Worlds of English - Linguistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Worlds of English - Linguistics - Essay Example This research will focus on the differences exhibited within the three worlds of English, specifically the Inner Circles, Outer Circles as well as the Expanding Circles. In addition, it shall focus on the debates that have been raised in regard to the three worlds of English. Research has shown that the inner circle of English basically involves the fundamental bases of English speakers, characterized by primary or what has been referred as native speakers. The Inner circle of English includes various countries that are inhabited by primary speakers of this language i.e. Britain, Canada, United States of America, New Zealand as well as Australia. According to Krachu’s Scheme, the varieties of English Language spoken in the countries within the inner circle are ‘norm providing’ in nature. That is, the inner circle represents socio-linguistic bases of English and the traditional historical bases, where English norms are set by the cultures of the native speakers or the primary speakers. The average number of English speakers in this circle is approximately 380,000 million. However, some 120 million people within this circle speak the language in other countries. In addition, some researchers have argued that the spread of English stemmed up from the migration of British people to other countries such as, Australia, New Zealand, Canada et cetera. Another imperative aspect of the inner circle is based on the fact that the essence of Speaking English is Multi-Functional in the sense that its transmission occurs through the family and is usually maintained through various government or even quasi-government processes. Quasi-inter-government processes include channels like; the media, schools as well as other pertinent social systems of learning. Moreover, the inner circle of English world is characterized by standard accent, that is, the native speakers of English in this World of English pronounce or term words in an

