Refliction trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Refliction trip - Essay Example In fact a meeting will be held just shortly after you arrive referred to as A Welcome Aboard Meeting, whereby you are introduced to captain, staff captain and the hotel director. During this meeting you are informed about the rules and regulations followed by the board and also clarify any question you might have. In my case the leader was a Portuguese girl known as Sarah whereby she has worked for the company for two years. Sarah took the students through the bridge, that is the control room, whereby she introduced to us a girl who went ahead to explain to us how the captain of the ship works and how some of the devices he or she uses work. The girl also goes ahead and tells us how communication is carried on. For instance, she shows us how incoming private calls and also fax are forwarded to the crew member through the ships reception desk and also how the outgoing calls which can be either directly or indirectly can be forwarded through the ships radio station or any of the ships phone. In fact, she told us that outgoing faxes are usually handled through the ships radio station. In addition, she gave us a warning that cellular phones are not permitted on the ship that is, no one is suppose to use their phonecell. Moreover, she took us through the kids section where she went ahead to explain to us how they usually take care of them for instance, she told us the kids are given toys to play around with and their meals are served perfectly on time and also they are given snacks at specified hours. She took us to the pool side whereby we enjoyed a perfect swim. Sara also took us to the dinning room whereby it is referred to as the mess room. We were served with delicious meals, whereby each one eats the meal to their satisfaction. Shortly after our meal, Sara took us to the spa where we enjoyed the luxury. In fact, she told us that medical care was the most important benefit that

Factors Contributing to Road Accidents

Factors Contributing to Road Accidents Road accident is the global tragedy with ever-raising trend. In Malaysia, it represents a major public problem because of the high number of victims involved and also the seriousness of the consequences for the victim themselves and to their families as well. There are many factors that can contribute to the road accidents. Some researchers have made several researches and agreed that the major factors that contributing to the road accidents is because of the bad weather, condition of road, human behavior when driving, condition of the vehicle and the leniency of the law enforcement. Relating to the previous researches, the focus of our study is to identify the trend of road accidents in Shah Alam and the factors that contributing to the accidents. Besides that, the study also focuses on the strategies and ways to reduce the rate of road accidents in Shah Alam. The study will be conducted in Shah Alam which the respondents are among the road users including pedestrians, motorcyclists, car drivers and etc. Contributing Factors Bad Weather According to a report from the Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV) in Netherland, the term weather can be described as the state of atmosphere in term of air pressure, temperature, humidity, clouds, wind and precipitation. The weather conditions will affect the accident rates and exposure to the traffic hazards. A layer of water on the road surface due to rain can cause the vehicles to lose contact with the road surface and to skid. Besides that, Ellinghaus (1983) has stated that the object carried due to the strong wind, fallen trees and broken branches can also cause the traffic disturbance. Gusts of wind can push the high vehicles such as busses and vans especially when they are on the bridges. A study from Saudi Arabia (Al-Ghamdi, 2009) reports the number of crash being higher during the fog compared to the other weather condition. The crash happened because of the limited visibility during driving due to the fog. In a fog, the droplets of water are so small and light that they remain floating in the air. This will lead to limited visibility to the drivers because the light is diffused by the fog droplets. As a result of  bad weather, road surfaces may become slippery or slick. Accumulation of water, slush, ice and snow can present hazards to motorists. The manner in which other drivers react to the weather, whether through an extreme excess of caution or a disregard of the dangers posed by the weather conditions, can also contribute to the probability of an accident. When weather conditions render driving unsafe, drivers should attempt to find a safe place to get off the road and wait for the weather to improve. If you are driving at a time of year when you are likely to have your windshield splattered with dirty water, mud, slush, or salt, before driving make sure that you have a good supply of windshield solvent. In Malaysia, The majority of the investigated cases occurred during fine weather. The proportion of investigated cases during fine weather for 2008 is over presented, with more than 70%, and is significantly higher than those that occurred in any other weather condition, especially in 2009 and 2010. Based on MIROS the data in terms of lighting condition show that for the total number of investigated cases from 2007 through 2010, crashes that occurred during daylight, when it is safe to say that visibility is not a major concern. However, crashes during dark condition and without lighting, which is related to the said issue, are also significant and come in second place after daylight in all four years in terms of the number of investigated cases. Through report by MIROS, the KSI and fatality indexes according to the environmental components of the crashes, namely the vicinity area, weather conditions and lighting conditions. In terms of the environmental components of the crashes, fatality index is recorded highest for crashes happening at agricultural areas (2.86), during drizzling condition (4.84) and when the surrounding is dark without any lighting (2.67). Meanwhile, KSI index is highest for crashes that occurred at agricultural areas (3.97), during rainy day (7.56), and during dawn or dusk (7.44). This shows that bad condition of weather and surrounding may affect the driver view which can make a higher tendency of accident to occur during that particular situation. Driving attitude Whilst commercial vehicles have frequently been found to have high accident involvement rates, only one commercial driver training program has been identified so far in this Asia region. As part of the two year input in Pakistan funded by DFID in the early 1980s, a two week bus driver re-training program was provided. Bus driving standards are observed before and after the course and while bus driving standards showed improvement when drivers knew they were being observed, this improvement did not carry over to other times. This demonstrated the difference between driving skill and driving behavior and the need of enforcement and incentive schemes to encourage good driving standards. Surveys in driver knowledge and driver behavior were undertaken in several countries worldwide including Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Driver behavior was assessed at pedestrian crossing, traffic signals and priority junctions. As a follow up driver knowledge surveys were conducted in Pakistan and Thailand and both these studies have been published as separate Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) reports. While the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) also worked on the area of private knowledge with drivers surveyed on sign comprehension and traffic awareness, the CRRI has spent much effort in developing a driver reflexes testing system (DRTS) which seeks to eliminate human bias and includes psycho physical tests. Work in this area has continued over the past decade with a few DRTS systems in use in India. Human errors play an important role in contributing to the increasing numbers of accident rates. People keen to ignore this factor as they feel they can handle the situation and avoid accidents. There are many types of human errors during driving such as excessive speeding and deviant behavior, taking alcohol during driving and failed to obey the rules and regulations of the road. All of these can be categorized as the risky driving attitudes which may cause road accidents. Many of accidents that were reported are caused by human errors. According to Nasasira (2009), there are about 80% of the road accidents reported in Uganda are related to the attitude and behavior of the drivers. This data shows that the driving attitude is the major cause of road accidents. According to Sabey and Taylor (1980), 95% of the accidents caused by the human factors. Driving attitude was identified as the most central of these factors. Besides that, research by Jashua and Garber (1992) also stated that the most common accident type have resulted from drivers faults. Driving attitudes also include the behavior to excessive speeding. Vehicle speed is often credited as being an important cause and contributory factor of road accidents. This behavior may cause danger not only for the driver himself but also for other drivers. Most drivers tend to speed exceed the limit fixed by the government. For example, the National Speed Limits is 90km/h but drivers tend to speed exceed the limit which may cause danger to themselves and others. According to Solomon (1964), Munden (1967) and Bohlin (1967), all claimed that the probability of serious injury or death are greater at high impact speeds. This shows that the impact of excessive speeding may not only cause accident but may also cause a serious injury and death. Road Condition Geometric design standards are often taken from motorized countries and thus are not always appropriate given the presence of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users and non-motorised vehicles in the road traffic stream. There has been much effort in safety engineering research to minimise the risk of accidents and DFID sponsored the development and publication of Towards Safer Roads (TSR) which was the first major manual to address safety engineering and planning in developing countries. TSR also introduced the practice of safety audits (a standardized procedure for checking the safety concerns of road projects from the feasibility stage through to final construction and operation). Formal safety audits have also begun to be used recently in Nepal, Malaysia, Fiji and a number of other developing countries including Bangladesh. Identifying safety impacts of geometric design modifications was a research focus in PNG and was recently reviewed for the latest version of the Highway Design and Maintenance Programme (HDM4). Recent research funded by Sweroad included the development of a traffic safety effects catalogue to include the various findings of the impact of geometric design and traffic control features on road accidents and accident rates. Several projects both on implementation and the research side have focused on traffic engineering and traffic management issues with applied road safety benefits. For example, Australian Aid projects in Papua New Guinea and Western Samoa follow this pattern as does the past research in CRRI on roadside development and road signs. The research recently started on the design and implementation issues of median installation for example are illustrative of the types of research being undertaken in this area. In Malaysia, it was reported that many of the cases of road collision involve the vehicle leaving the roadway and hits the fixed objects along the roadside such as the trees and guardrails. This may cause by the slippery road due to the rain and even because of the poorly designed and constructed roads. Most of the roads in Malaysia are pavement designed. In pavement design, there are several characteristics that need to be considered such as skid resistance and the texture depth. These characteristics will determine the condition of the road whether it is risky or not. According to Davis (2001), the moisture on the pavement surface may prevent vehicle tires from making adequate contact with the road surface. This will increase the level of slippery on the road which may cause road accident. Vehicles condition Vehicles are one of the factors which can contribute to the road accidents. This is because the vehicle that we ride is a medium for us that put us in the road and if the vehicles itself are not in a good shape and condition, the tendency for the accident to occur is more likely compare to a well manage vehicle condition. A well-designed and well-maintained vehicle, with good brakes, tires and well-adjusted suspension will be more controllable in an emergency and thus be better equipped to avoid collisions. Based on the statistics which have been produced by MIROS, during 2007-2010, the brake defects in vehicle have recorded 20 cases while tires defect have recorded 14 cases. So, that is why some mandatory  vehicle inspection  schemes include tests for some aspects of roadworthiness have been conduct by the JPJ in order to make sure that the vehicles that is going to be used are in a good condition, The design of vehicles has also evolved to improve protection after collision, both for vehicle occupants and for those outside of the vehicle. For example, in modern day car, a lot of safety features have been include likes Anti-lock braking system (ABS)  to prevent skidding allowing the driver to remain in control. The vehicle stops more quickly as theres more friction between the road and tires, traction control  to prevents skidding while accelerating so the car can quickly escape a dangerous situation and safety cage  to strengthens the cabin section to protect people in a roll-over accident. Much of this work was led by automotive industry competition and technological innovation. Some crash types tend to have more serious consequences,  Rollovers  have become more common in recent years, perhaps due to increased popularity of taller  SUVs,  people carriers, and minivans, which have a higher  center of gravity  than standard passenger cars. Rollovers can be fatal, especially if the occupants are ejected because they were not wearing  seat belts  (83% of ejections during rollovers were fatal when the driver did not wear a seat belt, compared to 25% when they did).   After a new design of  Mercedes Benz  notoriously failed a moose test (sudden swerving to avoid an obstacle), some manufacturers enhance suspension using  stability control  linked to an  anti-lock braking system  to reduce the likelihood of rollover. After retrofitting these systems to its models in 1999-2000, Mercedes saw its models involved in fewer crashes. Now about 40% of new US vehicles, mainly the SUVs, vans and pickup trucks that are more susceptible to rollove r, are being produced with a lower  center of gravity  and enhanced suspension with  stability control  linked to its  anti-lock braking system  to reduce the risk of rollover and meet US federal requirements that mandate anti-rollover technology by September 2011. According to the research by Chin Shu Pei (2009), she has stated that the relationship between the road surface and the type of tire, tread pattern, tire pressure and tire condition may affect the road surface friction and cause the vehicles to skid off the road. She also added that tires in poor condition will not have adequate braking friction on any pavement surface. Motorcyclists have little protection other than their  clothing; this difference is reflected in the casualty statistics, where they are more than twice as likely to suffer severely after a collision. In 2005 there were 198,735 road crashes with 271,017 reported casualties on roads in Great Britain. This included 3,201 deaths (1.1%) and 28,954 serious injuries (10.7%) overall. Of these casualties 178,302 (66%) were car users and 24,824 (9%) were motorcyclists, of whom 569 were killed (2.3%) and 5,939 seriously injured (24%). In Malaysia, it is recorded that  4,067 motorcyclists died in 2010 by MIROS. This represents about 60 per cent of the 6,745 road fatalities. In 2008, 3,898 motorcyclists were killed out of a total of 6,527 fatalities. Motorcyclist deaths on average accounted for 60 per cent of the total road fatalities in the last decade. MIROS  road safety  engineering and environment  research  director, Jamilah Mohd Marjan said the spike in deaths was due to  the rise  of the  number of riders. As we can see in the another country where both Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in United Kingdom and Indian Institute of Technology (ITT) IN India have conducted a research into vehicle design and injury control. In Papua New Guinea the MAAP system identified many casualties occurring in run-off accidents in open top pickups. Open top pickups are a common public transport mode and are often heavily loaded with passengers in Papua New Guinea. TRL concluded research into vehicle design to minimize such injuries. IIT have modeled crash impacts of bus fronts and three wheeler motorized scooter taxis to determine how the design can be altered to reduce injury severity to pedestrians hit by buses and the Three Wheeler Scooter Taxi (TST) drivers, passengers and pedestrians in TST crashes. TSTs are found to be unsafe for all three user groups (drivers, pedestrians and passengers at velocity impacts as low as 15 to 20 kilometers per hour). Minor modifications were found to make a significant difference in the safety to all three user groups in crashes up to speeds of 25 to 30 kilometers per hour. IIT research also identifies structural weakness in motor cycle helmet design. Earlier work had identified a majority of head impacts and two wheel crashes to be sustained on the side of the head yet VIS standards did not include a side impact test. IIT devised and implemented a side impact test and when all helmets in general were found to be inadequate in side impact, BIS amended the motorcycle helmet standards. Delhi Police have sponsored this research and later publicized the findings and distributed guidelines for customers and the relative rankings of the different helmets. Around the same time that ITT was studying the relative safety of motorcycle helmets in Delhi, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) was also studying the use of motorcycle helmets and conducting opinion surveys on the use of motorcycle helmets in several metropolitan cities where motorcycle helmet usage was mandatory. These studies all helped to influence road safety policy in India. Leniency of the Law Enforcement While most if not all countries in Asia and Pacific have revised their road regulations in the past 15 years, little bilateral technical assistance seems to have been provided in this sector nor does there seem to have been local research effort in such countries despite many countries sharing the same base for road regulations (The British Motor Vehicle Code 1939). Little exchange of information and experience has occurred and traffic regulations have generally been revised individually by each country. No regional manual has been produced similar to such manuals that exist in Africa and other regions of the world. Traffic Police training programmes have been developed by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) with sponsorship from the Ministry of Surface Transport. National workshops on traffic police training were also organised in 1992 and 93. Traffic police from 23 metropolitan cities were trained before the project was discontinued. Ongoing at the same time was CRRI research project analysing the past 10 years of traffic violations from Delhi covering 1980 to 1990. The analysis revealed misguided priorities with administrative violations being enforced more frequently than the more dangerous moving violations. Highway patrolling was quite effective when it was introduced in Pakistan in the early 1980s as it discouraged overtaking and targeted road safety parking, both of which were known to contribute to road accidents in Pakistan.

