Succesful Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Succesful Marriage - Essay Example Team work as explained by Coontz (2005) is the greatest of the factors to make a marriage successful. Team work involves doing things together and sharing all the details of the couples. It also involves sharing all the decision as well as making decisions together without one going behind the other’s back which in the end lead to lack of trust, fights and ultimate breakup. However, if the couples share all the information including secrets even the most trivial of them all, it means that in any difficulty or misunderstanding which is the likely recipe for divorce, the couples will go through it together as a team. Just like teamwork in workplaces requires contribution of all the parties involved, team work in marriage works in the same way with both partners contributing equally whether it is in time, finances or otherwise. When there are children in the marriage, teamwork is expected in raising them and this means being on the same page regarding curfews, deadlines, allowanc es and school work. Trust is the other greatest factor. Trust is different from team work in that without trust, team work is likely to fail, but a couple can last more in marriage with trust only than with team work only without trust. Trust means an in depth believe in one’s partner and especially when they are around people of the opposite sex or away from each other. What destroys most couples is lack of trust which leads to paranoia that the partner is going to leave you for another beautiful or handsome and more financially stable or younger partner. If these doubts and paranoia thoughts start entering the mind of the couples, trust starts crumbling, arguments increase, there is secret surveillance and this is the high road to divorce. Discussing insecurity issues is the best way to trust. The other most important thing is communication. Communication goes both ways if understanding and

DQ's 10 & 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ's 10 & 9 - Essay Example Considering only diagnose and design model elements, explain how you as a manager would assist the team or group of employees starting the change management process regarding a specific process at work. Ans.: There is no ‘one-fit-for-all’ approach in formulating a change management strategy though each proposed management change is expected to be successful. Given only diagnose and design model elements to work on, a Manager can help introduce and manage the change by knowing the characteristics of this change like its purpose, scope, time frame, its possible effects on the impacted group, etc. Second, he must have prepared tactical solutions addressing anticipated resistance like communication and education. â€Å"From an individual level especially if these changes bring fear of the unknown, threat to one’s security, cause threat to economic stability and cause selective information processing to keep perception clear. On the organizational level, resistance to change may be caused by structural and group inertia, threat to expertise, threat to established power relationship and the limited focus of change in the organization whereby other subsystems will be declared obsolete or ineffectual† (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p. 580). Ans.: Diversity plays a major role in managing change in an organization. According to Robbins & Judge, this may be categorized to be â€Å"surface-level diversity (referring to thoughts and feelings) or a deep-level diversity which differentiate individuals through their inner self, inner values or their personalities, in general† (Robbins, 2013, p.42). â€Å"Contributing to the diversity are the following: age, country of origin, race, ethnicity, religion, physical abilities and sexual orientation, among others† (p.43). Components of diversity pose a greater and significant challenge for company leaders. Ans.: To achieve effective work diversity,

Econ103 end term paper Essay Example for Free

Econ103 end term paper Essay

Environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability ABSTRACT Universities, as centres for training responsible and knowledgeable humans, prepare students to respond to the intellectual, social, and personal challenges that they will face in community. To this end, universities will take use of various resources. In this regard, the question which rises is to what extent the world leading universities take their environmental responsibility into consideration and how committed they are to environmental sustainability. This paper aimed to explore this issue by studying the world top 10 ranked universities. The study sample included Harvard University (US), University of Cambridge (UK), Yale University (US), University College London (UK), Imperial College London (UK), University of Oxford (UK), University of Chicago (US), Princeton University (US), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US), and California Institute of Technology (US). The required data was collected through the content analysis of the websites and annual reports of the mentione d universities. Findings of the paper showed that all the studied universities were involved in a number of various environmental activities and were committed to their environmental responsibilities. The findings of the paper can be a benchmark for other universities. Since the environment is an important pillar of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and vital part of sustainability, the findings have important implications for CSR policy of universities. INTRODUCTION All humans have a moral obligation to preserve the planet and there is no excuse for doing nothing to improve the environmental state of the globe. This also applies to institutions of higher education (Christensen et al., 2009). Organizations such as companies or universities are usually responsible for the severe environmental degradation we have witnessed (Alshuwaikhat and Abubakar, 2008; Hoffman and Woody, 2008; Haden et al., 2009). Nowadays, higher education institutions can cause significant environmental impacts (Jabbour, 2010). Many of them, due to their large size, expressive movement of people and vehicles, high consumption of materials, and strong development of complex activities, may be considered as small towns (Alshuwaikhat and Abubakar, 2008). Therefore higher education institutes have a great environmental responsibility toward society. This could be through training graduates with suitable environmental knowledge as well as environmental plans and programs to reduce waste and preserve environment. Now, the question which arises is how aware universities are toward their environmental responsibilities toward society. To answer this question, this study will investigate the issue among world top 10 universities through reviewing their website content and annual reports. Although previous studies have been conducted in this area, they are mainly case studies considering only one university. This study, however, considers 10 International universities at the same time and tries to provide a general picture of how aware and responsible world top universities are toward environment. Since the environment is an important pillar of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and vital part of sustainability, the findings of this study have important implications for CSR policy of universities. