Maggie Lena Walker

Maggie Lena Walker once said, I am of the opinion [that] if we can catch the vision, in a few years we shall be able to enjoy the fruits from this effort and its attendant responsibilities, through untold benefits reaped by the youth of the race. Walker was the first American woman--of any race--to be a bank president and inspired African-Americans to become  self-sufficient entrepreneurs. As a follower of Booker T. Washington’s philosophy of cast down your bucket where you are, Walker was a lifelong resident of Richmond, working to bring change to African-Americans throughout Virginia. Achievements First American woman to establish and be appointed as a bank president.  Established the St. Luke Herald, a local African-American newspaper.   Early Life In 1867, Walker was born Maggie Lena Mitchell in Richmond, Va. Her parents, Elizabeth Draper Mitchell, and father, William Mitchell, were both former slaves who were emancipated through the thirteenth amendment. Walkers mother was an assistant cook and her father was a butler in a mansion owned by the abolitionist Elizabeth Van Lew. Following the death of her father, Walker took on a number of jobs to help support her family.   By 1883, Walker graduated at the top of her class. That same year, she began teaching at the Lancaster School. Walker also attended the school, taking classes in accounting and business. Walker taught at the Lancaster School for three years before accepting a job as a secretary of the Independent Order of St. Luke in Richmond, an organization that assisted sick and elderly members of the community. Entrepreneur   While working for the Order of St. Luke, Walker was appointed secretary-treasurer of the organization. Under Walkers leadership, the organizations membership increased tremendously by encouraging African-American women to save their money. Under Walkers tutelage, the organization purchased an office building for $100,000 and increased the staff to more than fifty employees. In 1902, Walker established the St. Luke Herald, an African-American newspaper in Richmond. Following the successes of the St. Luke Herald, Walker established the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank. By doing so, Walker became the first woman in the United States to found a bank. The goal of the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank was to provide loans to members of the community. In 1920, the bank helped members of the community purchased an estimated 600 houses. The success of the bank helped the Independent Order of St. Luke continue to grow. In 1924, it was reported that the order had 50,000 members, 1500 local chapters, and estimated assets of at least $400,000. During the Great Depression, St. Luke Penny Savings merged with two other banks in Richmond to become The Consolidated Bank and Trust Company. Walker served as chairperson of the board. Community Activist   Walker was an avid fighter for the rights of not only African-Americans but for women as well. In 1912, Walker helped establish the Richmond Council of Colored Women and was elected as the organizations president. Under Walkers leadership, the organization raised money to support Janie Porter Barretts Virginia Industrial School for Colored Girls as well as other philanthropic endeavors. Walker was also a member of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), the International Council of Women of the Darker Races, the National Association of Wage Earners, National Urban League, the Virginia Interracial Committee and the Richmond chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Honors and Awards Throughout Walkers life, she was honored for her efforts as a community builder. In 1923, Walker was the recipient of an honorary Masters degree from Virginia Union University. Walker was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2002. In addition, the City of Richmond named a street, theatre and high school in Walkers honor. Family and Marriage In 1886, Walker married her husband, Armistead, an African-American contractor. The Walkers had two sons named Russell and Melvin.

The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe and Eveline by...

