Impact of Internet on Company Operations

Introduction Commercial use of the Internet and the World Wide Web is expanding at an astounding rate (Barnes Hunt 2012). As we move into the twenty-first century, the number of people using online services continues to grow. The same applies to the number of Web hosts. From a business perspective, nearly 90 per cent of all corporations now maintain a Web presence (Mills Law 2005).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of Internet on Company Operations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hundreds of thousands of companies have begun exploiting the commercial potential of the Web and the market has evolved into a multi billion dollar economy. In all these, the Web has proved to be the catalyst responsible for launching the Internet into commerce (Barnes Hunt 2012). Evidence clearly indicates that in many areas, the Internet is having a positive impact on business competitiveness and profitability (Khosrow-Pour 20 06, p. 954). So much attention is being paid to how the Internet is changing business, corporate relations, education, and work. This paper looks at how the Internet is impacting business operations, with specific reference to CPR Works which is an owner managed public relations company based in Birmingham, UK. Defining the Internet The Internet is a global network of interlinked computers operating on a standard protocol that allows information exchange. It is made up of computer networks, and individual computers throughout the world connected by phone lines, satellites and other telecommunication systems (Mà ¼ller 2011, p. 3). The original users of the Internet were researchers in the government and universities. Full commercial connection to the Internet only became available in the year 1990. The most popular early commercial activities on the Internet were email, advertising, and promotion. Until the mid 1990s, applications were mostly text based and marketing involved sendin g plain text messages (Mà ¼ller 2011, p. 5). However, the introduction of the World Wide Web completely changed things.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The adoption of the Internet has been fastest in countries with high gross domestic products and in countries where English is the first language or a widely spoken second language. Impact of Internet on Business Operations in General The Internet and related technologies offer an unprecedented opportunity for firms to benefit from the ability to gather information, promote their operations, and offer improved services to customers (Fletcher et al. 2004). A number of possible effects of the Internet on the marketing environment suggest that firms will experience fewer barriers to achieve efficiency. The impacts of the Internet include reduced importance of economies of scale, lower marketing communications costs, greater pri ce standardization, and reduced information float time, increased contact between buyers and sellers, and changes in intermediary relationships (Fletcher et al. 2004). When it comes to search costs, the Internet increases the amount of information available to both buyers and sellers, and makes information available in a convenient and timely manner (Suder 2004, p.7). As far as contracting costs are concerned, the Internet makes it easier to compare ad negotiate prices and other terms, and to keep in touch with and monitor the performance of partners in business relationships (Mills Law 2005). Regarding coordination costs, the Internet generally reduces the costs of sharing information, and can automate and integrate many business processes. Because of these changes, the boundary between a firm and its environment is changing drastically. Markets are becoming more efficient and agile and firms must become more flexible and responsive to compete with a more dynamic market for exchan ge. Managers must increasingly deal with exchanges in the market place over which they have little control, rather than between subsidiaries, units, and employees over which they have administrative authority.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of Internet on Company Operations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is, therefore, quite obvious that Internet and related technologies are strong agents of change. If a firm in a value chain starts doing business electronically, soon companies up and down the chain must follow suit and start using similar technologies or risk substitution in the activities of the chain. As a marketing channel, the Internet has a number of activities. First, the Internet has an ability to inexpensively store vast amounts of information at different virtual locations. Second, it offers a powerful and inexpensive means of searching, organizing and disseminating such information. Third , it offers interactivity and the ability to provide information on demand. Fourth, it guarantees a firm the ability to provide perceptual experiences superior to those from the printed catalogue. The Internet can also serve as a physical distribution medium for certain goods such as software. It is also associated with relatively low entry and establishment costs for sellers (Suder 2004, p.14). Generally, the Internet is both a communications and marketing intelligence tool. As a communications tools, it can help to build and maintain effective communications with customers, distributors, and suppliers. The Internet facilitates this by providing a low cost method of communication with people locally or abroad. Besides transmitting in text form, the Internet can also transfer graphics and drawings at very high speed. Through the support offered by electronic communications, firms are now able to communicate quite smoothly and very cheaply, unlike in the past. It is thus obvious that firms that are not prepared to embrace technology are in danger of being left behind. In terms of advertising and promotion, the Internet is an effective medium because people wherever they are can receive messages as they are transmitted. The information processing ability of the Internet is a market intelligence tool that acts as a link between firms and the external environment in which they operate. Effective management of information systems can be a powerful source of competitive advantage and the use of Internet for marketing intelligence enables firms to access information about the market with higher speed and at lower cost. Search engines and electronic surveys also provide useful tools for obtaining information about different markets locally or internationally. Firms that are interested in Internet marketing can access a variety of international information sources such as online newspapers and journals, country and industry market research reports, trade lists of suppl iers, agents and distributors as well as government contacts.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Industry Level Impacts According to Wallace (2004, p. 19), Internet technology may be used as a mechanism to facilitate an industry wide set of objectives. Developments in the UK accounting profession are a very good example of this. Although the primary use of the Internet within an organization is to communicate and access whatever information is needed, it may also be used to link collaborating organizations and ensure that they are able to work as a unit for their benefit and for the benefit of partners. However, on the other side of the coin, the market positions of some players may be strengthened, leading to improved market share (Wallace 2004, p. 21). Apart from the effects of the Internet mentioned above, it is also possible to come across other effects that may not be obvious. In general, a firm that uses the Internet is regarded by stake holders as being inventive and ambitious. The stake holders include customers, competitors, employees, and government. To clearly unders tand how the Internet impacts the industry, it is absolutely necessary to isolate interior and exterior impacts. Ordinarily, one will find that issues that are encountered differ from one firm to another significantly. The following sub section takes a look at how the Internet has revolutionized the operations at CPR Works. Background Information on CPR Works CPR Works was formed as a limited company in December 1994 and currently, the company has a turnover of slightly less that  £200,000 per annum (Barnes Hunt 2012). The company provides a public relations service to the heating and energy industries. CPR Works currently employs three full time staff members and sub-contracts any additional work to freelancers. The company uses two personal computers in its office premises, and the managing director uses a third personal computer at home. Since its inception, the company has been using computers to facilitate its business operations. Initially, the computers were introduced to enable CPR Works handle simple computer based operations such as word processing and management of access databases. A few years later, CPR Works managed to secure a leased line Internet service. Today, CPR has email, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Web, and Usenet facilities. Usually, the Internet service provider (ISP) charges CPR Works a small fee to maintain the Internet connection and ensure that all is well. Recently, the ISP provided CPR with a dedicated connection for some of its staff to operate away from the office. The Impact of the Internet on CPR’s Operations In terms of the model of Internet impacts, CPR Works demonstrated the following important developments: Communication The benefits of networking communications have been significant. In environments where operations are time bound, a slight improvement in communication is very quite critical. The outcome of these technological changes has brought a radical transformation to the entire communication system at C PR Works. One notable change has been the increased processing speed. With the kind of technology present at CPR, the firm is able to communicate much more quickly and at reduced costs. The presence of email and Usenet facilities implies that staff members can comfortably stay in touch with the organization from wherever they are. Once again, execution time is lessened and both CPR and its customers are a satisfied lot. Compared to operating without an Internet facility, the cost of managing an Internet connection through an ISP is negligible. CPR Works, therefore, stands to benefit greatly from the improved communication services. Customers are now able to contact staff members through email and Web based services such as Usenet. Obviously, the high level of availability and accessibility has resulted in outstanding services being offered to customers. Today, CPR Works enjoys the benefits of an efficient email communication system that enables it to stay in touch with customers, be sides guaranteeing smooth communication among staff members. Through effective use of the services provided by the Internet, CPR Works has also been able to improve its customer relations and this has led to repeat business from these customers. CPR Works uses mostly Microsoft Outlook for email communications, but employees are free to use any other email program. Some employees have, therefore, chosen to use Gmail, Yahoo mail, Hotmail, and other email based programs. To surf the Web, employees use various Web browsers. CPR Works prefers Internet Explorer, but staff members are also free to use other web browsers like Mozilla, Opera, Google Chrome to name but a few. Although these browsers generally function in a similar way, they tend to differ in terms of speed, security and other additional features that boost performance. Information Retrieval Through the use of Internet services, CPR Works can now easily monitor the activities of both its partners and clients. The Internet also enables CPR Works to monitor the activities of rival firms and to respond appropriately in retaliation. However, staff members are often concerned about the fact that they can not find time to sit at their computers as frequently as they would like to. With the help of technology, CPR Works is now able to securely store its data. This includes maintaining back up copies just in case a disaster occurs. The firm is able to facilitate easy retrieval of information using well designed databases. This easy retrieval of information eventually translates into speedy processing and improved business performance. With a working database in place, CPR is can interact more frequently with customers and partners. Interestingly, most of the interaction takes place through web based applications. More than anything else, the web based applications have played a big role in helping to lock in customers. Like other companies that use databases, CPR Works will need to improve its performance by pur chasing and configuring a database server to be used to service requests from client machines. The said client machines may be internal or external to the firm. Knowledge Management Increasingly, firms are realizing that besides capital, labor, and land, knowledge is also very critical to the success of business operations. Intellectual property is a synonym used to refer to knowledge management. Typically, knowledge is classified as tacit or explicit. Tacit knowledge exists within individuals and can not be easily reduced to the digital domain (Ian 2009, p. 9). Explicit knowledge on he other hand, can be recorded digitally in various forms. Some factors to consider in knowledge management include sharing of best practices, globalization, handling rapid change, dealing with down sizing, effective management of information and communication overload, embedding knowledge in products, and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. By ensuring that best practices are freely shared, CPR is able to create a learning environment, and less skilled employees can get an opportunity to learn from the highly skilled staff members in the firm. This becomes particularly useful as the firm continues to expand in size. It is, however, necessary for CPR to put in place a scheme to motivate staff to share with colleagues what they are able to do effectively. Well managed knowledge will certainly create an opportunity for the research and development team at CPR to make available their research reports regarding the global business environment (Ian 2009, p. 12). This information can later be used to formulate effective marketing strategies. Usually, when an organization downsizes, it stands the risk of losing the best talent. Effective knowledge management is one way of ensuring that an organization maintains its knowledge even when an important employee leaves. Effective knowledge management will enable CPR to capture all the critical knowledge that resides within people an d put it in a digital form, ready to be accessed and used by other staff who are authorized to do so. It may be necessary to also ensure that such information is properly backed up and put in safe custody. With a good knowledge management system, CPR Works will also be able to stay ahead of its competitors. The firm will gain ideas regarding the market situations and what competitors are doing to get to succeed. With such information at its disposal, CPR will be able to device strategies that will allow it to take advantage of any available opportunities to defeat competitors. For a very long time, CPR was not able to place its knowledge in a digital form in order to facilitate easy access. Part of this is proper tracking of CPR Works’ relationships with its clients. With the new technological developments in the firm, however, it has now become possible to get this done. As has been highlighted above, effective knowledge management is very critical to the success of business operations and results to improved efficiency in different parts of the organization. Productivity By having information stored in a digital form, manipulation is simplified and CPR Works can utilize the information in numerous situations. This tremendously improves the response time of CPR Works’ campaigns. The fact that the information exists in a digital form also means that the same information may be used more than once to meet different needs. With Internet services in place, CPR’s marketing can now happen in a less stressful way (Daft 2000, p. 5). It is now also possible for CPR Works to receive details from clients in a much easier and faster way. Similarly, clients are able to get whatever information they need from the company quite speedily. In the past, clients would have to fax information to the company and the company would do the same in reply. Today, however, communications have tremendously been improved (Daft 2000, p. 7). To further strengthen its o perations, CPR should invest in effective electronic systems. With such systems in place, CPR will be in a better position to motivate all employees who will in turn ensure that delivery meets the standards expected by clients. A positive change in the level of productivity at CPR Works will immediately translate into improved profits, and a satisfied team of customers. Environment In most cases, change always meets with resistance. Employees often worry about the repercussions of the new developments. In the case of CPR Works, there have been considerable changes in the organization. Nevertheless, every employee was prepared, and the firm had already made all the technology purchases necessary to create the entry level environment for the new technology (Bak Stair 2011). Everyone within the organization is more focused on improving customer service. Although CPR Works already had much of the hardware needed for it to take advantage of what the Internet had to offer, there were oth er requirements that the company still had to provide and these had to come at a price. Generally, the increased use of the Internet has compelled employees to turn to the use of information technology. As a result, the business is now exposed to new risks that are technologically related. However, everyone is excited about using the new technology. Importantly, the company is changing the way it assesses data (Bak Stair 2011). This clearly represents a fundamental change to the internal environment. In the past data was received in whatever form, often by fax, and then manually input to spreadsheets for analysis. Now, data and processes are seen as dynamic and automated processes mean that minimal data entry is used. Conclusion Clearly, the Internet has had a significant impact on the CPR’s business contacts as well as its operations in general. All stake holders in the business environment have been impacted by the business in one way or another. In general, the Internet p resents a new platform for interacting with suppliers, customers, and partners. Using the Internet, a firm such as CPR will be able to access a much wider market that could extend beyond the borders. By and large, the greatest impact of the Internet on the way firms operate has been improved communication. Organization level Internet related impacts are also common. To a great extent, most of the impacts of the Internet on business operations have benefited many organizations. Ordinarily, no major change is expected within organizations since most of them have been using information technology for the longest. However, most of these organizations were forced to change in one way or another due to the onset of Internet. For most organizations, the Internet is a critical instrument that can be used to facilitate both individual and organizational growth. Although there are some negative impacts that have been associated with using the Internet, it has been beneficial to the business w orld in general. Reference List Bak, O Stair, N 2011, Impact of E-Business Technologies on Public and Private Organizations: Industry Comparisons and Perspectives, Idea Group Inc (IGI), Hershey, PA. Barnes, S Hunt, B 2012, E-Commerce and V-Business, CRC Press, Woburn, MA. Daft, RL Marcic, D 2010, Understanding Management, Cengage Learning, Bedford Row, London. Fletcher, R, Bell, J, McNaughton, R, McNaughton, RB 2004, International E-Business Marketing, Cengage Learning EMEA, Bedford Row, London. Ian, S 2009, Online Banking and the role of CRM: The impact of the internet as online business platform on CRM (Study of Online banking in the UK), GRIN Verlag, Norderstedt, Germany. Khosrow-Pour, M 2006, Emerging Trends and Challenges in Information Technology Management: 2006 Information Resources Management Association International Conference, Washington, DC, USA, May 21-24, 2006, Volume 1, Idea Group Inc (IGI), Hershey, PA. Mills, JE Law, R 2005, Handbook of Consumer Behavior, Touri sm, and the Internet, Routledge, Binghamton, NY. Mà ¼ller, C 2011, The Impact of the Internet and Social Media on the Hotel Industry: How the Internet and Social Media have changed the Way Hotels Need to operate if they are to succeed in Today’s Dynamic and Global Markets, GRIN Verlag, Norderstedt, Germany. Suder, GGS 2004, Terrorism and the International Business Environment: The Security-Business Nexus, Edward Elgar Publishing, Northampton, MA. Wallace, P 2004, The Internet in the Workplace: How New Technology is Transforming Work, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. This essay on Impact of Internet on Company Operations was written and submitted by user Ayaan Bruce to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Challenge in Internationalization and Outsourcing

