Strategic analysis of the Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Vital examination of the Wal-Mart - Essay Example The aim of this investigation is Wal-Mart as one of the biggest and imposing players in the worldwide retail industry. Since its foundation by Rogers Ark in the year 1962, the organization has developed significantly with a nearness in around 28 countries with around 9759 stores over the globe. The organization gives immediate and aberrant work to 2.1 million people internationally. Wal-Mart is likewise recorded on the bourses of the New York stock trade where its stocks are as a rule effectively exchanged. It has been reliably positioned among the top brands by driving offices like Fortune and Forbes. The organization infers its serious edge based on its well known EDLP (Every Day Low Price) technique and has a cost authority approach towards creating upper hand in the market. An effective coordinations and flexibly chain the board methodology of the organization utilizing ERP is the spine behind the fruitful formula of accomplishment of the organization. Michael Porter expressed th ree conventional methodologies that can likewise get down to business situating of an item or a brand in the market. Situating is characterized as the picture of an item or administration in the psyches of the objective market crowd. The three key choices given by Porter incorporate center, separation and cost based authority. Firms undertaking a spotlight technique create upper hand based on focusing on a solitary product offering or a predefined client fragment. A separation technique includes contending in the market based on separation in items and administrations that includes giving an item or administration that is exceptional in the business and getting upper hand from the viewpoint. ... Foundation Wal-Mart is one of the biggest and impressive players in the worldwide retail industry. Since its foundation by Rogers Ark in the year 1962, the organization has developed significantly with a nearness in around 28 countries with around 9759 stores over the globe. The organization gives immediate and circuitous work to 2.1 million people comprehensively. Wal-Mart is likewise recorded on the bourses of the New York stock trade where its stocks are by and large effectively exchanged. It has been reliably positioned among the top brands by driving organizations like Fortune and Forbes. The organization determines its serious edge based on its renowned EDLP (Every Day Low Price) system and has a cost initiative methodology towards producing upper hand in the market. A fruitful coordinations and flexibly chain the board methodology of the organization utilizing ERP is the spine behind the effective formula of achievement of the organization (Wal-Mart, 2011). Vital Positioning M ichael Porter expressed three conventional procedures that can likewise take care of business situating of an item or a brand in the market. Situating is characterized as the picture of an item or administration in the psyches of the objective market crowd. The three vital options given by Porter incorporate center, separation and cost based administration. Firms undertaking a spotlight procedure create upper hand based on focusing on a solitary product offering or a predetermined client section. A separation methodology includes contending in the market based on separation in items and administrations that includes giving an item or administration that is special in the business and getting upper hand from the viewpoint. Cost based separation incorporates a system under

If the French Supposer Hypothesizes, Add Subjunctive

In the event that the French Supposer Hypothesizes, Add Subjunctive Whenâ supposerâ (toâ suppose or to accept) is utilized with a needy statement starting withâ que, the needy proviso may utilize a subjunctive action word, contingent upon how supposer is utilized. At the point when it communicates a supposition, no:   Je assume quil le fait.   I expect that he is doing it. At the point when the subject is introducing a speculation, yes:   Supposons quil le fasse.   Lets assume that he does it. Supposer que joins an extensive rundown of comparative action words and articulations of uncertainty, plausibility, assumption, and assessment; they all likewise need the subjunctive in theâ ​queâ subordinate provision. Supposer and Supposer Que Supposer que,â when used to communicate a hypothesis,â fulfills the subjunctives fundamental requirementâ ofâ expressing activities or thoughts that are abstract or in any case questionable. As withâ this utilization of supposerâ que,â the French subjunctiveâ is about consistently found in subordinate provisos presented byâ queâ orâ qui, and the subjects of the reliant and principle conditions are generally extraordinary, as in:   Je veux que tu le fasses.   I need you to do it.    Il faut que nous partions.   