Coffee and Starbucks Essay Example for Free

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

Frequency Response of Electrode Materials in EIS Measurement

Frequency Response of Electrode Materials in EIS Measurement Furthermore, complementary information about the frequency response of electrode materials is provided by EIS measurements and one can estimate the capacitance changes with the operating frequency.64-65 It is well know that the complex form of capacitance is dependent on frequency, which is defined as follow:66-67 (6) where C(ω) is the real part of the complex capacitance and C(ω) is the imaginary part of the complex capacitance C(ω) and they are expressed as formulas (7) and (8):66-67 (7) (8) where Z(ω) and Z(ω) are the respective real and imaginary part of the complex impedance Z(ω). ω is the angular frequency and it is given by ω =2Ï€f. At low frequency, C(ω) corresponds to the capacitance of the electrode material and C(ω) is ascribed to the energy dissipation by an irreversible process that leads to a hysteresis.66-67 Fig. 15 shows the real and imaginary part capacitance as a function of frequency for Li-POAP/ERG/GC, POAP/ERG/GC and ERG/GC electrodes. It can be clearly observed that C(ω) gradually decrease with the increase of scan rates for each electrode as shown in Fig. 12F, however, the Li-POAP/ERG/GC electrode exhibits slow deterioration of capacitance due to fast ion diffusion and transport (Fig. 15A). In addition, the C(ω) of the Li-POAP/ERG/GC electrode approaches saturation at a frequency below ~ 0.01 Hz whereas the C(ω) of POAP/ERG/GC electrode does not show any sign of saturation as low as 0.01 Hz, indicating slow diffusion of electrolyte ions (Figs. 15A and B). Importantly, the relaxation time constant (Ï„0), which is also known as the dielectric relaxation time of the supercapacitor,66, 68 is a figure of merit of a supercapacitor. This parameter represents one of its discharge characteristics. It has been studied for each electrode based on the analysis of complex capacitance. The relaxation time constant, Ï„0 (=1/2Ï€f0) can be calculated from the plots of C(ω) and C(ω) vs. frequency. From the frequency corresponding to the half of the maximum value of C(ω), the relaxation time constant (Ï„0) can be determined. The change in the imaginary part of the complex capacitance C(ω) with frequency goes through a maximum at a frequency, f0, from which the value of Ï„0 can be calculated. From Figs. 15A and B, it can be noted that the Li-POAP/ERG/GC electrode shows a clear peak formation while the POAP/ERG/GC electrode has not reached the maximum even at the lowest frequ ency used in this study. The f0 value of Li-POAP/ERG nanocomposite is 3.98Ãâ€"10-2 Hz, corresponding to the characteristic relaxation time constant Ï„0 = 3998 ms, which is much lower than that of POAP/ERG nanocomposite, revealing fast accessibility of the electrolyte ions for the former nanocomposite. The smaller Ï„0 of the nanocomposite correlates with the better capacitance retention at high scan rates in the CV measurements. Therefore, lithium intercalated POAP/ERG nanocomposite is a potential promising electrode material for delivering high power and energy. In addition, investigation of the complex capacitance form of the ERG/GC electrode reveals that the C'(ω) of this electrode approaches saturation at a frequency below 15.8 Hz, which means that equilibrium ion adsorption can be achieved in 63.3 ms, suggesting most of the electrolyte ions reach the adsorption sites (Fig. 15C). In comparison to Li-POAP/ERG/GC electrode, the smaller value of relaxation time constant ( Ï„0 = 2.5 ms) correlates with very ultra-fast accessibility of the electrolyte ions for the ERG/GC electrode and the better capacitance retention at high scan rates in the CV measurements which is in good agreement with results obtained from cyclic voltammetric measurements (Fig. 12F, green line). In order to investigate the effects of different types of anions on the specific capacitance of POAP/ERG nanocomposite, the modification of the ERG/GC electrodes has been carried out in different acidic solutions containing HNO3, HClO4 and HCl and corresponding lithium salts as supporting electrolyte and subsequently, have been evaluated in the corresponding monomer free solutions. The cyclic voltammograms of the modified electrodes in presence of different anions are shown in Fig. 16A. Qualitative analysis of total charges associated with the voltammograms recorded in the presence of different anions reveals that the specific capacitance for anions decreases in the direction of K+. In addition, the values of specific capacitance derived from the cyclic voltammetric (Fig. 16D) and impedance spectroscopic measurements (Figs. 16E and F) do indeed coincide as tabulated in Table 3. Although one can expect the smaller size of Li+ ion to provide facile insertion/expulsion to/from the elec troactive film, the greater specific capacitance has been obtained in the presence of Na+. As for studied anions, it has been noted that the trends in direction of ionic mobility and ionic radius are going the same way.69-70 Possessing the greatest mobility and the smallest radius have led to estimation of the greater specific capacitance would be obtained as a consequence of more being intercalated into the POAP/ERG nanocomposite, which is in good agreement with experimental results. On the contrary, the trends in ionic mobility 69 and ionic radius 71 contrast with those in hydration enthalpy 70 and hydration number 71 for the studied cations. These inconsistencies have hindered prediction of which cation would be incorporated into the POAP/ERG nanocomposite easily. The obtained specific capacitance values (Table 3) decrease in the order of Na+ > Li+ > K+ which confirms the facile incorporation of Na+ into the POAP/ERG is more than likely. Along the lines of evaluating of effects of different types of cations and anions on the POAP/ERG nanocomposite, we have examined the extent to which the incorporation of different cations and anions has affected each of components of the POAP/ERG nanocomposite. In this case, ERG/GC electrodes have been investigated in different solutions containing different cations and anions. The capacitive behavior of ERG/GC electrodes in the presence of different cations and anions have been evaluated at 50 mV s-1 as shown in Figs. 17A and B, respectively. The electrodes have presented negligible difference in their current response while have shown typical rectangular shape indicating an excellent capacitive behavior. Therefore, it can be concluded that graphene sheets in the POAP/ERG nanocomposite act as numerous ion-buffering reservoirs and provide for ions shortened diffusion path into the composite which results in the superior electrochemical performance of the nanocomposite.