The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe and Eveline by James Joyce The Tell Tale Heart and Eveline are stories based around the circumstances, which surround a central character. Both protagonists are portrayed in totally different ways. The characters in both stories are quite different. Eveline is the image of a girls failure to become a woman. She tells herself that she would not be treated as her mother had been, but she isnt aware that such treatment offers her the only kind of security she knows. She has had to endure violence at the hand of her father, and she has let herself believe that she is in love with Frank when she isnt really. In The Tell Tale Heart, the story contains a nameless narrator who is†¦show more content†¦In Eveline, the story covers the whole of her life but is set in two different times. The reader knows she had suffered in her past and that she still suffers, so sympathises with her. If Eveline had been written in the same style of time like The Tell Tale Heart, where it would be set in a small period of time, then the reader may think Eveline is being selfish by leaving her old father, as the reader will not know about the torment she has received under her fathers hand. Tension is built in both stories in different ways. In The Tell Tale Heart, tension is felt in the first sentence. True!-Nervous-Very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am. The reader wants to know what the narrator is nervous about. Edgar Allen Poe has been very consistent with the use of structural devices to create a sense of dramatic exaggeration. A series of hyphens, question marks, exclamation marks and commas, all work well together to build pauses, momentary breaks and silences, which effectively lend to the dramatic tension at the opening of the story. Poe has also built tension with varied sentence structure. He uses long sentences to produce a great deal of momentum, while the short sentences quicken the pace of reading, at which the reader can understand and involve themselves in the plot. James Joyce writes the first paragraph of Eveline to be slow and calm. There isnt much action and we are unable to engage ourselves in the text

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 39 Free Essays

string(54) " me really sad because Danny was a good friend to me\." An Episode Seems Inevitable I rise before dawn on Christmas morning and begin my weight-lifting routine. I am nervous about being reunited with Nikki today, so I double-time my exercises in an effort to work off my anxiety. I realize the note Tiffany gave me last night suggests that Nikki might not be interested in meeting me at that special place once dusk rolls around, but I also know that in the movies, just when the main character is about to give up, something surprising happens, which leads to the happy ending. We will write a custom essay sample on The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 39 or any similar topic only for you Order Now I’m pretty sure that this is the part of my movie when something surprising will happen, so I am trusting in God, who I know will not let me down. If I have faith, if I go to that special place, something beautiful will happen when the sun sets – I can feel it. When I hear Christmas music, I stop lifting and go upstairs. My mother is cooking eggs and bacon. Coffee is brewing. â€Å"Merry Christmas,† Mom says, and gives me a little kiss on the cheek. â€Å"Don’t forget your pills.† I take the orange bottles from the cabinet and twist off the lids. As I swallow my last pill, my father comes into the kitchen and throws the newspaper’s plastic cover into the waste bucket. When he turns and heads for the family room, my mother says, â€Å"Merry Christmas, Patrick.† â€Å"Merry Christmas,† Dad mumbles. We eat eggs and bacon and toast together as a family, but no one says much. In the living room we sit around the tree. Mom opens her present from Dad. It’s a diamond necklace from some department store – tiny diamonds in the shape of a heart on a thin gold chain. I know for a fact that Mom has a similar necklace, because she wears it almost every day. My father probably gave her the same thing last year, but Mom acts really surprised and says, â€Å"Patrick, you shouldn’t have,† before she kisses my father on the lips and then hugs him. Even though Dad doesn’t hug Mom back, I can tell he is happy, because he sort of smirks. Next, we give Dad his present, which is from both Mom and me. He tears off the wrapping paper and holds up an authentic Eagles jersey, not one with iron-on decals. â€Å"Why doesn’t it have any numbers or a name on it?† he asks. â€Å"Since McNabb went down, we thought you’d want to pick a new favorite player,† Mom says. â€Å"So when you do, we’ll have the correct number and name sewn onto the jersey.† â€Å"Don’t waste your money,† Dad says, putting the jersey back into the box. â€Å"They won’t win today without McNabb. They’re not going to make the play-offs. I’m done watching that lousy excuse for a football team.