An Overview of Management Practice of Whole Foods Essay

An Overview of Management Practice of Whole Foods - Essay Example It was an opportune time since consciousness of people on the healthy lifestyle has begun; there is an increasing educated age and wealthy population, and environmental concerns are spanning across the globe. 2. Brief Overview of the Company Whole Foods was formed in 1978 by two friends, John Mackey and Rene Lawson Hardy from a borrowed capital of $40,000 to sell natural foods in Austin, Texas. It was originally known as Safer Way, to be distinct from Safe Way that was also in Austin, Texas. Expansion and mergers has been part of its business strategies as, within only two years after it was formed, it entered into a partnership with a grocery store that resulted into the opening of the Whole Foods Market in 1980. It didn’t stop there since from then on; WFM had several acquisitions of companies carrying organic products. In 1992, the company went public trading in NASDACQ Global Select Market. It sales revenue saw successive growth that reached $11.7 billion in 2012. Correspo ndingly, shareholders earnings have steadily increased, from $0.82 in 2008 to $2.52 per share in 2012. In 2013, its stores are located in 335 sites in North America, Canada, and United Kingdom with prospects of aiming for more stores opening in years to come. The store offers perishable foods, grocery, meat and poultry, seafood, bakery, prepared foods and catering, specialty beer, wine and cheese, coffee and tea, nutritional supplements, vitamins, body care, educational products, floral items, pet products and household products (Whole Foods Market 2012 Annual Report). WFM is the world’s leading retailer of organic foods and is the first grocer to be certified as â€Å"organic†. Its corporate mission is â€Å"to promote the vitality and well-being of all individuals by supplying the highest quality, most wholesome foods available†. This has been translated to a core mission, of â€Å" promotion of organically grown foods, healthy eating, and sustainability of t he eco system†. 3. Motivational tools and strategies such as Work Life Balance, Benefits ,Virtual Work, Rewards, Recognition, Performance Management, Training and Development Fortune List has ranked WFM for 15 consecutive years as â€Å"One of the Best Companies to Work for in America†. This recognition acknowledgment bears out WFM’s commitment to fulfill its core values of â€Å"Supporting team members’ happiness and excellence.† . As motivational tool, WFM has designed a â€Å"Total Health Immersion and Healthy Discount Incentive program to promote health of its employees. This program aims to educate members and create awareness of the benefits of healthier habits that contributed to year-over year decreases in participant medical claims and inpatient stays in hospital, and an increase in annual preventive wellness exams. WFM recognizes team member’s efforts so much so company supports them in many other ways. Part of its package compensa tion plan includes a generous store discount, medical care, dental and vision plan, life insurance, retirement savings plan, gain-sharing program, stock option plan and emergency funds, paid time off and leaves of absences. A salary cap limits cash compensation (wages plus

