Thursday, October 10, 2019

Starbucks Global Issues

Business Faculty Starbucks Case Study. Written by: Module title: Issues in Global Business & Consultancy Module code: 6IM004 Word count: 2902 Contents Introduction3 Methodology4 Company’s profile5 Globalisation6 Globalisation of markets6 Globalisation of production7 Antiglobalisation protests7 Business ethics8 Employment practices8 Human rights8 Environmental pollution9 Moral obligations9 Conclusion10 References:11 Introduction Globalisation referred by Hill (2009) is the shift towards a more integrated world. It is the process of economies, societies and cultures integrated through a global network.One of those networks is trade network. This means that there is a movement of materials and goods between national boundaries. Globalisation also involves movement of labour and causes a variety of effects: political ethical, cultural, social, etc. More importantly, the effects brought by it can cause issues that require further investigation. The purpose of this report is to cent er around a major organisation – Starbucks Coffee Company and to carry out a depth investigation into its position in global market and issues related to it.The report will firstly present the research methods used to get the information and justify that. Secondly, will discuss globalisation and its position in Starbucks Company including criticism that exists. Later on, the report will discuss ethical issues raised by the globalisation of the company, including employment practices, human rights, environmental pollution and moral obligations. Finally, the conclusion will be drawn. Methodology In order to investigate the company and its operations, the research has to be carried out so that issues could be addressed.As described by University of Oxford, research â€Å"comprise creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applica tions† (2010). The stock of knowledge in this case refers to the information of the company. Research is carried out to define a series of problems or issues. The context of research has to be described in order to specify why it is important to understand and learn about raised questions.Also, particular research methods have to be chosen, described and justification on why they were chosen and what impact it has on the discussion has to be given. To start with, two topics to investigate were chosen for the research. The definition of issues was given to understand what information is needed. Then, the research was carried out. There are different methods the research can be carried out, however for this case study the research was based on the collection of qualitative data that already exists.Brassington & Pettit (2003) describe it as a secondary data that was collected by someone else for one purpose and is later used by someone else for the same or other purposes. It can include newspapers, magazines, books, websites, memos, transcripts of conversations, annual reports, etc. This type of research allows one to understand existing theories and look for examples which then may lead to drawing the conclusions about relevant issues. In this case study, numerous sources of secondary data was used: books, journal articles, web-sites.Also, statistical and numerical data presented by Power Point presentations was acquired I order to justify theories and identify company’s positions. â€Å"Case study† term has to be brought in this context as the research is focusing only one specific objective – Starbucks Coffee Company. Colorado State University (2010) defines case study as a collection and presentation of information of specific agent and drawing a conclusion only about that specific agent. It is a form of qualitative research. Researches investigating a case study do not look for discoveries but focus on exploration and description.A ll in all, the methodology used to conduct a research helped to build a case study centering around Starbucks Coffee Company, which provided a depth-description of it, raised questions and provided justifications. Finally, after emphasizing the importance of issues and the importance caused to the company, the research allowed drawing the conclusions and giving recommendations. Company’s profile Starbucks, first opened in Seattle in 1971 and now operates in over 16,000 locations in 50 countries.The mission of the company is to nurture the human spirit – â€Å"one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time† (Starbucks 2010). The company emphasizes the fact how important it is to Starbucks to deliver the best coffee to its customers. Therefore it aims to serve coffee grown under best conditions, also including ethical and healthy standards. The organisation sees its employees as the heart of the company and treats them with respect and dignity. It even offer s the percentage of the equity to its employees also called â€Å"partners† by the company.The company aims to be known not only for the quality of the coffees it offers but also for being a responsible business. It wants to be respected by customers, partners and suppliers. Therefore Starbucks has established ethical policies to follow: â€Å"we have identified three areas of focus: ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship and community involvement† (Starbucks 2010). The company is constantly expanding by adapting international strategy – joint ventures or