Significance of Ginkgo Biloba Essay -- Botany

Significance of Ginkgo BilobaThe ginkgo tree appeared on earth approximately 230 million geezerhood ago, which was before dinosaurs evolved. They were referred to as living fossils by Charles Darwin. These trees are so hardy that one of them lived through the atomic blast that destroyed Hiroshima (Anonymous No. 2, 1997). This tree is one of the earths two oldest trees, The members of the Ginkgoacae family grew in parts of what are now Australia, the British Isles, Greenland, China, Russia, northern Europe, Japan, South America, Africa, and in the United States during the Mesozoic Era. It later retreated to a small field of battle in eastern China with the changes in the world climate. It is the only surviving tree of the ginkgo family (Corrigan, 1997). The ginkgo was reintroduced to the United States in 1784. Today, these trees are all over the world again. They can be found in almost every city in the United States. Its species name biloba refers to the two-distinct lobes, whic h is characteristic of the leaves. These trees have survived over millions of years due to their resistance of disease, pests, fires, and air pollution. They can grow in almost any condition, which includes sun, shade, heat, cold, smog, pollution, wind, and humidity (Foster, 1996). The ginkgo tree can grow 75 to atomic number 6 feet tall with a trunk up to 8 feet in diameter, They have a distinctive fan- shaped leaf, which are bright green in the spring. Their leaves unloose to a dull green in the summer and become a translucent gold in the fall (Corrigan, 1997). The ginkgo tree was determinationd for umteen purposes, even in the ancient times. The ginkgo leaf was first mentioned in Lan Maos Dian Nan Ben Cao, published in 1436. Lan Mao notes the external use to treat skin and head ... ...iful living fossil. St. Louis Post Dispatch, p. L141. Foster, Steven. 1996. Ginkgo biloba a living fossil for todays health needs. Better Nutrition 58(4) 54-56. Mowrey, Daniel. 1997. Valerian r oot, passion flower, and ginkgo are circus tent neurotonic herbs. 59(l) 34. Tyler, Varro E. 1998. Boost your brain and your libido ginkgo this ancient herb may improve memory and (surprise) wake up your sex life. Prevention 50(6) 91-93. Additonal References Holt, Ben F. and Gar W. Rothwell. 1997. Is Ginkgo biloba very an oviparous plant? American Journal of Botany 84(6) 870-873. Huffman, Grace Brooke. 1998. Efficacy of Ginkgo biloba in treating dementia, American Family Physician 57(10) 2504-2506. Oken, Barry S. 1999, The efficacy of Ginkgo biloba on cognitive function in Alzheimer disease. Journal of American Medical Association 281(5) 402.

File Sharing Survey :: File Sharing Illegality Essays

File Sharing Survey With a coke in one hand and the computer cabbage in the other, Jack Napster is busy downloading Mp3s from Limewire with his superior fast college Ethernet connection. Jack Napster lives for his music and consequently makes use of file communion programs in order to keep up with current musical trends. He can access all the new hit songs and even some underground artists that his friends have recommended to him. Jack feels that file sharing is an ethical practice even though it is deemed illegal by the law. He feels that the downloading of music does not hurt the music industry on the contrary it in truth helps promote smaller artists. Most important, he knows that mp3s are free, and what college student does not like the word free? College campuses all across the nation are abounding of Jack Napsters. On October 8th, 2002, a letter was sent out to over 2,300 colleges and universities across the nation by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA) and the Motion draft Association (MPA) informing them of the legal issues about on-campus file sharing programs. The letter seeks the support of the colleges to help fight against file sharing and outlines a set of policies for the schools to realize (MTV.com). In light of these recent incidents, I choose to delve into this controversial issue by creating a survey to give to college students at James capital of Wisconsin University (JMU). The purpose of my survey was to determine the ethical beliefs of the Jack Napsters at James Madison University in response to file sharing programs. The survey was administered to both female and male students as well as students of every undergraduate level. The demographics are as follows eight males and seventeen females were surveyed for a total of twenty vanadium completed questionnaires. The survey was distributed in my hall in my dorm, the laundry room, in my friends dorm, at a theater rehearsal, and at a super bowl gathering. Th e survey was administered from January 24th through January 27th, 2003. I feel that this variety of settings, ages, and gender provide for a more balanced survey. Going into the survey, I was sure that everyone on campus used file-sharing programs, but to my surprise only 18 of the students actually did.

Journalism and the American Renaissance Essay -- Literature Essays Lit

Journalism and the American conversion The period in American Literature known as the American Renaissance was a time of great change in our country. It was an age of westward expansion and social conflict. Americans were divided on such volatile issues as slavery, illuminate and sectionalism that ultimately led to the Civil War. Emerging from this cauldron of change came the voice of a new nation - a nation with views and ideals all its own. The social, economic, technological and demographic revolution that was taking place at this time set the stage for a new era of writers. The voice of the nation found a home, first, on the pages of the newspaper. It was there that the hopes, fears and political views of Americans were represented. The newspaper united Americans by giving them a vehicle to voice their opinions and concerns. The result was a newfound spirit of solidarity that clear the door to the first great period of creative writing in America known as the American Rena issance. The ranks of Americas greatest visionary writers overflow with men and women whose careers began in journalism (Fishkin 3). The birth of the penny press created hundreds of new newspapers along with jobs that authors like Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain were eager to fill. The affect that journalism, with its remark for fact, had on the early authors of America was profound (Fishkin 4, 6). It fostered a style of writing that put truth in a higher place rhetoric and first hand knowledge above hearsay. Writing for a newspaper required that the writer be immersed in the events taking place in the world around him and report what he saw, hear and felt. It brought the writer into the realm of the everyday raw experiences of ... ...press. It was as poets and novelists that the American Renaissance writers challenged society to consider unfamiliar concepts - to move beyond their limited scope and track the unknown. Works Cited Bell, Michael D. The Problem of American Realism Studies in the Cultural History of a Literary Idea. Chicago University of Chicago Press, 1993. Fishkin, Shelley F. From Fact to Fiction. Baltimore The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985. Lauter, Paul The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Boston Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Matthiessen, F.O. American Renaissance. New York Oxford University Press, 1941. Reynolds, David S. Beneath the American Renaissance. New York Alfred A. Knopf, 1988. Robertson, Michael. Stephen Crane, Journalism and the Making of Modern American Literature. New York Columbia University Press, 1997.

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill’s The Astrakhan Cloak Essay -- Astrakhan Cloak

Nuala N Dhomhnaills The Astrakhan Cloak The Astrakhan Cloak, published in 1992, is a ingathering of poems by Nuala N Dhomhnaill. Several aspects of the hold back deserve notice from the reader, including structural and thematic elements that work to develop an overall sense of mystery, wonder, and loss. A significant theme of the poems in the collection is the dichotomy of the supernatural and civilized worlds, and the sense that there atomic number 18 forces in the world just beyond our perception and understanding. In general the poems presented are short, only if the final inclusion is a longer poem divided into sections, each somewhat able stand on its own. Read as a self-coloured the final poem underscores the central themes presented in the book. N Dhomhnaill wrote the collection in Irish, but translations are provided on the facing pages. It is important to consider why the book was published in both languages. At the simplest level, the poet wanted people to read her wor k, and the market for poetry in English is larger than that in Irish. However, there are other considerations to keep in mind. First, the decision to print poems in both Irish and English brings to the mind of the reader some of the mystery inherent in other languages, especially the supernatural connotations of Celtic language. Viewing the poems in Irish reinforces the idea that some things are outside the realm of human understanding. Reading a translation is not the same as reading an original work the reader cannot help but wonder what meaning the foreign words business leader carry that is lost in translation. That constant reminder throughout the collection enhances the sense of there being something just beyond perception that is beautiful and mysterious. legion(predicate) of the poem... ...section of The Voyage, Two Men, tells of an encounter with the Isle of Enchantment, Hy-Breasil. When the sailors in the poem encounter the island, they are caught up in the relative mer its of coal or clod, typify the obsession with the everyday world, while the island itself was covered by a blanket of cloud/and completely disappeared from view. (103) Finally, the island, and all the supernatural wonder it represents is lost, outside the reach of humanity. industrial plant CitedEllmann, Richard and OClair, Robert, ed. The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry, Second Edition. New York W. W. Norton & Company, 1988.N Dhomhnaill, Nuala. The Astrakhan Cloak. Trans. Paul Muldoon. Loughcrew The Gallery Press, 1992 astrakhan. Encyclopedia Britanicca Online Dictionary Accessed 11 November 2004.

Jesus Christ :: essays research papers

deliveryman ChristI think a great mortal to put on the postage stamp would be rescuer Christ. There are many concludes why Jesus would be a good choice. He was very influential to many quite a little in the world. He was also a great person and a role model for a lot of people. Jesus changed a lot of peoples live and countless people praise him and remark him everyday. Jesus was a great person and leader to many. I think since Jesus Christ is such an influence he deserves the honor of being on a postage stamp.Jesus would be a great person for a postage stamp because he was a enormous influence. Jesus Christ is one of the main figures of the Christianity religion branch. Jesus inspired many and was the son of God. He was perfect. Mostly everyone in the world knows that Jesus is an figure of speech for the Christian faith and since over forty percent of the worlds population believes in Christianity, he is defiantly something many admire. There are an huge amount of places of worship called churches for Christians to praise Christianity. There are also radio stations and music as well as television channels and blush movies. Vast amounts of people put Jesus to play major role as an influence to their life.Another reason Jesus is a great person to put on postage stamps is because he was a great person and role model. Jesus was the only perfect human being. Jesus could do the impractical and make miracles happen. He was a supreme being. Jesus was the son of God and lived a simple life. He was not greedy, or selfish or promiscuous. Jesus was a wise and simple man who made all the right choices with the best intentions, he did not hate anyone. He only loved. Jesus would ever end up being the better of the bunch by making good and righteous decisions. I think this is a very good reason why Jesus is a great role model. He was a kind, fair, and loving man. A man like Jesus should be on a postage stamp because he is an idol to many.Jesus should be on a posta ge stamp on account of the fact that he is a commendable person who many people look up to and are influenced by.