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN UNIVERSITIES Sustainability is a pattern of resource use which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The main idea of sustainable development is to achieve the lasting satisfaction of human needs. Environmental management may be defined as the study of all technical and organizational activities aimed at reducing the environmental impact caused by a companys business operations (Cramer, 1998, p. 162). Although initially targeted for companies, this definition can also be applied to service sector and universities. Universities apply various resources to provide quality education for students. This, in turn, will cause impacts on the environment. Several simple examples of these impacts are electricity consumption, production of waste and CO2 emission caused by daily printing of large numbers of papers. A number of dimensions define environmental management practices (Aragà Ã…’n-Correa, 1998; Klassen Angell, 1998; Klassen W hybark, 1999). As Cà ©spedes-Lorente et al. (2003) mention, Peattie and Ringler (1994) drew a distinction between software and hardware environmental activities. Software activities are those focused on organizational issues such us systems, procedures, audits and manuals, whereas hardware activities are concerned with technological change to reduce the environmental impact of the firm. Environmental sustainability refers to the environmental actions or impacts of what we do. There are a number of studies considering the issues of sustainability and environment in higher education. A study by Wright (2010), examined how a cohort of university presidents and vice-presidents in Canadian universities conceptualize sustainable development, sustainable universities, the role universities play in achieving a sustainable future, key issues facing the university, and the barriers to implementing sustainability initiatives on campus. They showed that although the majority of participants we re well versed in the concept of sustainable development, they were less familiar with the concept of a sustainable university. However, majority of them were dedicated to having their university become more sustainable. The participants also listed financial predicaments, lack of understanding and awareness of sustainability issues amongst the university population, and a resistance to change as the main barriers in the path of sustainability. Pollock et al. (2009) also insisted that complex and ineffective governance, traditional disciplinary boundaries, and the lack of a shared vision at academic institutions often hinder universitys progress toward leading the world to a more sustainable and desirable future. Furthermore, a study by Rauch and Newman (2009) in Yale University explored how an institutional target can lead to greater community action and long-term commitment than if no specific target is established. METHODOLOGY Similar to a related study by Capriotti and Moreno (2007), this paper used a content analysis methodology to analyze the websites of the top 10 world universities ranked by Times Higher Education (THE, 2009). This research studied the content of the university official websites and tried to identify universities environmental practices, procedures and plans. To this end, we have reviewed all the related web pages of the universities (including news, media, department web pages, etc.) and not just direct links from the homepage. The study sample included Harvard University (US), University of Cambridge (UK), Yale University (US), University College London (UK), Imperial College London (UK), University of Oxford (UK), University of Chicago (US), Princeton University (US), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US), and California Institute of Technology (US). FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The findings of this research shows that world leading universities are in some way or another involved in environmental practices and committed to their environmental responsibility. Table 1 summarizes the diversity of the areas which these universities are involved in. Table 1 Environmental practices of studied universities Environmental Practice 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a a a a a a a a a a Reduction in the use of fossil fuels and increase in the use of renewable resources a a a a a a a a a a Waste recycle and management a a a a a a a a Reduction of water use a a a a a a Green buildings and environmentally responsible architecture a a a a a a a Running an specialized environmental centre/ network a a a a a a a a a a Reduction of the environmental impact due to the use of paper a a a a Increase of environmental awareness among staff students a a a a a a a a a a Minimisation of environmental impact due to materials and services used by the university a a a a a a a a Minimisation of environmental impact due to travel a a a Maintenance of university sites in an environmentally sensitive way a a a a a a Green purchasing for university procurement a a a a a 1: Harvard University (US), 2: University of Cambridge (UK), 3: Yale University (US), 4: University College London (UK), 5: Imperial College London (UK), 6: University of Oxford (UK), 7: University of Chicago (US), 8: Princeton University (US), 9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US), 10: California Institute of Technology (US). With the growing concern on climate change around the globe, most of the universities are taking this issue into consideration. For instance, Harvard University monitors and publishes its greenhouse gas emissions statistics across its various schools in North America campus. As shown in their report (Harvard, 2008), the university managed to totally decrease its greenhouse gas emission to the amount of -2.3% in year 2008 compared to year 2006 in their North America campus. At Harvard, they also notice the issue of green buildings through defining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects. As mentioned in their environmental report (ibid.), LEED is a rating system for green buildings and provides a nationally accepted third-party verification that a building project meets the highest performance standards. Similarly, in University of Cambridge, a student network named Architecture sans Frontià ©res (ASF) considers the possibilities of a new socially and environmen tally responsible architecture. Through lectures and exhibitions, this network aims to get people thinking about how buildings can respond to the needs of society and the environment (Cambridge, 2007). Yale University also has an office of sustainability where they run various projects such as LEED rating. Similarly, California Institute of Technology utilizes the LEED standard to ensure its buildings meet and maintain a high level of energy, water and resource efficiency. In another instance, Imperial College London was recognised by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) for the efforts of the Facilities Management department to reduce its carbon production. Interestingly, University of Chicago has an interesting website called green guide where they provide information related to health and environmental topics at the University of Chicago and share tips with visitors on how to live a greener life (Chicago, 2006). The university also provided eco-tip of the month in its website. Overall, all the studied universities take their environmental responsibility seriously and are involved in this regard. CONCLUSION This study showed that world leading universities are aware of their environmental impacts and have taken necessary steps toward sustainability. Many of them have defined annual plans with objectives to achieve. This can be considered as a benchmark for other universities around the globe. However, the key to success of such plans is commitment from all levels of management specially top leaders. As discussed by Wickenberg (2006) and cited by Axelsson et al. (2008), the norm support given by the leaders of the universities is necessary and crucial to success in local implementation of sustainability plans. This is supported by the research of Christensen et al. (2009) who showed that in spite of adopting an environmental policy and signing an agreement to work for sustainable universities, Aalborg University (Denmark) failed to reach its objectives due to the lack of commitment from top management, the missing acceptance from technical staff, and a narrow understanding of the univers itys environmental impacts. Other universities and their leaders can benchmark these plans and culture to organize their own sustainability and environmental plans. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The first author would like to thank Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for supporting this research through providing Vice-Chancellor Award. REFERENCES Alshuwaikhat, HM and Abubakar, I 2008, An integrated approach to achieving campus sustainability: assessment of the current campus environmental management practices, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 16, pp. 1777-85. Aragà Ã…’n-Correa, J A 1998, Strategic proactivity and firm approach to the natural environment, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 41, No. 5, pp. 556-567. Axelsson, H, Sonesson, K, and Wickenberg, P 2008, Why and how do universities work for sustainability in higher education (HE)?, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 469-478. Cambridge, 2007, Resources: Volunteering opportunities, Retrieved on February 22, 2010 from http://webservices.admin.cam.ac.uk/outreach/pages/activities.jsp?category=50. Capriotti, P, and Morenob, A 2007, Corporate citizenship and public relations: The importance and interactivity of social responsibility issues on corporate websites, Public Relations Review, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 84-91. Cà ©spedes-Lorente, J, Burgos-Jimà ©ne, J D, and Alvarez-Gil, M J 2003, Stakeholders environmental influence. An empirical analysis in the Spanish hotel industry, Scandinavian Journal of Management, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 333-358. Chicago, 2006, Green Guide, Retrieved on February 22, 2010 from http://greenguide.uchicago.edu. Christensen, P, Thrane, M, Jà ¸rgensen, T H, and Lehmann, M 2009, Sustainable development: assessing the gap between preaching and practice at Aalborg University, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 4-20. Cramer, J 1998, Environmental management: From fit to stretch, Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 162-172. Haden, SS, Oyler, PH and Humphreys, JH 2009, Historical, practical and theoretical perspectives on green management: an exploratory analysis, Management Decision, Vol. 47, No. 7, pp. 1041-55. Harvard, 2008, Summary of Environmental Performance at Harvard, Retrieved on February 22, 2010 from http://www.provost.harvard.edu/institutional_research/Provost_-_09_36_39Green.pdf. Hoffman, AJ and Woody, JG 2008, Climate Change? Whats Your Business Strategy?, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA. Jabbour, C J C 2010, Greening of business schools: a systemic view, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 49-60. Klassen, R D, and Angell, L C 1998, An international comparison of environmental management in operations: The impact of manufacturing flexibility in the US and Germany, Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 177-194. Klassen, R D, and Whybark, D C 1999, Environmental management in operations: The selection of environmental technologies, Decisions Sciences, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 601-630. Peattie, K, and Ringler, A 1994, Management and the environment in the United Kingdom and Germany: A comparison, European Management Journal, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 216-225. Rauch, J N and Newman, J, 2009, Institutionalizing a greenhouse gas emission reduction target at Yale, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 390-400. THE 2009, Times Higher Education, online, retrieved 09 December 2009, from http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/Rankings2009-Top200.html, Accessed on: December 09, 2009. Wickenberg, P. (2006), Norm supporting actors and structures at the very local level of implementation of sustainable development, in Holmberg and Samuelsson (Eds), Higher Education, in Drivers and Barriers for Implementing Sustainable Development in Higher Education. Education for Sustainable Development in Action (Technical Paper No 3), UNESCO Education. Wright, T 2010, University presidents conceptualizations of sustainability in higher education, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 61-73. 2

The Possessive - Empty Nest :: Possessive Essays

The Possessive - Empty Nest  Ã‚   A nest lies empty on top a forked branch of an old oak tree. Last spring children play, young lovers whisper into each others ear, and the elderly relax under that tree. When they do, they can hear the quiet chirps of little hungry baby blue-jays. The little blue-jays chirp until the mother blue-jay returns with food . Afterwards, one attempts to fly and fall out of the nest. The mother blue-jay then quickly swoops down and catches the little one before he hits the ground. The baby jay can always depend on his mother when he needs her, but she knows that one day he will no longer rely on her. On that day, instead of plummeting to his death, the young blue-jay will spread his wings and fly away. He will fly straight into the setting sun never looking back. Slowly all of the young will fly away and leave the mother alone in the nest. However, mothers do not always handle this situation calmly. In "The Possessive," Sharon Olds conjures intense images of betrayal and utilizes war as a me taphor to express a mother's emotion as her daughter leaves the nest. The poem reflects the separation anxiety the mother undergoes as she witnesses her daughter mature and distance herself.    To set the mood of the poem, Olds relies heavily on imagery to create the effect. The mother feels betrayed as she watches her daughter slip away from her. Small trivial acts like a simple haircut evoke strong images of discomfort. The barber is described as a "knife grinder" (4) sharpening the edges of her daughter's hair as if they are weapons. Olds slips words such as "slice" and "blade", which thrust images of separation into the mind of the reader. She follows these images with sharp edges and cold steel, and then she tops it off with a blazing, red fire The strong intense color red spills over the lines of the poem as blood of soldiers in a heated battle. The vibrant nature of the color red attracts the human eye creating intense emotions. The intense images express the intensity of the mother's emotions. The imagery in this poem aches the pain and discomfort the mother experiences as mother and daughter prepare for a battle.    The images create the war metaphor presence in the poem.

Tesco: Assessing the change implications of Tesco’s Rapid International Business process.

Executive summary Change is inevitable in any organization that aspires to grow. As an organization, Tesco has diversified its operations and extended into new markets in various countries such as China, Japan among others. However, its largest market base is still in the United Kingdom. This paper discusses the implications that the company’s rapid internationalization has had on its operations. Penetration into new and undiscovered markets which seem unattractive to many retailers and selling for low prices is the key strategy employed by this organization in its expansion process. They are able to charge these low prices due to the numerous benefits of economies of scale they enjoy due to mass production and sale. This strategy however, does not lack challenges just like any other strategy employed by other organizations. For instance, the competitors in the new markets can also reduce their prices thereby limiting the market to new entrants such as Tesco. This is especially so in large emerging markets such as China and Japan. This paper also addresses the need for change and factors that have contributed to change at Tesco. There are a number of reasons why change is important. For instance, in order to ensure it remains competitive, some aspects of the organization have to change. The factors which drive change in this organization include political factors, social factors, technological factors, economic factors and even its objectives as an organization. The change process in this organization receives support from all the levels of the organization and the goals and