Challenge in Internationalization and Outsourcing Introduction Internationalization and outsourcing refers to the elements of interest in global aspects with contextual respect to business. With the spread of globalization theory, institutions have sought to obtain their resources as well as sell their products in a global perspective.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Challenge in Internationalization and Outsourcing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More International trade and outsourcing of an organization’s resources have therefore become fundamental of large as well as medium companies. This paper seeks to discuss challenges facing Coglin clothing company in relation to internationalization and outsourcing. The paper will explore external environmental conditions of Coglin clothing. Case study Coglin is a clothing design and manufacturing company in Australia. The firm has been in existence for twelve years and under one chief executive officer. The compan y has experienced a considerable level of growth though it is currently faced with a number of threats. Its recent growth has led to changes such as increased level of recruited staff and expenditure on management. The company is also facing increased competition from the global market following the government’s move to liberalize the local market to international trade. The company is thus faced with the task of copping with the external environment in order to handle its current and future contracts (Case Study, n.d., p. 1). External Environment facing Coglin Clothing External environment facing an organization refers to forces that emanates from outside the organization which has the capacity to affect the operations of the particular organization. Factors such as competition facing an organization as well as issues that pertains to regulations and natural factors therefore constitute an organizational environment. The environment with respect to Coglin Company can be view ed from two perspectives: â€Å"task environment and general environment† (Wadolell et al., 2007, p. 83). Task environment refers to the organization’s immediate factors such as its â€Å"suppliers, distributers, customers and competitors† (Wadolell et al., 2007, p. 83).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These factors are immediate in the sense that they face the organization in every aspect of its operations. The other category of environment, general environment, consists of widely extensive factors that include â€Å"economic, technological, sociacultural, demographic, political and legal, and global forces that affects the organization† (Wadolell et al., 2007, p. 83). Suppliers to an organization are the parties that make the organizations provisions for resources. Such parties are occasionally subject to variations with respect t o elements such as â€Å"nature, number and type† (Wadolell et al., 2007, p. 83). The organization’s suppliers can for example change their structures and terms or relation with their contracting partners such as coglin or their number could change due to closures or entry of more firms in the supplier market. Any change with respect to the organization’s suppliers will call for adjustments by Coglin’s managers in order to maintain the company’s desired and planned operations. This is because any of such changes will either have an advantage or a disadvantage to the organization calling for a move to either capitalize on cases of opportunities or to counter any form of threat. A reduction in number of suppliers is, for example, associated with a stronger bargaining power by the remaining parties over the company. Coglin might therefore be forced to endure dictated terms from suppliers if the number reduces to levels that can have monopolistic or ol igopolistic influences. An increase in the number of suppliers on the other hand gives more power to the company through its increased options in seeking supplies. Competition among the suppliers will also lead to moderated terms which will be advantageous to Coglin. Similarly, distributers have a significant level of impact in a producer company such as Coglin. As a link between the company and its customers, the effectiveness of the relationship between the company and distributers will be reflected in its level of sales.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Challenge in Internationalization and Outsourcing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A reduced number of distributers will have a negative impact on the company in terms of more bargaining power by the remaining distributers together with a threat of reduces consumer servicers in cases where the number of distributers cannot reach all customers. The company may therefore suffer from reduced sales. An increased number of distributers will on the other hand give more advantage to the company with respect to relatively increased power by the company over the distributers and subsequent customer coverage (Wadolell et al., 2007, p. 87).  Customers refer to the parties that purchase products from an organization. Being a clothing design and manufacturing industry, Coglin’s customers include â€Å"individuals, small companies, large companies, government agencies and educational institutions† (Wadolell et al., 2007, p. 83) that might be interested in the company’s textile products for final use in houses and office premises. The products from the company can be used by these parties for clothes or furnishings. Changes with respect to consumers also affect the decisions made by management of the company. Unlike suppliers and distributers, customers exhibit a wide variety of changes that can include fashion, taste, and income , complimentary and supplementary products among others. The changes in consumers will also be realized in either an advantageous or a disadvantageous perspective. Competitors also shape the direction of the organization’s decision making in terms of moves to gain or maintain market control (Wadolell et al., 2007, p. 88). The general environment surrounding Coglin Company is on the other hand diverse in nature and is mostly out of control of the company’s management. Coglin is therefore in response forced to adopt decisions that will align the company to its best advantage following the environmental conditions. Being a profit oriented organization; the company is highly affected by economic factors in its surrounding. Elements such as â€Å"interest rates, inflation, changes in disposable income, share market fluctuation and the general business cycle† are some of the economic factors that affect the company (Robbins et al., 2009, p. 86).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The economy with respect to individual customers is for example directly associated with the level of demand for products in any market. Economic factors such as reduced incomes or increased unemployment rates therefore cause negative effects on the company’s capacity to generate revenues. This is because such changes causes customers to either reduce or suspend expenditures on non basic commodities in which category, clothing may fall. This effect is also felt with respect to institutions that will be forced to control their expenditures and concentrate on necessities. Inflation which affects elements of the company such as the prices of its resources also has direct impacts on its management. When the economy realizes inflation prices of resources shoots up raising production costs of the company’s commodities. Consequently, the management is forced into the dilemma of whether or not the increased costs should be transferred to customers in the form of increased prod uct cost. More complications are realized in cases where production costs in external markets are not affected by inflation and cheaper products are availed through importation (Robbins et al., 2009, p. 86). Political and legal requirements in a business set up also drives the operations of organizations in their territories. Political stability, for instance, has both direct and indirect impacts on the operations of organizations. Political instability induces negative impacts on environmental factors such as security, economy and even investor confidence. Instances of politically instigated violence can, for example, disrupt production processes and even distribution of finished products due to curtailed movements of employees, distributors and even customers to Coglin. Compromised investor confidence due to political instability can also lead to reduced levels of productions in order to avoid loses due to economic instability. Legal issues also significantly affect the organizati on. Laws that cover elements such as: â€Å"practices regulations, environmental protection laws, anti discrimination policies and industrial relation legislations† (Robbins et al., 2009, p. 86), play a direct role in shaping management decisions making. Every decision by the management that relates to sourcing of raw materials, recruitment and management of human resource, production processes and relations with other parties are conducted in line with constitutional requirements and bi-laws. Regulations such as antidiscrimination laws and rights of employees significantly affect decisions with respect to actions against employees who might not be performing or behaving to the expectation of the organization. Managements may be forced to compromise on the company’s principles and objectives just to avoid legal actions that can be instituted by certain disciplinary actions are taken against employees. Social and cultural factors such as â€Å"crime, violence, religion and spiritual activities and lifestyles† (Robbins et al., 2009, p. 86) also affect the organization. The products of the firm are directly related to religious and traditional believes that are evident on people’s clothing. Lifestyles and fashion in dressing codes and premises’ furniture and decorations are also directly related to the organizations products. Coglin’s management is therefore obliged to yield to pressure as caused by these factors and align the company accordingly (Robbins et al., 2009, p. 87). International aspects The company’s operations especially with respect to international trade are also dependent on forces in foreign countries that affect business transactions. One of the forces in international trade is the fluctuation of currencies of the countries which the trading parties come from. When the Australian currency rises against currency of an importing country, Coglin experiences a disadvantage with respect to global compe titiveness. This will negatively affect and even limit the company from exploring foreign markets. A fall in value of the domestic currency relative to foreign currencies on the other hand favors the company with respect to international trade. The economic stability of Australia which categorizes it under developed countries also influences its impact in the international market following the recognized flow of goods from developed countries to developing countries (Bartol et al., 2009, pp. 65, 519). International business refers to the trade activities that are conducted between countries. With the emergence of globalization, international trade has been realizing a growing trend in terms of the amount of commodities that are moved across boarders in terms of trade. Data revealing the trend in volume of international trade from the year 1995 to 2004 indicates a general increase in the volume of trade especially after the year 2001. The percentage increment in volume of internation al trade has also been significantly increasing (IFCBA, n.d., p. 2). Administrative measures of exploring international markets, identifying and capitalizing on factors such as â€Å"mergers and acquisition† are some of the steps to internationalization of business (IFCBA, n.d., p. 7). A company’s involvement in international trade however enlists more responsibility with respect to managing â€Å"delivery of goods and money, bureaucratic hick ups and distance and travel time† (Sercu P., n.d., p. 8). Factors that would impact Coglin in Vietnam and Thailand External environmental factors in Vietnam such as cheaper labor and cost of locating a business enterprise, â€Å"intellectual property threat† and poor infrastructure contributes to task environmental factors. Consideration of factors such threat to intellectual property and poor infrastructure in Vietnam can overweigh factors such cheap labor to influence investors away from the country (Nieuwoudt, 20 10, p. 1). The market in Thailand which has a wide advantage with respect to general environment such as government policies is on the contrary not favorable with respect to task environmental factors. The Thailand textile market is also already saturated with both export and import activities that might not make it very attractive for new investments (Report, 2010, p. 1). Control measures to challenge in Vietnam and Thailand The challenges in Vietnam and Thailand include both general and task environmental forces that include factors driven by government policies and market forces for resources and finished products. A firm in these locations will therefore enact decisions to capitalize on the advantages that are offered by market forces such as cheap labor and market liberalization effects as well as adopting policies that are in line with the country’s legislations (Nieuwoudt, 2010, 1). References Bartol et al., (2009).  Management. Sydney: McGraw Hill. IFCBA.  New tre nds in international trade, emerging business models, and the needs of small and medium-sized businesses in preparing the Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade. Web. Nieuwoudt, T., (2010).  Vietnam’s textile industry: Opportunities and challenges. Web. Report., (2010).  Prospects for the textile and clothing industry in Thailand. Web. Robbins et al.,  (2009).  Management. Sydney: Prentice Hall. Sercu, P.,  Managing credit risk in international trade. Web. Wadolell et al., (2007).  Contemporary management. Sydney: McGraw Hill.

