Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Religious Believers Understand More Essay
To discuss this statement first we must look at the definition of understanding. Religious believers and scientists would probably differ in their definitions and therefore disagree from the beginning. A religious person would perhaps say that understanding the world means knowing how to be a good person, how to live a good life and fulfill Godââ¬â¢s plan. A scientist would probably disagree, saying that understanding the world is having a wide knowledge and good comprehension of how the world works including theories like evolution and understanding why and how things occur. Another slight problem with this statement is its implication that one cannot be a religious believer and a scientist when in fact there are many religious scientists who seem to have science and religion existing harmoniously in their lives. If we are defining understanding as understanding how to live a good life, then I believe that the Bible and Religious Believers do understand more about the world than Scientists do. Religious Believers have a better understanding of how the universe and mans place in it was set up, but itââ¬â¢s hard for people to understand correctly because itââ¬â¢s not in scientific terms, itââ¬â¢s in myths and metaphors. You canââ¬â¢t see it with our available scientific instruments, itââ¬â¢s something you experience. Religious Believers have direct guidance from their Holy texts, e.g. for the Jewish faith, the Torah on how to live their life. They are taught, by the Ten Commandments, that they are not to steal, not to commit adultery and not to murder. One criticism of scientists is that a number of assumption are made to give parameters to an experiment. Also perception can be fallible, as we expect to see things, so we see them. We donââ¬â¢t expect to see them, so we miss them out. In response to this, in the parable the invisible gardener; where the religious believer trusts that the gardener came but couldnââ¬â¢t be seen and the other (scientist) believing that there couldnââ¬â¢t be a gardener because there was no empirical evidence of this. This shows that even though there was no evidence of the gardener or God they still hold a belief, whereas the scientist had to be proven. Some claim that believers only want hope. Religious Believers hope for the return of their ââ¬Å"invisible gardenerâ⬠, while New Atheists (Richard Dawkins and his followers) have no expectations of a new life after death, thereforelive their lives without fear of an almighty God smiting them down. In this situation, one could argue that the Religious Believer is playing it safe, however they still understand the world better, in many cases they see it as an almighty beingââ¬â¢s creation. In conclusion, I believe that, although Scientists have proof of the age of the earth, and that they have proven many facts of the Earth, They do not have as good guidance as Religious Believers do on understanding life.
Cultural Diversity and Its Effect on Mncââ¬â¢s Essay
These days cultural diversity plays a significant role in a company. The criteria discriminating these groups include race, geographic basis, civilization, gender, age, functional or educational background, physical and cognitive competence, language, lifestyles, beliefs, cultural background, economic category, occupancy with the organization and sexual preference. As a MNC works in a global market it must be ready to detect all possible changes in the global environment and it has to be able to communicate and adapt the identity of the company to them. For example in India womenââ¬â¢s will not work for night so they have to manage time for their convenience. The company canââ¬â¢t offer quality products or services to the customers if it doesnââ¬â¢t understand and take in account the impact that the culture has in all the processes. Workers usually think that their behavior hasnââ¬â¢t got any influence on the final product or service, but to be effective, every part must have a clear vision of the company and a clear mission on it. The social, political and enterprise structure depends on everyone in the company, so the internal area and the human resources, one of the most important areas of a company, must be developed with the rest of the company to achieve their goals. The misunderstanding and ignoring of different cultures, language and historical background lead to disasters in the field of setting up multinational business. To avoid this, a general knowledge of another nationââ¬â¢s culture and history is essential. So general cultural knowledge, if coupled with prejudice and prejudgment, is an obstacle to effective global management. 2.1 Communication and language barriers One main challenge under culture is language barriers. Communication is necessary for management. Yet communication relies upon a common language, a condition that does not exist in many global business situations and that is when the problems start. The most pronounced sign of the language barrier at work can be found in the relationship between a multinational parent company and its network of global subsidiaries. Several factors contribute to the difficulty of achieving and sustaining effective communications and a productive, collaborative relationship. Even if an employee is relatively competent in the language of the other party, loss of rhetorical skills is always present as the use of humor, symbolism, sensitivity, negotiation, persuasion and motivation requires a very high level of fluency. 2.2 Attitudes towards Appointments and Deadlines In America, Americans were give strict obedience to time commitments and it was a basic principle of professionalism and polite behavior. Because everything tends to be strictly scheduled, postponements in one appointment or deadline can have a serious ripple effect on a coworker or customerââ¬â¢s other work commitments. But for example: The more flexible and open-ended approach to time of Indian and Sri Lankan businesses culture can create tensions and adverse impressions on American counterparts 3. MNC Workforce Diversity Multinational Companies (MNC) had to face a number of new challenges in their daily business over the past couple of years. Globalization changed various things for global players. In general MNC structure shows a focus on their main resources and departments like finance, technology, marketing, sales and production, because they want to have a large number of customers and to earn profit. A huge challenge MNC have to manage is their workforce diversity. The milestone research by Hofstede with 116,000 recruits of IBM, a giant MNC in 50 countries and 3 regions recognized four cultural values in the workplace: Individualism-collectivism, Power difference, Uncertainty avoidance and masculinity-femininity. For example: the United States was the greatest and Guatemala was lowest in individualism. Malaysia was the highest and Austria was the lowest in the power distance values. Greece was the highest and Singapore was the lowest in the uncertainty avoidance values. Japan was the highest an d Sweden was the lowest in the masculinity values. There have been significant amount of intercultural and cross-cultural studies with these cultural values, and some studies demonstrated the relationship between communication styles with some of these values. Because of this diversity one of the key success factors of MNC is the recruitment and selection of human resources who offer valuable uniqueness. These individuals are forming the values and beliefs of a business. There are two key challenges within global HRM specifically building global corporate cultures and developing global leaders that have to be mastered in order to manage diversity and be successful in the global business surroundings. Managing diversity in MNC during HRM To manage workforce diversity in MNC itââ¬â¢s a challenge for the human resource management to set up a global corporate culture. To recognize with the corporate culture of the company is the most significant thing for the workforce. That is why building a global corporate culture is one of the most important challenges for Multinational Companies. Employee behavior is possibly the most critical challenge that multinational organizations have to deal with. In Multinational Companies there is a huge potential of conflicts, because of its diverse personalities. As a result of this anxieties will arise among employees. Individuals try to adapt their behaviors to fit the demands of a particular environment. In order to adapt to the environment, individuals sacrifice their individualities to fit in with their new cooperatives. Individuals become incorporated into the culture of an organization when they are successfully understood into the workplace. Successful cultural adaptation redu ces membersââ¬â¢ anxiety, role conflict, and intentions to leave. Additionally, successful adaptation increases organizational obligation, job satisfaction, confidence, and job familiarity as well as successful acculturation and establishment of relationship. 4. Challenges of Working across Culture 4.1Stereotyping They are usually misrepresentations and inaccuracies fixed in false guesses and faulty analysis. Usually this valuation is seen in a negative perspective. The challenges to organizations are to acknowledge differences in positive terms. Power struggles and can be the result of stereotyping in organizations. For example, placing women, who stereotypically have had lower status than men in society; in senior management positions create status incongruence in the minds of many of the people. This can root complexities in the leader/subordinate relationship and can root power differences in a business. This is done in such a way that affiliates of minority groups may find it hard to use influence over decision processes in the organization. 4.2 Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism results when managers identify the differences in cultures ââ¬â but have a propensity to think that their culture and their way of doing things is the right way, their way of doing things is the only way and the best way. Any difference from their culture or from their way of doing things is seen as ââ¬Å"distortionâ⬠or as a ââ¬Å"mistakeâ⬠or as ââ¬Å"Wrong wayâ⬠. Most people have the propensity to pursue ethnocentrism. Americans, Japanese, Chinese, Germans, French, Scandinavians, and Russians are more prone to ethnocentrism than other cultures ââ¬â when compared to other Asians, Latin Americans, British, Australians, Africans and Indians. 4.3Informal Integration Informal groups play a significant role in any business. They influence both the success of the business and the career success of individuals. Total quality plans depend heavily on employee contribution and informal networks can greatly impact this process. Informal groups are influenced by factors such as common language, perceived social similarity, and ethnocentrism. These collective networks are critical for communication in organizations. It has been found that race has a major effect on collective networking. This is not astonishing as you would expect people to have a preference for interaction with members of oneââ¬â¢s own culture group, especially in an informal context. 4.4 Parochial Attitude Parochial attitude refers to a personââ¬â¢s incapability to see cultural diversity. This is exactly the reverse of ethnocentrism. Managers who are sent overseas frequently meet people who are also dressed in suits and speak their language ââ¬â this prompts them to disregard all other cultural differences and make them feel that all others are ââ¬Å"just like usâ⬠. In todayââ¬â¢s business globe, most people are apt to dress similarly ââ¬â in suits or other formulas and talk in English, but this does not indicate that all people have the same culture ââ¬â but people often only see the surface and think that the other person shares the same cultural values. Managers from US/UK often tend to display a strong parochial attitude ââ¬â mainly because the people with whom they relate on regular basis can speak English and are dressed similarly in suits or western dresses.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
How to Make Camias Prunes and Soap Essay
Procedure: To make candied kamias, begin by sorting fruits according to size and eliminating the spoiled or damaged ones. 1. Weigh and wash the fruits.à 2. Soak them overnight in lime solution (one tablespoon lime per one liter of water). This process will firm up the fruits. Again, wash thoroughly in running water to remove lime. 3. Blanch fruits in boiling water for three to five minutes and drain. 4. Prick the bottom part of kamias with a fine toothpick and press each fruit lightly to remove some of the fruit juice. 5. Prepare syrup (2 parts sugar to one part water), boil it and strain. 6. Add the kamias to the syrup and boil them for five minutes and soak overnight. 7. Remove the fruits and add one cup sugar to the syrup and boil. Then add kamias again and heat for five minutes. 8. Soak the fruits overnight. 9. The following day, remove fruits and add some more sugar to the syrup. Then, add kamias again and boil for five minutes. 10. Allow to cool; drain and weigh. 11. Arrange kamias on a tray and dry in the solar dryer. 12. After drying, weigh again and pack in plastic bags and seal. Materials: * 1 glass Caustic Soda (NaOH) * 3 glasses water * 5 glasses cooking oil * 1/2 glass juice or extract Procedure: 1. Prepare the materials and the utensils needed. 2. Measure 1 glass of caustic soda and 3 glasses of water and pour into a plastic pail. 3. Mix well by stirring continuously using a wooden ladle or bamboo stick. Use only one direction in mixing the mixture. Stir until the caustic soda is dissolved. 4. Pour 5 glasses cooking oil into the mixture. 5. Continue stirring until a consistency of a condensed milk is achieved and add 1/2 glass of juice or extract. 6. Pour the soap mixture into desired plastic molders. Set aside and let it cool to harden. 7. After 4-5 hours,à remove the soap from the molder. 8. Allow 30 days of ageing before packing. Label the soaps. Indications: * Kamias ââ¬â fruit extract or juice (bleaching soap) * Calamansi ââ¬â fruit extract or juice (bleaching soap) * Cucumber ââ¬â fruit extract or juice (moisturizer) * Papaya ââ¬â extract from fresh leaves (bleaching/moisturizer) * Radish ââ¬â extract from the stem (moisturizer) Reminder: * Caustic Soda can harm the skin upon contact. Wash immediately with vinegar or anything sour and then wash it with soap and water. * Caustic Soda is harmful to health and so, make the necessary precaution. Use mask and gloves to protect your body. Directions 1. In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, donââ¬â¢t bother with processing, and just refrigerate. 2. To test for jelling Place three plates in a freezerâ⬠¦ after about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plateâ⬠¦ if it doesnââ¬â¢t try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) itââ¬â¢s ready to be canned!