vision are clearly communicated to the members. This is evidenced by its exemplary performance. Despite the numerous challenges faced in the change process, it has remained afloat and the benefits of the change are evident through its continued expansion. This paper exhaustively explores the change process at Tesco, analyzes the situation and makes suggestions that the company can use in implementation of the change. Introduction Tesco is a general merchandising retail chain and an international grocery store. Founded in 1919, it has grown over the years and is currently operating in over 12 countries globally with a total of 530,000 employees. In 2012, it had ?3.03 billion in profits and ?59.4 billion in turnover. Most of its revenue (65%) comes from the United Kingdom. However, other places such as Asia, United States and Europe also are responsible for a large portion of its revenue (Tesco, 2012). It operates under different brand names, which include Superstore, Express Extra and Metro. It sells about 40,000 food items in its superstores, clothes and other nonfood items. It also owns petrol stations and offers personal finance services such as life insurance. Its expansion has placed it at a top position globally and currently is ranked as the largest retailer in Britain and as the third largest retailer globally (Lowe et al., 2012). The own-label products of the company are grouped into three segments na mely: the value level, normal level and finest level products. Despite the extensive development of the retailing and nonfood services, Tesco has undertaken huge investments internationally in a bid to ensure its continued growth. To ensure efficiency in operations and costs in its international operations, it has incorporated IT solutions to facilitate business processes (Miozzo et al., 2012). This paper provides an in-depth analysis of Tesco’s rapid internationalization. Situation and Culture Every organization has its own culture which either serves to identify its employees and customers or serves to ensure efficient running and cohesive relationships among the employees (Maitah, 2010). Tesco’s culture is distinctive through its numerous corporate social activities. These demonstrate its ideologies and values such as honesty, responsibility and fairness. This sense of social responsibility drove the organization into stating up supermarkets in areas where other supermarkets would not go into due to their native nature. At Tesco, there are string bonds among the staff and customers. This has been quite instrumental in contributing to wards employee job satisfaction and offering services that are satisfactory to customers. These relationships have ensured efficient operations within the organization due to the social groups formed (Tesco PLC, 2014). There are shared values upheld by the staff thereby ensuring a reduction in conflicts among them. This also encourages loyalty of the staff to the organization thereby ensuring its good performance is sustained. Lastly it helps them get a better understanding of the customers’ needs (Tesco PLC, 2014). Tesco has a flexible work environment, which ensures an increase in employee participation in various roles and decisions and also enhances their adaptability to possible changes within the organization. An inflexible work environment would in most cases lead to resistance from the employees, thereby limiting their productivity and innovation. In the long run, it will affect the performance of the organization (Tseng, 2011). The management practice undertaken by the organization tends to be in line with theory Y assumptions. In this theory, the management believes that the employees view their work as normal and will aim at obtaining additional responsibilities in their places of work (Russ, 2011). Given the right conditions, these managers believe that workers will be self-driven and work efficiently. Therefore, there will be joint decision making in regards to setting of objectives and development of strategies required to achieve these goals. Also these managers will delegate most duties and promote team work (Lowe et al., 2012). Even though the managers at Tesco have incorporated some of these propositions in the daily management of the organizations activities, it may not entirely lead to efficiency. This is because of the extensive number of the subordinates one manger supervises making it difficult to use the approach (Be nfari, 2013). Also, tasks allocated to the subordinates do not need specialized skills hence continued supervision by the managers is required in order for them to issue direction and ensure continuity in a bid to achieve the set goals of the firm (Inman et al., 2014 ). Drivers of change and the organizations stage in the change process There is always need for change in any organization, which is usually propelled by a variety of factors, which is also the case at Tesco. This section outlines the different factors that have contributed to the need for change at Tesco. It also addresses the stage of change in which the company currently is. One of these is the changing political environment. New legislations come up every day and therefore it needs to conform to these standards in order to avoid any legal suits against them. Legal suits may affect its cash flows as a majority of people may claim compensation. Issues also such as political instability may affect the operations of the organization (Lowe et al., 2012). Economic factors are also responsible for the changes. Factors such as economic crisis and fall in demand for goods may affect the cash flows adversely as sales will slump. This therefore poses a need for diversification of its operations hence a presenting a need for change (Benn et al., 2014). As the c ompany expands its operations, it manages this risk because when the risk is high in a certain market, there is another market with stable economic conditions (Polak et al., 2011). Social factors also contribute to this. Customer loyalty is a key social factor needed to ensure growth and sustainability of any business (Mahatma et al., 2013). For instance, news that the beef burgers from Tesco had horsemeat adversely affected the image of the organization and lowered the customer loyalty (The Guardian, 2013). This therefore drives for change as it has to ensure those who were affected are compensated and that corrective action is taken so no such occurrences are experienced in the future. Changes in the marketing strategies therefore are needed in order to restore the customer base (Anderson & Swaminathan, 2011). It can also be argued that technological factors are responsible for these changes (Hitt & Tambe, 2012). Due to Tesco’s extensive operations all over the world, it needs to adopt new technological advancements in order to ensure efficiency in its operations such as production and marketing. Issues such as social media marketing through twitter and Facebook should be considered in order to ensure they meet their target audience (Tuten & Solomon, 2012). Online shopping channels should also be enhanced further (Plunkett, 2009). At present, Tesco has undertaken numerous steps towards the change process. It has diversified its operations in order to prevent losses due to economic factors in one area. For instance it produces products such as petroleum and food products, both of which have inelastic demand (Tesco PLC, 2014). It complies with both the legal and ethical requirements especially in regards to food products and also compensates affected individuals in order to avoid law suits which could harm its operations. Also, the organization has undertaken numerous technological advancements in its operations in order to ensure its operations are well managed and that their customers are served efficiently (de Kervenoael et al., 2011). With reference to the j-curve model, there are stages which an organization goes through in the change process (Grabenwarter & Weidig, 2005). These include: †¢ Plateau: At this level there are minimal disruptions in the organization. †¢ Cliff: This stage is characterized by a lot of anxiety and uncertainties surrounding the new process. †¢ Valley: At this point, production is low and there are a lot of frustrations in the work place. It is the most critical part as it determines whether the change will be taken to completion. †¢ Ascent Stage: At this stage, the benefits from the development are reaped. There are no challenges at this point and the limited challenges faced can be easily resolved. †¢ Mountaintop: This is the final stage. Here, both productivity and performance have been improved. According to the j curve model, Tesco is at the ascent stage. This is because some of the benefits from the internationalization strategy are already being ripped by t he company (Lowe et al., 2012). Whether there is a strategy for this planned change or is it a response to a problem. For Tesco, the changes are both in form of a prior vision and as a response to changes in the issues in the market. Tesco has two key strategies which it employs in a bid to achieve its goals. These are: â€Å"How Tesco sells for less†- Tesco‘s goal is to sell large volumes of a wide range of products and services. In order to achieve this, they make use of the economies of scale benefits derived from producing and selling in bulk. This therefore implies that it can lower its prices hence sell its products globally at competitive prices (Tesco PLC, 2014). â€Å"Steering wheel† –this is related to its primary areas of concern. These are operations, people, financial and customers. Of all the four areas of concern, the customers are the most important. Tesco therefore, has ensured that the relationship between them is cordial and built on a t rust basis thereby securing their loyalty. It has ensured it provides quality products at very low prices and also that there is professionalism in service delivery to the customers (Bather & Tucker, 2011). The increase in competition in Tesco’s major markets is the main problem that has also led it to implement the internationalization strategy. With companies like Wal-Mart and Carrefour also struggling for the market share in the UK and other main markets, Tesco has had to consider expanding to other regions where there is less competition (Ryu & Simpson, 2011). Exploration of the problem to be addressed Whereas Tesco has successfully established itself in the many countries and is generally performing well, there are several problems it faces that ought to be addressed. This will improve the company’s performance and give it an edge over its main competitors in the market. These issues are discussed hereunder. Over dependence on the UK market Despite its extensive expansion to other market areas globally, its profits still largely depend on the UK market. About 73.8% and 65% of its profits in 2003 and 2009 respectively came from its UK market (Palmer, 2012). Even though this is not a problem in the short run, it may affect its operations in the long run if its competitors such as the Morrison’s group expand their operations and market share (Benn et al., 2014). Debt International expansion is expensive hence requires heavy cash flows used for marketing and investment purposes. Therefore, Tesco requires huge cash flows and these are raised through borrowing (Randall & Seth, 2011). The repayment of these debts has further been worsened by the economic downturn and has become expensive overtime. Its aggressive expansion activities reduce the cash available for financing other activities in the organization (Benn et al., 2014). Acquisitions Due to its large size, and wide range of products, Tesco can easily take over other firms, especially in the United Kingdom. However, there is a risk posed by it turning into a serial acquirer since these actions will lower its quality, brand visibility and even earnings. This therefore should be addressed and a different expansion strategy considered (Johnson & Turner, 2010). Aggressive expansion into large markets such as China and Japan may lead to a decline in returns due to reasons such as the existing economic conditions in these markets, reactions by competitors and failure of the company’s strategy (Benn et al., 2014). The key players and what each player may lose or win The key players here include: †¢ Competitors- these are most likely to lose their market share due to an increase in Tesco’s market share. Some of its competitors include ASDA, Carrefour S.A, Safeway Inc. and the Royal Dutch (Palmer, 2012). †¢ Government- the governments in various cou ntries where Tesco operates would most likely gain additional revenue from the taxes paid in by Tesco (Johnson & Turner, 2010). †¢ Customers- the consumers will benefit due to quality products at cheap prices since this is the main aim of Tesco. As the company seeks to gain a larger market share, it will be beneficial to clients (Anderson & Swaminathan, 2011). Articulation of the vision to the members or the organization As an organization, Tesco has a clear mission and vision. With a massive workforce of 597, 784 employees (as of 2013) there are strategies that are put in place to ensure that every one is at par with the organization’s mission and vision (Tesco PLC, 2014). The vision of Tesco is to be valued by the customers they serve, the communities in which they operate, colleagues and the shareholders. The organization seeks to transform lives through innovative products and inspire future generations. In all the 12 countries where Tesco operates, the company is va lued and appreciated. The people are served in the best regard and they are loyal clients. This is a clear indication that the vision of the company has been articulated by the members of the organization (Taylor, 2014). The level of support within the organization at each level For the change process to be efficiently implemented in an organization, it is vital for all parties to be equally involved. This will reduce resistance and facilitate an easy transition from the state prior to the change to the state after (Kotter, 2007). Generally, there is extensive support from the various levels in the organization at Tesco. For instance, the top level management makes decisions in regards to the possible areas of expansion. There have been minimal or no reports of resistance to internationalization at Tesco (Taylor, 2014). This means that as the company implements these strategies, it takes all the necessary measures to ensure that all the parties that are likely to be affected are well informed of the need for the change and the process that will be undertaken in the change process (Benn et al., 2014). Other levels in the organization, including the middle and lower levels, are also supportive of the changes (Taylor, 2014). Other key players to be consulted Apart from the parties within the organization, it is also vital for the company’s management to ensure that it consults other external stakeholders that are likely to be affected by the change (Kotter, 2007). There are different groups that need to be consulted. One of these groups comprises of the company’s creditors. These are the financers who facilitate the change process. Hence, their approval is needed because they need to certify that the expansion is profitable and that their funds will not be put in risky businesses (Bennett & Bush, 2013). Shareholders also have to be consulted. These are the owners of the business hence their interests must be factored in any decision making process. Their consent must be given before the expansion is undertaken. The governments of the home country and the target country into which the company intends to expand (Liguori, 2012). Before entering into any new markets, there are legislations set which must be observed. Compliance with these laws is needed before they can set up their operations in any country. Recommendations for forming or not forming a coalition It would be optimal for Tesco to form further coalitions with other organizations. This is because it will benefit in a number of ways. For instance, there will be an