Discuss to what extent the role of Groupthink in the Challenger Space Essay

Discuss to what extent the role of Groupthink in the Challenger Space Shuttle was critical to the incident and suggest ways in which the situation might have been avoided - Essay Example Groupthink theory, and the model resulting from it, is one of the most prominent efforts to try and explain decision-making outcomes in organizations (Whyte, 1998). This theory is considered useful in the explanation of one of the most prominent disasters of modern time. In 1986, NASA launched a space mission in which the space shuttle Challenger was to deliver astronauts and a school teacher to space. This mission was supposed to be a bold statement that space travel was safe and NASA had made advances in space program that would be educationally beneficial to all Americans. This paper examines the decisional process that culminated to the fateful disaster that befell Challenger and its crew, sparking so many questions on NASA’s organization and its safety ethics. The paper particularly examines the role of groupthink theory in the disaster. After the introduction the paper provides a brief description of the Challenger disaster, it then discusses groupthink as was presented by Janis (1982). A big part of the paper is dedicated to examining the role of groupthink in the Challenger disaster after which suggestions are provided about how the disaster would have been avoided. The paper then ends with a brief conclusion summarising the key issue s discussed. In 1986 NASA launched what was to be its safest mission into space which was supposed to usher in an era of safe space travel. However, this was not to be as disaster struck shortly after the launching of the space shuttle Challenger. The shuttle exploded mid-air killing all crew and leaving NASA with the responsibility of explaining decisions leading to the accidents. Immediately after the shock of the disaster that befell Challenger, the public was demanding answers about how and why the accident took place (Solomon, 2006). Public investigations by a presidential commission set up for that purpose

Practicing the Backward Roll in the Gymnastics Term Paper

Practicing the Backward Roll in the Gymnastics - Term Paper Example Back rolling is usually a difficult rolling process because of the neck. This is more so for the young children. This is because a child’s head in comparison to the rest of the body is usually larger than that of an adult person. Therefore, a child requires a greater amount of push from the floor in order to perform the back rolling technique. This happens in order to help them clear their heads from the floor while preventing the unnecessary injuries to the neck. However, as an instructor, there is a need to ensure that the students have enough abdominal strength in helping them lift their hips over their heads. The students also need to have enough arm strength in order to help them push their heads from the mat. This will help them to relieve some stress from their necks. Rick Feeney (1990),   explains one of the skills of backrolling which involves the placing of the mats in a V-formation for the back rolling technique. It helps to serve several functions: 1. To protect the head from injuries 2. It teaches the students how to roll in an exact straight line 3. It teaches the students how to push using their hands and arms   However, as a rolling instructor, there is need not rush your students to perform the back rolling technique, especially on flat mats until when the students are ready to perform it. However, when they perform this skill, there is a need to help them lift their hips up an over their heads. Consciously keep the pressure from their necks. The back rolling skill is a great technique to master because it usually helps the students to develop strength and agility. It also assists the learners to grasp the technique of safe fall.   However, spotting a back roll in students takes a little more practicing than any other rolling. First, the students need to start in a squatting stance. Next, make sure that their chins tackle forward while their hands are by their shoulders. Their palms need to be facing the ceiling in this area. However, there is a need to stand slightly behind your students, as well as their sides.

