The Secret Of The Vietnam War - 1144 Words

Most Americans are aware of the Vietnam war, but have never heard of the Secret War in Laos. The War in Laos was the first of it’s kind; it was the CIA’s first ever paramilitary operation during the Cold War. My family is connected to the time period of the Cold War because my grandfather was sent to a prison camp by the Communists after the US withdrew from Indochina. My family was affected by the event because after escaping the camp and seeking refuge in Thailand, my grandfather immigrated to the United States and most of our family is living here now. In the 19th century, France colonized â€Å"Indochina†- what is now known as Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia- to exploit the environment for economic gain, under the guise of wanting to spread†¦show more content†¦The Hmong are an ethnic group of people who live in the mountains of Laos. They were seen as uncivilized barbarians by Laotians, Thai and Vietnamese people. The CIA hired them to become soldiers i n the Secret War, due to their strength, fighting spirit, and expert knowledge of the terrain. As the war intensified, the US sent fighter-bombers to assist Hmong ground forces against the Pathet Lao (Lao Communist soldiers). According to Kurlantzick, by 1973 the US had conducted more than 580,000 bombing runs over Laos. â€Å"In 1969 alone,† writes Kurlantzick, â€Å"the United States dropped more bombs on Laos than it did on Japan during all of World War II.† Yet, due to lax congressional oversight and media ignorance the American people knew very little about any of this. When the US withdrew in 1975, the Hmong rightly felt betrayed. They were left without support, supplies, and nowhere to go. Most Hmong were hunted down by the Communists and thrown into reeducation camps along with anyone else who resisted the new Communist government. Immediately after the Communists took over, people were sent to what they called â€Å"seminars† or â€Å"reeducation camps†. These camps were the centerpiece of the new regime s policy towardShow MoreRelatedThe Secret War And How It Affected The Hmong People1230 Words   |  5 PagesTOPIC: The Secret War and how it affected the Hmong people. SPECIFIC PURPOSE: At the end of my speech, my audience will get a better sense of what the Secret War was and how it affected the Hmong people. INTRODUCTION: Just by the name itself, it can already be implied to what the â€Å"Secret War† was. It was a war that was kept as a secret from the public, and by public, I mean the American public. Many of you may wonder what exactly is the secret war, and I will explain that throughout my speech. ButRead MoreThe Mystery War Against Hanoi1137 Words   |  5 PagesThose mystery War Against Hanoi: Kennedy s Also Johnson s utilization of Spies, Saboteurs, Furthermore secret Warriors Previously, north Vietnam, Eventually Tom s perusing Richard H. Shultz, jr. , 1999, HarperCollins Books, new york. At once At goes about about military hostility perpetrated alternately wanted Eventually Tom s perusing the us government need aid regularly advocated in the sake about battling international terrorism, a book need seemed which documents America s part ConcerningRead MoreEssay about The Secret War in Laos: Why Was It a Secret?1635 Words   |  7 Pagesimportant it may be for the general population t o know. In the beginning of the Vietnam War, Laos was declared a neutral zone at a conference in Geneva by the United States and the Soviet Union (Jones, 2007). As the disputes about Laos’ future government structure continued, the United States believed it was time to take action and continue their fight against communism (Young; Buzzanco, 2006). The Americans were fighting the Cold War for the containment of communism and to make the world safe for democracyRead MoreOperation Paperclip : The Secret Intelligence Program1731 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough the book, Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America, by Annie Jacobsen, and the documentary film, The Last Days in Vietnam both give insight and awareness to different events in history, they both share a political economic theme in reference to the question, â€Å"what does it mean to be human?† So, what does it mean to be human? There are many interpretations as to how one can answer this question. One answer would be equality. Equality isRead Moreâ€Å"Today It Is Becoming Increasingly Apparent To Thoughtful938 Words   |  4 Pagesabroad and maintain any form of imperialism at home. The war has done this to our thinking.†(Willkie). After a war, a responsible superpower would provide the ideals of a democracy, such as popular sovereignty and limited government. However after the second world war, the United States acted opposite of its highest standards, instead keeping in mind only of expansionism and corrupted ways to be the best. In its world interventions in Vietnam, Nicaragua and Afghanistan, the US behaved more as an empireRead MoreThe Vietnam War On The United States964 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War is a more frequently and familiar name for the Second Indochina War. It was the longest war America has fought in. The Vietnam War had an impact on the A merican people, since it was the first war to ever be broadcasted on television. The country was able to see what was happening on the battleground. This war would have lasting effects on the United States and the nation it divided. The Vietnam war started way before America became involved (1955–1975). Indochina, which includedRead MoreAnd The Saigon Government Has Pledged To Accept The Result1496 Words   |  6 PagesAnd the Saigon Government has pledged to accept the result of the elections.