Monday, September 30, 2019

Classification of Modern Germanic Languages and their Distribution Essay

Classification of languages means their placement into families or phyla [‘failÉ™] on the basis of lexical or typological similarity or shared ancestry. Languages may thus be classified either genetically or typologically. A genetic classification assumes that certain languages are related in that they have evolved from a common ancestral language. This form of classification employs ancient records as well as hypothetical reconstructions of the earlier forms of languages, called protolanguages. Typological classification is based on similarities in language structure. As for the English language, genetically (historically) it belongs to the Germanic or Teutonic group of languages of the Indo-European linguistic family. Old Germanic languages comprised 3 groups: East Germanic, North Germanic and West Germanic. East Germanic languages no longer exist, as they are dead. Only one language belonging to this group is known, Gothic, as a written document came down to us in this la nguage. It is a translation of the Bible made in the 4th century A.D. by the Gothic Bishop Ulfilas from the Greek language. Modern Germanic languages embrace 2 groups: North Germanic and West Germanic as they have survived until today. The table below illustrates their division and distribution. Researchers are not unanimous in their estimation of the number of Germanic languages and their distinction. Until recently Dutch and Flemish were named as separate languages, now there is a common term for them – the Netherlandic (Netherlandish) (Note 7) language as spoken in The Netherlands, together with the same language in northern Belgium, which is popularly called Flemish. In the European Middle Ages, the language was called Dietsc, or Duutsc, historically equivalent to German Deutsch and meaning simply â€Å"language of the people,† as contrasted with Latin, which was the language of religion and learning. The form Duutsc was borrowed into English and gives modern â€Å"Dutch.† The official name of the language is Nederlands, or Netherlandic. In the Netherlands it is also called Hollands (Hollandish), reflecting the fact that the standard language is based largely on the dialect of the old province of Holland (now North Holland and South  Holland). Frisian and Faroese are regarded as dialects since they are spoken over small politically dependent areas (Note 8); British English and American English are sometimes thought to be 2 independent languages. By one estimate, the number of people speaking Germanic languages amounts to 440 million (T.A. Rastorguyeva) plus an indefinite number of bilingual nations with English spoken as one of the official languages. Old Germanic Languages and their Classification The history of the Germanic group begins with the appearance of what is known  as the Proto-Germanic (PG) language also termed Common or Primitive Germanic, Primitive Teutonic or simple Germanic. PG is the linguistic ancestor or the parent-language of the Germanic group. It is believed to have split from the IE related tongues sometime between the 15th and 10th c.c.BC. The ancient Germans or Teutons are supposed to have settled on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in the region of the Elbe. This place is regarded as the most probable original home of the Teutons. PG is an entirely pre-historical language: it was never recorded in written form. In the 19th century it was reconstructed by methods of comparative linguistics from written evidence in descendant languages. It is believed that at the earliest stages of history, PG was one language, though dialectally coloured. In its later stages dialectal differences grew, so that towards the beginning of our era Germanic appears divi ded into dialectal groups and tribal dialects. Dialectal differentiation increased with migrations and geographical expansion of the Teutons caused by over population, poor agricultural technique and scanty natural resources in the areas of their original settlement. Earliest records of Germanic tribes The records of ancient Germanic tribes are based on testimonies by Greek and Roman travellers and geographers. The earliest of them refers to the IV c. B.C. made by Phytheas, a Greek astronomer and geographer who sailed from Gaul (France) to the mouth of the river Elbe. He described the tribes of the Teutons. The next major description of the Teutons came from Julius Caesar, the Roman general and statesman which he left in his book ‘Commentaries on the War in Gaul’ (1 c. BC.) A century later (1 c. A.D.) Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist, gave a classification of the Germanic which until quite recently had basically been accepted by modern researchers. According to it, the tribes in 1st c.A.D. comprised 5 major groups which fell into 3 subgroups: Eastern Germanic, Western Germanic and Northern Germanic. They were 1) the Vindili 2) the Ingaevones 3) The Istsaevones 4)the Hermiones 5) the Hilleveones. Table 2 illustrates this division. A few decades later the Roman historian Tacitus compiled a detailed description of the life and customs of the ancient Teutons where he reproduced Pliny’s classification of  the Germanic tribes. Having made a linguistic analysis of several Germanic dialects of later ages, F. Engels came to the conclusion that Pliny’s classification of the Teutonic tribes accurately reflected the contemporary dialectal division. The traditional tri-partite classification of the Germanic languages was reconsidered and corrected in some recent publications (Rastorgueyva). It appears that the development of the Germanic group was not confined to successive splits; it involved both linguistic divergence and convergence. It has also been discovered that originally PG split into two main branches and that the tri-partite division marks a later stage of its history. The earliest migration of the Germanic tribes from the lower valley of the Elbe consisted in their movement north, to the Scandinavian peninsula, a few hundred years before our era. This geographical segregation must have led to linguistic differentiation and to the division of PG into the northern and southern branches. At the beginning of our era, some of the tribes returned to the mainland and settled closer to the Vistula basin, east of the other continental Germanic tribes. It is only from this stage of their history that the Germanic languages can be described under three headings: East Germanic, North Germanic and West Germanic. Table 2 Classification of Ancient Germanic Tribes Record Languages Tribes Settlement 4th c. B.C. – Pytheas, Greek astronomer and geographer 1st c. B.C. – Julius Caesar< Roman general and statesman 1st c. A.D. – Pliny the Elder, Roman naturalist: classification of the Germanic tribes: East Germanic The Vindili (including the Goths and the Burgundians) Eastern part of Germanic territory Western Germanic The Ingaevones North-western part of Germanic territory, the shores of the Northern Sea, modern Netherlands The Istsaevones The western part of the Germanic territory, on the Rhine (the Franks) The Hermiones Southern part of the Germanic territory (southern Germany) Northern Germanic The Hilleveones Scandinavia – 2nd c. A.D. Cornelius Tacitus, Roman historian Characterized the social structure of the old Germanic tribes Material Culture According to Julius Caesar, the Germans were pastoralists, and the bulk of their foodstuffs—milk, cheese, and meat—came from their flocks and herds. Some farming was also carried out, the main crops being grain, root crops, and vegetables. Both the cattle and the horses of the Germans were of poor quality by Roman standards. The Iron Age had begun in Germany about four centuries before the days of Caesar, but even in his time metal appears to have been a luxury material for domestic utensils, most of which were made of wood, leather, or clay. Of the larger metal objects used by them,  most were still made of bronze, though this was not the case with weapons. Pottery was for the most part still made by hand, and pots turned on the wheel were relatively rare. The degree to which trade was developed in early Germany is obscure. There was certainly a slave trade, and many slaves were sold to the Romans. Such potters as used the wheel—and these were very few—and smiths and miners no doubt sold their products. But in general the average Germanic village is unlikely to have used many objects that had not been made at home. Foreign merchants dealing in Italian as well as Celtic wares were active in Germany in Caesar’s time and supplied prosperous warriors with such goods as wine and bronze vessels. But from the reign of Augustus onward, there was a huge increase in German imports from the Roman Empire. The German leaders were now able to buy whole categories of goods—glass vessels, red tableware, Roman weapons, brooches, statuettes, ornaments of various kinds, and other objects—that had not reached them before. These Roman products brought their owners much prestige, but how the Germans paid for them is not fully known. Warfare In the period of the early Roman Empire, German weapons, both offensive and defensive, were characterized by shortage of metal. Their chief weapon was a long lance, and few carried swords. Helmets and breastplates were almost unknown. A light wooden or wicker shield, sometimes fitted with an iron rim and sometimes strengthened with leather, was the only defensive weapon. This lack of adequate equipment explains the swift, fierce rush with which the Germans would charge the ranks of the heavily armed Romans. If they became entangled in a prolonged, hand-to-hand grapple, where their light shields and thrusting spears were confronted with Roman swords and armour, they had little hope of success. Even by the 6th century, few of the Germanic peoples had adequate military equipment. Form of Government No trace of autocracy can be found among the Germans whom Caesar describes. The leading men of the pagi (kindred groups) would try to patch up disputes  as they arose, but they acted only in those disputes that broke out between members of their own pagus. There appears to have been no mediatory body at this date. In fact, in peacetime there appears to have been no central authority that could issue orders to, or exercise influence over, all the pagi of which any one people was composed. In wartime, according to Caesar, a number of confederate chieftains were elected, but they were joint leaders and held office only in time of war. By Tacitus’ time a new type of military chieftainship had come into being. For this office only the members of a recognized â€Å"royal clan,† such as is known to have existed among the 1st-century Cherusci and Batavians, the 6th-century Heruli, and others, were eligible. Any member of this royal clan was eligible for election, and the chie ftainship was in no way hereditary. A chief of this type held office for life and had religious as well as military duties. He could be overruled by the council of the leading men, and his proposals to the general assembly of the warriors might be rejected by them. The degree of his influence depended largely on his own personal qualities. A rudimentary judicial apparatus had come into existence among the Germanic peoples by Tacitus’ time. The general assembly elected a number of the leading men to act as judges, and these judges traveled through the villages to hear private suits. Each of them was accompanied by 100 attendants to lend authority to his decisions. A person who was found guilty by these judges had to pay a number of horses or cattle proportionate to the gravity of his offense. But many disputes (e.g., those arising from homicide, wounding, or theft) continued to be settled by the kindreds themselves, and the blood feuds to which they gave rise might continue from generation to generation. Long after the conversion to Christianity the German rulers found it difficult to stamp out the blood feud. .The monarchy did not become fully established in the Germanic world until German peoples had settled as federates inside the Roman Empire, and the leaders of the Ostrogoths in Italy, the Visigoths in Gaul and Spain, the Vandals in Africa, and so on are the first Germanic kings. Other famous German chieftains in this period, such as Athanaric and Alaric, who either lived outside the Roman frontier or whose peoples were not federates settled in the provinces under a treaty (foedus) to defend the frontier, seem to have had little more personal authority than the leaders described by Tacitus. Conversion to Christianity Evidence suggests that before the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, none of the great Germanic peoples was