your whole time period of experiencing everything  shapes yourself. Jung argued that the unconscious could also be a source of creativity rather than Freud’s idea. Jung was onto something with his idea of a collective unconscious, while we cannot define, analyze or see it, there is some thread in the world that somehow connects us all. As people we all have similar feelings, regardless of your cultural upbringing or where in the world you live, there is a commonality among us, that Jung’s theory of unconscious can help explain. According to my theory, the flow of knowledge into the collective unconscious stops at a person’s death. This addition is needed to balance the knowledge base of collective, otherwise if the flow of information did not stop at death, our collective unconscious would be able to answer some of our biggest questions such as â€Å"Is there an afterlife? †. Jung’s diagram I agree with greatly, describing which goes where in my perspective. My thoughts are closely related to Jung’s rather than Freud’s theory.

Frederic Chopin Essays -- Musicians

Chopin pioneered the idea of creating a true artistic form from technical exercises, making his etudes historically important. Each etude has its own musical story to tell even though they adhere to a basic principle as a means to train and refine the performer’s technique. They are not simply dry and repetitive exercises like etudes prior to Chopin. There’s emotion behind his etudes that transcends from technicality and mere note playing to a true virtuosic artistry that is executed with delicate finery. This new development of technical exercises is a feature of a persistent musical aspect in Romantic period repertoire. Not only were these exercises used to improve the performer, they influenced other composers and became substantial material. The Revolutionary Etude is a great example of this technique, for in this work of art, one kind find complete aesthetic materials centered on real historical events. Frederic Chopin was a child prodigy. He was a virtuoso pianist and a talented Polish composer. He was born the year 1810 and died 1849. He spent his early years in Warsaw where he received his music education. His compositions reached a mature stage in Warsaw before he left in 1830. Chopin mostly composed for solo piano, however he wrote two piano concertos, a few chamber pieces, and a couple of Polish texts that he set to music. Chopin made many major innovations to the piano sonata, mazurka, waltz, nocturne, polonaise, etude, impromptu, scherzo, and prelude, all of which are important pieces of work that highlight Chopin as a virtuosic composer. Frederic Chopin composed three sets of solo studies specifically for the piano. Overall these sets consisted of twenty seven total compositions known as etudes. Within these... ...ldinger, Jean-Jacques, ed. Chopin: Pianist and Teacher: As Seen by His Pupils Cambridge University Press, 1989. Israel Studies in Musicology Vol. IV (Volume 4). publication place: Jerusalem: Israel Musicological Society 1987. Kornel Michałowski and Jim Samson. "Chopin, Fryderyk Franciszek." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2186/subscriber/article/grove/music/ 51099(accessed April 12, 2012) Yun, Fred. Analysis of Etudes Op. 10 and Op 25. Our Chopin.http://www.ourchopin.com/ analysis/etude.html (accessed May 3, 2012) Huneker, James. 2007. Chopin: The Man and His Music. publication place: Echo Library. Alan, Walker. 1973. The Chopin companion: profiles of the man and the musician. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. Jonson, George Charles Ashton. 2010. A Handbook to Chopin's Works. publication place: Nabu Press.

Assessment of Mathematical Understanding Especially as it Relates to CMP :: Education Educational Papers

Assessment of Mathematical Understanding Especially as it Relates to CMP Introduction Assessment has become a very â€Å"hot† topic in education circles lately. Or at least, it is talked about more often and with more passion. Teachers are being judged on their students’ performance, based on assessment scores. It is the assessment by which we are judged. The reauthorization of ESEA and the ‘No Child Left Behind’ act shows the public’s (or is it the politician’s?) faith in standardized tests as a school improvement instrument. But I also know that the once-a-year test can not provide continuous information about student achievement. The traditional assessments of computation exercises, short answer questions, and word problems will not suffice any more. Typically, standardized tests measure factual knowledge, not conceptual understanding. I believe that conceptual understanding is not only what students know, but what they can do with what they know. Assessments are varied from teacher to teacher, district to district, and state to state. I did an informal survey with some of my colleagues, asking them their reasons for assessing students, and the results varied greatly. I am interested in assessment and alternative assessments in order to help further my students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. I strongly believe that the purpose of assessment to inform my instruction, which in turn will further my students understanding. Background According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards 2000 Assessment Principle, â€Å"assessment should support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and students.† Assessment should be designed to â€Å"maximize student learning† and â€Å"support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and students.† The National Education Association suggests that assessment is a â€Å"continuous flow of evidence that can only be provided by classroom assessment.† (NEA, 2003) Balanced assessments can actually promote student learning and achievement. â€Å"To maximize student success, assessment must be seen as an instructional tool for use while learning is occurring, and as an accountability tool to determine if learning has occurred.† (NEA, 2003) The 1995 NCTM Standards acknowledged that assessment should: 1. Reflect the mathematics that students show they know and what they are able to do. 2. Enhance mathematics learning. 3. Promote equity. 4. Be an open process. 5. Promote valid inference. 6. Be a coherent process. The Assessment Model from NCTM (2000) includes four phases of the assessment process includes planning, gathering, interpreting, and using data. The table below shows how each phase influences the next.