Macbeth Is A Butcher And Lady Macbeth Is A Fiend-like Queen Essay

In Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, the following statement can be applied, â€Å"Macbeth is a butcher and Lady Macbeth is a fiend-like queen.† This is a true statement as many occurrences involving Macbeth and Lady Macbeth portray them in this way. A butcher can be defined as someone who kills or has people killed needlessly or brutally. The term butcher used in this way describes Macbeth to some extent. During the play, Macbeth is involved in the murder of many people, including King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s wife and children. A fiend can be described as a very wicked or cruel person, or one who causes mischief and annoyance. This can be applied to Lady Macbeth, who had only her own intentions at heart. On many occasions Lady Macbeth shows fiend-like traits, especially when plotting to kill Duncan, framing the servants after he has been killed, and also when she fails to stop Macbeth from killing Banquo. These events are examples of when the two characters show these traits. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth can be described as being loyal, courageous and noble. He is liked, trusted and respected by everyone around him. However this soon changes after his first encounter with the three witches. This is because the witches inform Macbeth that his life could be far different, therefore changing Macbeth’s perception of his life. In doing this, they do not actually use true powers, they use the power of suggestion. This is where we begin to see a change in Macbeth’s outlook on life and his behaviour. Being the ambitious man that he is, Macbeth’s thoughts become dark, and he secretly thinks about what should be done about King Duncan to increase his own power. In spite of this fact, the play is equivocal as to whether or not Macbeth intended on killing Duncan before he met with the witches. In Act One, Scene three, Macbeth says: This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in truth? I am Thane of Cawdor: In this passage Macbeth seems to be questioning himself as to what he should do next. The first prediction that the witches made has come true, and he is now considering whether or not there will be any truth in the prediction about him becoming king. He seems unsure if he should act upon their predictions or not. Macbeth is eventually persuaded to murder Duncan by his wife. Dunca... ... Macbeth continues this pattern when she fails to stop Macbeth from killing Banquo. She suspects that Macbeth will kill him, but does not convince him otherwise. When Macbeth suggests that he is going to do something about Banquo, she makes no effort to dissuade him. She seems quite pleased that Macbeth is going to do something about Banquo, as it will help her retain her position as Queen. She does not yet feel any remorse for anything that they have done, and seems to think that it is great that Macbeth is finally taking charge of his own treacherous deeds. Throughout the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth can be described as a Butcher, and Lady Macbeth can be described as a fiend-like queen. Many examples supporting this can be found throughout the play. Macbeth can be described as a butcher when he is involved in the murders of King Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s family. Lady Macbeth can be given the title of a fiend-like queen when she is plotting to murder Duncan, framing the two servants, and when she fails to stop Macbeth from killing Banquo. The traits of these two characters have helped Shakespeare to create a great tragedy, with two recognisable tragic heroes.

Programming Solution Proposal Essay

Computer programs can help us solve everyday issues that might seem impossible. Household budgeting is an issue that burdens many Americans. Every individual is ultimately responsible for managing his or her finances. Developing a computer program that can help individuals manage their budget will greatly improve their life quality. The program would have to follow the program development cycle model and use the modular approach. Identifying Budget Issues The biggest challenge that many American families are facing after the 2008 recession is managing a monthly budget adequately. The fact is that many families increased their debt by borrowing more than their allocated budget. Americans need to learn to live base on how much they earn. Our first reaction, when in debt, would be to make up excuses as to why we are in that situation. Some of us will even try to blame relatives or credit card companies when faced with excessive debt. It is families, who do not budget properly, that end up losing their homes and vehicles to banks or lenders (msn, 2009). Who is Responsible? The task of managing your budget according to your earnings is a decision and responsibility that is ultimately yours. The first step to take when budgeting is to acknowledge your debt problem and stop finding justifications for it. The problem can be excessively stressful and it is recommended to seek assistance through friends, family, or even better from an organization that guides people through debt reduction. A non-profit organization, such as the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, will probably be the best option. To start getting a handle of the problem, one must establish a number of how much is owed (msn, 2009). Developing a Program Technology, at present day, is an important tool that can be used to our advantage to solve almost any issue. Many families that might be facing budgeting and even foreclosure issues might not be aware that such tools exist. The process of creating a computer program that will help us budget our monthly income can greatly improve our quality of life. Such program must follow the program development cycle and contain the three main components of a computer program; input, process, and output (Venit & Drake, 2009). Program Development Cycle The first step of the program development cycle is to analyze the problem. We need to fully understand the problem that needs to be solved. We also need to analyze which information is available to us. The initial information available to us is our monthly net pay, and our monthly economic obligations. We also need to establish our desired output, establishing a budget, and determine how our known information will help us achieve those results. At this point we might also become aware of information that is not included but is necessary in order to identify the problem properly. Such information may include unexpected expenses, depositing money into a savings account, etc. (Venit & Drake, 2009). The next step of the cycle is designing a program to solve the problem. The designing step of the program development cycle will yield a flowchart that will outline how the actual program is executed based on the known variables. The flowchart will include a starting point, inputs, assignments, If conditions, loops, outputs, and an ending point. The evaluation of each step of the program development cycle might yield additional subtasks that might need to be added to the original flowchart. This step also involves writing an algorithm in pseudocodes which will instruct the program on what to do. The last two steps of the cycle involve writing the pseudocode statements in program code. The program code will depend on which computer language is chosen. Finally the program needs to be executed to determine if it runs properly. A re-evaluation of the program might be needed if the program does not execute properly (Venit & Drake, 2009). The goal of the program is to aid the average household to adequately manage a budget. Modular Approach The modular approach that will be taken to create this budgeting program will ensure the creation of the proper program to solve the issue. The approach will first consider the major tasks that need to be accomplished. A module will be created for each task in the program. The tasks can later be broken down into sub-tasks as deemed necessary by the programmer. These sub-tasks will then be assigned sub-modules. The amount of sub-tasks is determined by the complexity of the problem and how many are needed to solve the problem. The purpose of breaking down tasks is to make the program much easier and simpler. The model that is used to break down tasks is called the top-down design (Venit & Drake, 2009). Conclusion Developing a computer program that can help individuals manage their budget will greatly improve their life quality.