Embedding Total Quality Management In Private Universities Management Essay

Embedding Total Quality Management In Private Universities Management Essay The previous chapter consisted of a literature review about TQM, the management approach that started in manufacturing and business and then extended over the service sector and particularly in higher education. Research shows that by adapting aspects of the TQM to fit their own needs, higher education organizations experienced a better ability to manage the process of quality, and maintain and enhance development. Vazzana.et al (2000), in their study about TQM in business colleges found that most PUs benefit from their attempt at using TQM to improve the quality of their universities. Similarly, Weller (2000) in his study of using the TQM tools to identify root causes of higher education attendance problems concluded that the application of TQMs tools and techniques to solve higher education problems as highly promising as it is in PUs areas. The purpose of chapter five was to give a general understanding of the subject. The present chapter is about how TQM has, and can be, adopted in the PUs, what benefits PUs can get from implementing TQM, concerns about, and case studies of some PUs which have implemented TQM and what problems and benefits have been encountered in this context. The chapter concludes with a proposed model for TQM in the PUs in Egypt. 5.2 TQM in Private Universities Context Ever more, the implementation of TQM has extended over industrial organizations and has turned deteriorating companies into world leaders. Although the origins of TQM are grounded in statistical analysis of performance, with statistical quality control being the principal tool for verifying the success of TQM measures, TQM lays importance on the human element of an organization (Deming, 1986; Juran, 1988). This makes TQM suitable for service sectors in general and particularly education. Although educational organizations have been slower to see the value of TQM, many of them are now using TQM to improve their administration and to face internal and external challenges. As Mangan (1992) notes: Faced with soaring operating costs and persistent public demands for accountability, a growing number of colleges and universities are turning to TQM and its principles of customer satisfaction, teamwork, and employee empowerment as a tool to improve how institutions are managed. There are three generic approaches to TQM in higher education (Harris 1994), Firstly there is a customer focus where the idea of service to students is fostered through staff training and development, which promotes students choice and autonomy. The second approach has a staff focus and is concerned to value and enhance the contribution of all members of staff to the effectiveness of an institutions operation, to the setting of policies and priorities. This entails a flatter management structure and the acceptance of responsibility for action by defined working groups. The third approach focuses on service agreements stance and seeks to ensure conformity to specification at certain key measurable points of the educational processes. Evaluation of assignments by faculty within a specified timeframe is an example. Lawrence and Mc.Collough (2001) propose a system of guarantees designed to accommodate multiple stakeholders and the various and changing roles of students in the educational process. Durlabhji and Fusilier (1999) states that customer empowerment in education requires greater input from students as well as from business community that will eventually employ them and this in term will streamline education and eliminate any rest of the esoteric academic that exist in business coursework. In his model of distributed leadership for managing change in higher educational institutions, Gregory (1996) suggests four dimensions of institutional leadership symbolic, political, managerial and academic. In managing educational change there has been general criticism (Iven, 1995) that government initiatives are being pushed by a narrow, employer-driven strategy. Policy makers do have an obligation to set policy, establish standards and monitor performance. They must articulate important educational goals (Fullan, 1993). Roffe (1998) considers that due to open competition, students are becoming more customers as well as consumers and expected to pay a growing share of the costs of education. TQM implementation in PUs, Osseo-Asare and Long bottom (2002) proposes enabler criteria, which affect performance and help organizations achieve organizational excellence. These criteria are leadership, policy and strategy, people management, resources and partnerships and processes. The literature contains infinite cases of Total Quality Management principles incorporation in education. The application ranges from school stage (Weller and Hartley, 1994 and Schmoker and Wilson, 1993) to higher education stage (Sahney et.al, n2004 and Wiklund et.al, 2003). Some studies focus on the feasibility of implementing TQM in educational. Anderson (1995) reported the results of a case study to evaluate the effectiveness of a TQM programme at the University of Houston, College of Business Administration. He found that the implementation of TQM had some positive results such as increasing the student perceptions of service quality. Moreover, some studies show that TQM is also used to solve some specific issues. Weller (2000) reported that TQM principles can be used to identify root problem causes for absenteeism. It also can