Critically evaluate the conceptual and theoretical Essay Example

Critically evaluate the conceptual and theoretical Essay 1.It seems no consideration of terrorist act s definition can get down without the statement: One adult male s terrorist is another adult male s freedom combatant, ( Laqueur, 1987:302 ) . And this statement seems to be at the bosom of what many consider to be the job with supplying a definition of terrorist act: it all depends on position. Surely specifying terrorist act has neer been a more of import or necessary exercising, with many political groups and administrations around the universe holding to cover with terrorist activity, there is an of all time greater demand to understand its nature. A definition of terrorist act is required, among other grounds, to implement international Torahs, to guarantee international cooperation and make up ones mind on violative action ( Ganor, 2002 ) . The sheer scope of definitions of terrorist act is possibly best illustrated by Schmidt and Jongman ( 1988 ) who cite 109 different definitions. By analyzing these definitions for significances, it is possible to name the factors most normally found to be of import. Force or force appears in 83.5 % of definitions, a political motive is in 65 % , reference of panic or fright is in 51 % , menaces in 47 % . The staying classs include psychological effects, differences between the victims and the marks and planned actions. Why the confusion? How is it possible that merely 65 % of definitions contain reference of political motive when it is normally cardinal to terrorist activity? Possibly the reply lies in the gap quotation mark from Laqueur ( 1987 ) that it all depends on the position. Ganor ( 2002 ) points to the evident duality sometimes set up in the literature between national release and terrorist act. While national release has been considered a justified terminal to contend for, can terrorism truly be used as a justified agencies? Again, it all depends on position. From Syria s official place, it does non back up terrorist act but does back up national release. Unfortunately, the agencies it uses to accomplish this terminal are considered by many to be terrorist act. We will write a custom essay sample on Critically evaluate the conceptual and theoretical specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Critically evaluate the conceptual and theoretical specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Critically evaluate the conceptual and theoretical specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Possibly underlying Syria s place, like that of the Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) is what Taylor ( 1988 ) considers the moral justification. The moral justification can be used by both authoritiess and independent administration to warrant actions that might otherwise look similar to terrorist Acts of the Apostless ( Ruby, 2002 ) . This clearly raises one of the cardinal jobs in the definition of terrorist act, over which much attempt has been expended in the literature: should terrorism be defined by its agencies or its ends? Garrison ( 2004 ) comes down strongly on the side of ends, reasoning that terrorist act should be defined by its effort to consequence a alteration in society by utilizing panic. Garrison ( 2004 ) sees terrorist act as a tool that is used by many different groups and, in that sense, does non let differentiations to be made between these groups. To do differentiations it is necessary to see terrorist act s purpose. In this definition so, the targeting of civilians is non a necessary and sufficient status for placing terrorist act ( Garrison, 2004 ) . An alternate point of view focal points on the agencies of terrorist activity to specify terrorist act ( Cooper, 2001 ) . Ganor ( 2002 ) points out that a terrorist and a freedom combatant may hold the same ends, but they are pursued in different manners. Here, so, aiming civilians becomes the cardinal point of definition. Concentrating on the act itself makes a bunk of the word picture made between national release and terrorist act in its ultimate purposes. Alternatively Ganor ( 2002 ) negotiations of the different types of unconventional warfare usually carried out between a province and an administration of some signifier. When an administration contending against the province onslaughts military marks, that is guerrilla warfare, when the administration attacks non-military marks, that is terrorist act. This means that freedom combatants, revolutionists and nihilists could be either terrorists or legitimate battlers involved in guerilla warfare. To what extent are these definitions dichotomous? Clearly they are non one stresses political terminals, and the other stresses the agencies. Each efforts to except the other s definition to a certain extent, while admiting its legitimacy to some extent. Legal systems around the universe, nevertheless, do non hold the luxury