Kim Fuller Essay Example for Free

Kim Fuller Essay In the early fall of 2002, Kim Fuller was employed as a district sales engineer for a large chemical firm. During a routine discussion with plant chemists, Fuller learned that the company had developed a use for the recycled material, in pulverized form, made from plastic soda pop bottles. Because the state had mandatory deposits all beverage bottles. Fuller realized that a ready supply of this material was available. All that was needed was an organization to tap that bottle supply, grind the bottles, and deliver the pulverized plastic to the chemical company. It was an opportunity Fuller had long awaited—a chance to start a business. In November 2002 Fuller began checking into the costs involved in setting up a plastic bottle grinding business. A used truck and three trailers were acquired to pick up the empty bottles. Fuller purchased one used grinding machine but had to buy a second one newï ¼â€ºSupplies and pans necessary to run and maintain the machines were also purchased. Fuller also purchased a personal computer with the intention of using it to keep company records. These items used $65,000 of the $75,000 Fuller had saved and invested in the company. A warehouse costing $162,000 was found in an excellent location for the business. Fuller was able to interest family members enough in this project that three of them, two sisters and a brother, invested $30, 000 each. These funds gave Fuller the$50,000 down payment on the warehouse. The bank approved a mortgage for the balance on the building. In granting the mortgage, however, the bank 0fficial suggested that Fuller start from the beginning with proper accounting records. He said these records would help not only with future bank dealings but also with tax returns and general management of the company. He suggested Fuller find a good accountant to provide assistance from the start, to get things going on the right foot. Fullers neighbor, Marion Zimmer, was an accountant with a local firm. When they sat down to talk about the new business, Fuller explained, â€Å"I know little about keeping proper records.† Zimmer suggested Fuller should buy an â€Å"off-the-shelf† accounting system software package from a local office supply retailer. Zimmer promised to help Fuller select and install the package as well as learn how to use it. In order to select the fight package for Fullers needs, Zimmer asked Fuller to list all of the items purchased for the business, a11 of the debts incurred, and the information Fuller  would need to manage the business. Zimmer explained that not al l of this information would be captured by the accounting records and displayed in financial statements. Based on what Fuller told Zimmer, Zimmer promised to create files to accommodate accounting and non-accounting information that Fuller could access through the companys personal computer. As Fullers first lesson in accounting, Zimmer gave Fuller a brief lecture on the nature of the balance sheet and income statement and suggested Fuller draw up an opening balance sheet for the company. Confident now that the venture was starting on solid ground, Kim Fuller opened the warehouse, signed contracts with two local bottling companies, and hired two grinding machine workers and a truck driver. By February 2003 the new firm was making regular deliveries to Fullers former employer. Questions 1. What information will Fuller need to manage the business? Classify this information in two categories: accounting information and non-accounting information. 2. See what you can do to draw up a beginning of business list of the assets and 1iabilities of Fullers company making any assumptions you consider useful. How should Fuller go about putting a value on the companys assets? Using your values, what is the company’s opening owners’ equity? 3. Now that Fuller has started to make sales, what information is needed to determine â€Å"profit and loss†? What should be the general construction of a profit and loss analysis for Fullers business? How frequently should Fuller do such all analysis? 4. What other kinds of changes in assets, 1iabilities, and owners’ claims will need careful recording and reporting if Fuller is to keep in control of the business?