Persephone falling

Notes on Rata Dove's Mother Love Persephone, Falling Based on the Greek myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone (see Foreword), Dove creates a modern story of the event of Persephone capture by Hades. There is an overriding theme of danger and disobedience throughout the poem. The young girl's innocence, captured in the description of her as a beautiful narcissus is juxtaposed by her act of careless disobedience (she had strayed from the herd) when she refused to heed the warning of her parent.One cannot overlook the pun on the word â€Å"herd† at the end of the first stanza. There is an element of self- imposed danger versus the danger lurking around. In stanza one, the captor is conveyed as the devil lurking in the underworld waiting to take the unsuspecting victim â€Å"sprung out Of the earth†. Yet in stanza 2, the poem seems to apply some blame on the child who does not pay attention to the warnings of a parent â€Å"this is how easily the pit opens. This is h ow one foot sinks into the ground†.One the one hand the peril comes about by the ‘terrible† prey that springs upon the helpless by surprise just as it is said in the Holy Bible's reference to he devil roaming around the earth as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. This reading of the poem with biblical reference is underscored by the name Hades in the Greek myth itself, as well as, the biblical reference is also seen in the line â€Å"it is finished† the words quoted in the New Testament Gospel as Jesus final words after his crucifixion.On the other hand, in the last line of the poem, the child faces a demise brought about by her own failure to adhere to good advice (80 % of stanza 2). The victim puts herself in harm's way. The destruction came by choice â€Å"one foot sinks† Furthermore, Dove extends the threat to the vulnerable by showing various ways by which a youth can be lured away.In â€Å"go straight to school† she speaks to the haphazard, playful child who is easily distracted and lingers away from her course. In â€Å"don't answer to strangers† she implies a more unsuspecting, innocent whose naivety could get her ensnared but in â€Å"keep your eyes down† there appears the sexual connotation of the bold daring girl who abandons modesty with boldness and impudence. All of which can lead to an unfortunate circumstance.This poem is not a sonnet nor does it contain any particular rhyme scheme, however the sound and rhythm of the poetic is identified as one reads aloud the internal rhymes of â€Å"flowers† and â€Å"others†; â€Å"heard † and â€Å"herd† in stanza 1 ; and the end rhymes of â€Å"around†, â€Å"down† â€Å"ground† in stanza 2. There is a distinct difference of tone between the two stanzas when the story telling voice of the persona is superseded by the watchful parent who already sees in the child the tendency to be wayward.