help in identifying realistic solutions which yield positive results in academic and non-academic areas. The TQM pedagogical concept applied to higher education embraces all fields and levels of education and has an effect on the following: Physical facilities (buildings, sport complexes, open field etc.), Academic infrastructure (laboratories, library, documentation, communication, information infrastructure etc.), Curriculums, Examinations and evaluation systems, Supplying academic and administrative personal and their improvement systems, Research and publication, Institutional development plans (strategic planning), University industry society relations, Deming claimed his production system can be applied to service organizations as well as to manufacturing organizations (Evans and Lindsay, 1999). Figure 4.3 with reference to TQM applies Demings production model to higher education. This system depends on the answers to these main questions. Who are the stakeholders (customers and suppliers)? What are the inputs and outputs? What are the key processes? Stockholders Suppliers Stockholders Customers Families High Schools Business Sector Vocational Institutes Input Government Business Families Students Outputs Design Redesign Teaching Program Customer research Where are we now and where do we want to be? Process Figure 5.1 TQM in Higher Education System In figure 5.1 the stakeholders are the customers and suppliers. The stakeholder groups can easily be extended beyond the members shown in the groups as customers and suppliers. Suppliers include families, high school, Vocational institutes, and business. The customers include the business community, graduate school, society, student, and families. Universities have a large number of different customers as shown in the figure 5.1. University management should consider the relative importance of each customer group and balance and reconcile the interests of these diverse groups. Students as consumers of knowledge and services are considered to be the main customer. Accepting students as an important group of customers can be taken as a revolutionary change in the management of quality in higher education. That group of students, as the consumers of education, should include potential students, existing students and graduate students. The university has different priorities and services for each group of students who make up the main customer group and attempts to satisfy their different needs. For example, introductory courses for potential students, student counselling for existing students and alumni associations for graduate students. Processes include all facets of teaching, student counselling, and scientific research. The first process is to assess the educational needs of students in terms of their existing knowledge, future career opportunities, and the needs of the community and its future development. Other processes to be followed are planning curriculum for courses, including allocating resources, arranging facilities, administration and support, and finally teaching and learning. The quality of all these processes must be effectively and visibly assured. Like manufacturing systems, educational systems can include a means by which costumer research can be conducted to evaluate and improve supply. For example, by observing students, analyzing test results, and using other resources from student feedback, instructors can assess their own effectiveness and develop strategies for improvement. Some colleges and universities survey their graduates and their graduates employers to assess consumer satisfaction wi th their product. Feedback such as that mentioned, helps colleges, departments, and individual faculty members to redesign curriculum, improve course content, and improve services such as academic advising. While industry usually has a product or service, educational institutions do not have perceived products in the generally accepted sense. Education has many outputs and inputs but the results from the process stage are often difficult to quantify in the short term. The inputs to the educational system are students, faculty, support staff, buildings and equipment and other facilities. Outputs include people with new knowledge and abilities and research findings as seen from the figure 5.1. 5. 3 Quality Control of Higher Education Vevere (2009) referred quality control to verification procedures (both formal and informal) used by institutions in order to monitor commitment level to quality standards. Vevere schemed quality control of higher education as interconnected system as shown below in figure (5.2). Figure 5.2 system of external and internal control of higher education. Source :Vevere , Nina (2009) According to figure (5.2) above, external control institutions verify the commitment to standards that higher education institutions claim. It is a fundamental principle of TQM to integrate TQM internally within the institution of higher education and externally with international organizations of education (Tang Zairi, 1998). The International Accreditation Organization (IAO, 2010) is an independent and private education accrediting seeks to the finest global educational standards. IAO is a member of the International Education Accreditation Commission (IEAC), which is concerned with establishment, maintenance and improvement of standards of accreditation agencies across the globe. In each country, there is a local bodybodies coordinate and cooperate with international bodies concerned with higher education quality. In England, as an example, the Department of Employment is concerned whether graduates can satisfy the needs of employers (Harvey et al., 1992). In Egypt, few universit ies got educational ISO and highly satisfied standards of National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (NAQAA) for some specializations. 