Why does scanning the external environment play such a significant role in strategic analysis? How do unexpected daily events warrant significant analysis, and how would you determine their significance? As a strategic analyst, how would you approach and be prepared for their inevitable occurrence? in 250-350 words

Is Walgreens’ rapid growth strategy realistic? Why or why not?

How will changes in U.S. health care policy affect Walgreens? Explain.

Case 2: Walgreens

Walgreens was founded in 1901 and incorporated in 1909 in Chicago. Like other drugstores in the early 20th century, Walgreens emphasized a soda fountain and a lunch counter. By 1929, the firm had amassed 394 stores and $47 million in revenues. By the 1950s, Walgreens had begun a shift to self-service stores, but rapid growth did not occur until the late 1970s and early 1980s. Walgreens passed the 1,000-store milestone in 1984 and continued to grow steadily.

Today, Walgreens is the leading drugstore chain in the United States, operating almost 8,000 stores throughout the United States, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The firm also operates two mail service facilities and 13 distribution centers throughout the country.

Prescriptions account for about 65% of company sales, with the rest coming from OTC medications, cosmetics, toiletries, photo processing, and grocery items. Approximately 90% of prescriptions are paid by insurance companies or other third parties. Most stores offer drive-thru pharmacies and almost all offer in-store photo processing. Walgreens’ closest rival is CVS, although competition from pharmacies in grocery stores and discount retailers such as Wal-Mart has intensified.

More consumers are using health insurance to pay for prescription drugs. Retailers receive the same payment from insurers for a given drug and consumers pay the same co-pay regardless of pharmacy. As a result, convenience appears to have replaced price as the most important factor in the pharmacy side of the business. In this regard, “convenience” includes such factors as the acceptance of a given insurance plan, store hours, waiting periods, options for telephone and Internet refills, and the availability of grocery or other items that a consumer might wish to purchase while picking up a prescription.

Walgreens has responded to this emphasis on convenience by developing highly visible and accessible freestanding stores in high-traffic locations. Many of the stores are open 24 hours a day. As such, Walgreens continues to emphasize building new stores rather than acquiring them from smaller rivals.

Walgreens has benefited from constant increases in U.S. expenditures on prescription drugs, a trend that is projected to continue well into the future. The effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (and any subsequent revisions) on Walgreens remain unclear.

The main sources of health insurance in the United States include all of the following except

A.

​for-profit firms such as Aetna and John Hancock.

B.

household​ co-operatives, or​ co-ops.

C.

the​ government, through programs such as​ Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Administration.

D.

​non-profit firms such as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield organizations.

The rate of reduction of [Co(OH2)(NH3)5] 3+ by Cr2+ is 7 orders of magnitude slower  than the reduction of [Co(OH)(NH3)5] 2+ by Cr2+.  For the corresponding reduction with [Ru(NH3)6] 3+, the two differ by less than a factor of 10. What do these observations suggest about the mechanism?

Vitamins serve as co-enzymes in many biochemical reactions. Suppose you are a dietician who consults a patient, which desires to lose some weight. Considering that bacteria and human lipid biochemistry and the central metabolism are similar, what vitamins (co-enzymes) would you recommend to your patient to take and which to avoid?

A gaseous mixture of 25% CO, 25% CO2, 25% H2 and 25% H20 is brought to a temperature T and 1atm. Equilbirium composition of the gas mixture is determined by the following reaction

CO2 + H2 = CO + H20. Calulate the equilbirium composition of the gaseous phase at 700K and at 1500K.    Given G at 700K is 14kJ and at 1500K is -9.6kJ

Vitamins serve as co-enzymes in many biochemical reactions. Suppose you are a dietician who consults a patient, which desires to lose some weight. Considering that bacteria and human lipid biochemistry and the central metabolism are similar, what vitamins (co-enzymes) would you recommend to your patient to take and which to avoid?

Be sure to answer all parts.

In the presence of aqueous ammonia, cobalt(III) forms the complex ion Co(NH₃)₆³⁺. Determine the molar concentration of free cobalt(III) ion in solution when 0.200 mole of Co(NO₃)₃ is dissolved in a liter of 2.50 M aqueous ammonia.

__ x 10 __ M

Bale Co. incurred $100,000 of acquisition costs related to the purchase of the net assets of Dixon Co. the $100,000 should be

1. Allocated on a pro rate basis to the nonmonetary assets acquired.

2. Capitalized as part of goodwill and tested annually for impairment.

3. Capitalized as another asset and amortized over 5 years.

4. Expensed as incurred in the current period.

Suppose a 500. mL flash is filled with 1.1 mol of CO, 1.6 mol of NO and 0.90 mol of CO2. The following reaction becomes possible: NO2(g)+CO(g)=NO(g)+CO2(g).

the equilibrium constant K for this reaction is 0.209 at the temperature of the flask. Calculate the equilibrium molarity of NO. Round to the nearest two decimals.