Case Study Charles Schwab in 2008

Case Study Charles Schwab in 2008 Introduction Investor confidence is one of the major factors that determine the funds that investors are willing to invest in various sectors of the economy. The current economic conditions determine the confidence of the investors. In addition, the future economic outlook also determines the investor confidence. Favorable future economic outlook increases the confidence of investors.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Case Study: Charles Schwab in 2008 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Prior to the global financial crisis, investor confidence was very high. Investors were willing to invest huge funds in the financial markets. This led to the growth of companies that specialized in the provision of financial services. These companies include stock brokerage firms, insurance companies, and banks. Charles Schwab is one of the companies that existed during this period. Charles Schwab was one of the most profitable comp anies that provided financial services. The company specialized in the provision of discount brokerage services. This helped in differentiating the company from other companies that provided financial services. However, the company also faced several problems. These problems necessitated the company to undertake several strategic decisions to improve its competitiveness. History, Development, and Growth of the Company One can trace the history of Charles Schwab to 1963. Charles R. â€Å"Chuck† Schwab was one of the founders of the company. In 1963, Chuck Schwab formed the Investor Indicator newsletter with the help of two other partners. They incorporated Investor Indicator on April 1971 as First Commander Corporation. First Commander was a subsidiary of the Commander Industries. The main business activity of First commander was to conduct a broker-dealer business and publish an investment magazine. Chuck Schwab and four others partners decided to buy back the stock of the co mpany from Commander. This facilitated the formation of Charles Schwab Co., Inc. The company has its headquarters in San Francisco. Brokerage transactions were the main services that the company offered. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) helps in the regulation of companies that engage in brokerage services. The SEC is one of the major bodies that determine the growth of brokerage firms. From time to time, the SEC implements various regulations that affect companies that provide financial services. Soon after the incorporation of Charles Schwab, the SEC implemented several changes that affected brokerage firms. In 1975, the SEC enacted regulation that that increased the flexibility of charges that companies that offered financial services charged its customers.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Several brokerage firms took advantage this directi ve to increase their commissions. However, Charles Schwab took advantage of this directive to increase its competitiveness. The company established discount brokerage. This was a new type of brokerage. This move enabled the company to attract more customers. In the financial services sector, service hours determine the number of customers that an organization may serve. Therefore, it is vital for companies to have long service hours. This would enable them to serve more customers. Throughout its history, Charles Schwab has used service hours to increase its competitiveness. The company has prolonged its service hours on several occasions. In 1978, Charles Schwab prolonged its service hours. This was the first time that a company in the industry had prolonged its service hours. This strategic move enabled the company to attract more customers. This strategic decision helped in increasing the number of customers of the company to more than 40,000. In 1980, Charles Schwab formed a 24-h our quotation service. This was the first time that a company had established a 24-hour quotation service in the industry. This strategic move enabled the company to increase its customers significantly. It enabled the company to increase its customers to approximately 150,000. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the major stock exchanges in the world. Therefore, it was vital for Charles Schwab to become a member of this renowned stock exchange. Charles Schwab joined the NYSE in 1981. This enabled the company to trade on various stocks and securities in the stock market. When Charles Schwab became a member of the NYSE, its clients were more than 200,000. The company was on its way to becoming one of the most popular companies that offered financial services in the U.S. Technology enables companies that provide financial services to create a network that helps in supporting the activities of companies in this sector. Charles Schwab realized the importance of technology in it s growth. In 1979, the company made huge investments in a mainframe that used modern technology. This system enabled the company to automate its transactions.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Case Study: Charles Schwab in 2008 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, the system helped in improving the record keeping of the company. In the 1980s, the company launched several technological solutions that helped in improving the competitiveness of the company. In 1984, the company introduced the ‘Mutual Fund Marketplace.’ In addition, the company launched the ‘TeleBroker’ in 1989. Launching several technological products helped in establishing the company as a leader in the online investment revolution. Charles Schwab used mergers and acquisitions to maintain its growth. In 2000, the company merged with U.S. Trust. During the same year, the company acquired CyBerCorp, Inc. This enable d the company to improve the quality of services it offers to online traders. Training Americans on how to be financially fit is one of the most recent campaigns of the company. The company collaborated with the Boys Girls Clubs of America to teach young people about money management. This helped in improving the visibility of the company in the industry. In addition, it guarantees the future growth and profitability of the company. This is because the teens are the future customers of the company. Various strategic decisions have enabled Charles Schwab to become a leader in the provision of financial services. The company has more than 300 offices and 7 million client brokerage accounts. In addition, the assets of the company’s clients are approximately $1 trillion. Various subsidiaries of the company enable it to offer a wide range of financial services to its customers. Internal Strengths and Weaknesses Engaging is discount brokerage is one of the factors that has improve d the competitiveness of Charles Schwab. Charles Schwab was one of the first companies that offered discount brokerage. The company offered discount brokerage instead of increasing its commission fees due to the SEC regulations that facilitated the negotiation of commission rates. Other companies took advantage of this directive to increase their commission rates. Therefore, this move helped in improving the image and reputation of the company.