† It was because of this that he announces the Nixon Doctrine, with this he limits US involvement in wars by stating that the nation would send support through aid and other means but no more ground troops would be sent. â€Å"Well, in accordance with this wise counsel, I laid down in Guam three principles as guidelines for future American policy toward Asia: First, the United States will keep all of its treaty commitments.Read MorePresident Nixons International and Domestic Challenges Essay1584 Words   |  7 Pagesdomestic challenges in the United States between 1968 and 1974, some positive and some negative. His achievements in expanding peaceful relationships with both China and the Soviet Union are contrastingly different with his continuation of the Vietnam War. In the end, Nixon’s scandals and abuse of presidential power caught up to him, and his administration did much to corrode America’s faith in the government. In 1968, Richard Nixon gave his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention(DocRead MoreMarvin Gaye Whats Going On Analysis795 Words   |  4 PagesWritten towards the end of the Vietnam War, What’s Going On would touch on subjects including war protests, unification of the American people, and the poor treatment of veterans. Gaye’s brother served in Vietnam, and much of this album shows the brother’s thoughts and feelings when he returns. Throughout his album, Marvin Gaye uses his own experiences to give us a look at why he and many others had a dissatisfaction with society and the government during the Vietnam War era in the United States. TheRead MoreEssay on Conflict in Indochina1156 Words   |  5 Pagesand self-nationalism in Vietnam was evident as early as the 15th century, when historian Nguyen Trai stated â€Å"although we have been at times strong, and at times weak, we have always been Vietnamese and this will never change.† The importance and significance of nationalism and establishing a sense of self-determination was of vital concernment to the Vietnamese, in both the North and South of the country. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North) and the Republic of Vietnam (South) were both driving

Titanic Essay example - 1744 Words

One of the greatest news headlines of all times was actually never supposed to happen. The shocking news of the sunken ocean liner the Titanic shocked millions. The sinking itself probably wouldn’t have even mattered except that the builders themselves said that the ship simply could not sink. The news not only hit the United States, but countries everywhere were saddened to hear the news of â€Å"The Unsinkable† and its grave end. In 1907 a man named J. Bruce Ismay, who was the manager of White Star Lines went to a dinner party at the mansion of the wealthy William James Pierre. Pierre was a chairman to one of the largest shipbuilding companies in Belfast, Harland and Wolff. At dinner the two discussed luxury ships like the Lusitania and the†¦show more content†¦the lookouts of the Titanic, which was moving around 20  ½ knots, sight a gigantic iceberg straight in their course. The warning bell is immediately sounded. Quick after, Sixth Officer Moody relays the message to First Officer Murdoch who calls the engine room and tells the engineers to turn off the engines and turn the ship hard. Thirty-seven seconds of heart stopping time later, the iceberg strikes the ship on the starboard bow side. The impact is not noticed by most of the passengers. After some time it is reported to the Capitan that the ship is taking on water rapidly, flooding the holds and boiler rooms. Thomas Andrews, Capitan Smithâ €™s assistant, calculates how much longer the ship can stay afloat and the estimation was two and a half hours only. The ship sends out distress signals, and many ships hear and prepare to assist the Titanic. At 12:20 A.M. orders are given to have women and children start to board lifeboats. Most lifeboats only left holding only a fraction of what they were capable of. The last words heard by neighboring ships by the Titanic were heard at 1:45 A.M. Still holding over one thousand five hundred people, the ships head sinks under water. All of the lights on the Titanic go out, and a huge roar is heard as all of the objects not bolted to the floor fly towards the submerged bow. At that point the ship breaks in two, and approximately two minutes later, the remaining stern settles again, fills with water and slowly sinks into the ocean.Show MoreRelatedTitanic : The Titanic Of Titanic1650 Words   |  7 Pages The Titanic: Dreams That Led to Disaster â€Å"The Titanic was the dream ship that no one ever thought could be destroyed.