providing licenses to other companies to own and operate Starbucks stores.This is the impact of globalisation which will be discussed further. It is still look for countries to set up in (Jung 2003). Globalisation As mentioned before, globalisation is a shift towards integration of economy, cultures and societies. Hill (2009) identifies two sectors of globalisation: globalisation of markets and globalisati on of production. Globalisation of markets Hill (2009) defines globalisation of markets as the merging of very distinctive from the historical point of view and separate national markets into one global unit.He continues explaining that markets converge as consumers’ tastes and preferences from different countries are becoming more and more alike. Vrontis et al. (2009) confirms that the world is becoming similar in terms of consumers’ needs and environmental factors no matter what geographical locations they are in. Moreover, globalisation also stimulates the movement of people from one country to another which means that it is easier for people to learn about different cultures more easily as well as adapt new lifestyles. As consumers have same demands, similar marketing strategies can be applied worldwide.Starbucks is a facilitator and benefactor of globalisation of markets as it offers the same basic product worldwide. Although there are many proponents of standardi sation used globally, there are also supporters of the view that markets cannot be standardized due to cultural influences upon the consumers. Despite that, firms operating internationally, bring their own assets to other countries – products, operating strategies, marketing strategies and brand names that can be amended later on. For instance, Starbucks operates in a number of countries with different tastes.If we take UK and China, the coffee served is the same, the brand promotion is similar, the logo used is the same as a result of strengthening brand identity and image, while the food served in stores has the flavour of the culture the store is located (Simmons 2005). This brings up the standardisation vs. adaptation phenomenon which occurs in global markets. In this case Starbucks uses both approaches by standardizing products (coffees) and promotion campaigns (same image) and adapting to different cultures (different flavours).Starbucks shows adaptation further by offe ring green tea frappucino’es in Asia and separate men-only and family areas in Middle East. Due to globalisation and expansion, Starbucks has the largest market share in the industry. [pic] Picture1: Starbucks locations worldwide (www. pajamadeen. com 2008). Globalisation of production According to Hill (2009) globalisation of production refers to â€Å"sourcing goods and services from locations around the globe to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production (labour, energy, land, capital)†. Outsourcing allows companies to compete ore effectively and benefit from economies of scale. Starbucks is the facilitator of globalisation of production as highest quality Arabica beans for coffees are produced in coffee farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia (Starbucks 2010). Although it might seem that globalisation of production can implement high costs on the organisation, in reality it doesn’t. Hill (2009) explains that trans portation costs have declined as well as costs of information processing due to technological development. These changes now allow Starbucks to achieve their goal to serve best quality coffees by dispersing production system.In this way, the company also enjoys lower prices of production due to ability of the chosen locations to produce coffee beans better than let’s say United Kingdom. Moreover, the benefits of globalisation of production can be seen not only by Starbucks but also by people living in production countries as new work places are created. Antiglobalisation protests Although business leaders and economists insist that international trade and investment is driving global markets towards a greater prosperity, stimulates economic growth and helps to create jobs, globalisation has its critics.The actions of the critics are called globalisation protests (Hill 2009). Critics protest against issues raised by globalisation including job losses in the industries that are attacked from foreign competitors, unfair wages for unskilled workforce, environmental degradation and cultural imperialism (the use of power to spread the values and habits of foreign country under the costs of native country – The University of Florida Interactive Media Lab 2010). Starbucks is no exception in this case.When it decided to cut 600 stores in the US and 61 in Australia cutting of up to 12,000 jobs in America and 685 in the country, this, as said by British journalist â€Å"earned VIP status at the top table of brands that anti-globalisation activists love to hate (cited in O’Neill 2008). This was criticized as the company betrayed it’s view about employees seeing in the heart of the company by cutting job places during difficult economic times in order to save profits. The jobs were most important to immigrants and students to support themselves.Another criticized factor was that the skills gained in the company by the workforce were hardly tran sferable (O’Neill 2008). Starbucks was perceived negatively in the UK and other European countries as