converted to Christianity while still living outside the Roman frontier, but that all the Germanic peoples who moved into the Roman provinces before that date were converted to Christianity within a generation. The Vandals seem to have been converted when in Spain in 409–429, the Burgundians when in eastern Gaul in 412–436, and the Ostrogoths when in the province of Pannonia about 456–472. In all these cases the Germans embraced the Arian form of Christianity (Note 9); none of the major Germanic peoples became officially Catholic until the conversion of the Franks under Clovis (496) and of the Burgundians under Sigismund. The reason for their adoption of Arianism rather than Catholicism is very obscure. The last Germanic people on the European continent to be converted to Christianity were the Old Saxons (second half of the 8th century), while the Sca ndinavian peoples were converted in the 10th century. England had been converted in the 7th century. Germanic Alphabets and Old Germanic Writings Germanic tribes used 3 different alphabets for their writings which partly succeeded each other in time. The earliest of these was the Runic alphabet (Note 10) each separate letter being called a rune. The word rune originally meant ‘secret’, ‘mystery’ and hence came to denote inscriptions believed to be magic. According to scholars, this alphabet was derived either from Latin or from some other Italic alphabet, close to Latin, in the 2nd c. A.D. somewhere on the Rhine or the Danube where the Germanic tribes came into contact with Roman culture. This alphabet was used by such tribes as the Goths, Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians. The runes were used as letters, each symbol indicating a separate sound. Besides, a rune could also represent a word beginning with that sound and was called by that word. For example, the rune denoted the sound [ÃŽ ¸], [à °] was called ‘thorn’ and could stand for OE Þorn(NE thorn). The letters of the runic alphabet are angular, straight lines are preferred, curved lines are avoided. This is due to the fact that  runic inscriptions were cut in hard material: stone, bone or wood. The shapes of some letters resemble those of Greek and Latin; others have not been traced to any known alphabet. The number of runes in different OG languages varied from 28 to 33 runes in Britain against 16 or 24 on the continent. That is the number of runes in England was larger: new runes were added as new sounds appeared in English. Neither on the mainland nor in Britain were the runes ever used for everyday writing or for putting down poetry and prose works. Their main function was to make short inscriptions on objects, often to bestow on them some special power or magic. The two best known runic inscriptions in England are the earliest extant OE written records. One of them is an inscription on a box called the ‘Franks Casket, the other is a short text on a stone cross known as the Ruthwell Cross. The Franks Casket was discovered in the early years of the 19th c. In France, and was presented to the British Museum by a British archeologist A.W. Frank. The Casket is a small box of whale bone; its four sides are carved: there are pictures in the centre and runic inscription around. The longest of them, in alliterative verse, tells the story of the whale bone, of which the Casket is made. The Ruthwell Cross is a 15ft tall cross inscribed and ornamented on all sides. The principal inscription has been reconstructed into a passage from an OE religious poem† The Dream of the Rood†, in which Christ’s Passion is told from the point of view of the Cross on which he was crucified. The Cross speaks: Ic wà ¦s miÞ blodi bistemid (Old English translation) (I was with blood bedewed). Many runic inscriptions were preserved on weapons, coins, amulets, tombstones, rings, various cross fragments. Some runic insertions occur in OE manuscripts written in Latin characters. The total number of runic inscriptions in OE is about 40; the last of them belong to the end of the OE period. Next came Ulfiala’s Gothic alphabet used in his translation of the Bible. It’s a peculiar alphabet based on the Greek alphabet with some admixture of Latin and Runic letters. (The Gothic alphabet should not be confused with the so-called Gothic script which is used in German writings and is a modified version of Latin script). The latest alphabet to be used by the Germanic tribes is the Latin alphabet. It superceded both the Runic and the Gothic alphabets when a new technique of writing was introduced, namely that of spreading some colour or paint on a surface instead of cutting or engraving the letters. The material used for  writing was either parchment or papyrus. Introduction of the Latin alphabet accompanied the spread of Christianity and Christian religious texts written in Latin. Since the Latin alphabet was adequate to represent all the sounds of Germanic languages, it was adapted to the peculiar needs of the separate languages. For example, to denote the dental fricative [ÃŽ ¸], [à °] the runic Þ was used (derived from Latin D). Ulfilas’s Bible, otherwise called the Silver Code (Codex Argenteus) is kept in Sweden. Along with other OG writings, next comes the Old High German Song of Hilderbrandt, a fragment of an epic, 8th century, and the Beowulf, an OE epic, probably written in the 8th c. Then come Old Icelandic epic texts collected in the so-called Older Edda comprising songs written down in the 13 c. A most important role in the history of the English language was played by the introduction of Christianity. The first attempt to introduce the Roman Christian religion was made in the 6th century during the supremacy of Kent. In 597 a group of missionaries from Rome dispatched by Pope Gregory the Great landed on the shore of Kent. They made Canterbury their centre and from there the new faith expanded to Kent, East Anglia, Essex, and other places. The movement was supported from the north; missionaries from Ireland brought the Celtic variety of Christianity to Northumbria. In less than a century practically all England became Christianized. The introduction of Christianity gave a strong impetus to the growth of learning and culture. Monasteries were founded all over the country, with monastic schools attached. Religious service and teaching were conducted in Latin. A high standard of learning was reached in the best English monasteries, especially in Northumbria as early as the 8th and 9th centuries. During the Scandinavian invasions the Northumbrian culture was largely wiped out and English culture shifted to the southern kingdoms, most of all to Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great. From that time till the end of the OE period, Wessex with its capital at Winchester remained the cultural centre of England. OE scribes used two kinds of alphabet: runic and Latin. The bulk of the OE records is written in Latin characters but the scribes made certain modifications and additions to indicate OE sounds. Like any alphabetic writing, OE writing was based on a phonetic principle: every letter indicated a separate sound. This principle, however, was not always observed, even at the earliest stages of phonetic spelling. Some OE letters indicated two or more sounds; some letters stood  for positional variants of phonemes: a and à ¦. Fricatives stood for 2 sounds each: a voiced and a voiceless consonant. The letters could indicate short and long sounds. The length of the vowels is shown by a macron or by a line above the letter; long consonants are indicated by a double letter. Linguistic Features of Germanic Languages Phonetic peculiarities of Germanic Languages. Word Stress and its role in further development of Germanic languages In ancient IE, prior to the separation of Germanic, there existed two ways of word accentuation: musical pitch and force stress (otherwise called dynamic, expiratory or breath stress). The position of the stress was movable and free, which means that it could fall on any syllable of the word – a root morpheme, an affix or an ending – and could be shifted both in form building and word-building. (cf. Russian: Ð ´Ã ¾Ã ¼Ã ¾Ã ¼, Ð ´Ã ¾Ã ¼Ã °, Ð ´Ã ¾Ã ¼Ã °, etc.). But these properties of the word accent were changed in PG. Force or expiratory stress became the only type of stress used. The stress was now fixed on the first syllable, which was usually the root of the word and sometimes the prefix; the other syllables – suffixes and endings – were unstressed. The stress could no longer move either in form-building or in word-building. This phenomenon has played an important role in the development of the Germanic languages, and especially in phonetic and morphological changes. Due to the difference in the force of articulation, the stressed and unstressed syllables underwent different changes: accented syllables were pronounced with great distinctness and precision, while unaccented became less distinct and were phonetically weakened. The differences between the sounds in stressed position were preserved and emphasised, whereas the contrasts between the unaccented sounds were weakened and lost. Since the stress was fixed on the root, the weakening and loss of sounds mainly affected the suffixes and grammatical endings. Many ending merged with the suffixes, were weakened and dropped. E.g. (the reconstructed word )PG *fiskaz Goth fisks Oicel fiscr OE fisc The First or Proto-Germanic Consonant Shift (Grimm’s Law) Comparison with other languages within the IE family reveals regular correspondences between Germanic and non-Germanic consonants. It looks as if the Germanic consonants ‘shifted’ as compared with their non-Germanic counterparts. This phenomenon was first observed and later formulated in terms of phonetic law (1822) by (Rasmus Rask and Jacob Grimm. Hence its name- Grimm’s Law. By Grimm’s Law, which includes 3 acts, voiceless plosives (stops) developed in PG into voiceless fricatives (1 act); voiced aspirated plosives were shifted to pure voiced plosives or voiced fricatives; and voiced plosives changed into voiceless plosives (stops). The Danish scholar Karl Verner was the first to explain them as the result of further development of Germanic languages. According to Verner, all the early PG voiceless fricatives [f, ÃŽ ¸, h] which arose under Grimm’s Law, became voiced between vowels if the preceding vowel was unstressed; otherwise they remained voiceless. The voicing of fricatives occurred in early PG at the time when the stress was not yet fixed on the root-morpheme. [f – v- b] seofon [ÃŽ ¸ – à ° – d] O Icel. hundraà ° – hundert [h – g] Goth. swaihro –OE sweger [s – z – r] Lat. auris – Goth. auso – Icel. eyra (ear) The change of [z] into [r] is called rhotacism. As a result of voicing, there arose an interchange of consonants in the grammatical forms of the word, termed grammatical interchange. Part of the  forms retained a voiceless fricative, while other forms acquired a voiced fricative. For example, heffen (Inf.) – huob Past sg.) heave; ceosan (choose) curon (Past pl.). Some modern English words retained traces of Verner’s Law: death – dead; was- were, raise – rear. Throughout history, PG vowels displayed a strong tendency to change. The changes were of the following kinds: qualitative and quantitative, dependent and independent. Qualitative changes affect the quality of the sound, for example [o – a] or [p – f]; quantitative changes are those which make long sounds short or short sounds long. For example,[ i – i:]; dependent changes are restricted to certain positions when a sound may change under the influence of the neighbouring sounds or in a certain type of a syllable; independent changes or regular (spontaneous) take place irrespective of phonetic conditions, that is they may affect a certain sound in all positions. In accented syllables the oppositions between vowels were carefully maintained and the number of stressed vowels grew. In unaccented positions the original contrasts between vowels were weakened or lost; the distinction of short and long vowels in unstressed syllables had been shortened. As for originally short vowels, they tended to be reduced to a neutral sound, losing their qualitative distinctions and were often dropped in unstressed final syllables (fiskaz). Strict differentiation of long and short vowels is regarded as an important characteristic of the Germanic group. Long vowels tended to become closer and to diphthongize, short vowels often changed into more open vowels. IE short [o] changed in Germanic into more open vowel [a] and thus ceased to be distinguished from the original IE [a]; in other words in PG they merged into [o]. IE long [a:] was narrowed to [o:] and merged with [o:]. For example, Lat. nox Goth. nahts; Lat. mater OE modor; Sans. bhra:ta OE bro:à °or .