† The sinking of it was a horrible tragedy. The loss of lives was due to the design, the materials, and that the crew didn’t have updated technology. Maybe if they had more tools or less people, the Titanic wouldn’t have sunk (â€Å"Titanic: Flaws†). Is it true that the Titanic sunk because of an iceberg? History of the Titanic The Titanic was inspired by White Star’s competitor CunardRead MoreThe Titanic : A Titanic1384 Words   |  6 PagesR.M.S Titanic â€Å"Not even God himself could sink this ship,† an employee of the White Star Line carelessly stated at the launch of the Titanic on May 31, 1911. (Exhibit: Titanic) In April of 1912, the Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, to New York City in what is one of history’s deadliest disasters at sea. Unfortunately, the Titanic, on its maiden and final voyage, never reached its destination. Built by Harland and Wolf to be â€Å"unsinkable†, the Titanic was 883 feet long, 92 feet wide,Read MoreThe Titanic Of A Titanic1219 Words   |  5 Pages The Titanic crashed at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the British ocean liner sinks into the North Atlantic Ocean. The massive ship, which carried 2,200 passengers and crew, had struck an iceberg two and half hours before sinking. The beginning which is the construction of the Titanic took 3 years with the help anywhere from three thousand to fifteen thousand men. The RMS Titanic took sail April 11, 1912 from Southampton, England in the hopes of New York City. The Titanic s passengers were dividedRead MoreTitanic Evaluation786 Words   |  4 Pagesthinking about watching the film Titanic, but are worried it is just a boring reenactment of the sinking of the Titanic? Let me put your worries to rest by telling you this movie is an invigorating, heart wrenching, and thrilling film that will surely go down in history as a classic. If you find romance to be revolting this is certainly not the film for you. Each moment the main characters spend together is filled with passion, and the exc itement of finding new love. Titanic has all the redeeming qualitiesRead MoreThe Titanic : The Tuking Of The Titanic1236 Words   |  5 PagesThe sinking of the Titanic is one most well-known shipwreck in modern day history and its still being written and told about even a century later. The causation of the sinking has been debated heavily since the crash in 1912 and many so-called experts of the titanic disagree with another on this issue. There has been new development when the ship was discovered in 1985 and examined by experts. Leading people that the sinking was caused by three major turning points. The first being the failuresRead MoreMovie Analysis : Titanic Movie Titanic 1455 Words   |  6 Pagesof the most paramount things in life. This is one of the main themes, along with that of arrogance, in the Oscar nominated movie â€Å"Titanic†, a love story about a young man and woman. Their love is shown throughout the depths of this movie through dialogue, camera ang les, by the use of music, and how you can distinguish the character development in Rose. To begin, â€Å"Titanic† is a movie about the emerging yet proscribed love of young Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet, who is of the upper classRead MoreTitanic Film Analysis1254 Words   |  6 PagesThe Titanic: It Won’t Wreck Your Expectations Jaina Bahirwani A couple meets on a ship and wants to fly off around the world together, only to discover they will have to survive a shipwreck first. We’ve all heard about it. And we love it. The Titanic is a lengthy movie, but James Cameron’s exceptional adaptation of the event makes it worth your while. Although this might not be Mr. Cameron’s usual film style, the fact that he is one of the most versatile and skillful directors of our time becameRead MoreTitanic Essay2029 Words   |  9 PagesTitanic Essay Many people across the world watch films. It is so popular because it puts a story on the screen and into life so that people can see it. People watch films for the entertainment value, or are simply too lazy to read and enjoy the magic of a book. The advantages of watching a film at the cinema rather than on video is the bigger screen, and the surround sound, also the atmosphere. This all adds up and creates a bigger impact than a video. PeopleRead MoreTitanic Film Analysis704 Words   |  3 Pageshours of April 15th 1912, the luxury steamship R.M.S Titanic sank during its maiden voyage in the North Atlantic after sideswiping an iceberg. Of the 2,240 passengers on board, more than 1,500 lost their lives in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Since its doomed maiden voyage, Titanic has remained a fixture of public consciousness and popular culture. The most famous example of this is James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic. This film centres on the fictional love story of charactersRead MoreTitanicï ¼Ë†Movie Reviewï ¼â€°1643 Words   |  7 PagesTitanic I went into Titanic with trepidation: it is being hailed as one of the best love stories depicted on film. Cynical as I am, I dont think much of movies with a romantic theme to them. However, I was curious to see the spectacle that director James Cameron had created. Fortunately for me, Titanic is not only great in terms of action, effects, and visuals, but also provides excellent commentary on the issue of the class struggle. Jack Dawson (Leonardo Di Caprio) is a young boy who wins passage

Theories of learning free essay sample