well. These â€Å"American bullies† (Bloomberg 2005) are blamed for devastating local cafes, treating staff badly and putting its suppliers to poverty. However, Starbucks is trying to reduce criticism by showing the awareness of the countries they get products from – Sumatra, Kenya, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, participating and supporting local charities and winning awards.Starbucks leader Howard Schultz explains that the company is trying not to influence other countries and adapting to local cultures by serving the core product adding local tastes. Business ethics The criticism of anti-globalists has increased the number of ethical issues in the company. Hill (2009) defines ethics as â€Å"the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct of a person, the members of profession, or the actions of an organisation†. Ethical strategy i s the path of actions conducted by businessmen that do not violate the accepted principles.Many ethical issues in international businesses depend on different political systems, laws, development and cultures. What can be acceptable I one country can be highly restricted in another. Starbucks Coffee Company has a number of ethical issues to be discussed. Employment practices The question often faced by international companies is what employment practices should be applied in the countries they operate. Do the same working hours, wages and benefits should be used?Back in 1999 the concern was raised in Kent, United States, about Starbucks employment practices as the complaints included suspension without pay for swearing or supporting unions, safety issues, unstandartised wage system and denied promotions. To overcome that Shultz introduced healthcare benefits that were welcomed with praise for the company. The benefits were also applied for part-time workers that was seen a good impl ementation of business ethics by US president (Organic Consumers Association 2010). Moreover, individual complains were handled and opportunities provided for the promotion.In general Starbucks has been rated at no. 16 on the list of 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2007 (2008) and no. 11 on the list of best companies for women to work too. This leads to the assumption that the company implements good employment strategies. Starbucks offers benefits such as tuition reimbursement, partner benefits, a wellness program. All in all, Starbucks tries to implement a standardized employment strategy in its stores worldwide, providing same benefits to the employees and emphasizing the view of workforce being in the heart of the company. Human rights Basic human rights are still not accepted in certain countries.The companies have to inform their employees about the human law so that practices they conduct would be correct. However, Starbucks has already suffered from misconduct of human rig hts. One of the most obvious examples goes to December 2010 when staff locked up opponents of the regime in Bahrain in a branch in the capital Manama (Spencer 2010). The company had to apologize for the incident. Talking about the human rights within the organization, Starbucks is committed to treat all employees equally with the provision of human rights and eliminating discriminatory practices (Starbucks 2010).The company has Starbucks Global Human Rights Policy which guides employees and â€Å"protects the unique rights of children to pursue basic education as a priority over work, prohibits forced labor, supports the rights of employees to engage in free association, and supports the provision of equal human rights to all persons† (Starbucks 2010). Environmental pollution Ethical issues arise when environmental regulations differ between the home country of the company and other nations the organisation operates (Hill, 2009).Less developed countries are not as strict ther efore pollution there might be bigger. This concern Starbucks as it acquires its products in third world countries. To show its responsibility, Starbucks has created Starbucks Shared Planet Tm, which has 3 commitments: â€Å"sourcing our coffee ethically, acting as good stewards of the environment, and being actively involved in our communities† (Starbucks 2010). The company aims to minimize the negative effect it gives to the earth, tackle climate change and encourage others to follow their footsteps.The company is focused on reducing the environmental effects by using disposable cups, increasing recycling policies and reducing the use of energy. Moral obligations The power of using and moving resources from country to county and controlling it is constrained not only by regulations but also by social responsibility which is the consequences of economic actions (Hill 2009). Theorists insist that for the success the companies get from nations, the organisations should give so mething back to the societies to make equilibrium.Therefore social responsibility refers to the honourable behaviour of the company in the response to the participation of certain agents to their success. Starbucks highly values its suppliers and the communities they are based in. Therefore the company is involved in local charities and campaigns. â€Å"Since 2001, Starbucks has contributed $126 million to communities in cash and in-kind donations and has supported nearly 1. 