Identifying Sustainability Plan Effect Essay

The issue of terrorism is not the only one over which the countries are focusing on; in fact, there is another hot burning issue of ‘Global Warming’ that is causing the depletion of ozone layer, melting ice, raising sea levels, and so the temperature too. In this paper, I would be acting as a consultant who is hired by Princeton University, and would be draw attention to the alarming causes of greenhouse gas and devise a sustainability plan that can overcome those issues. Global warming is fundamentally caused by excessive emission of greenhouse gases that are the chemical compounds present in the atmosphere of Earth. These gases damage the ozone layer and allow the sunlight to easily penetrate into the atmosphere and as result sunstrokes, skin cancer, and other diseases happen too. Here, in the United States, these emissions come from the ignition of fossil fuels that are used for energy purposes, since the economic growth is highly dependent upon energy sector (eia, 2008). Greenhouse gases include Carbon dioxide, methane gas, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons, transmit infrared radiations into the atmosphere that raise the temperature due to the breaking of ozone layer, hence causing many other issues (Cohen & Hopwood, n. d). Sustainability Plan Considering the ongoing issue of global warming, it is the responsibility of the educational and as well as other institutions to increase the awareness among the people regarding it, and formulate certain strategies that aim on restraining such issues. Now let’s discuss the effects of a sustainability plan that would have over several organizational aspects of Princeton University. Vision Princeton University should design its vision that not only focuses on the production of quality students with outstanding knowledge and grades, but also on teaching the students about the sustainable development in the future for a greener tomorrow for future generations. Mission The mission of this university should be the commencement of new degree programs and courses related to Sustainable Development and Entrepreneurial Management that focuses on initiating ‘Green’ businesses. Organization If the sustainability plan is to be implemented in Princeton University then there would be a prominent change in the whole organization, ranging from the advancement in its technologies, processes, procedures, organizational design, policies, etc. The university would have to set up new infrastructure and technologies for the purpose of assisting students to come and learn from it, use them for research purposes, and adopt newer and greener ways of living life. As far as the enabling of technology and processes is concerned, the university would have to invest a great amount of money in bringing on new technologies, machineries, equipments, infrastructure, and most importantly, the intellectual capital that would be present in experts, scientists, and experienced professors. In other words, the resources for the students should be provided with which they can learn the practical application of what they learn in books, because without application they would be wasting what they studied. Moreover, processes would be shaped in a way where the emphasis would be laid on the practicality of the concept and not just the theories itself. This would have to deal with some sort of change in the organizational design in which the policies, preferences, faculty, teaching criteria, and curriculum would be modified. People Attracting and maintaining talented students, faculty, and other staff members should be the first priority of the university, since it’s all about the students who learn and progress and the faculty who teach them. Faculty members who may include scientists, cosmologists, or environmentalists, should be provided with sufficient resources to conduct research and development. They might be sent abroad for participating in conferences, workshops, and seminars from where they can train themselves accordingly, which later would result fruitful for the students who would get up-to-date knowledge about the current happenings, issues, developments, and solutions for them. Teaching the students would not suffice; in fact, they should be encouraged to indulge in the practicality of the studies. University should arrange certain contests and business plan competitions where the students would be asked to participate and come up with the most feasible business that is sustainable and green. Moreover, the students of IT may engage in developing certain products, equipments, and technologies that might be used at a later stage for greener tomorrow, for instance, electric cars and solar energy chargers. Just as every employee needs rewards for keeping him motivated and directed; students are no exception (Robbins & Judge, 2007). Based on their achievements in the competitions, they must be encouraged by offering them scholarships, money prizes, and medals. Conclusion Therefore, it is the responsibility of universities to make their students aware of the changing environmental conditions and offer them, opportunities and resources to explore and ascertain newer ways of living and doing business for having a better and greener tomorrow.

Law Brief

Law Brief Assignment Case: Fans v. New York Highlanders Inc. Facts: The New York Highlanders are building a new stadium, offered a first come first serve season ticket special. In order to be eligible, buyers would have to pay a $10,000 licensing fee which would guarantee a specific seat as identified in a stadium seating diagram. About 10,000 fans signed up and sent in their seating choices at the 50 yard line (the most desired seats) and received confirmation from the Highlanders that their seats were reserved.Unfortunately, after the licenses were sold to the 10,000 fans, the stadiums dimensions were reduced and only had 5,000 available seats on the 50 yard line. The Highlanders announced that 5,000 of the 10,000 would get the preferred seating based on a lottery, and the remaining 5,000 would be given other seats. Issue: The plaintiffs are suing the defendant to reimburse a $10,000 fee which guaranteed a specific seat in the new stadium. Due to reduced dimensions, the New York Hi ghlanders Inc. would give the plaintiffs different seats Application: Referring to the case of Yocca v. Pittsburg Steelers Sports Inc. Yocca was sent a brochure granting the right to buy annual season tickets to games thru stadium building licenses. Yocca applied for the stadium building license and listed his seating preference. The Steelers sent him a letter notifying him of the section in which his seat was located. A diagram was included with detailed parameters of the section, but it differed from the original brochures diagram. The Steelers also sent Yocca documents including a clause that read,† This agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties. † Yocca signed the documents, and the Steelers told him the specific location of the seats.When he arrived to the stadium, the seat was not where he expected it to be. Yocca filed a suit against the Steelers, the defendants appealed to the state supreme court. Since the parties, without any fraud or mistake, have purposely put their arrangements in writing, the law states the writing to be the only evidence of their agreement. All previous negotiations, conversations and verbal agreements can not be combined or added to evidence. â€Å"Once a writing is determined to be the parties entire contract, the parol evidence rule applies and evidence of any previous written negations or agreements nvolving the same subject matter as the contract is almost always inadmissible to explain or vary the terms of the contract. Because the plaintiffs based their complaint on the claim that the defendants violated the terms of the brochure, and the court held the brochure as not part of the contract, the case was dismissed. The Yocca v. Pittsburg Steelers Sports Inc case is similar to the Fans v. New York Highlanders Inc, in which the fan(s) paid for specific seats that they were guaranteed to have.The fans signed up for their seat choices and received confirmation that the seats were reserved, same as Yoc ca’s agreement with the Steelers. A few differences between these two cases are that Yocca signs a clause that reads, â€Å"This agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties. † But this clause was signed AFTER he applied for the SBL documents. With the Highlanders case, we are not giving enough information as to what the fans signed off to, but we can make an assumption that the fans signed off to a similar clause because they both are applying for stadium building license.Also, in Yocca’s case the stadium was not reducing its dimensions. Both cases had plaintiffs purchasing â€Å"specific† seats in which they were guaranteed and resulting in having a different seat or wanting reimbursement. With the fans v. Highlanders, there was no brochure or previous negations; the plaintiff’s signed off on the SBL which is the only evidence of their agreement. Seeing as to the defendant violating the agreement, the plaintiff’s are subject to a reimbursement. Decision: In a court of law, the parties’ entire contract (the Stadium Building License Document) is the only evidence of their agreement.All negations, conversations, and brochures cannot be added to parol evidence. Because the plaintiff’s based their case complaint that the defendant violated the terms of the Stadium Building License, the defendants owe the fans a reimbursement of $10,000. Citations: 1. Clarkson, Miller. Business Law. 11. Yocca v. Pittsburg Steeler Sports, Inc. , Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2004 578 Pa. , 854 A. 2D, 425: Pages 313-314. 2. http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/23473/how_to_write_a_legal_brief_pg2 Law Brief Law Brief Assignment Case: Fans v. New York Highlanders Inc. Facts: The New York Highlanders are building a new stadium, offered a first come first serve season ticket special. In order to be eligible, buyers would have to pay a $10,000 licensing fee which would guarantee a specific seat as identified in a stadium seating diagram. About 10,000 fans signed up and sent in their seating choices at the 50 yard line (the most desired seats) and received confirmation from the Highlanders that their seats were reserved.Unfortunately, after the licenses were sold to the 10,000 fans, the stadiums dimensions were reduced and only had 5,000 available seats on the 50 yard line. The Highlanders announced that 5,000 of the 10,000 would get the preferred seating based on a lottery, and the remaining 5,000 would be given other seats. Issue: The plaintiffs are suing the defendant to reimburse a $10,000 fee which guaranteed a specific seat in the new stadium. Due to reduced dimensions, the New York Hi ghlanders Inc. would give the plaintiffs different seats Application: Referring to the case of Yocca v. Pittsburg Steelers Sports Inc. Yocca was sent a brochure granting the right to buy annual season tickets to games thru stadium building licenses. Yocca applied for the stadium building license and listed his seating preference. The Steelers sent him a letter notifying him of the section in which his seat was located. A diagram was included with detailed parameters of the section, but it differed from the original brochures diagram. The Steelers also sent Yocca documents including a clause that read,† This agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties. † Yocca signed the documents, and the Steelers told him the specific location of the seats.When he arrived to the stadium, the seat was not where he expected it to be. Yocca filed a suit against the Steelers, the defendants appealed to the state supreme court. Since the parties, without any fraud or mistake, have purposely put their arrangements in writing, the law states the writing to be the only evidence of their agreement. All previous negotiations, conversations and verbal agreements can not be combined or added to evidence. â€Å"Once a writing is determined to be the parties entire contract, the parol evidence rule applies and evidence of any previous written negations or agreements nvolving the same subject matter as the contract is almost always inadmissible to explain or vary the terms of the contract. Because the plaintiffs based their complaint on the claim that the defendants violated the terms of the brochure, and the court held the brochure as not part of the contract, the case was dismissed. The Yocca v. Pittsburg Steelers Sports Inc case is similar to the Fans v. New York Highlanders Inc, in which the fan(s) paid for specific seats that they were guaranteed to have.The fans signed up for their seat choices and received confirmation that the seats were reserved, same as Yoc ca’s agreement with the Steelers. A few differences between these two cases are that Yocca signs a clause that reads, â€Å"This agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties. † But this clause was signed AFTER he applied for the SBL documents. With the Highlanders case, we are not giving enough information as to what the fans signed off to, but we can make an assumption that the fans signed off to a similar clause because they both are applying for stadium building license.Also, in Yocca’s case the stadium was not reducing its dimensions. Both cases had plaintiffs purchasing â€Å"specific† seats in which they were guaranteed and resulting in having a different seat or wanting reimbursement. With the fans v. Highlanders, there was no brochure or previous negations; the plaintiff’s signed off on the SBL which is the only evidence of their agreement. Seeing as to the defendant violating the agreement, the plaintiff’s are subject to a reimbursement. Decision: In a court of law, the parties’ entire contract (the Stadium Building License Document) is the only evidence of their agreement.All negations, conversations, and brochures cannot be added to parol evidence. Because the plaintiff’s based their case complaint that the defendant violated the terms of the Stadium Building License, the defendants owe the fans a reimbursement of $10,000. Citations: 1. Clarkson, Miller. Business Law. 11. Yocca v. Pittsburg Steeler Sports, Inc. , Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2004 578 Pa. , 854 A. 2D, 425: Pages 313-314. 2. http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/23473/how_to_write_a_legal_brief_pg2