Federal Mandates :: essays research papers

Federal mandates can be very important to the well being of U.S. citizens. Mandate 13031 is for the protection of one of the natural rights of every U.S. citizen; life. The term "child abuse" means the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, or negligent treatment of a child. This mandate outlines the regulations of who is responsible for reporting possibilities of child abuse. This mandate is responsible for saving the lives of many abused children. Federal Mandate 13031 falls under U.S.C. Title 42 - The Public Health and Welfare, Chapter 132 - Victims of Child Abuse, Subchapter IV - Reporting Requirements. It leaves the responsibility of reporting suspicions of child abuse with a great number of people. Any one in the medical profession including: physicians, dentists, medical residents or interns, hospital personnel and administrators, nurses, health care practitioners, chiropractors, osteopaths, pharmacists, optometrists, podiatrists, emergency medical technicians, ambulance drivers, undertakers, coroners, medical examiners, alcohol or drug treatment personnel, and persons performing a healing role or practicing the healing arts are required to report child abuse. Other professions included in the mandate are: psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, licensed or unlicensed marriage, family, and individual counselors, teachers, teacher's aides or assistants, school counselors and guidance personnel, school officials, and school administrators, child care workers and administrators, law enforcement personnel, probation officers, criminal prosecutors, and juvenile rehabilitation or detention facility employees, commercial film and photo processors. Lastly, the parents and/or foster parents are responsible for reporting any suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Despite the large numbers of responsible persons in this mandate, it has only a small impact on the local & state budget priorities. For most of these professions it is normal practice to check for signs of child abuse. It takes very little time and very few resources to look a child over. However, if a child is found to be abused, the costs of investigation, prosecution, and further care of the child can be very expensive. Due to this, there is millions of dollars appropriated each year for the area of child abuse. Any mandate that deals with the safety of children should never be removed. However, this particular mandate could probably be done without. The mandate simply shows who is required to report suspicions of child abuse. Although it doesn't sound very important, the number of abused children would probably continue to rise. Federal Mandates :: essays research papers Federal mandates can be very important to the well being of U.S. citizens. Mandate 13031 is for the protection of one of the natural rights of every U.S. citizen; life. The term "child abuse" means the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, or negligent treatment of a child. This mandate outlines the regulations of who is responsible for reporting possibilities of child abuse. This mandate is responsible for saving the lives of many abused children. Federal Mandate 13031 falls under U.S.C. Title 42 - The Public Health and Welfare, Chapter 132 - Victims of Child Abuse, Subchapter IV - Reporting Requirements. It leaves the responsibility of reporting suspicions of child abuse with a great number of people. Any one in the medical profession including: physicians, dentists, medical residents or interns, hospital personnel and administrators, nurses, health care practitioners, chiropractors, osteopaths, pharmacists, optometrists, podiatrists, emergency medical technicians, ambulance drivers, undertakers, coroners, medical examiners, alcohol or drug treatment personnel, and persons performing a healing role or practicing the healing arts are required to report child abuse. Other professions included in the mandate are: psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, licensed or unlicensed marriage, family, and individual counselors, teachers, teacher's aides or assistants, school counselors and guidance personnel, school officials, and school administrators, child care workers and administrators, law enforcement personnel, probation officers, criminal prosecutors, and juvenile rehabilitation or detention facility employees, commercial film and photo processors. Lastly, the parents and/or foster parents are responsible for reporting any suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Despite the large numbers of responsible persons in this mandate, it has only a small impact on the local & state budget priorities. For most of these professions it is normal practice to check for signs of child abuse. It takes very little time and very few resources to look a child over. However, if a child is found to be abused, the costs of investigation, prosecution, and further care of the child can be very expensive. Due to this, there is millions of dollars appropriated each year for the area of child abuse. Any mandate that deals with the safety of children should never be removed. However, this particular mandate could probably be done without. The mandate simply shows who is required to report suspicions of child abuse. Although it doesn't sound very important, the number of abused children would probably continue to rise.

Managerial Accounting Essay

Reflect and describe which key concepts and topics in this course have made you a stronger candidate to enter the business world. When I first began this course, I didn’t really understand what Managerial accounting for Business Professionals were. I was very confused and also a bit intimidated with what is expected and how is the professor going to be. In my previous classes I have had some professors who seem to not care about us students. I have felt often that since it’s an online environment they could answer whichever way they want because there isn’t anyone to meet face to face to speak. Professor, you have been a wonderful teacher and mentor for us. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better. Even though some of the weeks were challenging I was able to overcome them. What I enjoyed the most was the budgeting planning in Unit 6. I am always looking to grow within my job and department, so learning some other things and being able to speak with my peers about what I have learned enables me to show that I am eager to move up the ladder of success and get promoted. I think that the Wiley assignments were very educational and with the 5 chances that we were given to do the work, this really helped me analyze and truly learn how to solve a problem. Discuss how this course has affected you in your professional development as a student and as a person as well as encouraging you on your academic path. This course has helped me professionally develop skills that I have had hidden. I, at times am afraid to take the next step because of what I am afraid may be the outcome, but seeing these assignments week by week and being able to achieve these challenges has really made me a more confident person and has given me the push I need to be able to begin working on opening my own business which is to open a Laundromat. I look so forward to graduating and moving forward to my future.

The Influence of the Internet on Modern Society.