5 million volunteer hours (Starbucks 2010). † The company wants to make the difference I the communities its plants operate.Starbucks want to provide good environments to their suppliers and employees so that it could be transferred to the customers later on. Conclusion It can be clearly seen that due to converging markets businesses are trying to expand internationally. Starbucks Coffee Company is not an exception. It now has the largest share of the market and continues to grow. However, not all of the countries converge in the same way, which makes some of them still very distant. Therefore Starbucks has to adapt different marketing strategies worldwide.This can be resulted in the criticism by anti-globalisation movement, which raises important questions on business ethics. It can be seen that Starbucks has faced a number of problems considering employment practises and human rights, however it is heading towards strong business ethics concept by trying to adapt similar employment processes offering benefits, having human rights protection protocol, participating in local communities and encouraging the reduction of economical pollution. References: 1. Hill, C. W. L. (2009) International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. th edn. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. 2. Brassington, F. & Pettitt, S. (2003) â€Å"Principles of Marketing†. 4th edn. London: Prentice Hall. 3. Marques, J. F. (2008) Spiritual Performance from the Organisational Perspective: a Starbucks Way, C orporate Governance. 8 (3), pp. 248-257. 4. Vrontis, D. , Thrassou, A. & Lamprianou, I. (2009) International Marketing Adaptation versus Standardisation of Multinational Companies, International Marketing Review. 26 (4/5), pp. 477-500. University of Oxford. (2010) Frascati Definition of Research. [Online]. Available at: http://www. dmin. ox. ac. uk/rso/applying/frascati. shtml (Accessed 3 December 2010). Colorado State University. (2010) Writing @ CSU [Online]. Available at: http://writing. colostate. edu/guides/research/casestudy/pop2a. cfm (Accessed 5 December 2010) Starbucks Coffee. (2010) Starbucks Company Profile. [Online]. Available at: http://www. starbucks. com/assets/company-profile-feb10. pdf (Accessed: 13 December 2010). Global Exchange. (2003) Lattes for all: Starbucks plans global expansion. [Online]. Available at: http://www. globalexchange. org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/662. tml (Accessed: 13 December 2010). Pajamadeen. (2008) Why Starbucks Failed in Australia. [Onli ne]. Available at: http://www. pajamadeen. com/tag/starbucks (Accessed 13 December 2010). University of Florida. (2010) Cultural Imperialism. [Online]. Available at: http://iml. jou. ufl. edu/projects/Spring01/Poux/Cultural%20Imperialism. html (Accessed 15 December 2010). Spiked. (2008) Starbucks and the socialism  of fools. [Online]. Available at: http://www. spiked-online. com/index. php/site/article/5547/ (Accessed 9 December 2010). Business Week. (2005) Starbucks: Selling the American Bean. Online] Available at: http://www. businessweek. com/innovate/content/dec2005/id20051201_506349. htm (Accessed 11 December 2010). Organic Consumers Association. (2010) Starbucks’ Grinding Labor By Doug Nielson. [Online]. Available at: http://www. organicconsumers. org/starbucks/grinding. cfm (Accessed 13 December 2010). The Telegraph. (2010) Bahrain human rights petition Starbucks. [Online]. Available at: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/bahrain/8191731/Bahrain- human-rights-petition-Starbucks. html (Accessed 13 December 2010).

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Henkel

Bob Simmons – Strategic Transformation Case Summary: Henkel was a German manufacturer of laundry products. Went public in 1985. In 2008 it was 14 Billion pounds in 125 countries. Majority in EMEA. Most of exe team were German. Organized into three major business units: Adhesive Technologies 48%(glue stick), Laundry and Home Care 30%, Cosmetics/Toiletries 22%. Industry leader in adhesives. Rorsted took over as CEO in 2008. Henkel was reporting comfortable growth and profits with 8% growth.Second half of 2008 global financial crisis and economic slowdown had negative effect on Henkel’s key markets. Shrinking demand and rising costs caused business untis to fall in second half of 2008. Rosted vowed to transform Henkel into a leaner, more performance driven company. â€Å"staying where we are is no longer an option. We either move up or move down: we either become relevant or we will be made irrelevant. â€Å" This case illustrates the transformation of a CEO-led organiza tion driven stretch goals, performance measurement and accountability.Kasper Rorsted become CEO of Henkel, the German personal care, laundry, and adhesive products manufacturer, in 2008, he was determined to transform the â€Å"good enough† corporate culture focused on to win in the fierce competition in the market. In history, Henkel is a comfortable, stable workplace. Many employees have never received a negative performance feedback. To overthrow a generally complacent attitude, Rorsted implementation of a multi-step change initiatives, aimed at establishing a â€Å"winning culture. First, in November 2008, in 2012 he announced a series of ambitious financial goals. With the financial crisis to disrupt the global economy, he reiterated his commitment to these goals, sent a clear signal, Henkel employees and external stakeholders an excuse