It is essential that we leave. French Verbs and Expressions Similar to Supposer Que Here are different action words and articulations that, likeâ supposer que,â can communicateâ doubt, plausibility, speculation, and conclusion. They all require the subjunctive in the reliant condition thatâ begins with que. There are numerous different sorts of developments that need the French subjunctive too, which are clarified and recorded in the full-onâ subjunctivatorâ (our term). accepter que  to acceptsattendre ce queâ â to expect thatchercher ... qui*â â to look fordã ©tester queâ â to despise thatdouter que**â â to question thatil est convenable queâ â it is legitimate/fitting/suitable thatil est douteux que**â â it is far fetched thatil est fake queâ â it is bogus thatil est outlandish queâ â it is unthinkable thatil est implausible queâ â it is impossible thatil est juste queâ â it is correct/reasonable thatil est conceivable queâ â it is conceivable thatil est peu plausible queâ â it isn't very likelyâ thatil home pas certain queâ â it isn't sure thatil home pas clair queâ â it isn't clear thatil home pas à ©vident queâ â it isn't evident thatil home pas accurate queâ â it isn't right thatil home pas likely queâ â it is improbable thatil home pas sã »r queâ â it isn't sure thatil home pas vrai queâ â it isn't accurate thatil semble queâ â it appears thatil se peut queâ â it might be thatle fait queâ â th e actuality thatnier que***â â to deny thatrefuser queâ â to refusesupposer queâ â to assume/accept; to estimate *When you are searching for somebody who may not exist, this shows question and along these lines requires the subjunctive in the needy provision:    Je cherche un homme qui sache la và ©rità ©.   Im searching for a man who knows reality. **These don't take the subjunctive when they are utilized contrarily:    Je doute quil vienne. Iâ doubt hes coming.   Je ne doute pas quil vient.  I dont question hes coming. ***When nier is in the negative, its followed by the more conventional ne explã ©tif, which utilizes just neâ (without pas).   Il na pas niã © quelle ne soit partie.   He didnt deny that she left. Extra Resources The SubjunctivatorQuiz: Subjunctive or characteristic?

Review of related literature Essay Example for Free

Audit of related writing Essay This part covers an audit of related writing which is appropriate to the examination. The writing investigated here gives three extraordinary however similarly important bits of knowledge on the best way to move toward benefits acknowledgment. A. Writing Review The Continuing Role of IS The investigation Show Me the Money: Advanced Practices in Benefits Realization (2005), by Dave Aron, Chuck Tucker, and Richard Hunter, is a bit of related writing that is especially pertinent to the current research paper. Aron et al.’s work accommodates a far reaching investigation of the advantages acknowledgment life cycle, and accommodates five key qualities for compelling advantages acknowledgment. Show Me the Money talks about how the advantages acknowledgment life cycle ought to really be isolated into three stages: 1) arranging; 2) execution; and 3) collecting. Propelled works on, as indicated by Aron et al. , lead to expanded business benefits, higher IS validity, and improved realizing which can be applied to an organization’s resulting ventures. An association should concentrate on taking an interest completely on every one of the three cycles. The emphasis on benefits arranging permits an organization’s portfolio to be augmented as far as advantages potential. The work for the organization’s IS doesn't stop at the execution phase of advantages acknowledgment, yet should proceed until the reaping stage so as to upgrade benefits. In Table 1 underneath, the propelled rehearses for each period of the advantages acknowledgment life cycle is plot by Aron et al. : Table 1. Propelled Practices in the Benefits Realization Process Source: Aron, Dave, Chuck Tucker, Richard Hunter. (December 2005). Show Me the Money: Advanced Practices in Benefits Realization. http://www. gartner. com/DisplayDocument? doc_cd=137020 The critical distinction between fundamental practices and propelled rehearses in benefits acknowledgment, as found in Table, shows the proceeded with cooperation of IS in every single phase of the cycle. During execution, in the propelled rehearses column, specifically, IS ought to add to change the board. This implies data services’ job don't stop after conveyance of the innovation. The practices laid out in Table 1 can be summarized in the five attributes for a compelling advantages acknowledgment program as gave by Aron et al. in their exploration: Benefits acknowledgment is a start to finish discipline The business should concentrate on the advantages life cycle. The association ought to extend its concentration from the frameworks improvement life cycle so as to upgrade IS commitment to change the board. A few variables to consider (Aron, Tucker Hunter, 2005): Advantages acknowledgment is a constant need of each association. ? Moving IT portfolios make the advantages acknowledgment challenge significantly all the more squeezing. ? Improving advantages acknowledgment goes connected at the hip with closer business arrangement. ? Advantages of IT-serious activities are acknowledged through three stages (arranging, execution, and collecting) ? Propelled rehearses convey ideal advantages acknowledgment. ? Arranging rehearses establish the framework Benefits-centered arranging will ensure that an organization’s portfolio is amplified