Analysis of othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of othello - Essay Example In order to make the paper more clear and easy to understand, I will start by giving a brief biography of the author. What is rather interesting is that nobody knows Shakespeare's true birthday. The closest date the bibliographers came up with is the day of his baptism on April the 26th, 1564. Traditionally, a child is baptized three days after his birth, thus we may assume William to have been born on April the 23rd. There are only two portraits of William at present, the engraving by Martin Droeshout and the monument in Stratford's Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. William married when he was 18 to Anne Hathaway who was much older. The couple had eight children who later inherited Shakespeare's wealth (William Shakespeare Facts). Shakespeare started writing at the age of 29, composing the first of his 154 sonnets Venus and Adonis in 1593. His last play The Two Noble Kinsmen was written in 1613 when he was 49 years old. The dramatist died in 1616 at the age of 52. It is remarkable that he had composed on average 1.5 plays a year since he first started in 1589 (William Shakespeare Facts). As I have mentioned earlier, in my paper I will give a literary analysis of the Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, before starting to analyze the main characters that are: Othello, Iago, and Desdemona, I would like to present a brief summary of the play. The main purpose of Shakespeare in tragedy Othello is to produce a mood that defies a way a person perceives his/herself and the world. The play thoroughly develops such subjects as racism, chauvinism, jealousy, love, hatred, enviously, arrogance, and fraud. Shakespeare begins Othello, presenting a story about a black general, Othello, who falls in love with and later marries, Desdemona, a young white daughter of a Venice politician. Being a general, Othello appoints Cassio to be chief lieutenant, unintentionally creating an enemy in face of Iago who thinks he is more liable for the position. Being in rage, Iago develops a plan to destroy both Cassio and the gullible Othello, who considers Iago to be a reliable and honorable friend and companion. To begin with, Iago does everything in order to cause the dismissal of Cassio from his position. Later in the tragedy Iago directs all his efforts to ruining the life of Othello. Knowing Othello's naivety and being familiar with his weak sides, Iago hints Othello that his wife, Desdemona, has engaged in relations with Cassio. At first Othello is unwilling to believe Iago's accusations, though Iago manages to confirm his words when, with the help of machinations, Desdemona's handkerchief is found in Cassio's possession. Being temperamental by nature, Othello enrages and throttles Desdemona. Emilia, Iago's wife, finds out about her husband's crafty designs and reveals them to Othello. Othello, realizing his horrifying and uncorrectable mistake, and commits suicide.

Ethics in Digital Content Sharing Research Paper

Ethics in Digital Content Sharing - Research Paper Example The PIPA works the same as the SOPA; with its main function also being the blocking, the sites that sell copyright materials. The stop online piracy act and the Protect IP Act have however not been amended yet. The two bills gave rise to a new procedure to take down the sites; the site is only those that violate the laws The creative commons, on the other hand, is a nonprofit organization whose main aim is to enable the use and the sharing of knowledge and creativity through free legal tools. The creative commons offer copyright licenses that are easy to use; these licenses provide a standardized and a simple way to give the public the permission to share and use creative works. The licenses let one to change the default copyright terms easily to some rights reserved, this license enables one to modify the copyrights terms to the best desired terms. The creative terms aimed at realizing the potential of the internet fully giving a new era of growth development and productivity The SOPA and the PIPA faces many critiques with many opponents proposing the stoppage of the two, the main question to ask however before criticizing the bills is "is copyright infringement right? Doesnt it violate the ethics, the privacy, and the security of the digital content?" Looking at the aims of the bills, the two of them are important as they protect copyright infringement. The SOPA is more functional as it goes, as it requires the operators to show the sites that steal the U.S media properties (Schmitz, p.220) Since the infringement of copyrights is illegal in many of the states, then the bill are important. It is, however, beneficial to understand that piracy and the copyright infringement leads to job losses; this is because it deprives content creators of profits. The legislation of the two bills will revamp a broken system that does not prevent criminal behavior. The bills face, however, face a lot of critics

Health Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Economics - Essay Example The studies conducted by Shadick and colleagues focused on assessing the cost effectiveness of the vaccination against the Lyme disease by developing a decision analytic model. However, the evidence gathered for such an experiment may be not being considered as robust as it may seem because the probabilities and costs used by Shadick and Colleagues were taken from the literature which may not be considered as entirely satisfactory as it may seem. Further, best estimates were used on the base case analyses whereas the ranges used in sensitivity analysis were considered as clinically plausible only. Further, the evidence for compliance and risk effects were taken from relatively newer and recent trials which may not have considered as entirely satisfactory and untested due to lack of time tested empirical proofs. Further the evidence for cost effectiveness and management of Lyme disease were taken from one study only and the dollar values were updated up to 1998 only which may not entirely be considered as entirely accurate and relevant. Based on the above, it may be easily inferred that the evidence may not entirely be considered as robust as it lacks in many areas which were conceptually not corrected/designed according to the relevant economic variables. Any health state rated between zero and one can be rated as death or equivalent and perfect health whereas anything below zero on visual analogue scale may be termed as worse than death therefore based on three given states of A, B, C at 0.1, 0.45, 0.8, we can assign a utility of death or equivalent because all the utilities are greater than zero but less than one. Therefore, the utility assigned to all three states are effectively representing one state because all three are less than one and greater than zero. Q#1(d) An incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) can be less than $40,000/- per quality adjusted year only if the persistence of vaccination efficacy is considered at three years. The traditional studies suggested that the cost effectiveness ratio, under two year time horizon of vaccination efficacy, the overall cost reach to $105,000/QALY. However, when this time horizon is stretched to three years, the incremental cost effectiveness ratio can reach up to $29,600/QALY. It is also important to note that Shadick & Colleagues took a radically larger efficacy period as in comparison to traditionally used. Q#1(e) With the increase in the vaccination cost by 100% i.e. from $150 to $300, the overall cost saving/QALY would decrease and the program would have moved up into the league table indicating smaller cost savings from the vaccination. The cost saving however is taken in terms of the costs averted while using the given vaccination. Q#2 Shadick and Colleagues considered a decision analytic model as one of the valid tools for making economic evaluation. Decision analytic tool is used when the intention of the researcher is to make justifiable and defendable decisions. Since, economics always involves a relative degree of abstraction therefore it sometimes becomes critical that such model for economic valuation is used which can provide researchers considerable degree of comfort while defending assessments made. (Arsham, 1994). Making comparison with earlier studies provide a peer reviewed evidence which can help researchers to take on the research