is no longer acceptable. Rorsted duties launch a new set of five values replace the previous 10 values, these employees can recite the first memory an emphasis on the customer. He also set up a new, streamlined performance management system for evaluating management performance and progress of a four-point scale of potential.The system also includes a forced ranking requirements, requiring a defined percentage of the various business units and company-wide staff was named the top, strong, medium, or low performance. These ratings significantly impact management’s bonus compensation. In this case, where it is needed at the end of 2011, when Henkel is a good way to achieve its 2012 target. Shed nearly half of the senior management team, as the site of many products and brands, Henkel seems to be a leaner, more competitive, â€Å"win† the organization. Hide This case illustrates a CEO-led organizational transformation driven by stretch goals, performance measurement, and accountability. When Kasper Rorsted became CEO of Henkel, a Germany-based producer of personal care, laundry, and adhesives products, in 2008, he was determined to transform a corporate culture of â€Å"good enough† into one singularly focused on winning in a competitive marketplace. Historically, Henkel was a comfortable, stable place to work. Many employees never received negative performance feedback.Seeking to overturn a pervasive attitude of complacency, Rorsted implemented a multi-step change initiative aimed at building a â€Å"winning culture. † First, in November 2008, he announced a set of ambitious financial targets for 2012. As financial turmoil roiled the global economy, he reaffirmed his commitment to these targets, sending a clear signal to Henkel employees and external stakeholders that excuses were no longer acceptable. Rorsted next introduced a new set of five company values-replacing the previous list of 10 values, which few employees could recite by memory-the first of which emphasized a focus on customers.He also instituted a new, simplified performance management system, which r ated managers' performance and advancement potential on a four-point scale. The system also included a forced ranking requirement, mandating that a defined percentage of employees (in each business unit and company-wide) be ranked as top, strong, moderate, or low performers. These ratings significantly impacted managers' bonus compensation. In late 2011-the time in which the case takes place-Henkel is well on its way to achieving its 2012 targets.Having shed nearly half its top management team, along with numerous product sites and brands, Henkel appears to be a leaner, more competitive, â€Å"winning† organization. High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales. [email  protected] com to buy additional rights. http://www. ft. com/cms/s/0/6a85b182-1128-11e2-a637-00144feabdc0. html#ixzz2ODYNf8Gg The story.In 2008, Henkel, the German group with well-known brands ranging from Persil to Loctite, had reported comfortable growth and earnings. But its new chief executive, Kasper Rorsted, a Dane who had made his career in big IT companies, thought the 132-year-old, family-controlled company needed to shake off some of its complacency if it was to safeguard its success. * * * * More On this story * Case Study How a publisher exploited a bestseller * Case Study How an outsider institutes change * Case Study If P&C’s improved staff performance Case Study Microsoft Lync’s bottom-up restructure * Case Study How to build a low-cost brand The challenge. Henkel faced several serious issues. For instance, while reporting solid sales, it was less profitable than its industry peers – by a margin of up to 10 percentage points. But the majority of employees did not see any need for change. In fact, one analyst commented that it was characterised by â€Å"complacency and lack of competitive spirit†. Mr Rorsted determined to change the way the company was run and to create â€Å"a winning culture†.The strategy. Mr Rorsted and his new, young team set about introducing changes that would include both tangible financial and performance targets, and an overhaul? of? company? culture. ? Ambitious targets. In November 2008, Henkel announced challenging targets for 2012 that would improve performance but would also energise the organisation by creating a sense of urgency. Targets included an increase in pre-tax profit margins to 14 per cent; in earnings per share; and in sales, to above the market average.In addition, the share of sales in emerging countries would be required to rise from 33 per cent to 45 per cent by 2012. ? Efficiency and focus. With more than 1,000 brands, at least 200 production sites globally, and three separate business units, Henkel was ripe for proposed efficiency measures. These included cutting the number of brands in order to put more m arketing resources behind its strongest labels; consolidating manufacturing sites; and shifting tasks to shared service centres. ? New vision and values.Henkel had a vision statement and a set of company values. But they were neither well-known nor relevant to either day-to-day decision-making or evaluation of employee performance. In 2010, Henkel replaced the original list of 10 values with five new ones – such as: â€Å"We put our customers at the centre of what we do. † To make sure these were communicated to the 48,000 