Introduction:Theories of learning have been developed, argued and challenged extensively over the past century and yet we can continue to debate which method of teaching encourages the most effective learning.Throughout the 1900s psychologists and educators have developed learning theories from observations, research and an innate curiosity to know more about how and why children learn in different ways.The act of learning has been described in countless ways by countless people both past and present. However, it is the process of how exactly children learn that usually sparks the most fascinating discussions.From a number of psychologists and theorists, in a little over the last century we have come to learn that there are many different types of learning and teaching styles. In the following essay we will look at some constructivists theories and how these methods differ and how each can be applied and put into practice in an early years setting. Constructivism:Constructivism is a theory about knowledge and learning. It describes both what knowing is and how one comes to know (Fosnot, 2004). It is a learning theory found in psychology which explains how people might acquire knowledge and learn and it has a direct application to education (Sydney.edu.au, 2018). It is an approach to teaching and learning based on the idea that learning is the result of mental construction, meaning that students learn by fitting new information together with what they knew previously (Deiner, 2010). The constructivist theory aims to allow the student the freedom to use their own thoughts, curiosity and motivation to learn. The teacher or director acts mostly as a facilitator to the needs of the learner, the learner occupies the top position rather than the teacher. Hands-on, project-based and task-based learning are just a few applications that base teaching and learning on constructivism.Piaget:In the past constructivist ideas were not highly valued due to peoples beliefs that a childs play was aimless and of little importance, Piaget was one of the first to disagree with these old-style views. He thought that play was necessary for a childs cognitive development, he went on to provide scientific evidence for his views and today constructivist theories influence how people teach and learn all over the world (Boy and Pine, 1999).He believed that thinking is in a way an extension of biological adaptation. The two basic processes of the mechanism are accommodation and assimilation. Accommodation occurs when a child adjusts or alters their way of thinking to make sense of new information that they cannot explain by their existing way of thinking. Assimilation occurs when they incorporate new information into existing information (Sheehy, 2006).Before psychologists such as John Dewey and Jean Piaget articulated the idea of constructivism, teaching methods relied heavily on behaviourists theories such as that of Skinner or Pavlov. Teaching was very much a practice of finding an action that could cause a reaction in a student causing said student to behave in a manner that the teacher deemed appropriate. Learning was through didactic measures and rote learning. Piaget is one of the first to encourage the move from behaviourism to constructivism in teaching and still has a huge impact on how we as teachers learn to teach todayPiaget believed that people constructed new information from past knowledge and experiences (Robins, 2012). He believed that intellectual growth is continuous he also believed that certain mental abilities were stronger at certain stages of development. He developed four stages of cognitive development and believed that every person would go through each stage at some point, he also believed that everyone would pass through the stages in the same order but at a different time. His four stages of cognitive development are:†¢ The sensory motor stage. Piaget believed this stage of development took place between the ages of birth and two years. It is known as the action stage and occurs before language is developed.†¢ The Pre-operational stage: This stage is when the child is between the ages of two and seven years old. The key feature of this stage is a childs egocentrism. During this time Piaget believed a child cannot yet take other peoples points of view into consideration.†¢ The Concrete Operational Stage: This occurs when the child is between the ages of seven and eleven years old. During this stage the egocentrism declines and the child matures, and they learn to cooperate with others.†¢ The Formal Operational stage: The last and final stage in Piagets theory is when the child is between the ages of 11 and 15 or 16. Piaget believed that a child was capable of the highest level of thinking.Paget did not believe in forcing information on children while they passively sat in the classroom but instead thought the learning experience should be shared. He believed the role of the teacher should be to guide the students and recommended that teachers play an active mentoring role in the classroom. He believed it was important that children should learn not only from the guidance of the teacher but also their peers. He also thought that making mistakes was a key factor in a childs learning experience, he believed that children learn a huge amount about the world from trial and error (Schlinger, 1995). Montessori:Maria Montessori first qualified as a doctor and it was while she was working in a psychiatric clinic after she qualified that she developed her interest in education. Her interest was originally peeked by children with learning difficulties. While working with these children she developed a methodology which she believed would address the learning needs of all children. In 1907 Montessori opened her first Childrens House, the very famous Casa Dei Bambini. Montessori used her own materials in the childrens house that she had developed while working with children with learning or developmental difficulties. She adopted innovative approaches to pedagogy, the curriculum and the layout of the classroom. From her observations in the classroom she developed a precise and insightful analysis of the potential of each child when using her resources (Biography of Dr. Maria Montessori | Montessori Australia Foundation, 2018). Over time she developed her own methodology through observing how children acquired and understood information.Maria Montessori based her method on a few key components.