in regards to benefits potential. Propelled practices ought to include: utilization of advantages structure to characterize benefits; manufacture results chains to recognize all the exercises required; coordinate advantages into the executives forms; synchronize all partners around benefits duties; make benefits training a piece of the administration team’s job (Aron, Tucker Hunter, 2005). ? Execution rehearses prepare the business IS execution ought to include helping the association to prepare for change as far as procedure, culture, and tending to issues that emerge. Concentrate anyway ought to stay on the final products or advantages the association needs to accomplish, with IS proceeding to add to its execution past conveyance of the innovation. A few suggestions gave by the Show Me the Money concentrate on this are include: offering help to the association with change the board abilities; utilization of engaged critical thinking groups; and adjusting venture administration in light of issues (Aron, Tucker Hunter, 2005). Collecting rehearses guarantee that normal advantages are procured The job of IS ought not stop after execution and usage of the advantages acknowledgment program. It should proceed to what Aron et al. have authored as the â€Å"harvesting† stage. This stage includes estimating the advantages that the undertaking is relied upon to accomplish. The association, business and IS similar, must: deal with the whole reaping stage; run benefits-centered post-usage surveys; develop the task administration group into a gathering directing gathering; and lead an autonomous collecting review (Aron, Tucker Hunter, 2005). Thusly, the advantages might be evaluated, estimated, and esteemed. Simultaneously, IS and business learning must be examined and audited at this stage. Assess and improve benefits acknowledgment rehearses The association will have a superior comprehension IS commitment to advantages and how to improve such commitment when they assess its advantages acknowledgment rehearses. A comprehension of the organization’s benefits acknowledgment status, an assessment of its advantages acknowledgment hazard, and execution of advantages centered pre-and post-usage survey instruments will bring about better business benefits, higher IS believability, and improved learning for the whole association (Aron, Tucker Hunter, 2005). In entirety, Aron et al’s basic examination looks to rethink and accentuate the job of IS in benefits acknowledgment. That job ought not be restricted to the arranging and execution stage however should proceed to the gathering stage. This examination is with regards to the â€Å"concept-to-cash† system of a perfect and viable advantages acknowledgment process. In such a system, Show Me the Money reminds us, IS, and not simply business, assumes a significant job all the way.

Synthesis Reaction Definition and Examples

Union Reaction Definition and Examples A union response or direct blend response is one of the most widely recognized kinds of compound responses. In a combination response, at least two synthetic species join to frame a progressively intricate item. A B â†' AB In this structure, an amalgamation response is anything but difficult to perceive on the grounds that you have a bigger number of reactants than items. At least two reactants join to make one bigger compound. One approach to consider amalgamation responses is that they are the converse of a deterioration response. Amalgamation Reaction Examples In the easiest combination responses, two components join to shape a paired exacerbate (a compound made of two components). The mix of iron and sulfur to frame iron (II) sulfide is a case of a union response: 8 Fe S8 â†' 8 FeS Another case of a blend response is the arrangement of potassium chloride from potassium and chlorine gas: 2K(s) Cl2(g) â†' 2KCl(s) As in these responses, its basic for a metal to respond with a nonmetal. One ordinary nonmetal is oxygen, as in the regular amalgamation response of rust development: 4 Fe (s) 3 O2 (g) â†' 2 Fe2O3 (s) Direct blend responses arent in every case simply basic components responding to frame mixes. Another ordinary case of a combination response is the response that structures hydrogen sulfate, a part of corrosive downpour. Here, the sulfur oxide compound responds with water to frame a solitary item: SO3 (g) H2O (l) â†' H2SO4 (aq) Up until this point, the responses you have seen have just a single item atom on the right-hand side of the synthetic condition. Be watching out for combination responses with various items. A recognizable case of an increasingly intricate blend response is the general condition for photosynthesis: CO2 H2O â†' C6H12O6 O2 The glucose atom is more mind boggling than either carbon dioxide or water. Keep in mind, the way to distinguishing a union or direct mix response is to perceive at least two reactants structure a progressively unpredictable item atom! Anticipating Products Certain amalgamation responses structure unsurprising items: Consolidating two unadulterated components will frame a paired compound.The item shaped by responding a metallic oxide and carbon dioxide will be a carbonate.Binary salts respond with oxygen to frame a chlorate.