Essay --

Article on apartment in Roorkee - flats in Roorkee - studio apartments in Roorkee http://www.arjunkkrdevelopers.com/ Flats and Apartments in Roorkee – Providers of Smooth and Smart Lifestyle Today’s age is witnessing fast migration of people from one place to another for a number of reasons that include advanced studies, better career prospects and the like. This has made the crucial need of developing housing solutions to address the ever-growing demand of houses. This advancement in residential sphere has given a substantial boost to the real estate market. With the growth of residential township projects, there are several towns that have been blessed with advancement. One of these blissful towns is Roorkee, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Every apartment in Roorkee is an embodiment of comfort and is built on latest architectural lines. Roorkee is going through construction of townships on an accelerated rate. These housing zones have a superb assortment of home types that include independent floors, 1/2/3 BHK flats, studio apartments, premium villas and individual ho...

Communication and conflict Essay

Communication is important, as it is the medium of conveying message, forming the first interface in method of conflict resolution. Communication is almost always within the context of culture, and culture determines the significance of words as well as gestures and non-verbal expressions, affording people with choices of high context or low context communication, depending upon their cultural maturity and ability to handle multi-culturalism and accommodate a range of opinions and ideas other than those familiar to them (Grosse, 2002). During the initial phase of cultural familiarity, communication takes place at low context, meaning that people rely more on direct verbal communication, which is more or less literal in nature. As the cultural relationship progresses, communication interaction moves ahead on continuum to become high context, and it becomes more interpersonal and contextual, minimizing chances of misunderstanding and confusion. However, in cases where the entire cultural paradigms are set in low context or high context communication patterns, cultural crossover becomes a difficult barrier for all the involved parties. Effective cross cultural communication is centered upon knowledge, empathy and intercultural sensitivity (ibid). The correct approach in such cases is be flexible, adaptable and receptive to all views, no matter how contrary or incongruous they appear. A successful cross cultural communication situation demands coming over these contradictions and differences in opinion to form a harmonious vision. A positive and patient listening attitude is also valuable as it allows people to fathom emotions of others and makes them perceptible to alternate view points. Finally, the most important attribute in cross cultural communication is recognition that every culture is correct in its own context and each has to yield some ground to reach a harmonious consensus (ibid). Discussion on mediation and skills in conflict resolution Effective communication strategies are keys to resolve conflict by providing channels that provide expression of grievances and bring conflicting parties together. In the field of conflict management, communication strategies help through the channels of 1. Negotiation: Negotiation has emerged as an important form of conflict management within organizational and social setups. As such research in communication theory in conflict management has started to pay close attention to communication behaviors, types and strategies towards successful negotiation. Negotiation, as a part of managing conflict, requires interested parties to trade proposals for settlement that include, out of court settlements, business contracts, collective bargaining contract etc (Womack, 1990, 32). As Womack further elaborates, generally the process of negotiation proceeds through motives that are both competitive and cooperative. The approach of communication in the entire process of negotiation is concerned with the messages that are transferred among negotiators and the concerned parties. Communication intervenes in the process of negotiation through its both verbal and nonverbal forms and constitutes the entire base on which the goals and terms of the bargain are negotiated. Communication plays the central role in not only developing the relationship among the parties in conflict, but also in determining its direction. It is also central in every form of bargaining process, whether the bargaining is done for organizational form of conflict management, involves conflict resolution, negotiation on legal agreements or for negotiation in inter-group an intra group conflict. The entire role of communication in negotiation processes and strategies is quite vast and it ranges from defining the conflict issues, selection and implementation of strategies to presenting and defending the viable alternatives and finally helping in reaching on a solution (Womack, 1990, 35). 2. Third party intervention: Third party intervention in conflict situation is a tricky and challenging situation. It is considered as one of those areas that offers real test to the communication skills of the intervening person. Although mediation requires a neutral and third party to bring the disputants on the resolving chairs and solve the conflict, the mediator per se, has no authority and commanding power to force the parties into acquiescing to an agreement. At the best, the mediator can use persuasive and convincing dialogues through which the involved parties voluntarily agree to reach at accord through advises, admonishments, ideas, and views of the mediator and break into meaningful dialogue with each other (Burrel, 1990, 54). Its easy to see that this entire procedure requires very high level of communication skills on the part of the mediator to successfully negotiate agreement among the conflicting parties. According to Burrel, one of the important communication skills in third party intervention is the ability to collect as much information as possible on the cause, background, and nature of conflict as well as on all the parties and individuals that are involved in the conflict. Burrel informs that an effective communication strategy to gather information is question-asking within a variety of communication approaches, some for example being, employment interviews, initial interactions and parent-child discourses, although there has been insignificant research on role of particular types of questions in mediation itself. However, it is established beyond question that the questioning abilities of a third party mediator are very important in striking a collaborative approach to the entire process of conflict management.