Monday, July 29, 2019
Application essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2
Application - Essay Example I will always look for a constant improvement in order to improve efficiency and productivity of the company. I was inspired by fashion giants like H&M , Zara, And Uniqlo and I am determined to make reputable company in working in theh field of retailing. Thus, when I came to the USA, I decided to pursue a degree in B.S. as a way of fulfilling my childhood dream. However, moving to the US had its challenges. At first, I experienced the challenge of transferring from high school to college. Nevertheless, I overcame the challenges. Thus, transferring to the U.S. enables me to fulfill my passion for studying business. Another reason why I want to transfer is because I am interested in finding challenging educational opportunities. My studies at Pasadena City College (PCC) had been impressive because of the dedicated instructors who taught me well enabling me to think creatively. While PCC provided me with classes and activities needed to start the journey, I still believed that they were just the basics of my educational career. Indeed, PCC provided me with general courses that lacked in-depth skills for my higher education, which requires comprehensive knowledge other than simply attending lectures and mastering books. Upon transferring from PCC, I hope that I will be able to improve my skills with internships in a recognizable Company. My enthusiasm to transfer is also led by my desire to explore wider networking possibilities. I realize that connecting with other people is vital to achieving a successful career. In PCC, I was involved in community service and organizations such as Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS) and PERMIAS, an Indonesian community club. By transferring, I look forward to linking my profession with social work by maintaining connections with other students through social events. I believe that building connections with people from various nations with diverse values will make me acknowledge the
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Knowledge Management Systems Human Dimension and Organizational Essay
Knowledge Management Systems Human Dimension and Organizational Culture - Essay Example This paper is aimed at understanding knowledge management systems. The main focus is to understand the importance of ââ¬Å"peopleâ⬠dimension of knowledge management and how wrong organizational culture can lead ineffective knowledge management. The discussion of people dimension of knowledge management is built on the following statement by Randall Sellers: ââ¬Å"The challenge is managing the people who manage the knowledgeâ⬠(Turban et al., 2007). Recent theories and practices in knowledge management are discussed and examples are given to support the discussion. Knowledge Management Systems Knowledge is gained in numerous ways and in an organizations knowledge comes out of processing information available throughout the organization in the form of data. Also, employees gain knowledge in different ways (personal experiences, individual learning, etc) and this knowledge shared with the entire organization can be of great help to the whole organization. Knowledge management systems or knowledge management is the process of creating knowledge repositories, improving access to available knowledge and sharing/communicating through collaboration. It also focuses on enhancement of knowledge environment and management of knowledge as organizationââ¬â¢s asset. Therefore, knowledge management can be best defined as the systematic actions taken by an organization or that an organization can take in order to extract the best possible value out of the knowledge available throughout the organization (Coakes, 2003).... But there are many challenges that the organizations face in implementing knowledge management systems effectively. The concept of knowledge management is relatively new and the literature is still growing. One of the main challenges in knowledge management is managing the people who manage knowledge. Randall Sellers points this out brilliantly when he says that knowledge management is only 20 percent IT and the rest is change management which mainly deals with human interfaces and cultural change (Turban et al., 2007). Knowledge Management and People Dimension ââ¬Å"The challenge is managing the people who manage the knowledgeâ⬠. By this statement Randall Sellers implies that the more important task in knowledge management is not just making the knowledge available to the employees but to convince them to participate in the process of knowledge management. Employees need to be encouraged and motivated to exchange and share their ideas and experiences. The systems need to be de signed in such a way that it is easy to share. Implementation of knowledge management is definitely a change process and employees are bound to offer resistance to the change. It is this management of the people (workforce) that Randall Sellers refers to in his statement (Turban et al., 2007). Knowledge Management Systems ââ¬â Importance of People Even though it is believed that the human dimension is more important than technology, the current literature on knowledge management is mainly technology oriented. It is highly important to understand that technology makes it possible only to accumulate knowledge systematically and make it easily accessible. But the mechanism by which this knowledge affects the performance of the
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Report to the Directors of USPS diagnosing the state of affairs and Essay
Report to the Directors of USPS diagnosing the state of affairs and offering some prognosis on what might be a more sustainable business model - Essay Example While many factors could be blamed for the situation, this paper has zeroed in on one issue: the business model. In comparison to other players, like the FEDEX and UKââ¬â¢s The Royal Mail, the evolution of technology was not supposed to have such severe effects on the institution. Besides highlighting these issues, the paper has offered the best model to adopt, and lucidly elaborated what entails. The U.S. Postal service (USPS) is tasked with ensuring the mails sent through their platforms reach their destinations on time. Many American business people and the society expect that no letter sent through USPS will be delayed for whatever reasons. Rather, each is convinced that the institution has the capacity to deliver without the slightest hiccups. However, the situation has deteriorated as evidenced by the number mails that reached their recipients way after their expected period. In a bid to arrest the situation, the USPS management sought to have in place measures that would enable the corporation fulfil its mandate. One of these included laying off of the staff whose retirement period was near. Unfortunately, the situation was not remedied as the immensely experienced individuals were lost not to mention the subsequent workload. Upon realizing these measures were not effective, the management hired other people meaning the cost rose significantly. In light of these issues , this paper seeks to investigate the real cause of the problems at USPS. Further, a prognosis will be offered upon identifying the major issues bedevilling the USPS. A closer analysis of the woes facing USPS reveals that a single problem did not result in its current state. Rather, a myriad of issues including lack of innovation as evidenced by the number of letters that would be sorted by the clerks. Apparently, the process would be done manually, a process that inevitably cost the institution a considerable amount of resources
Friday, July 26, 2019
Business analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words
Business analysis - Essay Example Retail is all about selling goods from businesses or individuals to the end user. In this industry retailers are often considered to be a part of the integrated supply chain. Large quantities or products are purchased by retailers from respective manufacturers. These purchasing process are either done through a wholesaler or directly from the producer and are then passed on to the end users in considerable small quantities. There are various mechanisms through which retailing can be done either in the form of fixed stores or markets or by delivery or door to door selling. The retail industry in the present scenario is considered to be the most competitive industry. As the consumer market demand is increasing there are many new players emerging in this segment which is making the competition fierce. It can be stated that customers are at a profitable end in terms of the scenario of retail industry with multiple players operating to deliver best services and goods at competitive prices . In context of global retail industry there are firms performing their operations through online websites, home delivery and even increasing convenience of users by electronic payment. Retailing is usually associated with providing services to a wide base of customers and encompassing wide range of products. This may include clothing to grocery or even any other household items. However the type of products which are included in a retail store are food products such as those which require facilities of a cold storage, durable goods or hard goods such as appliances, automobiles, sporting goods, electronics, furniture, etc., consumables or soft goods such as clothing, footwear, medicines, other fabrics, cosmetics and stationary, and the last type of product is arts. The importance of selecting a particular industry in this study is that it would help to identify the probable challenges which are affecting the industry. On the
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Good for Society vs. Individual Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Good for Society vs. Individual Freedom - Essay Example The main health-care problem that the government is obliged to tackle is a proliferation of diseases (namely pandemics and viruses). In contrast with traditional viruses such as smallpox and poliomyelitis, new viruses of fearful scope have now appeared. HIV/AIDS and avian influenza are the main threats to safety and existence of mankind. The threat can be explained by the fact that the alterations of mutation, resentment, and recombination, viruses could have evolved their own genetic structure. According to statistical results, 448,871 people living with AIDS in America. Annually, 17,047 cases of Hepatitis A are notified by the Health Department; and about 3.9 million people in the United States live with Hepatitis C (National Center of Health Statistics 2009). The agencies responsible for tacking relevant issues pertaining to safety are the US Department of Health and the Human Services and Immunology and Virology Agencies. These agencies are responsible for control over the proliferation of diseases and preventive measures against these diseases. Vaccination is the medical strategy for stimulating the immune system to protect against a specific disease agent prior to exposure. Provoking an immune response before a natural viral infection occurs acts to "blueprint" immunologic memory so that cells involved in making the potential antiviral immune response are primed and held alert. When confronted with the full strength infectious virus, these primed cells react quickly and with greater intensity than unprimed cells, thus enhancing the host's ability to successfully combat and control the infection. The recent appearance of the hemorrhagic fever viruses and HIV provide current challenges to a new generation of microbial hunters. Smallpox, poliomyelitis, measles virus, and yellow fever likewise challenged medical researchers in the past (Willis and Adelowo 1997).Ã