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Starbucks Case Analysis

Starbucks corporation| Starbucks Corporation Vision- Founded in 1971 Starbucks vision statement is;† To establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected coffee brand inthe  world  and  become  a  national  company  with  values  and  guidingprinciples that employee could be proud of   The vision statement clearly describes the dream or the future of the company that is to be the world’s most well known coffeehouse and also to be the most appreciated and positively graded brand by all levels of people around the world. The  company also  focuses  its  vision  to  employee  satisfactions,  so  that  the employees will be happy.It was an abstract vision that reflected the vision of the founders. Mission Their mission statement from the company profile is as follows: â€Å"Our mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. † Their core competencies can b e defined as high quality coffee and products at accessible locations and affordable prices, provided a community to share in the coffee drinking experience, and variety of choices. Their mission statement includes six elements which they regard as part of their core competencies. Our Coffee It has always been, and will always be, about quality.We’re passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done. Our Partners We’re called partners, because it’s not just a job, it’s our passion. Together, we embrace diversity to create a place where each of us can be ourselves. We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold each other to that standard. Our Customers When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers – even if just for a few moments.Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. It’s really about human connection. Our Stores When our customers feel this sense of belonging, our stores become a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. It’s about enjoyment at the speed of life – sometimes slow and savored, sometimes faster. Always full of humanity. Our Neighborhood Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously. We want to be invited in wherever we do business.We can be a force for positive action – bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility – and our potential for good – is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead. Our Shareholders We know that as we deliver in each of these areas, we enjoy the kind of succes s that rewards our shareholders. We are fully accountable to get each of these elements right so that Starbucks – and everyone it touches – can endure and thrive Competitive advantageThe advantage a business has over its competition which allows it to reap greater profit margins, retain customers and remains sustainable is referred to as its competitive advantage. Businesses have to have some form of competitive advantage to be successful in the long run. Competitive advantage can take one of three forms that reflect basic customer values: customers want goods and services (1) better, (2) cheaper and (3) faster. These forms of competitive are known as (1) differentiation, (2) cost leadership and (3) quick response respectively.Research has proven that having some form of competitive advantage increases profitability of a firm , having two forms combined leads to highest profitability and firms that have neither form perform poorly or generate just ‘normal’ profits. Competitive advantages that are gained because the pioneer was on the first to enter a market are sometimes called ‘first movers advantages. ’ The three forms of competitive advantage are described below Differentiation Creating a unique bundle of products and/or services that will be highly valued by customers constitutes competitive advantage based on differentiation.Product features, after-sales service, desirable image, technological innovation, reputation, manufacturing consistency, status symbol are attributes that can differentiate products. Each of these features can be considered a form of quality. Differentiation allows firms to reap higher-than-typical returns because competitive rivalry maybe lessened as firms successfully distinguish themselves; brand loyal customers are less price sensitive, new entrants entering the market have to overcome the barriers to entry.However, if many firms adopt a differentiation strategy then they are all perceived a s equals and specialists operating in niche markets may be more successful at differentiation and a continuous attempt to stay ahead of customers may result in ‘gold plating’ ( the development of features which are not valued by consumers but add to the price). Successful differentiation depends on (1) understanding what customers value, (2) being uniquely able to provide that value, and (3) being able to charge a premium price for it.Cost leadership This competitive advantage requires achieving a low-cost position relative to one’s competition. Classic cost leadership strategy involves creating a no-frills product aimed at the most typical customer in a large target market. Standardization of products and services is looked for in cost leadership and targeting a large market segment for these standard products allows for mass production techniques which create greatest possible benefits from economies of scale and experience curve effects.Cost leadership address es competitive forces in the following ways; holding the low-cost position convinces rivals to hold a price war, low-cost producers are protected from customer pressures of lowering prices, because of higher margins low-cost producers are better able to withstand pressures from increasing in suppliers’ costs, barriers to entry exist for new entrants and manufacturers use price to threaten substitute products. However, cost leadership has some drawbacks namely ; cost leadership can be called an ‘all-or-nothing strategy’, cost cutting that leads to loss of desirable roduct attributes can be ruinous, it is easily duplicated by competitors, and dedication to cost cutting limits a firm’s abilities to remain competitive in other ways. Use of an effective cost leadership strategy depends on careful monitoring of a firm’s internal operations and its customers’ need. Quick response This form of competitive advantage stresses on the provision of the qu ality and cost the customer wants faster than the competition does. Quick response refers to the speed with which a new product, a product improvement, or even a managerial decision that affects the customers can be made.It is a way of looking at a firm’s flexibility. Competitive advantage can be achieved through quick response in which such as faster development of new products, customizing products, improving existing products, delivery of ordered products,, adjusting marketing efforts, answering customers’ questions. Firms with quick response can avoid head-to-head rivalry, faster forms can charge a premium pricing, faster firms encourage quick response from suppliers, and quick response deals with the threats of new entrants and substitute products by leading in innovation themselves.However it must be kept in mind, speed is not equally important to all markets or customers, speed creates stress, and speed for speed’s sake does not create competitive advanta ge. Starbucks Competitive Advantage Starbucks competitive advantage is a mixture of differentiation and quick response. Since their coffee is priced at $4 a cup; they are clearly not competing on costs here. In fact at Starbucks’ it’s the opposite. The brand image that has been created due to the strong differentiated marketing efforts, the ambience of their outlets has created a brand loyalty in Starbucks customers.They are willing to pay a premium price because they feel they are having the best coffee made with the finest quality ingredients. Starbucks achieved the first movers advantage as they were among the pioneers of coffee houses in America, also they have maintained their leadership in the market by launching new variants and varieties faster than competition does and have upgraded their menu from time to time. Their supply chain is integrated vertically and horizontally allowing for a faster response time among suppliers and with customers. They have used el ebrities to endorse their brand further enhancing their differentiation strategy. Because Starbucks has successfully differentiated itself, developed a strong brand following, has opened up outlets to cater to their target market both in U. S. A. and globally, has always strived to serve its customers faster, and focused on innovation, it is able to reap higher-than-average returns. They have also been quick in realizing their failures as the case mentions them closing down stores that were not functioning. Thus this shows that the corporation is quite flexible in its operating decisions.Starbucks Corporate Strategy- how they have used it to create a successful business model The corporate strategy for Starbucks was an expansion strategy based on opening new outlets in U. S. and expanding overseas. Operations: They looked for diversification and vertical and horizontal integration to maximize control over their supply chain and maintain satisfied customers. They launched new product s and variants to maintain their leadership in the market. A differentiation and quick response strategy is used. HR: Starbucks looks for diversity in its employees.They employ people from various backgrounds and give them independence and freedom to make decisions. This has enabled Starbucks to address customers faster and reduced their response time. Also hiring people form diversified backgrounds helps them in their expansion strategy and improves their communication in new countries of expansion. Marketing: Their marketing has always been coffee centric. They have strived to create a strong brand identity and brand loyalty. Starbucks is not just about coffee. It is about providing that experience of comfort, socializing and happiness. This is what they build on.The firm has been successful in maintaining premium pricing because of the creation of a brand image that allows for it. Finance: The expansions have been sensible and not based on intangible goodwill or long term debts. The firm has invested a lot in fixed assets and their debt to asset ratio is low. The management started closing down low operational stores; instead of letting they operate at losses, indicating the management’s concentration on financial efficiency and having good financial ratios. The following strategies have enabled Starbucks to maximize its reach to its consumers by opening up different outlets globally hich have lead to market development and increased profitability. Starbucks expansions have all been well financed and done sensibly. Also their quickness to act in areas where they were reporting losses further shows that their Corporate strategy has lead to successful business development model. The product variety offered at Starbucks has enabled it to remain market leader thus showing that R&D efforts are paying off. The exceptional customer service due to the employment of a diversified labor force has facilitated business expansion and increased the size of the pie for Starbucks.Starbucks thus has transformed the image of ‘coffee. ’ The strong brand loyalty supported by a well managed expansion plan which allows them to be present where their customers want them has made the business a success. Need analysis A need analysis is the process of identifying what the users need and want. It related to the goals, inspirations and objectives of the users. Following shows the factors that contribute to customer satisfaction at Starbucks. Thus Starbucks needs to discover what consumers want regarding the product quality, price and service.Following are SWOT ands PESTLE analysis of Starbucks which give a clearer picture of the strengths and environment within which the firm is operating. SWOT Analysis Strengths †¢ Brand recognition and consumer loyalty †¢ Diverse product portfolio catering to all tastes and ages, including non? coffee beverages and food items †¢ Excellent customer service and the value of the Starbucks exper ience †¢ Licensing relationships with top? brands such as Pepsi? Cola and Kraft that minimize costs and leverage the strategic advantages of those companiesxviii †¢ Strong employee relationships Economies of scale providing superior distribution networks and supplier power †¢ Primly? located retail stores †¢ Positive image attributed to socialresponsibility Weaknesses †¢ Pay 23% more for coffee than market prices †¢ Saturation of the market diminishes long? term growth prospects †¢ No monetary switching costs for consumers †¢ Negative large corporation image †¢ Potential limitations of international expansion due to cultural clashes with American coffee experiences. Opportunities †¢ Have the ability to reduce premiums paid for coffee Room forinternational expansion (78% ofrevenues came from the United States in fiscal 2007 and international same? store sales growth is strong)xix †¢ Room to compete on multiple fronts including qu ality and price †¢ Increase licensing relationships to further utilize brand strength to capture profits at little cost to the company Threats †¢ Increasing coffee and dairy prices †¢ Intense competition in the specialty coffee beverage business †¢ Unfavorable economic conditions that lowerthe demand for expensive beverages †¢ Community resistance to store expansion The possibility that the demand for specialty coffee is a fad †¢ Diverging from the Starbucks experience †¢ Further diversification of fast food restaurants that cuts into market share. PESTLE ANALYSIS The PESTLE analysis of Starbucks. Political: Taxation policy High taxation imposed on farmers in those countries producing the coffee bean will usually mean Starbucks pay a higher price for the coffee they purchase. Any fluctuations in taxation levels in the industry are almost certainly ultimately passed on to the consumer Deregulation A decade ago, the USA pulled out of the ICA (interna tional Coffee Agreement) hat set export quotas for producing nations and kept the price of coffee fairly stable. Coffee quotas and  price controls ended. Since the deregulation farmers have suffered and their earnings have dropped. Many have struggled to make a living so have given up. International trade regulations/tariffs – Trade issues will affect Starbucks predominantly when exporting and importing goods. When another country's government imposes a tariff it not only results in an efficiency loss for Starbucks but large income transfers can become inconsistent with equity. This extra charge can turn a bargain into a rip-off.Also, since 9/11, trade relations have been adversely affected between the USA and some other countries. International  stability The international economy must be brought into  consideration as it can affect Starbucks' sales and markets. The aftermath of 9/11 was an example of an economic downturn that affected the world market. If the world ma rket is in a slump it is not usually the ideal time for a  business to look at grand expansion. Employment law A reduction in licensing