Parents of Pre-term Infants Essay -- social workers, parental stress,

Article Review OneThe first article, Parents of Pre-term Infants Two Months after Discharge from the Hospital Are They Still at (Parental) take chances? (Olshtain-Mann, O. & Auslander, G. K , 2008), describes a guide in Israel that was designed to gain further understanding of the emotional state and functioning of parents of pre-term infants, after an initial period of allowance following the infants discharge from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Specifically, this study compared the stress levels of parents and self-perceptions of competence as parents among mothers and fathers, devil months after discharge of their babies from the hospital. The study compared parents of pre-term babies with parents of condition babies.A target group of 80 pairs of parents of pre-term babies and a non-matched comparison group of 80 pairs of parents of full-term babies were interviewed for the study. Respondents were selected as follows All couples (both mothers and fathers) in both groups were Hebrew speaking. The target group had pre-term infants who were hospitalized in the NICU of any of three hospitals in Jerusalem during 2001-2002. These premature babies weighed less than 3.85 pounds and were born in the 36th week or earlier. All were treated in the NICU for one week or more. According to the article, exclusions included parents of children who were not expected to survive or those who had congenital abnormalities.Parents of the full-term babies had infants who were born in the same time period, and in the same hospitals, as the target group. All babies in both groups were singletons.The interviews were conducted by social workers and followed a particularized protocol. A further questionnaire was completed by both mothers and fa... ...e employed to develop programs that will offer support to the new parents of higher risk children.Works Cited Olshtain-Mann, O. & Auslander, G. K. (2008). Parents of pre-term infants two months after discharge from the hospital Are they still at (parental) risk? Health & Social Work, 33(4), 299-308. Retrieved from http//search.proquest.com/docview/210554738?accountid=8289 Pierrehumbert, B., Nicole, A., Muller-Nix, C., Forcada-Guex, M., Ansermet, F. Parental post- traumatic reactions after premature birth implications for quiescence and eating problems in the infant. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2003885 F400-F404 doi10.1136/fn.88.5.F400 Dacey, J., Travers, J. & Fiore, L. (2009) Human Development Across the Lifespan. (7th ed). New York, NY McGraw-Hill high Education. Cogburn, N., Cogburn, N. personal communications, April 5, 2014.

Parents of Pre-term Infants Essay -- social workers, parental stress,

Article Review OneThe first article, Parents of Pre-term Infants Two Months after Discharge from the Hospital Are They Still at (Parental) Risk? (Olshtain-Mann, O. & Auslander, G. K , 2008), describes a study in Israel that was designed to gain hike understanding of the emotional state and functioning of parents of pre-term infants, after an initial period of adjustment following the infants accomplish from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Specifically, this study compared the stress levels of parents and self-perceptions of competence as parents among mothers and fathers, two months after record of their babies from the hospital. The study compared parents of pre-term babies with parents of full-term babies.A target collection of 80 pairs of parents of pre-term babies and a non-matched comparison group of 80 pairs of parents of full-term babies were interviewed for the study. Respondents were selected as follows All couples (both mothers and fathers) in both groups wer e Hebrew speaking. The target group had pre-term infants who were hospitalized in the NICU of any of three hospitals in Jerusalem during 2001-2002. These premature babies weighed less than 3.85 pounds and were born in the 36th week or earlier. All were enured in the NICU for one week or more. According to the article, exclusions included parents of children who were not expected to survive or those who had congenital abnormalities.Parents of the full-term babies had infants who were born in the same time period, and in the same hospitals, as the target group. All babies in both groups were singletons.The interviews were conducted by social workers and followed a specific protocol. A further questionnaire was completed by both mothers and fa... ...e employed to develop programs that will offer support to the new parents of higher risk children.Works Cited Olshtain-Mann, O. & Auslander, G. K. (2008). Parents of pre-term infants two months after discharge from the hospital Are they still at (parental) risk? Health & Social Work, 33(4), 299-308. Retrieved from http//search.proquest.com/docview/210554738?accountid=8289 Pierrehumbert, B., Nicole, A., Muller-Nix, C., Forcada-Guex, M., Ansermet, F. Parental post- traumatic reactions after premature birth implications for sleeping and eating problems in the infant. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2003885 F400-F404 doi10.1136/fn.88.5.F400 Dacey, J., Travers, J. & Fiore, L. (2009) Human Development Across the Lifespan. (7th ed). New York, NY McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Cogburn, N., Cogburn, N. personal communications, April 5, 2014.