employees, more than 5,000 workshops were held in which managers and teams discussed how the new values could apply to their work and how they could build a more positive company culture. Performance management. Henkel introduced a process to evaluate consistently the performance and potential of all management-level employees. They would be ranked on relative performance, which significantly affected managers’ bonuses. Each individual is revi ewed in â€Å"development roundtables†, interactive meetings where managers review and evaluate their direct reports across teams to create a broader perspective on their achievements, development needs and promotability. What happened.For fiscal 2012, Henkel’s global sales are forecast to exceed â‚ ¬16bn ($20bn), a rise of more than â‚ ¬2bn since 2008, and reach its profit margin target of 14 per cent. Emerging markets now represent 43 per cent of global sales, and more than 50 per cent of employees work in those territories. The number of brands is less than 400 and manufacturing sites have been consolidated by around 25 per cent. Key lessons. To boost performance across a company, communicate a clear strategy that is backed up by setting ambitious targets.Simplify your vision and values, and take time to communicate them to all employees to ensure they provide practical guidance, especially when tough decisions may be needed. To focus everyone on successful ex ecution, use performance management systems that link the evaluation and compensation of key employees to achievement of the new strategy Write down in a sentence or two your definition of a winning culture. What are the things that you like about Rorsted’s approach? What are the risks? Assuming that the 2012 EBIT margin goal is achieved, how should Rorsted

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

The Ruritanian Project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Ruritanian Project - Coursework Example The country is currently politically stable. Governments have been democratically elected for the last twenty years. There are two major political parties in Ruritania. The country is about to go for polling in next couple of months. Recent opinion polls suggest that the present Government currently enjoys a 7% lead over the other major party and this view has remained reasonably stable. So if the incumbent government stays in power, it will continue the reform works. The other major party is also committed to democratic principles and a market based economy. They intend to increase both corporate and personal taxation to provide additional funding for their proposed social expenditure (Case Study). The currency of the country was deregulated nearly twelve years ago. Though there was initially a sharp depreciation of the currency, the currency has gained stability against major international currencies during the past three or four years. There has been a speculation that the government will peg the currency with a major currency as a first step for joining the euro. Ruritania is currently negotiating for membership of the European Union and hopes to join in about 2014 (Case Study). In this case, our company wishes to set up a manufacturing in the country in order to utilize the low cost labor and access the local market. We are going to discuss various long term and short term financial issues and underlying theories that are likely to influence the investment decision (Case Study). Foreign Direct Investment as a Strategic Decision of the Firm FDI refers to the reassignment of the capital, managerial and technical assets of a firm from the dwelling country to the host country. It is a type of international finance which consists of lending and portfolio investments. It is unlike lending because it demands ownership. Also it is different from portfolio investment since it entails control of financed actions over administration. There is no united theory associated to FDI. Basically, three levels of analysis have been differentiated by theories based on conventional trade and location theories, theories based largely on industrial organization economics, and theo ries are based on the theory of the firm and center on the competitive advantage of the firm. Customary international trade theories have been enlarged to FDI with regard to the international movement of factors of production. Examples incorporate such extensions of the international trade theory, as factor endowment theory that includes factor mobility (Helpman, 1984, pp. 451-471) and specific factor models (Markusen & Venables, 1998, pp. 183-204), which both are delegates of the new trade theory. They are valid in the context of FDI, as they let imperfect competition and product differentiation. Also traditional location theory stresses on the least-cost location of production as the best location of the firm. Macro-economic investment theories include Dunning's developmental model of international investment. The theory relates the determinants of outward and inward investments to the developmental stage of the state. According to the model, outward investment beats the inward in vestment as the country grows. The ongoing shift from negative to positive on net investment depends on a country's factor endowments, politico-economic system and its interdependencies with the world economy (Dunning 1993). Vernon pioneered the product life cycle theory in the mid-1960s, but expanded it later to a clearly oligopolistic understanding. The theory elucidates the geographical course of locating the manufacturing units in the four broad stages of development. In the first phase, new products are launched by a firm griping technological headship in