of this elusiveness. This means that some states use political or spiritual terminals in specifying terrorist act and some focal point on the Acts of the Apostless carried out ( Ramraj, Hor A ; Roach, 2005 ) . The troubles in specifying terrorist act can be made even clearer when sing how definitions are frequently either over- or under-inclusive ( Shanahan, 2005 ) . Is a terrorist ever a radical? Shanahan ( 2005 ) points out they many authoritiess may perpetrate terrorist Acts of the Apostless to stay in power. Terrorists frequently attack both military and non-military marks, thereby doing loss of life and hurt to both civilian and non-civilian marks. Shanahan ( 2005 ) even argues that onslaughts on military forces can be Acts of the Apostless of terrorist act. Further, definitions of terrorist act in footings of menaces to life and limb do non include harm to belongings. Even more bewilderingly, it is non ever possible to separate between alleged combatants and non-combatants . In decision, specifying terrorist act is so hard, one author who has been analyzing it for many old ages has resorted to explicating that we know terrorist act when we see it ( Cooper, 2001 ) . While this may be true, from an international legal position this subjective definition is non sufficient. In world, different groups cleaving to definitions of terrorist act that suit their political intents. Academicians have tried to umpire this definitional brawl, with some limited success. Some strong definitions of terrorist act have been distilled, but the existent litmus trial is whether these can be universally adopted. Sing the utmost troubles in definition illustrated by the easiness of over-inclusive or under-inclusive classs, cosmopolitan acceptance of a definition of terrorist act seems improbable. 2.Northern Ireland foremost came into being as a consequence of guerilla warfare by the Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) in the 1920s. The IRA was contending against Britain to make a province independent of the UK. In 1921 the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed which partitioned Ireland into a southern independent democracy and Northern Ireland, each with their ain authoritiess. Publicly, the UK authorities saw the divider as an ineluctable move designed to avoid a civil war. The IRA continued their run to seek to throw out the British authorities from Northern Ireland. But, this had small consequence and until 1968 the UK authorities did non interfere with the Northern Irish authorities ( White A ; White, 1995 ) . While the IRA continued to run between 1920 and the mid-1960s, they were made illegal in the 1930s and merely carried out sporadic runs over that clip ( Thane, 2001 ) . It was nt until the late sixtiess that the IRA all of a sudden rose to unprecedented prominence. In the 1960s a mostly peaceable motion for civil rights began to develop ( White A ; White, 1995 ) . Analogues have been drawn between this rise of feeling and the civil rights motion in the US ( McGarry, 2001 ) . The Irish run originally centred on deriving rights for Catholics life in Northern Ireland. Through the 1960s tensenesss rose as the runs met opposition from the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Protestant demonstrators. Finally the British ground forces was mobilised in 1969 to assist squelch public perturbations. Over the following few old ages force exploded and the Irish authorities failed to maintain it under control. An of import factor in the rise of the IRA was a split that occurred in 1970 in the IRA from which the Provisional IRA emerged as the more violent and hawkish wing. One of the Irish authorities s last actions was to present internment in August 1971, an act designed to incarcerate those thought to be members of the IRA. The IRA, nevertheless, maintained that in this monolithic operation to collar 342 people, merely 30 were existent IRA members ( Mulholland, 2003 ) . The event to force the state of affairs over the border was Bloody Sunday 1972 when the British ground forces shooting dead 14 unarmed demonstrators. Mulholland ( 2003 ) argues that this lead to the prostration of resistance to political force. Soon afterwards the UK authorities efficaciously reimposed direct regulation and the Irish Parliament was dissolved. After this, the IRA saw a monolithic rise in its rank, particularly from within the Official IRA, and units in Northern Ireland ( Smith, 1995 ) . The ground for the rise in the IRA s power has been examined in several different ways. Many have focussed on the sudden public groundswell of sentiment that force was non merely justified, but required. White ( 1989 ) has suggested the causes of the societal revolution which the IRA made manifest prevarication in the mobilization position. The traditional position is that economic inequalities result in rebellion, but the mobilization position puts greater accent on the costs and benefits of