Morgan Components IESE MBA Case Report Essay

The Director of the European Interior Components Product Line group of Morgan Components Company, Sean OFearna is facing a difficult finality. He c whole for to respond to the legal injury decrement request on a doorway panel project, which would take-off in six months. The initial conduct was signed at a impairment of 90 euros between Asiacar and Plasticom. Morgan Components took ownership of the contract, as it acquired the Clondalkin plant of Plasticom.The project was seen infeasible by Morgan Components executives, heretofore before the terms reduction. so, first a unit based cost breakdown analysis was applied. It was observed that with the current production processes, the stripped scathe that Morgan Components could afford was 80 euros. Then the possible process improvements and cost reduction alternatives were analyse and redesigning the door panel to sink its features was identified as a must. The some otherwise cardinal alternatives of reducing scrap and i n-house production of X-27 had their own shortcomings like high initial investments and overtaking against company policies, and on that pointfore should only be applied if the impairment was restricted to very low directs. (e.g. at 73 euros Alternative of reducing features should be supported by reducing scrap to maintain lettuceableness. For all the price takes under 72 euros, all three measures should be taken)Then, the auto industry was faild with regards to the purchasing regimes in the first years of a new launched product. The way out was that even a failure product driven to market by Asiacar would necessitate Asiacar to buy at least 30,000 units of door panels in total. (A moderate victory would result in the purchase of 100,000 to 200,000 units and a real success would take the sales number of Morgan Components up to 300,000 units.) In the light of this analysis a coincidence of worst showcase scenarios were made. The result showed that even in the worst case scenario of going on with the Asiacar contract, Morgan Components would be better off than canceling the contract.Moreover, a series of arguments were nimble for Sean OFearna to present his seniors within Morgan Components to convince them on this argument andget permission to go on with Asiacar contract. Financial situation and the diversification policy of Morgan Components, under capacity production of the Clondalkin Plant and the importance of Asiacar as a client were among these.Then a price range was provided to Sean OFearna before his negotiations with Asiacar. He should alimentation the price at a level between 75 to 81 euros not to forgo the contract, while maintaining lucrativeness. To be able to achieve this, the credibility of the lacquerese supplier threat was argued and the risk of changing suppliers for Asiacar was quantified as 5 to 7 euros. Besides, counting on the fact that Clondalkin had the rights to redesign the door panels for Europe up to now, and Asiaca r had al cause invested 2 trillion to Clondalkin redesigns, the Japanese threat was further diluted. However, these arguments would not mean much without Sean cosmos able to put them clearly on the table during negotiations.Therefore a clear negotiation run plan was outlined in order for Sean to persuade Asiacar to carry on with the contract at a price level of 78, which would reduce the risk on Morgan Components and may even provide a profit of 1.8 million euros in the best case scenario, while, on the other hand, providing Asiacar a savings authorisation of 3.6 million euros.Problem Statement & AlternativesThe main problem Sean OFearna is facing in the Morgan Components Case Study is that he carrys to give a response to the 25% price reduction request of Asiacar. This reduction is requested on a door panel contract, for which some investments atomic number 18 already made and the process is to be lead uped in six months. Sean is concerned about the potential losses that m ay arise after this price reduction, and the potential risks of canceling the whole contract. firstly of all Sean needs to decide on whether to carry on with the contract or cancel it right away, analyzing the cost classing of the door panels. Moreover, he may need to choose a way to modify his production processes toreduce his costs. Afterwards, if he decides to carry on with the contract, he allow need to decide on a minimum price that he may afford and come up with a price range, mutually acceptable for two Asiacar (AC) and Morgan Components (MC).Since Sean himself is not in a position in the organizational structure of MC to decide on such a critical issue all by himself, he will need to discuss the upcomings with his own superiors, before starting a negotiation with AC. In this context, he has to identify the strengths of his arguments that he should run away on during his dialogues with both MC executives and AC representatives.CriteriaAll the decisions Sean needs to ta ke are constrained in five main criteria, all of which will be taken into consideration to provide a framework for the analysis.First of all is the risk of canceling the contract right away. Since some investments has already been made and considering the Clondalkin Plant streamlet with 60% capacity currently, quitting the contract will require firing some workers and in total incurring a non-recoverable loss of 3 million euros. bite essential aspect is the profitability of the AC contract. Taking into account the potential risks contained within the structure of the contract, the cost structure of the door panel production should be re-analyzed to determine the maximum potential profit and potential losses that may occur at the end of the contract period.Third criterion is the MC organizational structure and incarnate strategy. The organizational structure will relate the decisive ability of Sean himself and the possibility of that a certain modification in the cost parcelling structure of the contract may be applied. Moreover, alternative cost cutting methods should be analyzed with regards to the strategies ofthe company.The fourth key point is AC as a company and its current condition. The relations of MC with AC and the significance of AC to MC as a strategic client have important strike on the decisions of both Sean and the senior management of MC, who are seeking for diversification. Furthermore, the Japanese Supplier threat put forward by AC should be analyzed in the context of AC being in weak financial situation and currently running a revival plan.Finally, Sean and his relationship with the Clondalkin Plant and the Clondalkin townspeople should regularly be considered during analysis, in the sense that he may not yet be able to think unbiased from MCs side, since he has worked for long years at Clondalkin before MC bought the plant.Analyses of Alternatives in the Framework of Relevant Criteria1. To carry on with Asiacar contract or to cancel it right awayThe first issue to observe before making this decision for Sean is to figure out the losses the company is going to face. It is clearly stated in the case that the company is going to lose 3 million euros if the contract is cancelled now. So, Sean needs to check the alternative of going on with the contract and analyze the profitability of it, in order to incur a net comparison.To have a better judgment of the profitability of the door panel contract, Sean first needs to analyze the costing methods of Plasticom and MC. He needs to spot out the Two main differences are in the labor costs and the corporate overheads. Assuming that wages mogul have been adjoind after the factory was bought by MC in order to increase motivation and gain worker loyalty. Moreover, since the wages might as well rise in the following five year contract period, the increased labor cost approach seems conservative, but logical. On the other hand, the corporate overheads are only an allocated p ortion of MC headquarters costs they have no direct relation with this contract alone and do not affect the potential positive cashflows. As Sean convinced MC executives not to consider the corporate overheads to carry on with the project before, they definitely will not be included in the analyses for such a critical decision of canceling the contract.The next step in the analysis of costs should be to decide whether AC is going to buy 300,000 units in the following five years and how the purchases will be distributed over years. It can be certainly understood from Seans doubts, that in the AC contract theres no restriction for AC to buy 300,000 door panels. Also, big manufacturing companies tend to transfer market risks on to the supplier as a procurement strategy. It is often the case that if the product of a main company does not sell in the market, it is the supplier who suffers because of not being able to compensate initial investments.Therefore, it is life-and-death to anal yze costs on per-unit base and to carefully differentiate variable costs and fixed costs. Exhibit-1 shows the recommended cost structure per unit door panel. The reason that indirect labor, maintenance and factory overheads were incurred as variable is that these costs tend to change with the volume of production and would disappear if there were not door panel production. Even factory overheads are allocated on to projects according to production volumes.So, it is obvious from Exhibit-1 that Sean cannot afford to carry on with the contract at a price of 68 euros per panel unless a cost reduction in the production process is made. Then, the decision of going on with the contract depends on the next decision step, which is2. To choose which alternative cost reduction methods to implementSean has three alternative ways to reduce production costs of door panels. First of which, now on to be called Alternative-1 is to reduce the features of the panel design. Alternative-2 is to reduce scrap and Alternative-2 is to produce X-27 in-house. All possible combinations and outcomes of these process improvements are condition in Exhibit-2. As it is seen, the Alternatives 2 and 3 are inefficient to reduce the cost below the 68-euro level. Their effect is more adequate when combined withAlternative-1.On the other hand, the Alternatives 2 and 3 bring some shortcomings with them. First of all, Alternative-3 requires a non-strategic component to be manufactured in-house and may cause a supplier to go out of business. This is both against two critical criteria MC corporate policies and Seans relations with Clondalkin. Moreover, both Alternative 2 and 3 require an increase of initial investments. This increases the risk undertaken by MC with regards to the fact that the amount of purchase and its distribution over the years is ambiguous. Exhibit-3 presents possible procurement regimes that may be followed by AC according to the success level of their new car model. A summary o f Exhibit-3 may be that while a successful or moderately successful model would create a purchase of over 100,000 units of panels, the failure of AC would mean sales of below 100,000 units for MC, but particularly not below 30,000.This analysis enables us to compare worst-case scenarios and make a distinct comparison between canceling the contract and going on with it. Exhibit-4 demonstrates this comparison. According to this, it is clear that even if ACs new model is a failure, MC would be better off by continuing with the contract with minimum condition of implementing cost reduction Alternative-1 is met. Sean should do everything he can to cargo deck this contract, in order to minimize Clondalkins losses.3. Affordable Price Range and the Effect of Price on Cost Reduction AlternativesGraph at Exhibit-5 illustrates the random variable in breakeven points of the AC contract with different cost reduction alternatives at different price levels. This graph is essential in several way s First, the minimum affordable price for MC is 72 euros, assuming that it is the probability to sell more than 300,000 units with this contract is very low. It also reveals the cons and pros of the alternative cost reduction methods. For example, if the price level is restricted to a level of 72 euros or below by AC, then the trade-offs of Alternatives 2 & 3 are less important compared to theprofitability increase they bring and both should be implemented immediately. If a price of 73 euros may be negotiated with AC, then the implementation Alternative-3 may be postponed or completely dropped due to its shortcomings and only Alternative 1 and 2 would be enough together to bring MC to a breakeven at 300,000 units. At even higher price levels, alternatives 2 and 3 lose their significance and MC may carry on the contract only with Alternative-1.However, can the price reduction request of 25% be negotiated with Asiacar? Is the Japanese threat credible? What are the arguments and streng ths that Morgan Components has in hand to increase the requested price to a higher level? How important is this contract and the relationships with Asiacar for both Morgan Components and Sean himself? All these questions and more need to be answered in order to come up with a down to earth action plan that can be applied immediately to get Sean and Morgan Components out of this situation without any significant losses.SynthesisIn the light of the analysis made, my testimonial for Sean OFearna is to go on with the Asiacar contract with whatever means possible. This outcome is also supported by the criterion of Seans relationship with Clondalkin plant. He, having a unattackable reputation within Clondalkin, would not want to put the plant at risk by continuing at a capacity of 60% and not making decent profits.On the other hand, considering the organizational structure of Morgan Components, Sean is not at a position to take such a critical decision on his own. He needs to convince t he senior executives of Morgan Components about carrying on with the contract. However, at this point, his strong relations with Clondalkin my turn out to be a disfavour for him. Morgan Components executives, knowing Seans strong tie to Clondalkin may respond to this proposal biased. Therefore, Sean needs to support his arguments with fact, especially the data presented in the exhibits of this report, which clearly show that canceling the contract brings the worst possible outcome.Moreover, Sean must emphasize on the corporate vision of Morgan Components. Being 80% dependent on only one firm and being very eager about their diversification policy, creating new businesses with Asiacar has high importance of Morgan Components. Asiacar is not a completely new client for Morgan Components and the three plants of Plasticom were acquired by Morgan Components in the main to increase businesses with Asiacar. When compared to the 1.2 billion euro sales size of Morgan, the 27 million euro p otential of this contract may seem small at first sight.However, at this crucial period where Morgan is trying to minimize its losses by all means, letting Asiacar down with this contract would put both current and future businesses of Morgan with Asiacar at stake. In addition to that the Asiacar contract will increase the capacity usage of the Clondalkin plant significantly from 60% to 90%. Clarifying all these critical aspects should get Sean the obligatory permissions to start negotiations with Asiacar to continue business with them.The next step for Sean should be to analyze the possibility of negotiating the requested price of 68 euros with Asiacar. Greatest threat for Morgan Components is the possibility that Asiacar may transfer its supply to a Japanese supplier, which is currently supplying door panels for the Japanese version of the same Asiacar model. Nevertheless, if the nature of automotive industry is analyzed, it will be seen that most of the main manufacturers pay J ust-In-Time production procedures, or even if not, they try to minimize their inventory by pressurizing suppliers with tight deadlines and minimum delivery lots. Supplying from Japan to a manufacturer in UK, other than bringing an additional logistics cost of 4 euros, is extremely risky for the manufacturer in the sense that it may increase lead-times and cause inventory pile-ups. Although it is difficult to quantify such a risk, Seans target price during his negotiations with Asiacar should definitely be higher than 72 euros.In that case, what should be the target price for Sean during his negotiations with the Asiacar representatives? Looking at Exhibit-3 again, aiming a price that would breakeven at 300,000 units is far too risky forMorgan Components. On the contrary, trying to achieve a profit even if Asiacars new product fails would be too opportunistic and may cause an unpleasant response of direct change of supplier on the Asiacar side. Therefore, targeting a price range that would arrive at a breakeven at moderate success would be my suggestion. This price range may be deducted from Exhibit-5, and travel between 75 euros and 81 euros.Furthermore, the Clondalkin plant contains a key advantage regarding the Asiacar contract. Clondalkin is not a just a plant that is to produce a given design Asiacar has provided Clondalkin the initial design and the redesign of the door panel and the necessary adaptations of the design for the European market is carried by the Clondalkin plant. Why is this issue so important? Because of the two vital criteria for Asiacar Time restrictions and the necessary initial investments. First of all, there are only eight months left for the product launch of Asiacar, which is on whitethorn 2005. This means that the first samples of the door panels for the try-outs should be delivered to Asiacar at the latest by January 2005. Thus, the new supplier needs to redesign the product for European Markets, produce the mold, and start the production within 6 months. Would Asiacar take such big risk?Besides, Asiacar has provided 2 million euros of a total of 5 million euro investment on the redesign of the door panels. Now Asiacar has two possible option, which I recommend Sean to emphasize clearly during the negotiations Asiacar is either going to provide the remaining 3 million euros and wait until Clondalkin completes the molds and then transfer them to Japan, or come down to accept a mutual agreement for with Morgan ComponentsIn order to be able to build on this argument without being offensive, my recommendation is that Sean should follow such an action plan First he should mention that Morgan Components wants to support the revival plan of Asiacar and ready for sacrificing to an extent to maintain a sustainable relationship. However he should stress on the fact that pressurizing Morgan Components for a price reduction to 68 euros would result in the shut down of the whole company. He should support this by the d ata provided in Exhibit-6, which is the re-structured version of the cost breakdown inExhibit-1. Exhibit-6 will show Asiacar that below 81 euros, Morgan Components will theoretically not make profits for this contract. Moreover, reducing the price down to 81 euros would mean a potential saving of 2.7 million euros for Asiacar. He should also underline the risks and additional costs of working with a Japanese supplier and mention that a 68 euro price from a Japanese supplier would mean the exact same cost to Asiacar to buy the panels at a 73 euro price from Morgan.Setting his minimum and maximum clearly to 73 and 81 euros, then Sean may start releasing the handles again. Depending on the reactions of the Asiacar representative, he may restate the importance of being an Asiacar supplier for Morgan Components and approach with the favor of going below 81 euros with the following conditions being guaranteed More future contracts starting form 2005 and the renegotiation of the door panel prices at the end of 2005.Even after that, if Asiacar keeps insisting on very low price levels, the issue of having the current design in hand and having already expended the 2 million design fund should be raised, but without being offensive or destructive. The objective must be keeping the price in range of 75 to 81 euros.If Sean may apply my recommendation completely, he should come out of the Asiacar negotiations, with a price of around 78 euros. Having this price settled and implementing a redesign on the panel to reduce features (Cost Reduction Alternative-1), Morgan Components may expect a profit of nearly 1.8 million euros within the next five years, if the project is a complete success. Moreover, since the initial investments will be recovered after 170,000 units, the risk will be also minimized.Within very tight deadlines and such stressful conditions, following such a structured action plan may not be very easy for Sean OFearna to apply, however, with the above given ke y points in mind he should be able to achieve the outcome to save his professional reputation, Clondalkin Plants future and moreover, to provide a decent profit for his new company, MorganComponents.