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More People associate the company with discount brokerage. It is a fact that Charles Schwab is not one of the cheapest discount brokerage in the industry. However, being among the first companies that engaged in discount brokerage has improved the reputation of the company. It is vital for companies that provide financial services to focus all their efforts on their customers. They should strive to improve the welfare of the customer while making handsome profits. Availability of information determines the investment decisions of customers. It is vital for companies that offer financial services to provide customers with all the information they may need to make sound investment decisions. Charles Schwab strives to provide their customers with all the information that they may need to make investment decisions. In addition, the company offers its customers various technological tools that enable them to make sound financial decisions. Empowering customers helps in improving the image and reputation of the customers. It reduces the likelihood of customers making the wrong financial decisions. This improves customer loyalty. It is vital for companies to strive to form good relationships with their clients. Customer relationships determine the competitiveness of companies. Companies that provide services use several strategies to improve the relationships with their customers. Forming personal relationships enables these companies to gain the trust of the customers. Charles Schwab strives to form personal relationships with its customers. This enables the company to increase customer loyalty. Companies in various industries strive to reduce their operating costs. This helps in increasing the profitability of the companies. Companies may use several strategies to reduce their operating costs. Technology is one of the major tools that enable companies to reduce their operating costs. Charles Schwab is one of the companies that use technology to reduce their operational costs. Throughout its history, the company has implemented various technological tools that have reduced its operating costs. In addition, these technological tools improve the quality of services that the company offers. Using an online platform is one of the strategies that have enabled the company to reduce its operating costs. It enables customers to place orders without having to visit the company’s offices. Online processing reduces the costs of maintaining the staff of the company. The perception that people have on a certain company determines its competitiveness. Since its inception, people have perceived Charles Schwab as a discount brokerage firm. This has made it difficult for the company to attract the high-end customers. High-end customers usually prefer full brokerage firms. This is because they offer personalized services. Despite being a discount brokerage firm, Charles Schwab also offers services that resemble those in full brokerage firms. Therefore, it is vital for the company to use various strategies to attract the high-end customers. However, the company should ensure that it does not shed its image as a discount brokerage firm. This is because the low-end customers are the major clients of the company. Therefore, losing these customers may have devastating effects on the company. It is vital for companies that would like to guarantee their future growth and profitability to improve their presence in emerging markets. Saturation of companies and services in developed countries reduces the growth potential of companies in these countries. Charles Schwab does not have a good presence in emerging markets. The company concentrates its activities in developed countries. Saturation in these markets reduces the growth potential of the company. Therefore, it is vital for the company to improve its presence in emerging markets. Nature of the External Environment Online trading holds the key to the future growth of companies that offer fina ncial services. Charles Schwab was one of the first companies that realized the importance of online trading in financial services. However, the revenue that the company gets from online trading has been declining. Increased competition is one of the major factors that have reduced the revenue from online trading. Companies can easily open online trading platforms. This has increased the number of companies that offer online trading services. Retirement packages account for a sizeable percentage of the products of companies that offer financial services. The U.S. population is aging. This would increase the demand for various retirement services. Therefore, it is vital for companies that offer financial services to take advantage of the changing population patterns. This would improve the profitability of the companies. Companies should create several products that target people who are retired. The global and domestic economic conditions affect the profitability of companies that p rovide financial services. Slowing of the economy has a negative effect on the growth and profitability of companies that provide financial services. Slowdown of the economy necessitated Charles Schwab to undertake several strategic decisions to safeguard its position. Investor confidence also determines the profitability of companies that offer financial services. Reduced investor confidence reduces the amount of money that investors are willing to invest in financial markets. In 2008, there was a significant reduction in the investor confidence. People were not willing to invest in the financial markets due to the revelations of problems in the subprime market. Most people withdrew their investments in the financial markets. Reduced investor confidence had a negative effect on the financial markets. It led to the steady decline of market indicators in various regions. This reduced the profitability of Charles Schwab. Market volatility also determines the profitability of companies that offer financial services. During the global financial crisis, the financial markets were on a steady decline. Companies that offer financial services operate in a highly regulated environment. The SEC is one of the major bodies that regulate companies that provide financial services. Regulation helps in safeguarding the investments of customers. It ensures that companies do not engage in illegal activities. In addition, it ensures that companies do not exploit their customers. In 2008, the SEC implemented various regulations to help in safeguarding the investments of customers of companies that offer financial services. However, these measures did not increase the investor confidence. Increased regulation may jeopardize companies that offer certain financial services. Regulation may