†¢ Respect for the child- She believed that adults seldom if ever, truly respected a child. As adults we tend to force information onto a child without taking their individual learning needs into consideration. Montessori developed her method to allow each child to have choices which she believed would promote independent learning (O Donnell, 2013).†¢ The Absorbent Mind – Montessori believed that all children had an innate capacity to learn and the teacher or directress is just the facilitator of this learning. She believed that a stimulating classroom layout, her materials and blocks of uninterrupted time to learn would allow students to gain the most from their learning experiences.†¢ Sensitive Periods – Montessori believed that there were certain times during a childs development where they were more receptive to learning new skills. It is the role of the directress to observe when a sensitive period is occurring and provide the correct materials and environment to accommodate the childs learning.†¢ The prepared environment – A Montessori classroom is aesthetically pleasing to both a child and an adult. It is organized in a manner which allows the child access to the materials they want or need to use at different times and it presents the materials in an orderly format to the students.†¢ Autoeducation – Montessori believed that children can educate themselves. It is the role of the teacher to provide an environment that allows a child the freedom to educate themselves. Montessori also had planes of development, she divided her stages into age brackets and made guidelines of what typically occurs during each stage.†¢ Birth to Age 6 -This is often considered the most important time of a childs development. The foundation for everything a child will learn is laid at this time. At this point a child absorbs information and is learning to organize themselves physically. During the first half of this developmental plane, zero to three, the child is absorbing information effortlessly and unconsciously and during the second part of the plane, three to six, the child is consciously learning new information. Montessori believes that learning this huge amount of information is made easier by the sensitive periods.†¢ Ages 6 to 12 – During this period Montessori believes that the absorbent mind has come to an end and now students are learning through logic and reasoning. At this age the child is naturally curious about everything, inquisitive an eager to learn. They are also developing their conscience and learning between right and wrong.†¢ Ages 12 to 18 – At this age the student is busy constructing their social self. They are becoming more independent and are looking to find their own place in the society.†¢ Ages 18–24 – Montessori believed at this point in the young adults life they are busy constructing self-understanding. They have developed physically, emotionally, morally and ethnically and are now questioning who they are and where they belong as people in society.The links between Jean Piaget and Maria Montessori. The theories of both Piaget and Montessori were revolutionary for their time and became greatly respected in later years. From the beginning we can see obvious links between Piaget and Montessori, although he was a psychologist and she an educationalist there are many shared ideas between the two. He was twenty-six years younger than her and during his early career he carried out observations in one of her schools and was also president of the Swiss Montessori society so perhaps it is not surprising that they share some of the same ideologies. Both believed that children construct their own knowledge, they both agreed that children were not just adults in small bodies and learn in different ways. Both proposed that children develop in sequence and both developed their own stages of development. Although Piaget and Montessori were similar in their thinking, they had very different approaches to teaching. While Montessori believed that children learned the most in her first development al plane, 0-6, Piaget believed that no real learning takes place before a child turns seven. The developmental process:Piagets stages of development can be compared to Montessoris planes of development. Although there are many differences between them the initial idea is very similar. Both theories of development can also be witnessed in classrooms everywhere today.The initial phase of each of the developmental stages is concerned with the sensory development of a child. In almost all early years classrooms learning is enhanced by sensory play. It may be a sensory corner in the classroom, a common area or activities carried out throughout the day, but sensory materials are a huge part of a childs developmental process at this age.Look at a toddler room in almost any early years setting, at the very least they have a sand and water tray for children to experiment with different textures and materials. The will have mirrors for the child to grasp the concept of their own reflection and give them the freedom to explore their own facial features. There are songs and nursery rhymes as well as shakers or musical instruments. The whole room will be full of interesting colourful materials