and permit costs in those countries producing the coffee bean for  Starbucks would lower production costs for farmers.This saving would in turn be passed on to the purchaser. Economic: * Interest rates – A rise in interest rates means investment and expansion plans are put off resulting in falling sales for Starbucks and their suppliers. Also mortgage repayments rise so consumers have less disposable income to spend on luxury  products such as coffee. Low interest rates should have the opposite effect. * Economic Growth – If growth is low in the nation of location of Starbucks then sales may also fall. Consumer incomes tend to fall in periods of negative growth leaving less disposable income.Consumer confidence in products can also fall if the economic ‘mood' is low* Inflation rates – Inflation is a condition of incr easing prices. It is measured using the Retail Price Index (RPI) in the UK. Business costs will rise for Starbucks through inflation, as will shoe-leather costs as they shop around for new ‘best prices' of  materials, menu costs will rise as Starbucks have to create new price lists. Also, uncertainty is created when making decisions not least because inflation redistributes money from lenders to borrowers. Competitors pricing – Competitive pricing from competitors can start a price war for  Starbucks that can drive down profits and profit margins as they attempt to increase, or at least maintain, their share of the market. * Globalisation – Globalisation of the coffee market has meant farmers of the bean now earn less money than they used to. This can result in a decrease of people willing to do it for a living, which will mean a decrease in coffee produced, resulting in a drop in Starbucks supply levels and probably profits. * Exchange rates – Starbuc ks are affected by exchange rates when dealing with international trade.If the value of the currency falls in the country of a coffee supplier  this enables Starbucks to get more for their $ or L when importing the goods to their  country. This saving can be passed along to the customer. Exchange rates are forever  changing throughout the world in today's market. Social: Population demographics – Population demographics are a very important factor for  Starbucks as they identify what parts of the population they need to aim their products at or which parts of the population they need to encourage to visit their stores more than they presently do.Looking at the table in the case study demonstrating the  percentage of the age groups that drink coffee or specialty coffee it can be seen that the age groups that Starbucks should be aiming their marketing at are the people  between 35 and 54. They should consider targeting the 18-24 age group as they drink  the least amount comparatively and by encouraging this segment to choose Starbucks coffee now, there is a chance they may continue to drink it long into the future.Income distribution – Where income is distributed is another factor that Starbucks should look at as this also demonstrates the ideal place to aim their marketing or to locate their stores. Coffee is more of a luxury product so it is those people/places with the most amount of disposable income to spend that should be targeted the most intensely. * Attitude to work – Starbucks would not want to locate to an area where the local  population have a poor attitude to work. Recruitment would be difficult, training arduous, and staff turnover would be high. Attitudes to work are important in other  ways.A large number of workers in large cities now go out for their lunch rather than use an internal canteen. Starbucks can use this to their advantage and promote the shop as a place where people can meet up and so it will mean that they will get alarger amount of people in their stores at this time of the day. * Standard of education/skills – When Starbucks are deciding upon new premises they must look at the standards of education and skills locally. They must be sure there are  people who live there with sufficient skills to ensure successful operation of the  business, or at least the potential to learn that comes with a good education. Working conditions/safety – Those people with the most disposable income, e. g. young single professionals etc, will be accustomed to high standards. Starbucks must ensure its shops are clean and comfortable, service is of the highest order and health and safety issues are fully addressed * Location – Transport needs to the premises must be considered for both staff and customers. Easy access is vital to ensure there is no excuse for staff to arrive late or  for customers not to visit. Age distribution – Research shows the average age of the population is getting older  and birth rates are stagnating. Starbucks is presently aiming it's product at young  people but maybe these views will change in the long-term as the market proportion for young people diminishes. The most profitable way forward may be to widen their  target market despite the risk of alienating present customers. * Health consciousness – Good health and foodstuffs associated with healthy living are important I today's market place, as this is a trend that is occurring at the moment in western societies.Starbucks can use this information when deciding the additional  products to sell, as well as coffee, as a large number of their customers are looking for  healthy alternatives to cakes and biscuits, which have been associated with coffee in the past. Technological: * IT development – Starbucks is always looking to develop and improve its Internet facilities. Starbucks launched its first-generation e-commerce Web site in 1998. In late1999, Starbucks decided the site needed a major upgrade to enable new functionality and prepare for long-term growth.To achieve these goals, Starbucks upgraded to Microsoft Commerce Server 2000, one of the key Microsoft . NET Enterprise Servers. As a result, scalability and performance have improved, and the company now has the tools it needs to profile and target customers, analyze site data, and deliver new features to the market in the shortest time possible. * New materials and processes – Developments in the technology of coffee making machines and the computers that Starbucks use to run their cash registers will enable their staff to work more quickly and efficiently.This will result in customers being served quicker and create the potential to serve more customers in a day. This will  prevent customers from having to wait around for long periods thus improving customer relations along with increasing the customer base. * Software upgrades – In th e short-term, Starbucks must identify the most efficient software upgrades to use to keep up with the competition. This applies to the improving the accessibility of their website (www. starbucks. com) and also improving the speed and quality of the service provided on the shop floor. Research and Development activity – As a multi-national business empire, Starbucks has the budget and the resources to have a cutting-edge R+D department. The website is very accessible, the facilities are state of the art but more importantly new ideas are consistently being tried in terms of a constantly updating menu. * Rate of technological change – The rate of technological change in the current world market is high, much higher than, say, thirty years ago. Much of this is down to the Internet and the speed with which information can be communicated around the globe.Starbucks will need to invest heavily just to stand still in their ever expanding and developing market, and even more so to try to stay ahead of competitors. Legal: * Trade and product restrictions – Starbucks need to be aware of the trade laws in the various countries they occupy and do business with. They need to ensure they are not in violation of e. g. , religious laws. Also, certain countries impose a tariff that has to be  paid when goods are imported/exported so this must be taken into account. * Employment law – Each country has varying employment laws.Some may have aSabbath day, diwali,some may have a limit on the number of hours an employee may work  Ã‚  per week, all will have varying levels of minimum wage. Starbucks should consider  these factors when deciding on relocation. * Health and Safety regulations – Starbucks may find these regulations are not as stringent or well enforced in certain countries. It would be wise though to enforce universally high standard of health and safety throughout all it's shops to maintain a good global image and ensure all law s are abided by.Also, by not maintaining high standards they will be liable for a large amount of civil cases as it is a legal requirement for them to enable that their staff and customers are safe when they are intheir stores. * Monopolies commission – If Starbucks consider expanding their operations further  to control an even larger percentage of the market than they already have they will have to consider the possibility of breaking monopolies legislation as they may have a share of the market that is too large. This would mean that they would have unfair  advantage over other companies in the same market.This would mean that they could  benefit from economies of scale and would also be able to charge prices that were not competitive in the market and get away with it due to the lack of competition. * Land use – Starbucks may have to abide by local planning regulations when building shops or altering purchased sites, as certain areas of land may be protected or  unsuitable. All matters would be addressed by the local government. Environmental: Pollution problems – Starbucks customers create a lot of waste as they often leave the shop with their cup of coffee and then dispose of it in the street.The packaging for  this cup must be carefully considered to make it as biologically degradable as  possible. Certain other materials can be very harmful to the natural environment. * Planning permissions – Planning permission may not be granted if Starbucks wish to  build in an area that could be harmful to the environment. The land may be protected. * Work disposal – Starbucks need to carefully consider the methods in which they dispose of their waste as there are strict laws in most countries to ensure a firm trading in their country disposes of the waste that is created in their business in a specific and efficient way.If they do not follow these laws they may find themselves being sanctioned, which not only affect s them financially but also tarnishes the reputation of  the brand name, as most of the waste created will bear the logo of Starbucks. * Environmental pressure groups – Starbucks should be aware of the physical and influential power of groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Any violation of animal or environmental rights by a company is usually followed by a swift and attention-drawing protest from one of the groups.Brand image and customer bases are often irreconcilably tarnished due to the actions of these groups Porter’s five forces Barriers to Entry: Medium-High –  Low  capital requirement:  It can be varied depend  on  the location, but  it would be safe to say  coffee industry   still  requires low capital compared to other industries. –  Little  product  differentiation: It is difficult to establish a certain unique flavor for coffee. – can be offered at restaurants which normally don’t serve cof fee as a beverage; this will allow for even lesser investment.Threat of Substitutes: High – Soda, fresh fruit juice, healthy juice for drink and tea are all direct substitutes for coffee. – Alcohol drink- beer, wine,  cocktail,  and more can be indirect substitutes. ( Alcohol drinks will be sold in only a few selected places,  so it is  too early  to  get rid of alcohol drinks in the threat of substitution part. ) Bargaining power of Buyer: Medium-high – Even though the price goes up, the buyers who like only  Starbucks would still come. The brand has generated enormous brand loyalty.   Buyers can  buy their coffee from various  places: Starbucks has their stores  all over the nation, so as other major companies do. Buyers have a lot of substitutes to choose from. Supplier Power: Low-Medium – Starbucks is a global coffee chain and many suppliers are eager to work with them. The company has successfully established vertical integratio n to make suppliers loyal to its supply chain. –  It can be problematic if  a certain product  suppliers raise the price of their product, such as green tea powder or coffee bean.Although Starbucks decided to  change their suppliers because it still takes some time to inform  to the customer and price changes will be inevitable. Industry Rivalry: High –  Many companies: Coffee Bean, Mcdonald's, Dunkin Donuts, and local  cafe. –  Also; McDonald’s had started an advertising attack aimed directly at Starbuck’s saying ‘$4 coffee is dumb. ’Thus; rivalry was high. –  Many people started to look for  more  healthy  and fresh  juice instead of coffee, so there is little chance that demand is growing at the same rate as it was earlier.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Amicus Brief (Abortion) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Amicus Brief (Abortion) - Essay Example his brief before the Court as an amicus curiae for the purpose of pointing out to the Court the errors of law committed by the Supreme Court of Freedonia when it upheld the state of Freedonia over the herein petitioner Jane Roe in regard to the constitutionality of the Freedonia Abortion Act 2009. The UK and the United States are both State Parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR hereafter). On December 16, 1966 in New York, the ICCPR, a United Nations initiated covenant, was declared open for signature. The UK signed it on September 16, 1968 with its ratification papers duly submitted to the Committee on May 20, 1976. As per the Committee records, the US signed the covenant on October 5, 1977 and ratified it on June 8, 1992 (UN Treaty Collection). Under international laws, the US is obliged to comply with the provisions of international treaties, like the ICCPR to which it is a state party. In upholding international treaties, like the ICCPR, respecting civil rights of citizens, the UK has passed into law the Abortion Act of 1967 and other related laws like the Human Fertilisation Act 1990 (amended in 2000). Unlike the US federal system in which fifty-states are free to enact their respective abortion-related laws so long as they do not contravene the US Constitution, the UK, a unitary state, has one set of abortion laws applicable all throughout its jurisdiction, except for Northern Ireland in respect to abortion laws. In UK, except for Northern Ireland, abortion is legal. A woman can opt for abortion up to the 24th week of conception if two doctors can attest that she or her children, runs a risk, physically and mentally, if the pregnancy is carried to its full term. The limit, however, is not applicable if two doctors agree that a woman’s pregnancy places her life at risk if she continues with the pregnancy or the child is likely to be born with serious physical or mental defects or to save the woman’s life or to