Family Witnessed Resusitation Essay

There are several legal and ethical issues relating to FWR. Some of the key legal concerns expressed by healthcare professionals include the potential for litigation, patient confidentiality, and the patient’s right to privacy (Mian et al, 2007; Critchell et al, 2007). Litigation and liability concerns arise from the fact that, in most cases, family members will have little understanding of the procedures used in the code room. The fear is that the staff’s actions could be perceived as detrimental or harmful to the patient in the eyes of the typical lay-person. The reality is that once healthcare providers become educated and experienced with FWR, this fear is alleviated, as found in a study conducted by Mian et al (2007). In this same study however, confidentiality and privacy concerns were unchanged, suggesting that this is an issue hospitals will need to address if they are to implement FWR. The ethical issues involved with FWR revolve around the mental and emotional impact that families and medical professionals may experience if a code is witnessed. Performance anxiety and the potential loss of professional distance from the patient for healthcare providers and how traumatic the experience may be for family members are major ethical concerns with FWR (Mian et al, 2007; Critchell et al, 2007). Mian et al found that nurse attitudes regarding potential trauma for the family improved with experience while physician attitudes did not. Studies of family member reactions suggest that the experience is not excessively traumatic for family and may actually be a beneficial part of the grieving process (Critchell et al, 2007). Performance anxiety for the staff seems to be the bigger issue. Though this factor seems to improve with experience (Mian et al, 2007), staff anxiety will still be a driving concern when it comes to the ethical consideration of whether or not it is beneficial for family members to be present. Discuss the viewpoints of various medical professionals in regards to FWR The general trend in opinions regarding FWR is that nurses tend to favor it while physicians tend to be against it (Critchell et al, 2007). The study conducted by Mian et al looked at attitudes pre- and post- FWR experience and in both situations found that nurses had a more favorable view of FWR (2007). While there are many potential reasons for this trend, one possible explanation is that nurses have more interaction with the patient and the patient’s family, thus establishing more of a connection which in turn makes nurses feel more comfortable with family members present. Discuss the patient and family experiences associated with FWR Most people believe that it is their right to be present during a loved-one’s resuscitation, should they so desire. Contrary to the fears of the medical community, family members who have been present during a resuscitation report that the experience was not traumatic for them and would in fact opt to witness it again. Also, being present seems to provide a sense of closure and security in knowing that everything possible was done to save their loved one’s life (Critchell et al 2007). What is your opinion regarding family presence during resuscitation ? Do you support this practice? Why or why not? I believe that the immediate family members should be given the option to be present during resuscitation of the patient. I believe that it is the immediate family members’ right to be present if they choose to be and if they are not disruptive to the medical team that is attempting to resuscitate the patient. I support this practice because of my own beliefs. I would want to be present if my family member was critically ill and needed to be resuscitated. It would give me the opportunity to support my loved one, to have closure, to have a sense of the severity of their illness, and to say my goodbyes if my loved one was not able to be resuscitated. If I were a patient, I would also want to have my immediate family at my side. I might be alert and scared during the resuscitation. Knowing that my family was at my bedside would be comforting to me.

Free Essays on Richard Russo Term Paper

In all of his novels evaluated Richard Russo wrote things that fit into the theme of social roles in small towns. In â€Å"Straight Man,† â€Å"Mohawk,† and â€Å"Empire Falls,† there are central male characters, William Henry Devereaux, Dallas Younger, and Miles Roby respectively whose lives and the one’s of those connected to them are the focus. Each is middle aged and going through a period of reflection and question during which they are trying to figure out how they got to the current point in their lives and how to improve the relationships with those they care about. Although they all share the similarities of middle aged men, each with their own job, home and set of people they care about, they each provide a very different perspective on small town life. William Henry Devereaux, a.k.a. Hank, is a professor and the department head of English at the college in the small town he resides within. This sets him apart from Dallas and Miles who both have jobs that are more of the physical labor type. His job although equally dead ended and unfulfilling to him as those of Dallas and Miles, is one of more prestige and intellect. He also doesn’t have the same problem with debt as they do, as he wrote a book when he was younger that made him enough money to supplement his teaching income so he lives much more comfortably. However his societal role is still similar to that of those in Russo’s other novels, as he is a man whose reasoning and way of going about things often gets him into trouble and most people see him only as he is outwardly. Hank is often accused of not taking things as seriously as he should, and he usually just listens to their criticism and goes on. He is much more at peace with himself and doesn’t have t he anger that engulfs some people because of this. However others that don’t have that sort of restraint or ability often just get angrier at him because of this. In Russo’s other books his main characters oft... Free Essays on Richard Russo Term Paper Free Essays on Richard Russo Term Paper In all of his novels evaluated Richard Russo wrote things that fit into the theme of social roles in small towns. In â€Å"Straight Man,† â€Å"Mohawk,† and â€Å"Empire Falls,† there are central male characters, William Henry Devereaux, Dallas Younger, and Miles Roby respectively whose lives and the one’s of those connected to them are the focus. Each is middle aged and going through a period of reflection and question during which they are trying to figure out how they got to the current point in their lives and how to improve the relationships with those they care about. Although they all share the similarities of middle aged men, each with their own job, home and set of people they care about, they each provide a very different perspective on small town life. William Henry Devereaux, a.k.a. Hank, is a professor and the department head of English at the college in the small town he resides within. This sets him apart from Dallas and Miles who both have jobs that are more of the physical labor type. His job although equally dead ended and unfulfilling to him as those of Dallas and Miles, is one of more prestige and intellect. He also doesn’t have the same problem with debt as they do, as he wrote a book when he was younger that made him enough money to supplement his teaching income so he lives much more comfortably. However his societal role is still similar to that of those in Russo’s other novels, as he is a man whose reasoning and way of going about things often gets him into trouble and most people see him only as he is outwardly. Hank is often accused of not taking things as seriously as he should, and he usually just listens to their criticism and goes on. He is much more at peace with himself and doesn’t have t he anger that engulfs some people because of this. However others that don’t have that sort of restraint or ability often just get angrier at him because of this. In Russo’s other books his main characters oft...