† Mom smiles at me because I told her that Dad would say as much, even though the Eagles have been playing pretty well. But Mom and I both know Dad will be watching the Eagles play the Cowboys later today and will pick a new favorite player late next summer – after watching one or two preseason games – at which time he will say something like, â€Å"Jeanie, where’s my authentic Eagles jersey? I want to get those numbers sewn on before the season starts.† A few dozen presents are for me, all of which Mom bought and wrapped. I get a new Eagles sweatshirt, new running shoes, workout clothes, dress clothes, a few ties, a brand-new leather jacket, and a special running watch that will help me time my runs and will even calculate the calories I burn while running. And – â€Å"Jesus Christ, Jeanie. How many presents did you buy the kid?† Dad says, but in a way that lets us know he is not really all that mad. After we eat lunch, I shower and put on underarm deodorant, some of my father’s cologne, and one of my new running outfits. â€Å"I’m going to try out my new watch,† I tell Mom. â€Å"Caitlin and your brother will be here in an hour,† Mom says. â€Å"So don’t be too long.† â€Å"I won’t,† I say just before I exit the house. In the garage, I change into the dress clothes I hid there earlier in the week – tweed pants, a black button-down shirt, leather loafers, and the expensive overcoat my father no longer wears. Next, I walk to the Collingswood PATCO stop and catch the 1:45 train to Philadelphia. It begins to rain lightly. I get off at Eighth and Market, walk through the drizzle to City Hall, and catch an Orange Line train headed north. Not many people are on the train, and underground it does not feel like Christmas at all. But the trash-smelling steam that wafts in at every stop when the doors open, the marker graffiti on the orange seat across from me, the half-eaten hamburger lying bunless in the aisle – none of it brings me down, because I am about to be reunited with Nikki. Apart time is finally about to end. I get off at Broad and Olney and climb the steps up into North Philly, where it is raining a little harder. Even though I remember being mugged twice near this subway stop when I was a college student, I do not worry, mostly because it’s Christmas and I am a lot stronger than I used to be when I was an undergraduate. On Broad Street I see a few black people, which gets me thinking about Danny and how he always used to talk about going to live with his aunt in North Philly just as soon as he got out of the bad place – especially whenever I mentioned my graduating from La Salle University, which is apparently close to where Danny’s aunt lives. I wonder if Danny ever made it out of the bad place, and the thought of him having Christmas in a mental institution makes me really sad because Danny was a good friend to me. You read "The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 39" in category "Essay examples" I stick my hands into my dad’s overcoat pockets as I walk down Olney. With the rain, it is sort of cold. Soon I am seeing the blue-and-yellow flags that line the campus streets, and it makes me feel happy and sad at the same time to be back at La Salle – almost like looking at old pictures of people who have either died or with whom you have lost contact. When I get to the library, I turn left and walk past the tennis courts, where I make a right and stroll past the security building. Beyond the tennis courts is a walled-in hill, with so many trees you’d never believe it was in North Philly if someone had led you here blindfolded and then removed the blindfold and asked, â€Å"Where do you think you are?† At the bottom of the hill is a Japanese teahouse, which is as picturesque as it is out of place in North Philly, although I have never been inside to have tea – because it is a private teahouse – so maybe the inside has a city feel to it; I don’t know. Nikki and I used to meet on this hill, behind an old oak tree, and sit on the grass for hours. Surprisingly, not many students hung out in this spot. Maybe they did not know it was there. Maybe no one else thought it was a nice spot. But Nikki loved sitting on the grassy hill and looking down at the Japanese teahouse, feeling as though she were somewhere else in the world – somewhere other than North Philadelphia. And if it weren’t for the occasional car horn or gunshot in the distance, I would have believed I was in Japan when I was sitting on that hill, even though I have never been to Japan and don’t really know what being in that particular country is like. I sit down under a huge tree – on a dry spot of grass – and wait. Rain clouds swallowed the sun a long time ago, but when I look at my watch, the numbers officially make it dusk. My chest starts to feel tight; I notice that I am shaking and breathing heavily. I hold my hand