acquisition of additional skills from the company with which it is partnering. This also applies to other tangible and in tangible resources that might have cost the company a lot to acquire (Hogg et al., 2012). The potential market for Tesco will increase at a faster rate. By forming merger with companies that have already established themselves in the market, Tesco will automatically inherit the market share of the other companies. This is as opposed to a situation where the company could have entered the market on its own (Matsushima et al., 2013). Another advantage is that there will be improved information access and sharing, especially information about the markets being targeted (Hogg et al., 2012). Whereas there are benefits that the company can get by entering coalitions with other companies in expanding its op erations, there are also several limitations that it can be exposed to as a result of this. For instance, there can be conflicts in terms of how profits are shared among the companies involved (Matsushima et al., 2013). As a result of varying organizational cultures and structures, entering coalitions can also limit employee productivity as employees as there will be a conflict in the way they operate. This challenge is usually mostly felt in the early stages of the coalition (Benn et al., 2014). Recommendations on useful tools for managing change at the organization Generally, it is difficult for any organization and its employees to adjust to change. It is therefore recommended that an organization uses a model as this will give the leaders a guideline on how to effect this change and make it acceptable (Boje et al., 2012). There are several models that have been suggested by researchers to help in change management. One of these is Kotter’s eight-step model, which is summa rized in detail in the table below (Kotter, 2007). By following the steps that have been suggested by Kotter above, there is a high likelihood of succeeding in the change process. However, critics have faulted the model for being mechanistic and assuming that all organization can chronologically follow these steps. It fails to acknowledge that organizations differ (Liguori, 2012). Additional advice It is important to see to it that there is e continued success in operations of the organization. Presently, Tesco has greatly diversified its operations. Though it can be seen as a good strategy for business in terms of spreading risk, it can choose to focus and specialize in a few of them. The expansion of the nonfood operations offers a greater potential than the others and hence it can choose to concentrate in this area due to the extensive demand for these products. This however, can be adversely affected by the economic environment. Therefore, an extensive assessment of potential risk factors should be made before investments in this unit are undertaken. Of importance is to note that sales here are generated by the consumer confidence levels and ratings. At present, these are quite low. There is also an increase in the demand for organic and natural product in the United Kingdom. Tesco therefore should take advantage of this opportunity to conform to these lifestyle changes and develop products in order to tap into these new markets. This would be more efficient if Tesco could lower the costs of production in order to ensure that the product prices are not so high and hence are available to the consumers. In conclusion, Tesco can penetrate into new markets such as the United States through its current penetration strategy into undiscovered markets as this has been effective in the past and still is. This is because the current retailers are not willing to delve into these markets. This would also require an extensive risk assessment especially in regards to transportation and supply as this would affect the cash flows .hence, it would be effective to use a clustered approach in development of stores instead of placing them indiscriminately. If it can penetrate the fresh foods market in the United states then they will continue to be successful as the demand for food is relatively inelastic and will not be adversely affected in case of economic downturns. References Anderson, R.E. & Swaminathan, S., 2011. Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in E-Markets: A PLS Path Modeling Approach. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19(2), pp.221 – 234. Bather, A. & Tucker, R., 2011. Legitimacy Theory and a Compliance Analysis of Tesco’s 2008 Business Review. International Review of Business Research, 7(2), pp.137-56. Benfari, R.C., 2013. Understanding and Changing Your Management Style: Assessments and Tools for Self-development. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Benn, S., Dunphy, D. & Griffiths, A., 2014. Organizational change for corporate sustainability. Londin: Routledge. Bennett, J.L. & Bush, ?.W., 2013. Coaching for Change. New Jersey: Routledge. Boje, D., Burnes, B?. & Hassard, ?J., 2012. The Routledge Companion to Organizational Change. New York: Routledge. de Kervenoael, R., Canning, C., Palmer, M. & Hallsworth, A., 2011. Challenging market conventions: Supermarket diversification and consumer resistance in children’s apparel purchases. Journal of fashion marketing and management, 15(4), pp.464-85. Grabenwarter, U. & Weidig, T?., 2005. Exposed to the J-Curve: Understanding and Managing Private Equity Fund Investments. London: Euromoney Books. Hitt, L.M. & Tambe, P., 2012. The Productivity of Information Technology Investments: New Evidence from IT Labor Data. Information Systems Research, 4(1), pp.234-57. Hogg, M.A., Van Knippenberg, D. & Rast, D.E., 2012. Intergroup leadership in organizations: Leading across group and organizational boundaries. Academy of Management Review, 37(2), pp.232-55. Inman, M., O’Sullivan, ?N. & Murton, A?., 2014. Unlocking Human Resource Management. New Jersey: Routledge. Johnson, D. & Turner, ?C., 2010. International Business: Themes and Issues in the Modern Global Economy. New Jersey: Routledge. Kotter, J.P., 2007. Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Harvard Business Review, pp.1-10. Liguori, M., 2012. The supremacy of the sequence: key elements and dimensions in the process of change. Organization Studies, 33(4), pp.507-39. Lowe, M., George, G. & Alexy, O., 2012. Organizational identity and capability development in internationalization: transference, splicing and enhanced imitation in Tesco’s US market entry. Journal of Economic Geography, 12(5), pp.1021-54. Mahatma, I.G., Bakti, Y. & Sumaedi, S., 2013. An analysis of library customer loyalty: The role of service quality and customer satisfaction, a case study in Indonesia. Library Management, 34(6/7), pp.397-414. Maitah, M., 2010. How Culture Affects your Business. [Online] Available at: http://www.maitah.com/wp-content/How%20culture%20affects%20your%20business.pdf [Accessed 17 May 2014]. Matsushima, N., Sato, Y. & Yamamoto, K., 2013. Horizontal Mergers, Firm Heterogeneity, and R&D Investments. The BE Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 13(2), pp.959-90. Miozzo, M., Yamin, M. & Ghauri, P.N., 2012. Strategy and structure of service multinationals and their impact on linkages with local firms. The Service Industries Journa, 32(7), pp.1171-91. Palmer, A., 2012. Introduction to Marketing: Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Plunkett, J.W., 2009. Plunkett’s E-Commerce and Internet Business Almanac 2009. Texas: Plunkett Research. Polak, P., Robertson, D.C. & Lind, M., 2011. The New Role of the Corporate Treasurer: Emerging Trends in Response to the Financial Crisis. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, (78). Randall, G. & Seth, A?., 2011. The Grocers: The Rise and Rise of Supermarket Chains. New York: Kogan Page. Russ, T.L., 2011. Theory X/Y assumptions as predictors of managers’ propensity for participative decision making. Management Decision, 49(5), pp.823-36. Ryu, J.S. & Simpson, J.J., 2011. Retail internationalization: Lessons from† Big Three† global retailers’ failure cases. Journal of Business & Retail Management Research, 6(1). Taylor, M., 2014. The Success of Tesco’s International Expansion. Munich: GRIN Verlag. Tesco PLC, 2014. About Us. [Online] Available at: http://www.tescoplc.com/ [Accessed 11 5l 2014]. Tesco, 2012. Annual Review and summary Financial Statement 2012. London: Tesco PLC. The Guardian, 2013. How the horsemeat scandal unfolded – timeline. The Guardian, 15 February. Tseng, S.-M., 2011. The effects of hierarchical culture on knowledge management processes. Management Research Review, 34(5), pp.595-608. Tuten, T.L. & Solomon, M.R., 2012. Social Media Marketing. New York: Prentice