Human Noise Pollution on Whitetail Deer Population Essays

Human Noise Pollution on Whitetail Deer Population Essays Human Noise Pollution on Whitetail Deer Population Paper Human Noise Pollution on Whitetail Deer Population Paper and Dash J. , 2008). Noise pollution also affects workers that work around noise pollution (Toothache, Z, 201 1 the study showed how noise effects workers, and the environment while the building of a dam. Because of the amount of the noise that the workers and the environment has to take in during the day while the job is being conducted, there for making the workers loose there hearing. This relates to this project because this research tested what the noise did to the environment and the organisms that were within. In 1997 K. Swisher and Identical researched how whitetail deer are becoming major problems in communities today. The stated, Many communities are trying to regulate the deer populations that are closed from hunting. As long as adequate food sources are available deer populations will double every two to three years. Which is mainly due to the over population of the wildlife in that area because of the deforested area that was used to construct the communities. And what those members of the communities dont realize is that they are the cause for the abundance of whitetail deer in their area because were there house is those animals used o live. Another study conducted by S. Webb and K. Gee in 2009 was based on the survival and fidelity of the whitetail deer. They examined marked deer recaptures and sightings over a thirteen year period on an enclosed population of whitetail deer in Oklahoma, LISA. The researchers tested the survival and fidelity parameter. They found that the number of animals that are enclosed by fences have increased which created issues with the breeding habits and individual populations. The researchers also found that male deer had a 58% survival rate during hunting season compared to the 78% of the females during the hunting season. A study conducted by F. Wickedly and J. Foster in 2009, researchers used a Powders estimator to find the number of whitetail deer in a two hundred and fourteen hectare area in Texas. The researchers also used a corn supplement to attract the whitetail deer to their testing area. However in this research there will be no corn supplement used in conducting this research, the sample will be completely natural. B. Miller and R. Denying in 201 0 conducted research on the whitetail deer on the amount of whitetail deer in a given area. Clover Traps were used which are baited traps with kernel corn that the deer eat. These researchers collected data from whitetail deer from Feb.. 27th 1999 to the 19th of March 2005. These deer where physically restrained, blindfolded, and given an intramuscular injection of Calamine hydrochloride (1 00 MGM/ml) which is a tranquilizer shot, at a dosage of 2. 2 MGM/keg body mass. Then those deer were fixed with plastic ear tags which told there estimated age. Methodology The procedures that the researcher will need to follow if in need of conducting this project are as follows. Obtain a wooded area of which there is a population of whitetail deer that the researcher may conduct the experiment on. Note that the researcher must have at least a 5 acre perimeter of woodland area around the researchers test sight so that the research will not affect other populations. Then, Obtain a Wildlife Infrared Extreme trail camera. This is a water proof outdoor camera that uses a motion detector to take pictures during the day and at night. Obtain an alarm motion detector that is suitable for being outside and being wet. Drive way alarms for cars seem to work very well. (Note: Have not found the alarm product name yet and still needed for project) After the materials have been gathered, in researchers wooded area find a suitable place to place the Wildlife Infrared Extreme trail camera so that it will have a good view of the area that will be tested. Post it on the suitable tree and make sure that the camera is taking pictures by moving in front of the camera and seeing if a red light comes on when the researcher goes by. Place the remote control motion detector underneath the trail camera so that the camera can take the picture of any whitetail deer in that area when the alarm is going off, and when the motion detector is not in use (Control Variable No Noise). Next depending on what independent variable (Noise) that is being tested set the allotted time or the motion detector