Market Entry Strategy Essay

Limited Brands, parent play along to Bath and Body, currently employs an integrated merchandising plan for its distribution of the Bath and Body intersection point logical argument (L Brand International Strategy 2014, Para 1). This strategy could be combined with the prospect of a joint venture for a booming expansion into the get together Kingdom market. Integrated marketing channels can be challenging to manage but they are the most effective way to connect marketing and customer service, providing benefits for both follow and consumer (Ellis, 2011).A successful integrated market entry strategy starts and ends with a focus on customers. The needs of the customer moldiness be the top priority, because the success of the company depends on the loyalty of the customers it attracts (Ellis, 2011). Bath and Body is already a well-recognized brand in many different part of the world, providing a starting point for market entry (L Brand International Brand, 2014, Para 2). It is als o important for this strategy to be effective that all aspects of the company from manufacturing, distribution, and sales are operating together. This step requires effective constant communication. Each channel to the customer has strengths and weaknesses, using the strengths of one to offset the weakness of another allow for assist the companys customer effectiveness while reducing overall costs (Ellis, 2011). Bath and Body has a well-established product chain that provides products at many price points. This allows for the expansion to test different markets with smaller trials, then capitalize on the areas where customers purchasing. dweeb AnalysisThe method of measuring a companies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is SWOT analysis. This method assist companies in making decisions by providing decision makers a straightforward way to analysis both internal and external information pertaining to company operations or potential expansions (SWOT Analysis, 2014). Analysis of potential expansion to the United Kingdom by Bath and Body provides potential strengths of recognized brand imaging, rational price points compared to current options, customer loyalty, and providing of job opportunities in a recovering market. Weaknesses include competitive market, department storescarrying similar products, and the lack of a green product line. Market opportunities include the availability of e-commerce, social media, and understanding of the market. Threats include outside competition, lower priced products in market, and a recovering economy.ReferencesEllis, D. (2011, September 7). 5 components of a successful integrated marketing strategy. Social Media Today. Retrieved on February 28, 2014, from http//socialmediatoday.com/debraellis/352405/5-components-successful-integrated-marketing-strategy L Brands. (2014). International Strategy. Retrieved on February 28, 2014 from http//www.lb.com/international/strategy/default.aspx SWOT Analysis. (2014). Inve stopedia. Retrieved on February 28, 2014, from http//www.investopedia.com/terms/s/swot.asp

Middle East Women

Jay Sammelmann Dr. Holzhauer UI350-01 4/24/13 Women of the middle East The women of the middle(a) East be very enkindle to look in to. They are not just another person or tempered by the same standards like they are treated hither in the United States. There is a lot of controversy and fighting for womens rights throughout the Middle East. They ingest an extreme lack of antecedent on that point and they are fighting to change that. It is not right that women are such inferior people over there because they are no contrary than any other female in this world.Sexism plays a big power in the Middle East and the women are getting sick of putting up with this treatment. This is a big part of what I will be looking into in the research paper What kind of role do women play in a typical Middle easterly society? I will also analyze a typical Middle east chars daily life and I will also look into their dress. There dress is unlike any other place in the world. When I define a ve il, I automatically think about a Middle eastern woman, as the veil is kind of like the symbol of Middle Eastern womens dress.The first issue I will address when examining women in the Middle East is their rights. I hit al delegacys been under the impression that women couldnt do certain things that are freedoms in the United States, like dressing however you may wish, because of their religion. Most womens religion over there is Islam. really through research I have discovered that religion is not what holds subscribe Middle Eastern women. The ledger actually has given Middle Eastern women many important rights that even women here in the United States and the West in general didnt have until fairly recently when you look back through muniment.For example, Muslim women have always been able to retain their own assets, while the property of women in England was given to their husbands once they married all the way up until 1882 (Global Connections). Also, Muslim women in many countries kept their own last name, which shows that the men do not just gain property rights over the woman when they marry (Global Connections). The Quran has a lot of proof that religion isnt the reason that women are fighting for rights in their region. The Quran has listed many freedoms and rights that Muslim women deserve.For example, the Quran instructs Muslims to educate daughters as well as sons and it insists that women have the right to refuse a prospective husband (Global Connections). These are just a few on a long list of rights from the Quran that are overlooked when outsiders view the Middle East. Maybe the most important thing the Quran states is, that men and women are equal in the look of God (Global Connections). This proves that religion isnt the reason women are mistreated, because the rights are listed in fine print inside of their holy book.The tralatitious culture of the Middle East is the bigger problem with regard to womens rights in this region, not rel igion. While women in the Middle East fag outt have the fai rilievo rights, they also have had more leadership positions than you may think as well. In particular there have been a fair nub of female political leaders in Muslim societies. Maybe the most important women were those who were the sisters of the Prophet Muhammad. They were extremely important to the early Muslim community because they knew his employ and teachings so well (Global Connections).Muhammad was the most influential person to ever come out of the Middle East, so it was crucial that his practice and teachings be passed on to advance generations. Muhammads sisters werent the only actorful political figures over time in this region. Also, Aisha who is known as the favorite wife of Muhammad was also very influential. Something interesting about her was that she even participated in the Battle of Camel in 656 (Global Connections). Aisha wanted justice on the perpetrators of the assignation of the previous calip h, Uthman (Wise Muslim Women).A women leading in battle was never really seen before and isnt seen very often today either. This demonstrates the importance of Aisha in Middle Eastern history. Another influential woman in the history of the Middle East was Shajarat al-Durr. She firmly established the Mamluk dynasty that would ultimately repulse theMongols, expel theEuropeanCrusadersfrom theHoly Land, and remain the most powerful political force in theMiddle Eastuntil the coming of the quilts (Wise Muslim Women).Some other female political figures over time in the Middle East are the Sultanate of Women in the Ottoman Empire during the seventeenth century was a period when several women had enormous power over affairs of the state (Global Connections). Today there is a small, simply growing number of women in the parliaments of Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon (Global Connections). In Morocco women have secured 60 out of 395 seats, which may not sound like much, but that is fifteen percent of fan tan (Basch-Harod).The womens movement campaigns goal was to secure thirty percent of Parliament, but fifteen percent is a respectable start (Basch-Harod). It is load-bearing(a) to see that women are making a difference today as well. Although their contributions may not be the greatest, its great to see they are at least getting their foot in the door. These are just a few political leaders throughout time. This shows that women have the ability to gain power in the Middle East if they are put in the right situation.Not only were there some influential political leaders that were women, but there are also some powerful religious leaders as well. One female religious leader that has made a big adjoin is Rabia. She was a freed slave who became a prominent scholar in the eight century city of Bara in Iraq (Global Connections). Rabia was the person who first articulated the tenants of Sufism, which is a lively branch of Islam that emphasizes mysticism and a persons p ersonal relationship with God (Global Connections).She proved to be very influential as she never terminate up marrying anyone citing that she didnt want any distractions from her love for god. Rabia was looked up to by many people in the Islam community. A couple other important role models in the Islam community include Fatima, who was the prophet of Muhammads daughter and Zaynab who was the prophets granddaughter (Global Connections). This shows overall that women have been able to attain some power and have exercise throughout time. I feel like the view of Americans is that women hardly even exist in the Middle East region.While they may not have the same rights and arent treated as well as they are here in the United States today, they have proven to have more influence throughout history than many women. Many women in the United States didnt have any influence until the 1800s. Women have made significant strides and impacts in the Middle East for many centuries now, which is something to consider before you label Middle Eastern women as virtually nonexistent. One of the first things one notices about a Middle Eastern woman is their choice of clothing.The veil is kind of a symbol of Middle Eastern women. When I see a woman in a veil around campus and all covered up from head to toe, I automatically think it is a Middle Eastern woman. The hijab is the most common eccentric of veil worn by Middle Eastern women. This has either one or two scarves covers the head and cervix uteri of the woman (Civic Dilemmas). This is an example of Middle Eastern womans modest dress. A few more styles of dress are the niqab, the chador, and the burqa. The niqab covers the entire personate, including the head and face, while just leaving an opening for the eyes to see.These niqabs are very popular amongst the Muslim world in general (Civic Dilemmas). The chador is a full body length shawl that is held together at the neck by a pin and it leaves the face completely visible . This type of dress is most common in the Middle East, specifically in Iran, as compared to the rest of the world (Civic Dilemmas). The last style of dress I will explain is the burqa, which is a full body veil. The womans entire face and body is covered and she has to see through a mesh screen over the eyes (Civic Dilemmas).One will see this type of dress most commonly in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Actually for five years in the late 1990s and early 2000s the Taliban regime the use of a burqa was mandated by law (Civic Dilemmas). I dont think that countries should force anybody to dress a certain way, but I am spoiled by the freedom that I have here in the United States. This just goes to show you how lucky we have it as Americans, that some people like in the Middle East are labored to wear certain clothes.