out to see how bad the shakes are, and my hand is flapping like the wing of a bird, or maybe it is as if I am hot and trying to fan myself with my fingers. I try to make it stop, and when I can’t, I shove both hands into my father’s overcoat pockets, hoping Nikki will not notice my nervousness when she shows up. It grows darker, and then even darker. Finally, I close my eyes, and after a time, I begin to pray: Dear God: If I did something wrong, please let me know what it was so I can make amends. As I search my memory, I can’t think of anything that would make You mad, except for my punching the Giants fan a few months ago, but I already asked for forgiveness regarding that slip, and I thought we had moved on. Please make Nikki show up. When I open my eyes, please let her be there. Maybe there was traffic, or she forgot how to get to La Salle? She always used to get lost in the city. I’m okay with her not showing up exactly at dusk, but please let her know that I am still here waiting and will wait all night if I have to. Please, God. I’ll do anything. If You make her show up when I open – I smell a woman’s perfume. I recognize the scent. I breathe in deeply to ready myself. I open my eyes. â€Å"I’m fucking sorry, okay?† she says, but it’s not Nikki. â€Å"I never thought it would lead to this. So I’m just going to be honest now. My therapist thought you were stuck in a constant state of denial because you were never afforded closure, and I thought I might afford you closure by pretending to be Nikki. So I made up the whole liaison thing in an effort to provide you closure, hoping you would snap out of your funk and would be able to move on with your life once you understood that being reunited with your ex-wife was an impossibility. I wrote all the letters myself. Okay? I never even contacted Nikki. She doesn’t even know you’re sitting here. Maybe she doesn’t even know you are out of the neural health facility. She’s not coming, Pat. I’m sorry.† I’m staring up into Tiffany’s soaking-wet face – wet hair, runny makeup – and I can hardly believe that it’s not Nikki. Her words do not register at first, but when they do, I feel my chest heating up, and an episode seems inevitable. My eyes burn. My face flushes. Suddenly I realize that for the past two months I have been completely delusional, that Nikki is never coming back and apart time is going to last forever. Nikki. Is. Never. Coming. Back. Never. I want to hit Tiffany. I want to pound her face with my knuckles until the bones in my hands crumble and Tiffany is completely unrecognizable, until she no longer has a face from which she can spew lies. â€Å"But everything I said in the letters was true. Nikki did divorce you, and she is remarried, and she even took out a restraining order against you. I got all the information from – â€Å" â€Å"You liar!† I say, realizing that I am now crying again. â€Å"Ronnie told me that I shouldn’t trust you. That you were nothing but a – â€Å" â€Å"Please, just listen to me. I know this is a shock. But you need to face reality, Pat. You’ve been lying to yourself for years! I needed to do something drastic to help you. But I never thought – â€Å" â€Å"Why?† I say, feeling as if I might vomit, feeling as though my hands might find Tiffany’s throat at any moment. â€Å"Why did you do this to me?† Tiffany looks into my eyes for what seems like a long time, and then her voice sort of quivers like my mom’s does when she is saying something she really truly means. Tiffany says, â€Å"Because, I’m in love with you.† And then I am up and running. At first Tiffany follows me, but – even though I am in my leather loafers and it is raining pretty steadily now – I am able to find the man speed she does not have, running faster than I ever have before, and after taking enough turns and weaving through enough traffic, I look back and Tiffany is gone, so I slow my running a bit and jog aimlessly for what seems like hours. I sweat through the rain, and my father’s overcoat becomes very heavy. I can’t even begin to think about what this all means. Betrayed by Tiffany. Betrayed by God. Betrayed by my own movie. I’m still crying. I’m still jogging. And then I’m praying again, but not in a nice way. God, I didn’t ask for a million dollars. I didn’t ask to be famous and powerful. I didn’t even ask for Nikki to take me back. I only asked for a meeting. A single face-to-face conversation. All I’ve done since I left the bad place was try to improve myself – to become exactly what You tell everyone to be: a good person. And here I am running through North Philly on a rainy Christmas Day – all alone. Why did You give us so many stories about miracles? Why did You send Your Son down from heaven? Why did You give us movies if life doesn’t ever end well? What kind of fucking God are You? Do You want me to be miserable for the rest of my life? Do You – Something hits my shin hard, and then my palms are sliding across the wet concrete. I feel kicks landing on my back, my legs, my arms. I curl up into a ball, trying to protect myself, but the kicking continues. When it feels as though my kidneys have exploded, I look up to see who is doing this to me, but I only see the bottom of a sneaker just before it strikes my face. How to cite The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 39, Essay examples