5.4 Benefits of TQM for Private Higher Education As the world is currently undergoing a dramatic change and education is considered the leading competitive change tool, so TQM as concluded in chapter four and explained in chapter five could be a reasonable approach for developing. The literature review of TQM is showing that many writers have encouraged the use of TQM in education. Sallis (1993) argues that an educational organization could benefit from applying the TQM approach both in human and financial terms. Sallis points out that some concepts of TQM like right first time cannot be directly implemented in educational organizations but educational organizations can still benefit from such a notion. He indicates that if an education organization applied TQM, mistakes will be minimized with clear systems and procedures, and good team work through careful and thoughtful planning. In this point, one can notice that although TQM originally started in manufacturing and it has somehow acquired business language, but it is still flexible enough to be adapted by PUs. Murgatroyd and Morgan (1993) highlight the benefit of holistic organization in applying TQM. They mention that TQM is not concerned just with the outcome of education, but with the whole nature of education as a process for all stakeholders. Howard (1996) states the following ways in which PUs can benefit from implementing TQM: 1. Stakeholder value through customer focus. 2. Employee commitment and development through involvement. 3. Goal achievement through strategic planning. 4. Services improvement through continuous process improvement. 5. Cost reduction through elimination of unnecessary tasks. Howard highlights the benefits of TQM for PUs from three different dimensions: human dimension, financial dimension and planning dimension. In the human dimension, the stakeholders are satisfied and employees are committed; in the financial dimension, money and other resources are saved; and in the planning dimension strategic planning leads to goal achievement. Therefore, the literature on TQM argues that implementing TQM in PUs would save time, money and efforts through doing things right first time. TQM will also help PUs to demonstrate values for all stakeholders, provide better quality provision and communication and continue seeking innovation and improvement. 5.5 Obstacles about TQM in Private Universities According to Srivanci (2004) and critical issues in implementing TQM in PUs includes leadership, customer identification, cultural and organizational transformation. Deans and head of departments cannot eliminate unethical employment practices of lecturers like what is applied in public universities where rigid rules is deployed. Hence they do not enjoy ultimate authority in hiring and firing of personnel and allocating resources. Owlia and Aspinwall (1997) conclude that customer orientation is a more problematic principle of TQM when applied to PUs because of special nature of many academics whose motivation to work is often independent of market issues. Education consider as a provider of services. Its services include advice, tuition, assessment and guidance to pupils and students, their parents and sponsors. The customers and the stakeholders of the service are a very diverse group and need identifying. If quality is about meeting and exceeding customer needs and wants, it is important to be clear whose needs and wants we should be satisfying. The diversity of customers makes it all the more important for educational institutions to focus on customer wants and to develop mechanisms for responding to them. In PUs where the education process depends totally on the customers fees to run, a funding cut may lead to a reduction in service that may not accord with what customers are feeding back. This is not much important in public universities where it is supported from government. This is a very difficult issue to resolve and TQM does not provide ready answers to it in private universities. Cultural and organizational transformation in PUs main issue is under the frustrates the introduction of conventional TQM procedures is the principle of academic freedom as it plays out in individual professorial classrooms and their professional lives. Another important issues is that faculty members tend to work alone more often the together in projects since they gain more managerial and financial advantage at the opposite in public universities. The obstacles that cause unsuccessful adopting and implementing TQM in PUs academia are (but not limited to): The nature of the academia world, which makes the change process slow. The resistance of academicians to change, so to learn about the new method of doing things. The nature of some institutions as non-profit organization, which reduce the motivation to adopt new management methodology. The concentration of the academicians (in their readings and researches) on their narrow specializations. The TQM methodology and tools are relatively new especially in the developing countries. High turnover rate of staff, which prevents accumulation of experience and sustain the momentum of change. The absence of employees (units) who are specialized in TQM. The common administration problem, is putting a high rank and qualified personnel in the leading position depending on their previous experience not on their specialization i.e. the leaders of the institution could be specialized in art, physics, anatomy or any other field but not in management and specifically in higher education management. 