action, reasoning that people s grudges remain comparatively stable. Turning to Ireland in the 1970s, several factors are seen to be of import in the changing manner people view guerilla warfare. White ( 1989 ) argues that it is province repression which can be seen with the British ground forces and internment that makes people place an unfairness. Second, people believe that others feel the same manner and, eventually, they decide that force is possible and it will be effectual. White ( 1989 ) finds support for this thesis in his interviews with political militant, indexing of bombardments and shots carried out in Derry every bit good as steps of economic want. Further grounds for this thesis, specifically concentrating on province repression was found in a survey carried out by White and White ( 1995 ) . They found two dimensions of province repression. The first is official repression, an illustration of which is the internment. The 2nd is informal province repression, as carried out by the British ground forces. This theory goes portion manner to explicating the rapid rise of the IRA, but the point has been made by Bell ( 1973 ) that the state of affairs had been ripe for a revolution in Ireland for 50 old ages, so why did it non get down until 1969? Many causes were involved: foremost, the civil rights run lowered people s tolerance of subjugation. Second, the British ground forces, through their actions, lost regard in Catholic eyes. Third, the security forces did non look able to maintain control. Fourth, there seemed to be an advantage at that place, if merely person could take it. For Catholics, while Stormont was non legitimate, it had at least been able to exert authorization in the yesteryear. This was no longer the instance. For all these chief grounds, people began to take their support for the British ground forces and travel it over to the IRA ( Bell, 1973 ) . In decision, there were a figure of different factors that affected the rise of the IRA between 1969 and 1974. There was a reduced belief by members of the Irish community that the official governments could maintain control of a state of affairs gyrating into force. This was combined with a turning belief the costs of an rebellion were outweighed by the likely benefits. Increasing degrees of force were spurred by lifting degrees of repression directed against the people by the authorities. A mobilization position leads to the thought that these influences, along with others, turned public sentiment in favor of the IRA. This displacement in sentiment led to a big addition in IRA rank, which allowed it to well increase its operations to the extent that, by 1974, it had become one of the strongest terrorist groups in Western Europe. Mentions Bell, J. ( 1973 ) . The Escalation of Insurgency: The Provisional Irish Republican Army s Experience, 1969-1971.The Review of Politics, 35( 3 ) , 398-411. Cooper, H. ( 2001 ) . Terrorism: The Problem of Definition Revisited.American Behavioral Scientist, 44( 6 ) , 881-893. Ganor, B. ( 2002 ) . Specifying Terrorism: Is One Man s Terrorist another Man s Freedom Fighter?Police Practice and Research, 3( 4 ) , 287-304. Garrison, A. ( 2004 ) . Specifying terrorist act: doctrine of the bomb, propaganda by title and alteration through fright and force. Criminal Justice Studies: A Critical Journal of Crime, Law and Society, 17( 3 ) , 259-279. Laqueur, W. ( 1987 ) .The Age of Terrorism. Toronto: Small, Brown and Company. McGarry, J. ( 2001 ) .The Northern Ireland and the Divided Universe: Post-agreement Northern Ireland in Comparative Perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mulholland, M. ( 2003 )Northern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ramraj, V. , Hor, M. , A ; Roach, K. ( 2005 ) . Introduction. In: V. Ramraj, M. Hor, A ; K. Roach ( Eds. ) .Global anti-terrorism jurisprudence and policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ruby, C. ( 2002 ) . The Definition of Terrorism.Analysiss of Social Issues and Public Policy, 2( 1 ) , 9-14. Schmidt, A. P. , A ; Jongman, A. I. ( 1988 ) .Political Terrorism: A New Guide to Actors, Writers, Concepts, Data Bases, Theories, and Literature. North-Holland: Transaction Books. Shanahan, T. ( 2005 ) .Doctrine 9/11: Thinking about the War on Terrorism. Chicago, IL: Open Court. Smith, M. L. R. ( 1995 ) .Contending for Ireland? The military scheme of the Irish Republican Movement. Oxford: Routledge. Taylor, M. ( 1988 ) .The Terrorist. London: Brassey s Defence Publishers. Thane, P. ( 2001 )Cassell Dictionary of Twentieth Century Britain. London: Cassell Reference. White, R. ( 1989 ) . From Peaceful Protest to Guerrilla War: Micromobilization of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.The American Journal of Sociology, 94( 6 ) , 1277-1302. White, R. , A ; White, T. ( 1995 ) . Repression and the Broad State: The Case of Northern Ireland, 1969-1972.The Journal of Conflict Resolution, 39( 2 ) , 330-352.