Human Resource Management Leading Retail Store

Question: Describe about the Human Resource Management for Leading Retail Store. Answer: Introduction: Woolworths Limited is a leading retail stores with its presence in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is a part of the fiercely competitive grocery and supermarket industry in Australia. The other top three players in this industry are ALDI, Metcash and Coles. The advent of the German based ALDI and its cost cutting strategies has forced the top players to adopt new strategies to maintain its hold on the consumer base. The changing lifestyle of the consumers and the transformation of the marketing trends have influenced the strategies of the organizations ("Supermarkets and Grocery Stores in Australia Market Research | IBISWorld", 2016). However, the recent market analysis has seen the downfall of Woolworths and it is taken as one of the most shorted stocks in the S P ASX200 index. Nonetheless, this might prove to be beneficial for Woolworths as it is expected to turnaround ("Woolworths is being hammered and everything that can wrong, is going wrong. But that's exactly what you want with a turnaround.", 2016). Under such conditions, the HRM plays a vital role in improving the strategies and policies of Woolworths to improve its position in the market. Review Methodology: The review methodology deals with the review of the current strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) of the Australia based company Woolworths Company and helps in giving an overview of the strategic tools implemented for HRM. The report will start with the context of Woolworths and the methodology would also involve getting to know the background and context of the chosen organization, that is, Woolworths. The key managers would be interviewed in the process and the annual report of the organization would be analyzed. The HRM audits and other sources would also be studied in detail in order to reach a conclusion regarding the strategies of the Woolworths Company. The review methodology would also require a SWOT analysis of Woolworths and the teams perception of the HRM challenges and opportunities would be looked in to. The methodology would end with the other observations and conclusions that are gathered during the investigation. Case organization description: Woolworths Limited is one of the foremost Australia based retail stores that can be found throughout the nation and also in New Zealand. The Sydney Morning Herald holds that it is the second largest organization in Australia by revenue coming straight after Wesfarmers ("Coles puts Wesfarmers on top", 2016). It was founded in the year 1924 by Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, George Creed and Ernest Williams. Its headquarters is at Bella Vista at New South Wales and it has ever been considered as one of the biggest retail outlets in Australia ("Who We Are - Woolworths Limited", 2016). They specialize in food, liquor, petrol, general merchandise, home improvement and hotels ("Who We Are - Woolworths Limited", 2016). Background and Context: Woolworths is a New South Wales based company in Australia whose farsighted founding CEO Percy Christmas had a vision in mind: to provide a store where the people can get good things at a cheap rate ("Who We Are - Woolworths Limited", 2016). The employers and employees have maintained this vision even after 90 years of their establishment. They serve about 28 million customers each week and they have more than 198,000 people working in their organization ("Who We Are - Woolworths Limited", 2016). Nonetheless, the year 2016 is proving to be full of turmoil for Woolworths as the Moodys has depicted a decrease in market shares being in competition with Aldi, David Jones and Aldi. The general perception that the consumers are viewing the products of Woolworths as costlier as opposed to other retail stores has been the reason behind the downfall ("Businessfirstmagazine.com.au", 2016). Current strategic HRM plan: By interviewing key managers In an interview, Matt Keogh reveals the HR strategies, challenges and the successes achieved at Woolworths. Matt Keogh is the divisional Director for HR of Woolworths. He was asked about the biggest challenges for Woolworths ("Human Capital Review - Interview with Matt Keogh - Woolworths Divisional Director for HR", 2016). He replied that the biggest challenge that he faced in terms of the HR is the appeal and retention of the talents that would enable Woolworths to realize its dreams and visions. The key goal