Experience MIS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Experience MIS - Assignment Example Besides what Woolworth offers there are also other companies that offer substitute products, this can affecting its operations if consumers prefer the substitute products. Customers and suppliers can also put some pressure on the firm. Woolworth can take steps to reduce buyer power by implementing a loyalty program. Suppliers can also exert pressure if they are the firmââ¬â¢s only suppliers. The government can also influence the operations of Woolworth by either imposing higher taxes on them or giving them tax incentives. The government can also give them monopoly power thus shying away new entrants (Kroenke, Bunker & Wilson, 2013). b). Woolworths is growing faster compared to its rival, Coles Myers. The company emphasized on diversification by offering low prices on its brands; this strategy gave it a competitive advantage over its rival. The companyââ¬â¢s Chief Executive Officer, Roger Corbett, who had the management experience of a supply chain in the United States also, had an impact. He implemented the project refresh in 1999 so as to restructure the supply chain of the company (Kroenke, Bunker & Wilson, 2013).He also introduced the everyday low price to Woolworths supermarkets and new technology. The success of the company is also featuring into the petrol- retailing sector, which resulted in its ability to take the best market share six years before Coles Myers could enter the segment. The company was able to present itself as the best fresh food company, which provided triumph marketing over its rival Coles Myers. Woolworth has been able to maintain a competitive edge by forcing Coles Myers to reduc e its prices after implementing the everyday low price as necessity for competition (Kroenke, Bunker & Wilson, 2013). c). The primary value chain activities of Woolworth can be below. There is the Inbound Logistics that deal with; inventory control, materials handling, Call-off to suppliers and warehousing. Secondly, there
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
401k pension Plan Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
401k pension Plan - Research Proposal Example It is a retirement savings plan and its only funds are through the employeeââ¬â¢s contributions which are done at the agreed time period and also may involve some contributions from the employer. The advantage with this pension plan is that the contributions which are made to it are from the pre-tax salary hence meaning that they are portable. Over the past decades, it has had a lot of importance in most of the employees working in the private sectors in US. It is due to the increased demand by most of the employees working in the private sectors that it has served as the most popular defined contribution plan which having the largest number of participants and assets. For example, research tells us that by the year 2006, around 50 million people that is the American workers participated fully at the 401K action plan and by the end of the same years, it was also found that the number of invested assets also grew hence representing 15% of all the retirement assets in US hence this in terms of US dollars can be around $2.7 trillion in assets only. The 401K has its rules and regulations are these rules are constructed by the US tax code hence this pension plan takes its name from the Internal Revenue Code of the year 1978 that created them. So you will find that the activities of the pension plan can be regulated by the employee benefits security administration in US department of labor. (Ben, 2005). At 401(K) investment plan, you find that there are a number of investing options whereby the participants in this case can fall in the category of their choice. You find that these investments options are grouped in to eight categories. One of the investment options is the equity funds whereby under this investment, it only involves a pooled investments inform of stocks only and an example of such investments may include stock like life insurance, some
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Mergers and Acquisitions Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9500 words - 1
Mergers and Acquisitions - Dissertation Example I am grateful for the many people who aided me in the completion of this project, without whom I would have had great difficulty completing my research on mergers and acquisitions. ABSTRACT With the advent of companies like Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo! merging, all kinds of discussions have ensued. What constitutes a merger What constitutes an acquisition And, admittedly, what is the difference The ensuing discussion raises questions as to the validity of mergers and acquisitions in a day and age when companies are struggling to meet their overhead costs. Many times, mergers and acquisitions are the solution-not the problem-to the dilemma which ails many organizations: "How do we stay in business" A comprehensive view of mergers and acquisitions is taken into account, as the pros and cons of equity financing, and the desirability of mergers and acquisitions ("M&A's") are evaluated. As an example, hundreds of M&A's on the London Stock Exchange are reviewed for a period of the past 10 years. Conclusions are summarily drawn from the data provided. I. Introduction A. Statement of the Problem What follows, regarding mergers and acquisitions, is all too common. Barmash (2003) stated, "The company didn't have a new president so it bought a company that didThey couldn't compete with the company, so they bought itThe company really didn't want to sell; it just wanted to see what kind of price it could draw" Unfortunately, for some companies, this is what happens. For whatever reason, companies sell out and new companies come to take their place. It is increasingly the way of the world. This is now the way business works. It is common for several industries to consolidate due to... Mergers and acquisitions can be the bright spot on lawyers and othersââ¬â¢ resumes, based on how important the nature of the prospective deal is. And, M&Aââ¬â¢s (as they are wont to be called) are highly valued in society and can change a companyââ¬â¢s outlook on the future. Anon (2009) comments, ââ¬Å"Not surprisingly, these actions often make the news. Deals can be worth hundreds of millions, or even billions, of dollars. They can dictate the fortunes of the companies involved for years to come. For a CEO, leading an M&A can represent the highlight of a whole career.â⬠Many people in the information security and technology sectors are looking to the relative absence or presence of mergers as a way of gauging how successful their own company is. This is a key factor to remember when evaluating a company. As Tenopir et. al. (2007) denote, ââ¬Å"There are a lot of worries from database providers but they are working on ways to integrate social networks, provide increased depth within their specialties, and make their products stand out in order to succeed on the information farms of the future.â⬠Mergers and acquisitions are common. A majority of the populace should be concerned with M&Aââ¬â¢s because they significantly affect the quality of life of millions. Anon (2009) denotes, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦it is no wonder we hear about so many of these transactions; they happen all the time. Next time you flip open the newspaperââ¬â¢s business section, odds are good that at least one headline will announce some kind of M&A transaction.ââ¬
Monday, July 22, 2019
The Importance of Education Essay Example for Free
The Importance of Education Essay Can you believe that in some countries education is not free? And in ââ¬Å"Pakistanâ⬠, the Taliban doesnââ¬â¢t let girls go to school because they think, that ââ¬Å"God is a tiny, little conservative being who would send girls to hellâ⬠. Just because of going to school. In my opinion, the importance of education is undeniable for every single person. It goes without saying that education has a positive effect on human life. All people need to study, only with the advent of education can people gain knowledge open up their mind a little more. Apparently, people may become more useful and civilized if better educated. For example, in areas where residents are not able to receive an appropriate education, life cannot be as thriving and prosperous as locations where there is a high standard for education. In fact, education plays such a rudimentary role on our society that we cannot even imagine a life without it. It is a determined element for the civilization of human society. Not only does It helps us develop healthy surroundings but it also generates an advance community. As a matter of fact, everything we create today is based on the knowledge that we obtain throughout our life by way of education. That is to say, by working and living among foreigners some of the barriers between countries can be broken down, helping to create a more educated peaceful world. As to say diplomatic reaction would be of benefit to all. Malala said ââ¬Å" We call upon the governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child all over the worldâ⬠. I do agree with Malala, every child should have the opportunity to go to school and get some education that will help them have a better future, education is very important. Consequently, education is viewed as a vital key to success in life and knowledge has become every individual aim or concern, each one of us is born in a different medium and different social and cultural norms. However, most of us approve of educations positive effects on society. Therefore, ââ¬Ë Why do we need education?à ââ¬â¢ is the issues to tackle, to get a better grip of this complex theme we have to distinguish three different types of education, there is the formal education, like school, the life time education, learning through difficult situations and the education by our parents. To lead a successful county we have to keep it on a standard level of education to be able to import the cultural heritage to the younger generation. There is again a division to be made between the inherited educated or knowledge and the education tough at school, education develops a meaningful outlook on life. As a result, education is most important in life like our basic needs food, clothes and shelter. With the beginning we learn how to interact with others how to make friends because of education. Furthermore, Malala said ââ¬Å"Peace is necessary for education. In many parts of the world especially Pakistan and Afghanistan; terrorism, wars and conflicts stop children to go to their schools. We are tired of these wars. Woman and children are suffering in many parts of the world in many ways. In India, innocent and poor children are victims of child labor. Many schools have been destroyed in Nigeria. People in Afghanistan have been affected by the hurdles of extremism of decades. Young girls have to do domestic child labor and are forced to get married at early age. Poverty, ignorance, racism and deprivation of basic rights are the main problems faced by both man and woman. To conclude, we can say that education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits. Education is the solution. Education first.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
The Human Rights Regime Human Rights Essay