Finance and Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance and Accounting - Essay Example After assessing things like stock market capitalization, employment, profits, contribution to Gross Domestic Product and the likes, it is clear that the financial system expanded by a big margin since 1990. For instance, by 1989 the global financial assets were about 50 trillion but increased to about 200 trillion by the end of 2007 (Anderloni, 2009:23). Generally, analysts describe financial system innovation as the key to ending the financial crisis and woes that are facing the world’s economy. This is because; assessments carried out to establish how the system has been working reveal that it is through innovation of new financial tools that can put to an end the world’s common complex financial crisis. As illustrated by progress of financial innovations, the way people handled financial matters twenty years ago is different today. Advancements and innovations regarding financial technology transformed apparently due to need for better financial management brought ab out by time and technology. Globally, people are able to face and overcome challenges regarding finances as a result of financial innovative systems. However, before regulators start making decisions on how to regulate, if they should, activities of financial institutions, it is vital that they consider the consequences of their actions. Since it was through financial system innovation that global financial assets rose from about 50 trillion to about 200 trillion globally within a period of only eight years, these benefits should deter regulators from imposing restrictions on activities carried out by financial institutions. Furthermore, it is within the same period when financial depth increased from 200 percent of world Gross Domestic Product to 400 percent (Zeng, 2011:133). These remarkable financial systems of innovation played an important in transforming the financial sector globally. While on the verge of prominently addressing challenges and risks that the financial system i nnovation may pose to the general financial sector, there is also the need to view the immense economic gains and benefits that flows from a healthy financial instrument or institution. With the increasing jiggle or sophistication and size, depth wise, of financial markets, that promotes economic development or growth it is crucial to allocate capital in places where it can be highly productive. At the same time, dispersion of perils or risks more widely and broadly all over the financial system has up to this far raised the system’s resilience and the economies shocks (Welfens, 2011:67). Therefore, it is advisable for regulators to be cautious when seeking to implement regulations of financial innovations as they also seek to address risks accompanying the innovation. Financial system innovations have come with lots of potential benefits that financial regulators find them in need of monitoring. Nevertheless, while developing a framework for regulating these benefits brought about by the financial system innovation it is essential to have a clear thinking. The regulators should be explicit on how to regulate public policies, if any, and how fresh innovations or developments threaten or undermine those objectives. In addition, regulator should also consider the roles played by the market in controlling risks that pertain to public objectives since market discipline can be prove to be a key element in a well-functioning regulatory project. Therefore, as a test of consistency, all regulations should

Discribe the structure and function to the relevant organ system as Essay

Discribe the structure and function to the relevant organ system as the day progresses - Essay Example In the morning, blood flow to the small intestine will be increased to transport the absorbed nutrients to the liver and then to the rest of the body. Excess glucose will be stored in the liver, muscle cells and adipose tissue. During the walk to work, the cardiovascular system will respond by increasing the heart rate to source oxygen and glucose to the muscle cells. If the nature of the work requires a lot of physical activities, the cardiovascular system will respond in the same way. However, the heart rate will reduce during rest periods (Daniels, 2012, p. 244). In the afternoon, the cardiovascular system will respond to the food intake by supplying more blood to the small intestine to facilitate absorption of nutrients. Excess amino acids will be broken down in the liver and the wastes transported to the kidney for excretion while the rest will be transported to the cells which require them. During the snack after lunch, more fluid will be absorbed in the colon and kidneys to replace fluids lost during the day. In the evening, the cardiovascular system will respond to the exercise training and walk by increasing blood flow to the muscle cells. Increased supply replenishes the lost water and electrolytes in the muscles, thus preventing rapid muscle fatigue. During supper, the blood supply will be concentrated on the digestive tract to facilitate absorption of nutrients from the small intestine and water from the colon. The digestive system also plays an important role during the day. Its main function is to break down complex food particles to simpler forms that can be easily absorbed in the body. In the morning, blood glucose levels are low due to the night spent without food intake. As a result, the stomach will send signals to the brain to stimulate hunger. After the food has been ingested, digestion will take place, and the body will absorb the glucose from the breakfast meal to be used as a source of energy for

Project X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Project X - Essay Example he form of auditing, internal controls, policies and procedures, budget restrictions, and the like all of which can be enforced at some costs given the assumption of symmetric information (Frame, 2003). The main techniques of risk monitoring include assessment, cross-functional teams, inspection, interviews, reports, observations and reviewing. The most usual ones of these are inspection and control charts, and it is possible to use flowcharting and trend analysis to see whether production facilities and budget to the norm or getting worse. However, these tools are used rather late in the day and are more to do with correcting errors and confirming that what is being delivered is what is required. More emphasis needs to be placed on making sure the correct quality or performance is specified at the outset and clearer recognition of the need for a well-motivated team that clearly understands the project. Some researchers underline that performance monitoring is a part of risk management and control. â€Å"Performance monitoring involves measuring operational activities, analyzing the resulting metrics, and comparing them to internally established standards and industry benchmarks to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of existing operations† (Risk Monitoring and Reporting, n.d.). For project X, the most effective monitoring and control methods will be assessment, cross-functional teams and inspection. Cross-functional teams perform an important role in organizations joining different project areas. To achieve the task requires clear definition, good planning, clear roles and responsibilities, appropriate resources and regular reviews as the project proceeds. Inspection (independent monitoring) will help managers to provide external analysis of the resources, current technological processes and compare them with established standards (applied to the industry in general). Interviews and reports can be identified as internal control methods, which allow a manager