to run, before leaving again make sure that the two materials are working by walking in front of the materials. The camera should blink red and the motion detector should sound. After, let the materials sit out in the woods for the 2 week trial periods. Finally, after the 2 week trial period is over go back to the research area and retrieve the Wildlife Infrared Extreme trail cameras memory card. Then replace the memory card with a new blank memory card by inserting it into the designated slot. Make sure to leave the camera out there so the researcher would not have to repeat steps and 4. Repeat steps 6, 7, and 8 for the other independent variables. After receiving the memory chip: First, manually count each deer seen in each picture so that the researcher may record you data in their lab notebook. The researcher might also want to record dates, an times so that they find the mean, and mode for each day and time. So that there is data on what day out of the trial period the Whitetail deer moved the most and what the mean and mode was for the time of day also during the 2 week trial lengths. To better understand the Whitetail deers movement patterns due to the noise pollution. Next, plug in the researchers data in Maintain to get the mean, and mode for the movement patterns due to the noise pollution in the Whitetail deers environment. Record researchers data in their lab notebook, and then repeat steps 1-3 for each independent variables trial. Data Interpretation The levels and options of my independent variable are a control which will be the environmental noise that is already in the area that I will be testing. This means that will have to be done on this trial period is set up the motion detector and the trail camera. Another level of this project is the low noise eating which will be a certain time period that the noise will be on so to speak. The next variable will be the medium noise setting which will be a time period that fall be extend from the low setting. The final noise setting will be the high which will be the noise being produce 24 hours at a time for each day. The units and measurement technique for my dependent variable is that the researcher will be manually going through and counting each deer that are seen in all of the pictures. Then they will see what noise setting the picture was taken during and calculate my data. The researcher will also see hat the mean number of deer there was that came in the testing area for each day and noise level. The descriptive statistics that will be used in this research is mean which is due to the need to find out what the mean number of whitetail deer there were in that particular area at that time and what the mean number of whitetail deer there were in that particular area at that time and what the mean number of deer was that came in that area in that two week trial period every day. An NOVA test will be used for inferential statistics so that sample data can be compared to the overall population. This ill allow the researcher to see the number of whitetail deer out of that population that is affected by each noise level. The overall outcome (hypothesis) that is thought to happen in this experiment is, if there is a substantial amount of human population noise in a given area, and then the number of Whitetail deer in that area will be lower. This means that when there is an increase in the amount of noise in this experiment then the number of deer visiting that area will decline. Data Collection Table: Trial # I Control of Deer) I Low (# of Deer) I Deer) I High ( # of Deer) I Trial #1 h weekly h weekly h weekly h weekly Trial #2 h weekly h weekly h weekly h weekly Above is the data collection table that includes three trial periods for each independent variable. With each trial period lasting for two week periods, that are being tested one after another a day apart. Data Analysis Figure 1 shows that the number Of deer in the picture if counted manually was 4, the time was at 8:40 in the morning and it was 9-2-11. There were a total number of 493 pictures like the one below that had more and less than the one below. Figure 1 shows that the number of deer in the picture if counted manually During this research 493 photographs were used to collect qualitative and initiative data, like the one shown below. The photographs show that there are deer coming into the area, what time they came in, the date, and if it was during the day or at night. The photo below is a photo taken from the control period of this experiment.