Walgreens Strategic Analysis Essay Example

Walgreens Strategic Analysis Essay Example Walgreens Strategic Analysis Paper Walgreens Strategic Analysis Paper Veronica Washington 0180175 Walgreens Pharmacy (WAG) An Industry Leader at the Inflection Point The following report is an in-depth discussion of Walgreens Pharmacy with an analysis and assessment of the company’s strategic initiatives. Each strategy yields a direct purpose of diminishing the influence of a specific force from Porter’s 5-force Model as the supporting data culminates an outlook on the company’s future. COMPANY OVERVIEW Charles Walgreen of Chicago, Illinois, pioneered the first Walgreens in 1901, with corporate headquarters now located in Deerfield, Illinois. In the company’s 100-year reign as the prescription industry leader, Walgreens changed from war bonds, soda fountains, and restaurants to 24-hour store access, nationwide locations, easy-to-use online stores, and health care clinics. 6,400 stores now operate in all 50 states including Puerto Rico, with 30% open 24 hours. By 2010, Walgreen’s aspires to operate 7,000 stores nationwide and pave the way for the organic growth of 13,000 sites. As of December 2007, Walgreens employs 226,000 associates, hiring 25,000 in 2007 (WAG Annual Reports, 2007). According to the company’s 2007 annual reports, â€Å"Walgreens has been listed on: Fortune magazine’s Most Admired Companies in America list†¦ranked 44th on the Fortune 500 list of largest U. S-based companies†¦[and] ranked the leading online drugstore. † (WAG Annual Reports, 2007) In the past 2 years especially, Walgreens embarked on several ventures that will enable them to have first-mover advantage in the healthcare industry. CURRENT FINANCIAL INFORMATION In 2007, Walgreens increased net sales by 13. 4% to $53. 7 billion and increased net income by 16. 6% to $2. 4 billion. Long-term investments, which have consistently increased by roughly $100 million dollars each year since 2004, reflect company profits (WAG Annual Reports, 2007). In the 2007 operating cash flow analysis, Walgreens yielded a yearly total over $23 million in deferred taxes that arose for tax relief in advance of tangible asset depreciated accounting expenses. While net cash flows in the operating sector dropped by $80 million in a single year production, sales, and delivery continue to expand. In the 2007 investment cash flow analysis, the company directed $6. billion toward short-term investments (auction rate securities) available for sale amounting to an accumulated $6. 8 billion (WAG Annual Reports, 2007). With a staggering $1. 8 billion spent on new additions in 2007, this perceived overextension by shareholders of the company’s business and intangible asset acquisition of $1. 1 billion doubles the amount of cash used in the invested activities of 2006 (WAG Annual Reports, 2007). Employee termination and salary cuts yielded a 50% drop in proceeds received from company life-insurance policies. The $5. million proceeds of 2007 pale in comparison to the $10. 7 million received only a year before. Walgreens spent $2. 4 billion in investing activities during 2007, more than that of 2005 and 2006 combined (WAG Annual Reports, 2007). In the 2007 financi al cash flow analysis, net proceeds were $850 million. With a $141 million debt payment, $1 billion in stock repurchases, $310 million cash dividends to shareholders, and a $214 million bank overdraft sum, Walgreen’s 2007 net cash used for financing activities rose to $626 million from 2006’s $413 million (WAG Annual Report, 2007). In summation, the initial cash and cash equivalents of 2007 declined from $920 million in January to $255 million by the end of December resulting from the company’s overextension, and may result of losing their position as the industry leader in the near future (WAG Annual Reports, 2007) POWER OF BUYERS According to Porter, a buyer who has power â€Å"can always find an equivalent product, [then] play vendor against [one] another† (Porter, 2008). Consumers reap the benefits of an industry that pays for repeat business. In 2007, Walgreen’s pharmacists took 157,000 prescription transfer calls from neighboring competitors. (WAG Annual Reports, 2007) Mark Wagner, VP of Operations, announced that after reviewing the 2007 compiled transfer logs of the company, â€Å"72% of all prescription transfers [in 2007] are competitor coupon-related issues † (WAG