Monday, October 7, 2019

London Elections 2006 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

London Elections 2006 - Essay Example These two incidents virtually sealed the fate of the Labour party, as it were. In the city of London especially, a meltdown in the support for the Labour party was almost certain. Since the Labour party came to power in 1997, the Tories have been showing better and better performance at local elections. The Tories had a bigger share in the local government than the Labour, and they have been putting in some good performance. Hence the Toreis naturally had an upper hand. Still, it was a tough fight for everyone involved, and the key battleground for the three major contesting parties - the ruling Labour party, their main opposition the Conservative party, and the steadily rising Liberal Democratic party - was of course the city of London with its 32 boroughs. London accounted for 40% of the 4,361 seats contested across England (Woodward 2006).While the Tories and the Libs aggressively pushed for positive gains, the Labour assumed more of a defensive stance, desperately bent upon doing damage control. The Labour braced up to face heavy pressure, while the Tories were poised to win a string of councils in the London suburbs from the Labour (Sherman et al. 2006). As it turned out, the Labour lost Crawley, ... That the Labour government was able to secure 2012 Olympics for London seems to have counted for nothing. The whole tide was against them. It may have to do with cost of living or "quality of life" issues, broadly speaking, or with more particular areas like crime and transport where the Labour government seems to have fared bad. Some say the Labour failed to protect the working man. According to another view, their wavering educational policy distanced them from many of their potential supporters (Sanderson 2006). The heavy losses the Labour party took necessitated a serious analysis on its part as to the reasons behind such depressing defeat, and while some are obvious others are not. But the most obvious, almost luridly obvious, were the sleazy sex scandal involving the Labour MP John Prescott that erupted shortly before the election day, and the row over a decision executed by the home minister Charles Clarke to release a number of serious offenders, all of them being prisoners o f foreign origin, on tenuous and unjustifiable grounds. The Conservatives too performed poorly in the northern cities like Machester, Liverpool, Sheffield, and Newcastle. However, they have been able to compensate for their losses by securing a strong foothold in London, as well as in some areas of South. Overall, the Conservatives came out with the biggest percentage of election results - nearly 40 percent. The Labour and the Liberal Democrats found themselves lagging behind at about 27 per cent each (Webster, Sherman 2006). In all, Labour lost 19 councils and 298 seats (Woodward 2006). It was a disaster alright for the Labour, though not quite

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Enrolling at the Florida State College at Jacsonville Essay

Enrolling at the Florida State College at Jacsonville - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that   FSCJ takes advising and counseling as a serious commitment. Curriculum advising is done to assist students in achieving their academic goals, whereas counseling works to guide students in their personal concerns such as dealing with traumas or crises, coping with stress and problems, and surviving difficulties brought about by unplanned pregnancy, family conflict, and so on. Students may avail of advising and counseling support by calling in the Counseling/Advising office and securing an appointment. To ensure taking the right steps in their studies, students should are assigned to an academic advisor who will advise them what classes to take especially for the first term. Students should know their advisor’s name and schedule and should visit their advisors not only during enrollment. A strong rapport is encouraged between advisors and advisees especially for those who are working because they need to inf orm their advisor of their own work schedules. In addition, when talking with the advisor, students should note down the important information they are given. It is also preferable to jot down questions one needs to ask before attending the advising session to facilitate addressing the issues that need to be addressed. On the aspect of counseling, professors may also refer students for counseling if they feel the need to. Further counseling, which may need the help of out-of-school professionals, may likewise be provided to students who demonstrate such need. Providers of counseling service may include the members of the community such as churches, youth centers, and health clinics. Students who are looking for lodging houses and laundry services may likewise seek help from the counseling office because the latter maintains contact with some establishments within Jacksonville. However, such referrals may cost more than what a friend can provide.