which appeal to one or more of a childs senses encouraging sensory stimulation for learning. Another example of sensory materials can be seen when a child is developing writing skills in the classroom. Montessori developed the sandpaper letters for a child to experience the letter, not just see it but feel it. A child uses their finger to trace the letter ever before beginning to form the letter with a pencil on paper. In a typical classroom of this age, one which does not follow Montessoris method, we can still find similar ideas showing us that Piaget and Montessori were correct in that children learn through their senses. In my current classroom just one example I use are salt trays with coloured paper underneath the salt and when the child forms the letter the colour paper is exposed. The child becomes familiar with the letter and how to from it correctly.The environment:Piaget and Montessori agreed that a childs environment was a very influential factor in their development. Piagets theory stressed the need for children to be actively involved in constructing knowledge of their physical environment (Piaget, 1952) and Montessori believed that a prepared environment would facilitate maximum independent learning.Today both these concepts are a part of daily school life. In the past a classroom was designed to have rows of desks all facing a teacher, now however we are aware that the environment stimulates the students, that giving the opportunity to choose the method of learning we see better academic results.A few aspects of both theorists are evident in most classrooms today whether we realise it. Most teachers in the early years sector and the beginning years of primary school set up their classrooms to have areas.

Tesco strategic planning of information system

Executive Summary The main purpose of this company wide strategic plan for information systems is to provide a 5-year vision of the company development of the information systems. This would be in line with the company’s main aim of integrating the information systems to ensure that the company continues to grow both locally and internationally.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tesco: strategic planning of information system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This plan provides a strategy through which the company will undertake to develop its information systems. It entails the improvement of the existing systems to enable it to gather information accurately from the other branches worldwide. The strategic planning of the information systems will help the company in meeting the needs of the information systems in line with its growth strategy. Through the strategic planning of the information systems, we in tend to integrate the newly acquires or opened stores into the organization. The strategic planning of the information systems therefore involves all the branches, which the company currently has and the branches which it intends to open in the future. Background and assumptions The top management of different organizations for a long time ignored the idea of the strategic planning for the management systems. They used to undertake the strategic planning of all the other aspects of the business and ignored the strategic planning of the information systems. However, information systems are a very important aspect of any organization. Tesco usually attaches great importance to the information systems of the organization. It has undertaken many developments in its information systems. The point of sale continues to be an effective and innovative way through which the organization reaches out to its customers needs. Tesco therefore seeks to increase the number of point sale centers so a s to reach a wide range of people. The company also intends to open many other points of sale centers, which are not attached to any of the chain stores. Some of the point of sale centers will be in areas where the company is yet to open its branches. The company intends to use the information on the sales from the centers to determine whether it would be viable to open a branch in the areas or not. Mission statement To make Tesco be the leading company in the UK and globally in integration of information systems in all its activities.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Goals and objectives To improve on the data collection from the point of sale To effectively analyze and collect data from the sale from tesco.com To increase the information systems data through installation of necessary hardware to capture the information systems Remote environment The remote environment refe rs to the aspects, which affect the company, but the company has no control over them. These include economic, social, political, and technological factors. The company has to clearly understand the factors and hence make the necessary adjustments to enable it to cope with the situations brought about by the factors. Economic factors Economic conditions greatly affect our activities. The UK has recently been affected by the financial crisis that has made many businesses to cut back on their expenses so as to protect its interests. However, even with the financial crisis, Tesco managed to post a nice profit. However, the company continues to be affected by the financial crisis. Political factors Tesco has branches in many different countries. Some of the countries are third world countries in Africa. In some of the countries where the company has its operations, the company must factor in the ISSP various political situations. Social factors The strategic planning of the information systems tends to capture the different types of spending of different people. The current population of the UK has many people who are aged. The aged usually have much more money to spend as they have accumulated their savings. This phenomenon is expected to increase in the foreseeable future. The company should therefore ensure that it benefits from the situation by creating products that suit these people.