The Human Rights Regime Human Rights Essay While the idea of human rights may have a discernible homogeneity, perhaps derived from some kind of natural law theory or social theory, it is nonetheless clear that the implementation of these rights by states lacks a corresponding identity. Davidsons (1993, p.89) analysis of the concept of human rights highlights the chief difficulty that has faced the past generation of human rights regime, namely that it is an international problem that cannot be efficiently policed and guarded against by state law alone. The ubiquitous problem of definition only makes it easier for offending companies or nations to claim that their crimes do not officially come within the official realm of human rights. The current statecentric definition of human rights therefore facilitates evasive tactics and succeeds only in diminishing the significance of the issue on the eyes of statesmen and policy makers. To best tackle the dual problem within the title of this essay we first need to attempt to define the modern human rights regime, place it in its contemporary political context and evaluate its primary obstacles. Then we need to analyse the role of multinational corporations to evaluate in what ways these pose a problem to the human rights regime, posing the question of how these ubiquitous forces can be made accountable for their overseas empires. And finally we will examine the question of whether or not a new generation of human rights activity and organisation is required. The United Nations Charter (1948) is the vehicle for the international ideal of human rights, law and democracy. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (2000, p.82) sets out a modern definition and has served as the blueprint by which all subsequent interpretations have been measured. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. The phraseology is famous for its humanitariancentric ideology but herein lays the problem of the human rights issue within the broader international agenda. In political philosophy, the spirit of the Universal Declaration and subsequent treaties such as the Vienna Convention (1993) are inherently left of centre and imply a cooperative understanding and information exchange between modern states, east and west, north and south that is modelled on broadly socialist ideals. Yet, inevitably, the feeling of responsibility towards all oppressed people of the world, that was a legacy of the horrors of World War II, quickly dissipated. As history has taught us time and again, domestic economic and political concerns soon superseded human rights at the top of the international relations agenda and it is within such an environment that the modern human rights regime must currently work. The postwar international political situation has been exacerbated in recent times by the advent of globalisation as a political and economic reality. The Maastricht Guidelines on Violations of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1997) details the enormous change that globalisation has meant to the lives of millions of people across the globe. Since the Limburg Principles were adopted in 1986, the economic and social conditions have declined at alarming rates for over 1.6 billion people, while they have advanced also at a dramatic pace for more than a quarter of the worlds population. The gap between rich and poor has doubled in the last three decades, with the poorest fifth of the worlds population receiving 1.4% of the global income and the richest 85%. The impact of these disparities on the lives of people especially the poor is dramatic and renders the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights illusory for a significant portion of humanity. It naturally follows that many human rights lobbyists are also opponents of globalisation, in which they see the conduit through which further human rights abuses will be facilitated as the gulf between the rich and poor of the world continues to widen. And because the concept of globalisation relies heavily on the dynamics of transnational corporations it does not take a great leap in deduction to imagine that human rights abuses will slip further away from the top of the western political agenda if the west continues on its current economic and political course of action. The issue of the increased social and political role of transnational corporations (TNCs), as Jochnick (1999, pp.5679) testifies, is a major problem for the enforcement of the human rights agenda. Most developing countries face TNCs with revenues many times larger than their domestic economies. TNCs account for almost half of the top one hundred economies in the world, and a mere two hundred of them are estimated to control a quarter of the worlds productive assets. Grouped together in trade associations with the active support of their home countries, TNCs exercise an inordinate influence over local law and policies. Their impact on human rights ranges from a direct role in violations, such as abuses of employees or the environment, to indirect support of governments guilty of widespread oppression. The argument to limit the scope of TNCs has been prevalent for the past thirty years. In 1974 the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States declared in Article 2 (b) that, each state has the right to regulate and supervise the activities of transnational corporations within its national jurisdiction and take measures to ensure that such activities comply with its law, rules and regulations and conform with its economic and social policies. While the political reality of human rights abuses has altered little due to the above statement and indeed the increased focus on human rights in general, its existence as an ideal and a manifestation of consensus amongst the generation of drafters makes it an important and relevant document for the next generation of human rights activists. In 2003, for instance, the Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regards to Human Rights defined human rights and transnational companies in a bi d to clarify the ambiguities that have existed since 1945. It also specified areas of negligence such as the treatment of children and the provision for providing adequate food and drink for the workforce. This document underscores the continuing strive to hold multinationals to account but it likewise poses as many questions as it answers. Although the accountability of transnational corporations is a commendable course of action it is fraught with problems of perspective. The main theory posited against the legal extension of human rights violations to include TNCs is that multinational corporations are private entities and should not have the same restrictions such as those imposed upon states. TNCs should, from this viewpoint, be responsible only for the proper conduct of their business and should not have to interfere in broader social issues, which ought to come within the jurisdiction of the local national government or the UN. At this point we need to examine the intricacies of the traditional multinational corporation so as to determine the necessity for an increased net of surveillance. Nike is probably the incarnation of a major multinational corporation within the bounds of this discussion. Since the Reagan administration there has been consistent questioning of the role of Nike in Third World countries with particular emphasis on the growing divide between the companys turnover and the lifestyle of the workers in countries such as Indonesia, where many of the firms manufacturing plants are in operation. The specific problem of corporate responsibility for multinationals such as Nike is explained in detail by Daniel Litvin (2003, p.228). The American multinational does not actually own the facilities producing its sports gear around the world; rather, it contracts out its manufacturing to other firms. And it has tried to respond to western criticism over its alleged sweatshop production by setting up numerous systems for monitoring labour practices in these factories, largely involving visit and inspections by outsiders. But just as Cecil Rhodes British South Africa Company seriously misunderstood the cultural dynamics of the indigenous societies of South Africa, and just as Aramco, for all its efforts, found it difficult to predict changes within Saudi society, so Nike has been struggling to track the conditions in its factories. Within the case study of Nike is a problem that affects the entire human rights corporate agenda. Although multinational companies are registered in western countries, much of the grass roots level abuses occur outside of the scope of the executive branch. Clearly human rights lobbyists will state that Nike and other TNCs in its position ought to ensure a more durable form of internal communication but, legally speaking, the fact that the manufacturing is subcontracted shifts corporate responsibility away from the multinational and only creates more legal and political issues for the human rights regime. There clearly is a need for a new generation of human rights regime, one that is not so inherently statecentric in its analysis of the issue. Because of the economic and political climate of dominant western powers, which we have already outlined, much of the work of human rights bodies must take place within the confines of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). Unlike national governments, who have to deal with a perpetually shifting social agenda, NGOs can dedicate their time and resources to the achievement of individual, secular goals. The work done by human rights NGOs is various and diverse. Much of their remit involves carrying out some form of information gathering and fact finding activities. Furthermore, nonstate parties have learnt, from the conflicts in Africa and Central and Southern America, that networking between organisations is the best way to achieve homogeneity against statesponsored and corporate oppression. As a result, NGOs have helped bring to the attention of the world media human rights abuses that might otherwise have continued undetected. But this is not an end in itself; it is merely a means to an as yet undecipherable end, as highlighted by Hegarty and Leonard (1999, p.283). There is some evidence that overt monitoring by NGOs deters states from committing abuses. But, there are many places in the world where overt monitoring is not possible, and there are many governments that seem able to dismiss easily United Nations criticism of their human rights record. The influence of nongovernmental organisations therefore remains cultural rather than institutional or organisational and there are definite limits to the reach that they have in international relations. Conclusion Human rights, as a creed, are inexorably tied with the political and economic concerns of the west and its programme of globalisation. It thus follows naturally that many of the arguments for and against the role of multinational corporations within the ongoing debate are politically motivated. For example, many of the voices of dissent against TNCs contain the same voices of opposition against globalisation; ditto for supporters of globalisation who seek to cover up the core business excesses of multinationals. We must therefore be aware of hidden agendas and political rhetoric and recognise this as a major obstacle to the advancement of human rights at the beginning of the twentyfirst century. The statecentricity of the contemporary human rights regime has resulted in the suffocation of a social force that would otherwise surely have made more strident inroads into curtailing the power of multinational companies. However, the increased communication and network strategies of nonstate actors has resulted in a more united human rights regime with greater authority in the state political sphere. The future challenge is for the next generation of human rights regime to resist the inevitable challenge of the worlds economic elite, who will naturally fight against all attempts to narrow perceptions of human rights, and to bring multinational corporations to account for their overseas capitalist practices. BIBLIOGRAPHY S. Davidson, Human Rights: First Edition (Open University Press; Buckingham, 1993) D. Forsyth, Human Rights in International Relations (Cambridge University Press; Cambridge, 2000) C. Gearty, Principles of Human Rights Adjudication (Oxford University Press; Oxford, 2004) A. Hegarty S. Leonard (Edtd.), Human Rights: an Agenda for the TwentyFirst Century (Cavendish; London, 1999) M.T. Kamminga F. Coomans (Edtd.), Extraterritorial Application of Human Rights Treaties (Intersentia; Antwerp Oxford, 2004) D. Litvin, Empires of Profit: Commerce, Conquest and Corporate Responsibility (Texere; New York London, 2003) J.W. Nickel, Making Sense of Human Rights: Philosophical Reflections on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (University of California; Berkeley, 1987) C. Ovey R.C.A. White, Jacobs and White: European Convention on Human Rights: Third Edition (Oxford University Press; Oxford, 2002) P. Plowden K. Kerrigan, Advocacy and Human Rights: Using the Convention in Courts and Tribunals (Cavendish; London, 2002) G. Teubner (Edtd.), Global Law without a State (Dartmouth; Aldershot, 1997) Human Rights in International Law, Collected Texts: Second Edition (Council of Europe Publishing; Strasbourg, 2000) International Treaties and Documents Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States; GA Res. 3281(xxix), UN GAOR, 29th Sess., Supp. No. 31 (1974) 50 The Maastricht Guidelines on Violations of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Maastricht; January 2226, 1997) Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), in, Human Rights in International Law, Collected Texts: Second Edition (Council of Europe Publishing; Strasbourg, 2000) Selected Articles and Journals C. Jochnick, Confronting the Impunity of NonState Actors: New Fields for the Promotion of Human Rights, in, Human Rights Quarterly, Volume 21, Number 1 (February 1999) L. Wiseberg, Protecting Human Rights Activists and NGOs, in, Human Rights Quarterly, Volume 13, Number 525 (November 1999)
