Starbucks and their Substitutes. How the company stayed dominant Essay

Starbucks and their Substitutes. How the company stayed dominant against their competition before, during, and after the recession - Essay Example The period is characterized by the plunge of GDP by two triumphant quarters. Unlike its competitors, Starbucks, and their substitute have managed to stay dominant before, during and after the recession. The analysis of why Starbucks has been dominant is incredibly vital to every organization especially those companies that experience a tremendous decrease in trading activity during the recession. Starbucks can be considered as a sample test to every company that is planning to start trading in the coffee industry as well as the imminent companies on how to maintain their trading activities regardless of the economic period. During the recession, the company attempted to have a massive expansion program. There is a range of advantages that are related to the development of markets especially to a company that is already established. Some of these benefits include better turnover due to high trading, creation of employment among others An expansion and especially in an in a recession period can be beneficial to the company and at the same time it can limit. For instance, the company can acquire a significant market share before its competitors have any plan on their situation. Conversely, the company may become overexposed to various levels of risks which may reduce or constrain the company’s future programs (Higbee, Liaw, Ting, Tjho, & Ton, 2008). Fundamentally, Starbucks situation can be seen from two dimensions including a liberal and a conservative view. From a liberal point of view, Starbucks and its substitute have effectively managed to secure it going concern through the various risk control mechanism. In contrast, the Starbucks strategic plan can be viewed as a way of exposing itself to it competitors There are various alternatives actions that the company can take to ensure that they do not lose their competitive advantage despite the various drawbacks. These measures include maintaining quality standards,

Sociology- Egoistic Suicide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sociology- Egoistic Suicide - Research Paper Example The sociologist’s contribution to our understanding of suicide â€Å"is the relationship between society and the person who commits suicide† (Holmes & Holmes 25). According to Durkheim, egoistic suicide is illustrated by the â€Å"greater rate of suicide among modern individuals in the liberal, more educated, more well-to-do classes† (Lemert 46). This type of suicide is caused not by knowledge and education itself, but by the individual becoming too individualistic as a result of modern society’s failure to integrate the individual and provide moral protection. Egoistic suicide is sometimes the outcome of a person no longer finding a basis for existence in life. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to examine Durkheim’s theory of egoistic suicide, identify the similarities and differences between egoistic suicide and other types of suicide, and discuss Durkheim’s theory on the rates of egoistic suicides. Emile Durkheim’s Theo ry of Egoistic Suicide In Durkheim’s (1951) book on suicide, the sociologist delineated the fundamental differences in rates and types of suicide between traditional and modern societies (Appelrouth & Edles 111). Egoistic suicide results from a pathological weakening of the bonds between an individual and the social group. According to Durkheim’s theory, the two explanatory variables are integration and regulation. In societies where integration is low egoistic suicide results; when integration is high altruistic suicide results; when regulation is low anomic suicide results; and when regulation is high fatalistic suicide results† (Breault & Barkey 321). The extent of regulation in society depends on the extent of its control on the emotions and motivations of individual members. Breault & Barkey (p.321) conducted a comparative cross-national test of Durkheim’s theory of egoistic suicide involving indicators of religious, family, and political integration; while excluding the theory of regulation. The results of the study showed that the relationships between religious integration and suicide, family integration and suicide, and between political integration and suicide are inversely proportional. Further, the relationships between the independent and dependent variables are strong and very significant. Together, the researchers’ indicators of relgious, family and political integration explain about 76 percent of the variation in international rates of suicide. Egoistic Suicide in Relation to the other Types of Suicide A similarity between anomic and egoistic suicide is that both spring from the individual’s inadequate engagement with society. In egoistic suicide there is a lack of interactions in society and collective or group activity in the person’s life, thereby causing an emptiness deprived of purpose and meaning. However, in anomic suicide, society’s influence on controlling an individual’s p assions is lacking, causing an absence of a check-rein (Lemert 47). Thus, in egoistic suicide life may have been unbearable because of excessive self-discipline, while in anomic suicide life may have been unbearable due to inadequate self-discipline (Broom & Selznick 30). Similarly, there is both likeness and difference between egoistic and fatalistic suicide, because in both types one of the components is a lack of integration with society as a result of which life becomes devoid of meaning. However, in fatalistic suicide the person suffers a trapped feeling, and believes there is no escape (Lemert 47). In egoistic suicide there is no cause the individual dies for, the most important factor is the individual. This person