Deception in Criminal Justice Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Deception in Criminal Justice - Term Paper Example But we can assume that criminal investigation might have started from the period of Adam itself. In any case, one thing is clear that the deception tactics also started along with the criminal investigation. Crime punishment is one of the core elements of criminal justice system along with giving suitable crime prevention programs. Despite of the severe punishments associated with crimes, the criminal behavior seems to be increasing in the current world. In other words the severity of punishments is not influencing the criminals much. This is purely because of the loopholes in criminal justice system procedures for the criminals to escape from punishments. No criminal wants to be punished for their criminal activities and they will try all type of tactics to influence the Investigative, Interrogative and Testimonial Processes. The criminal justice system is malicious in most of the countries because of the over influence of criminals on the criminal justice system. Deception can main ly occur at three levels of the crime detecting and punishment process; criminal investigation, interrogation and the testimonial process. Investigation of the criminal activities is mainly conducted by the crime investigation agencies like police. In many cases, the criminals are more influential than the police officers. They might have influences at the top levels of the political and judicial systems which controls the criminal justice system. Sometimes instead of the criminal, the investigating police officer will get punishment because of the higher influences of the criminals. Morality and ethical values are rapidly disappearing from most of the segments of human life and human profession and criminal justice system is also not an exception. In short, police officers are also human beings and they are also living in this corrupted world. Criminals can influence the investigating officer using bribes and