increase the bureaucracy of the companies. This may reduce the number of customers who are willing to invest in the companies. In addition, regulation may limit the ability of companies to venture into various markets. This is because companies that offer financial services have to meet stringent requirements to receive licenses to operate in various regions. These requirements prevent companies from engaging in illegal activities. SWOT Analysis Strengths The presence of Chuck Schwab in the management of Charles Schwab is one of the major strengths of the company. Schwab has undertaken several strategic decisions that have helped in developing the company. In addition, he has invaluable experience in the stock brokerage industry. Schwab offers visionary leadership that helps in improving the current and future growth of the company. Charles Schwab is one of the most popular discount brokerage companies. The company has a very strong brand name. Charles Schwab was one of the first companies that offered discount brokerage services. Charles Schwab empowers its customers by offering them all the information that they would need to make investment decisions. This helps in improvi ng the image and reputation of the company. Charles Schwab has very low operating costs. The company uses technological tools to reduce its operating costs. The technological tools also enable the company to improve the efficiency of its activities. Charles Schwab forms personal relationships with its customers. This enables the company to retain its customers. In addition, it helps in improving customer satisfaction. Charles Schwab has efficient marketing strategies. The company launches advertising campaigns regularly. These advertising campaigns help in improving the visibility of the company Weaknesses Charles Schwab has been unable to shed its image as a discount brokerage firm. This has reduced the ability of the company to attract customers who have a high net worth. Therefore, customers who have a low net worth form the bulk of the company’s customers. Charles Schwab does not have a large presence in emerging markets. Most of the company’s operations are in dev eloped markets. This limits the future growth and profitability of the company since the developed markets are already saturated. Charles Schwab engages in expensive advertising campaigns. These advertising campaigns increase the operating costs of the company. Opportunities The aging of the American population provides the company with many growth opportunities. This is because it would increase the amount of retirement services that the company offers. This would improve the profitability of the company. Charles Schwab is one of the largest companies that provide financial services. This is despite the fact that the company focuses on developed markets. Therefore, venturing into the emerging markets would help in improving the future growth and profitability of the company. Threats Slowdown of the global economy would reduce the growth and profitability of the company. Reduced investor confidence threatens to lead to the total collapse of the company. During the global financial c risis, few investors were willing to commit funds to the financial markets. Technology has revolutionized the provision of financial services. Therefore, it is vital for the company to undertake several changes that would incorporate new technology regularly. Failure to do so would make the company become irrelevant. There is increased competition in the financial services sector. Various companies provide online financial services. The ease of opening platforms that enable companies to provide online financial services have increased the number of companies that provide financial services. Corporate-Level Strategy Corporate-level strategy guides the strategic decisions of a company. Companies use their corporate-level strategies to create value in their activities. The corporate-level strategy helps in coordinating different activities of the company. Companies use the corporate-level strategy to determine the direction that the organization should follow in the long term. The corp orate-level strategy enables companies to gain a competitive advantage. The corporate-level strategy enables an organization to determine the businesses that the organization to concentrate on to improve its long-term profitability. A company may decide to concentrate on a single business to improve its long-term profitability. In addition, a company may use vertical integration or diversification to improve its long-term profitability. Charles Schwab uses vertical integration to improve its long-term profitability. Throughout its history, the company has used mergers and acquisitions of other companies in the industry to improve its long-term profitability. Charles Schwab acquired companies that provide online services to improve its ability to provide online financial services. In 2000, the company acquired CyBerCorp. CyBerCorp was a company that provided online financial services. In 2001, Charles Schwab renamed the company to Cyber Trader. In addition, Charles Schwab enhanced th e software of the company. This helped in improving the quality of services of the company. The inability to capture customers who have a high net worth was one of the major problems of the company. In addition, most customers of the company left the company after their assets reached $500,000. This reduced the profitability of the company. Charles Schwab used vertical integration to capture the high net worth customers. The company merged with the U.S. Trust. The U.S. Trust was a company that focused on managing the wealth of high-end customers. This strategy enabled the company to increase the number of high-end customers. In addition, it enabled the company to retain customers whose assets reached $500,000. This strategy enabled the company to shed its image as a discount brokerage firm that served low-end customers. Charles Schwab later sold the U.S. Trust to Bank of America. Advances in technology enabled the company to retain high-end customers. The company used various techno logical tools to generate model investment portfolios. These portfolios helped in personalizing the financial services of the company. Technological tools enabled the company to reduce the number of forms of advice. This helped in improving the quality of services that the company offered its customers. In addition, it enabled the company to offer sound financial advice to customers in various locations. Vertical integration enables Charles Schwab to take advantage of the capabilities of other companies. Retirement-plan services are some of the major products of the company. However, the company would not have been able to increase its retirement products if it had not acquired other smaller companies that provided retirement services. In 1995, Charles Schwab acquired Hampton Co. Hampton was a company that specialized in the provision of retirement-plan services. Charles Schwab uses