Swot on Mcdonalds Essay Example

Swot on Mcdonalds Essay Example Swot on Mcdonalds Paper Swot on Mcdonalds Paper EXECUTIVE SUMMARY McDonald’s India was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary – McDonalds India Pvt Ltd (MIPL) in 1993. In April 1995, the wholly owned subsidiary entered into two 50:50 joint ventures. The first with Connaught Plaza Restaurants (Mr Vikram Bakshi) to own and operate the Delhi restaurants, and Hardcastle Restaurants (Mr Amit Jatia) to own and operate the Mumbai outlets. This marked the beginning of an incredible era in the international McDonalds timeline. It was the beginning of remarkable growth, lengthy product adaptations, and the entry into a market that was so culturally diverse many saw the venture as unrealistic and essentially a waste of time. This report entails the lengths at which McDonalds had to adapt and connect with the local populations. A brief history is supplied about the company and the nation in question. An analysis of the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats is provided and an insight into the most important of all external and internal factors. Major cultural issues and distinctive sociological features are presented throughout the report, along with an insight into McDonalds India’s continual growth. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. 0Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4-5 2. 0SWOT analysis 2. 1Strengths†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2. 2Weaknesses†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 2. 3Opportunities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 2. 4Threats†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 2. 5SWOT findings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦.. 7-8 3. 0Cultural fit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 4. 0Cultural issues†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. . 9-10 5. 0Progression and Structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 6. 0Strategies and Success†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 7. 0References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 1. 0 INTRODUCTION McDonalds for many years has been the leader in global fast food, franchised outlets. It has set the standard, for quick, reliable and consistent food, worldwide. The company has rapidly expanded and continues to do so. Opening more stores than any other fast food chain over the past 40 years. McDonalds had entered the Asian market in 1971, beginning with Japan. It had continued to enter various other countries and regions of Asia for the following 35 years. Year of OpeningCountryRestaurants in 1997Restaurants in 2002 1971Japan24373891 1975Hong Kong140216 1979Singapore105130 1980Philippines157236 1981Malaysia110149 1984Taiwan233350 1985Thailand61100 1988South Korea114357 1991Indonesia103105 1992China ( Beijing)184546 1996India946 1998Pakistan020 1998Sri Lanka02 Source: McDonalds Corporation 2002 Annual Report. India was always considered a sleeping giant to many western multinationals. It had continued to expand and slowly open its markets, and doors to trade from western nations. India’s population soared through the 1960’s to 1990’s, yet was still an incredibly difficult market to enter, primarily for cultural reasons. source: BBC News, India’s Population India is possibly the most diversified nation on the face of the planet. It is home to more that 1. 18 billion people, 17. 31% of the worlds population. India is home to more than two thousand ethnic groups, and every major religion is represented. McDonald’s first entered the India market in October 1996, since then it has opened a following 168 stores, however there proved many difficult times and obstacles that impended the smooth run of fast food chain. . 0 SWOT ANLYSIS 2. 1 Strengths McDonalds’ sheer size is it biggest strength that creates so many opportunities for the brands alone. In 2003 it operated more than 31,000 restaurants and served than more than 46 million people daily in 118 countries. That same year McDonalds had attained US$41. 5 billion in sales , another point of strength. McDonalds also managed to show US$2. 1 billion in operating profits, and had US$24 billion worth of assets. These figures indicated the magnitude of strength the company holds, all of which would assist McDonalds venture into the great sub-continent. McDonalds has always maintained a competitive advantage over many competitors due to their ability to adapt to changes in the environment and movement in consumer circumstances. 2. 2 Weaknesses The late entry of McDonalds into India can be attributed to many things, particularly the level of research and time that went into determining the critical success factors for the market. Along the way various weaknesses were encountered in the potential market. A significant percentage of the population was vegetarian, which impacted heavily on the menu that was found in neighboring Asian nations. The limited purchasing power of the nation was enhanced due to the closed nature of the economy. Weaknesses in the current set-up of McDonalds were brought to the surface through the social diversity of the nation. There were more than 20 major spoken languages and over 200 different dialects. The Indian currency had its denomination spelt out not only in English and Hindi (the national language), but also in 13 other languages. Approximately 50% of the population was considered to be illiterate, which had negative impacts on marketing and advertising campaigns, which would soon be lead by McDonalds India. 2. 3 Opportunities What drew so many multinational corporations to India? Incidentally it was the various opportunities that were seen there. It was considered a gold mine for large western organizations. Since the Indian Government began deregulating the economy and opened up its doors to international competition in 1991, a swarm of multinationals had entered. Indian was a vast subcontinent with an area four times smaller than the US and a population four times larger. It was ranked as the fifth largest economy in the world, after adjusting for purchasing power parity, India’s economy exhibited a per capita GDP (2002) of US$2540 and aggregate GDP of US$2. 6 trillion. The â€Å"eating out† market was considered to be huge in India, according to one analyst India’s food expenditure amounted to $77 billion in 2000, out of the total world food spending of $4000 billion. (Business Line, 2000) 2. 4 Threats Along with the tremendous opportunities, came many threats, which affected the i mplementation McDonalds wanted to undertake. The expansive food market that was considered an enormous opportunity was incredibly fragmented, consisting of millions of smaller roadside food stalls and restaurants, known as dhaba, that were located throughout the subcontinent. For launches of new products or stores, eight languages had to be used, which affected the level of reach advertising campaigns would have, also inflating the cost of set up and promotion. India also had incredibly poor infrastructure, which looked and still looks far off from being improved. Delhi and Bangalore, two of India’s established and advanced cities still suffered total power shortages and blackouts on a regular basis. 2. 5 SWOT findings: 3 Issues that McDonalds should Address The three most significant issues that were found in the SWOT analysis were; he sheer size and strength of McDonalds capital resources and assets, the size of the economy and purchasing power adjusted per capita GDP, and finally the cultural influences and diversity of the nation. The capital and human resources McDonalds employees globally ensures an almost infinite amount of research and development can take place, ensuring a smoother operation and implementation of initiatives in order to en ter a new market. The GDP per capita is an excellent indicator of what a potential market can offer. When the Indian economy began to open its doors to foreign investments in 1991, many companies saw this statistic as a great opportunity, also being lured in by the attraction of a growing middle class, currently somewhere in the proximity of 400 million. Both the two points above outline strong reasons for a successful market, however the most important factor to take into account when entering a foreign market is the underlying cultural differences of the host nation. More so, in India particularly is the incredible diversity of cultures that span across the subcontinent. This was most probably the most important issue to consider when factoring in an entry into a new market. Many well known multinational brands had failed with their initial strategies and were forced to either reposition products and brands, drastically reduce prices, and in some cases – close up shop (e. g. Peugeot. ) Kellogg’s attempted to enter the Indian market in 1992, and offered cereals that were several more times expensive than traditional breakfasts, and locals were not particularly attracted to their product. McDonalds had to undergo product adaptation to suit local tastes and cultures in various regions throughout the world, for example, McRice in Indonesia, McPork in Thailand, McSpaghetti with Filipino ham in the Philippines, or McLox Salmon sandwiches in Norway. However, the degree of adaptation was significantly greater in India. McDonald’s core product, the Big Mac, was replaced with the Maharaja Burger, which replaced a beef patty with a mutton patty. In addition, since 40% of the market was considered to be vegetarian, the McAloo burger was introduced with a potato patty. A special spicy salad sandwich was also introduced, and most condiments, were to be made far spicier than those found in other nations. After two years of operation McDonalds conducted a consumer feedback report, this found that consumers wanted a greater variety, and still found the restaurants to be far too expensive. McDonald’s then introduced several new and cheaper products, including the Veg Pizza McPuff, which became a national best seller. After five years of operation, in 2001, the standard Asian McDonalds menu was found to be 75% localized for the Indian subcontinent. To further meet local standards, McDonalds assured all consumers and the greater public that all non vegetarian products were being prepared by different staff, in a different facility, using different utensils from that of meat based products. This was also documented on their menu and was found on many advertisements. 3. 0 Cultural Fit for McDonalds in India The Indian culture can be characterized by the diverse population, which sticks to its strict food tradition. India has more than five thousands ethnic communities; each region and sub region in India has distinct food tradition and preference. It is interesting to note that the Indians used to food prepared at home which is considered healthy and, first of all, cheaper. Due to such distinct dietary habitats and food preference of Indian consumers, until the early 1990’s western food chains had largely ignored Indian market. India’s majority of population is of Hindu religion (80% of India’s population) in which cows are considered to be sacred, and 160 million of Indian Muslim (13. 4 % of India’s population) does not eat pork and beef. Taking this step in mind McDonald’s have developed some vegetarian menu to suits Indian taste and culture. The result was, respecting for local culture, India is the first country in the world where McDonald’s does not offer any beef or pork. Later, to suits the local customer McDonald’s has to introduce mutton based â€Å"Maharaja Mac† in India and they had introduced 14 other items such as McAloo tikki Burger (breaded potato and pea pattie). Approximately 75% of the menu available in India is â€Å"Indianized† and specially design for the Indian customer. McDonalds India is recognized as a family restaurant, there is less demand for take-away food in India. People like to go restaurant and like to finish their meal in restaurant and do not believe in take away. In India there is no drive thru system. Indian McDonald’s are very big compare to other country McDonalds because of recognize as a family restaurant. Festivals also carry a major role in Indian culture, and can often operate in seasons. Indian people typically like to spend more money on eating out and purchasing new products during festival time. To take the advantage on the spending habits of Indian customer, McDonald’s has often sought to launch new product, during Indian festival seasons. Some of the major and popular religious festivals in India during September and November are Navratri, Dussehra, and Diwali. When even non-vegetarian Hindu turn into vegetarians. 4. 0 Cultural Issues making India more or less attractive to the McDonalds Corporation. The major culture issues faced by McDonalds India were that the people of India were not eating beef and pork, which is the main ingredient of McDonald’s burger. This was a reason for McDonald’s facing many controversies in India. The controversy of McDonald’s fries is that they are not fully vegetarian. McDonald’s used to put beef extract in fries to make them tastier. This caused Mumbai and Delhi McDonald’s outlets to be targeted by violent protest groups, such as the Hindu militant group, Shiv Sena. Following this protest, the company was sued in America. Later, McDonalds gave a public assurance that it does not contain any animal extract in any vegetarian food in India. Another issue that can be discuss, as a major culture issues is attitude towards foreign food dietary. At world level McDonalds is recognized as junk food. According to Dr. Vandan Shiva the director of Research Foundation For Science, Technology, and Ecology, junk food chain like McDonalds and KFC destroying ecological balance and cause a severe disorders because of their fatty and unhealthy foods. This food chain is also for the wealthier segment of people not for poor. Which promotes more inequality in the country. Looking at the case what happened to McDonald it clearly represents us that cultural do have an impact on business and industry must study it before entering into the country or region. . 0 Progression and Structure. The development of McDonald’s core competencies within India has continued to evolve with the market expanding and continual changes, primarily of the Indian middle class. The progression of McDonalds India is evident throughout the ongoing improvement in performance and satisfied customers. During its first 12 months of operations (1996), McDonalds opened 7 outlets, 4 in Delhi and 3 in Mumbai, between them they served u p 350,000 Maharaja Macs and had 6 million customer visits. By 1998 the number of outlets had reached 14, by 2000 there were 25 outlets nation wide, and by 2001 there were 46 outlets nation wide. McDonalds ongoing success was further highlighted by KFC’s failed attempt to enter the market in the same year. By mid 2000, 50% of McDonalds’ revenue was derived from the sales of vegetarian only products. This was seen to be a major milestone for the corporation whose critics had often claimed that this would be the demise of the fast food chain in India. 6. 0 Strategies and Success In light of their success and domestic acceptance, McDonalds underwent several different strategies, firstly increasing its seating capacity in several of its restaurants by adding birthday party areas and expanding general seating areas. â€Å"A normal kebab with all the trimmings, at a regular restaurant would cost more than Rs 25 and if the new McGrill is giving us a similar satisfaction with its mint chutney, then we’d rather eat in a lively McDonalds outlet than sitting in a cramped car on the road. † Local McDonalds Customer: Helped give reason to the increase in seating capacity. Secondly attempting to open more outlets in less populated cities where there may be demand for McDonalds. These cities generally had lower income per capita levels, and were less densely populated in comparison to Delhi and Mumbai. Therefore they would most likely be less approachable with regards to western food. McDonalds, also underwent a massive movement to open many outlets at all nationwide railway stations, airports, busy highways, petrol stations, malls, multiplexes, cinema halls, and interstate bus terminals. The majority of these investments required lower levels of investment per outlet due to the nature of the surroundings. The continual growth did see many positives for McDonalds India, however the rapid expansion meant that the bottom line would in fact be affected over the following years. There was no doubt the return on investment would be of a significant profit, yet there was an opportunity that arose within the growth of the market and McDonalds had to take advantage. The result was simply a delay in the returns, however McDonalds India has continued to flourish and is now home to 160 restaurants across the country, employing more than 4000 people. (McDonalds India, 2008) . 0 References BBC News, India’s Population, http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/3575994. stm Long way for India to go on the retail front, Business Line, December 6, 2000 McDonalds Corporation 2002 Annual Report, www. mcdonalds. com/investors McDonalds India, 2008: www. mcdonaldsindia. com/McDonaldsinIndia. pdf The Golden Arches in India: A Case of Strategic Adaptation, Dr Amit Rangnekar The Golden Arches in India: A Case of Strategic Adaptation, Dr Saroja Subrahmanyan Various financial reports, facts and findings, mcdonalds. com