Two Items on the Same Desk Essay Example for Free

Two Items on the Same Desk Essay The first six weeks of school are always a joy . They are the spring time of teaching. The last six weeks? Those weeks can be, in the immortal words of Thomas Paine, â€Å"The times that try mens souls.† Those are the days when teachers consider retirement regardless of whether theyve been teaching for three years or thirty. Mr. Hemphill was nearing the 30 year mark. Today Mr. Hemphill, as students always called him to his face, felt more like the â€Å"old Mr. Hemphill† he knew students often called him behind his back. Not quite 60, his friends, all of whom referred to him as just â€Å"Bob,† often commented on how young and fit he appeared for a man his age. To the high school students at Olympus High he was ancient. Ninety percent of the other teachers were youngsters under 40, most under thirty. â€Å"How old are you?† he was often asked. â€Å"Older than you can imagine,† hed reply. â€Å"I used to teach Shakespeare.† â€Å"You still teach it; we read Romeo and Juliet first semester.† â€Å"No, no,† he would grin. â€Å"I used to teach Shakespeare the MAN. Thats why he uses so many puns in his plays.† Mr. Hemphill never gave a quiz or test without including a bonus question, always a pun of some kind. He didnt feel very punny today. He just felt tired, weary to the bone. On his now cleared, moments earlier cluttered desk, were two items. The first was the true source of his fatigue. Seventh (the final) period of his day Mr. Hemphill had been doing his best to lead a literary discussion with a class of 38 students. Most of them hadn’t read the mere seven pages of the novel hed assigned for homework and upon which the discussion was about. Suddenly a piece of paper floated into the air from somewhere in the middle of the room, and past three or four desks. It lighted softly as a tiny bird at his feet. He picked it up. The paper, which had floated like a bird, was as welcome to Mr. Hemphill as bird poop. Indeed, the less euphemistic form of the word â€Å"poop† came to mind as he saw what was on the paper. In graphic, splendidly detailed tagger art color was a picture of a penis and scrotum on a skateboard. Mr. Hemphill commented on the quality of the art and expressed his wish that the author would channel his obvious talents in a more productive manner. What he almost said was that the artist must surely have spent hours and hours studying and handling his subject in order to depict it so 2. accurately. He didnt say it however because Mr. Hemphill in his core saw himself as a professional. His clothes, though not expensive, were ironed and neat, his shoes polished. The years hed spent in front of classrooms had taught him losing his temper was not professional. More importantly, it did you no good. He had taken a copy of the paper to the vice principal with the names of those he was certain were responsible. To the class as a whole he expressed his disappointment that some of them who had such grand potential for greatness were choosing to waste it on depravity. He meant it too and said it with great sincerity. A few looked as if they agreed with him. Several others, and probably the ones responsible, snickered albeit surreptitiously. â€Å"They think Im just an old, old guy from another planet,† he thought at the time. When he looked at the item now he felt disappointment once again, and anger, most definitely, and hurt. For some reason it definitely hurt. Of course it most likely had not been meant for him. It had a boys name on it, Nick ________, and it was likely a gang thing. When a gang member gives a guy a picture of a male private part it is a message. Hes calling the guy out, insulting him, asking him what hes going to do about it. Sometimes a gang guy draws a picture of the female equivalent. That is a worse insult, and implies the recipient wont or cant do anything about it because he’s just a P______. â€Å"Dont judge these guys† Mr. Hemphill told himself. â€Å"You dont know what the house or apartment they go home to is like. You dont know whats been done to them, what happens on their block, in their hood every day.† â€Å"Now why did they pose the penis on a skateboard?† he asked himself. The skateboard could be said to add an element of humor to the drawing. Humor to the deprived and ignorant who felt any fellow who farted was funny. But humor reflects that there is humanity somewhere in there. Maybe divinity too? Mr. Hemphill shrugged, and sighed, and turned the distasteful drawing over. Next to it was a letter from a former student, Sean. Hed found Mr. Hemphill earlier that day at break and came up to him to give him the letter. The letter wasnt to Mr. Hemphill. It was a letter to a college he was applying to. He was supposed to tell the college a little about himself and why he would be a great student to accept. Though the letter wasnt to Mr. Hemphill, the first half of it was all about him. â€Å"I owe my knowledge and ever-lasting developing love of the Literary Arts to Mr. Hemphill† the letter said. â€Å"He taught me the power stories have, and helped me learn the basic skills every writer needs. Because of him hopefully I will be able one day to consider myself a successful screen writer.† Mr. Hemphill re-read those lines three times savoring every word. He remembered Sean as he had looked as a freshmen. Short, pudgy, big glasses. It was a clichà © perhaps, but at first glance Mr. 3. Hemphill had thought that if he had a book of slang and looked up the word, â€Å"nerd† Seans photo would be beside the definition. He was smart and determined and wanted to learn. Sean wasnt as short or pudgy any more. He was starting to look like a handsome, confident young man. He would come into his own in college. â€Å"I didnt teach him anything, not really,† Mr. Hemphill reflected, â€Å"I just steered him a little.† What were the odds of receiving both these items on the same day? Mr. Hemphill remembered the year hed had Sean, his freshmen year. In the fall while he was absent and had a sub, some students who werent his students came to his fourth period pretending to be his students. Two of them distracted the substitute while the others stole some things off and in his desk. Somebody even snatched a big Muhammad Ali poster hed had on the wall for years. â€Å"Im so fast when I turn off the light switch on the wall, I can go jump into bed before its dark!† Ali said on the poster. Hemphill had used it for years to instruct students about hyperbole, and pride. The worst thing about the incident was that they took his pencil can. It wasnt worth anything, but it was something his oldest daughter had made for him when she was in kindergarten or first grade. Shed put paper around a small can and drawn hearts all over it, and it said, â€Å"I love you daddy† on it. Hemphill kept it on his desk with pencils in it for years. Every time he looked at it he remembered the way his Samantha, now a young mother, had looked the day she gave it to him. Why had they stolen that? Eventually the guilty students got ratted out and punished, but the stolen items were forever lost. Spring of that same year in his sixth period students got together and bought him a big brand new Muhammad Ali poster, nicer than the other one. They had gotten a card and all the students signed it and presented it to him during finals week. Those were the worst and the best things students had ever done to or for Mr. Hemphill throughout his whole career. They had happened during the same school year. These two items on the desk happened during the same school day. Looking at the two items, the gross picture and the letter were a dà ©jà  vu of that previous school year. The two items in a way represented of all the days and all the years he had been a public school teacher. How many of his students’ fathers had pencil can mementos on their desks? How many of his students, if asked to write an essay or a quick write about a hero, someone they admired, would turn in a blank sheet of paper? He remembered that he had asked to go to this school in this part of town. He’d started out at Capital High where students came from the town’s nicer neighborhoods and most of the parents had jobs. Innocent and idealistic, he’d wanted to go where he could combat ignorance and be a â€Å"light in the darkness.† After 30 years the idealism still smoldered in his heart. When that flame went out it would be time to quit. 4. Mr. Hemphill pushed himself away from his desk. Along the side wall uncorrected papers mounted up in little baskets. They would have to wait. He was too tired today to correct papers. Mr. Hemphill walked to the back window. There he looked out at the blue sky. He placed his hand over his heart, and then flung the hand outward like a fishermen who has just cleaned a fish and then flings the raw guts out into the open sea. It was a ritual started when his kids were small, a way to not carry the cares of the day home in the evening. Then he went home. He looked forward to kissing his wife and listening to his youngest daughter, a high school senior, tell him about her day. When he left the room one of the items on his desk was now in the waste basket beside the door. The other was inside his grade book tucked under his arm, gripped tightly beside his heart.