Legal Environment Coursework 2010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Legal Environment Coursework 2010 - Essay Example g friendly and having an access to the defendant in his office, he had the opportunity to use police national computer to trace registration number of two vehicles, one on each count apparently for the purpose of his business and to get registration information about the said vehicles from the data available on line for this purpose. In one instance out of two, there was no access to data base as the vehicle for which search was made was owned by a company and not by an individual and on the other there was an activation of database as the record of the person so required was available in the data base and hence, it was seen. Mr. English, being the outsider was not authorized to access the database and the defendant in this case was accused of unauthorized use of the information contained in the database as per the provisions of aforementioned Act 1984. It is, however, established that there was no subsequent use of that data from any quarter concerned. Defendant took the plea that there was neither unauthorized use of the data in terms of the provisions of the Act 1984 nor any act in contravention of the law is committed by the defendant and hence pleaded non guilty. Court of first instance pronounced him guilty on both of the accounts whereas the court of appeal overruled the decision of trial court. In the case of R v. Dixion, defendant was charged with an offence under Data Protection Act 1984 on two accounts. First charge was that he tried to use the National police data for which he was unauthorized. Second charge was that he actually used the data for which he was not authorized. The court of first instance found him guilty on both the above mentioned instances. The defendant went into appeal against the decision and as the result of the appeal following legal questions were raised and discussed by the court. It was debated that what constitute data in terms of the Act of 1984. The language of the Act 1984 Section 1(2) describes the data as information

Racism in the Workforce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Racism in the Workforce - Essay Example In other words it can be said that with the increase of globalization most of the companies and organizations are multicultural in nature. This has helped them to bring together people with vast experience, cultural diversity, education and professional skills. However, when issues of racism arise in the work place, I believe it is destructive in nature. It restricts the individuals and will have a direct impact on their productivity. It destroys community cohesion and creates divisions in work place. I believe that it is the opposite of the democratic principle of equality. Additionally, this kind of destructive behavior results in domination of a particular group or individual. As a result the practices of that group or the individual are seen as the standard to which other cultural practices should conform. I feel that this is a wrong practice and it frequently and systematically advantages some ethnic and cultural groups and disadvantages others who do not belong to these groups. I have seen this happen to one of my colleague who belongs to a Negro community. She was talented and was perhaps much better performer when compared to many others in my organization. Every time she applied for her promotion, her application was rejected based on some reason.

Cognitive Biases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cognitive Biases - Essay Example Cognitive bias affects objectivity, perceptions, relationships, and organizational learning in a multitude of positive and negative ways. Cognitive biases affect the quality of decision making by making the decisions compliant to the biases and instincts which may or may not be true. "The way an organization chooses and obtains from its environment the inputs it needs to produce goods and services determines how much value the organization creates at the input stage" (Jones, 2008, p. 3). The negative effect of cognitive biases can be removed by constantly reminding and discussing the mission and vision of the organization with the organizational personnel. Open dialogue, easy and effective channels of communication, and more interaction is the solution of any misperceptions and the cognitive biases that can develop in an organizational set up. The responsibility of keeping everybody on the same board rests primarily with the top management and leadership of an

Macro Factors that Affected Roosevelt’s Foreign Policy Initiatives Essay Example for Free