Case study, a road map for natural capitalism Study

, a road map for natural capitalism - Case Study Example The term ‘Natural Capitalism, stresses on the weakness of industrial capitalism as it is practiced in contemporary society. It’s is perceived as unnatural and the one that lacks logic in all aspects. The article What should we do: A Road Map for Natural Capitalism (2007), Harvard Business Review, Lovins, A.B., Lovins, L. H. & Hawken, P. Jul/Aug 2007, Vol. 85 Issue 7/8, p. 172-183 provides an insight of what for years has been ignored and the dangers that the ecosystem is in and humankind in the long run that is often ignored. One fundamental idea, that the article offers, is the need for companies and government to rethink their operations that hurt the ecosystem (Lovins et al., 2007). The companies and the government should set a strategy rooted in these principals and global work consistently towards their eventual implementation. Furthermore, the key to the community successfully employing these practices need our governments and companies to start placing a value on earth’s natural capital or ecosystem services. Simply put, economy is always dependent and fed by the same earth’s natural environment and for many of these services there exist no replacement. According to the article, by quantifying the expenses of the ecosystem and having them in their company balance sheets, firms can begin to minimize their wasteful depletion of the resources and eventually seek innovative ways to make changes in their production processes that will not lead to stretching these natural resources more than ever imagined. The perceived shift to this modern paradigm give a competitive edge to industry and lower expenses by increasing their bottom line and assist to start to stabilize the endangered earth’s climate while starting to replenish the earth’s biosphere. Through this the article claims that it is a win-win situation for both the humankind in the future and the ecosystem. The articles

See instructions Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

See instructions - Research Proposal Example Furthermore, in terms of my primary resources, I will conduct interviews with students, teachers, and the police, regarding what they think the motivations of vandalism are and what proper situational (school management and police) and offender-centered resolutions are. I will also conduct a survey in class regarding the prevalence, motivations, and resolutions to vandalism in College Park. I will ask another teacher and student first for the pilot testing of the interview and survey questions to improve my instruments’ validity and reliability. For the final project, I will conduct interviews with students, teachers, and the police, regarding what they think the motivations of vandalism are and what proper situational (school management) and offender-centered resolutions are. I will interview three from each group- students, teachers (including Gloria Aparicio Blackwell, Director of Community Engagement, and Andrea Goodwin, Director of Student Conduct), and the campus police- using convenient sampling. I will ask them these questions: Besides this interview, I will also conduct a survey in class regarding the prevalence, motivations, and resolutions to vandalism in College Park. I will ask another teacher and student first for the pilot testing of the interview and survey questions to improve my instruments’ validity and reliability. The survey questions are: I will prepare for these interview and survey through asking for participants this week and conducting them as soon as possible. I will contact the target audiences too beforehand to acquire their permission. I will ask them to read the interview questionnaire beforehand if they have time and to tell me if there is anything I need to