Annual Report, 2007) Walgreens remained static in their decision to offer any type of compensation to new customers or transferred prescriptions until October 2008. Walgreens customers receive an average of four prescriptions on monthly basis from the pharmacy (WAG Annual Reports, 2007). With 65% of the sales revenue of the company coming from the pharmacy, Walgreens declines to bargain with out-of-pocket customers over price. Regardless of a climbing prescription drug-price trend, demand remains elastic because customers demand choices of similar, less expensive medications if authorized by their doctor. The amount of reimbursement Walgreens receives from Medicare, Medicaid, and Worker’s Compensation falls drastically, as incremental revenues from those sources decreases (Stewart, 2006). According to Lueck, â€Å"Medicare and Medicaid comprise 25 percent of the federal budget, and the government cannot afford to spend at the current rate† (Lueck, 2008). In order to maintain relationships with customers, retail pharmacies resorted to buying sections of Medicare Part D insurance companies: AARP Walgreens vs. CVS Caremark (Caremark Rx Inc. , 2007). RIVALRY AMONG EXISTING COMPETITORS From Porter’s point of view, â€Å"the degree to which rivalry drives down an industry’s profit potential depends, first on the intensity with which companies compete and, second, on the basis on which they compete† (Porter, 2008). Other than retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies, internet pharmacies, international pharmacies, vitamin stores, and homeopathic treatment providers attempt to maintain market share in the healthcare industry (Lueck, 2008). Walgreens largest competitor, CVS Pharmacy, fell short of Walgreen’s sales revenues by $7 billion in 2007 (WAG Annual Report, 2007). Contrary to Porter’s model of rivalry, the healthcare industry is experiencing massive growth. Growth is not a force, but only a factor; and as Porter mentions, â€Å"high growth rate will not guarantee profitability if customers are powerful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as stated in the last section (Porter, 2008). Tom Charland, CEO of Merchant Medicine, in his prophetic wisdom forecasted an â€Å"increased scarcity of physicians and midlevel practitioners in many markets and the increased use of pharmacists. † (Berman, 2007) This justifies the idea that most baby-boomers will spend several hours a week in doctor’s offices receiving treatment for maladies that require prescriptions. Because of meager prescription profits, customers gain little when switching from one pharmacy to another. As Jeff Rein, VP of Walgreens, understands, â€Å"95% percent of our patients pay only the co-pay required by their insurance plans. † (WAG Annual Report, 2007) This removes Wal-Mart’s $4 prescription plan from the picture. POWER OF SUPPLIERS In Porter’s words, suppliers with power â€Å"can squeeze profitability out of an industry that is unable to pass on cost increases in its own prices. (Porter, 2008) To make up for excessive inventory costs for new medication Walgreen’s must decrease labor hours and work more efficiently. For corporate executives in retail pharmacies like Mark Wagner of Walgreens, â€Å"the end solution is to cut costs†¦and the biggest cost in stores is payroll. † (Merrick, 2008) With manufacturers keeping new FDA-approved substitute (generic) medications at bay by creating expensive time-released versions of the ori ginal, retailers spend more money than ever before on shelf space (Merrick, 2008). The following demonstrates a sample of what Porter means by suppliers having power when they â€Å"offer products that are differentiated† (Porter, 2008). In March 2008, analysts at Citigroup Inc. announced, â€Å"AstraZeneca will have more time to market the product†¦Seroquel XR, a once-daily version of the [original] drug†¦ slowly [converting] patients to the patent-protected drug before a generic version of Seroquel becomes available† (Merrick, 2008). Generic companies defending their rights to enter the market state brand name manufacturers received patents through inequitable conduct (Merrick, 2008). While CEO of Astra Zeneca, David Brennan remains â€Å"pleased with the courts decision to uphold [our] valid intellectual property, healthcare companies like Walgreens suffer exorbitant inventory costs at lower vendor allowances for keeping both brand and newly arriving formulations (Merrick, 2008). STRATEGIC ANALYSIS The significance of this report’s title, â€Å"An Industry Leader at the Inflection Point†, speculates that Walgreens cannot remain myopically moving forward now that competitors are strategically placing modes of â€Å"creative destruction† in the healthcare industry. For example, Walgreens is following suit to retake power from buyers, a force seen in previous paragraphs, with a revolutionary prescription problem-processing center, POWER. These 24-hour call centers will automatically fix any third-party insurance rejection errors at all 6400 store locations, leaving pharmacists and pharmacy technicians more time to devote to prescription accuracy, efficiency, and patient consultation. Alan McNally, Walgreen’s new CEO as of October 22, 2008, justifies the use of POWER so â€Å"the company’s founding base of competitive advantage will bring vital market share, stockholder optimism, and customer sentiments of timeliness and prescription safety back to Walgreens† (WAG Annual Reports, 2008). Despite Walgreens’ ability to gain back market share by utilizing POWER, this evolution of problem-solving workflow is the company’s first major step in â€Å"creative destruction. Since an estimated â€Å"25-30% of work in the pharmacy originates from processing and troubleshooting third-party claims†, Walgreens shows no sign of maintaining current hourly needs for technicians when POWER operations begin (Merrick, 2008). The excess reserves saved from this venture will allocate finances for greater stockholder dividends and ensure the company’s progressive movement into staying one-step ahead of the competition (Merrick, 2008). Acc ording to the 2008 annual reports released in November, the salary expenditures saved from cutting technician hours will help support funding for the accumulated $1. billion dollar long-term debt in 2008 (WAG Annual Reports, 2008). Formerly discussed in the section, â€Å"Power of Suppiers†, Walgreens showed vulnerability to brand-name manufacturer’s new formulations marketed to physicians as more effective and safer than their FDA-approved generics. The county’s nation-wide recession that tumbled into a worldwide pandemic has been reason enough for many consumers to forgo reinstating their prescription insurance plans in 2009 and instead shop around for bargain generics (Lueck, 2008). Porter describes the country’s turmoil perfectly by announcing America is in the â€Å"Age of Anxiety,† as he reminds readers that in the US â€Å"restructuring destroys about 30 million jobs per year† (Porter, 2008), To combat consumer demand for lower cost prescriptions, Walgreens has aggressively marketed the Walgreens Drug Program in 2008. This discount program offers consumers the option of choosing from a list of 400 price-approved and quantity-approved generic medications at a 90-day supply for $12 (WAG Annual Reports, 2008). To attract customers to less expensive and more readily available generic medications, Walgreens built the discount rogram to show how much each customer can save while receiving a therapy that is exactly or similar to what their doctor prescribed. The only cost associated with this plan is a one-time $20 fee for using the service pennies compared to the hundreds of dollars each month otherwise spent on prescription healthcare covera ge. The idea of Walgreens creating healthcare clinics where customers can go and receive treatment for common symptoms arose from competitor initiatives to capture a segment of the market not dominated by Walgreens. The purpose of this tactical approach was to lessen the force of rivalry in the industry. As of November 2008, Walgreens â€Å"operate[s] more than 600 health and wellness clinics in our stores and on employer worksites [with] plans to expand to 800 sites by the end of fiscal 2009 (WAG Annual Reports, 2008). While data on this new mode of investment has not been conclusive or forecasted in expected yearly revenue, Walgreens intends on honing company expansion in this market to counter aggressively competitor initiatives. STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT The watershed of massive change for Walgreens culminated amidst what economists are calling a worldwide recession. Like all prosperous profit seeking companies, Walgreens managed to find ways to cut hours while increase efficiency that paved the way for higher shareholder dividends in 2008. CEO Alan McNally describes Walgreens’ strategy as â€Å"a successful triumph in a frantic market† leading on with a direct correlation of the yearly highlights to â€Å"an increase of $. 