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tesco: strategic planning of information system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Technological factors The retail industry is currently faced with stiff technological advancements. Various products are developed by the other competitors. Most of the products and innovations are mainly aimed at retaining the customers. The company therefore needs to be vigilant in the technological development of its products to cope with the stiff competition effectively. Industry environment The industry environment is well understood by looking at the porter’s five forces model for Tesco. The risk of entry by new competitors For any retailer that intends to enter in the UK market, the retailer must first analyze the risks posed by the retaliation of the other companies, which are already in existence. The recent acquisition of Asda by walmart, a US based retail chain store will have the effect of increasing the competition in the retail market industry (Lang and Heasman 2004 p 165). In addition, the acquisition of Safeway by Morrison is also expected to increase the competition considerably (Griffiths and Bingham 2003) Rivalry among companies in the retail industry The UK retail industry is characterized by four major retail companies, which share a large percentage of the market. The companies are Tesco, Asda/Walmart, Morrisons/Safeway, and Sainsbury. Together these companies share over 80 percent of the sales of household goods and groceries (Great Britain: P arliament: House of Commons: Communities and Local Government Committee 2009 p 128). However, Tesco is the leading company in the industry. The presence of four major retail companies therefore shows that there is a stiff competition in the industry. Bargaining power of buyers The customers in the retail industry have the ability to choose the prices of the products from different retail outlets, even the ones that are competing against each other. However, Tesco‘s club card membership ensures that the customers are loyal to the company and do not go to the other companies. Bargaining power of suppliers Tesco usually reaches a wider number of customers in the areas in which it operates. The goods in most of the shelves of the company are usually from big suppliers. Tesco usually gives the shelf space to the large suppliers. These suppliers ensure that the company gets maximum profit per unit space in the shelves of the products.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This arrangement usually makes the small companies to face difficulty in ensuring that their products are on the shelf of the company, as the small firms cannot effectively compete for shelf space with the large companies. However, Tesco sources some of its products from small suppliers. Most of these products are mainly farm produce e.g. poultry products, dairy products. Closeness of substitutes Most of the products that Tesco offers usually have their substitutes. Therefore, to ensure that the substitutes are not selected by the customers leaving the products of which Tesco sells, Tesco ensures that the products it sells are at a lower price compared to the substitutes that are in the market. The pricing of the substitute products in the market usually determines the profit margins that the company will get through the sale of the products. If the substitute products are at a lower price, the company is automatically forced to reduce the price of its products so that the product m ay effectively compete with the substitute products. SWOT analysis of Tesco Strengths The company has the largest market share in the UK. It has a 30.7 percent share in the market (Finch 2009). The market share of the company in the food products segments is expected to grow hence consolidating its market share and influence in the industry. The company has many customers who are loyal to the company The company has a recognized brand name that improves its image. The improvement in the brand name is mainly brought about by the financial stability of the company. Tesco became the first UK Company to post 2 billion pounds in the year 2005. In the year 2009, when most of the UK companies were adversely affected by the financial crisis Tesco made a profit of 3 billion pounds. In addition, the company has high growths in its income. Strong investments in the use of IT and information systems in its operations offer Tesco a competitive advantage compare to its competitors. Club card memb ership, Tesco online and point of sale ensure that the company attracts more customers (Rainer and Cegielski 2009 p. 327. Tesco online and point of sale provide additional source of revenue to the company. Weaknesses The stiff competition from the other supermarket chains The company also relies heavily on the UK market to fuel its growth Changing economic conditions in the countries where company has operations Opportunities Growth in the markets in other countries There is fast