5.6 Case Studies of TQM Implementation in Private Universities To review the experiences of some educational organizations with TQM, in order to gain appreciation from their experiences in proposing the TQM model for PUs in Egypt and in developing the implementation framework. As with benchmarking, it is better to learn from the experiences of others than starting from scratch. The literature covers PUs which have adopted TQM. For this study the case studies will be examined from the perspective of US and UK experiences where the two countries are well reputable in higher education. 5.6.1 US experience The first attempt to implement TQM in US higher education began in 1985. The movement spread quickly and in 1990, 78 higher education institutions were reported to be exploring or attempting to implement TQM. The common factor in US higher education is that it is being driven toward commercial competition imposed by economic forces. Competition is the result of the development of the global education market on the one hand, and the reduction of governmental funding that forces public organizations to seek other financial sources, on the other hand. For example, at Oregon State University the government cut funds by 35 percent. Some universities, such as Virginia Commonwealth University responded by decreasing staff salaries and increasing tuition fees. North Dakota University responded to such cuts by increasing the number of students without increasing quality. Competitive factors between universities did not allow for lower quality, so many institutions are looking to industry for ideas. Considering the similarities between experiences met in the commercial world and those faced in higher education, the TQM approach can be a solution for the do more with less. Today more than 200 private institutions of higher education are involved in TQM throughout the USA. There are many success stories in the US. The experiences of some US higher educational institutions prove that the effect of using TQM in private higher education is positive. 5.6.1.1 Oregon State University One of the most publicized success stories is that of Oregon State University (OSU). For a number of reasons the first pilot study was conducted at OSU. First, quality was considered a high-priority issue. Second, it has high probability of success. Third, management agreed that it was important. Fourth, no one else was working on it. Fifth, it was also important to the customers of the organizations. OSU, as leader of TQM in higher education movement, has had a real success; time has been saved, costs have been reduced, people have been empowered at all levels, and morale has skyrocketed. Oregon State University followed the following steps as a planning stage to implement TQM: Exploring Total Quality Management through visiting companies with TQM programs, inviting Deming to visit and explain TQM, reading key resources and attending TQM classes. Forming a pilot study team which was seen as a learning experience for the OSUs staff and a model for future teams. It consisted of 10 managers and front-line workers, a team leader, and a training officer/ facilitator. After the first pilot team experience, they began implementing TQM by focusing top management on strategic planning, including the following steps: defining the mission, understanding customers, identifying the critical processes of the president, developing the vision and identifying breakthrough items. Developing a training program, a quality manual and a recognition system. Establishing daily management system. Establishing standing cross-functional teams. 5.6.1.2 Northwest Missouri State University Northwest Missouri State University is another leader in TQM in higher education. It defines its success as: enrolment is now at capacity: the budget is balanced; faculty salaries are higher than average; and about 10% of budget has been shifted from administration to instructions. The implementation of TQM followed the following steps (Waller, L. D., 2000): Senior management began to learn about quality management. Developing internal expertise that was required rather than obtain some ready improvement methodology and rely on outsiders to provide the expertise. The management of the transformation became a full-time enterprise for those school district employees who were involved. The introduction of leadership training and development for principals-to-be. This was to provide this critical group with continuous improvement skills needed in the schools. A decision making process at the school level was introduced. Classroom Learning System was introduced based on Demings problem solving Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. 