The Starbucks Company Profile Marketing Essay
The Starbucks Company Profile Marketing Essay Starbucks was founded in 1971 as a roaster and trader of the raw coffee, tea and spices with only one single store in Seattles Pike Place Market. Starbucks was named after the first mate in Herman Melvilles Moby Dick. This name reminded of the legend of the high seas and the oceangoing tradition of the early coffee traders. Starbuckss logo was also inspired by the sea. It was featured with a twinà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã tailed siren from Greek mythology (Starbucks, 2013) After 14 years of doing business, Starbucks incorporated on 4 November 1985 and become a leader in coffee beverage industry operating in 62 countries with more than 18,000 locations globally nowadays. Starbucks plans to open more 1,300 new stores around the world in 2013 (Starbucks, 2013; The New York Job Source, 2012). Starbucks operates in four main segments: Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); China/Asia Pacific (CAP), and Channel Development. During 2012, the main revenues came from Americas market (75%), EMEA (9%), CAP (5%), and Channel Development (10%). The other market built about 1% of Starbuckss total net revenues (Reuters, 2013). Starbuckss products are many kinds of coffee and tea. Beside its own stores, Starbucks also gives license of its trademarks via other distribution channels, such as licensed stores, grocery and international foodservice. In addition to Starbucks brand, its portfolio also includes Tazo Tea, Seattles Best Coffee, and Starbucks VIA Ready Brew, Starbucks Refreshers beverages, Evolution Fresh, La Boulange bakery brand, and the Verismo System by Starbucks. Starbucks stores offer a wide option of normal and decaffeinated coffee beverages. There are a choice of Italian-style espresso beverages, cold blended beverages, iced shaken refreshment beverages, as well as selection of Tazo teas, packaged roasted whole bean and ground coffees; a range of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew soluble coffees, Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea K-Cup portion packs, Starbucks Refreshers beverages, juices and bottled water. There is also a variety of fresh food products which focus on nutritional value and flavour. Food items include pastries, prepared breakfast and lunch sandwiches, oatmeal and salads. In order to focus on coffee, breakfast sandwiches was stopped selling in 2008. In April 2008, Starbucks introduced Pikes Place Roast which is also new line of regular coffee (Reuters, 2013). Starbucks also announced that it would spend 100 million USD for buying LaBoulange Bakery in San Francisco which is famous for producing French pastry and bread from scratch and going to add these new items to Starbuckss store menu in the near future. Starbucks also said that it would want to buy the famous tea Teavana retailer for about $620 million (The New York job source, 2012). Starbuckss mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time. Starbuckss goal is serving the best coffee for the customers. In order to achieve that goal, Starbucks ensures that its coffee to be grown with the highest quality standards, using ethical sourcing practices. The coffee buyers of Starbucks also do travel to the coffee farms in area such as Latin America, Africa or Asia personally to select the highest quality coffee beans. In addition, Starbuckss master roasters make the stability and rich flavour of the coffee beans via the signature Starbucks Roast (Starbucks, 2013). There are some of Starbuckss awards and recognition recently as listed below: No. 1 Best Coffee, Fast Food and Quick Refreshment categories Zagats Survey of National Chain Restaurants 2009à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã 2011 No. 1 Most Popular Quick Refreshment Chain Zagats Survey of National Chain Restaurants 2009à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã 2011 One of The 100 Best Companies to Work For Fortune 1998-2000, 2002-2012 One of the Most Admired Companies in America Fortune 2003-2012 One of the Worlds 50 Most Innovative Companies Fast Company 2012 One of the Worlds Most Ethical Companies Ethisphere 2007à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã 2012 One of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens Corporate Responsibility/Business Ethics 2000à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã 2012 Sustainability Design Award Global Green USA 2011 Most Ethical Company, European Coffee Industry Allegra Strategies 2009à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã 2011 Business Person of the Year, Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer Fortune 2011 (Starbucks, 2013) Technology After the millennium, the technology has been changing rapidly. Technology has been used in everyday life, everywhere including Starbucks. Starbucks use technology as a tool to develop itself. Social media Unlike many big companies in the world, Starbucks hasnt spent a huge amount of money on advertising on television, poster or newspaper. Starbucks marketing strategy is different. It is called creating a Starbucks community. By using the advance of internet technology, especially social network, Starbucks has successfully created a strong community around their brand and turn their social media fans into revenue. The success of Starbucks through social media firstly starts with a commitment of building the relationship, not sales. Recently, many organizations all over the world attempt to use social media on reaching as many fans as possible. In fact, focusing just on increasing the number of fans misses the companys true value. This is the loyal customers who are willing to build the long term relationship with the company (Ronan, E., 2013). Starbucks is considered as a leader in effective social media marketing. Starbucks is nearly the top brand in social media (Gembarski, R., 2012). The coffee house was also voted most loved out of 3,400 food brands in a survey. Beginning in 1971, Starbucks has transitioned into the era of the internet by using social media domination. Currently, Starbucks has over 34 million fans on Facebook and continues to add more than 300,000 new fans every week (Starbucks, 2013). Everybody knows that Facebook is very powerful today. With more than 964 million of users, this is one of the best ways for doing marketing (Checkfacebook, 2013). On their Facebook page, Starbucks listens to their customers. They focus on creating and maintaining the customer relationship. Starbucks tell a story of their own brand by using social media, via stories and videos. Social media is also used for social activity, such as donation for Haiti during its disaster in 2010 (Grand social center, 2013). Because Starbuc ks targets on young people, social media is the effective tool for marketing. As the world becomes more digitally focused, social media is best place for sharing information and using the word-of-mouth marketing strategy. Starbucks has an advantage over competitors. The company did not have to spend a huge amount of money for traditional advertising. The advertising for Starbucks has been done by millions of fans they already have on social network such as Facebook and Twitter.à à That means when Starbucks share the photo on Instagram, post the video to Facebook or Twitter, share the information on website, it will reach to a million of target audients just by a simple click. Therefore, Starbucks is familiar with its customer when it comes to any social media campaigns.à Many of their marketing campaigns are initiated using Twitter, Facebook and their own website.à Instead of getting more and more fans, Starbucks tries to expand the brand awareness (Grand social center, 20 13). On the social media, Starbucks works on engaging a dialogue rather than pushing a one-way communication. Starbucks not only want to be recognized as fun and creative, but they also show their attention about what the customers think about their service, as well as their products (Practical social media university, 2013). On the website, Starbucks have a link to their My Starbucks Idea page.à My Starbucks Ideas is online place where the coffee lovers can do chatting and brainstorming new ideas to make Starbucks become the best one in the coffee businesses.à Starbucks really takes each idea into consideration. It shows to their customers that their requests arent going unheard.à By doing that, Starbucks wants to send the message to the customers that they really care about them and want to make their experiences atà Starbucks the best there are (Noff, A., 2010) Digital network Digital network By offering the free and unlimited Wi-Fi for every store, Strubucks now is not only the traditional coffee shop but also the meeting place or makeshift office for its customers. People can go to the Starbucks store, order a cup of coffee, and go to the internet for entertainment, searching information for discussion or chatting with the others. This is the style of young people nowadays which is the target customers of Starbucks. In October 2010, Starbucks made a move to develop its online offerings to its customers with the launch of its Digital Network. The Starbucks Digital Networks is available through the free Wi-Fi network in Starbuckss stores in the US (Starbucks Digital Network, 2012). It offers the users access for free to hand-picked, multi-media content from content providers such as the Yahoo, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Zagat and Apple which have to pay for from the Internet. This is a new type of Starbukss competitive advantage as it is the first offering of this kind. It makes Starbucks become a place that customers can stay connected, be inspired and entertained. The Starbucks Digital Network has immediately differentiated Starbucks from a number of other coffee shop retailers that also offer the free Wi-Fi in their coffee stores. The customer response of it has been noted as enthusiastic (Grove, J., 2010). New technologies in Starbucks New technologies bring international attention and customers to the company. Emerging technologies give solutions to pressing global challenges and providing productive ground for sustainable business opportunities. Brewing For decades, the technology of coffee brewing had been well established. Starbucks is known very well in the market due to its high quality coffee, care in selection and expertise in roast. Starbucks establishes its profitable competitive advantages by broadly differentiating its coffee and coffee related products, depending upon its competence and innovation. An innovative design that lets customers to discover new dimensions within a coffees familiar aroma, flavor, body and acidity is the Clover brewing system (The