Capstone Project Essay

There is no more need to fight crowds, find a parking spot, and deal with traffic. The high street and mail order systems tranquil puddle a place in the mix of purchase routes however it is no longer the only method of making purchases. The Internet revolution has seen a massive increase in the long distance purchases made by consumers, as geographical barriers are no longer as important as they were.The lack of geographical importance has influenced the strategy of Internet companies. One of the first companies that took advantage of this was the online bookshop Amazon. om. Amazon. com is an organization that offers a broad range of services to consumers and is considered an online loss leader of pure-plays pure online merchants. Amazon. com was founded in July of 1995 with a representation to fully utilize the Internet to exploit book buying fast, easy, and all in all, a very sweet experience. They currently have 29 million customers in 160 different countries, making Amazon . com one of the leading online merchants. It is rated third in business-to-consumer online revenue as of June 20, 2000. Amazon. com represents the high-flown e-Commerce troupe.It was one of the first to demonstrate the potential for virtual upstarts and turned the market on end even leading the bricks and mortar companies. Analyze the high societys mission and vision averments against the performance of the organization. Then, evaluate how well the company lives out its mission and vision statement. Provide support from the organizations performance in your evaluation. Amazons company mission and vision statement is to continue to offer quality products and services using the best technology avail adequate and at a reasonable price.This results in highly loyal customers, while maintaining shareholders interest and company profits in mind. We also want to expand geographically, increasing the lean of customers and to pass off improving our main competitive advantage infrastru cture. By working hard and having fun we seek to offer the best working environment to our employees, promoting occupational group opportunities, and to increase our responsibility towards environment and the society. (www. amazon. com). In basing that off of the performance of the company it can be concluded that they are living out their mission statement.As more retail categories get added, the opportunity will only expand Assess how the organizations strategic goals physical contact to the companys mission and vision. The strategic goals of Amazon. com are very simple they work off of six basic principles which are the freely proffers products and services, the use a customer friendly interface, the company scales easily from small to large, they exploit its affiliates products and resources, the use existing communication systems, and finally Amazon utilizes universal behaviors and mentalities (www. arketingplan. com). Most of the marketing the Amazon does is indirect marketi ng where you probably will not see allot of ads for the company on billboards or during the commercial breaks of televisions shows, the company uses allot of online ploys and has very good traffic with other partners they use these strengths to market themselves to a great amount of people.This goes hand in hand with their mission statement and vision which is increasing the number of customers and to keep improving our main competitive advantage, since the majority of society uses the internet for all of the business needs, this will work to the advantage of Amazon as they can link up with several of their business partners and even provide links on those pages that will take a potential customer directly to the website. Amazon seldom uses the offline marketing process they use the motto Since most people shop online that is where they will be. (www. arketingplan. com).Also Amazon has a convenient way for customers to make their purchase more effectively and efficiently which is p art of the marketing strategy of them focusing on being customer friendly. Amazon uses a streamlined monastic order process that applies the most advanced technology to allow the customers to better navigate and explore online. Amazon uses a one click option once you have everything that you need, you place them in your basket and you pay for everything all at once without having to do multiple orders which make it convenient for the customers.Analyze the companys fiscal performance to determine the link between the companys strategic goals, strategy, and its financial performance. Detail your findings. One of the main strategic goals that Amazon has set with the company is offer quality products that bring in profits that sentiment is identified in the mission and vision statement and over time this company has been able to maximize their profits and minimize their expenses through the North American market as well as the international market as well.The earnings statement shows t hat Amazon has found a way to have increased sales performance through both of their selling markets. The North America segment consists of amounts bring in from retail sales of consumer products (including from sellers) and subscriptions through North America-focused websites such as www. amazon. com and www. amazon. ca and include amounts realize from AWS. This segment includes export sales from www. amazon. com and www. amazon. ca. The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from sellers) and subscriptions through internationally focused locations.

Legal and ethical management

The future of any organization depends on its employees. It has been observed that organizations with intelligent, efficient and devoting employees increase to a greater extent than those which compromise with raceforce efficiency. These days several cigaretvasss like cognitive abilities, motor and somatic abilities, some beality & interests, and achievement runnels have come up. By conducting these examinations on applicators his/or her abilities can be properly judged and hence a proper selection of employees can be made. (King, 2006, 45)cognitive abilities testIn cognitive abilities test the aptitude of an applier to work intelligently and efficiently in unfavorable situations or under pressure or in distracting and competing situations is tested. The speed with which an applicant focuses his attention on any issue, understands it, encodes and categorizes it is observed. His top executive to analyze and implement comprehensive instructions accurately, his versatility to respond properly to two or more different issues of concern at a time, his ability to know the importance and urgency of some issues and making specific response to those issues, his ability to maintain speed with perfection is tested.The potential of a person in maintaining quiet and precise responses during unremitting and recurring activities is observed. The ability of a person to formulate programs and recall and put them into action efficiently and accurately is observed. In cognitive abilities test individuals capability of identifying and analyzing perceptual information, discriminating the information and processing the information to derive solutions for the problems is also tested. (King, 2006, 97)Personality & interests testsPersonality and interests test measure applicants interests, choices, emotional makeup, personal characteristics and stability. This test can help in assessing the applicants talents and skills and hence jobs can be allotted based on their interest s. Personality test is a smorgasbord of psychological test and is conducted to determine applicants personality, interests, values and skills. By this test managements can have a better idea of what kind of person the applicant is and what argon his capabilities.Achievement testsAchievement tests argon the test of the applicants performance. Unlike the Cognitive abilities test this test is a kind of practical test. In this test the applicant is made to face the real functional conditions of the organization, so that the actual performance of the candidate can be properly judged. These tests are truly respectable for both the candidate and the management. The candidate becomes acquainted of the original working condition of the organization and the management of the organization can get an idea of the capability of the applicant. (Lamb, 2004, 228)Motor and physical abilities testIn motor and physical abilities test applicants physical fitness and strength is tested. There is a po pular saying that a healthy body can only have a healthy mind. An employee, who is physically fit, can work with all his heart and sole. In every company there are certain types of jobs for which physically fit and strong employees are needed. Thus physical abilities test is must. Motor ability test is an individuals ability to perform motor skills is tested. The applicant should have fine motor control. The applicant must have the aptitude to control motor movements accurately. So that making incorrect responses can be avoided and more motor speed can be obtained.Advantages and disadvantages of the above testing systemsThere are several advantages and disadvantages of the above testing systems. Cognitive abilities, Achievement tests and Physical abilities testing systems are the most legitimate testing systems. Cognitive abilities tests are highly reliable. The rule of numerical tests, aptitude tests and verbal reasoning has high validity, which increases with complexity of job. T his test can be conducted with several candidates at a time. Thus have higher validities. Results can be generated through computerized equipments. Thus this test saves both time and cash and is advantageous than personality tests.Physical abilities test help in identifying candidates who are physically unfit for any specific job. This tests decrease companys costs on insurances, medical and disability claims and workers compensations. It also decreases non-attendance among workers due to medical reasons. Achievement tests are very beneficial for both the candidate and the management. The candidate becomes acquainted of the original working condition of the organization and the management of the organization can get an idea of the capability of the applicant.Personality & interest tests have more negative ethical and legal consequences than the Cognitive abilities, Achievement tests and Physical abilities testing system. There are no proper answers to personality tests. Thus scorin g of the test can be questioned. Assessment of applicants personal behavior is practically not possible. The applicant whitethorn hide his original nature during selection. Evidences supporting personal behavior of the candidate may not be available. Any applicant might have interest in any job, but this does not prove he is good in it. Personality of an applicant has lesser impact on his job performance than his education and experience. Again this method of testing is very costly. (King, 2006, 117-9)Contribution of modern technology in staff selection processAdvancements in technology have helped to make the applicant testing and selection process more efficient. The previous hand scoring method of testing where marks were calculated by adding number of correct answers given by the candidate is an erroneous process. Now days with use of computers computer-based scoring and visual scanning systems have come up. Tests are scored with the help of a computer and software designed tes t scoring. On-site systems produce test scores and as well provide interpretive reports. Mail-in and fax scoring system completed answer sheets are scanned and faxed or mailed to test publisher. He checks the papers, calculates the scores and sends reports to the employer. (King, 2006, 15)It is very important to make a proper choice while appointing employees in the organization. Assessment of applicants interests, personality, and skills aptitude and physical fitness help in determining which kind of job will be appropriate for the candidate.ReferencesKing, H (2006) Management Today Ethical and Legal Concepts HBT & Brooks Ltd.Lamb, Davis (2004) Cult to Culture The victimisation of Civilization on the Strategic Strata National Book Trust.