diversification to increase its long-term stability. The company offers a wide range of financial ser vices. These include brokerage of securities, mutual funds, investment advisory services, and banking. In addition, the company also provides retirement services. The growth of online financial services has helped in the growth of the company. In 2003, the company launched the Charles Schwab Bank. The bank provided home mortgage loans. Schwab Retirement Plan Services, Inc. enables the company to provide retirement services. Subsidiaries of the company enable it to provide a wide range of financial services effectively. Business-Level Strategy Business-level strategy helps in identifying the methods that a company would use to compete in a certain industry. Therefore, the business-level strategy determines the competitive strategy of the organization. One of the major differences between business-level strategy and corporate-level strategy is that business-level strategy focuses on only one business. On the other hand, corporate-level strategy focuses on a wide range of businesses wi thin an organization. Therefore, the business-level strategy enables an organization to manage its business effectively. The business-level strategy ensures that the activities of the business units conform to the corporate-level strategies of the organization. In addition, business-level strategy enables an organization to develop capabilities that would help in improving the competitiveness of the organization. Business-level strategy also helps in monitoring the industry environment of the company. Some business-level strategies include cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. Cost leadership is one of the major business-level strategies of Charles Schwab. The company strives to organize its activities in a method that enables it to provide various services at a lower cost. This enables the company to offer various services at very low prices. This strategy enables the company to gain a competitive edge in the provision of financial services. Use of information technology is one of the major methods that the company uses to reduce its operating costs. Technological tools enable the company to automate various activities. In addition, technological tools enable the company to improve the quality and efficiency of its activities. Online trading platforms enable companies to reduce their operational costs. They eliminate the need to open branches in various locations. Customers only need an internet connection to access the financial services. E*Trade is one of the major competitors of Charles Schwab. It was one of the first companies to offer its services via the internet only. This strategy enabled the company to reduce its operating costs significantly. Reduced operating costs enabled the company to offer its services a lower price. The threat posed by the company necessitated Charles Schwab to launch an online trading platform. The company launched ‘eSchwab’ to counter the threat posed by E*Trade. This product enabled the company to provid e real-time personalized financial information to customers. It enabled customers of the company to undertake financial transactions via the internet. In addition, it enabled customers to access financial information via the internet. This strategy enabled the company to reduce its operating costs significantly. Therefore, it could afford to reduce the prices of its services. Charles Schwab strives to empower its customers. The company offers financial information that helps customers to make sound investment decisions. Offering financial help helps in increasing customer loyalty. In addition, offering financial help enables the company to increase its interaction with customers. The company uses various strategies to show that it is willing to offer financial advice to its customers. The ‘Talk to Chuck’ campaign is one of the recent advertisements that highlight the willingness of the company to offer financial advice to its customers. In addition, this advertising cam paign showed the transparency of the company. It enabled customers to access information about the company. Organizational Structure Charles Schwab specializes in the provision of financial services. The company has operations in the United States, Hong Kong, and various European countries. In addition, the company offers online financial services to people around the globe. The company manages financial assets that are worth more than $1 trillion. Charles Schwab offers a wide range of financial services. These services include banking, mutual funds, and retirement-plan products. Therefore, it is vital for the company to use an organizational structure that would help in managing its activities efficiently. Charles Schwab uses a matrix organizational structure. This organizational structure enables the organization to coordinate its activities. Charles Schwab has various managers that oversee various functions of the organization. These functions include networking, engineering, sal es and marketing, and communication. This organizational structure enables the organization to benefit from the talent of its employees in various functions. The size of Charles Schwab makes it difficult for the company to use only the functional organizational structure. In addition, the company offers various financial products. Charles Schwab employs a divisional organizational structure to help in the management of various products of the company. This organizational structure enables the company to manage its banking services, retirement-plan products, and online financial products effectively. In addition, this organizational structure enables the organization to fulfill the needs of various stakeholders quickly. Charles Schwab uses teams to accomplish various tasks within the organization. This helps in improving the quality of the products of the organization. In addition, the company empowers employees to develop various innovative products that would improve the competitiv eness of the company. Empowering employees helps in improving the quality of their services. Conclusion Charles Schwab is one of the most popular companies that offer financial services in the U.S. The company has more than 300 offices in various regions around the world. Investing in technology is one of the major factors that led to the success of the company. Investing in technology enabled the company to reduce its operating costs. This enabled the company to offer its services at very low costs. Charles Schwab is renowned for its discount brokerage services. This image limits the ability of the company to attract high-end customers. The company merged with U.S. Trust to shed this image. The growth of the internet poses several risks to the company. This is because it has increased the number of the companies that provide online financial services. These companies have very low operating costs. This enables the companies to offer various financial services at very low costs.