of this organization is to provide innovative and premium service to its customers and hence, it was dependent on the talented employees acquired by the Company ("Human Capital Review - Interview with Matt Keogh - Woolworths Divisional Director for HR", 2016) The other major challenge faced by Woolworths was the question of sustainability in their organization, particularly in the South African context. They want to work keeping in mind the best interests of the community and t he environment at large. They just do not want to bask in profits and successes pertaining to their organization. They also want to be embracing the benefits of diversity and renovate the organizational culture for the better ("Human Capital Review - Interview with Matt Keogh - Woolworths Divisional Director for HR", 2016). When asked about the response of the HR department to those challenges expressed by Matt Keogh, he expressed a list of focus areas which will help in retaining the best talent of the industry. The purpose of the HR department is to implement an employee value proposition required to attract the prospective employees. Those points of importance include the improvement of the capability of the workforce and to augment the growth of the future employees. It also includes the system of giving rewards to employees who succeed in observing the rules and regulations of the company and also aid in following the strategies formulated by the Company ("Human Capital Review - Interview with Matt Keogh - Woolworths Divisional Director for HR", 2016). This approach would create an environment of encouragement and motivation in the workforce which would ultimately prove beneficial for the company in the long run. The HR policies also aim to establish a loyal bond between the employee and the employer so that the Company does not fail to deliver its promises to the customers. Matt Keogh was also asked about the position of HR department as a true business partner to which he answered that the HR has the important role to play as a business partner. The HR team needs to make sure that the strategies developed should reveal an understanding of the business orientation and Hr proficiency ("Human Capital Review - Interview with Matt Keogh - Woolworths Divisional Director for HR", 2016). Annual report of Woolworths: As per the People Policy Committee Charter, Woolworths has formulated certain policies and performance with regards to the HRM department ("www.Woolworthslimited.com.au", 2016). The HR department has the responsibility to review the policies of the Company and accordingly, the HR must make the rules to keep itself in align with the Company strategies. The HR department has to comply with the legislature sand the Government policies inclusive of policies pertaining to the Equal opportunity for women in the organization, sexual harassment, diversity and unjust dismissal ("www.Woolworthslimited.com.au", 2016). The HR department is in sync with the Board of Directors of the Company regarding the objectives of Woolworths. They are also supposed to keep track of the progress of the company and also make relevant recommendations. The concept of gender diversity has gained immense movement in the market and the government has also taken positive steps towards promoting gender diversity in th e upper echelons of the Company (www.Woolworthslimited.com.au", 2016). Woolworths Limited has also positive steps towards implementing the same and hence it boasts of 50 % women employees on board ("Number of women on ASX 200 boards soars: report", 2016). Woolworths has established a People Policy Committee which oversees the HRM strategies on behalf of the shareholders and the management Board ("www.Woolworthslimited.com.au/annualreport", 2016). The activities that would constitute the important activities of the Committee are related to acquiring an effective strategy that would enable the company to acquire the best talent to fulfill the goals and visions of the company. The committee is also responsible for the protection of the safety and the health of the employees, consumers and the suppliers. The committee has to assume the appropriate performance management and plan activities and policies ("www.Woolworthslimited.com.au/annualreport", 2016). The HR policies should also involve remuneration policies for the shareholders and the remuneration market outside the organization. The committee also makes sure that the policies are complying with the policies of the Australian Government and are fulfilling the requirements of the good governance. The HR department also has to ensure about its regular reports to the shareholders by following the required standards ("www.Woolworthslimited.com.au/annualreport", 2016). Corporate Governance Statement: The ASX has released the corporate governance statement of Woolworths which spoke of the HRM policies and responsibilities ("www.asx.com.au", 2016). The People Policy