Marketing Essays (2921 words) - Marketing, Market Orientation

Promoting Essays (2921 words) - Marketing, Market Orientation RESEARCH AREA Promoting WORKING TITLE An investigation of purchaser buy, utilization standards of conduct and limited time procedures received for advertising by Malaysian little firms RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This paper investigations advertise ideas, the little firms and utilize measurable techniques to see impact of showcasing on execution and development of little firms. The paper will utilize essential technique for information assortment and perform relationship and relapse investigation to break down the effect of promoting on a little firms execution. In this manner this paper affirms that promoting assumes a significant job for achievement of private venture moreover. RESEARCH QUESTIONS How private company can have enduring business relations with clients? By what method would it be advisable for them to have the option to get manageable stream of money inflows? What ought to be the business idea? What ought to showcase procedures? How fruitful the showcasing systems demonstrate for independent company in making business progress? Is there any connection among showcasing and little firms execution? Which measurement of advertising direction is a significant supporter for execution of little firms? Unique Showcasing is getting one of the significant elements for organization to sell their items or administrations. In a regularly expanding serious world it gets basic to stand away from the group and market the organizations items or administrations in such a manner in order to pick up client dependability and build up a brand. Typically the vast majority of the statistical surveying paper centers around large firms and little firms are normally dismissed. Consequently this paper features impact of promoting on private company. Catchphrases: showcasing, private venture firms, Malaysia, execution Presentation Malaysia is relatively a little country in Southeast Asia. The nation is multi social society and legitimate framework is essentially founded on English Common Law. It is a generally open state and entirely new industrialized economy. Given development openings the nation has customary model of working together and numerous new little firms are coming up in various parts. As it is similarly another industrialized country, there are numerous little and medium firms which represent a significant area of complete business existing in Malaysia. The little and medium Industries advancement Corp. (SIMDEC) is the administering body for SMEs in Malaysia. Other than there is likewise National SME Development Council, which guides strategy activities for SMEs. According to this chamber to isolate little firms from large firms it recognized SMEs in three classes dependent on the business they are into. SMEs can be ordered into smaller scale, little and medium size business substances. In this investigation we are concentrating on little ventures which have 5 to 50 workers and yearly deals turnover more than RM 200,000 and not exactly RM 10 million. Independent ventures are one of the most significant business elements for Malaysian economy. Henceforth it is fundamental to break down why some of them are fruitful while other are not keeping in see Malaysian setting. For any organization to succeed it is fundamental that the little firms can offer their products at benefit to clients. For this it is fundamental that the organizations have great connection with clients, can live up to their desires and win their dedication. Issue proclamation How private company can have durable business relations with clients. By what method should they have the option to get manageable stream of money inflows. What ought to be the business idea? What ought to showcase methodologies? How fruitful the promoting techniques demonstrate for private venture in making business progress? These are the couple of set of inquiries which this examination paper means to address. The paper will dissect promoting direction for independent company utilizing examines done by Kohli and Jaworski (1990, 1993). Further assist will with being likewise be taken from work done by numerous different creators like Kotler, Narver and Slater. Writing REVIEW As indicated by Kotler (1994), promoting raised on four columns viz. target showcase portion, client needs and desires, composed promoting and productivity. The perspectives communicated by Kotler structures the reason for model on promoting direction propounded by Slater and Narver (1990). Numerous researchers in showcasing have done great and profound investigation on impacts of advertising on achievement of business. Numerous models have been created to test impact of promoting on business and see the precursors and outcomes of the equivalent, (Slater and Narver 1994). According to their examination Narver and Slater discovered positive effects of promoting on both enormous and little