?The influence of the internet on modern society. CSC 1015 By Ryan Foreman 091811594 Introduction This essay focuses on the impact that the interent has had on modern society. I will give a brief history of the internet, talking about its origins and the key developments that have occured up until now. Then look at how the internet has changed society so far, including how it has changed social interactions, e-commerce and jobs. Also discussing the advantages and disadvatages of the interent and if we are better of with the internet, how i think the internet will develop and finally drawing my own personal conclusion. History of the internet – Before the invention of practical computers, people had visioned concepts of the internet Mountbatten, (1946 cited in Naughton,2000) thought that â€Å"Morse operators would be replaced by automatic apparatus . . . a single unified world-wide network of stations would be set up over which messages would be passed automatically. † Mountbatten's theory is simular to the function of e-mails. The term â€Å"father of the internet† has been thrown abouut, this is because so many people have contributed to the development of the internet three names always occur Vannevar Bush, Norbert Wiener and J. C. R Licklider. My personal opinion is that it was Paul Baran, this is because of his work on packet switched networks Naughton, (2000) â€Å"The core of Baran's algorithm was a constantly updated table containg data about how many ‘hops' were needed for a message to reach every other node in the system. † This is the idea of packet switching. The first form of the public internet was developed by CERN and invented by Tim Berners-lee he was the first person to communicate from a HTTP client to a server via the internet. Since the internet has become avaliable it has had millions of users, the internet have expanded vastly from being able to communicate from one computer to another to having television channels broadcasted live. How the internet has changed society so far. Society has been able to become socially active online with social networking sites such as facebook, myspace and Instant messaging services, i think the reason this has become popular is because these websites and programs are free and the ease of access, allowing people anywhere to talk to anyone in the world providing they have internet access. High street stores, have developed websites to advertise what they have instore online, giving the user the abilty to buy the product online and have it delivered to their house without having to go to the high street, i see this as a great advantage to people who live in remote locations, do not have mobile transport or are unable to travel, having an online store appeals to alot more people and gives the comapny a larger market. The internet has created many jobs, with the development of servers people are needed to maintain them, well as website developers and people needed to develop new technologies for the internet. Banks now allow customers to monitor their accounts online,[6] â€Å"49% of internet users access internet banking. † giving them more control over their account and they can check themselves. I personally think that this is a bad idea because of the risk of fraud and people becoming paranoid about their money, on the other hand account holders can also keep track of their finances incase illegal transactions are taking place. Thanks to the internet employees can work from anywhere, saving office space and capital costs on bulidings, i think that this has changed alot of workplace ethics, social workplace interaction has changed because employees are not working together in one place, although if employees are happy to work from home they may have higher job satisfaction. The benefits of the internet In the following paragraph i will discuss the advantage of the internet in modern day society. The interent has created new was of communication, such s instant messaging and video confencing but i think that the biggest influence is e-mail [1]†The use of e-mail is having a great impact on society. † E-mail has changed communication that now businesses use it. [1] â€Å"E-mail is a very fast way to work that reflects very well the nature of business today. † because of its efficiency, cost and ease of use e-mail has become a favoured method of communication. Business has thived on the intern et, internet business are able to reach a wider market [2]†Through the internet, a business of any size can compete in the global marketplace. In fact, on the internet, the size of an organization's operation makes little difference because the internet is an open environment. † because anyone has access to the internet businesses can reach anyone also giving the customer a wider choice of products. The internet has also seen new markets for jobs appear [3]†over the last decade or so the Internet has created 1. 2 million jobs, many paying higher salaries than average. † because of the new developments there are more people needed to perform research maintain and manage these areas of the internet. The dangers of the internet. In this paragraph i will be looking at the disadvantages of the internet. There are dangers of online communication such as social networks where users can lie about who they are [4]â€Å"Megan thought she was being abused by 16-year-old Josh Evans, she was actually talking to Lori Drew, the 49-year-old mother of one of her former friends who, it is alleged, had set up a fake profile to taunt Megan. † in social networking sites it is very easy for people to lie about who they are and trick other people. Businesses using online transactions have become victim to cyber-crime, there are many forms of cyber-crime, hacking involves gaining information without the users permission and misusing it, Cyber-crime is a huge part crime in todays society and is still growing [5]â€Å"Online theft costs $1 trillion a year, the number of attacks is rising sharply and too many people do not know how to protect themselves† because many businesses don't know how to protect themselves are being preyed on by hackers. Since e-mails have become mainstream less letters have been sent [6] â€Å"The impact of the internet and other communication technologies, such as mobile phones, has been so great that it has actually severed the link between the postal market and economic growth. † this decline in the postal market may be [6] â€Å"the rapid increase of internet access, with 70% of homes in the UK now online. † and also [6] â€Å"87% of internet users send e-mails. † because so many people have access to the internet and e-mails post is becoming redundant. If the benefits outways the dangers In this paragraph I will draw a conclusion on whether the benefits of the internet outway the dangers. Businesses have hugely benefitted from the internet with the access to a wider market, but a major disadvantage is cyber-crime one crime in specific fraud. I beleive the advantage outways the disadvantage because there are many ways businesses can protect themselves against fraud with software and training. Social networks have a huge advantage of being able to communicate with vast amounts of people from anywhere at any time, but people many younger internet users are targeted and negatively influenced over these sites, these influences can be stopped if the correct action can be taken a careful use of these sites. There have been so many jobs created by the internet because of all the new markets being created, aswell as all of these jobs being created many jobs have been lost [6]â€Å"55,000 jobs lost since 2002. . There have been many more jobs created than lost so far so i see the internet being an advantage. Summary The internet has vastly changed society through the many different areas that i have looked at, communication has greatly benefitted by having fast, easy and cheap communication, businesses have been able to reach a larger market and customers can choose from a wider range of products, more skilled jobs have been created. The internet has also created negative aspects such as communication and businesses have xperienced crime and online bullying, also many jobs have been lost because less people are using some services that the internet can now provide. My own personal experience of the internet has been of all of the areas discussed and i have always had good experiences. In conclusion the internet has created so many new jobs and markets rather than taken them away, as [6]â€Å"70% of homes in the UK now online. † it has affect a huge amount of the UK society and had a positive affect or people wouldn't use it.