Macro Factors that Affected Roosevelt’s Foreign Policy Initiatives Essay A foreign policy is a country’s independent strategy or outline of how a sovereign state will deal with the rest of the world or how it will conduct its international affairs; this may encompass such fields as military, economy and politics. The contours of US foreign policymaking strategies were shaped to a large extent by the advantages conferred by geographical isolation of the country, lack of contiguous enemies, absence of historical baggage and the indomitable, independent streak of its early settlers who through their sheer perseverance transformed the vast wilderness of the American lands into an economic, political and military powerhouse unrivalled in the modern era. American foreign policy has seen its ups and downs ranging from a period of isolationism to active participation in world affairs to the unilateralism that characterized the Bush era. However, during the administration of Franklin D Roosevelt, American foreign policy was hobbled by the prevailing isolationist ideology and of course the economic conditions of that time. This essay examines the constraints that Roosevelt experienced in conducting the nation’s foreign policy and what events shaped the contours of Roosevelt administration foreign policy directions. During the American Revolution, The United States convinced France, Netherlands and Spain to join them in the war against Britain which was considered as a common enemy. However, after attaining independence, American foreign policy concentrated on regional matters rather than international matters. The country adopted the Monroe Doctrine which declared that America would not tolerate European interference in the Americas. However, soon thereafter American foreign policy took the stand of not interfering with other states affair in the periods before the First World War. The United States was initially not interested in involving itself in the First World War because it deemed it as a continental Europe affair. Woodrow Wilson as the President initially promised to preserve the tenets of neutrality but then was forced to enter the war on German provocation of disruption of American shipping by U boat attacks. After the war, Wilson initiated the 14 points program and created the League of Nations as also encourage idealism as an approach to international affairs. However, the imperatives of domestic politics rolled back America’s foreign policy directions away from the idealistic approach to its traditional isolationist stand. Roosevelt had internationalist views and wished to play a larger role in world affairs. However the Great depression preoccupied Roosevelt through most of his time. The Great Depression originated in the United States and had been triggered by the sudden collapse of the Stock market, which on 29 October 1929, crashed. â€Å"The shocks to the domestic US economy were a primary cause (Bernanke 2000, 5)† for the depression as the primary sector comprising of mining, farming and logging that had been listed on the stock exchange lost their share prices dramatically. This led to a panic amongst American investors who tried to keep out of the stock market and postpone their purchases of white goods. To get over the Depression, Roosevelt initiated a slew of economic reforms and measures collectively known as the ‘New Deal’. Roosevelt first sought to restore the confidence of the American people in the banking system by passing an Emergency Banking Act and creating a Federal Deposit Insurance Scheme. He embarked on massive public works projects like expansion of Dams, railroads and highways to provide employment to thousands of laid-off workers and cuts in military spending. These cuts in military spending further constrained foreign policy initiatives. The 1935 Neutrality Act passed by the Congress despite Roosevelt’s protestations further restricted the President’s foreign policy initiatives.   These were followed by the Neutrality acts of 1936 and 1937 that further tied down the President. The declaration of the Second World War in 1939, gave Roosevelt an unprecedented third term in office and a chance to redeem the US economy. At one sweep, unemployment was wiped out with youth being employed in the armed forces or in the industries to support war effort. Even then, the isolationists did not wish America to enter the war. Despite the administration’s efforts to reform the Neutrality Bill, the isolationists had a upper hand in the congress and succeeded in   obstructing the passage of the bill right until 1940 (Dalleck 1995, 191). It was only after Roosevelt steered the Lend-lease act and the surprise attack by the Japanese in 1941 that Roosevelt could get rid of the neutrality clauses and conduct the war with full vigor. Roosevelt used the Second World War to build American economy and guide its growth for America’s preeminence after the war. It was his vision and forbearance that allowed President Truman to follow a more ‘muscular’ foreign policy by declaring the famous Truman Doctrine and the Marshall plan that defined the pro-activeness of American Foreign policy from 1946 till to date. One can safely state that the considerable constraints of an isolationist’s tradition and the Great Depression hindered Roosevelt’s foreign policy initiatives, which he had to constantly battle to build America’s relevance on the international scene. Roosevelt succeeded admirably and set the stage for future American Presidents to embark on a more robust international role that today defines American foreign policy. Bibliography Bernanke, Ben. Essays on the Great Depression. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000. Dalleck, Robert. Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy, 1932-1945. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Overview of Negative Effects of Stress