Coffee and Starbuck Essay Example for Free

Coffee and Starbuck Essay Summarize the overall strategy of Starbucks Management in its effort to create and develop a new concept and a rapidly expanding company. The overall goal of Starbucks Management was to create an American version of the Italian coffee bars that Howard Schultz had experienced first-hand in Milan. He believed that Starbucks should function as an important part of the community, as a meeting place for its customers. He wanted Starbucks to become an experience that would differentiate itself from its competitors. One of their key strategies in meeting this goal is a focus on customer service in order to create an experience for its consumers. Another one of their strategies is to ignite their emotional attachment with consumers. They also have a commitment to improving their business through better training, tools, and products and to give attention to store-level economics and operating efficiency. All of these are prongs to their strategy that will allow Starbucks management to turn Starbucks into a location where people don’t just go to grab coffee, but to experience the atmosphere of an Italian coffee shop. Another prong to their strategy is to offer many different products and to distribute them among a variety of distribution methods. Which one of the five generic competitive strategies discussed in Chapter 5 most closely approximates the competitive approach that Starbucks is employing? There are five generic competitive strategies that can be employed and they are low-cost provider strategy, broad differentiation strategy, focused low-cost strategy, focused differentiation strategy, and best-cost provider strategy. The strategy that Starbucks uses is broad differentiation where they seek to differentiate their product offerings from rivals’ with attributes that will appeal to a large variety of consumers. The key market characteristic for the strategy of differentiation to work is that buyers’ needs and preferences are very diverse and cannot be satisfied with a standardized product offering. This is an evident characteristic of the market because consumers all have different preferences on the way they like their coffee. Which is the reason why Starbucks offers many different product options like lattes, skinny lattes, coffee, iced drinks, blended drinks, etc. They also offer fruit cups, water, and bakery items to provide even more options for their consumers. If a differentiation strategy is successfully implemented the firm will be able to do one of the following: command a premium price for its products, increase unit sales, and/or gain buyer loyalty to its brand. Starbucks has some of the highest prices for the type of products they offer and people tend to be extremely loyal to whatever coffee they are used to purchasing, because they trust the quality. Methods to enhance differentiation 1. Create superior product features, design, and performance Starbucks has a superior knowledge of coffee and a commitment to providing customers with quality coffees. Providing top-quality, fresh-roasted whole-bean coffee was the company’s differentiating feature and a core value since the beginning of its founding. Couches, fireplaces, newspapers, drive-through windows, kiosks in supermarkets and other public places were added to locations depending on what would add value to their consumers. Due to their focus on providing a different experience depending on the location of the store, their international strategy is a multi-domestic approach. The core characteristics of each new store was based on local materials and craftsmanship, a focus on reused and recycled materials and exposure of structural integrity and authentic roots. Most important of all they believed that coffee should be central and that distractions should be removed. They believed that the combination of all these elements should tell a story that would engage the consumer’s five senses and provide them with flexibility to meet the needs of the many different consumers that would be attracted to Starbucks. 2. Improving customer service or adding additional features When Howard Schultz first became part of the company he realized that one key problem Starbucks was having was that first-time consumers often felt uneasy about their absence of knowledge about high-quality coffee. An additional problem was that the employees came off as arrogant and unapproachable. He then worked with employees to teach them about friendly customer service and created a pamphlet to teach new customers about coffee. He also began to offer part-time employees health insurance and a stock option plan for all employees, because he believed that if a company treated their employees well, then they would in turn treat their consumers well. The additional features that Starbucks offers are fireplaces, couches, music, Wi-Fi access, ability to use paid sites and services like Wall Street Journal’s site, exclusive content and previews, free downloads, local community news, and activities. 3. Pursuing production RD activities Starbucks is constantly brewing new flavors and blends to offer their consumers a variety of coffee to try. Flavors are rotated daily or weekly to offer constant variety. They also test new product offerings like Frappuccino’s, Lattes, Skinny Lattes, and seasonal drinks. 4. Striving for innovation and technological advances One way that Starbucks was able to constantly strive for innovation was by controlling the cost of opening and renovating stores by centralizing buying, developing standard contracts and fixed fees for certain items, and consolidating work under those contractors who displayed good cost-control practices. Starbucks retail operations group outlined the minimum amount of equipment each store would need. This meant that standard items could be ordered from vendors in volume at 20 to 30 percent discounts. The items would then be delivered to the site from a warehouse or from the vendor. A technological advance was that they used computer software to build store layouts that would calculate costs as the design progressed. This cut costs by a significant amount and shortened the process of opening a store to 18 weeks. 5. Increasing intensity of marketing and sales activities Originally, Starbucks didn’t spend a lot of money on advertising, because they relied mostly on word-of-mouth. In 2008 McDonald’s stepped up their advertising to highlight their McCafe coffee drinks. In order to counter this Starbucks undertook the largest advertising campaign ever. 6. Seeking out high-quality inputs Starbucks promotes environmentally sustainable practices in coffee cultivation methods and have specific guidelines they follow called Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices that help farmers to grow high quality coffees in environmentally beneficial ways. In 2000 they began purchasing their coffee organically and a growing percentage of their coffees were grown organically as well as Fair Trade Certified. 7. Improving employee skill, knowledge, and experience Starbucks has a commitment to training their employees so that they are better able to serve their customers. All partners and baristas receive at least 24 hours of training in their first two to four weeks on topics such as coffee history, drink preparation, coffee knowledge, customer service (for a total of 4 hours), and retail skills. Baristas in particular are required to learn how to grind beans, steam milk, pull perfect shots of espresso, memorize recipes, practicing how to mix drinks, and how to customize drinks. Sessions also include how to operate the cash register, clean the milk wand, explain the Italian drink names, and making eye contact with customers. Management trainees are required to attend classes for 8-12 weeks and learn about store operations, practices, and procedures. When a new store is opened a Star Team of experienced employees are sent to make sure everything runs smoothly. From time to time, Starbucks conducts special training programs, including a coffee masters program, leadership training program, and career programs for partners in all types of jobs. When does a differentiation strategy work best? A differentiation strategy works best when buyer needs and uses of the product are diverse, there are many ways to differentiate the product or service that have value to buyers, few rival firms are following a comparable differentiation approach, and technological change is fast paced and competition revolves around rapidly evolving product features. Starbucks’ actions to differentiate their product line They have expanded their product offerings along many different distribution channels by capitalizing on their growing brand name and awareness. First they were able to market their product to restaurants, airlines, hotels, universities, hospitals, business offices, country clubs, and select retailers. United Airlines, Hyatt, Hilton, Sheraton, Radisson, Westin hotels, and Wells Fargo all began to serve Starbucks coffee. A joint venture with PepsiCo came with the sale of a bottled version of the Frappucino drink and Starbucks Doubleshot espresso drinks. In 2008, they partnered with Suntory to sell ready-to-drink Doubleshot drinks in Japan. In 2010 a partnership with Arla Foods spread Doubleshot products and Starbucks chilled cup coffees into retail stores in the UK. A 1995 partnership with Dryers created a new line of coffee ice cream under Starbucks names that was later disbanded in 2008. At this time the rights to manufacture, market, and distribute Starbucks ice cream was given to Unilever. In 1998 Kraft Foods began marketing and distributing whole bean and ground coffee to supermarkets in the US. Tazo Tea was acquired by Starbucks in 1999 and in 2005 they acquired Ethos Water. A partnership with Jim Beam Brands created Starbucks Coffee Liqueur in 2004 and Starbucks Cream Liqueur in 2005. In order to offer healthier options they began offering skinny lattes, banana walnut bread, fruit cups, yogurt parfaits, a farmer’s salad, and smoothies in 2008. Also in 2008, Starbucks responded to customer’s wishes to have a blend of coffee that was always in stores. They created the Pike Place Roast in order to satisfy these customers. 