Railroad reading

Railroad reading Harrisburg Update: Yesterday, I biked 20 miles with Ben, see? I was trying to find myself but was unsuccessful. Then we went to Shawnas house and played Guess Who with the extra rule that you couldnt ask about anything tangible, you could only ask questions that required value judgments. What socioeconomic class would you say your person belongs to? Do you think it would be viewed as strange if your person and Maria dated romantically? If you dipped your persons head in liquid nitrogen so their hair froze exactly as it was, would you be able to roll it like a bowling ball? It rocked. Today Sams Mom and I went for cheesesteak at my favorite place downtownits not exactly an authentic Philadelphia experience (which I had in June), but I never go to Philadelphia and I wont eat Cheez Wiz anyway because of its association with food murderer Sandra Lee. So, good enough. Then I visited Dot, my across-the-street neighbor, and she gave me plenty of great recipes for Apple Bake, Burton-Conners annual culinary competition that Conner 2 always totally dominates. We dont get Bravo at MIT, so this evening I watched Battle of the Network Reality Television Stars and Celebrity Poker Showdown, both of which featured Charla, the plucky midget from The Amazing Race 5, which made me ecstatic. Finally, I went to Allisons and watched Sin City and as a result I cant sleep for days so I figured, hey, what the heck, I might as well write a blog entry. And then we went to humanforsale.com and found out that Allison was worth the most because shes a girl and artistic. I was worth in the neighborhood of $1,680,000, for your reference. Make sure you have a popup blocker or, better yet, Firefox before you go. Anyway, today I got a phone call today asking for a book recommendationone thats suitable for the beach, but also dark. Right. So I suggested Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre. In this entry, I thought Id prove to you that MIT students really do read by telling you what I thought of various books that I enjoyed, despised, or wholeheartedly attempted to read this summer. Of course, I turned down a job as head literary critic for the New York Times to come to MIT, so Im a total authority on all of this. Plus, Im worth $1,680,000, so you know you can respect my opinion. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Jonathan Safran Foer) His first novel, Everything is Illuminated, is my second-favorite book, with a sparkling, majestic portrayal of an imaginary shtetl, risky literary devices that actually succeed, and Alexs unforgettable, guileless narration. So, I knew his second book would be a total letdown because I found the first so amazing. Its about a boy whose father died in 9/11, so its a quite depressing read, although Foer does find several new (to me) ways of expressing grief, and there are a few amazing passages, including an elementary school staging of Hamlet and the firebombing of Dresden. My main complaint was that Everything Is Illuminated, though carefully constructed, never seemed that way because the writing was so natural. This time, I knew all of Foers old tricks, and his new ones werent so impressiveit often felt like Foer writing rather than Oskar Schell talking, which is something I could never say about Alex Perchov. Portnoys Complaint (Philip Roth) This is essential reading for every male in Western society, I think. I dont think theres any way that a female could possibly enjoy this book. Roth can really write, and I want to get acquainted with some of his less prurient works. The Day of the Locust (Nathanael West) This book is the origin of the name Homer Simpson, although I dont see how Matt Groening used Wests character as a model, really. The novel was okay, but The Great Gatsby is basically the same book, only much better, and youve probably already read that one. West is generally an excellent writer, but Id only recommend his Miss Lonelyhearts, about a newspaper columnist who keeps having creepy symbolic nightmares. The Dream Life of Balso Snell (Nathanael West) This is total crap. I read it because West only wrote four novellas and Id read the other three. A guy crawls into the anus mirabilis of a wooden horse and then West just wrote whatever weird ideas popped into his head. Its only sixty pages long, but each page you read subtracts one day from your life. There is one interesting thinga sect of Christianity that worships a flea that lodged itself in baby Jesuss skin. There, I