Friday, September 27, 2019

IMIGRATION CRIMES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IMIGRATION CRIMES - Essay Example To clear this dilemma, this research investigates on the relationship between immigration and crime in the USA. Statement of the Problem Different studies carried out around the world have led to opposing views on whether or not immigration correlates with crime. According to Ellis, Beaver & Wright (2009) in ‘The Handbook of Crime Correlates’ which is a review of studies of variables related to crime, a majority of studies carried out on immigrants have led to the discovery of high crime rates. This however differs greatly depending on the countries of origin. Other studies conclude that indigenous population have higher crime rates than immigrants. Actualization of the situation in USA is vital for the establishment of immigration policies advised by facts rather than generalizations. Crime Rates for Immigrants vs. Native-Born Crime rates for immigrants have been discovered to be lower than for the native born by a century of research. During the former period of large scale immigration in the early decades of the 20th century, several federal commissions discovered lower levels of crime amongst those that are foreign born as compared to the native born individuals. A 1994 report by the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform came to a similar conclusion. Using data from the outcomes of community studies in Miami, El Paso, San Diego and Chicago; the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health; and the 1980, 1990, and 2000 Census, academic researchers have also reached the same conclusion (Ellis, Beaver & Wright, 2009). No matter their legal status, immigrants do not cause or even worsen the problem of crime in the United States (Motomura, 2007). This is not surprising at all as the main aim of most immigrants coming into the United States is to go after educational and economic opportunities which are not available in their home countries; and to make a better living for themselves as well as their families. They therefore have much more to los e and very little to gain by engaging in law breaking activities. Undocumented immigrants especially have even more reason to stay clear of law breaking activities given that they are at a risk of deportation due to their lack of legal status if caught. Violent and Property Crime Rates As the undocumented population doubled in size, there was a subsequent drop in property and violent crime rates. Even though from 1994 to 2005, there was a double increase in the undocumented immigrant population to approximately 12 million, there was a reduction in the property crime rate in the United States by 26.4%. The violent crime rate on the other hand fell by a significant 34.2% (Schaefer, 2011). This reduction in crime rate experienced was not only national but also happened in the border cities plus other cities that have large populations of immigrants. Some of these cities include Miami, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, El Paso and San Diego. The reduction in crime rate was in part because of the successful establishment of new strategies in crime-fighting such as community policing which have greatly assisted in formation of cooperative relationships between the police and their communities. How successful such cooperative approaches to law enforcement will be in immigrant communities is dependent on how willing crime witnesses and victims are to come forward to the police (Ellis, Beaver & Wright, 2009). This should be irrespective of their legal status or the legal status of members of their family. According to data

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Year 12 stress levels for australian students Essay

Year 12 stress levels for australian students - Essay Example Because of this, stress is a serious issue for Australian students in year 12. A recent study carried out by an Australian psychologist Karen McGraw of the University of Swinburne indicates that almost one in five year 12 students have thought about hurting or killing themselves because of the stress caused by exam and homework pressures. In this study, 941 Victorian final-year students were surveyed. McGraw has described the effects of stress on the mental health of the students studied as â€Å"alarming†, and further states that while 19% had thought of suicide or self-harm, around one third of students were â€Å"severely depressed† and 41% were suffering from anxiety.2 Another Australian psychologist, adolescence specialist Michael Carr-Gregg, has stated that an inquiry in 2004 into youth suicides found that one in 11 completed suicides is a direct result of stress related to the pressures of year 12.3 McGraw’s study results come after a report in December of last year that Australian scientists had discovered conclusive proof that stress causes physical sickness – it was discovered that during periods of stress, the body releases a hormone called neuropeptide Y that dampens the body’s immune system.4 Thus it is likely that many year 12 students who are suffering from stress may also suffer from stress-related illnesses, which can only serve to increase the pressures that homework and examinations place upon them. An earlier study, carried out in the late 1990s by Lorraine Smith and Kenneth E. Sinclair of the University of Sydney reported that 31% of year 12 and 25% of year 11 students surveyed had suffered anxiety, stress, and depression which fell â€Å"outside the normal range†.5 Together with the results of McGraw’s work, the results of this study suggest that stress is becoming a more severe problem for year 12 students over time. In recent years this has been recognized as a serious issue, and there is an

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Lean thinking - questions Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lean thinking - questions - Term Paper Example In addition, human relations require understanding the market requirements (Womack & Jones, 2010). All strategies employed in the organization should aim at acquiring the quality and quantity as demanded by the consumer. Consequently, this should be done to minimize the production of goods and services that would not require improvement upon delivery to the consumer. In an argument by Womack & Jones (2010) human relations in lean thinking aim at maximizing the production process of the organization at a lower cost but matching the demand of the consumer. The authors further point out that lean thinking significantly depends on effective human relations strategies to minimize risks that may arise from the fluctuating demand levels (Womack & Jones, 2010). In an organization, flow promoting tools and practices are required. A fallow promoting tool refers to the ability of an organization top put in place strategies to ensure the entire of process from production to product delivery is effectively carried out. The main tool and practice flow-promoting tool is a good management team (Womack & Jones, 2010). This ensures that there is the creation and management of an effective organization culture. The organizational culture should promote employee productivity and maximize on the resources available to the organization. In the transformation of the GM car factory, the changes made were in the conduct of employee (Liker, 2004). Prior to the change, the employee culture could not match the quality demanded by the consumers. Employee reported to work late. There were numerous cases of drug and substance abuse. Other cases reported included sexual incidences and sabotaging quality of vehicles created (Liker, 2004). For this reason, the company produced cars that were detested by the market. Considering the competition of the industry, the organization recorded poor sales at it moved towards bankruptcy. Before its taking over by

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Case Study Example After a period of two weeks, Carnack sold the house and lot to Balkan at a cost of $105,000. Willard wanted Carnack to refund him the deposit that he made to him, but Carnack said that Willard breached the contract, and the deposit was entitled to him as required by the contract. According to the law, in an event that the contract is breached, regardless of the form that it takes, the innocent party is always entitled to take a step for the damages. In the case study, the innocent party is Carnack, and by law he is within his legal right to terminate the contract that he made with Willard and retain the deposit as liquidated damages as noted by Koffman & McDonald (2007). The contract that Willard and Carnack entered had a provision for liquidated damages clause in it. That provision made it clear that should Willard breach the agreement that he signed with Carnack, then the 10% deposit would be considered as liquidated damages. According to Burling (2011) that clause, therefore, made it clear that Carnack was entitled to the deposit after Willard breached the contract. Generally in most cases, the court always maintains that the clause with the liquidated damages has to be adhered to. The clause has to be respected even if it implies that the affected individual gets less than his or her real damages resulting from the breach. Therefore, Carnack is right in taking the 10% deposit made to him by Willard as part of the down payment since Willard breached the contract. According to Wilmott et al. (2009), it can be argued that Carnack terminated the contract that he had with Willard based on the following principles of the law. First Willard committed an anticipatory breach. Anticipatory breach is a situation where the buyer states in the form of writing that s/he will not honor the agreement or will do it on terms that were not initially agreed upon. In the case of

Monday, September 23, 2019

Initial Public Offerings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Initial Public Offerings - Essay Example So as to fully understand IPO and how it works this article will briefly discuss the Starbucks Co. (SBUX) IPO. The Starbucks Co. is known worldwide for its ability to provide among the best brewed coffee in the market as well as offer outstanding customer service extending this to the community through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The company specializes in the purchase of high-quality whole coffee beans which it roasts and sells together with fresh ones. Starbucks also supplies an array of richly brewed coffee, ready-to drink beverages, cold blended beverages, various types of premium teas, Italian-style espresso beverages, beverage related equipments and accessories and a myriad of complementary food items. As a result, the company has managed to operate in more than 50 countries where it runs about 15,000 retail stores in the US only. From the year 2001 to 2005, Starbucks managed to open approximately 1,200 stores on a yearly basis. During the same period the company man aged to go public by issuing an IPO. This enabled it to increase its revenues from $2.17 billion to approximately $5.39 billion. Its net earnings also drastically increased from $94.9 million to about $494.5 million. Moreover, Starbucks is committed to developing a long-lasting connection with its customers wherever it is located thereby bringing an exceptional experience to all.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Chinese Revolution and Mao Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chinese Revolution and Mao - Essay Example For several years, Allied powers became successful to its campaign to stabilize the World from further destruction caused by the Axis powers. At the same time, each Ally has raised its leverage to the world. Separated by ideologies, surprisingly, these nations remain on the zenith of political and economic power. Nonetheless, they found each other threatening most especially by the Neo-liberalist USA and the socialist USSR. China on the other hand was beyond that contingency because unlike Russia, they never have place their selves into that astringent situation where war should be waged to reconcile a two diverging ideology. China's communism stratagem was started during the time of Dr. Sun-Yet San. It soon progress when a young leader named Mao Tse Tsung revolutionized those who were left behind. Communism was not the only philosophy that pervades during that time. Nationalism was on its way headed by General Chiang Kai Shek. Both were on the same side of exonerating Japan's mighty invasion off to China. Yet prior to the agreement to battle Japan, they had launched several clashes that could trigger a civil war in the mainland. Apparently, Allied success was on the forefront, this liberates China from further subjugation. Thereafter, the battle of power resumed. Nationalism was less adhered mainly because majority of Chinese population is working class including peasants and laborers. Nationalist party were consists of elites and middle class warriors which entirely had different interest to that of the working class. Chiang's boldness had faced severe failures even when he was backed up by the United States. For fear of losing title, US indirectly penetrated to the mainland through Chiang. The continued global upheaval is a form of transmutation of the global political and economic philosophy to liberalism. Chiang's insistence of nationalism to rule China brought relentless aggression. According to King "Chiang attacked the Communist group in Goumindang or K uomintang while some other survived fled. He also attacked Jiangxi in China where the famous Long March was set off, all the survive communist escaped to the north and take a long voyage perhaps 6000 miles for 368 days while some other present are women"(King, 2001). However unsuccessful he was, he still established his long dream as the head of the Chinese state in exile. The Communist Party of China was established under the leadership of Mao. In the year 1950, China signed a treaty with the Soviet Union establishing an alliance between them and giving back the other Chinese territories taken by Russia a decade ago. China helped other Communist state in French Indochina and in North Korea in 1950's. In order to restore and improve the nation's economy, Mao has proposed several options. One of which is reviving the agricultural regulation through Commune System. His first proposition is land redistribution to the peasants. The CCP had directed that all properties shall owned by the government. It is their sole right to appropriate all wealth of nation to its people, such as the discretion to divide the land (as it is the main source of income of most of the families during that time) proportionate to the need of the family. Several cooperatives were raised to share labors and pooled off resources. In order to achieve maximum