Clover brewing system, 2013). This machine, which made its debut in 2007, uses innovative Vacuum Press technology in order to create the cup in front of the customer. This system controls brew time and temperature digitally, as even small changes can affect the quality of the product. After the coffee brews, it is pulled through a 70 micron filter in order to produce the ideal flavor. Clover machine has speedily become regarded as the gold standard in innovation in brewing equipment, with its proprietary brewing process. Additionally, in order to expand and reach more customers Starbucks enter to the home of its customers by the home brewing system named Verismo TM System. This is the premium at-home brewing system which allows customers to craft Starbucks quality espresso beverage. Mobile app Another example how Starbucks has embraced modern technology is their use of smart phone capability. Starbucks is continuing to create amazing connections with the customers, offering them choices in how they want to pay. The company is betting big on mobile commerce to force its sales as more and more people use smart phones for their everyday needs (Kaushik 2012). Starbucks turns to mobile commerce to ensure that it grabs a slice of the every mobile user segment that does not hesitate to use their smart phones to transact. In early 2011, Starbucks launched a nationwide mobile payment app, available for Android, iPhone and Blackberry. This app is named Squares Wallet app, which let customers to buy a coffee by presenting the barcode that the app generates, brose menu information, store hours and transaction history, all on their phones. Adam Brotman, chief digital officer of Starbucks, explained that Starbucks was the first retailer to present its own mobile payment technology (Grov e, 2012). The Squares Wallet app is linked to the customers debit or credit cards, so there is never a need to reload a balance. Globalization Globalization had been widely debated in many areas (Friedman, 2006). It also affects the food industry (Traill, 1997). Globalization on food and beverage sector The globalization process affects The FB sector, like other industrial sectors. Specifically, the beverage industry is a bellwether in the food industry. In globalization studies three main lines of researches have emerged (Traill 1997). Firstly, it is the escalating influence of international trade and its role of promoting economic growth. The second line is the increasing importance of Multinational Enterprises in trade and foreign direct investment, especially in promoting an integrated economy. The third emerged line of appeared researches in Globalization is the significance of perspectives that come from the marketing profession. At this last research the Globalization is seen in terms of consumer markets /for example demographics as well as food preferences and attitudes/ (Vaydia 2006). Globalization has changed the face of this sector since 1980. According to Bolling (2002) three major shifts have occurred in the business environment of this sector since 1980. The first one is refocusing the business sector from national to international. Next shift is the expanding firms activities across business lines. The third one is growing the competition in the global soft drink industry. Soft drink companies have to account for the various changes, brought by the various changes by the always changing global market. Nowadays they produce for domestic and foreign markets, license their products and invest in plants in other countries. Globalization has been rising rapidly in last few decades and it has become one of the most discussed and debated topics. Globalization has effects on almost everything, economy, society, environment in their own different ways and it has become an important factor of business throughout the world. Upon globalization there are many changes to the corporations and those related mostly to the increasing of competition, change of price and quality, tremendous changes in technologies and information. The coffee industry has changed and impacted by the various changes of global change. Today coffee has become a lifestyle from a simple product. Last four decades coffee price had gone cheaper due to the globalization and increased and overproduction of coffee all over the world. Due to the increasing demand of coffee and overproduction some manufacturers produce low quality products, however, some consumers are willing to pay higher price for the cup of higher quality coffee. There was one company that made drinking coffee is not just for certain group of people to get an morning caffeine but for everyone to enjoy at anytime they what, that company is Starbucks. Drinking a coffee in the cozy coffee shop is a lifestyle in nowadays. Globalization has helped Starbucks to go global and build international company. Building international company is not easy for every organization. There are benefits and always has difficulties and drawbacks. When Starbucks went global they used exact same business model that quickly developed in United States, but soon they realized that the tactics that worked in local market would not work in international market. During their global expansion there were cultural conflicts with the many regions that those consumers did not want to accept Starbucks as the way they are. In addition, Starbucks had to find a ways to adopt the culture of these regions and understand them to get their support in those countries, and it was listening the opinions and suggestions of their customers. One of the big conflict were Chinese culture, Starbucks had to adopt many things, such as, store layout, timing of the opening and peak hours. Also, there were some food and drink preferences that they had to adopt to suit to the customers wants and needs in that specific region. They had to utilize Intellectual Properties for their name and logo. The reason was there were competitors or other coffee shops used the ir name and logo and to stop them and prevent this to happen again. As mentioned earlier, globalization has its both good and bad sides. One of the major good sides of it is more people employed, educated and trained. Starbucks gave their employees complete health benefits and they were the first company in USA who did this. Besides that, Starbucks offers complete training to their employees. Downside of Globalization We have read all the books writing about how amazing globalization is, but it is not working in the same way in all the times. Globalization also has its downside and all the multinational companies, like Starbucks, have suffered in different degrees according to the countries they conduct their business. As many globalized companies managing businesses in many countries, the problems like ethic, corporate social responsibility, political problems, human rights, culture of the different countries, etc. are arise. For Starbucks having many outlets outside U.S, they sure suffer from different problems in different countries. The problems most international company facing in global business can be divided in to strategic, operational, political, country, technological and environmental risks. Michael Porter stated five different forces, which has impact on competitiveness of company: threats of new entrance, threat of substitutes, supplier power, customer power and competition in the markets. These can be challenge to multinational companies like Starbucks because they need to make different strategic decisions according to different markets they are in. Operational problems are much more internal to the organization such as machine breakdown, stock shortage, lack of professional workforce, delay in supply and delivery, and so on. These operational problems can harm Starbucks, because they value their uniqueness and unity in all outlets. In different countries those problems can be vary according to the location, culture, systems but it is important for Starbucks to deal these problems in time. Starbucks also need to deal with political problems in different countries. Operating in many developing countries, where political volatility is high, Starbucks may needs strategies to deal with micro political problems such as changing regulations in industries. Country risk is similar to the political risk but it is wider. The government policies, security of the country, political factors can be different. Starbucks may also need to deal with such problems in different countries. The short-term problems like financial problems and other operational problems can be solved within a short time and if tackled properly, they can bring the organization to short-term success. However, problems like environmental problems are important for organizations to solve carefully because it can affect organizations image and if properly solved, it can also be competitive advantage in the long-term. Starbucks also needs to solve environment problems like pollution and peoples outcry in some countries. Cultural, Political and Ethical problems Starbuck had faced many problems in the years of their international expanding. Starbucks faced problems in Middle East because of the culture of the country and volatile policy. Due to the close relations between US and Israel, Arab students called for boycott to American brands in their county including Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Burger King. Starbucks was top of the list because CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, had close relation with Jewish community. He was awarded the Israeli 50th Anniversary Tribute Award by the Jerusalem Fund of Aish Ha-Torah, a group of activists supporting Israel. Things got worse when Howard Schultz allegedly made speech to students at University of Washington. In the speech Schultz said, one of my mission is to sensitize you; you should not be immune to what is happening in the world. I travel a great deal and one of the things I see is the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, especially France and England. Tensions became more intense when he addressed to Ame rican-Jewish society. He said, What is going on in Middle East is not an isolated part of the world. The rise of anti-Semitism is all time high since 1930s. Palestinians are not doing their jobs, they are not stopping terrorisms. Later, Starbucks released statement stating that the comments of the Schultz are those of his personal views and not concerning with companys policy and not of their views. Schultz also released a statement relating to the allegation anti-Palestine and said my position has always been pro-peace and for the two nations to co-exist peacefully. Moreover, Starbucks also had problems in Israel in 2003. When U.S declared war on Iraq, Starbucks had to close down their outlets in Israel because of security concerns. In China, Starbucks also faced with problems relating with culture. Unlike in U.S, the culture of China is different. Most of the customers from U.S has to-and-go culture where they came in, grabbed a coffee and left. However, in China many customers are sitting for hours and refusing to leave. Chinese customers love the place of the Starbucks so much they come in just to sit and chat with friends without buying anything from Starbucks. Sometimes they bring in their own foods into the store, which is a common culture in China but not in U.S. Another cultural problem Starbucks facing is the tea culture in India. In India, tea is the King. It has been the traditional drink for many years. Most of the India people only drink tea not coffee. Starbucks has to deal with the problem and had to market its product more widely. Because of these cultural problems, Starbucks need to make changes to its menu list to solve that problem, also offering tea but not the same taste that can get from local shops. While Starbucks is investing huge fund in training the staffs all over the world and for marketing, the company only received partial share profit and loyalty fees as most of its stores all over the world are joint venture or