Recession in American economy Essay

The economic meaning of the term ceding back is, A period of economic go under in a Country, characterized by reduced trade and industrial activity, production decline and increased levels of unemployment. It normally lasts between one and two quarters consecutively, (Tremblay 2007). In the US, incidences of recession seduce occurred since 1854. This paper, seeks address the reasons for recession in the US, with reference to the principles of consumer behavior and the firm as a whole. Observers were non expecting an incidence of recession this time round.Most observers get been persuaded to expect moderate economic growth pass judgment in the US, of about 2 to 3 percent and a moderate inflation of around 2 percent (George. S, 2008). This is due to the fact that the US preservation has proved to be the most resilient in the earth. They tho (the observers), have good reasons to back their predictions 1. They have placed their hopes on relatively stimulative monetary policy to keep consumption and investment spending up and expect the worst of the housing decline to be all over. 2. With stock prices making new highs, some point out that presidential andstock market cycles are favorable to higher stock prices since drop during 27 months before a US presidential election has proved in the past to be more Profitable than investing during 21 months after(prenominal) elections. In the October 16th issue of Headwinds, 2007 for the US economy, it is explained that macro-economic conditions make it a matter of months before the US economy and the dollar begun to experience some downward public press (recession). This is probably the time for this recession. The US is the country with the highest gross domestic product (GDP) in the institution, with a GDP of $13 jillion . This has however reduced in the recentpast. Employment levels have also declined. Production levels have gone down owing to cut-throat competition from emerging world producers like China a nd some other Asian Countries. An attempt by the households to save more from a given income led to the decrease in actual amount they succeeded to save-paradox of thrift, (Lachman, 2008). Different reasons can however be put forward to explain the causes of this recession 1) The extravertive administrations short term reaction that they gave the economy before the 2004 and 2006 elections through a junto of large tax cuts and large increase in military spending.This ended up being a waste as billions of dollars were spent on a futile war (Trembley, 2007) 2) Record budgetary and current account deficits have severely neutralized the federal monetary policy attitude, because interest rates cannot be reduced substantially for fear of a collapse of the US dollar from the federal budgetary deficits as they are being reigned on. (Lachman, 2008) 3) With all this pickings place at the same time that the construction industry is in disarray and housing prices have tapered off or are decl ining. Be that as it may, it is important to note that home ownership is more widespread than stock ownership slightlymore than two thirds of Americans own their homes, while little than half own equities. The objective of the households is to maximize utility. By spending more on home ownership than on stocks, utility is attained quickly and it is within the consumers budget space (Ingdahl, 2008). 4) This rules the question of how long the American consumer will keep up the high pace of spending in such a context. During the historic period of the housing boom, consumer spending was driven by the accumulation of wealth and record consumer indebtedness, most of it in the form of mortgages as the price of houses increased.Now that the reverse is occurring and banks and other loaners are reclaiming property for unpaid debts, a retrenchment in consumer spending cannot be ruled out (Trembley, 2007). 5) Protectionist push from the Democrat controlled congress, risks putting in jeopar dy the flow of capital of about $2 billion a day that the US economy is borrowing from abroad (mainly from China and Japan). Trade frictions between the US and China could force banks to raise interest rates and not lower them. In any case, the banks would not lower the interest rates as evaluate to make up for the housing crisis (Trembley, 2007).6) Collapse of one and possibly several major financial institutions under the pressure of bad loans and record foreclosures (take possession of mortals property usually because they have not paid back an agreed part of the loan). Particularly at risk is the sum $2. 5 trillion mountain debt concentrated in sub primes and loans. One major sub prime lender, ( impertinent Century Financial) filed for bankruptcy protection. Others are likely to follow suite because 2007 was the family when a large number of sub prime real estate locus had to be renegotiated at higher interest rates. Foreclosures rate is bound to hire upwards.This will culmi nate in the next few years into a financial hurricane (Trembley, 2007). 7) The seventh and final reason is a geopolitical factor. The outgoing US administration has created some tension between the US and some countries in the Middle East. The Middle East, is the worlds largest oil producing region. In the coming years, the world economy will have to adjust to a peak in oil production and higher prices after the current lull. Geoplitical mistakes made by the outgoing administration have turned the richest oil producing region into a hot war zone making the US economic situation disastrous (Lachman,2008).The to a higher place listed reasons shed some light on why the US economy could be undergoing some kind of recession. They however do not provide a conclusive explanation or reasons as to why the American economy could be in recession. Unlike other forecasts, one can only set up when recession started and ended after it has ended. The determination of recession is left to the Nati onal Bureau of Research (Campbell. R. M & Stanley. L. B, 2005). However, it is possible to tell whether or not the economy is in recession by looking at past cases of recession. The great depression was the worst economic slump ever in the U.S history. It began in 1929 and lasted for close to a decade. Just like a recession, many factors led to the great depression however, the main cause for the great depression was a combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920s and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part of the same decade. money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U. S and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy.The excessive speculation in the late 1920s kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes, (Gusmorino, 1996). Almost eighty years later, the U. S might be facing the same situation though not as severe as it was then. Wealth disparities are all over the world today. Although the worst cases are not experienced in America, cases of unequal distribution of wealth are still in America. As mentioned earlier, the American household does not invest much on stocks but in acquisition of homes. Speculations in the stock market are relatively high though not as high as it was then.It is not easy to conclude that the American economy is in recession. Whether or not there is a recession, depends on both on actual economic activity and economic analysis in the future. The facts as they are right now, show that the American economy is in recession. REFERENCES. Campbell, R. M. & Stanley, L. B. (2005). Economics Principles, Problems, and Policies. New York McGraw-Hill Professional. Gusmorino, P. A. (1996). Main causes of the Great Depression. Washington Planet Press George, S. (2008). The New Paradigm for Financial Markets The Cred it Crisis of2008 and What It Means. Chicago Public Affairs. Furchgott, D. (2007). The Great Recession of 2008. New York An over view of the US economy, (22) 931-35 Ingdahl, W. (2008). orbicular Financial Markets Want an Immediate, Bold, and Coordinated Policy Response. New York London Press Lachman, D. (2008). What can global policymakers learn from the Swedish financial crisis of the early 1990s? Washington US economic crisis, (31) 1167-90. Trembley, R. (2007). A Slowdown or a Recession in the U. S. in 2008? Carlifonia Global financial crisis, (14)6101-143.

Tips on Saving a Dollar

along with high gas prices, groceries are going up too. Delivery costs and fuel prices forces companies to charge higher(prenominal) prices to the consumer to cover costs. Utility bills are another issue. Utility companies increase rates and mostly in the pass and winter months when power is being used most. Saving money screwing always aid, and these tips forget watch a person the right way. Everyday gas prices seem to get higher and higher. Ameri give the gates complain approximately these prices. Many tips on conserving fuel and saving money while doing It are everywhere.Just by filling up the gas tank on a Wednesday night or early Thursday none fr 8er proceed up to five dollars a week. Most station owners change their prices In anticipation of the spend traffic. A simple but often overlooked tip is to keep the tires properly inflated and aligned. madcap slower and smarter hatful save up to twenty five cents a gallon. For every five miles per hr that some drives over s ixty miles per hour it costs an additional twenty-four cents a mile, so thrust seventy miles per an hour will cast fifty more cents a gallon.Saving on groceries can help consumers more than they think. The coupling craze has swept the nation. Thousands of consumers are now using coupons. Serious coupon users can save hundreds in Just one visit. People who buy in bulk often save money because larger Items tend to have smaller unit prices over smaller sized products. buy the generic brand, which Is usually twice the size of name brand and tastes Just as good can cut grocery bills In half. Try to avoid buying pre made lunches or food items will cost more than buying the ingredients to remove the product ourselves. Utility companys rates keep climbing all(prenominal) stratum. Just turning a light out when walking out of the room can recede that utility bill drastically. Insuring that the house is strongly insulated in the attic and walls a will save a quarter of the bill. Control a ir conditioning at a happy medium do not change the temperature more than twice a week, can save up to fifty dollars a month. Consumers can install low-flow shower heads to save on water usage. Most Americans need to change from incandescent eight bulbs to fluorescent light bulbs which last longer and use less power.Americans can save money to make the purchases they really want. Following these tips can save thousands each year. Saving on gas each year can keep $3,300 In your pocket. Avoid buying name brand foods these name brands companies often even out the store brand at a cheaper price and can possibly save $1 , atomic number 6 a year. Can save up to $500 a year. Now that is an average saving of $4,900 a year, a well needed vacation is due after saving that much money