2009 saw the introduction of VIA instant coffee. In 2009 the retail sales mix of Starbucks was 76% beverages, 18% food items, 3 percent coffee-making equipment and other merchandise, and 3% whole bean coffees. What are the key policies, practices, business principles, and procedures that underlie how Howard Schultz and Starbucks’ management have implemented and executed the company’s strategy? Key Policies, Practices, Business Principles, and Procedures The key policies that have been implemented can be broken down into five groups. First is how the company goes about expanding the number of Starbucks stores. The second is their international expansion practices. The third group is their staff training. The fourth is their principles towards ethical business practices. Fifth, is their coffee roasting practices. Store Expansion Starbucks management’s approach to store expansion is using a hub city approach. After a suitable demographic area is chosen Starbucks begins to open up stores in a large city that serves as its hub. After about 20 stores are opened in this hub city, they will then move on to the surrounding areas that are the spokes. This expansion strategy serves to create buzz and brand recognition for the company in an area that has a high amount of foot traffic before moving into a location that has less customer traffic. When a new area was selected for expansion a group of professionals were sent to facilitate the opening. Starbucks also had zone vice presidents who would oversee the expansion process and instill the culture of Starbucks in the new stores. International Expansion When expanding internationally Starbucks has two options; they either open company-owned and operated stores or license to a company that has a good reputation and the knowledge of retailing in that area. Starbucks prefers to license, rather than franchise because licensing provides more assurance of quality control. When they move into foreign markets one of their practices is to use a partner or license to help recruit individuals for employees, set up relationships with suppliers, find store locations, and learn how to cater to local market conditions. For stores that were licensed Starbucks would receive a license fee and a royalty on sales. Companies that were licensed to supply Starbucks coffee were required to follow their detailed operating procedures. Not only that, but managers and employees were required to attend the same training as employees at company-owned stores. Staff Training As mentioned previously, employees are put through an extensive amount of training to learn daily practices and how to treat customers. They are put through this training because customer service is so integral to their organization. Some of the things that baristas learn in their 24 hours of training are coffee history, drink preparation, coffee knowledge, customer service, retail skills, and beverage preparation. Beverage preparation includes grinding the beans, steaming milk, pulling a perfect shot of espresso, memorizing the recipes, practicing the drinks, and learning how to customize drinks. Finally, partners were trained on cash register operations, how to clean the milk wand, how to explain Italian drink names, how to sell espresso machines, making eye contact, interacting with consumers, and taking responsibility for the cleanliness of the store. Not only that but they had many rules that needed to be learned as well such as: milk needs to be steamed to 150 degrees Fahrenheit but not more than 170 degrees, an espresso shot not pulled within 23 seconds needs to be thrown out, coffee can’t sit in the pot more than 20 minutes, and disgruntled customers were given a coupon for a free drink. Managers were required to go even more in depth with their training. Ethical Business Principles Starbucks purchases products that are Fair Trade Certified, meaning that farmers make a fair amount of money for their products. They are very involved in Corporate Social Responsibility and take a number of measures to reduce, reuse, and recycle. They are also committed to purchasing from companies that use environmentally sustainable growing practices. Coffee Roasting Practices Coffee recipes are put together by the coffee department once all components have been tested. In order to be sure of consistency computerized roasters are used. Trained personnel are required to monitor the process by using hearing and their sense of smell to check when the beans are perfectly done. There are extremely exacting standards that must be met and the color of the beans is tested in a blood-cell analyzer and if it doesn’t meet the requirements the batch is discarded. Directly after roasting and cooling coffee is vacuum-sealed into bags that are guaranteed to preserve freshness for 26 weeks. However, policy says that after three months they need to be used. Once opened the shelf life is seven days. What â€Å"values† does Starbucks have? How well do they connect to the strategy and to the manner in which the company conducts its business? Are they successful in implementing to them? The values that Starbucks consider important are included in their mission statement and those are: 1) Coffee: They are committed to providing their consumers with top-quality coffee that is ethically sourced, and to improve the lives of the people who grow the beans. They do this through a variety of methods. First is their Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices (C. A. F. E Practices). These practices specify product quality, that the price received by farmers/growers is fair, that safe and humane working conditions are being used, and that the methods of growing are environmentally responsible. Second, they do not add artificial flavorings to their coffee beans. Third, they have Farmer Support Centers in Costa Rica and Rwanda. These support centers were staffed with agronomists and experts on environmentally responsible coffee growing methods and worked with coffee farming communities to promote best practices in coffee production They also worked to improve coffee quality and production yields. 2) Partners: In order to better care for their employees Starbucks has a health care plan available for all employees, a stock purchase plan, employee training, and employee recognition. Some of their employee recognition awards include Coffee Master awards, Certified Barista awards, Spirit of Starbucks awards, Manager of the Quarter, Green Apron awards, Green Bean awards, and Bravo! Awards, 3) Customers: They value connecting with customers and uplifting the lives of consumers by providing the perfectly made beverage and going the extra mile for their customers. Employees are trained to take heroic measures to make customers happy. 4) Stores: Starbucks management’s goal was to create the stores to be a haven where customers belong and meet with friends. They do this by creating a store ambience, having interesting music playing, leather couches to sit and read newspapers in, and they make sure that nothing overpowers the smell of coffee. 5) Neighborhood: Their stores are part of its community and to be a force of positive good in the area. One way they do this is by using local materials and craftsmanship. They are also extremely involved in Corporate Social Responsibility. The commitment to do the right thing has been a significant part of how Starbucks operates as a company ever since Schultz became CEO. Starbucks has been named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s list of â€Å"The 100 Best Corporate Citizens† for the 10th time in 2010. 6) Shareholders: Starbucks is committed to getting all of the above values right so that they can help everyone that is involved and affected by Starbucks thrive. What is your evaluation of Starbucks social responsibility strategy? How much does it help to create their public image? Starbucks CSR strategy has four main parts which are: 1) Ethical sourcing of products: They do this through their C. A. F. E Practices, purchasing Fair Trade Certified products, and buying from manufacturers that have a commitment to environmental and social responsibility. 2) Community involvement: Starbucks has several organizations to foster community involvement. First, is the Starbucks Youth Action Grants which involves young people in community involvement projects. Second, is their program to give medicine to people suffering from HIV in Africa. Third, is the Ethos Water Fund where they donate 5 cents every time somebody purchases a bottle of Ethos Water. Fourth, they donate money to the Starbucks Foundation which was the fund that was started in 1997 to handle all the Starbucks’ philanthropic actions. 3) Environmental Stewardship: In order to achieve this goal they have several methods. First, they focus on increasing recycling and reducing waste which they do by giving discounts to people who bring in their own mugs, coffee grounds are donated for use as a soil amendment, they take part in Earth Day activities, they purchase paper products with recycled content and unbleached fiber, and they encourage their suppliers to provide energy-efficient products and eliminate unnecessary packaging. They also have commitments to be more energy efficient, use renewable energy sources, conserve water resources, use green facilities, using environmentally friendly building materials and energy-efficient designs. They also have plans to achieve LEED certification globally. In 2009 they became part of the Businesses for Innovative Climate Change and Energy Policy coalition. They have also collaborated with the Earthwatch Institute and work on replanting rain forests, mapping water resources, and biodiversity indicators, and sharing sustainable agriculture practices with coffee growers. 4) Farmer loans: They provide funding to organizations that make loans to coffee growers. Their goal for 2015 is to donate $20 million dollars to these funds. They have also committed money to hurricane Rita and Katrina victims, as well as to help the devastation after the earthquake in Haiti. Having a strong CSR campaign adds to the value of Starbucks’ products if consumers know that they are involved in these activities. It lets consumers know that part of the money they are spending is going to a good cause. By getting on the Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s list of â€Å"The 100 Best Corporate Citizens† for the 10th time in 2010, it increases the knowledge that people have about their CSR strategy. Compare the US and International share of yearly revenue, revenue growth, and operating income/revenue. What do these ratios tell you? What is your overall assessment of Starbucks’ financial performance during fiscal years 2005-2009? Explain the performance of Starbucks stock. Exhibit 1 Comparison of Starbucks Financial Performance in the US and Internationally| | | 9/27/2009| 9/27/2008| 9/30/2007| 10/1/2006| 10/2/2005| Yearly Revenue ($ millions)| | | | | | | United States| $ 6,572. 10 | $ 6,997. 70 | $ 6,590. 20 | $ 5,495. 20 | $ 4,359. 50 | | International| $ 1,608. 00 | $ 1,774. 20 | $ 1,437. 40 | $ 1,087. 90 | $ 852. 50 | Revenue Growth ($ millions)| | | | | | | United States| -6. 08%| 6. 18%| 19. 93%| 26. 05%| | | International| -9. 37%| 23. 43%| 32. 13%| 27. 61%| | Operating Income/Revenue ($ millions)| | | | | | | United States| $ 531. 80 | $ 454. 20 | $ 1,005. 20 | $ 955. 20 | $ 818. 50 | | International | $ 92. 