Statement has the responsibility of handling the HR policies and the people relations. The People Policy Committee consists of at least three independent directors and the rest of the directors were responsible to the Board of management. The Chairman of the Committee must be an independent director and he is appointed by the Board of Management on the condition that the Chairman is not the Chairman of the Board. The current members of the People Policy Committee are Ms C Cross (chairman), Mr. R G Waters, Ms C J Hrdlicka and Mr. A D D Mackay ("www.asx.com.au", 2016). Their roles have been under the strict observation of the Fair Work Ombudsman whose task is to make sure that the government regulations are maintained in the organization ("Welcome to the Fair Work Ombudsman website", 2016). The Fair Work Ombudsman lay out the National Employment Standards which the HR department of every organization in Australia has to follow and formulate the strategies and policies accordingly ("Welcome to the Fair Work Ombudsman website", 2016). Teams perception of HRM policies Woolworths has an enviable position in the market as the second largest retail outlet across the nation and also worldwide. However, in the year 2014 this retail outlet has been in the midst of a scandal related to the trolley contractors ("Woolworths under fire as Workplace Ombudsman takes on big chains", 2016). Natalie James of Fair Work Ombudsmen has launched an inquiry into the physical harassment of the workers by the trolley contractors. Natalie connected this issue with the Company sliding down from 17th to 40th position on the AMRs 2016 Corporate Reputation Index ("Woolworths under fire as Workplace Ombudsman takes on big chains", 2016). Woolworths, however, has rejected such allegations and made a statement that they were aware of the rights of the workers and they were not going to support such practices. They have made sure that the trolley contractors are paying the worker fair price as they do not tolerate such malpractices ("Woolworths under fire as Workplace Ombudsman takes on big chains", 2016). SWOT analysis of Woolworths: Strengths: The SWOT analysis is generally conducted to reveal the internal and external environment of the organization and its impact on the organization. Hence the importance of the SWOT analysis is undeniable and yet it has been often seen that the organizations have not given this analysis its due respect. In the case of Woolworths, its strengths have resulted in making it the second most important retail outlet of Australia and New Zealand ("Coles puts Wesfarmers on top", 2016). Woolworths has occupied the position of a market leader in the retail industry of Australia which has given it an edge in the highly competitive market. The Company is able to utilize its resources for the achievement of its goals and visions. The company is also known for its technological advancement in the domain of the retail marketing and has been able to connect to the thousands of customers through its innovative strategies. Woolworths has also given importance to the significance of sustainability by adopti ng cost effective measures and implementing ways to reduce carbon footprint. Woolworths has also taken responsibility of minimizing wastage in case of packaging ("Unglobalcompact.org", 2016). Weaknesses: One of the weaknesses that the company Woolworths has is its over reliance on the domestic market in Australia for its revenues. In the year 2013, the company made about 92.3percent of its revenues from the domestic market. In New Zealand also, its revenues is quite marginal amounting to 7.9percent of the total revenues ("Annual Report 2013 | Woolworths Limited 2013 Annual Report", 2016). This over dependency on only the domestic market for the bulk of its revenues will make the company more country oriented. Hence, any kind of market fluctuations will inadvertently affect the financial status of Woolworths. The trolley contractors scandal also landed the company in the bad books of the Fair Work Ombudsman after Natalie James conducted an inquiry into the exploitation of the workers. Such an allegation was rejected by the Company although the scandal had resulted in the tarnishing of the brand in the market ("Woolworths under fire as Workplace Ombudsman takes on big chains", 2016). W oolworths also has the reputation for higher prices of products compared to the other retail stores lies with Coles ("Price war: Woolworths vs Spar vs Pick n Pay vs Checkers", 2016). Opportunities: The overall change in the retail market may prove to be beneficial for Woolworths. The technological advancements of this retail outlet have shown promises in Australia and New Zealand. There has been an increase in the sales of Woolworths by 4.5 percent compared to the week following December in the previous year. The supermarket made revenue of around $10.35 billion in Australia and New Zealand and it was quite ahead