Starbucks International Entry Methods and its Global Marketing

Starbucks International Entry Methods and its Global Marketing Introduction In 1971, in Seattle’s Pike Place Market two teachers and a writer opened the first Starbucks retail shop, as a roaster and retailer of bean and ground coffee, tea and spices (Roos, 2010). Today, with over 20,000 stores across the world, from Monaco to Colombia and many in between, Starbucks is a name that stands for innovation beyond its industry and constant growth (Chen, 2014). From ethical sourcing initiatives to the employee stock options and health benefits, Starbucks is a unique company, in a continuous evolution across the world (Hincha-Ownby, 2013). The company is a global marketing phenomenon, reinventing its operations to suit their growth ambitions, but remaining true to the passion of serving coffee in a friendly atmosphere (Thompson Arsel, 2004). Starbucks has been a pioneer in the coffee house industry in many geographical regions, having virtually introduced this concept to various countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Otmazgin, 2008). In addition to this, the company is continuously reinventing itself in European countries where the coffee house culture is more sophisticated (Patterson, Scott, Uncles, 2010). It is mandatory to analyse their strategy for market entry mode selection, as their success suggests they have found the golden middle between adopting distinct tactics and allowing local influences to shape their product, whilst keeping their core business values intact. In addition to using secondary sources to analyse the global expansion of Starbucks, this paper also outlines how the global marketing strategy of the company compromises between standardisation and adaptation to local target audiences’ preferences (Alderman, 2012). From the product-price-place-promotion marketing mix adaptation tactics to the use of loyalty card that reward loyal customers and the encouragement to share Starbucks moments via social media, the company continuously seeks the view of their customers through crowd-sourcing and creating a sense of community (Misener, 2014). However, similarly to their entry mode selection, the coffee house giant manages to preserve their core values in all the regions where it operates. Entry mode of Starbucks Globalisation and technology as the two core macro environmental elements of the 21st century business settings have imposed and aided companies’ international expansion strategies and tactics (Daft, 2010). As such, success beyond the national borders of a corporation is not only an indicator of success, it has ultimately become necessary for survival in a competitive market (Zahra, Ireland, Hitt, 2000). Whether through Joint Ventures (JVs), Exports, Franchises, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), take overs or any other strategies, everyone, from SMEs to large corporations is jumping on the bandwagon of international expansion (Kim Hwang, 1992). However, beyond the need to expand internationally, companies need to carefully evaluate all factors influencing the decision regarding the area of expansion and the entry mode of the company in the new region. A timeline of the geographical evolution of Starbucks over the last decade (Figure 1) shows that the company aims to increase their global presence, becoming the coffee shop of choice of all the coffee aficionados (Starbucks, 2014). Figure 1 Geographical expansion of Starbucks. Authors own, adapted from Starbucks (2014) Root (1994) defines the entry mode as a strategic decision making process in which the company’s products, technology, human skills and all other resources are evaluated in relation to the country of destination where the organisation is planning to extend its operations. In addition to this, the characteristics of the market that a company intends to penetrate are also taken into account for the purpose of selecting the most suitable entry mode (Canabal White III, 2008). The capital and human investment of a corporation towards expansion in new geographical areas is ultimately decided in correlation with profitability potential for the organisation. The factors influencing the entry mode of a corporation in new markets were divided by Chen and Mujtaba (2007) into three categories: firm specific factors, country specific factors and market specific factors. Although their categorisation of factors is valid in the strategic management of internationalisation of firms, it can be argued that market specific factors can be integrated in the country specific factors and another category called industry specific factors can be added to the mix. Figure 2 below presents a new theoretical framework developed by the author of this paper, which presents the changes enumerated, underlining the importance of trends and particularities of the overall industry in which a company operates. Figure 2 Factors influencing Selection of Entry Mode. Authors own, inspired by Chen and Mujtaba (2007) Although not exhaustive, the list of elements presented above indicates the variety of elements involved in the selection of markets where Starbucks can extend its chain of stores and the best strategy to ensure success in the new region. According to Root (1994) and Koch (2001) the factors influencing the entry mode selection can also be divided into external and internal factors. Political, economic and socio cultural dimensions of a foreign country are crucial external elements that determine the profitability of marketing the products offered by a company (Koch, 2001). Starbucks is marketing a social product beyond its coffee offerings, having positioned itself in the industry as a company that offers a great environment where people can enjoy ethically sourced beverages and snacks (Schultz, 2011). As such, it is crucial to evaluate the socio-cultural environment of a target foreign country and the marketability of such an offering within that particular geographical area. The key to success lies within the ability to match the product offerings of a company with the demands of the local foreign market, without compromising the firm’s business model. Partnerships with local firms through a joint venture or penetrating the market through licensing or franchising offer a company low risk solutions (Yoshino Rangan, 1995). However, when Starbucks decides to licence or franchise their product offerings, the extent to which they can monitor the quality of the products or operations of coffee shops that trade under their company name is significantly lower than in the case of joint ventures or wholly-owned subsidiaries. Joint ventures are often necessary due to political reasons, as is the case with some Middle Eastern countries that demand part ownership of local companies or residents within a foreign business (Terblanche, 2009). In addition to this, sharing the risk and costs with a partner in a local region can be advantageous for the company that extends their operations in a foreign market, due to lower capital investments (Root, 1994). However, there are disadvantages to be taken into account when opting for a joint venture, as sharing the technology with a potential competitor in the industry can lead to a conflict of interests and a potential loss of competitive advantage (Doz Hamel, 1998). Although wholly-owned subsidiaries eliminate the risks associated with all other entry modes, offering exclusivity over the profits and technology control, a company runs the risk of misunderstanding the cultural aspects of the country of destination and decreases its chances of succeeding in a new market (Makino Delios, 1996). Successful companies, such as Starbucks, are able to determine the best mix of entry modes specific to the regions where the expansion is taking place in order to become global leaders. The table below (Figure 3) shows that the company’s internationalisation strategy allows flexibility depending on country specific factors in the countries of destination. Figure 3 Starbucks Entry Mode Type and Partners in each region. Authors own, adapted from Starbucks (2014) In May 1998, Starbucks expanded its operations into the first European country, the UK, as part of a long-term internationalisation strategy (Bintliff, 2009). The company acquired sixty-five Seattle Coffee Company stores, a company founded and managed by two Americans (Scott and Ally Svenson) with a similar coffee culture as the American giant Starbucks (Simmons, 2012). The cultural gap between the US and UK attitude to coffee shops and the resistance of British consumers to American products was taken into account by Starbucks, who waited one year before they completely rebranded the existing Seattle Coffee Company stores, therefore allowing the consumers to adapt to the concept and products of Starbucks prior to the rebranding. At present, Starbucks has 549 company operated stores in the UK, with an additional 125 licensed and 57 franchised stores across the country, making it one of the industry leaders in the country (Campbell, 2014). In October 1998, Starbucks extended its operations in New Zealand, through licensing its store concept to Restaurant Brands New Zealand, an authorised licensee of KFC and Pizza Hut brands at the time (Morrison, 2013). Due to its enthusiasm of bringing the Starbucks experience to consumers in the country, Restaurant Brands New Zealand was the ideal partner for Starbucks in positioning itself in the Asia Pacific market in an incipient stage of the coffee industry in this geographical region. The relatively low popularity of the coffee shop industry at the time in the region was a risk that could have deterred the success of a wholly owned market entry (Field, 2011). The leading position and market knowledge of the partner firm that Starbucks licensed its store concept to ensured the minimal risk and lead to the success that the brand is enjoying in New Zealand presently, operating 22 stores in the country, with a $25.1 million sales annually (Morrison, 2013). Global Marketing Strategy Although globalisation has allowed large multinationals to expand across the globe increasing their popularity and profits, this phenomenon has been widely criticised and Starbucks was also the victim of anti-consumerism and anti-globalisation movements (Klein, 2009). The growth experience by the company and its current world dominance has generated many negative discourses, primarily criticising Starbucks’ ascendancy at the expense of local coffee shops. As a multinational brand that aspires to be a recognised global leader, Starbucks’ marketing strategy requires a degree of standardisation. To start with, the company hardly advertises in the traditional sense via TV, radio and print adverts, â€Å"instead relying on their ubiquitous cafà ©s to do the talking† (Kiley, 2006, p. 56). In addition to this, the company has developed and perfected their social media marketing strategy, using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other platforms for competitions and promotional offers for their customers (Moth, 2013). It can be argued that Starbucks’ success in the social media sphere is also highly dependent on the anti-Starbucks movement, as this generates increased coverage of the brand name, allowing the company to counteract the accusations and promote their ethical behaviour even more (Holden, 2012). The involvement of consumers in product development and range (i.e.: new drink flavours) as well as the encouragements to share personal experiences are now an integral part of Starbucks’ international marketing strategy (Shayon, 2013). The company often prides itself on the fact that it creates a community sense amongst individuals from distinct countries through the recognisable brand name Starbucks (Batchelor Krister, 2012). The company uses social media to encourage its consumers to create a sense of belonging to a community and rewards its loyal customers through My Starbucks Reward, using polls to ensure a maximum potential of crowd sourcing (Schoultz, 2013). Through this, the company demonstrates loyalty on its own part to its customers, focusing on transforming their consumers in brand ambassadors, rather than investing time and large budget shares in aggressive marketing tactics aimed at accumulating large shares of new consumers. Levitt (1983) sustains that standardisation of a marketing programme needs to have a positive impact on the performance of the organisation. Being able to maintain a consistency across the marketing strategy and tactics in operations that span across the globe can have a positive impact on a company’s financial performance, as the budget for developing the marketing program is significantly lower (Samiee Roth, 1992). However, the cultural differences between different geographical markets make it difficult to distinguish the profitability and impact on performance of standardised marketing plans (Porter, 2011). Studies suggest that, irrespective of general traits of global marketing for brand recognition purposes, multinational corporations need to take into account any cultural aspects of the countries where their subsidiaries are. As such, Starbucks adapts their food and beverage offerings in their cafà ©s in order to suit their customers’ taste (Bussing-Burks, 2009). Below (Figure 4) is a list of products that are exclusively available in specific geographical areas as evidence of adaptation tactics used by the company. Figure 4 Country Specific products. Adapted from Misener (2014) In China, Starbucks has adapted their product offerings in order to be able to introduce the coffee shops in a market which was loyal to a long-lasting tradition of tea. Despite the concerns expressed by many in regards to the potential success of an American coffee-house chain in a country where other multinational food and beverage brands like Dunkin Donuts and Burger King have failed, Starbucks opened 500 stores across China (Fellner, 2008). The company licensed its brand name to Mei Da Coffee Co. and