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Research Gaming as an Occupation Essay Example for Free

Research Gaming as an Occupation Essay This research paper attempts to focus on the topic â€Å"gaming as an occupation†. Specifically the paper focuses on the Formula 1, race car driving. Formula 1 is a sport that has millions of fans in all the corners of the globe and in my view a research paper on race car driving as an occupation would be interesting as well as enlightening. The objective of the research paper is to provide information on Formula 1 as an occupation. The paper focuses on the history of Formula one. How it started, when it started etc are the main objectives addressed in the history part. The paper will describe the salaries of different drivers as Formula 1 is one of the highest paid sports in the world. It will highlight the salaries earned by drivers in the business. It will focus upon the requirements of the sport, from age to physical fitness, from legal requirements to company requirements. Furthermore the paper will discuss the different stages a driver has to pass through, before he is qualified to become a Formula 1 driver. These stages include early training to a professional driver and the rigorous mental and physical training. Experiences of different drivers also narrate a different story about the world of Formula 1 racing and that is why such experiences will be used in the paper to provide insights. The paper also discusses the sport as a business. With time F1 has grown in to an industry earning huge sums of money in just one season for everyone, be it the constructors, the media or the sponsors. The paper then ends with a conclusion summarizing what formula one offers and requires as an occupation. INTRODUCTION AND THESIS: Formula 1 racing which is also known as F1 to many is the top class motor car racing certified by the Federation of International Automobiles. The word formula refers to specific rules that every team has to comply with. It dates back to European motor racing of 1920’s and 1930’s. The first formula one race was held in England at Silverstone in 1950 after the world war and a championship for constructors (those who provide the cars) first took in 1958. Today formula one has become a legend in the world of motorsports. The season consists of a series of races held at different places in the world and the championship is known as Grand Prix. It is held on proper circuits or city roads such as Monaco or Singapore. At the end of the season, two championships are awarded; one for the best driver and one for the constructor. Europe is like the headquarters of formula one. Most of the races take place in Europe and all the teams are Europe based as well. However in the recent years the scope of the sport has expanded and nowadays drivers from all around the world try to qualify as a formula one racer. To get the license of a formula one racer, a driver has to pass many tests and rigorous physical and mental training. The speed of a formula one car is approximately 360 km/hr which explains why stamina and strength and mental concentration are very important for these drivers. This is also one reason formula one racers are amongst the highest paid employees in the world and have a very large fan following. Based on the introduction my thesis statement would be: â€Å"As an occupation, formula one has to offer high wages, fan following, glamour and in return requires a great lot of physical and mental endurance in compliance with the requirements of the federation of International Racing. † HISTORY: Formula one is one of the biggest racing and television events of the world. As a sport it is as famous as football or cricket. The history goes down to 1950’s from where it all started. Europe was the base for motorsport racing and the era of 1920 and 30’s gave rise to motor racing as a professional sport. Thus motor racing got divided into many divisions based on engine specifications, constructors, car types etc. one of these was formula one. ‘The first formula one race was held at Silverstone, England in 1950 and a constructor’s champion ship was followed by in 1958. ’ (Bruce Jones, 15) The Formula in the name is a set of rules which all participants must comply to. This was a new formula which was introduced after World War II in motor racing. With the passage of time, the Formula saw many changes. Now it has totally modified into anew form because of the advanced auto mobile technology, the high speed engines and different track scenarios. HOW TO BECOME A FORMULA ONE DRIVER: To become a formula one racer, the drivers start from basic carting. As seen those who start at early ages, have been the most successful drivers in the history of formula one. The current champion Hamilton started carting at the age of 9. Carting is a basic cart with steering capabilities, acceleration and braking. This helps improve the driver’s skills in the art of steering, speed and brakes in closed circuits. After the driver is considered to be a qualified carter, he tries his luck in domestic championships or traditional European championships such as Formula 3 or Formula Ford. These races are the same as formula 1, but have lower car specifications and the circuits are closed and round usually. The top racers in these championships move to GP2. The Gp2 series started in 2005 though but the top three champions of GP2 since 2005 have been moving to formula one. Before GP2, formula two and formula 3000 were the criteria for qualifying as a formula one driver. Though mostly British F3 series is one of the best place where constructors look for formula one drivers. Also to be noted is that there are drivers who have made straight to formula one such as Michael Schumacher who came from simple Motor Racing. Thus qualifications are not a compulsion but obviously they do have an impact on the selection. THE PAYSCALE: As all other sports around the world, formula one is also a contract based sports. The drivers are hired on contract for a single season or for as many seasons as the constructors and the driver agree to. The earning there fore are on an annual basis. Last year’s champion Hamilton earned a one million pounds and is now on a five year contract with the constructor McLaren-Mercedese which is estimated to be worth approximately 70 million pounds and bonuses and endorsements are not included in this. Michael Schumacher according to the website Askmen. com earned a U. S. $67 million only from endorsements. From the tracks, his contracted pay was around U. S. $32 million only which is almost half of what he got from endorsements only. One cannot make an estimate on the industry average as the rates vary depending on the constructor that has hired the driver. Also usually the salaries are not announced that openly so whatever data is available is through what people or media find out form sources. Though based on estimation all the drivers on contract earn above a $5 million approximately as per the driving earnings listed on the website; ‘The F1 FAQ, 2008’. (Marcel, 01) REQUIREMENTS FOR BECOMING A FORMULA 1 DRIVER: Age: As far as age is concerned, a formula one driver can even be fifteen years old. As obvious, the requirement of the sport is not age, it is skills in driving and how you show them on the track. According to an article by the BMW Sauber Team, the famous driver Nick Hiedfeld says that these days anyone can enter the formula one BMW team at the age of fifteen. As these young amateurs enter the Karting stage early, it is obvious that they will hit the Formula one track early as well. (BMW, 01). The retirement age is not very explicitly specified but generally drivers retire around 30 because they themselves realize that now onwards racing would not be tough, it would be hard. Physical Fitness: Physical fitness is something that a team never compromises when selecting a formula one driver. As the car moves on a speed of 360 km/hr, there is great force acting on the body of the driver. This force is termed as the â€Å"G force. † This G force exerts a lot of pressure on the body of the driver and requires endurance. Similarly the lighter the weight of the driver, the faster the speed of the car as in formula one everything matters, from the fuel weight to driver’s weight. The suit is also of leather to provide maximum protection and on a sunny day conditions sometimes become miserable for the drivers. Thus becoming a formula one driver requires extraordinary physical strength. Mental Concentration: Mental attentiveness comes along with physical vigor in order to become a formula one driver. A short lack of concentration and focus can cost the constructors their car and the driver his career. Accidents on such a high speed are fatal. Apart from accidents there are split seconds decisions required such as when to speed up and when to hit the brakes at the right time or to overtake at the moment or not etc. All these choices require focus and sharpness. FORUMS: There are different forums for the fans to discus latest news regarding the world of formula one. Most popularly used forums include the forum on the homepage of Formula one and the forum on the webpage of Planet F-1. These forums also provide the fans to discuss driver ratings and performances and their views about the championships or a particular ace etc. These forums are reviewed by teams at times and important decisions related to fans are sometime taken with the help of discussions on the forums. FORMULA 1 AS A BUSINESS: The formula one racing has evolved into a business, an industry. The tickets are allotted on basis of stands owned by the constructors. The tickets sold earn a great amount of sum for the constructors. Ferrari stands for example are estimated to earn around U. S. $300 million approximately for the entire season (Financial Times, n/a). Though this is the one of the highest earned sums in the industry it still shows how much money is generated in this business. The constructors then also earn from media partners and sponsors. CONCLUSION: To conclude, one can confidently say that formula one is no doubt one of the sports that people would definitely prefer as an occupation. The sport has everything to offer which one requires from his or her occupation. Money, fame, world tours and a star studded life are the benefits of becoming a professional formula one driver. The sport though requires a great deal of physical and mental effort but then again fame and fortune do not come easy. It has already surpasses the stage of racing, it has become a business and an industry worth billions of dollars. Works Cited Bruce and Damon Hill. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Formula One: The Definitive Illustrated Guide to Grand Prix Motor Racing 2007. MBI publishing company. 2007. Marcel Schot. The F1 FAQ, Atlas F1. 2000 http://atlasf1. autosport. com/2000/ita/faq. html ‘F1 Network’. BMW F1 Sauber Team. Dec. 4, 2006. http://www. f1network. net/main/s491/st108520. htm ‘The business of sports: Formula 1. ’ Financial Times. Sept. 25, 2008. http://www. ft. com/cms/s/0/57eb0d84-8922-11dd-a179-0000779fd18c,dwp_uuid=1d7d1f1a-2041-11dd-80b4-000077b07658,s01=1. html