El Dorado

El Dorado: The Legend and the Myth Your Name Here School Name Professor John Doe Whether it is just a place of legend that once existed and has disappeared into history or a myth fabricated by European explorers looking for riches, El Dorado has always been a source of mystery to historians and explorers from around the globe. In the search for their â€Å"El Dorado†, the European explorers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries would stop at nothing to obtain the untold wealth and notoriety that would come with a successful expedition. Along with the wealth that few found, European explorers were able to successfully rape, pillage and destroy an entire continents native population’s way of live in just a few decades. El Dorado, whether is actually exists, or not, has contributed to mans madness in the search for wealth, conquest and paradise in the new world. El Dorado is defined as being a place of legend, a place thought to be found somewhere within the South American continent. It is a place that is believed to be rich in gold and precious stones (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1988). The term â€Å"El dorado† was originally derived from the Spanish â€Å"el dorado† which means â€Å"golden one. † Many legends surround this story and the origin of El Dorado. â€Å"The Gilded Man† (Bandelier, 1893) – el hombre dorado – which through the generations has been shortened to the current version of El Dorado, is the story of a South American Indian tribe that once lived and flourished in what is now the mountainous table lands of Bogota. Legend has it that this was the name of the chief of the Musica (Wikipedia, 2011) tribe in South America. The story states that the members of this chief’s tribe, during tribal ceremonies, would sprinkle his body with gold dust, which, after the ceremony, would be removed by the king diving into Lake Guatavita. In the years prior to the arrival of the Spanish explorers the Guatativa Indians had been defeated and subjugated in tribal warfare by a neighboring tribe around 1490-1500, and the new chief of this region had put an end to the ceremony of El Dorado. With the arrival of the Spaniards to this region of South America around 1525, the gilded man had already become a myth to the local native tribes. In the Cibao mountains of South America, in the year 1501, while panning for gold in a small stream, a native woman found a single gold nugget that was described as being as large as a â€Å"loaf of bread† or the size of a â€Å"suckling pig† (Bacci, 2007). The weight of this nugget was estimated at 16 kilograms or 35. 2 pounds. In today’s market, with today’s price of gold at $1,475. 00 per ounce, the weight of this single nugget would be worth approximately $662,000. 00. This nugget was so valuable in proving the mass of wealth available in the new world that it was placed on display for the colonists and guarded until it could be shown to the king and queen of Spain. While the native girl that originally found this great nugget was probably given nothing for her find, the two Spaniards in charge of the local expedition were rewarded with devotional objects, dishes and urns that were taken, or stolen, from temples and palaces from throughout the country. The total amount of this reward was measured to the â€Å"height that a man stands with his hand outstretched† (Bacci, 2007). In July of 1529, the new Governor of Venezuela, a German, Ambrosius Dalfinger became the first European to follow-up on and actually search for the origin of â€Å"the gilded man. † Dalfinger and approximately 300 men set forth on a campaign of conquest in search of two items – gold and slaves. His exploits of devastation and plunder would become an object of revulsion to even the Spaniards of his day. In 1530, in the Ambrosia valley, the local natives handed Dalfinger his second defeat in battle. With his forces severely depleted, he finally retreated back to Coro, Venezuela. With all of the effort that Dalfinger put forth to bring death and destruction to the tribal areas in his search for riches and conquest, he only found 70,000 pesos (approx. 6,000 dollars) worth of riches, of which 30,000 along with its escort, never made it out of the forests (Bandelier, 1893). In the 1530s, during the later days of the Dalfinger expedition, another Spaniard, Diego Ordaz and his crew also experienced failure (Winsor, 1886). However, Ordaz and his expeditionary crew did not fail for its inability to find riches; it failed because of internal strife that resulted in a mutiny. During this mutiny one of Ordaz’s lieutenants, Martinez, was also expelled from the expedition for misconduct. After his return to Porto Rico eight months later, he told a tale of becoming lost and wandering in the forest until being captured by natives that blind folded him and escorted him for a considerable distance to a great city called Manoa. He described the city, and taking a day and a night to traverse to reach the palace where he became the guest of the emperor Inga. Lieutenant Martinez according to the author was the first to apply the name El Dorado to the city of Manoa. This story though later proved to be fictional, is the one that would 60 years later be shown to Sir Walter Raleigh, on a manuscript, by the Governor of Trinidad. One of the more famous and historically documented stories about the search for El Dorado is the expedition undertaken by the Spanish explorers Francisco Orellana and Gonzalo Pizarro in 1541. Their expedition, while it did include the search for wealth, also had the task of searching for land suitable colonization by European immigrants. The immigrants faced many hardships, almost from the beginning. The party endured torrential rain, cold, earthquakes and even a volcano. This expedition was another of many launched by European explorers in search of gold and riches that was doomed to fail. What Pizarro did find was another item that was highly sought after by few explorers: cinnamon, a spice derived from the bark of a tree. By the time of this discovery Pizzaro’s company, which started out with 500 Spaniards, 100 mounted on horses, and close to 4,000 natives, had been reduced to a small portion of their original size. Many of the original party had died from disease, starvation, drowning and violent conflicts with many of the native tribes that they had encountered. The majority of the natives they had originally started with, because of the brutality of the masters, had quietly slipped away while in the jungles or during the night while the Spaniards slept. They were close to starvation, and the expedition’s horses, dogs and other domesticated animals they had started out with had already been eaten. The remaining expedition members were reduced to eating whatever they could find in the surrounding forest; this diet consisted of roots, leaves, grasses, frog, toads, snakes lizards and whatever scarce wildlife they could find. Pizarro decided it was time to cut his losses and return to the native kingdom of Quito. He then challenged his men to build a â€Å"brigantine,† a small two masted ship, to be used to navigate the many rivers and waterways for the return trip home. The task of this ship building was something his party was ill equipped for. For iron they had to use the shoes of their dead horses, to seal the crevices between the planks they used glue derived from the local trees and for rope