90 | $ 110. 00 | $ 137. 70 | $ 108. 50 | $ 82. 30 | These ratios tell us that overall they have been increasing their revenue growth by significant percentages of an average of 20% internationally and 12% domestically. Domestically the amount of revenue growth per year slowed down in 2008 and went negative in 2009. Revenue growth also went negative in 2008 internationally. This makes sense because 2008 was the beginning of the economic downturn which affected the company’s bottom line. Operating income has fluctuated quite a bit since 2005 and since its peak in 2007 ($1,0005. 20 million) has decreased significantly to $531. 80 million. Internationally it has remained steadier at an average of $106. 28 million. Again these numbers make sense because it was in 2008-2009 that the economic downturn occurred and Schultz instituted strategic initiatives and revamped strategy execution efforts to fix these financial problems. One reason that the economic downturn affected Starbucks’ bottom line badly is because it was considered a treat to go to Starbucks and to get coffee that wasn’t brewed at the home. Less people were indulging in coffee by the cup. In 2006 and 2007 Starbucks reached its peak growth in the period displayed in exhibit 1. This is represented in the stock chart because it is also when their stock performance reached its peak at 40. The lowest point on the stock chart was in 2008 which makes sense because this is when the economic downturn occurred so many people were selling stocks. In 2008-2009 Schultz’s measures to institute strategic initiatives and revamp strategy execution efforts began and clearly worked because in the period of time from 2008-2010 stocks returned to almost 30. What are the key elements and your evaluation of Howard Schultz’s transformation agenda for Starbucks during 2008-2010? What do you think of the letters shown on page C-364 and C-365? Has Schultz done a good job since his return as Starbucks’ CEO? Why or why not? Elements of the Transformation Agenda Howard Schultz’s transformation agenda during 2008-2010 had several key elements. First, he planned on slowing new store openings to 73 internationally. Second, 900 underperformed company-owned stores were closed in the United States. The goal of this action was to raise sales and traffic at nearby sales. Around 75% of these stores that were considered underperforming were within three miles of an existing store which shows that their strategy of having a Starbucks everywhere was cannibalizing their sales. The third element of the transformation agenda was raising the projected return on capital requirements for proposed new store locations. This is a way for Schultz to be more particular about new store placement and to have a better chance of making a significant amount of profit and not losing traffic to existing stores. Fourth, he planned on revamping the company’s locations in Australia with a focus on Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney as the hub cities. He planned on closing 61 under-performing locations in order to do this. Fifth, it was important to Schultz that there be an emphasis on developing new store designs in order to promote a refreshed customer experience. In order to do this the character of each store would be a reflection of the area it was in to make the customers feel more at home and to make Starbucks the center of that community. Sixth, customer experience would be heightened through a variety of methods. The first method was by removing warmed sandwiches from the menu, because it inhibited the aroma from the coffee. Second, high-quality baked goods and pastries would be offered at the store along with new menu items for healthy eating on the go. For example, fruit cups, skinny lattes, yogurt parfaits, salads, smoothies, and healthier bakery selections were all a result of this step in Schultz’s transformation agenda. The seventh part of the agenda was to create a program to share best practices in stores globally, this would promote quality control and improve customer service, which was one of the things that Schultz had found lacking when he became CEO again. Eighth, Schultz thought it was important to provide resources and tools for store employees such as laptops and internet-based software for scheduling. Ninth, there were cost-containment initiatives put in place in order to improve the bottom line that included a reduction of 1,000 people in staffing. Finally, the last part of the agenda was to renew the attention placed on employee training in order to reignite the enthusiasm to please customers that is vital to the mission of Starbucks. Evaluation The goal for 40,000 stores worldwide as a long-term objective and the rapid expansion that Jim Donald began led to a decrease in customer traffic in the US stores, new store openings that continued at a rate of 6 per day worldwide, and the emphasis on increased store operations efficiency put financial strain on the company and led to a decrease in customer service. Good customer service is one of the cornerstone values of Starbucks and was a central idea during Schultz’ leadership. Schultz’ return to CEO and his strategic initiatives mentioned above will help to return Starbucks to the values it originally held as very important and to return it to profitability by slowing down on expansion to focus more on the three main themes Schultz saw as important to his strategy. These themes are: strengthening the core, elevating the experience, and investing and growing. Before he can focus on growing the company, they need to have a strong base of employees and a focus on the experience that Starbucks is meant to provide its consumers. Letters from Schultz The letters that are shown on page C-364 and C-365 of the case show that Schultz is dedicated to his shareholders, which is one of the values in their mission statement. He is being extremely open and upfront the concerns of shareholders and about the actions that will be taken to address those issues. The first letter is addressed to customers and he explains that he has come back to Starbucks as CEO in order to ensure that the customers receive the experience that he believes Starbucks is known for. This letter shows that he truly cares about the thoughts and concerns of consumers. The second letter is to the employees of Starbucks. In this letter Schultz addresses them as partners in the path to revitalizing Starbucks’ mission. He even says, â€Å"I am proud to be your partner†¦Ã¢â‚¬  By treating his employees like this he is able to foster accountability for the actions that everybody can take in helping to turn around Starbucks to what Schultz’ vision for it is. Evaluation of Schultz’ work. Schultz has done a good job by creating strategic initiatives in order to return Starbucks to where he thinks the company should be. His vision includes becoming the authority on coffee, engaging and inspiring Starbucks’ partners, igniting the emotional attachment with customers, expanding global presence and making each store the neighborhood’s heart, being a leader in ethical sourcing and environmental impact, creating innovative growth platforms, and delivering a sustainable economic model. Every one of these visions is addressed in some way in his agenda, which shows he has a clear idea of where the company should go and how to get it there. In 2008-2009 the company experiences five quarters of deteriorating sales, but from 2009-2010 had five quarters of improving sales, which shows that Schultz’ transformation agenda has been working. What issues confront the company as of mid-2010? What should Starbucks’ management be worried about? What are the challenges in expanding internationally? Issues as of mid-2010. 1) Oversaturation of the market: With the â€Å"A Starbucks Everywhere† approach and the rapid expansion steps taken by Donald, there was a decrease in customer traffic at the stores, resulting in a loss of profit. 2) Lack of emphasis on customer relationships: The emphasis on increased efficiency in store operations led to a decrease in good customer service. 3) Drifting away from the original values of Starbucks: Starbucks was built with an emphasis on high-quality coffee, good customer service, and a commitment to creating an experience for customers. However, when Schultz became CEO again he noted that this was lacking. 4) Offering high-quality products: As Starbucks moves into new locations in order to draw attention away from local popular spots they will need to offer a product that is of high enough quality to keep consumers coming back. 5) Differentiation: Again, as they move into new markets they will need to do significant research to find out what those consumer’s value. They need to be able to give it to them in order to achieve their goal of being the heart of the neighborhood. 6) Coffee prices: Coffee prices fluctuate significantly due to weather, economic, and political conditions in the countries where they are grown. What should management be worried about? Management should be worried about offering high-quality products. If they cannot prove that their product is better due to quality or differentiating features then locations that sell coffee and consumers are already loyal, they will have issues drawing consumers away. However, Starbucks does have an extremely strong brand image and hype associated with their name, which is an asset for them in entering new markets. International Challenges Some challenges that Starbucks will face internationally are: 1) Adapting their stores to fit the location they are in 2) Creating partnerships and licensing agreements with reputable companies to offer their products abroad 3) Regulations on foreign businesses moving into their country 4) Having enough control over the quality in the international stores that are licensed. 5) Higher production costs Starbucks has chosen to follow a multi-domestic approach to international expansion, meaning that they customize their product offerings to match the tastes and preferences of local buyers. The main challenge that Starbucks will face in entering international markets is knowing what that group of people wants and prefers. Another problem is that they will need to make partnerships and licensing agreements with reputable companies in order to be sure that the culture of Starbucks is continued to their new stores. Finally, they will have the issue with tailoring their stores to fit the environment they are in, because they will be unable to use a set design which could raise production costs. What recommendation would you make to Howard Schultz to sustain the company’s growth and support continued strong financial performance in the years ahead? Consider both the US and International strategies. Recommendations * Coordinate with suppliers to address consumers’ needs better: By coordinati.