entered a JV with Shanghai President Coffee Co. (Figure 3). Instead of trying to force the products that appealed to Americans and made the company successful in their mother land, Starbucks launched green-tea flavoured coffee drinks and relied less on takeaway orders due to their lack of popularity in China (Rein, 2012). More importantly, through charging premium prices for their beverages, instead of adopting the general strategy of under-pricing their products in the Asian market, Starbucks cups have become a status symbol in the urban areas of Beijing and Shanghai (Schiavenza, 2013). Unlike many of its competitors, Starbucks prefers investing the money that companies spend on advertising into the benefits and training of their staff members (Kessler, 2012). In line with this philosophy, the company became one of the very few to extend their full health policy to their part-time workers (Schultz Yang, 1997). This philosophy applies even in their overseas stores, and employees in China reported a high level of satisfaction with their job benefits, indicating that this is one of the core values of the company and even through licensing and JV, Starbucks ensures that the contentment of all employees under the Starbucks brand name is indistinguishable across the globe (Rein, 2012). The Chairman of the company, Howard Schulz, believes that the training and satisfaction levels of the Starbucks baristas represent one of the best marketing tactics. He discovered that the attitude and skills of Italian baristas in coffee shops from Rome is what created the atmosphere within a cafà © (Bussing-Burks, 2009). In addition to this, the leadership team that sits in the head offices of Starbucks have a weekly exercise of reading consumers’ feedback, keeping them in touch with the realities of the consumer experience, not allowing them to lose sight of the end user of the services and products of Starbucks (Gulati, Huffman, Neilson, 2002). Although Starbucks has ventured into markets where the coffee culture was in its incipient stages, like countries in the Asia-Pacific area, the most difficult task that the company has had to date is strengthening its market position in nations with a strong coffeehouse culture, like France or the UK (Rudarakanchana, 2013). Their marketing strategies require more creativity in these geographical areas, particularly because Starbucks is up against well established coffee houses that offer a more unique and tailored cultural experience to its customers. However, the company is not oblivious to this issue and Starbucks inaugurated a coffee shop in Amsterdam in 2012 with an avant-garde architecture and a stage for poetry reading (Alderman, 2012). Howard Schultz is planning on expanding the plans for introducing more concept stores across Europe, in order to increase the appeal of the coffee house for consumers beyond the young hip customer, who sees Starbucks as a product that stands for the American lifestyle. Conclusions The company that reinvented the way in which people enjoy their traditional cup of coffee, Starbucks has conquered the globe in less than half a century, since the first store opened. The pace of growth and geographical reach of Starbucks is an undeniable reality that has sparked debates over the past decades. Most of the elements that have contributed to this successful expansion and brand recognition can be associated with the entry mode selection, the marketing mix adaptability and promotional strategies used by the company. Starting with the successful collaborations with local companies in the countries of destination through JVs or licensing through to the slight alterations made to the menu to suit the taste of local consumers, the company displays an exquisite cultural awareness. American giants in the food and beverage industry like Dunkin Donuts or Burger King have attempted to penetrate Asian markets preserving their business model and menu offerings. They encountered resistance from the local consumers, as their culinary and beverage preferences were not met by the menu of the American companies. Whilst it is understandable that MNCs desire to preserve their business model and should avoid making big compromises for each geographical region where they extend, as this would incur additional operational costs for product development and marketing, organisations need to demonstrate a willingness to take into account the culture of the host country. Starbucks’ main philosophy revolves around the atmosphere they can create in their coffee shops and the manner in which the company values its employees, rather than their product offerings, therefore allowing the organisation to expand, adapt and yet, stay true to their core values. Carefully selecting its international partners whose values match the Starbucks passion for great customer focused services, Starbucks seeks the necessary help from well-established local retailers. Although the whole-ownership market entry mode guarantees immediate higher profitability, Starbucks’ focus is on creating long-lasting relationships with consumers in every geographical region, seeking and rewarding the loyalty of the brand’s customers. As such, JVs, licensing or partly-owned subsidiaries are the entry modes of choice for Starbucks in their pursuit to establish themselves as market leaders. The company is clearly not seeking short term goals through aggressive tactics, rather focusing on a well-established strategy that promotes a steady continuous growth, which has so far proved to be a successful approach to internationalisation. References Alderman, L. (2012, March 30). In Europe, Starbucks Adjusts to a Cafe Culture. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/business/starbucks-tailors-its-experience-to-fit-to-european-tastes.html?pagewanted=all_r=0 Batchelor, B., Krister, K. (2012). Starbucks: A case study examining power and culture. PRism, 9(2), 2-11. Bintliff, E. (2009, October 26). Rivals take the froth off Starbucks. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0bd45f7a-c253-11de-be3a-00144feab49a.html#axzz3G7F67u57 Bussing-Burks, M. (2009). Starbucks. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. Campbell, P. (2014, April 25). Sales slide as Starbucks feels tax backlash: Coffee chain axes six shops after  £14m drop in business during the past year. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2612668/Sales-slide-Starbucks-feels-tax-backlash-Coffee-chain-axes-six-shops-14m-drop-business-past-year.html Canabal, A., White III, G. O. (2008). Entry mode research: Past and future. International Business Review, 17(3), 267-284. Chen, L. Y., Mujtaba, B. (2007). The choice of entry mode strategies and decisions for international market expansion. Journal of American Academy of Business, 10(2), 322-337. Chen, X. Y. (2014, February 11). Even with ~20,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks has room to grow. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Market Realist: http://marketrealist.com/2014/02/even-with-20000-stores-worldwide-starbucks-has-room-to-grow/ Daft, R. L. (2010). Organization theory and design. Mason, OH: Cengage learning. Doz, Y., Hamel, G. (1998). Alliance advantage: The art of creating value through partnering. Boston: Harvard Business Press. Fellner, K. (2008). Wrestling with Starbucks: Conscience, Capital, Cappuccino. Piscataway: Rutgers University Press. Field, N. (2011, January 25). Kiwi snobs wont stop Starbucks domination. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from The New Zealand Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3objectid=10701767 Gulati, R., Huffman, S., Neilson, G. (2002, July 17). The Barista Principle — Starbucks and the Rise of Relational Capital. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Strategy + Business: http://www.strategy-business.com/article/20534?gko=582b3 Gulati, R., Huffman, S., Neilson, G. (2008, August 9). The Barista Principle — Starbucks and the Rise of Relational Capital. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Strategy + Business: http://relationalcapitalgroup.com/downloads/TheBaristaPrinciple.pdf Hincha-Ownby, M. (2013, March 15). Starbucks and Aflac: Two of the worlds most ethical companies. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Mother Nature Network: http://www.mnn.com/money/sustainable-business-practices/blogs/starbucks-and-aflac-two-of-the-worlds-most-ethical Holden, D. (2012, March 28). https://econsultancy.com/blog/62281-how-starbucks-uses-pinterest-facebook-twitter-and-google#i.nxy42nstvehisz. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from The Stranger: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/a-starbucks-boycott-backfires/Content?oid=13185250 Kessler, S. (2012, October 22). Inside Starbuckss $35 Million Mission to Make Brand Evangelists of its Front-Line Workers. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/3002023/inside-starbuckss-35-million-mission-make-brand-evangelists-its-front-line-workers Kiley, D. (2006, August 6). Best Global Brands. Business Week, pp. 54-66. Kim, C. W., Hwang, P. (1992). Global strategy and multinationals entry mode choice. Journal of International Business Studies, 23(1), 29-53. Klein, N. (2009). No logo. London: MacMillan. Koch, A. J. (2001). Factors influencing market and entry mode selection: developing the MEMS model. Marketing Intelligence Planning, 19(5), 351-361. Levitt, T. (1983). Globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review, 61, 92-102. Makino, S., Delios, A. (1996). Local Knowledge Transfer and Performance: Implications for Alliance Formation in Asia. Journal of International Business Studies, 27(5), 905-927. Misener, J. (2014, October 9). 20 Starbucks Items You Can’t Get In The U.S. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from BuzzFeed: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/starbucks-menu-in-other-countries#1pd9p38 Morrison, T. (2013, July 2). Ailing Starbucks stores to close ahead of possible sale. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from The National Business Review: http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/restaurant-brands-closes-ailing-starbucks-stores-entertains-offers-ahead-sale-decision-bd-14 Moth, D. (2013, March 6). How Starbucks uses Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Econsultancy: https://econsultancy.com/blog/62281-how-starbucks-uses-pinterest-facebook-twitter-and-google#i.nxy42nstvehisz Otmazgin, N. K. (2008). Contesting soft power: Japanese popular culture in East and Southeast Asia. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 8 (1), 73-101. Patterson, P. G., Scott, J., Uncles, M. D. (2010). How the local competition defeated a global brand: the case of Starbucks. Australasian Marketing Journal , 41-47. Porter, M. E. (2011). Competitive advantage of nations: creating and sustaining superior performance. New York: Simon and Schuster. Rein, S. (2012, October 2). Why Starbucks succeeds in China and others havent. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from USA Today: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-02-12/cnbc-starbucks-secrets-of-china-success/53040820/1 Roos, D. (2010, March 29). 10 Things You Dont Know About Starbucks (But Should!). Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Metal Floss: http://mentalfloss.com/article/24322/10-things-you-dont-know-about-starbucks-should Root, F. R. (1994). Entry Strategies for International Markets. San Francisco: Lexington Books. Rudarakanchana, N. (2013, October 31). Starbucks (SBUX) Coffee: Unpopular In Europe, Africa The Middle East In 2013, But That May Change. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/starbucks-sbux-coffee-unpopular-europe-africa-middle-east-2013-may-change-1449888 Samiee, S., Roth, K. (1992). The influence of global marketing standardization on performance. The Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 1-17. Schiavenza, M. (2013, September 6). Why Is Starbucks So Expensive in China? Retrieved October 13, 2014, from City Lab: http://www.citylab.com/work/2013/09/why-starbucks-so-expensive-china/6810/ Schoultz, M. (2013, June 15). Starbucks Marketing Makes Social Media a Difference Maker . Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Digital Spark Marketing: http://www.digitalsparkmarketing.com/creative-marketing/social-media/starbucks-marketing/ Schultz, H. (2011, January 5). Looking Forward to Starbucks Next Chapter. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Starbucks: http://www.starbucks.com/blog/looking-forward-to-starbucks-next-chapter/643?reply=37570 Schultz, H., Yang, D. J. (1997). Pour Your Heart Into It How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time. New York: Hyperion. Shayon, S. (2013, April 1). My Starbucks Idea Turns 5, Sparking a Latte Innovations. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Brand Channel: http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2013/04/01/My-Starbucks-Idea-Turns-5-040113.aspx Simmons, J. (2012). The Starbucks Story: How the brand changed the world. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. Starbucks. (2014). Starbucks Company Timeline. Dover: Starbucks Coffee Company. Terblanche, P. (2009, June 15). Restrictions on Foreign Ownership of UAE Companies Reviewed. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from International Law Office: http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/Detail.aspx?g=ac282bd3-0ed6-4df9-a761-1a6ce7d001de Thompson, C. J., Arsel, Z. (2004). The Starbucks brandscape and consumers’(anticorporate) experiences of glocalization. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(3), 631-642. Yoshino, M. Y., Rangan, U. S. (1995). Strategic alliances: An entrepreneurial approach to globalization. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Zahra, S. A., Ireland, D., Hitt, M. A. (2000). nternational expansion by new venture firms: International diversity, mode of market entry, technological learning, and performance. Academy of Management journal, 43(5), 925-950.