licensing agreement. Starbucks faced with ethical criticism in 2006 when company protested to US patent and Trademark office (UPTO) against the Ethiopias patent right application to the country famous coffee names. Many criticize Starbucks for hindering the trademark application of Ethiopia, which is one of the poorest countries in the world. This forced Starbucks to sign an agreement with Ethiopia government that acknowledge the Ethiopias ownership of the names of the coffee whether or not the patent or trademark application is granted. MKT GROUP ASSIGNMENT: GLOBALIZATION STARBUCKS SOLUTIONS TO ISSUES ARISING FROM GLOBALIZATION Given the solutions gained though exploiting global technology advances for harnessing business advantage, Starbucks international business model and marketing approaches have used a mix of differentiation and recognisable standardization, to generate solutions in the form of distinct competitive advantages. In terms of marketing approach Starbucks has had to seek other approaches to re-position itself due to culture conflicts in resistance to the larger trend of globalization. Due to this resistance in some areas, Starbucks has had to establish ways to build relationships with foreign nations and seek the support of the residents of those countries for successful franchise and marketing. Starbuckss key strength in achieving this is in listening so well to its customers. Jim Donald, CEO of Starbucks from 2005-2008, noted both the difference in peak times in China and in food preferences. These were adapted in the same way as followed market research in Europe, to understand these regional fluctuations and differences. With regard to successfully penetrating the European market, this was achieved over time as Starbucks evolved to specifically fit the demand of the European citizens. Incorporating nuances in cultural values associated with the coffee market and adapting its strategic succeeded in appealing at these levels the Starbucks strategy in Paris adopts the positioning of coffee purchasing as an endorsement and acknowledged support for foreign coffee producers creating flavours. The approach in this respect incorporates the traditionally culturally held view to blend the classic French concept of pride in a professional skill, with a green and sustainable brand promise. By these means it has focussed upon the understanding of cultural values as a core positioning tool for successfully marketing within the region. Product advertising has also been tailored to meet cultural differences and using a non-standardized promotion strategy, advertisement is country-specific according to trends, custom and culture. This has proved very effective. Using License and franchise ventures strategy, Investment was made to establish Starbucks coffee International as a new company for the expansion of the international business specific in the Asian Region. The strategy adopted was in licensing to local retailers and stores. Starbucks ensured that all the stores followed the same formula of Starbucks and coffee was sold to them only after them they sold to customers. This meant that Starbucks only gained licensing fees and royalties on revenues. Making use of competitive advantage strategy, Starbucks strategically focused on Differentiation. Using this, it remained focused on serving identified niche customers as opposed to its rivals. Using market segmentation strategy, Starbucks successfully built upon its unique capabilities to serve target buyers. In terms of the Starbucks overall Global Market Mix Strategy the retail formula of Starbucks is worldwide; there is to change in the retail system which operates in same way throughout the world. References; ICMR IBS Centre of Management Research case study Starbucks: Evolution of a Global Brand (2003) International IP Property Hart, R. (2011) The Globalization of Starbucks and its Effect on the World Bloomberg Business week (Sept 2002) : Planet Starbucks: To Keep Up the Growth, It Must Go Global Quickly http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/02_36/b3798001.htm References 1. The Clover brewing system (2007), accessed March 30, 2013 http://www.starbucks.com/coffee/learn/clover 2. Kaushik, P. (2012) Starbucks Best Big on innovation, Brand Extension and Mobile Commerce, accessed March 26, 2013 http://www.dailydealmedia.com 3. Owen, T. (2012) Square and Starbucks just launched their Mobile payment service in 7000 stores, accessed April 03, 2013 http://www.businessinsider.com/square-starbucks-launch-payments-2012-11 4. Fact sheet: Verismo TM System by Starbucks (2012), accessed April 05, 2013 http://www.news.starbucks.com 5. Grove, J. (2012) How Starbucks is turning itself into a tech company, accessed April 09, 2013 http://www.venturebeat.com/2012/06/12starbucks-digital-strategy/ Reference Grove, J. (2010), Mashable, accessed 5 April 2013. http://mashable.com/2010/10/19/first-look-starbucks-digital-network-is-here/ Starbucks Digital Network (2012), Its available when youre connected to Wi-Fi at most U.S. company-owned Starbucks stores, accessed 5 April 2013. http://digital.starbucks.com/error/not-in-store Noff, A. (2010), TNW The next web, accessed 5 April 2013. http://thenextweb.com/2010/01/11/starbucks-formula-social-media-success/ Practical social media university (2013), How Starbucks Uses Social Media, accessed 5 April 2013. http://practicalsocialmedia.com/case-studies/how-starbucks-uses-social-media-and-what-you-can-learn/ n),Starbucks Use of Social Media Keeps Customers Coming Back, accessed 5 April 2013. http://www.grandsocialcentral.com/hustler-marketers/brand-managers/starbucks-brand-managers/starbucks-use-of-social-media-keeps-customers-coming-back Gembarski, R. (2012), How Starbucks Built an Engaging Brand on Social Media, accessed 5 April 2013. http://www.brandingpersonality.com/how-starbucks-built-an-engagin-brand-on-social-media/ Starbucks (2013), Facebook, accessed 15 April 2013. http://www.facebook.com/Starbucks Checkfacebook (2013), Analyze Enhance Facebook Performance, accessed 15 April 2013. http://www.checkfacebook.com/ Ronan, E. (2013), Huff post Business, accessed 15 April 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ernan-roman/starbucks-social-media-re_b_2426209.html Ref: Bolling, C. 2002 Globalization of the Soft drink industry, Magazine of Agricultural Outlook, 202, p.27 Vaydia, A.K. 2006 Globalization, Encyclopedia of Trade, Labor and Politics, p.382, ABC-CLIO Inc. Santa Barbara, California. Traill, B. 1997, Globalization in the food industries? European review of Agricultural economics, 24, pp. 390-410 Friedman, T.L. (2006), The World Is Flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Faith in Kierkegaards Breaking the Waves Essay -- Kierkegaard Breakin
Faith in Kierkegaard's Breaking the Waves In Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, he discusses the "Three Movements to Faith." For Kierkegaard, faith of any kind involves a paradox. This paradox, as well as Kierkegaard's suggested path to faith, is illustrated by the main characters of Breaking the Waves, Bess and Jan. Kierkegaard explains there are steps one can take towards faith; however, they are so difficult he believes only one person, the "Knight of Faith," has completed the movements. The first step is for one to make her/his wish the complete focus of her/his concentration. This finite desire must dominate one's consciousness, and must be the only wish she/he hopes for. Although the desire may seem impossible, it becomes possible when expressed spiritually. Kierkegaard calls the second movement the "infinite resignation": this involves the person acknowledging the impossibility of her/his wish. By resigning the finite desire, says Kierkegaard, the wish is bent inward. With this, the wish becomes religious, and thus not finite, but infinite. The third step involves...
Friday, July 19, 2019
Female Protagonists Essay -- essays research papers
The desire for freedom is a similar aspect of the female protagonists Louise Mallard, Mathilde Loisel, and Emily Grierson.In Kate Chopin's, "The Story of an Hour," Guy DE Maupassant's, "The Necklace," and William Faulkner's, "A Rose for Emily," the female protagonist's have a desire for freedom. The stories are about three women living in patriarchal societies. Each character longs for freedom in a different way, but because of the men in their lives they are unable to make their own life decisions.In "The Story of an Hour," Louise Mallard is a repressed married woman that has a heart condition. The reaction to her husbands presumed death is a sign that she is unhappy. After hearing the tragic news she goes up stairs to her room and looks out an open window and notices "new spring life", "the delicious breath of rain", and "countless sparrows twittering in the eaves." As she looks out the window among the storm cl ouds, she stares at patches of blue sky. "It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought." Louise is not grieving over her dead husband or having negative thoughts about her future. She realizes that she will have freedom through her husbands death and whispers over and over, "free, free free!" Her unhappiness is not with her husband, it is with her ranking in society because she is a married woman. Becoming a widow is the only cha...
Love and Happiness in Elephants by Sarah Gruen and The Book of Negroes
Happiness is essential for one to be sane. Love leads to happiness and this is shown in the novels Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen and The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. Characters in both novels try to find happiness through love, but it ultimately leads to despair because of the death or loss of a loved one. Happiness is fulfilled through the form of love. To begin with, Jacob has respect and love for his parents that have been there every step of his life. The Dean of the University calls Jacob into his office and Jacob fears ââ¬Å"Dear Lord- if I get expelled now, my father will kill me. (Gruen 6)â⬠Jacob fears that if he gets expelled from the university, that his father had put much hard work to bring Jacob there, then his father will be dissatisfied with him. Jacobââ¬â¢s fear of dishearten his family is a symbol that he loves his family tremendously. This also represents that his happiness is a link to the happiness of his parents and that their disappointment of him is also a disappointment of himself. Secondly, Marlene loves her husband August greatly, thus bringing her happiness. Jacob asks Marlene how is August like and Marlene replies ââ¬Å"Heââ¬â¢s capable of being the most charming man on earth. (95)â⬠Marleneââ¬â¢s family, who are Roman Catholic, has banished her because she marries August, who is Jewish. To Marlene, the love of her family is crucial to her, but now that they create a hole of anguish inside of her, therefore she fills this hole by loving and greatly admiring August. Like the Book of Negroes, Happiness comes through the form of love and this perfectly exemplified in the how Jacob loves his parents because he fears them and Marlene loves August after her family exiles her. Afterward, Aminata falls in love with C... ...annot meet his beloved, Aminata falls into a trance of depression. Finally, Aminataââ¬â¢s master sells her darling child. Aminata tells her master to bring her child back and he replies ââ¬Å"Too late. Heââ¬â¢s sold. Only got me five poundsâ⬠¦heââ¬â¢ll grow and his new master a fine profit one day. (184)â⬠After, Chekura visits become scarce; Aminata relies on her child for the meager happiness she can get. However, this changes after her master steals and sells her child, and this is like him stealing Aminata happiness and selling it away. Though happiness is vital to life and it comes in the form of love, it does not always mean that misery will not follow it. This is shown when Jacob loves his parents, but his parents die, Marlene loves August, but he hits her. Also when Aminata falls in love with Chekura, but they are separated and when Aminataââ¬â¢s master sells Aminataââ¬â¢s child.