Methodologies of data collection

Methodologies of data collection The standard and procedure of data collection and gathering can be done by formal and informal way and then, after collecting that data, you do analysis on this data and is called data collection or anthology. In this part of the research procedure, researcher uses different methods and procedures. These methods can include of interviews, surveys, Questionnaires and observation. The most difficult part after collecting the data is the analysis and presentation of this data. The data collection for this research work has been done by using Questionnaires, Interviews and observation of the self service checkout systems, customers and staffs etc. (Saunders et al 2009) Desk research or secondary data collection desk research or secondary data collection, the researcher uses already available data about the proposed research topic in the form of research paper, Books, Journals, Un-published research work, Newspapers, Government websites and research articles etc. this research has already been done by the researcher on the proposed research topic and the researcher is allowed to use these material in their research with proper references to the sources to elaborate more of their proposed research problem. These secondary resources help the researcher to find out more about the research topic and those researchers individual work and experiences to further explore or investigate about the research topic. And, finally, find those research gaps and further contribute to the body of knowledge. (Saunders et al, 2009) Field research or Primary data collection After doing the secondary research, researcher find out about the research gaps and need to explore it further about the proposed research problem. In this stage, researcher uses the Primary data collection methods for collecting the research data by using different methods such as Questionnaires, Observation, interviews, surveys and focus group etc. it is very important that data collected through primary data collection method should not be used by third parties and to reveal to anyone unless they have rights and permission from the authorities. As I mentioned in my previous section that the researcher uses different methods such as Questionnaires, Interviews and Observation to collect the necessary primary data. The researcher uses questionnaires to collect information from the customers about their feedback of the self service checkout system. (Saunders et al 2009) Qualitative data The qualitative data is utilized to get facts and figures about the customers feedback and quality of the system. Thorough this type of data collection, researcher search and collect the customers reaction to the respective product or services. E.g. do they like to use the self service checkout system? Do they like this new innovative product? What is their satisfaction level according to our 5 level reaction grid? In this dissertation, researcher has used data being collected from the supermarket customers feedback such as ASDA, Selborne Walk shopping centre and ASDA Supermarket, Bakers arms, London. In these supermarkets, researcher has conducted his research using different interviews techniques, Questionnaires and self observation etc. Quantitative data Numerical or quantitative data collection method is utilized to gauge and compute the scale of needed information. Quantitative data collection is very important step in any research work as researcher needs to find out about the average number of customers and their sampling method. This is the extremely important tool for collecting the required data in numerical form for the research work. This sort of data collection method has also been used to analyze the result and for data presentation. (Saunders et al, 2009) Customer survey and self service checkout system initiation In the supermarket environment, competitors are always looking for different ways of retaining the existing customers and attracting the rival supermarket customers by offering incentives and offers to lure them to their business. Different customers have different behavior and attitude towards product or services in the supermarket. Time has gone when customer can be satisfied and retained by offering cheap products or services, instead, now, they look for more in the terms of excellent customer services and good value for their money. Supermarket or retail is in boom period, and, it is very fast moving business. Customers like to have more value and better service for the money. Retailer after doing lots of research and analysis of the customers expectation and wants, they decided to use new innovative self service checkout system for faster, flexible, reliability, efficiency, privacy and improved checkout system for the ever changing customers requirements. Self service checkout system is a good technology for using the fast paced retail business to consumer (B2C) environment and it already has gained acceptance for the majority of the customers from around the world supermarket and especially, in the United Kingdom. As I find out about the possible future planning of ASDA supermarket in London, they intend to increase more self service checkout system than assisted checkout system in this year 2010. ASDA has already done the Survey form the customers about the possible expansion of self service checkout system in future. As I find out from the self service checkout supervisor about this possible future expansion. He has helped me observed the customers and asked questions to the customers about the liking of the self service checkout system. The survey I conducted among 10 customers at ASDA Supermarket and it was very obvious that they come to the big supermarket for the sack of getting good services as well as good price. The chart below shows how many percentage of the customer in the retail industry like Self Service Checkouts. In the chart different colors shows different opinions of the customers e.g. brown color represents strongly agreed, sky blue color represent agree, yellow color represents somewhat agree, red color represents disagree and light green color represents neutral. All the bars in the chart show the level in percentage. Q1: Do you prefer to use self service checkouts instead of Cashier? In this chart, the bars shows the participation of the customers e.g. in question 3, 25% customers were strongly agreed, 42% customers were agreed, 10% customers were somewhat agreed, 8% customers were disagreed and 15% customers were neutral. According the above we get conclusion that despite it is new system most people use self service check out as the manager at ASDA Supermarket pointed out that it will grow 10% every year in the next 20 year and we will change all our cashier in future. Q2: Self service check out reduces waiting time to checkouts? In this chart the bars shows the participation of the customers. 30% customers were strongly agreed, 45% customers were agreed, 8% customers were somewhat agreed, 5% customers were disagreed and 12% customers were neutral. The graph shows that most customers love to use the service, the first of all that is a new technology and it is natural that every ones wants to try the new technology such as if we look at computer usage. People love to use computer because user friendliness of the system. At the end, we get result that self service check system is really helpful to reduce the waiting time at self service checkout system. Q3:  Self service checkout creates a sense of privacy and anonymity? In this chart the bars shows the participation of the customers e.g. in question 7, 34% customers were strongly agreed, 41% customers were agreed, 12% customers were somewhat agreed, 5% customers were disagreed and 8% customers were neutral. The chart shows customer use it is more secure and keep their privacy intact. Q4: I appreciate the ability not to have to deal with anyone? In this chart the bars shows the participation of the customers e.g. in question 8, 51% customers were strongly agreed, 39% customers were agreed, 5% customers were somewhat agreed, 3% customers were disagreed and 2% customers were neutral. Q5: self-service checkouts (SSC) are easy to use? In this chart the bars shows the participation of the customers as; * 66% customers were strongly agreed * 27% customers were agreed, * 3% customers were somewhat agreed, * 2% customers were disagreed and * 2% customers were neutral Majority of the customer at ASDA Supermarket are said it is easy to use but According to the manager of ASDA Supermarket, it depends on the customer education that we dont have any problem with that customer who are familiar with self service checkout system. It is hard for those who never use this type of service, sometimes, they find difficult to use this system on their own without any assistance by the staff members. Q6: Please rate your impression of what according to the following scale? Strongly Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Average Very good Excellent Do you find our SSC system easy to use? Do you like to pay for shopping bags at SSC System? Do you find our staff at SSC System helpful? Our premises are clean and well lightened Products and food are well arranged in the supermarket Supermarket offers excellent value of money Our working hours are convenient for you Our staff are courteous and helpful to you while you are shopping with us This survey aim is to find out how the self service check out can increase efficiency, effectiveness in the retail industry beside that the industries putting their effort to satisfy their customers in different ways by implementing some strategy that could be useful to the companies as global competition is rising between industries customer satisfaction comes hot topic .self services check out has implemented in retail industry to reduce the time of the customers the survey I conducted from the manager in ASDA Supermarket that he pointed out the good thing is this service is very quick it does the transaction very fast that is a positive point to the ASDA Supermarket it reduces the customer complaint now days most customers are complaining the time that spend in the shopping in ASDA Supermarket for instance if a customer buy one item . they have to wait maximum 15 to 20 minutes in the queue it is a big challenge in our operational level how to decrease it we are trying to expand th e new service in all our store . it gives two positive impact to the company the first point it satisfies the customers the second point it saves the cost The new service is lost longer more efficiency that it helps too much in operational level it grows 10% every year like I could say 75% are satisfy like minority of the customers say it is not easy to use it is complicated even some of them dont trust on self service check the new service might do wrong transaction it might scan the items two times and he pointed out some inexperienced customer cause some delays they face for some problem how to do transaction but most educated people love to use the new service it gives empowerment to the customer . By long standing in queue every day as it happens in Tesco Supermarket. it is clear to understand that the new service could increase the customer satisfaction as well as it can save a lot of cost and reduce waiting time. The Research: My research is on the self service checkout system would involve doing some research work in the supermarket. I would like to use supermarket like as ASDA and TESCO that are very near to my residential area Walthamstow, London. Firstly, I decided to use the supermarket Morrison at Wood green, London, but, I did not get permission from management to conduct my research work by using my questionnaires to the customers and doing self observation at self service checkout system in the Morrison supermarket. I decided to go to my nearer supermarket â€Å"ASDA† to ask the manager to conduct my research work at the ASDA supermarket. Their accepted my proposal for academic research surprisingly. I convinced them that this information and data will be confidential and I will not disclose any information to anyone without their prior permission to do so. I observed customers at the ASDA supermarket by using the self service checkout system that how easy they can use the system without fa cing any problem and difficulty. In conclusion, I can say that older people were among the least that were reluctant to use the new self service checkout system. System performance was not as friendly as I anticipated because there were some technical loop holes in the system as customer scan the item and place into bagging area but instead of moving to next item scanning, system was asking the customer to place the item into bagging area. There was an Identification issue when customer wants to buy the Alcoholic drinks and other replacement of damaged items when there was a long queue of customer at the back of that serving customer. I observed the whole shopping time duration that vary in different mode of payment has been used. One item shopping time duration was approximately 45 seconds per minute and it vary as number of items in the shopping basket increases. Staff at the supermarket was not very friendly by the start of my research work as they were thinking me as a management man observing their working performance and pattern, but, Luckily, I did able to convince them as I am only doing this research work for the academic purposes and not for any other use. I enjoyed this research work as it gave me the insight of analysing and observing the customer behaviour and customer satisfaction shopping experience as stated by Prof. Phillip Kottler, â€Å"Customer satisfaction can lead to customer retention†

Classroom Management and Learning Theories Essay -- teaching practices,

Teachers use theories, models of learning, and professional standards to shape their teaching practices. There are several learning theories that have evolved the educational field. Theories guide instruction and the beliefs of the teachers. Teachers use these theories, standards, and personal beliefs to develop goals in order to improve teaching effectiveness. Through exploring multiple learning theories and reflecting on my own teaching beliefs, I have developed my own theory of learning. As I developed my theory, I wanted to consider what it takes to be a highly effective teacher. An effective teacher must have mastery of instructional strategies, classroom management, classroom curriculum design, and use assessments as feedback (Laureate Education, 2010a). By using a variety of instructional strategies, teacher’s can meet the learning styles of all the students in the classroom. Effective classroom management can lead to students feeling safe and more willing to take risks. When a student feels comfortable to take risk, then learning will increase and the students’ confidence will grow. Classroom management also creates order in the environment, which will allow effective learning to occur. By understanding curriculum, the teacher can target skills and causes learning to take place. Teachers need to deliberately pl an lessons around standards and specific goals based on curriculum and the school’s mission (Marzano, 2010). Assessments need to be use to guide instruction and used as a â€Å"method for improvement and mastery,† (Marzano, 2010). While determining my own theory of learning, I believe that I need to consider what effective teachers demonstrate in the classroom. My theory of learning is based around the ... ...ation, Inc. (2010). Designing curriculum, instruction, and assessment: Research on learning. Baltimore, MD: Author. Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). Designing curriculum, instruction, and assessment: Teaching and learning. Baltimore, MD: Author. Killion, J. (2008). Knowledge, attitude, skills, aspirations, behaviors (KASAB) matrix. Adapted from Assessing impact: Evaluating staff development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press Marzano, R. J. (Ed.). (2010). On excellence in teaching. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. National Board Professional Teaching Standards. (2002). What teachers should know and be able to do. Retrieved from http://www.nbpts.org/sites/default/files/documents/certificates/what_teachers_should_know.pdf Social Learning Theory (Bandura). (n.d.). . Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html

Greed, Paranoia, and Love Destroying a Real Man :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Many things can destroy a man, but only three things that can destroy a real man, greed, paranoia and love†. I have no idea why I just wrote that last quote, I just thought it would be nice to start my book with something that sounds halfway smart. Anyway, my name is Ammar Barakat, born on the sixth of July 1980. I am not famous, gifted, smart, good-looking or powerful, as a matter of fact, I am not special in anyway. Nevertheless I have decided to write this book to tell my story to the world (hopefully), because believe it or not, I think I have lead an interesting and unique life. Before I go any further I guess I should start telling u about my first few years of life, or what I can remember from it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My first memory was when I was three years old; I remember it was me, my brother and my parents sitting in the car and stopping at a mini-market to pick up some chips on our way to the swimming pool. I have no idea why this memory is plastered in my head because there was nothing special about that day; we used to always stop at the mini-market with my brother and parents to pick up some chips on our way to the swimming pool. Although I was born in Syria, I spent the first four years of my life in the United Arab Emirates. My father had a good job, and we lived in a nice house and had a normal life, actually it was ironic since me and my family seemed to be living the American dream in an Arabic country. Since I don’t remember much of the UAE days I cant tell u much about it, all could tell u is that any parent would wish to raise their children in the environment that I was raised in. My father went to work, my mother took care of me and my brother, and al l me and my brother had to worry about was the amount of French- fries we were going to eat at the swimming pool that day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then, everything changed. The day that I have always feared has come, it was my brothers first day of school. Don’t get me wrong, me and Tareq were never the best of friends, and I wasn’t upset that he was leaving me, oh no, I was jealous of him.