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Analyzing ads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing ads - Essay Example The management has however, created counter strategies in their advertisement techniques in order to capture new customers and maintain its old customers in the market. Fowles’ appeal plays a major role in production of these Ads. The Management factor in his 15 appeals to reach out to market efficiently. Jib Flowless is a scholar who suggests that advertising revolve around 15 different appeals (Fowles 8). These include need for sex, affiliation guidance, and nurture, aggressiveness, to achieve and dominate. The rest of the appeals includes the appeals for the need for prominence, attention, autonomy, escape; feel safe, aesthetic, satisfy curiosity and the psychological needs. The Ads focus on flashy faces of the models with white healthy teeth posing with Colgate toothpaste. This is in order to create appeals to potential customers to be interested enough to buy the product. The other focus is the flashy look of the Colgate plastic pack. This is contrary to its competitor wh o uses animals known to have strong teeth like the beaver to advertise their products. Ads analysis The Ad in picture one uses a beautiful woman smiling to help market Colgate. The beautiful woman appeals to the emotion of the potential clients in order to capture their attention to look at the Colgate picture. Her brighten smile appeal for the need of affiliation to the beautiful smile. The smile invokes a memorable picture in the mind of the customer just as the marketing department at Colgate aimed to achieve. The Colgate toothpaste appears on the part of the picture to capture the attention of the reader. The conspicuous size of the toothpaste is to ensure that the name of the product hits the subconscious mind of the consumer. The background in the picture is red with large word in white that say Colgate fights germs. This message is to appeal to the need that ensures the customer feels safe. This emphasis is by the choice of the words and their size triggers conversation among the people looking at the advertisement. The main reason for advertisers to choose the above appeal; was to capture the attention of the potential customers (Biagi 156). The appeals reveal the audience of the Ad was parents and young people in the society. The appeal for the need to feel safe was targeting parents who take extra precautions to ensure that their children are safe from germs. The beautiful smile by the woman in the Ad depicts the audience of the Ad to be young people who like to look stylish and modern. In conclusion, Ad was targeting the elite group in the market. The Ad in picture 2 seeks to market a new brand of Colgate toothpaste. This is evident by the large letters in the name Colgate maxfresh. The name maxifresh appeal to need to achieve freshness in the mouth. These words are special and meant to send a message that the product offers maximum freshness in the mouth. The words â€Å"Unleash a rush of freshness† work to create an emotional appeal to rela te to the product to experience the feeling of freshness. Flashy blue container of Colgate creates interest in the mind of the individuals viewing the Ad to have an interest in the product. The advertisers specifically choose these appeals to ensure that they capture the attention of a larger market pull. The large letters of the product name seek to market the toothpaste among already consumers of other toothpastes products. The Advertisers ensure that the words â€Å"Britam stripes†

Friday, October 4, 2019

Bacteria Beware. Iotron technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bacteria Beware. Iotron technology - Assignment Example Its key use will be to capitalize on the heightened food safety awareness. For the past two decades, trays of products have been rolling along a system of an hourglass conveyor into an electron beam accelerator. The products are swept from all the sides to kill pathogens using a series of rapid fire electrons. After several minutes, the products rollout sterilized. The electron beam accelerator will make use of radiation energy; however, this should not wary people that irradiated foods will become radioactive. It is not the case. Iotron technology was established in Ottawa by atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Lloyd Scott is the man after all this discoveries. In the late 1950s, he sold his construction business and bought the irradiation unit from AECL and took it to B.C more than two decades ago. Scott made use of this technology to sterilize medical products and further enhance the color of gemstones. After a period, Iotron took the advantage of the rising use of irradiation and purchased the technology. In addition, they were quick to patent the outright. After AECL program was sold off by Ottawa in the early 2000s, Scott too sold the other businesses he owned so as to keep Iotron alive. Recently, Iotron launched a facility in Indiana whose purpose was to serve the United States agricultural hub. Foods such as lettuce and meats are approved for irradiation.