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Public education vs. home school Essay
Deciding which is better between public education and home schooling may often cause a debate. There are similarities between them, such as both being a good source of education for students. However, there are a few differences. For instance, home schooled students may graduate earlier than public schooled students while public school has more to offer. Even though home schooling has an advantage, public education is a better educational experience because of the opportunity, social skill development, and the things a student can learn from being in a class size of more than one. While home school may give a student the opportunity to graduate early, public schooling offers many more memories and opportunities that the students will cherish. When attending public school, students are given the opportunity to earn scholarships to help them further their education and continue working on their talents, depending on which way they earn their scholarship. They are given different ways to earn them such as playing sports, getting good grades, and being involved in musical activities. A student attending public school gets a chance to make priceless memories that they cannot get back. The ways that they can earn scholarships also play a part in creating memories. It is going to be a great feeling to be able to look back and tell stories to their loved ones. They will want to share how they got trophies and so much school recognition when they were the starting quarterback or the number one batter on the softball team or even the drum major for the high school band. Students also cannot get letterman jackets being homeschooled while the students in public school is able to get their name and their accomplishment patches on their very own letterman jacket. Each year, students are given a yearbook to look back at pictures they took with their friends and the group activities in which they were involved. There is nothing better than transporting back to the younger days while flipping back through the yearbook as an adult. Also, a certain piece of jewelry can put a smile on the face of an adult as they reminisce. Having a class ring as a souvenir is such a wonderful treasure. Graduating is such a significant accomplishment and students are going to want these memories and something to show for their achievements. Some students do not think having a diploma is not enough. It does not get better than having a class ring to go along with scholarships, letterman jackets, yearbooks, and the cap and gown. When students attend public school, they are learningà life lessons, and while they do not realize it, it pays off in the future. Knowing how to be around all kinds of different people on the daily basis is very beneficial to the students as they develop. Students that are home schooled are not around unfamiliar people, such as new students, new teachers, others that are different from them, and substitutes on a daily basis and this can affect them socially. There will be students that do not get along and students that have to work in groups who may not be too fond of each other, but being in public school will help those students learn how to cope with uncomfortable situations. In the outside world and the future workplace, there will be similar situations, and they will be able to apply the skills that they learned in school to these situations. Having social skills is not just about having friends, it is about knowing how to speak to anybody the proper way at any given time. Having good social skills and knowing how to speak is going to follow the students in their futures. For example, when they go apply for a job, and they are offered an interview right on the spot, they need to know what to say and how to say it. Home schooled students are limited while public schooled students are benefiting quite well from this daily, making public school the better place for students to get an education. A lot of people might say that having a class size of one will help the student learn better and more than the students in a classroom of an average of about twenty-eight people. However, there are a few things that the students can learn from being in a class size of more than one. Patience is one of them. In a class size of one, students are only used to being by themselves and being answered right on the spot. In classrooms of more than one, on the other hand, the students learn patience when they have to wait for their turn. They also learn how to be patient with other students. Not knowing how to be patient can create a sense of selfishness which can give them somewhat of a bad image in the real world. The students also learn how to work in groups with different people that carry different attitudes and personalities. Patience and good social skills can help get through a group project. When working in groups, it can be difficult, especially when every student of the group has t heir own ideas and do not know how to handle the situation in a cordial manner. The work has to get done, and them knowing how to work together is going to go a very long way. There may be a time when a student meets someone in public thatà could give them a big opportunity. A student that knows how to speak in a professional tone instead of being shy will have a good chance of getting the chance to take advantage of that opportunity. Public school will teach more lessons than home school giving the students an advantage when it is time to handle different situations in life. Having a class size of one is okay. However, students need to learn how to work around and with others and still get their work done. Students will appreciate the memories they can create and other opportunities that they can earn from getting a public education. The educational experience is more than just learning the schoolââ¬â¢s curriculum. Being home schooled can teach a student the curriculum along with basic things that they would learn at home while public education can teach m ore than just that such as life lessons that they will need in the future.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales is more than exclusively an entertaining collection of stories and characters it is a design of the confederacy Chaucer lived in. In the late fourteenth century England the conventional feudal schema was changing as the church was losing its brilliance and more people were becoming representative of the emerging middle class. Chaucers Canterbury Tales is a microcosm of this order because it demonstrates the mixer divisions cognize as the Estates, it illustrates the offshoot of the middle class and the decline of the feudal strategy, and it shows the corruption and power of the church building, and it embodies close aspects of the gist Age.Feudal society was traditionally divided into cardinal estates, which were roughly equivalent to social classes. The firstly Estate was the Church, the Second Estate was the Nobility, and the ternion Estate was the Peasantry. The rigid division of society into the three traditional estates was beginning to fail down in the late fourteenth century England, and by the time of Chaucer, in that location was a revive of the middle class. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer is mellowly conscious of the social divisions known as the Estates. While the musical style of The Canterbury Tales as a whole is a cat narrative, the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales is an example of Estates Satire, a genre which criticizes the abuses that occur inside the three traditional Estates.Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales embodies most aspects of the Middle Ages, whether it is in the reserve a hop of immoral ghostlike clergy homosexual, poor, virtuous farmers, or the honorable knight. alone these characters provide pure examples of the numerous omnipresent themes of the Middle Ages. The prevalent values and themes of the Middle Ages included military force and revenge, religion and corruption, and social perspective and hierarchy.The measure in which Chaucers The Canterbu ry Tales is set are exuberant and are filled with suffering, conflict, and general displeasure as much(prenominal), the ideas of revenge and thus furiousness are fairly prevalent. In a great many of Chaucers historys, this theme is close in perfectly. An example near the end ofthe Reeves tale after the miller discovers the scholars treachery. He the miller grabbed Allan by the Adams apple, and he, in return, roughly grabbed the miller and take him on the nose with his fist (Chaucer 83). In this instance, not only if a immediate resort to madness is exhibited, but abandon is used as revenge as the miller attacks Allan after realizing that he has slept with his wife. demonstrate by this, violent tendencies were often the most common, and the most appropriate response.In all of England, violence was seen as something of a way of brio Curtis Gruenler, in a literary analysis, states, Violence on a immense scale held slope attention as spectacular victories against the Frenc h early in the Hundred long time War were followed by a serial of costly, disastrous campaigns (Gruenler). War was a profession of many people in England including a character of Chaucers, the Knight had fought in at least 15 battles and had essentially build disclose his entire livelihood ground upon the battles he was called upon by his lord to take part in. In essence, violence was a universally recognized form of judge and retribution something that was explicitly pointed out in Chaucers stories.Yet another theme is the forepart of religion, or more specifically, the presence of corruption within religion. Many members of the pilgrimage fool ties to ghostly office, and all but the Parson have in some way go against their vows or otherwise acted somewhat out of their bounds as a high ranking member of the Church. Chaucer illustrates this elegantly in the form of the Pardoners prologue where he states make an offer to my relics in this church . . . make an offering in the name of God, I shall clear them by the authority of which was granted to me by papal bull (Chaucer 288).After telling the pilgrims of this trick, distinctly aimed at pocketing a good chain reactor of money, he explains, By this trick I have gained a hundred tag year after year since I became a pardoner (Chaucer 288). The Pardoner is not, however, the only immoral religious character refer in the pilgrimage. The Friar, for example, has broken his vows as a clerical member of the Church, most conspicuously his vow of chastity.The Friar has engaged in relationships that have violated this vow, and when a tiddler comes as a result of this interaction, he has gone so far as to marry the woman to herlover so as to cover his own tracks. All of these aspects of church corruption in The Canterbury Tales at last come down to a disposition for pleasure and money, something that plagued the legitimacy of the Catholic Church and eventually led to the religious reformation.Among the ch aracters a sort of social hierarchy became pronto apparent in the midst of these many travelers. A general character emerged that scattered the pilgrims based upon their economic and social standings. at that place was a rather large ancestry between the richest of the travelers and the poorest. For example, the Franklin was an owner of a large estate and lavish personal goods. Although he is deeply in debt, his social status is still far higher than that of say, the plowman. The Plowman is one of the poorer members of the pilgrimage, but despite this he is one of the more cheerful and kind-hearted members of the pilgrimage. This can be seen as Chaucers doer of expressing his feelings toward the social hierarchy of the times.Chaucer also weighs in on feudalism, the socioeconomic system of the time. Chaucer represents the feudal arrangement of society . . . around the go out of the knight as a belief of nobility, and around the labourer a aim of commonality (Morgan 8). Chau cer seems to see feudalism as a system that divides people into the flush(p) nobles and the poor laborers. Chaucer also seems to recognize the presence of a middle class that seems to rise out of feudalism. For example, the figure of a merchant who gains his wealth by his own accord, specifically money trading, and is almost entirely breakaway of the feudal system.The Merchant is described in the general prologue as a responsible man who kept his wits about him . . . save he was really a worthwhile man (Chaucer 6). In short, Chaucer saw the social structure of his time and saw veritable things he had disapproval of, but indeed, he saw some other move of it as beneficial to the betterment of society.To close, Chaucers chef-doeuvre The Canterbury Tales exhibits many prevalent themes and in much(prenominal) a way paints a photographic film of the times. He does this by talk of violence, religious corruption, and social structuring, all of which were very minded(p) bits of soc iety in the time as they all formed a system thatis looked back on and interpreted through and through works of fact and fiction such as The Canterbury Tales.
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