saved you the trouble. Animal Farm (George Orwell) This was $2.50 at the Harvard Bookstore used, so I figured Id pick it up. I took it on an eight-hour train ride back home without realizing it only takes two hours to read. Its enjoyable and well-written (in the style of a childrens book), and thematically important enough that everybody should probably read it on some rainy afternoon or bus trip. Snow in August (Pete Hammill) I started this one during a particularly hot week in Boston; it was kind of like wishful thinking on my part. This ones a pretty good realistic portrayal of a poor boy growing up with his mother in New York. However, I find it hard to take seriously any book that includes a fart joke, even if its made by lovable Rabbi Judah Hirsch (named after the Taxi actor?). Also, I found the last fifty pages horrible and offensive on a basic moral level, but you might love them. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) This might be my third-favorite book now; its terribly long and compendious in its description of Vietnam-Era Gravesend, New Hampshire, but Irvings writing is so conversational and flowing that I barely noticed the length. Owen Meany is one of the least forgettable characters Ive ever encountered, and there was one passage so powerful that I was afraid to turn a page for five minutes. Heck, it begins with a foul ball accidentally killing the narrators mother at a little league gamethat alone is worth the price of admission. Light in August (William Faulkner) Ive liked all the short stories of Faulkners Ive read, so I thought Id give this one a shot. Its good and not as difficult to read as most modernism, but its the most sweltering book Ive ever readeverything is about shoveling sawdust and smoking cigarettes and being dirty and sweaty in the middle of the summer in Mississippi. When it got to be 90 degrees in Boston, I just couldnt take art imitating life any more, so I stopped a quarter of the way through. Ill try to pick it up again in IAP. Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk) Ive actually never seen the movie, and I was glad that I had no basis of comparison. There are a lot of powerful passages in here, either in terms of deep paranoia or ultraviolence. I found it sometimes hard to read, because a lot of bad Xanga entries have ripped off Palahniuks short, choppy, violent style. However, I assume the Xanga writers have imitated Palahniuk rather than the other way around, so, even though I really, really hate one-sentence paragraphs, Ill semi-enthusiastically recommend this one. Vernon God Little (DBC Pierre) Its about a school shooting and reality television. Take from that what you will. Vernon isnt the most likable narrator ever, which started to turn me off about a third of the way through. However, he complains less and does more interesting stuff as the book goes on, and winds up in the most satisfying ending Ive encountered since The Shawshank Redemption. A great book, almost worth it just for Pierres mixed metaphors describing the smells and squalor of small-town life in Texas. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) This is Ruths favorite book, I think, so she lent it to me. Im not quite done yet, but I think Im through all the important parts. The writing style and technological references are a little dated, but the ideas and themes arent at all. Its longer and somewhat more ponderous than Animal Farm and 1984, but it definitely had a lot more of an impact on the way I view our society than either of those did. Well, Ive done a lot better than last summer, when all I got through was Wests other two novellas. Anyway, Im headed to the beach next week, and Ive got three books for thatThe World According to Garp (John Irving), Cosmopolis (Don DeLillo), and Guns, Germs, and Steel (Jared Diamond). Ive started on the last one and Im really excited about it; Ive always had an interest in the evolution of humans from monkey to Mozart (I did my AP Bio research paper on hominid bipedalism), and Diamond seems to be a pretty fair and well-researched writer. Today I talked to Allisons Dad and I found out that when he went to the beach, he read a bunch of mystery novels from the 1980s starring Eleanor Roosevelt as the detective. However, theyre apparently out of print and available only on certain online auction sites. Otherwise, Id totally be there. I was going to link to all of the books above, but I feel like a certain internet book seller doesnt need any more hits from my blog readers. Plus, its already been advertised extensively by another mitblogger. Anyway, I have confidence that you guys are competent enough to seek out these books if youre really interested. Unless you go to MIT, in which case you dont know how to read.