Response to Journeys End Essay

In the novel Stanhope has the approximately tangible position, non just beca implement of his rank scarce to a fault beca physical exertion people look up to him. Stanhope fairthorn rank the kindly hierarchy level amongst his fellow comrades only inside he is emotion exclusivelyy distraught, he does not shew this and approximatelyhow stays head strong, on the otherwise hand there is Hilbert who is hackneyed and has lost tot exclusivelyy hope and hates the war and then decides he would standardised to pull out claiming that he has neuralgia moreover he is just act to find focussings to get home. To create a dugout like entrance we set up a few plinths on top of for each one other and the lined chairs up behind it creating a walkway which was on the width of our shoulders, this financial aided us to show owing(p) emphasis in our gestus as we clambered in and out of the trench. store Two Lighting/ re-createOur stage set was very minimalistic so that we could re-cre ate what it would be like to be in a trench, to help us adapt and realise this we set up chairs as a border and them set up a rule stating that venturing outside the border was forbidden. For our ply we had merely a few lights on stage, we did this to try and deliver the goods the same amount of minimal lighting just as it would be in the trench. In one of our lesson we even used live fag enddles to help build the low lit and go surrounding of a trench and we besides cramped all of the furniture together to make ourselves counterbalance to such a smaller so space just as the soldiers would arrive had to in journeys end.shop Three CrosscuttingIn our third work shop we focused on the dramatic explorative schema of cross-cutting, first we assembled ourselves into conferences with sizes of 2-4 people and then we had to take a facet from the moderate and re-enact it exploitation the dramatic strategy of cross-cutting. My group chose the scene where Riley dies from a bat tle wound. To minimal brain dysfunction the ele handst of cross cutting we showed a small soften of the scene where riley dies and then we had 2 other scenes which showed his arrival to the regiment, and an argument with Stanhope.The final scene which was a vital part to our con surgery included an extended, and more detailed version of rileys death. The way that we used cross cutting helped us to raise tension in the listening and likewise make the audience assume a conclusion to our alternate or build assumptions on what it was about, but the bring in of cross cutting is that no matter what the audience may come back the actors always have the might to twist the last scene and maybe even end the slaying on a cliff-hanger.shop Four- Hot seatingIn our fourth workshop we used the D.E.S Hot seating so that we could have a better understanding and wider knowledge of the characters in journeys end, the vital part of hot seating is that you do not just pretend to be your chose n character but to put yourself in the characters billet and wield the characters personality, habits and lifestyle. In the work shop we offend ourselves into groups of four and then took on characters in the book that we did not know a lot of information about so that we could gain a massiveer insight into what that character is like. afterwards that we asked our characters questions in which they would have to answer just as their character would as if they were in the same setting as in the book, this gave the other phalluss of the group a chance to demean d take information on what the characters personality is like and what their purviews are in the book. After we had hot seated each member on their chosen character we reformed with the rest of the variety and did the same thing. I think that reforming the set and having a bigger audience was a very apt idea as it widened the variety of questions that could be asked about the character and likewise gave us a large in sight into the characters lives in the book. I timber this workshop went very well because it benefited all in the direction and we all shared and therefore gained information on the personalities of the characters.Workshop Five Forum Theatre/ suave image/ Thought TrackingFor our fifth workshop we used the D.E.S forum theatre, by development this strategy it enabled us to sop up let off upback from the audience live on how we could better our performance. Once we had reliable this feed back we put it into practise straight away. Our instructor besides created a stage set using chairs which enclosed just about the actors all around apart from the back of the stage this made us find very exposed due to the claustrophobic effect of the stage. Our task was to perform a small part of the book so that we could receive feedback on how to better our performance, as each group performed their tack on our teacher changed the positioning of the stage set too create a different ef fect on the actors.As we received feedback our peers changed the theme of our piece at one point from a sad and solemn piece to a comedic and vibrant one. Due to the sudden change in the theme it enabled us to improvise our lines and refinement the tone and accent of our voices so that it would match with the theme. Another advantage of the change in them is that we all changed our levels and status when the comedic twist was incorporated. Overall I think forum theatre is a great, successful technique. It enhances your performance because you receive ideas and use them to improve your performance.Workshop Six Still image/ Thought TrackingWe used concept tracking because it helped us adequatey explain the particular theme of whatever still image we were trying to express, it also helps because there is a lot of unnoticed emotional tension within the atmosphere. By using this technique we gave our characters a chance to expresses themselves in a way that they are too afraid to in front of their fellow comrades.Emily Davison ProtestsWorkshop One NarrationThis workshop was focused on Emily Davison who was a noted suffragette, who gave her life to stand up for womens rights. In our workshop we worked together as a self-colored class so that we could introduce numerous different characters that held different views on the perspectives and actions of Emily Davison. Our teacher gave us some information on the history of Emily Davison and her fence for equal rights amongst the women and men of Britain. We were then to act out a small scene by improvising with the information that we had received, sir picked two people to start the scene and gradually designate people to join them but first he gave each person a role.As we were all ultimately in the scene he started to narrate and tell us what we were to do by heavy a story, this helped give us an understanding of each character which helped us to produce the scene with ease although we had no formal script . Next we were all split into two groups and then we had to act out a key event in Emily Davisons life with my group which consisted of four others. Our group had decided to meet the season when Emily Davison was sent to prison for the second snip and was almost drowned in her cell, one member of our group became the narrator and the rest of us acted out the scene but we also included still images and mentation tracking to equally express the emotions flowing through the character at the time.Workshop Two Devised trance/ Role-playIn the second workshop we had to devise a piece using the information we had received on Emily Davisons history. We were split into groups of four and then we had to plan on what we intended to do, we decided on having 4 scenes in our performance which explained a mass sum of Emily Davisons life in a fiddling amount of time I think that as a group we acted smartly as to only include vital events in her life as it was paramount to the last scene which was very extend 1. The school classroom that Emily taught in. This included a monologue where a member of our group played as Emily who was talking about her aspirations for the future. 2. A demonstration march to campaign for womens rights. This is after she gains followers who see in equal rights for women as she does. 3. The prison where Emily was horribly mistreated in. This scene shows the pure brutality of the struggle that Emily Davison went through. 4. The race track where she died through an act of martyrdom.This scene shows how far Emily Davison went to stand up for what she believed in and unfortunately she paid the ultimate price for it. All of these scenes we included the vital key parts that were needed to help the audience to understand the life, death & history of Emily Davison. To develop our piece we used dramatic explorative strategies like chorus were we all joined in when shouting at other member of our group during the performance this helps to express the characters emotions or the theme of that particular moment in the play. At one point we also used thought tracking so that we could express the characters inner feelings i.e. when Natalia (Emily) is arrested by the police and taken to greet she uses the thought track as an opportunity to make the audience aware of her emotion at the time. By developing our own piece based on the history of Emily Davison it allowed us to build our own emplacement of her personality and the some troubles that she faced throughout her life.Workshop Three The Race Track ContrastIn this workshop we had to explore the aspects of each characters physical/emotional level by using personal line of credit, our teacher also gave us some rope as a stimulus and we were asked to incorporate it into our piece. As a class we decided to use the rope as a way to split the characters in a social aspect i.e. on one side of the rope we had the women and on the other we had the men. To show mass contrast within th e group of women we had Emily Davison and two of her fellow campaigners hardened away from the large group of housewives. Over on the boys side most of the men who were betting on the race standings were focusing on a member of our group who used physical theatre to interpret that she was a horse by using a mask and using incorporating the element of gestus and physical theatre.The rope is a very strong stimulus because its shows highlights the susceptibility and how easy it is to divide relationships, emotions and even society, this was strongly shown in our performance when Emily ran in front of the horse and some(prenominal) sides stopped in awe and then in chorus whispered the woman.the horse eventually this whispers grew into shouts and then everyone rushed over to tend to the horses needs. This particular moment shows how in those times society was a lot different and women were seen as second class citizen.Although Emily Davison wanted equality for all women, not all women agreed with her and some were very comfortable with their life at the time we showed this in our performance by having a member of our group who played the role of a housewife do a thought track which expressed her hate for what Emily Davison was doing. I think that the rope as a stimulus helped us greatly to bring across our point societys clear line between how women and men were respected and seen at the time. The rope also represented how divide societys thoughts were at the time and that only material things such as horse racing we greatly prioritised over the life of a woman who stood up for what she believed in.genus Rosa Parks Ride to FreedomWorkshop One Bus ostracize Marking the moment/ Still Image/ Thought Tracking In this workshop we surveyed a short part of the film Ride to Freedom its about the moment when Rosa Parks was arrested for standing up against organism prejudiced for refusing to give up her seat on a bus for a discolor person. Our class was split into ha lf and then we worked in groups to recreate the scene that we had watched. Although we had ample opportunities to use many elements of D.E.S we went too far and tried to cram too many things in our performance.Unfortunately the fact that we had so many D.E.S strategies conflicted with the fact that we all had to remember our cues, due to lack of organisation our performance was very speechless and robot-like because everyone was trying to do too much that even when improvisation was attempted it greatly lacked in co-ordination which also led to the mass confusion within our minds when on stage. There were some good moments in our performance i.e. we used split staging well when I left the scene to get the police officer and everyone on the bus was still carrying on trying to get Rosa off the bus, but other wise I was not very happy with the way our performance went and I have also learnt a lesson and that is not to over complicate things.Workshop Two Devised piece/ Chorus/ Levels / SignsIn this workshop we worked in groups of fours and were given a poem to use as a stimulus, the poem was made by a famous author called Maya Angelou. We incorporated the theme of the Rosa parks story with our stimulus and created a short performance. First we read the poem and decided as a group to only use lines than empowered the mental status of our characters as it would help us greatly in our use of physical levels we also had many elements of D.E.S Within our performance we decided to use chorus so that we could help the audience realise the passion that our characters had for what they believe in, as a group we had also decided to do our dress hat to main(prenominal)tain a simple bold and stern voice when saying our lines so that we increased the deepness of anger that we were portraying to the audience.At the end of the performance we all stood at different levels on plinths which gave the imprint that we were physically and emotionally rising higher and higher by the end of the play all of us were standing at attention showing great power through the since of our bodies. through the positive feedback we received from the audience we could tell that the way in which we had used DES was very successful and that it was a great help to us as many of the audiences feedback pointed out to us whilst being briefed about our performance. I think that by us using a stimulus it helped us to build a story around it in a way that we felt comfortable and therefore I feel that is why this was success.Workshop Three Physical Levels/For this workshop our class was split into two and were given a stage to use as a stimulus as we continued to explore our ideas on the theme of Rosa Parks, our teacher also gave us a set of plinths that were all on different levels, he also state that we were only allowed to stand on the plinths throughout the whole performance limiting our scratchment on stage. Our main objective was to create a piece that used all the themes and aspects from our other two workshops on Rosa parks. Before we started to build our story we assigned characters according to our own strengths so that we would be able to achieve the best we could when it came to developing lines that our character would say. To gain the most out of our performance and to use as many useful D.E.S and different drama techniques so that we could enhance the quality of our performance.Our group decided to use thought tracking and still image to play out the scene of when Rosa Parks challenged the bus driver and was arrested and as our space on stage was limited we had decided to use thought tracking and split staging to make our performance effective. All the characters voiced their opinion on Rosa parks refusal to move out of her seat and then one member of our group narrated a scene so that we could add the element of split staging to performance. When we had received feed back from our peers they had greatly expressed their positive views on o ur use of staging and that having a narrator helped to tell what was going on due to there being a lack of conversation within our performance between our characters. I feel that due to the great organisation of our group and selected role assignment that we were able to pull off the performance well.Pitmen PaintersPlotThe Pitmen Painters was a spectacular historical/ cultural play about a group of miners in the 1930s that lived in Ashington which is a small town by the cost in Newcastle, it is about 5 men and an unemployed people teenager who through art classes explore their own hidden talents using their emotions to express themselves through painting. Through the play they also develop mentally as people and eventually start thinking g a lot more positively and see the world as a place full of opportunity.Sub PlotOut of the whole group of miners Oliver Kilbourn is the main character as he is dissolute to become a pawn to the cargo deck of real art. His talent in painting and interest also increases due to their raise in public awareness and eventually he meets a gamy accumulator called Helen Sutherland who is a dear fan of his work, they grow to become good friends but hit a thunderclap when Mrs Sutherland ask Oliver to come out of his life-long job of being a miner down in the pits to turn an artist and working when he wants. Angered by the arrogance that Mrs Sunderland is posing although she is unaware of it at the time he declines the offer and loses his temper, but then apologises at a later date and then sets up a union for the miners to help better not just his future but his new open up friends and the rest of the pitmen in Ashington.StagingThe stage that we watched the performance on was simplistic and very small compared to the size of others that I have seen at other performances. The scene had only two entrances and exits through which the actors walked through they were placed at the back of the centre stage and on the stage left. Altho ugh there was a great shortfall of space all of the actors did use the stage appropriately and to their advantage i.e. during a scene where they are all assessing each others art work the way that the chairs are positioned and the strict border lines that the actors stuck to when moving clearly suggested the aloofness and width of the room.LightingI feel that the lighting used in the performance was excellent because it did not just have the house lights on to show where the actors were, they also had spotlights of many colours which were used in certain scenes which helped set a range of different atmospheres on stage and in the audience. For instance during the scene where all of the miners go to see an exhibition on traditional Chinese art a white spotlight immediately shone on the faces of the whole group, and then they all froze and listened to Olivers monologue which described the piece of art in a very intense way this also empowered the audience to feel the same passion for the piece as the character did on stage. An overhead projector was also used throughout the play to show the audience the name of the each scene before it started. It was mostly used though to show the pieces of art that the pitmen had drawn, this was very smart because due to the size of the paintings the audience were unable to see the art, but this small setback was obviously countered by the stage crew with the use of a projector.CostumingThroughout the play most of the characters show a very clear line of division that suggest the difference of wealth between them all for instance the Leader of the mine George brown always attendee the art appreciation group in a nice suit and decent polished shoes with his hair soaked back, this tells me that although he works down in the mines he either is very wealthy or is a man with great pride who likes to look good. Professor Robert Lyon who comes down to run the art group in Ashington wears a variety of suits throughout the performanc e suggesting that he is wealthy and has a golden pocket watch on display at all times. Now although these two characters dress very well you can clearly notice the difference between them due to the way that they speak and how their body language is. croak/VoiceThe performance did not have a lot of sound effects due to the red-hot that they purely didnt need them and that due to the constant conversation that happened throughout the play it wasnt appreciated, but neither was it missed. The characters voices included many different ranges of pitch and expression such as Helen Sutherland who is a rich middle aged art collector who is very wealthy she speaks with a very sharp, squeaky but strong english accent which suggests that she was taught at a school and wealthy enough to afford an education. Oliver Kilbourn who is another pitman from the Ashington art group speaks with a heavy northern English accent and also spits his wrangle and mumbles them a lot of the time, this infers to me that he may not be from a good background where the pronunciation of English is paramount in life and education. Just from the way that all of the characters speak I am able to build my own personality file on every one of them and develop my own ideas on what their characters are like.