Comprar ropa de marca barata en NY

Comprar ropa de marca barata en NY Si, en general, Estados Unidos, es la meca de las compras, Nueva York, en particular, es el paraà ­so, a pesar de tener un impuesto a las ventas que se encuentra entre los ms altos del paà ­s. Una de las mejores formas para comprar ropa de marca barata son las sample sales.  ¿Quà © son las sample sales y cunto se ahorra? En las sample sales en sentido estricto los diseà ±adores venden artà ­culos que nunca se llegaron a vender en tienda. Pueden ser, por ejemplo, prototipos para el showroom para compradores o dueà ±os de tiendas o ejemplos que se fabricaron para testar su aceptacià ³n o productos fabricados que se quedaron en stock porque no llegaron a venderse a tiendas. Generalmente los diseà ±adores hacen dos o tres samples sales al aà ±o, si bien algunos showrooms estn abiertos continuamente. Los artà ­culos en un sample sale deben costar como un 50 por ciento menos que un artà ­culo igual o semejante en tienda, si se trata de ropa. A veces el gran problema con los sample sales de ropa son los tallajes. Si son modelos de pasarela para mujer, esperar talla 0 de Estados Unidos. Si es para showroom, entre talla 4 y la 6. Si son accesorios, la rebaja pude ser de entre el 50 y el 70 por ciento. Los bienes que se compran en un sample sale son de la temporada actual o de la siguiente, por lo que es posible estar comprando en agosto ropa de invierno y en enero de verano. Cà ³mo saber en quà © lugar se celebra una sample sale en Nueva York y de quà © diseà ±ador Para estar al dà ­a sobre sample sales puntuales, se puede obtener informacià ³n en las siguientes pginas web: 260samplesale.com. Esta es una tienda de 5,000 pies cuadrados ubicada en un bajo en la Quinta Avenida entre las calles 28 y 29. Cambia continuamente de marcas. Es un muy interesante que realiza sample sales para marcas como J.Crew, Calypso, Elie Tahari, Diptyque, La Perla, etc. Para estar al dà ­a es posible anotarse o seguirlos en las redes sociales. Bargainhotline.com. Brinda informacià ³n sobre showrooms, sample y warehouse sales. Desde cierres de tiendas con grandes descuentos a alta costura. Admite suscripciones para ser alertados por email por $50 al aà ±o. Para turistas ofrece la posibilidad de anotarse por sà ³lo una semana por $8 (admite pagos por paypal). Clothingline.com. Ofrecen en su local sample sales de fabricantes como J.Crew, Jacadi, Helmut Lang, Theory o Tory Burch. Suscripcià ³n gratuita para recibir informacià ³n de ventas actuales y futuras. Lazarshopping.com. Es una de las mejores fuentes de informacià ³n sobre todo tipo de compras a precio rebajado. Brinda la posibilidad de suscripcià ³n gratuita con acceso limitado o de pago con mayor informacià ³n y de ultimà ­sima hora.Sample, warehouse, retail, charity sales y tambià ©n discount, consigment y outlet. Shop Gotham Garment District Walking Tour. Este es realmente un tour por el Distrito de la Moda. Tiene un costo de $70 por persona pero es una forma de acceder con guà ­a a showrooms y samples sales a los que de otro modo no es posible. Se recomienda preguntar antes sobre quà © cubre el tour para asegurarse que interesa (ya que los gustos de todos no son los mismos). Topbutton.com. Brinda suscripcià ³n gratis para recibir correos electrà ³nicos con ofertas. Incluye no sà ³lo Nueva York sino tambià ©n Nueva Jersey y Connecticut. Sus listas incluyen moda, novias, viajes, productos gourmet, belleza, decoracià ³n e incluso eventos. Consejos para tener à ©xito en las sample sales Hay que saber la direccià ³n exacta. Las ventas pueden tener lugar en almacenes u oficinas sin letreros.Las mejores horas para comprar son a primera hora (ms mercancà ­a) o a à ºltima (precios ms rebajados). La peor hora es la del almuerzo.Salvo excepciones, las ventas son finales. Esto quiere decir que no habr cambios.  Informarse sobre si es posible probar la ropa. No siempre hay probadores.Ir con dinero en efectivo ya que no siempre se aceptan tarjetas de crà ©dito o dà ©bito. Otras formas de obtener ropa de marca con precios rebajados Grandes almacenes Bloomingdale ´s. El Centro de visitantes (Visitor ´s Center) est ubicado en el balcà ³n (balcon) del primer piso (en EEUU el primer piso es el de la entrada).  Por compras superiores a $50 cada visitante tiene derecho a un regalo. Ahà ­ tambià ©n se puede solicitar ayuda con un personal shopper, con traductores, compra de tickets para eventos o restaurantes y cambio de moneda. Adems, puede solicitarse que se envà ­e las compras al hotel (si se gastà ³ ms de $250 puede ser gratis). Century 21 en el Centro Financiero pero tambià ©n en otras ubicaciones. Hay que buscar, pero se encuentran grandes cosas. Cada planta est repleta de turistas (y locales). FAO Schwarz Toy Store. Se puede solicitar gratuitamente un personal shopper, es una manera de evitar largas colas en à ©pocas de fiestas. Es posible solicitar que envà ­en las compras al hotel, pero hay que pagar una tarifa. Adems, previo pago de $40 por persona se puede hacer un tour de la tienda antes de la apertura, estando incluido el desayuno. Macys. Los turistas internacionales pueden obtener un 11 por ciento de descuento en todas sus compras. Presentar el pasaporte en el Visitor ´s Center, que est situado en la mezzanine (entrada por Sexta Avenida con la calle 34). Outlets El gran outlet para comprar ropa y otros artà ­culos de marca es Woodbury Common Premium Outlet, a una hora en auto de la ciudad de Nueva York. Preguntar en los hoteles. Tambià ©n es posible ir en bus desde Port Authority. Si se consigue un librito de cupones para mayores descuentos, no dudar en utilizarlos. A tener en cuenta Antes de comprar verificar que realmente es una buena compra. Comparar precios en bluefly.com.Para comprar productos como cmaras fotogrficas o de video considerar BH, en la octava avenida con la calle 34. Es un comercio de gran prestigio y precios ajustados que ofrece la posibilidad de garantà ­as internacionales. Tener presente que est regentado por judà ­os ortodoxos y, por lo tanto, est cerrado el sbado. (Incluso no es posible comprar en su pgina web desde que cae el sol el viernes hasta que acaba el sabbath).Estados Unidos pone un là ­mite en la cantidad de dinero en efectivo que se pueden traer al paà ­s sin declarar en las aduanas. Pero jams pone un là ­mite a lo que un extranjero se puede gastar en compras en el paà ­s.

Symbolic interactionism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Symbolic interactionism - Essay Example Our group known as the ‘The Saviour’ came up with the project of collecting clothes. Our strategy was to use all methods possible to collect many clothes to help the poor people in Senegal. To be effective in the meeting of our target, we divided the group into two. My team was given the task of placing donation boxes at various strategic points, giving out flyers to students in various colleges, and placing of posters to public notices. The posters had our contacts and activity. After two weeks of the activity the whole group came together to discuss on the progress. We all found out that the turnout was far below our expectations. According to symbolic interactionism theory, I expected my neighbors to appreciate my efforts to assist the poor through donations. However, that was not the case; the neighbors were seemingly getting a different symbolism from my efforts. I decided to meet with my team and discuss the way forward on how we could increase the awareness of our project in all our strategic places. We decided not to rule out possibility of miscommunication in our awareness efforts. As a team, we decided to purchase t-shirts printed with information regarding the project. At interval times, a person had to be at the strategic points we had placed the boxes and always carry with them a small mapping board with the group banner. Since our donation boxes were placed the bus terminal, the garden, school gates and the market place, the person was to talk to people around and create a good rapport about the group’s activity. In the next two weeks, we experienced a tremendous improvement in donations. This was perhaps possible because we were able to communicate our idea and convince people that we were a genuine group of youths dedicated to helping the poor in the developing countries. Language is an important concept of symbolic interaction. Therefore, we understood that different people perceive ideas differently. Our target was to colle ct several cargo tanks of clothes. We decided that each one of us would go from house to house in our respective neighborhood during our free time and weekends to distribute the remaining fliers. I visited most of the families in my neighborhood during weekends for a month. The response was encouraging because most neighbors embraced the idea and were happy about our project. Most of them gave out dozens of clothes and even promised tell others. Their appreciation and promises of cooperation was in accordance with the theory of symbolism interactionism. Thoughts are a concept of symbolic interactionism. Thought modifies the way a person perceives and understands a symbolism. We found out that placing the posters would not yield much as expected probably because people had gotten used to posters being used by scam artists. We decided to come up with alternative workable ideas of using posters. We placed the posters in each class notice board. We also visited some of the offices to al low us use their company’s staff notice board for a while. At first, most of the companies were afraid and thought we were a fake group but after we explained and defended our purpose, some of the companies permitted us. At the end of two weeks, we followed up and got a positive response from the employees, we collected several bunches of clothes from most companies. When the whole group met, we found out that our new strategy worked out very well. We shared the strategies we had used with the other team and the

Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Morality - Essay Example Considering that fundamentalist followers of any religion will have a different moral code from those of a liberal bent, it becomes nearly impossible to take dogma as a guideline for morals. Similarly, there have been times in history where certain laws themselves were unethical and even immoral therefore to follow those laws would be unethical and immoral. Therefore, I feel that my own morals come from ethical guidelines that have been given to us by experts in the field who continually update their suggestions based on changing times. That strikes very close to my idea of life since life itself is full of change and this dynamic nature of life is tremendously exciting. While the basic realties of life itself may not alter everyday, the expanding knowledge and greater understanding we have of the world around us brings changes to our lives which make it worth living. Considering the difference between what we knew a few hundred years ago and what we know today, it is not easy to project how our lives will change in a few years let alone a few decades. Yet the coming changes do not scare me in the least for I know that I will keep trying to improve my own condition as well as those who are around me. If I can devote my life to that purpose alone I would think that I have lived a good life and do not need to go far beyond that. I know that I can not change the world and I know that I probably will never be able to create anything which has a lasting affect beyond one or two generations that follow me. However, it is the idea which excites me that if I try hard enough I will be able to make a difference. Even if it is a small difference it should be something which adds to the quality of life rather than something that subtracts. Therefore, as I keep improving my own abilities and seek out ways in which I can make the lives of people

Use of Gender Stereotypes in Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Use of Gender Stereotypes in Advertising - Essay Example Gender stereotyping in the advertisements has become one of the major problems seen. For many it is a wrong and unacceptable way since it gives a wrong sense of value to the people for selfish reasons. On the other hand, the groups of people who use gender stereotyping argue that it is to reach the targeted audience and not to immorally harm the society. The issues arise often and the debate goes on. It is important to note that advertisements rely on stereotypes, and despite what the society presents, gender stereotypes play the concrete role. The modern society has been shaped according to the media that surrounds us. The main purpose why advertisers use stereotypes is to make their message stronger and reach the targeted audience. They also think this secures the stereotypes in the society and portrays their position in the society. However, it also causes an inverse effect according to many psychologists. They say these advertisements represent the genders in the society as they exist stereotypically, and also cause these groups to be influenced to stay packed within their stereotyped molds. The advertisement of Weight Watchers is an example of how gender stereotypes are commonly used in advertisements. They have the perspective of looking at men and women so differently that they have used two separate advertisements in order to target them. The advertisement for women launched the ‘Weight Watchers 360’ programme and the advertisement for men launched the ‘Lose like a Man’ programme. The programme for women was very stereotypical as it focused on the ability of the user to, at times, eat what they wanted, such as chocolates. For men the programme used the approach giving them the ability to sometimes eat some of their favourites and still lose weight, such as pizza, burgers etc. The advertisement could not have gotten more stereotypical where it positioned different tactics for both genders, placed the genders in their stereotyped roles and influenced the society to follow them. The relationship between the media and the society is not understandable. It is observed that women face excessive stereotypical pressure, but usually men suffer the same. Gender stereotyping in advertisements is commonly discouraged because it enforces negative and false assumptions in the society through portraying audiences on television, social media or billboards. For selfish reasons advertisers use these groups and create wrong values in the minds of people in the society. Psychological reasons are the most important ones because of which stereotyping in advertisements are immoral and harmful. The advertisement may remind the targeted audience of any incidents that they went through, and influence to think of them as normal. Advertisers sell their products through targeting the psychology where the audience starts to feel they actually lack those so-called attributes (Browne, 2011, p. 33). Advertisements affect people every day in a way that they do not realise. These advertisements portray an idealistic reality which most people are not aware of. The goals and objectives attained by the advertisers cause severe negative circumstances in the society. Psychologists say that women are reminded of the negative stereotypes before they perform any exercise or activity. The stereotyped advertisements create an exaggerated version of a specific group or gender and they present it as normal. This affects the psychology of people who are being targeted and they are not only convinced to buy the product but also start believing themselves to be normally unusual.