Basic Economic Concepts - Free Essay Example

Basic Economic Concepts Basic Indicators The following basic economic indicators are important to understand: * Gross Domestic Product (GDP)   is the total amount of all goods and services produced in the country. This includes consumer spending, government spending and business inventories. Real GDP is a variant that takes out the impact of inflation, so that GDP can be compared over time. Real GDP is the basic measure of business activity and tracks the business cycle. Consumer Price Index (CPI)  -is a measure of the price of a basket of goods and services; increases to this index indicate an increase in inflation. * Producer Price Index (PPI)  -is a measure of the price of commercial items, such as farm products and industrial commodities. PPI indicates the cost to produce items and is the leading indicator of inflation. * Trade deficit   resultswhen a countrys imports exceed its exports. The  United Statesusually has a trade deficit. * Trade surplus   resultswhen a co untrys exports exceed its imports. Balance of payments (BOP)  Ã‚  is  the amount of foreign currency taken in minus the amount of domestic currency paid out; the  United States  usually has a balance of payments deficit. * Unemployment rate  Ã‚  the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases employment numbers each month that note the number of employed and unemployed people in the United States, as well as the percentage of unemployed. Increases in the unemployment rate tend to occur when the economy declines and vice versa. Swami and Friends| | Swami and Friends is the first of a trilogy of novels written by RK Narayan, a celebrated English novelist from India. The novel, which is also Narayans first, is set in pre-independence days in India, in a fictional town Malgudi, which has almost become a real place in India today, due to the wide recognition and popularity of Narayans many novels. His novels are known for their deftly etched characters, his uniquely stylized langua ge and his wry sense of humor. Swami and Friends is the story of a 10-year-old boy, growing up during this particular time, his innocence, wonder, mischief and growing pains. He is a student at Albert Mission School, a school established by the British which gives importance to Christianity, English literature and education. His life is dramatically changed when Rajam a symbol of colonial super power joins the school and he and Rajam become friends. About the Author RK Narayan started his prolific writing career with this novel Swami and Friends written in 1935. It is full of humor and irony. Narayan started writing this novel with the words It was Monday morning†¦ to the auspicious time his grandmother chose for him. Like many of his fictional grandmothers, he was close to his grandmother who was well versed with astrology. Despite this it took time for the budding writer to be acknowledged as an author. Fortunately for him, he had helped from many quarters, such as th e well-established author British author Graham Green. He called Swami and Friends a work of remarkable maturity, and of the finest promise†¦and is the boldest gamble a novelist can take. If he allows himself to take sides, moralise, propaganda, he can easily achieve an extra-literary interest, but if he follows Mr. Narayans method, he stakes all on his creative power. Notes The novel, first intended for a very young audience, later expanded into a universal one, for its simple narrative and depiction of colonial India. Today in India it is recommended as a textbook or a reference book. One of the most glaring facts about the novel is the similarity of children through out the world, and how they have not changed since the time the novel was written. Children are all mischievous, impulsive and innocent like Swami. They all play and enjoy just like Swami, and try to circumvent doing homework by ingenious excuses and methods. Like Swami most children even today- attend sc hools that do not nourish their heritage and culture, throughout the world including the US. The criticism of the educational system and the lack of faith in it is a common theme of Narayan. It runs throughout this trilogy Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts and The English Teacher. Narayans own father who was a principal did not think much of the system as Narayan and his many fictional characters, such as Swami, Chandran, Krishna, Sriram and a host of others. But the educational system comes under grave criticism in this trilogy, and discussed at length in The English Teacher. (Read The English Teacher web page in this site. ) It is not that Narayan thought that education was useless, but rather that the school and education system founded by the British was irrelevant. He was maybe among the second generation of persons who received a formal education in India during the time, and saw how his grandparents and many other of his countrymen surviving, thriving and living as g ood human beings, perhaps even better than the educated folk, without any education.