5.6.1.3 The University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania is committed to TQM in the Wharton School MBA; curriculum has been developed using TQM principles. Moreover this University has improved the method of recouping corporate research changes and reduced charges from $ 18 to $ 13 million. The university proposed an eleven-step model for implementing TQM The president adopts quality as the core of institutional value system and communicates this value, and works to develop commitment to it throughout the institution. The president promotes the value through frequent symbolic and substantive actions. Educate administrators and academic deans in TQM and customer orientation, in team/participative management. Identify customers needs and set performance objectives. Train and designate internal resource persons who provide technical assistance to the rest of the institution. Train faculty, staff, and employees in appropriate statistical techniques, process analysis, decision making, and customer orientation. Form quality teams to seek continual improvement in the process and identify individual quality champions. Define/delegate authority throughout the institution. Develop performance measurement systems to continuously monitor the progress of the institution; the measurement should focus on the stakeholders needs satisfaction. Institute incentives and reward systems and relate them to TQM objectives. Work continuously to reduce the resistance to change. 5.6.2 UK Experience The first TQM initiatives in UK higher education were later than in the USA; the first attempts were in the early 1990. 5.6.2.1 De Monfort University De Monfort University (DMU) has some successful results in implementing TQM. The Faculty of Design and Manufacture at DMU completely reviewed and revised traditional teaching menthols and courses, which were no longer appropriate for the end of twentieth century. Teaching staff became 30 percent more efficient with double the number of student, and effectiveness of the revised course content was widely reorganized by industry, student and other design faculties. In Leicester Business School at DMU, with the application of TQM, higher participation rates and increase in staff productivity achieved. The strategic plan for the implementation was rooted with the concepts of identifying the customers, understanding their needs and serving them well. The plan focused on the following steps: The establishment of a quality council comprising the universitys most senior academic and non-academic managers. The purpose of the council is to review the universitys processes and critical success factors in order to identify key issues for improvement. Raising quality awareness through a series of awareness courses. These courses provide early education and training for actual and potential council members. In addition to the awareness courses, there is specific training in quality management tools and techniques. Using quality function deployment to ensure the customer satisfaction. This method was applied in the Department of Vision Sciences. There were eight essential areas to consider: students wants and needs, skills necessary to meet the wants and needs, programme and course content to deliver the skills, organization and assessment of the programme, resources, implementation of the programme, monitoring discrepancies between goals and outcomes, and control of the system in changing circumstances. However, the experience of quality function deployment showed it to be a complex tool. De Monfort University did not use a particular TQM model but instead only used the TQM principles, tools and techniques whenever appropriate and possible, because was difficult to provide an objective assessment to its success or of its cost over the years. 5.6.2.2 South Bank University Total quality management initiative was launched in 1992 at South Bank University. This has involved a thorough and ongoing review both of the quality of service it provides for its students and the wider community and of its academic quality, particularly in the area of teaching and learning. South Bank University, decided at an early stage that it should reflect more accurately the principle that real quality issues involved the ongoing commitment of all staff, support and academic, at all levels. Students are rightly encouraged to be involved more actively in the learning process, to be critical and imaginative about their own learning. Within five years, linking TQM into the strategic planning process, South Bank started to establish a competitive advantage by achieving differentiation (of its courses) through the quality of the learning experience, if a way can be found of advertising this to potential customers. It is expected that up to ten significant quality improvement measures (for example in academic staff time saved by increased efficiency in validation procedures or in improved feedback from student course board representatives) will have been achieved at the cross-university level in response to common problems identified through the quality service agreements. Most importantly, there will have been a change in the culture of the institution where all staff accepts their personal responsibility for quality improvement as a natural part of their job. The quality management plan can be summarized as follows The vice-chancellor and senior executive take direct responsibility for leadership of the universitys quality plan. Quality commitment to all university elements. Continuous improvement is everyones responsibility. Deployment of resources to support quality management. Quality management responsibility is best handed by operational levels. Encouragement of the diversification of quality management forms. Development of staff. From the quality principles and mission statement, critical factors of strategic importance are identified: teaching and learning, research, community service, institutional management, priority resource allocation, enhancing technical and information support, and quality advancement procedures. These factors formed a