Lurking in the shadows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lurking in the shadows - Essay Example So I try to put them at ease. I uncross my legs slowly so as not to draw their attention. I steady the rocking chair and I become very still. I am as still as a thousand year old stone; stiller, in all reality. I relax and then adjust my vision. I breathe softly, in measured breaths, and study these fascinating creatures anew. The distance is not close; indeed, there is an open field over which I must peer before reaching the edge of the wooded field where the doe keeps her fawn close by her side. The wheat in the open field rolls as the wind passes by, and the wooded field is studded with oak and pine. The fawn blends at times with the yellow of the wheat field and the brown of the woods. The fawn is at one moment visible and then nearly imperceptible; it is the down, with a darker brown color, that allows me to keep focused most precisely. The trees are crowded closely together, a shadow almost when compared with the brightly rolling yellow field of wheat, and the deer are perceptible only in their occasional movements.

People have to solve the smog problem Research Paper

People have to solve the smog problem - Research Paper Example China’s own governmental policies designed to keep the problem of pollution within limits have not been very successful and the national target to keep the concentration of particulate matter within limits was never achieved. The environment belongs to each and every one of us and there exists several ways in which citizens of the country help to reduce the problem and lead a better and safer life. Smog is basically photochemical air pollution. Smog has two major components- suspended particular matter and emissions from factories and vehicles. Smog is basically of two kinds- London type and photochemical type. London type of smog occurs mostly in urban and industrialized areas where coal plants and fossil fuels are consumed in huge quantities. Major components in such types of smog includes particulate matter and oxides of sulfur. Another major form is the photochemical smog which a result of reactions in the atmosphere which are initiated by ultraviolet radiations on emissions. Vehicles are the principal contributors to such emissions. Major components of photochemical air pollution includes oxides of nitrogen, ozone and hydrocarbons (Altshuller, 1978). It is not that that the Chinese Government is least bothered about the environment or problems associated with it. The fact is that the government has greater concern for socioeconomic development and has degraded the environment in the race to become a booming economy. Air pollution monitoring have shown that suspended particulate matter in most regions such as Shanghai and Beijing exceed the limits which can be tolerated by the human body. According to air quality index for Shanghai is 137 and for Beijing is 224, both of which are very unhealthy (Air Quality Index in China, 2015). In fact very recently, the air pollution in Beijing was so high that it became impossible to measure it with the normal air quality methodology. China’s energy demands are

Transformational Leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Transformational Leadership - Research Paper Example The following questions would like (Drenkard, 2013)wise be appropriately addressed: (1) is the style currently being used? (2) Has it been revised? (3) If it is being used, in what area is it used most often? The chosen leadership style would be expounded, as stated; and provide details if it was found to have a place in health care today. The definition of transformational leadership was described by Johnson & Potts (2012) as an â€Å"action-based leadership style that recognizes the need for change, which is guided by admirable influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized attention† (p. 12). This was corroborated by Clavelle (2012) who described transformational leadership as â€Å"striving for open communication and fostering change in an environment of shared leadership and decision making† (p. 345). From these definitions, it could be deduced that as perceived from the word ‘tranform’, this style of leadership aims to change some facets of the work setting towards remarkable improvement, growth, and professional development. In fact, Leach (2005) emphasized that â€Å"transformational leadership is a suitable approach in organizations requiring change, development, initiative, and creativity in turbulent and uncertain environments† (p. 228). T his statement therefore indicates that there are some conditions or situations that were deemed to be emergent prior to confirming that the tranformational leadership style is appropriate. The conditions include: (1) current status being in a turbulent or substandard scenarios; (2) there are opportunities seen that would significantly improve the current work environmen; and (3) proposed changes would bring the organization or its stakeholders to unprecedented heights of professional growth. The concept of transformational leadership, reported to have been initiated in 1978, was attributed to

People have to solve the smog problem Research Paper

People have to solve the smog problem - Research Paper Example China’s own governmental policies designed to keep the problem of pollution within limits have not been very successful and the national target to keep the concentration of particulate matter within limits was never achieved. The environment belongs to each and every one of us and there exists several ways in which citizens of the country help to reduce the problem and lead a better and safer life. Smog is basically photochemical air pollution. Smog has two major components- suspended particular matter and emissions from factories and vehicles. Smog is basically of two kinds- London type and photochemical type. London type of smog occurs mostly in urban and industrialized areas where coal plants and fossil fuels are consumed in huge quantities. Major components in such types of smog includes particulate matter and oxides of sulfur. Another major form is the photochemical smog which a result of reactions in the atmosphere which are initiated by ultraviolet radiations on emissions. Vehicles are the principal contributors to such emissions. Major components of photochemical air pollution includes oxides of nitrogen, ozone and hydrocarbons (Altshuller, 1978). It is not that that the Chinese Government is least bothered about the environment or problems associated with it. The fact is that the government has greater concern for socioeconomic development and has degraded the environment in the race to become a booming economy. Air pollution monitoring have shown that suspended particulate matter in most regions such as Shanghai and Beijing exceed the limits which can be tolerated by the human body. According to air quality index for Shanghai is 137 and for Beijing is 224, both of which are very unhealthy (Air Quality Index in China, 2015). In fact very recently, the air pollution in Beijing was so high that it became impossible to measure it with the normal air quality methodology. China’s energy demands are

Getting more programs like DARE for children of younger ages Essay

Getting more programs like DARE for children of younger ages - Essay Example DARE is such a type of education that is arranged for the education of people so that they can gain awareness about restrictive drugs and associated aggressive attitudes. For children, the education program is very advantageous as they are able to know about categorized drugs along with their effects on people. The program is an outcome of the issue of war on drugs. In the United States, DARE program is handled by police officers as they take the responsibility of handling all law related matters. Usage of drugs also comes under the law due to which, the police department is given the accountability to control drug-related issues and to educate the masses about the abuse. DARE program is an old program and is offered to different age groups. It is instructed that the education under this drug related program should be provided to students of grade 5 to higher levels. They gain assistance about risky situations and pressure from people around them related to drug usage. They are instructed to make their own personal selections for handling any kind of pressure. His program is very fruitful for children as they are able to handle different category of people’s pressure related to drug usage. There are many other drug education programs that can be used for assistance of children of younger ages. Drug education must be made compulsory in schools so that children face no hazardous situations. They must be fully instructed about drugs and various programs should be used to instruct the children of younger ages.