Evaluation of a live Production Blood Brothers Essay -- English Litera

Evaluation of a live Production Blood Brothers Blood Brothers was written by Willy Russell, It was first performed at the Liverpool Playhouse in January 1983. It is a musical / comedy drama set in Liverpool in the 1980’s. We went to see it at the Phoenix Theatre. When we were on our way to see the production I was quite excited and was looking forward to it very much as I had been told by some pupils at my school it was very good. When we arrived at the theatre and sat down in our seats the stage and layout looked very big. There seemed to be a lot of space for the actors to perform on. The play takes place in Liverpool, it is based on two twins who are separated at birth, as the mother cannot afford to keep them both. One of the twins is given away to a very wealthy family and the other stays with its real mother, who is ‘working class’. The two brothers meet when they are young, without realising they are twins, and become best friends. They grow up together but gradually class and the difference in the way they were raised comes between them, ending in both ...

Philosophy of Teaching Essay

I consider my ultimate strength that I bring to the classroom is the desire and eagerness that I have for teaching children. A dynamic part of being a teacher is to motivate the students to know that the skills and information they are learning is worth learning and are valuable lessons to be used in the future. If I can convince the children that the material is enjoyable, powerful, and beneficial then they will want to make the effort to learn. I make it a significance priority to convey drive and enthusiasm to the classroom. It is difficult to learn if you are uninterested and almost not difficult to learn if the learning method is enjoyable and appealing. Additionally it is imperative for the students to appreciate why they are learning and what the importance of learning is. My objectives for teaching in the classroom are limited but crucial ones. I want my students to learn the materials taught in an extensive, everlasting way. I want them to apply the thoughts of these ideas t o all subject material taught. I will use the means that I have learned and continue to learn to get the maximum learning potential of my students as a whole. Secondly, I inspire to transform lives so that they determine life paths that have not ever been reflected on before. Reassurance is important and I aim to be their biggest fan. Thirdly, I want to reinvent the practice of teaching. Often teaching is regarded as an art, an uqualifiable expertise, to be practiced and understood by each new generation of teachers. By familiarizing new concepts and practices the doors are exposed to tangible advancement to permit us to learn new and more effective ways of using classroom time, so that the succeeding generation of teachers can be sincerely better and more effective in teaching then even we are today in the world of modernisms and increased use of technology. I don’t always know the greatest ways to teach but I am willing to try different approaches until I reach a place where I know what I am doing will effect upcoming generations of students and educators. Lastly, and most selfishly I want to have an exciting journey and make the classroom a fun and exciting place to learn. I delight in the opportunity of getting to know my students and their families and develop strong lasting relationships that can be seen years down the road. There are great joys of becoming a teacher and knowing that you impact lives each and every day. Our students learn when they are energetically figuring things out, trying to teach themselves, not inactively wandering through busy work and handouts, expecting to be taught. I design my lesson plans and classroom material not around what I do but what the students will do. I let them take command of their own education and to teach them as much as imaginable about the realm around us.

Essay on Disaster Management Reflections

Essay on Disaster Management Reflections Essay on Disaster Management Reflections Example Essay on Disaster Management Reflections: The earth has been affected by the natural hazards over a long time as man emerged into picture the picture that the natural occurrences were becoming disaster, together with being documented in various ways providing a warning for the future generation. However in 1920, there was a published study referred to as the catastrophe and social change by Henry Samuel Prince. This was the Halifax Disaster documented account and the occurrence of the social change. The first person to deliver evidence based study was Prince, by use of theory founding a paradigm which paved way for the management of disaster to be studied (Sperling, 2004). A change in social can be caused by disasters. Social change always is not for better depending on affected population resources (Oliver, 2002). Change in disaster study started changing with theories like as Carr discussing a cultural protection collapse. Carr made a discussion on how we got the tools in place encountering the act of disasters though if there was lack of these tools there was no more protection. Disaster is any occurrence that causes ecological disruption, damage, human life loss, health services and health deterioration on sufficient scale to warrant response extraordinary from the outside area or community affected (De Boer, 2000). In addition, it can be also defined as the series or event which disrupts the normal activities seriously. Disaster means a sudden or great misfortune. This may include tsunami; fires; floods; droughts; flood and many others. The major disasters naturally may include earthquake, cyclone, flood, and drought. Minor disasters naturally include storm, heat waves, cold wave, mud slides, and thunderstorm. The major disasters that may occur in man made activities include deforestation, fires, setting of fires, and pollution due to their prawn activities. Minor man made occurrence of disasters may include accidents on the roads or trains, riots, industrial riots, food poisoning, and environmental pollution. In history throughout disasters had some impacts significantly on the number, life style and health status of the population such as death, shortage of food, movements of the population, damage of water systems and the health facilities, and severe injuries which requires treatment extensive. Health problem that is common to every disaster include mental health, social reactions, nutrition and food, climatic exposure, health infrastructure damage, and population displacement. Whether a disaster is man- made or natural, it can occur at anytime and anywhere. General response to any disaster is thereby in terms of rescue and relief operations which are after the event. If we are well and adequately prepared, it is very easy to reduce the impact of that disaster. There can be reduction of the impact through being aware by understanding well the preventive actions, together with having knowledge of particular tools and techniques; at the time of disaster event these tools and techniques can be used to control total damage to belongings and life. The biggest problem and very sad thing is the way a disaster occur; they occur with swiftness and suddenness hence, for a disaster serenity to be reduced, the response has to be swift equally(De Boer, 2000). It is hard for a day to pass without news about complex or major emergency happening in different parts of the world, as disasters continue to strike causing destruction to both developed and undeveloped countries (Dyregrov, 1999). This raises vulnerability concern to occurrences that may affect gravely our daily lives and the future. In vulnerable populations, some emergency in particular those occurring in nature become catastrophic events only when they are in combination with the vulnerability factors like populations density and the human settlements. An occurrence of earthquake in deserted area is might be considered as a natural hazard, rather than if it occurred in mega city where it is recognized as major disaster (Stewart, 2005). Any type of emergency that has anything to do with vulnerability population together with man made included, concerns some technological disasters like the ones of chemicals or nuclear; these demonstrates complex and major emergencies are linked closely to an anarchic growth population that leads to poverty, unplanned population settlements, and environmental degradation. Disasters themselves have no limitation to specific parts of world. There are no countries that are disaster immune, but there is variance in disaster vulnerability (Sperling, 2005). However, some countries might be more prone to a particular type of disaster. The more advanced a country is, the level of their preparedness is slightly higher. High level of preparedness enhances them have good control over loss. Some disasters where loss during actual event is not required as high, hence losses become a bit high due to the inability in managing the situation in a timed manner. Another thing that might lead to a big loss during certain disasters is the secure utilities and properly manages inability (Pearce, 2003). In one way these utilities tend to be very important, and on the other hand, due to ruptures or leakage, some of them might be in contact with each other, where they are not supposed to therefore leading to further damage. The most important thing and the most motivation of disaster management are minimizing losses at disaster time together with ensuring that resources are utilized effectively; as they are scarce already. The major disasters naturally may include earthquake, cyclone, flood, and drought. Minor disasters naturally include storm, heat waves, cold wave, mud slides, and thunderstorm. The major disasters that may occur in man made activities include deforestation, fires, setting of fires, and pollution due to their prawn activities. Minor man made occurrence of disasters may include accidents on the roads or trains, riots, industrial riots, food poisoning, and environmental pollution. There are four types of disaster mainly. These include environmental emergencies, natural disasters, pandemic disasters, and complex disasters. Disaster prevention is activities that are designed for provision of permanent disasters protection. Not every disaster can be prevented and particularly natural disasters; the loss risk of injury and life can be only mitigated with plans of good evacuation, design standards and environmental planning. Disaster preparedness is activities for life loss and damage minimization (Pearce, 2003). Preparedness is the best way of reducing disasters impact. Disaster relief is a multi-agency coordinated response of reducing disaster impact and its results of long-term. These activities may include relocation, rescue, water and food provision, preventing disability and disease, repair of vital services like transport, provision of temporary shelter and health care emergency. Once the needs of emergency has been accomplished and the crisis is initially over, those affected together with the community supporting them remain vulnerable. Management of disaster is linked with the development sustainably, in particular with vulnerable people relation like the ones with disability, children, elderly people and groups marginalized. ______________ is a professional essay writing service which can provide high school, college and university students with 100% original custom written essays, research papers, dissertations, courseworks, book reviews, lab reports, presentations and other assignments of top quality. More than 700 professional Ph.D. and Master’s academic writers. Feel free to buy online essay on Disaster Management from our professional essay writing service.