Mono Lake Committee

The gloriole here makes you feel at peace with yourself. Not only do stack FRR mom all in all over the world come here photographers, journalists, ornithologists, but even locals come to connect with nature. As I am meditating on the shore line of Mono Lake, I begin to take in my sours endings. The conniption is unique and brings me peace. It unifies me with who I am and who I will become.I feel the UN baking down on me as a breeze lifts the smell of salt water towards me. When that settles, pick up a thick staring(a) smell that reminds me of wet grass. Its easy to notice different types of birds flying around, for example, lake birds and shore birds, Canadian geese, California g lulls, an osprey flying off the towering tuffs. Its amazing how the tuffs are composed of the same subs dances and yet they individually have their own complexity. Was fascinated by the seagulls nests tucked into the tuffs. If this lake wasnt here, there would be no place for the birds to balance whee l and eat.Mono Lake isnt just a lake, its a special lake. This lake is ever changing, theres always something new. Every hind around me is unruffled and yet buzzing with life. Places like Mono Lake matter because it gives people the chance to connect w spoon food nature and in todays overstretched world its important to rest and reflect on life. In the cit y, theres no woodwind instrument for people especially kids, to explore and discover places like these. No matter how many times people drive past this magical place, it never gets old.

Swot Analysis of Starbucks

Management 303 SWOT Analysis of Starbucks Corporation partitioning I Organizational History / Mission Statement In 1971, Starbucks opened its first location in the touristy Pikes Place Market in Seattle. The Starbucks name is derived from the coffee-loving first mate in the novel, Moby Dick. The logo, a two-tailed mermaid circle by the stores name, continues with the theme and background of the name. From the beginning, Starbucks prides themselves on non only providing their customers with high-quality whole bean coffees, but as well with providing them with an inviting atmosphere.The mission statement, to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time, is clavern today in the more than 15,000 locations in more than 150 countries. Section II Strengths and Weaknesses In my opinion, the purloin two strengths of Starbucks is their strong brand image associated with their high-quality coffee and their committed and strong workforce. Thei r top two weaknesses in my opinion are their high premium prices and lack of internal focus. Strength 1 Strong Brand ImageAccording to G Serrano, The strongest attribute that consumers associate with the Starbucks brand is its being cognize for specialty/gourmet coffee. Starbucks is a widely-recognized brand. Its top-of-mind recall is high. It is both a household name and a buzzword. By becoming a household name people go to Starbucks to get the Starbucks Experience. This means that Starbucks has do their stores so inviting that people actually get up early in the morning, grab the paper or a good book and drive down to the local Starbucks and basically just chill out.They endure an optional light snack, a good cup of coffee, free Wi-Fi and the comfort of your own home. Being exceedingly recognized for all of the above qualities has contributed in the growth and expansion of their many locations throughout the US and abroad. This is a huge strength in that that being on top of the market share pretty a lot ensures that no matter what they will continue to stay on top because of their branding and their popularity. Strength 2 Committed and Strong WorkforceNot only does the coffee drive customers to Starbucks, but the dedicated employees who pity about their jobs and their customers do as well. Starbucks thinks so highly of their employees, they call them partners. The partners are the ones who create the atmosphere that catchs the customers bump the way they do about Starbucks. As Hammers stated in her Workforce Management piece, The companys rich benefit blend keeps turnover low and employee satis featureion high. And thats why its the Optimas Award winner for feel of Life. As business owners and managers, our job is to make sure that our employees or partners, for that matter, are happy and well-trained. When this happens, as it has with Starbucks, it outwardly shows to the clientele and it makes them want to come after back time and time again. Weakness 1 High exchange premium Prices Starbucks is a premium brand that commands premium prices. As competitory pressures increase, the company could be undercut by lower price rivals such as McDonalds or Duncan Donuts. Recession or downturn in the economy, exchangeable we are facing now, affects consumer spending. If Starbucks continues to increase prices over the next few years in the face of change magnitude coffee prices, there could be a downside to their forecast. In this highly competitive market and with less spendable income to spend, consumers turn to lower priced venues and competitors. Starbucks should look into some sort of cost saving efforts when it comes to the coffee beans that they buy. I go to bed they are known for their premium brands, but with prices on the steady increase something Weakness 2 overlook of Internal FocusStarbucks has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade or so. They come along to be consumed with growing their market share by increasing the amount of locations they have within the states as well as abroad. Serrano states just this point in saying The growth strategy was not unfeignedly the failing point. In fact, this augured well for the companys bottom termination. What the companys executives failed to see was the fact that if it wanted to saturate the market, its product and service offerings were not really meeting the characteristics of the market.That is why the market perceived Starbucks as merely concerned with growth in the number of stores and profits. The wide potential market origin did not see Starbucks as concerned with their needs. Starbucks goes through a lot of effort to get the opinions of their partners and their clients. They stock-still have a board of people who read the queries on a monthly basis to see where improvements can be made. Since they are putting in all the effort, they need to follow through and locomote listening to the very people that give them their profit s. Expanding will do no good if you dont have any customers.The more they neglect what their partners and customers are saying, the more they are going to lose touch. Section III Opportunities and Strengths In my opinion, the two biggest opportunities for Starbucks are increasing their CRM and database marketing and expanding into new product lines. Strength 1 Increasing CRM and Database Marketing One of the greatest opportunities for Starbucks is to increase their CRM and Database Marketing. At the moment Starbucks just asks you what you want, you pay for it, they make your drink and you are on your way.In order to better serve their clients and give back to them, they could come up with some type of rewards program. Many large retailers and food chains have already begun these programs. This would swear out them stay in touch with their clients by sending them emails of upcoming events, new drinks and new offers. They could also extend a rewards program for the customers who h ave a daily addiction to their drinks. This basically becomes a win-win situation for not only Starbucks but for their customers as well. Strength 2 Expanding Product Lines and ServicesWe all know that Starbucks has the exceed selection of coffees around. Unfortunately, that is all they do. I think one of the greatest opportunities for them would be for them to expand their food line to go along with their drinks. Seeing that they are open all day long and into the night, they could benefit greatly by developing a larger lunch line. They currently have small salads and finger sandwiches at some of their locations. By increasing their menu they could also increase their profits. This would help give them a competitive advantage of other cafes along the same lines as them.