11 in common share dividends for 2008† (WAG Annual Reports, 2008). Despite the company’s massive growth of long-term debt, the strategic positioning of POWER centers in high volume areas and payroll cuts began the combat against the emerging inflection point issues discussed. More than 1 million people enrolled in Walgreens discount card program in 2008. The company anticipates numbers to increase significantly at the beginning of Medicare reinstatement in January 2009 as members become more proactive in finding lower prescription costs. Constructed on gaining the business of customers upset with their current prescription coverage, the iscount care program cultivated an increase of gross market share to 17. 6% of the retail prescription market in 2008. According to the new annual reports, in August 2008 Walgreens priced a $1. 3 billion five-year bond offering to be â€Å"used in the repayment of short-term debt under its commercial paper program and general corporate purposes† (WAG Annual Reports, 2008). The bond’s primary purp ose of financing the expansion of Walgreens’ Take Care Clinics around the country will reinforce goals of insatiable growth in the United States. As the beginning stages of these clinics develop, Walgreens will have a better idea of the market’s reaction. SUMMARY OF STRATEGY These market-enhancing strategies formulated by observing frustrated consumers over the years yield a successful and progressive outlook for Walgreens. While Walgreens’ presence in communities nationwide will continue to expand, the systems and processes which customers receive service will undoubtedly change. As services become increasingly automated and salaries are cut to supply overhead costs of the latest technologies and capital investments, Walgreens’ initiatives to solidify their position as the market leader will continue to be a tantalizing puzzle for the company’s corporate executives. REFERENCES Berman, D. (2007,  January  17). CVS Raises Caremark Bid, Pressuring Express Scripts. Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p. A. 4. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Wall Street Journal  database. (Document ID:  1195592291). Caremark Rx Inc. : Advisory Firm Urges Holders To Accept Offer From CVS. (2007,  March  14). Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p. A. 12. Retrieved October 25, 2008, from Wall Street Journal  database. (Document ID:  1232229641). Lueck, S. (2007,  September  19). Politics Economics: Democrats to Revisit Medicare Provisions. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), p. A. 12. Retrieved October 23, 2008, from Wall Street Journal  database. (Document ID:  1337919191). Merrick, A. (2008,  March  19). How Walgreen Changed Its Prescription for Growth. Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p. B. 1. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from Wall Street Journal  database. (Document ID:  1448083011). Merrick, A. (2008,  October  9). Walgreen Abandons Bid for Longs; Drug Chain Cites Weak Economy, Withdraws $2. 7 Billion Offer. Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p. B. 1. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Wall Street Journal  database. (Document ID:  1570234871). Stewart, J. (2006,  November  8). Common Sense: Letdown Over Deal By CVS, Caremark Offers Opportunity. Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p. D. 2. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Wall Street Journal  database. (Document ID:  1158307411). Porter, Michael E. (2008. Jan) â€Å"The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy. † Harvard Business Review. Porter, Michael E. (2008. Nov) â€Å"Why America Needs an Economic Strategy† Business Week Walgreens Annual Reports, The (2007, Dec 31). Questions and Answers for Shareholders. Retrieved October 10, from Walgreens Co. Website: http://files. shareholder. com/downloads/WAG/460812286x0x147120/C3FF93FD-4E51-4F5A-94FD-C0D058A9A911/Walgreen_AR_07. pdf Walgreens Annual Reports, The (2007, Dec 31). Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition. Retrieved October 10, from Walgreens Co. Website: http://files. shareholder. com/downloads/WAG/460812286x0x147120/C3FF93FD-4E51-4F5A-94FD-C0D058A9A911/Walgreen_AR_07. pdf