Reviewing Corporate Social Responsibility of Starbucks

Reviewing Corporate Social Responsibility of Starbucks The purpose of this annotated bibliography project is to research and review articles within the last 10 years regarding the corporate social responsibility of the Starbucks Corporation. All the articles I have chosen are relevant, recent, and address the following issues: Starbucks commitment to the environment, Starbucks commitment to the employees, Starbucks commitment to consumers, discussions of ethical and unethical business behavior, and Starbucks commitment and response to shareholders. After doing the necessary research, it is obvious that Starbucks and their CEO Howard Shultz are aware of the importance of corporate social responsibility. Every company has problems they can work on and improve in and so does Starbucks. As of recent, Starbucks has done a great job showing their employees how important they are to the company. Along with committing to every employee, they have gone to great lengths to improve the environment for everyone. Ethical and unethical behavior is always a hot topic for the media, and Starbucks has to be careful with the decisions they make and how they affect their public persona. Commitment to the Environment The first way Starbucks has shown corporate social responsibility is through their commitment to the environment. In order to improve the environment, with a little push from the NGO, Starbucks first main goal was to provide more Fair Trade Coffee. What this means is that Starbucks will aim to only buy 100 percent responsibly grown and traded coffee. Not only does responsibly grown coffee help the environment, it benefits the farmers as well. Responsibly grown coffee means preserving energy and water at the farms. In turn, this costs more for the company overall, but the environmental improvements are worth it. Starbucks and the environment benefits from this decision because it helps continue to portray a clean image. Another way to improve the environment directly through their stores is by going green. Their first attempt to produce a green store was in Manhattan. Starbucks made that decision to renovate a 15 year old store. This renovation included replacing old equipment with more energy efficient ones. To educate the community, they placed plaques throughout the store explaining their new green elements and how they work. This new Manhattan store now conserves energy, water, materials, and uses recycled/recyclable products. Twelve stores total plan to be renovated and Starbucks has promised to make each new store LEED, meaning a Leader in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED improves performance regarding energy savings, water efficiency, and emission reduction. Many people dont look into environmentally friendly appliances because the upfront cost is always more. According to Starbucks, going green over time outweighs the upfront cost by a long shot. Hopefully, these new design elements wil l help the environment and get Starbucks ahead of their market. Commitment to Consumers The second way Starbucks has shown corporate social responsibility is through their commitment to consumers. The best way to get the customers what they want is to understand their demographic groups. By doing research on Starbucks consumer demographics, they realized that people with disabilities are very important. The company is trying to turn stores into a more adequate environment for customers with disabilities. A few changes include: lowering counter height to improve easy of ordering for people in wheelchairs, adding at least one handicap accessible entrance, adding disability etiquette to employee handbooks, training employees to educate them on disabilities, and by joining the National Business Disability Council. By joining the National Business Disability Council, Starbucks gains access to resumes of people with disabilities. Another way Starbucks has shown commitment to the consumers is by cutting costs and retaining loyal customers. For frequent, loyal customers, Starbucks decided to provide a loyalty card. Once a customer has obtained this card, they are given incentives and promotions for continuing to frequent their stores. Promotions include discounted drinks and free flavor shots to repeat visitors. Also, with the economy being at an all time low, Starbucks realized that cheaper prices were a necessity. By simplifying their business practices, they were able to provide lower prices for their customers. For example, they use only one recipe for banana bread, rather than eleven! It doesnt end there either! Starbucks recognized that health is part of social responsibility. To promote healthier living, they introduced skinny versions of most drinks, while keeping the delicious flavor. For example, the skinny vanilla latte has 90 calories compared to the original with 190 calories. Since Starbucks doesnt just sell beverages now, they introduced low calorie snacks. Along with the snacks and beverages, nutrition facts were available for each item. Also one big way to cut costs was outsourcing payroll and Human Resources administration. By creating a global platform for their administration system, Starbucks is able to provide more employees with benefits. Plus, they are able to spend more money on pleasing customers, rather than on a benefits system. Commitment and Response to Shareholders One way Starbucks has demonstrated their commitment and response to shareholder needs is by giving them large portions. By large portions, Starbucks is implying that they plan pay dividends equal to 35% or higher of net income to. For the shareholders, paying high dividends means certainty about the companys financial well-being. Along with that, they plan to purchase 15 million more shares of stock, and hopefully this will attract investors who focus on stocks with good results. Starbucks made their commitment to shareholders obvious by speaking directly to the media about it. In 2004, Starbucks won a great tax break, but unfortunately the media saw them as money grubbing. Their CEO, Howard Shultz, made the decision to get into politics and speak to Washington about expanding health care and the importance of this to the company. Not only does he want his shareholders to see his commitment, but he wants all of America to be able to reap this benefits. In order to compete with McDonalds and keeping payout to their shareholders high, Starbucks needed a serious turnaround. They did decide to halt growth in North America but not in Japan. Shultz found that drinking coffee is becoming extremely popular for the Japanese. To show shareholders there is a silver lining, he announced they plan to open thousands of stores in Japan and Vietnamese markets. Commitment to Employees The first and biggest way Starbucks shows their commitment to employees is by just taking care of their workers. For example, they know how important health care, stock options, and compensation are to people in this economy. The Starbucks policy states that as long as you work 20 hours a week you get benefits and stock options. These benefits include health insurance and contributions to employees 401k plan. Starbucks doesnt exclude part time workers, because they feel they are just as valuable as full time workers. Since Starbucks doesnt have typical business hours like an office job, the part time workers help working the odd shifts. Another way Starbucks shows their commitment to employees is by treating them like individuals, not just number 500 out of 26,000 employees. Howard Shultz, CEO, always tries to keep humanity and compassion in mind. When he first started at Starbucks, he remembered how much he liked it that people cared about him, so he decided to continue this consideration for employees. Shultz feels that a first impression is very important. On an employees first day, he lets each new employee know how happy he is to have them as part of their business, whether it is in person or through a video. His theory is that making a good first impression on a new hire is similar to teaching a child good values. Through their growth, he feels each employee will keep in mind that the company does care about them. Shultz wants people to know what he and the company stand for, and what they are trying to accomplish. Ethical/Unethical Business Behavior The last way Starbucks demonstrates corporate social responsibility is through ethical behavior and the occasional unethical behavior. The first ethically positive thing Starbucks involves them self in is the NGO and Fair Trade coffee. Even though purchasing mostly Fair Trade coffee seriously affected their profits, Starbucks knew it was the right thing to do. They also knew that if they did it the right way, everyone would benefit, from farmers, to the environment, to their public image. In the fall of 2010, Starbucks chose to team up with Jumpstart, a program that gives children a head start on their education. By donating to literacy organizations and volunteering with Jumpstart, Starbucks has made an impact on the children in America, in a very positive way. Of course there are negatives that come along with the positives. Starbucks isnt the perfect company like it may seem. In 2008, Starbucks made the decision to close 616 stores because they were not performing very well. In order for Starbucks to close this many stores in one year, they had to battle many landlords due to the chain breaking lease agreements. Starbucks tried pushing for rent cuts but some stores did have to break their agreements. On top of breaching lease agreements, Starbucks was not able to grow as much as planned, resulting their future landlords were hurting as well. To fix these problems, tenants typically will offer a buyout or find a replacement tenant, but landlords are in no way forced to go with any of these options. These efforts became extremely time consuming and costly, causing Starbucks to give up on many lease agreements. As for Starbucks ethical behavior is a different story when forced into the media light. In 2008, a big media uproar arose due to them wanting to rerelease their old logo for their 35th anniversary. The old coffee cup logo was basically a topless mermaid, which in Starbucks opinion is just a mythological creature, not a sex symbol. Media critics fought that someone needed to protect the creatures modesty. Starbucks found this outrageous. In order to end the drama and please the critics, they chose to make the image more modest by lengthening her hair to cover her body and soften her facial expression. Rather than ignoring the media concerns, Starbucks met in the middle to celebrate their 35th anniversary. Subject Area 1: Commitment to the Environment Non-government organizations are concerned with the concept of Fair Trade. NGO hoped Starbucks would buy into Fair Trade Coffee. This posed problems for Starbucks. Knowing that NGO has quite a bit of media pull, they knew they had to do something to please the NGO. In order to keep their clean image, Starbucks had to compromise with the NGO and introduce Fair Trade Coffee for a period of time. Since it wasnt going to be forever, this benefited Starbucks and helped out the farmers. Starbucks has made several goals to improve the community and the environment. They have attempted to double the purchases of Fair Trade and conserve water in the last 2 years. While they are still continuing these goals, Starbucks is hoping to reach a long-term goal of only buying 100 percent responsibly grown and traded coffee. Also in 2009, the progressed towards more energy efficient farming to reduce energy use by 25 percent. By 2015, all of their paper products will be reusable or recyclable. Collaboration with the NGO and recyclers will make this possible. To help draw in new customers and to please the already loyal ones, Starbucks completely renovated their 15 year old store in Manhattan. A more intimate, modern feel was created to draw in on their rich heritage. This Manhattan store is just one of the twelve stores worldwide that are going green. Each of the twelve stores conserves energy, water, materials, and recycles. To show customers and employees how it works, they have places plaques that explain green elements throughout the store. Starbucks has done this in hopes that people will see what they have done for the environment and follow their lead. Many people think going green is expensive, but Starbucks claims over time the enormous savings outweigh the upfront costs. Starbucks has realized its unique market position. They recently pledged that each new store built will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and are expanding into ready brew coffee, which is essentially instant. LEED uses recycled and reused materials to build and create each store. They hope to get ahead of the market with their innovative products and environmentally friendly designed stores. To continue to grow and become even more successful, commitment to consumers and the environment has shown to be important to the Starbucks Corporation. Subject Area 2: Commitment to Consumers Starbucks has been struggling to keep their romance and theatre imagine, yet compete with the worlds largest fast-food chain McDonalds. In the last 2 years, Starbucks has had trouble keeping their share-price up. Many analysts feel this is due to too much expansion in America and all-time high prices. Resulting from this, customers are choosing quicker coffee stops such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. Just when Starbucks thought it couldnt get worse, McDonalds introduced Starbucks-style coffee bars to many restaurants. Starbucks has had to water down their image in order to compete with this type of market. To loyal customers, this appeared as if Starbucks was losing their passion for coffee. Starbucks has grown between 1995 and 2005 faster than any McDonalds growth period in history. Unfortunately, with the downturn in the economy, Starbucks has been facing many challenges. Sales have been at a low and they will have to make some improvements to get back to where they were 5 years ago. Starbucks plans to increase marketing and sell packaged coffee at a more competitive price. Even with the tough competition from McDonalds and other fast-food businesses, Starbucks is said to return good as new in a few years. In 2008, Starbucks decided to place an emphasis on cutting costs and retaining a customer base. In order to retain customers, Starbucks chose to implement a loyalty card that provided customers with promotions that lead to cheaper drinks and keeps customers from frequenting other coffee sellers. To cut costs, they did decide to close several stores. Simplifying the business also helped cut costs. For example, Starbucks is now using one recipe for their banana bread, rather than eleven. Fortunately, they have realized that McDonalds isnt cutting into their sales as much as predicted, which is a good sign for the company. Starbucks is aiming to understand demographic groups better. They have realized that people with disabilities have become an important group. Starbucks is attempting to enhance ethical leadership throughout the company by making Michelle Penman, a 36 year old woman with cerebral palsy, a literal model employee. The company is trying to make stores more adequate for customers and employees with disabilities. Counter height has been lowered at many stores for an easy reach by customers and workers in wheelchairs. Each store has also added at least one handicap accessible entrance. Shortly after, disability etiquette had been added into employee training. This training mostly consists of day-to-day matters people with disabilities deal with. In addition, when recruiting new workers, Starbucks as joined the National Business Disability Council to access resumes of people with disabilities. Since by law employees are not required to record disability information on an application, it is h ard to measure the progress. Starbucks wants the best talent, no matter who it is. Part of social responsibility is keeping people healthy. Healthy food and drink, plus dieting are at an all time high. Starbucks chose to introduce skinny versions of their most popular drink choices. For example, the skinny vanilla latte has only 90 calories compared to the regular version with 190 calories. Along with the skinny beverages, they introduced low calorie Panini sandwiches and snacks for their health conscious customers. In order to education consumers, they also distributed brochures with all the nutrition facts for their products. A recent study found that Starbucks customers would prefer lower prices over new menu items. 