Friday, September 20, 2019

User Acceptance of Research Evidence in Nursing

User Acceptance of Research Evidence in Nursing User Acceptance of Research Evidence in Nursing User Acceptance of Research Evidence in Nursing

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Comparing the Ghost Stories: The Old Nurses Story versus The Ostler Ess

Ghost stories have been popular throughout the ages. During the nineteenth century, there was a sudden boom and ghost stories were made popular. Storytelling was the main source of entertainment as there weren't any films, TV's or computer games. People would gather around in groups telling or reading each other stories. The stories were made more real by the superstitions people kept and as the rooms were lit by dim candle light, it built a sense of atmosphere. Most ghost stories were written in the nineteenth century period, so people could imagine such things happening to them, in the places they lived. As storytelling was the main form of entertainment, people had nothing to compare it to, so it built tension, suspense and fear. In the nineteenth century there weren't many scientific advances. Everything was blamed on higher or supernatural forces, therefore, people believed the explanations given in ghost stories. I will be comparing and contrasting four ghost stories which were all written in the nineteenth century. They are ?The Old Nurse?s Story? by Elizabeth Gaskell, 1855 and ?The Ostler? by Wilkie Collins, 1855. ?The Old Nurse?s Story? by Elizabeth Gaskell is about a young girl (Miss Rosamund) and her nanny (Hester) going to live with her great aunt (Miss Grace Furnivall) at her aunt?s stately house called Furnivall Hall. Strange events take place at Furnivall Hall and family secrets are revealed. The past comes back to haunt Miss Furnivall and unfinished business is resolved. ?The Ostler? by Wilkie Collins is about an unlucky man (Isaac Scratchard) who has a premonition of his death, being killed by a woman. His luck begins to improve when he meets a woman (Rebecca Murdock). He falls in love and decides to marry to he... ...house in order to claim it to the deep unknown. In ?The Ostler?, Isaac Scratchard found a ?lonely, road-side inn? to stay at as he was lost, he was in an area ?which he was entirely unacquainted with?. Surrounding the inn was a ?thick, dark forest? which adds mystery to the lonely inn and creates an ideal scene for the strange event. A reader in 1855 would find ?The Old Nurse?s Story? to be extremely frightening as the setting is located in a typical 1855 town, so people could imagine such events occurring in places they lived. The location is typically ghostly as the story it is in an isolated, large house during bad weather. However, this gives the reader comfort as not few would live in stately houses. A contemporary reader would not find these as scary as they?re used to the special effects being used and in comparison, the ghost stories don?t seem scary. Comparing the Ghost Stories: The Old Nurses Story versus The Ostler Ess Ghost stories have been popular throughout the ages. During the nineteenth century, there was a sudden boom and ghost stories were made popular. Storytelling was the main source of entertainment as there weren't any films, TV's or computer games. People would gather around in groups telling or reading each other stories. The stories were made more real by the superstitions people kept and as the rooms were lit by dim candle light, it built a sense of atmosphere. Most ghost stories were written in the nineteenth century period, so people could imagine such things happening to them, in the places they lived. As storytelling was the main form of entertainment, people had nothing to compare it to, so it built tension, suspense and fear. In the nineteenth century there weren't many scientific advances. Everything was blamed on higher or supernatural forces, therefore, people believed the explanations given in ghost stories. I will be comparing and contrasting four ghost stories which were all written in the nineteenth century. They are ?The Old Nurse?s Story? by Elizabeth Gaskell, 1855 and ?The Ostler? by Wilkie Collins, 1855. ?The Old Nurse?s Story? by Elizabeth Gaskell is about a young girl (Miss Rosamund) and her nanny (Hester) going to live with her great aunt (Miss Grace Furnivall) at her aunt?s stately house called Furnivall Hall. Strange events take place at Furnivall Hall and family secrets are revealed. The past comes back to haunt Miss Furnivall and unfinished business is resolved. ?The Ostler? by Wilkie Collins is about an unlucky man (Isaac Scratchard) who has a premonition of his death, being killed by a woman. His luck begins to improve when he meets a woman (Rebecca Murdock). He falls in love and decides to marry to he... ...house in order to claim it to the deep unknown. In ?The Ostler?, Isaac Scratchard found a ?lonely, road-side inn? to stay at as he was lost, he was in an area ?which he was entirely unacquainted with?. Surrounding the inn was a ?thick, dark forest? which adds mystery to the lonely inn and creates an ideal scene for the strange event. A reader in 1855 would find ?The Old Nurse?s Story? to be extremely frightening as the setting is located in a typical 1855 town, so people could imagine such events occurring in places they lived. The location is typically ghostly as the story it is in an isolated, large house during bad weather. However, this gives the reader comfort as not few would live in stately houses. A contemporary reader would not find these as scary as they?re used to the special effects being used and in comparison, the ghost stories don?t seem scary.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Robert Frosts Poem The Road Not Taken Essay -- Road Taken Robert Fros

Robert Frost's Poem "The Road Not Taken" The poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost addresses the idea of decision-making and choosing what direction life will take you. The poem is about the speaker arriving at a fork in the road, where both paths are carpeted with leaves. The persona, who is believed to be Frost himself, chooses to take the road less traveled by. He tells himself that he will take the other road another day, although he knows it is unlikely that he will have the opportunity to do so. The poem concludes with the speaker satisfied by his choice in taking the road less traveled by.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The poem consists of four stanzas, each containing five lines. The rhyme rigid scheme is ABAAB. Then, in the last line the rhyme is broken with the word â€Å"difference† making the ending stand out from the rest of the poem. Each line contains four stressed syllables. Frost uses a metaphor comparing the road to life, and the fork to making decisions. The first stanza conveys a mood of change and introduces the idea of a life altering decision, which is the basis for the poem. First Frost sets the scene with his opening words, â€Å"Two roads diverged†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (line 1). The speaker is standing at a junction in the road pondering two choices. The roads in the poem are merged where the speaker is standing but lead in two different directions signifying two different paths in life. Frost begins with the metaphorical meaning as early as the first line with his reference to â€Å"†¦yellow w...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Lymphatic System Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Lymphatic System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Lymphatic System is very important. It helps with the Cardiovascular system, and our immune systems. The Lymphatic System is made up of two semi-independent parts. One is a network of lymphatic vessels. The other part is various lymphoid tissues and organs all over the body. The functions of the Lymphatic System transporting fluids that have escaped from the blood vascular system, and the organs house phagocytic cells and lymphocytes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lymphatic vessels are an elaborate system of drainage vessles that collect the excess protein-containing fluid and returns it to the bloodstream.. Once an interstitial fluid enters the lymphatics it is called lymph. The lymphatic vessels form a one way system in which lymph flows only towards the heart. This entire transport sytem starts in the lymph capillaries. These are very commmon, usually occur in the places blood capillaries occur. Lymph capillaries are not found in bone, teeth, bone marrow, and entire central nervous system. Lymphatic capillaries are very permeable. The endothelial cells that make up the walls of the capillaries are not tightly joined. Filament anchor the endothelium cells so they can expand. Pathogens can spread through the body through the lymphatic stream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many cells in the lymphoid tissue. One type is lymphocytes, which are reffered to often as T or B cells. Plasma cells are antibody-produci...

Monday, September 16, 2019

Finding Common Ground: Resolving the Controversy that Surrounds Stem Cell Research

The extensive debate over ethics of stem cell research provides a number of differing points of views. Most of these take potently opposing sides in either justifying or rejecting stem cell research thereby enhancing the dilemma faced by the common man in understanding the issue. The politics of human stem cell research has also added to the impasse with protagonists and opponents using time worn cliches and tactics to sustain their arguments. Lebacqz and Young supplement this debate by providing somewhat parallel yet opposing perspectives. While Lebacqz justifies stem cell research based on the concept of respect which is due to an entity be it living or non living, Young seeks to view the same from an ethical rather than a moral perspective. Thus authors Karen Lebacqz and Ernle Young contemplate the wide gap between acceptance and objection to human stem cell research. Lebacqz believes that it is possible to respect embryos and embryonic tissue by adopting an atypical approach. This can come about by treating a tissue as an entity with value. Lebacqz states, â€Å"I speak of respecting embryos and embryonic tissue, because the creation of embryonic stem cells involves use of an early embryo (blastocyst) from which particular tissue (inner cell mass) is derived and manipulated. † Lebacqz defines respect by alluding to the definition provided by Downie and Telfer in, Respect for Persons. Respect for Persons provides an ends based rather than a means based view of deference. Respect is thus an end in itself rather than a means to gain advantage for the person offering veneration. Lebacqz also adds, â€Å"Having respect involves ways of thinking and feeling as well as ways of acting. In order to sufficiently respect another person, you must exercise empathy. It is important not to inflict anything on that individual that you would not be willing to accept for yourself. However, Lebacqz admits that there are some differences between a fully developed human and an embryo. For instance, embryos lack self-determination an d rational will. Thus applying similar norms to an embryo as that applied to a fully developed human is contentious and sparks many passionate debates. To overcome this deficiency, Lebacqz provides other methods of offering respect than those that could be applicable to embryos. These include the type of value offered to non-persons, sentient beings, plants, and ecosystems. In her essay, Lebacqz thus illustrates how the definition of respect is mutable as it relates to various things and concepts. Lebacqz thus provides a three pointed approach to justify stem cell research to include respect, empathy and valuing it as being part of the overall ecosystem. Ernle Young on the other hand argues that difference in perspective arises because of differential between ethical and moral arguments on stem cells. According to Young morality is, â€Å"An attempt of individuals, or of groups, to live out in daily attitudes and actions their visions of the highest good. † Morality is commonly associated with religious tradition. In contrast ethics â€Å"employs a common public language in justifying assertions about prescribed or proscribed attitudes and actions. † Ethics adopts a more universal and secular academic approach or legislation while morality is exclusivist thereby narrowing opinions to traditional positions. Young believes that the gap between morality and ethics is the main cause of debate in society over stem cell research. In her essay, Young refers to the need to respect an individual’s moral view in accepting the argument on stem cells research. It is important to respect morals and opinions of people of different religious backgrounds. In order to do this, it is imperative to find a common language between groups which can be achieved by replacing moral reasoning by ethical thinking. Therefore Young suggests a secular rather than a pious attitude in viewing stem cell research thereby broadening the argument to a more congruent and contemporary universalistic approach. Rights of non persons are a common thread in the writings of Lebacqz and Young. By attempting to explain these privileges both writers bring more focus to the argument even though their views are diametrically opposite. Lebacqz uses animal rights as an example. Lebacqz explains, â€Å"If respect is restricted to rights (along the model of respect for autonomous persons), the difficulty becomes specifying what constitute appropriate animal rights. However, it is not necessary to use rights language to see animals as deserving of respect. In contrast, Young feels that this sentiment can be taken too far. Specifically, Young criticizes Schweitzer’s philosophy regarding all living things. According to Schweitzer, every living organism has full and equal moral status. Young explains that this â€Å"makes brushing one’s teeth as problematic as killing flies, cockroaches, and mice, or even members of our own species. † Young believes the flaw in this line of reasoning is in the assumption that all living things have a will to live. Then there is the issue of more abstract concepts and their relationship to respect. Lebacqz and Young both mention human consideration for ecosystems. They both establish that sentience alone is not a criterion for deserving respect. Once again, Lebacqz mentions the concept of value in regard to ecosystems. Lebacqz explains, â€Å"First there is the independent value of creature and the ecosystem itself. † Therefore, the struggle seems to be finding a value system that acknowledges the individual commodity of stem cells, while respecting their importance in the web of life. While both authors make strong points, the overall argument may appear unconvincing to many. According to both Lebacqz and Young the goal is to find a method that allows the existence of stem cell research for the betterment of humans, while finding a common moral ground that respects individual beliefs. The essence of the argument on stem cell research thus lies in placing it in perspective with reference to benefit to humans as well as the overall organic eco system. Once this is established as a truism, fostering the idea should be possible by taking a combination of the ethical argument suggested by Young and empathy and respect towards non persons indicated by Lebacqz. Given that stem cell research is an evolving scientific phenomenon which has yet to acquire critical mass; it is believed that once sufficient evidence of its relevance is available adoption of rights, ethics and empathy based approach will lead to its common acceptance. Till such time believers and skeptics will continue to raise numerous arguments to prove their respective points of views.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