of its rival Coles ("Woolworths posts 'solid' $15b quarterly sales", 2013). The change in consumer lifestyle has also affected the sales and growth of Woolworths positively and this change has brought about new opportunities for the Company. The new marketing scheme of Woolworths called everyday-low-value pricing (ELDP) strategy has proved to be fruitful in attracting the attention of the consumers. This strategy has created opportunities of the company to win the trust of its customers. This will enable the company to defeat its close rivals Coles and Audi (Mitchell, 2015). Woolworths also has the capability to penetrate into foreign markets in Africa with the help of product designing and other technological advancements ("Woolworths to target growing market share", 2016). Threats: The key threat of Woolworths in the Australian market is its rival Coles and also the German retail store Aldi ("Aldis mighty challenge to big two", 2016). According to the leading newspaper Herald Sun, Aldi is all out to take on 10percent of the market share in Australia by the year 2020. In terms of the retail analyst Thomas Kierth, the battle of the supermarkets has started with the rise of the leading retail outlets in the market like Coles and Aldi. The newspaper also predicts the growth in the share of the grocery sector from 6 percent to 10 percent by 2020 ("Move over Woolies and Coles...", 2016). With the rise in the market share of Coles to 2.8 percent, Woolworths experienced a downfall of about 1.1 percent ("Worries over Woolies sales", 2016). Rating agency Moody also spelled doom for Woolworths as the German based Aldi has expanded its customer base at an alarming rate and is posing as an imminent threat for all the established retail businesses of the country. The market shares of Aldi has also increased from 11.6 percent in March, 2015 to 12.1 percent in December ("Moodys rings Aldi alarm bell for Coles, Woolies", 2016). Conclusions: The strategies and policies adopted by Woolworths to gain market shares in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are effective and innovative. The policies and regulations formulated by the People Policy Committee are in compliance with the government rules and regulations. The Australian retail market has grown competitive with the entry of German based Aldi into the market and the analysts have predicted lowering of the shares of the existing players in the retail market. However, these big companies like Woolworths and Coles have made sure that their marketing strategies are in keeping with the needs and demands of the consumers. The changing lifestyle and market scenario have caused the retail stores also to transform their policies. The HRM department has to bear the responsibility to keep track of these changes and formulate new policies accordingly. The SWOT analysis has helped in scanning the external and internal environment of the organization. The main advantage of Woolw orths is its long standing prestige in Australia and the organization can bank on its brand image to keep its consumer base intact. Its large and satisfied workforce also contributes to its effective functioning effectively in its long 90 years journey. Hence the contribution of efficient HRM policies is undeniable in the making of Woolworths limited. Though there was a hit at the public image of Woolworths when the Fair Works Ombudsman accused its trolley contractors of physically abusing the workers. However, its CEO has made it clear that such malpractices were not tolerated in their organization. The effectiveness of the marketing strategies of Woolworths can be ascertained through its rise and position in market. The departmental store chain has been responsive to the market changes though it faces stiff competition from Coles. In fact, in terms of gender diversity and sustainability report also, Woolworths is ahead of many of its competitors. It boasts of about 50 percent female workers on board and has made a name in the market for its fair work practices. The progress report of Woolworths also reflects this positivity in the organizational culture and hence it stands as a motivation for every other organization in the domain. Summary: One of the key aspects for the success of any organization is the policies and programs adopted by the HR department. The HRM makes the rules in accordance with the visions and goals of the organization. In case of Woolworths, the People Policy Committee has the responsibility of overseeing the HR policies in the organization. They have formulated such practices which would enable the company to acquire the best talents available in the industry. Such policies have proved to be fruitful in keeping up strict rivalry with the other retail outlets like Coles and Aldi in terms of sales and market shares. References: Aldis mighty challenge to big two. (2016). Heraldsun.com.au. 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