65% of customers said if prices were lower, they would return to frequenting Starbucks stores. Along with lower prices, customers would like to see more reward programs, so Starbucks launched a program that offered free flavor shots to repeat visitors. Fortunately for Starbucks, even though McDonalds offers lower prices the quality of coffee doesnt compare to Starbucks. The survey revealed that Starbucks customers arent going to McDonalds instead, meaning they do have loyal customers. For Starbucks, Corporate Social Responsibility serves two roles. They first make sure that social responsibility awareness is at the top of their list when decision making. The second role was to make sure they carry out what they said they were going to do. An annual report follows up with results and progress. Starbucks runs their system as an important supporting action. Subject Area 3: Commitment and Response to Shareholders In 2004, the Starbucks Corporation won a tax break. Unfortunately, the media saw this as a money-grubbing move. Starbucks then decided to hire a lobbying firm. The CEO chose to speak to Washington about expanding health insurance coverage to more workers. He explained his commitment to shareholders and value of employees and how important providing decent health care is to the company. He described how he hoped that this commitment should extend to all of America. Starbucks realized that customers and shareholders like big portions, whether it is of coffee or dividends. This giant serving went to the shareholders. The corporation announced its planning to pay dividends equal to 35% or higher of net income. On top of that, Starbucks plans to purchase 15 million more shares. They plan to attract investors who focus on stocks with a good yield. According to Wall Street, Starbucks was forecasted to have shares at 70 cents each. By the end of 2009, they proved him wrong with shares at 75 cents each. Starbucks began benefitting from their advertisements, becoming the most popular brand on Facebook. With the serious competition fast food chains have imposed, this national marketing campaign had no room for failure. Starbucks is in need of a serious turnaround like McDonalds pulled off in the past. Unfortunately for Starbucks, it is going to be a bit more difficult because it is less in the control of the Starbucks Corporation; this is because they have expanded their customer base further than upper-income customers. Since they are closing 600 locations, Starbucks CEO hopes customers will migrate to other locations, not competitors. This will be tough to avoid since McDonalds and other fast food chains are beginning to offer similar products. Sanchanta, M.   (2010,  April  14). Starbucks plans big expansion in China Chief  executive says coffee giant has turned its fortunes around, is eager to crack  markets in India and Vietnam.  Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p.  B.10.   Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz announced that the corporation plans to expand into Japan. This large expansion would make Japan the country with the second most Starbucks stores, first being North America. According to Shultz, they plan to open thousands of stores in Japan and possibly more into Indian and Vietnamese markets. Drinking coffee has become popular for the Japanese making this an easier area to grown into. As for growth in China, Shultz claims a more tactical growth strategy. Over time, he sees China with thousands of stores as well. A good method may be to target the younger generation who are consumed by the internet. Subject Area 4: Commitment to Employees Starbucks aims to constantly be mindful of the publics view on them. In order to do this, Howard Schultz must keep a sense of humanity and compassion in mind. He knows how important health care, stock options, and compensation are for many employees. As long as employees work 20 hours a week, they are given benefits and stock options. Schultz does not ignore health care reform either; instead, he speaks publically about it. He explains to his customers and employees that he wishes to remain small even as it gets big, meaning that he will continue to treat his employees as individuals. Corporate Social Responsibility has always been near the top of his list. Shultz hopes to continue keeping Starbucks as the perfect place between the consumers home and work. Since the economy has been at an all time low in the last few years, companies have had to cut costs anywhere and everywhere possible. In 2008, Starbucks had to inform their employees that they have the right to decide whether they want to contribute to their 401k plan. With this extra cash, Starbucks feels they are able to provide more employees with benefits. Using the utilitarian method, they plan to provide greatest good for the greatest number of employees. Fortunately for Starbucks employees, this cut back was as a last resort to cut costs. Many companies cut benefits altogether. Starbucks aims to make a lasting first impression on an employees first day of work, in a good way of course. Howard Shultz remembers how important it was to him that people cared. He know show new hires how much he cares, by telling employees how happy he is to have them aboard, even if it is by video. Shultz doesnt discriminate based on full time or part time workers, even though part time workers are notorious for high turnover. The theory at Starbucks is making a good impression to a new worker is like teaching a child good values. They want people to know what they stand for and what they are trying to accomplish, and there is no better time than an employees first day. Starbucks plans to outsource payroll and Human Resources administration for US and Canadian employee benefits. In turn, this outsourcing deal will help create a global platform for their HR. Administrative HR systems are extremely costly and companies prefer to spend their money on customers not a benefits system. This type of outsourcing will not only save them money but it will help avoid future increasing costs. Fortunately for HR employees, the ones that stay behind will still have a job and can focus on the bigger picture. Subject Area 5: Ethical/Unethical Business Behavior Johnson Johnson, The Timberland Company, Michael Mayo, Maiden Mills, SC Johnson, and Starbucks all devote a significant amount of effort to ensure corporate social responsibility. In order for Starbucks to keep their turnover rate low, they have realized that awareness of social responsibility is a big help. They give part time and full time employees or partners benefits and stock options. Not only does Starbucks help out their employees, but they do volunteering as well. They provide grants for nonprofit organizations when employees volunteer. Literacy is very important to their CEO, so he donated to nonprofit literacy organizations across America. In addition, he teamed up with Jumpstart, which is a program that gives preschool children an educational head start. To please nongovernment organizations, Starbucks had to implement Fair Trade coffee. To give small famers an income sufficient enough to live off of, Starbucks chose to work off the standards they set for themselves and sell Fair Trade Coffee as much as possible. The NGO still wasnt satisfied because they wanted ALL coffee to be Fair Trade. Starbucks knew that this would seriously affect their profit. In this economy, it wasnt possible for them to do right away; this lead to confrontation between Starbucks and the NGO. In 2008, Starbucks announced that they planned to close 616 stores that werent performing up to par. Starbucks was then forced to battle many landlords due to the chain looking to break leases. Many tenants similar to Starbucks have found offering a buyout or finding replacement tenants as a settlement offering. Unfortunately, these efforts can become costly and time consuming, which Starbucks didnt have. Since they have to close so many current stores, Starbucks will also have to hold off on scheduled new store openings. Starbucks, like many other coffee shops, provides books and magazines to buy and read while you enjoy your favorite cup of coffee. The William Morris Agency (WMA) scouts books for Starbucks to put on their shelves. One of their most popular sellers is For One More Day by Mitch Albom. William Morris represents Starbucks and authors simultaneously and many agents feel this is a conflict of interest for the Starbucks Corporation. Starbucks admits asking for a special two-week exclusive but no special discounts and everything William Morris does for them has had approval from the coffee Starbucks 35th anniversary took place in 2008, and the corporation planned to use their old logo for the cups to celebrate. Unfortunately, the media went crazy over their topless mermaid, which is a mythological creature. Critics claim that they need to protect sirens modesty. The mermaid was not depicted nude, but it was obvious that she was topless with hair covering her breasts. To make the image more modest, they chose to lengthen her hair and soften her expression, which make it a more appropriate design. Instead of ignoring peoples concerns, Starbucks met in the middle for their 35th anniversary. References Corporate behavior and strategy.  (2005). Strategic Direction,  21(8),  26-29.   Retrieved  September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  877321751). Starbucks tracks its global responsibilities.  (2010,  May). Beverage Industry,  101(5),  14.  Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global.  (Document ID:  2041497141). Wilson,  M.  (2010,  June). Starbucks redesign puts emphasis on sustainability.  Chain Store  Age,  86(5),  54-55.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global.  (Document ID:  2078389131). Zegler,  J.  (2010,  June). New initiatives expand Starbucks reach.  Beverage  Industry,  101(6),  62.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global.  (Document ID:  2060421021). Business: coffee wars; Starbucks v McDonalds.  (2008,  January). The  Economist,  386(8562),  58.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM  Global. (Document ID:  1412491651). Stars are aligned for Starbucks.  (2010,  June  13). Wall Street Journal (Online). Retrieved  September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  2057230511). Adamy, J.   (2008,  December  5). Corporate News: Starbucks Moves to Cut Costs, Retain Customers.  Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p.  B.3.   Retrieved September  29, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  1607039211). Corkery, M. (2005 November 14). Leadership (a special report); a special effort:  Starbucks is reaching out to people with disabilities both as employees  and as customers. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern Edition), p.R.8. Retrieved  September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  925860671) Jargon, J.   (2010,  January  22). Restaurants begin to count calories Applebees,  Starbucks push healthier food items to boost customer foot traffic amid Federal  Health-Care debate.  Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p.  B.6.   Retrieved  September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  1944833351). Jennings,  L..  (2008,  October). Study: Coffee fans want Starbucks to cut prices; rivals  lose fewer guests.  Nations Restaurant News,  42(41),  1,6,45.   Retrieved  September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  1593459171). Liu,  S.  Ã‚  Liu,  L.  (2009). Implementing corporate external social responsibility strategies  through organizational design and operation.  Journal of International Business  Ethics,  2(1),  79-83,119.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM  Global. (Document ID:  2145930981). Cummings, J. (2005,  April  12). Legislative grind: cautiously, Starbucks puts lobbying on  corporate menu; as coffee retailer grows, it seeks place in capital; hesitating to  start a PAC; Mr. Schultz gets stood up.  Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),  p.  A.1.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document  ID:  820534051). Jannarone, J.   (2010,  March  25). Starbucks announces a venti payout.  Wall Street  Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p.  C.14.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from  ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  1992661101). Jargon, J.   (2009,  July  22). Earnings: Starbucks swings to profit, aided by cost  cuts.  Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p.  B.5.   Retrieved September 30,  2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  1799345261). Lockyer, S. E.  (2008,  August). Analysts: Starbucks needs more than McD-like  turnaround tack.  Nations Restaurant News,  42(31),  4,9-10.   Retrieved  September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  1549390161). Sanchanta, M.   (2010,  April  14). Starbucks plans big expansion in China Chief  executive says coffee giant has turned its fortunes around, is eager to crack  markets in India and Vietnam.  Wall Street Journal   (Eastern Edition),   p.  B.10.  Retrieved September 29, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document  ID:  2008219851). Business: staying pure; face value.  (2006,  February). The Economist,  378(8466),  78.  Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document  ID:  994268361). Adamy, J. (2008,  December  24). Starbucks could cut 401(k) match. Wall Street  Journal (Eastern Edition),   p.  B.3.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from  ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  1617224091). Gruner, S.   (1998,  July). Lasting impressions. inc,  20(10),  126.   Retrieved November 19,  2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  30855312). Young,  L.  (2007,  September). Starbucks perks up to outsourcing.  Canadian HR  Reporter,  20(16),  2,6.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM  Global. (Document ID:  1366363971). Ethics in action: getting it right.  (2002,  October). Selections,  2(2),  24-27.   Retrieved  September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  245687241). Argenti, P. A.   (2004). Collaborating with activists: how Starbucks works with NGOS.  California Management Review,  47(1),  91-116.   Retrieved September 30, 2010,  from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  749651491). Jennings,  L..  (2008,  October). Mass closures, lawsuits vs. Starbucks, spotlight lease  severance issue.  Nations Restaurant News,  42(42),  8,43.   Retrieved September  30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  1597295611). Nawotka, E.   (2006,  October). Starbucks selection process raises eyebrows.  Publishers  Weekly,  253(43),  17.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global.  (Document ID:  1157134041). York,  E. B.  (2008,  May). Behind Starbucks cup cleanup.  Advertising Age,  79(21),  4,33.   Retrieved September 30, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document  ID:  1487100351).