What Happens to Candle Wax When a Candle Burns

What Happens to Candle Wax When a Candle Burns When you burn a candle, you end up with less wax after burning than you started with. This is because the wax oxidizes, or burns, in the flame to yield water and carbon dioxide, which dissipate in the air around the candle in a reaction that also yields light and heat. Candle Wax Combustion Candle wax, also called paraffin, is composed of chains of connected carbon atoms surrounded by hydrogen atoms. These hydrocarbon molecules can burn completely. When you light a candle, wax near the wick melts into a liquid. The heat of the flame vaporizes the wax molecules and they react with the oxygen in the air. As wax is consumed, capillary action draws more liquid wax along the wick. As long as the wax doesnt melt away from the flame, the flame will consume it completely and leave no ash or wax residue. Both light and heat are radiated in all directions from a candle flame. About one-quarter of the energy from combustion is emitted as heat. The heat maintains the reaction, vaporizing wax so that it can burn, melting it to maintain the supply of fuel. The reaction ends when there is either no more fuel (wax) or when there isnt enough heat to melt the wax. Equation for Wax Combustion The exact equation for wax combustion depends on the specific type of wax that is used, but all equations follow the same general form. Heat initiates the reaction between a hydrocarbon and oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy (heat and light). For a paraffin candle, the balanced chemical equation is: C25H52 38 O2 → 25 CO2 26 H2O Its interesting to note that even though water is released, the air often feels dry when a candle or fire is burning. This is because the increase in temperature allows air to hold more water vapor. Youre Unlikely to Inhale Wax When a candle is burning steadily with a teardrop-shaped flame, combustion is extremely efficient. All that is released into the air is carbon dioxide and water. When you first light a candle or if the candle is burning under unstable conditions, you may see the flame flicker. A flickering flame may cause the heat required for combustion to fluctuate. If you see a wisp of smoke, thats soot (carbon) from incomplete combustion. Vaporized wax does exist right around the flame but doesnt travel very far or last very long once the candle is extinguished. One interesting project to try is to extinguish a candle and relight it from a distance with another flame. If you hold a lit candle, match or lighter close to a freshly extinguished candle, you can watch the flame travel along the wax vapor trail to relight the candle.