How to Use Sociology to Counter Claims of Reverse Racism

How to Use Sociology to Counter Claims of Reverse Racism A former student recently asked me how one can use sociology to counter claims of â€Å"reverse racism.† The term refers to the idea that whites experience racism due to programs or initiatives that are designed to benefit people of color. Some claim that organizations or spaces that are exclusive to say, black people or Asian Americans, constitute â€Å"reverse racism,† or that scholarships open only to racial minorities discriminate against whites. The big point of contention for those concerned with â€Å"reverse racism† is Affirmative Action, which refers to measures in applications processes for employment or college admission that take race and the experience of racism into account in the evaluation process. To counter claims of â€Å"reverse discrimination,† let’s first revisit what racism actually is. Per our own glossary definition, racism serves to limit access to rights, resources, and privileges on the basis of essentialist notions of race (stereotypes). Racism can take a variety of forms in achieving these ends. It can be representational, manifesting in how we imagine and represent racial categories, like in costume at â€Å"Ghetto† or â€Å"Cinco de Mayo† parties, or in what kinds of characters people of color play in film and television. Racism can be ideological, existing in our world views and ideas premised on white superiority and the presumed cultural or biological inferiority of others. There are other forms of racism too, but most important to this discussion of whether or not affirmative action constitutes â€Å"reverse racism† are the ways that racism operates institutionally and structurally. Institutional racism manifests in education in the tracking of students of color into remedial or special ed courses, while white students are more likely to be tracked into college prep courses. It also exists in the educational context in the rates at which students of color are punished and reprimanded, versus white students, for the same offenses. Institutional racism is also expressed in biases teachers reveal in doling out praise more so to white students than to students of color. Institutional racism in the educational context is a key force in reproducing long-term, historically rooted structural racism. This includes racial segregation into poor communities with underfunded and understaffed schools, and economic stratification, which overwhelmingly burdens people of color with poverty and limited access to wealth. Access to economic resources is a significant factor that shapes one’s educational experience, and the extent to which one is prepared for admission to college. Affirmative Action policies in higher education are designed to counteract the near 600-year history of systemic racism in this country. A cornerstone of this system is undeserved enrichment of whites based on historical theft of land and resources from Native Americans, theft of labor and denial of rights of Africans and African Americans under slavery and its Jim Crow aftermath, and denial of rights and resources to other racial minorities throughout history. The undeserved enrichment of whites fueled the undeserved impoverishment of people of color- a legacy that is painfully alive today in racialized income and wealth disparities. Affirmative Action seeks to redress some of the costs and burdens born by people of color under systemic racism. Where people have been excluded, it seeks to include them. At their core, Affirmative Action policies are based on inclusion, not exclusion. This fact becomes clear when one considers the history of legislation that laid the groundwork for Affirmative Action, a term first used by former President John F. Kennedy in 1961 in Executive Order 10925, which referenced the need to end discrimination based on race, and was followed three years later by the Civil Rights Act. When we recognize that Affirmative Action is premised on inclusion, we see clearly that it is not consistent with racism, which uses racial stereotypes to limit access to rights, resources, and privileges. Affirmative Action is the opposite of racism; it is anti-racism. It is not â€Å"reverse† racism. Now, some might claim that Affirmative Action limits access to rights, resources, and privileges for whites who are thought to be displaced by people of color who are granted admission instead of them. But the fact is, that claim simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny when one examines historical and contemporary rates of college admission by race. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 1980 and 2009, the number of African American students enrolled in college annually more than doubled, from about 1.1 million to just under 2.9 million. During that same period, Hispanic and Latino enjoyed a huge jump in enrollment, multiplying by more than five, from 443,000 to 2.4 million. The rate of increase for white students was much lower, at just 51 percent, from 9.9 million to about 15 million. What these jumps in enrollment for African Americans and Hispanic and Latinos show is the intended outcome of Affirmative Action policies: increased inclusion. Importantly, the inclusion of these racial groups did not harm white enrollment. In fact, data released by the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2012 show that white students are still slightly over-represented in terms of their presence in that year’s freshmen class at 4-year schools, while black and Latino students are still underrepresented.* Further, if we look beyond the Bachelor’s degree to advanced degrees, we see percentages of white degree earners rise as does level of degree, culminating in a stark underrepresentation of black and Latino recipients of degrees at the level of Doctor. Other research has shown clearly that university professors demonstrate a strong bias toward white male students who express interest in their graduate programs, much to the expense of women and students of color. Looking at the big picture of longitudinal data, it is clear that while Affirmative Action policies have successfully opened access to higher education across racial lines, they have not limited the ability of whites to access this resource. Rulings from the mid-1990s that have outlawed Affirmation Action at public educational institutions lead to a fast and sharp drop in enrollment rates of black and Latino students at those institutions, quite notably in the University of California system. Now, let’s consider the bigger picture beyond education. For â€Å"reverse racism,† or racism against whites, to exist in the U.S., we would first have to reach racial equality in systemic and structural ways. We would have to pay reparations to make up for centuries upon centuries of unjust impoverishment. We would have to equalize wealth distribution and achieve equal political representation. We would have to see equal representation across all job sectors and educational institutions. We would have to abolish racist policing, judicial, and incarceration systems. And, we would have to eradicate ideological, interactional, and representational racism. Then, and only then, might people of color be in a position to limit access to resources, rights, and privileges on the basis of whiteness. Which is to say, â€Å"reverse racism† does not exist in the United States.   *I base these statements on 2012 U.S. Census population data, and compare the category â€Å"White alone, not Hispanic or Latino† to the White/Caucasian category used by the Chronicle of Higher Education. I collapsed the Chronicle’s data for Mexican-American/Chicano, Puerto Rican, and Other Latino into a total percentage, which I compared to the Census category â€Å"Hispanic or Latino.†

Linking Research Design, Research Problem, and Research Questions Essay

Linking Research Design, Research Problem, and Research Questions - Essay Example ’. Qualitative research questions deal with individual cases and provide greater depths and understanding of each case while looking only at the practical and pertinent information. There are five most common approaches used in qualitative research. These are ethnography, grounded theory, case study, discourse analysis, or phenomenology. The method that is to be used in this qualitative study is ethnography. Ethnography helps to get an in-depth understanding on the aspects of culture which influence the phenomenon under study. It is often used to gather data that is derived from experiments and observation rather than from theory. Ethnography is particularly done with the end purpose of enabling the researcher to describe the people targeted by the study. The research topic proposed in this paper concerns finding the reasons for the increasing rate of dropouts from institutions of higher education. The research topic can be better phrased as â€Å"Curbing the increasing rate of school dropouts from institutions of higher education†. The purpose of this research is to find out the reasons that lead to students dropping out of school. By being able to get a clear understanding of why students drop out from school, this data can be used by the government ministry in charge of education, school boards and other key players in the sector to devise policies and strategies which will gradually bring down this drop out rate. Problem statement The rate at which students are dropping out is increasing at an alarming rate. All over the world, there are headlines that detail the numbers of students that drop out of school, especially higher education. According to a report by the US Department of Education’s National Center for Educ ation Statistics (NCES), there are two principal classifications of factors which contribute to students dropping out of school. These are financial and social. The NCES also reports that the rates of dropouts have been increasing over the last decade. For example, between 1992 and 2002, the status rate which is the rate of students dropping out without completing school increased from 14.6 to 22.5 per cent. In South Africa, the high rate of university dropouts, which was at 11.2 per cent in 2008, is deemed to be a monumental threat to the future of the country. This is the situation in many countries. Much has been done to try and curb the rate of dropouts but these numbers are astonishing. Something needs to be done urgently to help this pathetic situation. How ethnography is used There are two main types of data that will be collected for this research. These are primary and secondary data. The former will be collected through structured interviews with key respondents such as sc hool principals, district education officers, lecturers, tutors, mentors, students and other key people in the ministry involved with education, interviewer observation and field notes. Focus discussion groups (FDGs) may also be held to get insight on what are the reasons for this phenomenon. FDGs involve having the researcher as the facilitator or moderator as the group discusses the factors that lead to dropouts and initiatives that can be implemented to help curb this. The FDGs will mostly comprise of students in higher education institutions and recent graduates. The ideal age would be between 18-26 years. Secondary data will be collected from reflexive journals, analysis of published and unpublished documents and reports and also other data that will be relevant to this study. Research Questions A research question can be defined as the question or questions posed that the research answers. It is usually a

Hip Hop's effects on violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hip Hop's effects on violence - Essay Example The resulting new genre of music was raucous and disrespectful, using its own dialect to shout out an alternative lifestyle to the one that they saw in mainstream society. Since then interest in the movement has grown, and hip hop attracts unwavering support from millions of people across the whole world, but at the same time also it is heavily criticized for its focus on drugs, crime, and especially violence. It cannot be denied that violence lies at the heart of many hip hop lyrics, but the question that must be answered is what relationship hip-hop has to the real violence that occurs in the world’s cities today. Does hip-hop encourage that violence, or even cause it? Or can we see hip-hop as something that resists a greater violence that has been meted out to African Americans and other minorities for several centuries? This paper argues that the latter argument is more convincing, and that furthermore hip-hop has a potential to bring understanding between racial groups wh ich no other movement is likely to bring forward at the present time. The first matter to clarify is the nature of what we call â€Å"Hip-hop.† It is a type of music, involving spoken and sung texts and strong steady rhythms. Hip hop is not just music, however, it is a whole culture, embracing graffiti art, dancing styles, and even fashion. The typical hip-hop look consists of baggy pants, sneakers, and Malcolm X caps which are worn backwards (Smitherman, 1997, p. 3) There is also a tendency for women to sport elaborate hairstyles, expensive designer outfits, well-manicured nails and striking makeup. For men there is a preference for ostentatious jewelry and if possible also fast cars. These artefacts are symbols of power, and the stars of hip hop culture sport these trophies to indicate how successful they are and how far they have come from poverty. Some critics see these expensive trinkets as genuine indicators of status while others regard them as ironic quotations from m ainstream society, underlining rebellion and activism rather than consumerism and complacency: â€Å"Hip-hop’s triad of graffiti, dance, and rap are post-apocalyptic arts, scratches on the decaying surfaces of post-industrital urban America; they are not monuments to some romanticized ‘human spirit’, but fundamentally anti-monumental arts.† (Potter: 1995, p. 8) There is indeed something rebellious about hip hop. The body language of fans is often very insolent, with direct staring and head jerking, and many of the moves in the dance routines are quirky and acrobatic, drawing attention to the dancer and singling him out as a person to be admired. There is great loyalty amongst fans, and much is made of terms like â€Å"bro† which signifies brother and can be used both within racial groups and transcending these boundaries. When people think of hip-hop they think of instances where songs, or singers have been banned from radio stations because of offe nsive language, violent references and in particular criticism of the American state and its institutions. This is, however, nothing new, and from the hippies and the Beatles in the 1960s to the Sex Pistols in the punk era, posturing against authority is absolutely typical of youth culture. One aspect of hip-hop which is of great concern is the fact that it is often associated with gun culture and drug