M&S Case Study

BRUNEL UNIVERSITY? SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND DESIGN LOGISTICS AND GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT M&S Case study Assignment Mark&Spencer As it is well known, the retailer M&S had been a giant in the UK market, offering several products and services that have had a big participation in the daily life of the population that in some way had been influenced by any branch of this company in any place where they stay selling its goods, whether in the UK or on overseas places.Marks & Spencer owns no factories and does not make the goods, which are sold in its stores, which represent a different approach to the retailer business and gives some advantages that M&S enjoy. The key element in furthering its competitive advantage has been the development of strong supplier relationships which although have had suffer several changes in the past few years because of strategies in the market and distinct factors, they maintain as an essential part of the business. Marks and Spencer’s mission statement is broken into 3 parts which include:Vision – To be the standard against which others are measured Mission – To make aspirational quality accessible to all and Values – Quality value, service, innovation and trust. Representation on M&S general operations * Given that M&S had an image problem in the past, what change did it make and is making to its clothing business to enhance its competitiveness? The serious problems of image that M&S had in the pass were consequence of several decisions and assessments made by its board and especially very often by the chairman and the chief executive.There is one factor that shaped for long time all the decisions made in the company; â€Å"the culture of Marks&Spencer†, this way of thinking was the method to use for manage the firm for many years from its beginning until the changes in the market and in the customers did not fit with that culture anymore. In lights of these events and in the increasing probl ems, severe changes has to be made, changes that were enough to return the plot to the company in their market that was falling as consequence of this.The quality of the clothes was not the same and the customers get realised of that as they begun to claim about it. Moreover, the bad winter season in 1999 coinciding with the retail sales downturn put a starting point in the definitive necessity of changes in M&S. 1999 was a year to forget in the UK clothing sector. Can be said that the beginning of the first change made was the incorporation as chief executive of Peter Salsbury to succeed eventually to Sir Richard Greenbury.The first approach to changes was a series of radical culling in the board of the company, which meant a change from the top-down in the structure of the organization and the incorporation of the technology in the communicational way among the board members which it have to be stress, they were not familiarised with new technologies, these initial changes made by Salsbury were aimed to vanish the old fashion way of manage the company and dismantling symbols of the old regime; many people were removed from the administration work to go to dealing with costumers’ needs.A general reorganization that split the company into UK retail, overseas and financial services was made as well. As another remarkable change, was the approach to the renewed focus on the client itself and the fulfilment of its necessities, part of the image problems was because of the treatment to the customer from the staff of M&S, as part of the change process, a new department of marketing was created in order to enhance the advertisement and to gain customers over from the dynamical market they deal with, new thinking and new minds were ired, and the marketing department would take over many decisions of the buying departments to support in the decision of what the customers wanted. Within this period the board of the firm had realised that some of the overseas bus iness and UK suppliers had become a millstone for M&S rather than a support, and were put up for sale and dismissed respectively.The period of changes that M&S was going trough with the severe culling and reorganization processes, brought a new image problems to the company, as consequence the entire personnel was demoralized and downright, the spirit of the company to its staff and the trust of its suppliers was totally destroyed. Being clear that these methods and managing was not working anymore as a part of a past of revolution in the company, new changes have to come. Although, Peter Salsbury had accomplished the evolution and change of the culture of M&S.After this Luc Vandevelde as a chairman contributed with several changes in the clothes line of M&S, as was the entry of George Davis to the firm to develop and deliver to the public a new brand called â€Å"Per Una†, in aims to revitalize the women’s clothing sales as a strategy from the board. New changes are b eing made in order to enhance the competitiveness in the clothing business, changing the look to the stores with lighter colours, new tills, better lighting.M&S has turn itself in a company that owns a staff full of youth and freshness, consequently, the company has give back the quality to its goods, quality that was a flag in the â€Å"golden years of M&S†, with several new clothing brands fitted to both gender and to every stage in the life of people, this wide range of goods cleverly design on age and occasions are the product of selected designers and their teems pushing to deliver nothing but the very best to all the M&S’s customers, this fact is a sample of a great change that the company has made managing to recover the trust of the customers and the treatment of excellence to the clients that the current business and the market require.As part of the new times and challenges, the board of the company nowadays effectively had set clear points in the taking-deci sion process as is to debate and agree the best strategy for the Company and hold the executive team accountable for its execution, this permit a very dynamic way to involve anyone to the final decision in order to guarantee a wise decision that push to the continue enhancement and development of the current business plan and finally, to set the tone of ‘doing the right thing', supported by the right governance structures and their effective implementation. * Specifically and in detail, what changes were made to the M&S supply chain strategy in the light of these changes?Evidently as the culture of M&S was created and leaded by several men with the same way of thinking, the most remarkable characteristics of this culture was the relationship with the suppliers of M&S, that was based on an close and unique relationship that have been prevailed by several decades in some cases. This supply chain based on trust from the firm to its suppliers gave shape to the UK retail market for many years. The board planned the new strategy implemented to the supply chain by the end of the year 2000; this strategy consisted on the change of suppliers from the UK to other overseas instead. Amid the changes on reorganization of M&S in general, the board had realised that the hearty link with the traditional suppliers in the UK was no longer affordable enough and represent a millstone for the company.The first place to be pointed as an overseas supply branch was in Portugal owing to the mix positive factors of cheaper manufacturing costs and the short distance to the UK that would not affect the supplement of goods in the stores for time reasons as start happening with others overseas supplier that because they were so far from UK the time of delivery influenced in the schedules and logistics of M&S. Nevertheless, some UK suppliers that closed their factories repositioned themselves in North Africa, Indonesia, Thailand and China; Looking for cheap workhand and opening in thi s way an overseas market of suppliers for the company and at the same time a beneficial reduction of cost for M&S despite the exportation activities involve in this operations, demonstrating this way that the strategy implemented in lights of the changes has just paid off.Another important change was specially related to the clothing range â€Å"Per Una† leaded by the designer George Davis which consist in the direct delivery of the clothe and accessories from nothing more but his organisation to M&S, as part of a agreement maid at the beginning of his business relationship whit the company, this represent a self-sufficient branch in the supply chain of the firm. Some other changes were made on M&S regarding to its branches in Europe, specifically to the supply chain that maintain the European branch of the company in countries as Spain, Holland, France and Germany. They have to concentrate the efforts in the UK market so they decided to finish the overseas branches, represen ting a culling on the supply chain to those countries and leaving the supply chain operations directly to UK. * What are the different supply chain performance objectives for the different product groups? Classic| Autograph| Per Una| Indigo| Blue Harbour| Product Range| Short – Mature Customers| Long – Wide Range Customers| Short – Fashion Woman 25-35 years old| Short – women with busy lives| Long – Men’s casual clothes for weekends| Design Changes| No frequent| Trend| Frequent| Seasonal| Seasonal| Price| Expensive – ‘value-for-money' prices| Competitive ‘High Street Pricing'| Good Value| Average | Expensive – ‘value-for-money' prices| Quality| High| Aspirational Quality| High| Aspirational Quality| High| Sales Volume| High| Low – Limited| Low – Limited| High – seasonal| High – seasonal| Order Winners| Smart, Elegant & quality clothes| Fashion ability| Exclusivity| Fashionable for e veryday use| Casually smart clothes| Order Qualifiers| Quality and value on the clothes| Clothing wide range and high street prices| Affordable price| Everyday-workday casualwear| Smart casual menswear for weekends occasion| Operation Priorities| Reliability – aimed to mature costumers | Cost – Sharpen pricing – great value| Flexibility – Very fast response| Speed – high fluency on the selling of this clothes| Quality – unique menswear brand| References â€Å"The rise & fall of Marks & Spencer †¦ And how it rose again† by Judi Bevan, edition revised and updated in 2007. Bookmarque, Croydon, Surrey. ISBN-10: 1 86197 898 7. * â€Å"Logistics and supply chain management† by Martin Christopher, Fourth Edition, FT Prentice Hall – Financial times. * â€Å"Operation Management† by Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers and Robert Johnston, Sixth Edition, FT Prentice Hall – Financial times. * Marks & Spencer Annual Repo rt and Financial Statements 2000 * Marks & Spencer Annual Report and Financial Statements 2006 * â€Å"Issues of Marks & Spencer† by OxbridgeWriters. com * â€Å"Marks & Spencer† by Nardine Collier and Gerry Johnson, Case Teaching Notes, Pearson Education Limited 2005.