Overview of Negative Effects of Stress Santelices, Marian R. There are negative effects of stress in the emotional, mental, and physical state Introduction â€Å"Chronic stress floods the brain with powerful hormones that are meant for short-term emergency situations. Chronic exposure can damage, shrink, and kill brain cells (Wallenstein, 2003).† Stress can affect an individual’s health leading to an array of diseases that affects the mental, emotional and physical well-being of an individual and can result to emotional, mental, and physical illnesses. Discussion Negative effects of stress in the emotional state Emotion and motivation are often tied with each other. Our actions are often motivated with emotions. Emotions are made up of four integral components: physiological arousal, cognitive processes, behavioral reactions, and affect. In Plutchik’s Emotion Wheel, it is said that there are eight primary human emotions that are made up of four pairs of opposites: acceptance and disgust, fear and anger, surprise and anticipation, sadness and joy. According to the James-Lange theory, physiological responses are triggered by the environmental stimuli from the viscera and muscle movements. Recent evidence has shown that emotions are almost the same but not alike with physiological changes. Yet, there is a little evidence showing that people can determine patterns of muscular and physiological stress. The Schachter-Singer theory is the combination of both James-Lange and Cannon-Bard theories. According to Schachter-Singer theory, there is a double cognitive interpretation where emotions r ely: Appraisal of the emotion-causing event and evaluation of physiological process in our bodies. Solomon and Corbit’s opponent-process theory suggests that when an emotional balance is disrupted, an opponent-process activates to restore balance in one’s emotional state. Prolonged exposure to stimuli weakens the initial emotional reaction (Parker and Ettinger, 2010a). Stress and emotion has a powerful relationship. According to Selye’s observation that if stress is not reduced, third state of exhaustion will be entered by organisms, showing signs of tear and wear, and prone to diseases. (Parker and Ettinger, 2010b). Stress can lead to dysfunction. It may result in depression or anxiety. Feeling depressed is a common reaction towards stress. If these symptoms are temporary, it may be the reflection of the ups and downs in life. However, if stress is prolonged, it can lead to psychological problems. Physiological and psychological conditions when anxiety and stress is not treated early: phobias, anxiety disorder, amnesia, and multiple personality (Bressert, 2006). The connection between mood and stress is complicated. Stress is linked with mood and health. People with low self-esteem and social relationship problems are prone to have an increase in somatic and psychological problems. Mood disturbance and illness is a result of people with low psychosocial support (DeLongis, Folkman, and Lazarus, 1988). Negative effects of stress in the mental state The University of California, Berkeley, researchers demonstrated that chronic stress produces changes in the brain that explains the reason why people experiencing chronic stress are likely to experience mental problems early in life such as mood disorders and anxiety. Doctors know that people with illnesses that are related to stress have brain abnormalities, including the differences between the amount of white matter and gray matter. Neurons which keep and process information and support cells is called Glia and is what gray matter is made up of. On the other hand, white matter is made up of axons that have network of fibers that interconnect neurons. The white fatty myelin sheath surrounding the axon is where white matter got its name. Daniela Kaufer, UC Berkeley associate professor of integrative biology, her colleagues, together with graduate students Aaron Freidman and Sundari Chetty, found out that chronic stress creates big number of myelin-producing cells and small number o f neurons than normal. Excess myelin and white matter make changes to the communication and balance in the brain. (Chetty, Friedman, Lahn, Kirby, Mirescu, Guo,†¦and Kaufer, 2014). Mental responses to stress include distractibility, unable to concentrate, depression, irritability, and anger (Parker and Ettinger, 2010c). Negative effects of stress in the physical state Research established that stress leads to health disorders including traumatic events. The impacts of trauma in the psychological are long term and immune for treatments. The psychological impact of trauma leads to physical illness. The physiological arousal triggers the disabling of functioning. In consequence, an individual cannot return to baseline activities such as occupational and social functioning. Trauma can damage one’s physical and psychological functioning (Andrea, Sharma, Zelechoski, and Spinazzola, 2011). Response of an individual towards stress may contribute to coronary heart disease. Type A people especially those with aggressive or hostile personality are prone to coronary heart disease that Type B people, who are easygoing, not driven to achieve perfection and are more relaxed. People with Type A behavior are prone to develop hypertension (Parker and Ettinger, 2010d). There are negative effects of stress in the emotional, mental, and physical state Conclusion Prolonged exposure to stress can affect an individual’s health, leading to an array of diseases that affects the cognitive, emotional and physical well-being of an individual, such as, coronary heart disease, depression, moodiness, memory problems and Especially affected is our brain, the hippocampus, which regulates our memory and emotions and how it plays in various emotional disorders with long-lasting changes in brain structure, that are unraveled by researchers. References Parker, M., Ettinger, R.H. (2010). Understanding Psychology (3rd ed.). 410 Hemsted Dr, Redding, CA 96002, United States. BVT Publishing DeLongis, A., Folkman, S., Lazarus, R.S.(1988). The impact of stress on health and mood: Psychological and social resources as mediators. Journal of personality and psychology, Vol. 54(3), 486-495, Retrieved from http://www.apa.org Chetty, S., Friedman, A.R., Taravosh-Lahn, K., Kirby, E.D., Mirescu, C., Guo, F.,†¦Kaufer, D.(2014). Stress and glucocorticoids promote oligodendrogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Molecular Psychiatry 19, 1275-1283. DOI:10.1038/mp.2013.190 Physical Health Problems After SingleTrauma Exposure: When Stress Takes Root in the Body Wendy D’Andrea1, Ritu Sharma2, Amanda D. Zelechoski3, andJoseph Spinazzola4 Andrea, W.D., Sharma, R., Zelechoski, A.D., Spinazzola, J.(2011). Physical Health Problems After SingleTrauma Exposure: When Stress Takes Root in the Body. Journal of the American PsychiatricNurses Association 17(6) 378–392. DOI: 10.1177/1078390311425187 Bressert, S. (2006). The Impact of Stress. Psych Central. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-impact-of-stress/000104 Wallenstein, Gene. 2003. Mind, Stress, and Emotion: The New Science of Mood. Boston, MA: Commonwealth Press.