Odyssey Vacations, a travel company that sells vacation packages, operates a VIP lounge at a major amusement park.Customers that purchase special vacation packages from Odyssey Vacations to this amusement park get to use the lounge to relax during visits to the park.Those customers that have used the lounge have very high satisfaction, but only about ¼ of the customers that purchased packages from Odyssey actually use it.The lounge is one of many points of differentiation for the packages sold by Odyssey. Because there is so much competition, Odyssey has added several features to attract customers such as special parking, discounts on in-park dining and reserved seating for fireworks.With the economy soft and the demand for vacation packages down, Odyssey’s sales to this amusement park are up down about 5% from last year's levels.The VIP Lounge is the most expensive of the points of differentiation Odyssey offers because of the staffing and related costs.With sales down, the CEO feels that the cost of the lounge is cutting into the overall profitability and wonders if “it is worth it to continue to operate the lounge.” “Wouldn’t they still buy from us if we stopped offering this one benefit?” the CEO added.To understand whether the lounge is “worth it” you survey the front line travel agents who sell the product to the customers to see if having the lounge helps close the sale. The counselors state that while the lounge is a great benefit to offer clients, usually the price of the overall package is what closes the sale.In addition, you also conduct an on site survey at the amusement park to see if customers are aware of the lounge and where it is located – the survey results show that the awareness continues to be low.Your intuition tells you that the lounge is of great asset to your company, especially because you are the only travel company that has an on site presence. You believe the lounge and all of the other benefits are what differentiates Odyssey and has stimulated the sales that you do have. You are also concerned that you'd have to lay off the staff that works for you at the lounge.However, sales are down and your CEO is looking to cut costs and wants proof that this lounge is worth it. Your intuition says that the lounge is important, but you have no strong evidence to support it remaining open.What is your recommendation to the CEO? Provide some support for your position.Does bias play a role in your intuition?Is this a battle worth fighting for or do you just do what the boss wants?

Write a brief assessment of the Walmart case found in the text (Case 6). Address four questions based on Walmart's business-level strategy:How well is Walmart performing? To what extent is its performance attributable to industry attractiveness and to what extent is it attributable to competitive advantage?In which of Walmart’s principal functions and activities (namely: purchasing, distribution and warehousing, instore operations, marketing, IT, HRM, and organization and management systems/style) do its main competitive advantages lie? Identify the distinctive resources and capabilities in each of these functions and activities.To what extent is Walmart’s competitive advantage sustainable? Why have other retailers had limited success in imitating Walmart’s strategy and duplicating its competitive advantage?What challenges does Walmart currently face? What measures does it need to take to sustain its recent performance and defend against competitive (and other) threats?Your analysis should follow APA format including a title page, references page, in-text citations, and use Times New Roman, size 12 font. An appendix section is not required. Your assignment should be at least 3 pages in length, not including title or reference pages.

While servant leadership is often associated with Christianity and the Bible, one could argue that it is compatible with most religions and philosophies and that it transcends cultures. This assignment presents you with an opportunity to explore other cultures, philosophies, and religions and asks you to think critically about how servant leadership practices are apparent in other religions and cultures.Select one cultural context. Also select one religious viewpoint. You may not select Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, or Christianity, including any of its denominations or traditions such as Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.Examine how the principles of servant leadership are evident in that chosen culture and in that chosen religion. In an essay (1,250-1,500 words), identify similarities and differences between servant leadership’s philosophies and the values evident in the selected cultural context and religious viewpoint. Be sure to provide specific examples of practices and/or values in your discussion.You are required to locate a total of four articles that address servant leadership in your chosen cultural context and religious viewpoint. Two of the articles should examine servant leadership from a different cultural perspective and two articles should examine servant leadership from a different religious perspective. Be sure to select academic articles from reputable sources that are 10-20 pages in length. Include information from the articles in your discussion.Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.