Teenage Depression Essays - Depression, Abnormal Psychology

Teenage Depression Essays - Depression, Abnormal Psychology Teenage Depression Teenage depression is a growing problem in today's society and is often a major contributing factor for a multitude of adolescent problems. The statistics about teenage runaways, alcoholism, drug problems, pregnancy, eating disorders, and suicide are alarming. Even more startling are the individual stories behind these statistics because the young people involved come from all communities, all economic levels, all home situations-anyone's family. The common link is often depression. For the individuals experiencing this crisis, the statistics become relatively meaningless. The difficult passage into adolescence and early adulthood can leave lasting scars on the lives and psyches of an entire generation of young men and women. There is growing realization that teenage depression can be life- changing, even life-threatening. (McCoy 21) Depression is a murky pool of feelings and actions scientists have been trying to understand since the days of Hippocrates, who called it a "black bile." It has been called "the common cold of mental illness and, like the cold, it's difficult to quantify." (Arbetter 1) If feelings of great sadness or agitation last for much more than two weeks, it may be depression. For a long time, people who were feeling depressed were told to "snap out of it." According to a study done by National Institute of Mental Health, half of all Americans still view depression as a personal weakness or character flaw. Depression, however, is considered a medical disorder and can affect thoughts, feelings, physical health, and behaviors. It interferes with daily life such as school, friends, and family. "Clinical depression is the most incapacitating of all chronic conditions in terms of social functioning." (Salmans 11-12) Teenagers have always been vulnerable to depression for a variety of reasons. It's a confusing time of life because a teen's body is changing along with their relationships. "Teenagers constantly vacillate between strivings for independence from family and regressions to childish dependence on it." (Elkind 89) But today's teens face an additional challenge: They're growing up in a world quite different from that of their parent's youth. Adolescents today are faced with stresses that were unknown to previous generations and are dealing with them in an often self-destructive way. Contemporary society has changed the perception of teenagers. New parental lifestyles, combined with changes in the economy, often give less time and energy for parents to devote to their offspring. Society all too often views teens for what they can be instead of for who they are. Who they are becomes the identity of teenagers today. "They are confronted with the ambiguity of education, the dis! solution of family, the hostile commercialism of society, and the insecurity of relationships." (McCoy 16) This identity is fragile and is threatened by fears of rejection, feelings of failure, and of being different. These young people face stress in school as well with resources dwindling and campus violence and harassment increasing. Their sexual awakening comes in the age of AIDS, when sex can kill. In summary, teens today feel less safe, less empowered and less hopeful than we did a generation ago. Depression is a common concomitant to this struggle. (McCoy 36) It strikes 5% of teens and about 2% of children under 12. One in three adolescents in the nineties is at risk for serious depression. (Stern 28) Depression is the result of a complex mix of social, psychological, physical, and environmental factors. Teens with depressed parents are two to three times more likely to develop major depression. Genetic factors play a substantial but not overwhelming role in causing depression. (Dowling 37) Some type of significant loss can be a factor in triggering teenage depression. Loss can be due to death, divorce, separation, or loss of a family member, important friend or romantic interest. Loss can also be more subtle such as the loss of childhood, of a familiar way of being, of goals through achievement, or of boundaries and guidelines. (McCoy 46-48) Gender differences are becoming apparent, with girls having more difficulty with depression. Studies show girls are three times more likely than boys to suffer depression. A university study showed a close link between depression and negative body image and girls are usually more self-conscious about their bodies than boys. (Sol! in 157) The reasons for depression