material they used the clothing of the native helpers and their own shirts. After journeying for 16 months, Zarate, a historian on the expedition, wrote â€Å"The whole party from general to private, was almost entirely naked, as, from almost continual rain storms which they had been exposed and the other hardships of the journey, their clothes were all rotten and torn to rags, and they were reduced to covering themselves with the skins of beasts. Their swords were all without scabbards and almost destroyed with rust. † (Zahm, 1917). According to Bacci, (2007) the conquest of the new world and the speed in which it was explored and settled was a surprise to the entire world, to include the conquistadors. The exploration of the continent, subjugation of the local populace and the beginning of colonization by tens of thousands of Europeans took around 50 years to complete. Author M. B. Synge (2007) wrote of Sir Walter Raleigh, who was the next European explorer of any note and his attempt to try and locate El Dorado. Raleigh, an Englishman, had recently failed in an attempt to establish a colony on the North American continent, in what is now Virginia. With Raleigh looking to get back into the good graces of his queen, his thoughts were of gold and fame, he had heard the rumors of the Golden city of Manoa, what the Spanish referred to as El Dorado, a mythical city of golden temples filled with furniture and adornments of gold. In 1595, he left England with five ships bound for South America. Upon reaching the mouth of the Orinoco River, in what is now Guiana, he discovered that he could not effectively navigate the river with his deep-hulled ocean going ships. His only option was to hire a local guide, Ferdinand, and set out with one hundred of his men, rowing against the current in small boats. During this expedition, Raleigh described the way the natives along the river lived, (they were cannibals), the abundance of fruits on the Guiana shores and the terrible strain that he and his crew were under both physically and mentally as they strove to succeed in their quest. After weeks of battling scorching heat and unrelenting river currents, Raleigh decided it was time to turn back. He never did find the city of Manoa but instead returned to England, to his Queen, telling tales of a country unspoiled, yet to be torn apart by others in search of gold and yet to be conquered by the Christian faith. The Queen was not impressed. The tales of his expedition and further conquest into South America were received coldly by the Queen. In 1617, twenty-two years after his first attempt, Raleigh was again granted permission by the Queen to attempt a second expedition into Guiana. Over the centuries, the term El Dorado has come to represent many things: A legend of a lost city and the mythology of a place that probably never existed. But to the people of today, it has come to represent two things: A place where wealth can be rapidly obtained and a fool’s errand, out of reach and unobtainable. In 1848, Edgar Allan Poe wrote his poem El Dorado (Poe, 1849). He writes of a gallant knight’s quest to find El Dorado. I found the last two stanzas to be the most meaningful. And, as his strength Failed him at length, He met a pilgrim shadow — â€Å"Shadow,† said he, â€Å"Where can it be — This land of El Dorado? † â€Å"Over the Mountains Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly rides,† The shade replied — â€Å"If you seek for El Dorado. â€Å" As the knight lie dying, he see’s a spirit, probably a hallucination, that tells him El Dorado, will be over the next mountain and down into the next valley. It will always be over the mountain and into the next valley. It is a mythical place that is unobtainable; you will never find El Dorado. Heart of Darkness (Conrad, 1893), is another fictional tale of another group of explorers searching for riches in a land that has yet to be conquered. This time the story does not take place in South America, but in Africa. In his novel, Conrad tells a story of an ill-fated expedition into the unexplored territories of the African continent. It is basically the same tale of the trials and trouble that faced explorers three centuries earlier in South America. They went into unknown lands seeking riches and fame only to be faced with their own reality and deaths. The author tells a story of men that are bored with the ordinary life and seek adventure where they have no business being. He talks about the riches found and lost, along with other illegitimate profits that men can gain at the cost of another’s way of life. Marlow, one of the characters in Conrad’s story, says something that I believe to be a statement that shows the state of mind of the explorers and people of this era. Marlow said â€Å"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves; it is not a pretty thing when you look into it to much†. This story continues to show that the European and North American explorers of the 19th century have changed very little from their predecessors of the 15th thru the 18th centuries. They continue to go, usually where they do not belong, at great cost of life and property, and usually very little profit. Although these explorers have opened many doors for civilization, they have also, in their greed, destroyed another’s way of life during their search for glory. The Oak Island Treasure News, BlogSpot on the internet operated by Keith Ranville (2010) has another spin on the legend of El Dorado. Ranville who is thought of as a modern day treasure hunter and researcher from Vancouver, British Columbia, has many credits for deciphering ancient symbols and artifacts that has led him to several historical finds. What I found most interesting about Ranville was his own theory of what really happened to El Dorado. Ranville's theory about the lost city of gold, is that the native populations of the Incan Empire believed that they had, in their greed, been cursed by their gods and that the European explorers had been sent to destroy anyone that possessed gold of the gods. In their fear, the natives, directed by their holy men or shamans, stripped their cities of gold and returned it to the rivers and mines were it had been found. My belief is that El Dorado, whether it ever actually existed, or not, it has open many doors for modern civilization to exist. With out the explorers of the past 500 years, we would never have reached the levels of modernization that we currently have. While much good has come from all of this exploration, much unnecessary death and destruction of many people and their way of life were just brushed aside and destroyed. Many of the great tribes of both the North and South American continents have been lost forever. Those that still exist are just remnants of their ancestors, living on mostly government mandated lands and their ancient way of life forever gone. I feel that mankind has lost much more han it has gained in his search for wealth, conquest and paradise in the new world – as in his search for El Dorado. Bacci, L. B. (2007). El Dorado in the marshes. Massachusetts: Polity Press. Bandelier, A. F. (1893). The gilded man. New York: D. Appleton and Company. Conrad, J. (1893). Heart of darkness. New York: Columbia University Press. Poe, E. A. (1849). El Dorado: Poetry and tales. New York: Literary Classics of the United States. Ranville, K. (March 11, 2010). Oak Island treasure News. Retrieved March 26, 2011 from http://oakislandtreasurenewsarchives. logspot. com/2010/03/inca-treasure-thesis Synge, M. B. (2007). Explorers in South America, A book of discovery. North Carolina: Yesterday’s Classics. Webster’s new world dictionary. (3rd ed. ). (1988). New York: Simon and Schuster. W. Winsor, J. (1886). Narrative and critical history of America: Spanish explorations in America. Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. Wikipedia. ( November 2011). Retrieved March 27, 2011, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/El_Dorado Zahm, J. A. (1917). The quest for el Dorado. New York: D. Appleton and Company.