growth in the non-food retail sector. Tesco mainly depends on the sale of food products. This market segment has experienced rapid growth in recent time hence enabling Tesco to greatly benefit from the growth Tesco has also diversified the products it now offers in the shelves. Apart from the traditional food products, the company also offers other products such as electronics and beauty products. Diversification into other products such as financial services and insurance through Tesco.com (Shajahan 2007 p 250) Threats Price wars seem to be gaining pace in the UK market. The acquisition of Asda by Wal-Mart is expected to result in stiff competition in the retail industry. In addition, stiff competition in the UK market by the other large competitors is an expected threat, and so is the heavy cost of international investments. Competitive advantage Due to the fact, the company is the leading retailer in the UK; this factor may enable it to have better growth than the other companies that operate in the same field. The information systems of the company also give it a competitive advantage over its competitors. The point of sale and the clubs card system help in increasing the sales of the company. The club card system ensures the personalization of the services given to the customers hence leading to improvement of the consumer loyalty to the company. Critical success factors The company should ensure that it stop being over reliant on the UK market. The market in other countries has a higher growth potential than the UK. The UK is saturated by the presence of large retailers who offer stiff competition, therefore curtailing the growth in the UK retail market. Venturing into the developing markets would be of great importance in reducing the over reliance on the UK market as the markets offer a higher rate of growth hence ensuring the financial profitability of the company. The company should also strive to continuously invest in information technology and information system. These are the main factors that will lead to the growth of the company in the foreseeable future. The diversification into other non-food products will also ensure the success of the company. By providing a wide range of products, the company will be able to reach out to more people. The diversification also ensures that the company stops being over reliant on one product type and therefore cushion it from any price wars in the food products. Discussion of strategy Short term goals The comp any intends to improve on the current information systems to ensure that the information derived from it covers most aspects of the business. The target in this financial year is to ensure that the company can ensure that the club card members will account for 50 percent of the sales made by the customers of the company. In addition, the company intends to ensure the club card members get personalized information regarding what they may prefer to buy once after every two months. The company intends to appoint an independent client to handle the development of it information systems. Medium term goals The company intends to set up a department, which will mainly deal with the information system requirements of the company. These will remove the subcontracting of the information systems to third parties who may not effectively undertake the work as required by the company. Long terms goals The company intends to diversify its region of operation to other areas in the near future. Thes e branches will be semi autonomous and will not depend on the headquarters for information systems management. To ensure the complete semi autonomy the company intends to locate and set up keys centers from which the information systems of oversees branches will be monitored. This information will be further relayed to the main headquarters where it will be efficiently stored and interpreted. To facilitate this the company intends to ensure that avails the necessary infrastructure in ensuring that the company sets up an information architecture which will be able to capture all the aspects of the business. Conclusion Tesco holds a key position in the retail market industry. It is a market leader in the UK and some of the countries in which it has its operations. The strategic planning of its information systems would therefore greatly benefit it, as it would enable it to cope with the expected future changes in the information systems brought about mainly by its growth. The strategi c planning of the information systems shows that Tesco stands to gain greatly from effective planning of its information systems and this would give a competitive edge over most of its competitors. Reference List Finch, J., 2009. Tesco increases market share. Web. Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Communities and Local Government Committee. 2009. Market failure: can the traditional market survive? Ninth report of session 2008-09, Vol. 2: Oral and written evidence, Volume 2. NY: The Stationery Office. Griffiths, B. and Bingham, J., 2003. Morrison cleared to take over Safeway. London: The Independent. Web. Lang, T. and Heasman, M., 2004. Food wars: the global battle for mouths, minds and markets. London,  Earthscan. Rainer, R. K. and Cegielski, C. G., 2009. Introduction to Information Systems: Enabling and Transforming Business. NJ, John Wiley and Sons. This report on Tesco: strategic planning of information system was written and submitted by user Johnny Y. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.