framework for further actions in the quality plan. In implementing TQM, each faculty formed its own quality committee to provide leadership and to increase quality improvement at faculty level. Responsible officers (e.g. deans) are charged with ensuring that performance targets are achieved within the specified time. As a part of staff development, brainstorming is used to identify strengths and weaknesses. South Bank University learned that the commitment of the staff to the quality initiatives and staff development, in addition to the stakeholders involvement and empowerment are essential to the strengthening of a quality culture. The purpose of presenting case studies is to learn how they applied TQM and propose a model that suits the PUs in Egypt. All of the five educational organizations began to apply TQM as a means to respond to the great demand for change and improvement. Some used TQM to face the reduction of funding or the challenge of competitiveness. This is the case in the PUs; it faces challenges and needs to encourage improvement, as discussed in chapter four. In Implementing TQM, universities get used different TQM models according to their needs. TQM requires creativity, responsibility and participation from managers and staffing in an environment of collaboration and open communication. It requires commitment at the top level. It needs strong visionary leadership that will facilitate the cultural change toward continuous development. TQM also demands the establishment of an environment of teamwork. Another important issue about implementing TQM is that the top management play a major role in planning the organizations processes. The PUs as an educational organization should aim at satisfying stakeholders needs. Nevertheless, TQM demands time, effort and a willingness to change. It creates a learning organization where education, training and re-education are essential for TQM success. TQM requires staff at all levels to be motivated to do not only what is better but what is best by the involvement and empowerment of all staff. TQM is about believing that there is always a better way of doing the services of the organization. So, involvement and empowerment, training and education, and continuous improvement are characters of the TQM organization. The implementation of TQM seems to be more effective if it is steady and well-planned. It also needs appraisal using quality tools and techniques. This is a very difficult task but not impossible. It just needs time and patience and a view point. From the previously discussed case studies, it seems that TQM approach succeeded in educational settings and this success can be translated into the following results: Saving time. Saving effort in the long term. Saving money and resources. Establishing a quality culture. Identification of strong and weak points. Stakeholder empowerment and involvement. Communication empowerment. Better understanding of stakeholders and their needs. Building a positive teamwork environment. Raising authority delegation.

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†¢ O Insulin: O In T1D, the body does not produce insulin. O Insulin is a hormone, needed for converting sugar, starches, and other food into energy. O Insulin is a polypeptide hormone, made by the beta cells in the pancreas. These regulate the metabolism of glucose and other nutrients in the body. O Insulin causes cells in the liver, skeletal muscles, and fat tissue to absorb glucose from the blood. O Only 5% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease. O Inheritance: O Inheritance patterns in T1D are not clearly known, although they are passed down through generations in families. O Its is not known if it is dominant or recessive, because of too many variables. O T1D is both considered pleiotropic and mitochondrial. O This is a polygenetic disease; any of a group of genes that each produce a small quantitative effect on a particular characteristic of the phenotype. O Although it can be inherited, some environmental factors can lead to T1D. O Genotypes: O Certain risk factors are not known specifically, but certain variants can be identified. O Three main genes have been identified: HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1, and HLA-DRB1. O These genes belong to the human leukocyte antigen family, or HLA. O HLA genes separate good proteins made by the body, from bad proteins such as those made by viruses and bacteria. O Commonality: O Previously known as juvenile diabetes, Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but is typically diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults. O 1 in every 500 children or adolescents are diagnosed with T1D. O By age 18, 1 in 300 people develop T1D in the United states. O About 285 million people world wide suffer from diabetes. O By 2030, it is estimated that 435 million people will have been diagnosed wit... ...y injections and insulin pump therapy. O Pricking the finger several times a day monitors blood-glucose levels. O T1D patients are encouraged to eat healthy and stay active. O Food is most concerning because of how fast glucose levels can rise and fall, considering sugar content in food. O Life with Diabetes Type 1: O â€Å"Both children and adults like me who live with type 1 diabetes need to be mathematicians, physicians, personal trainers, and dietitians all rolled into one. We need to be constantly factoring and adjusting, making frequent finger sticks to check blood sugars, and giving ourselves multiple daily insulin injections just to stay alive.† O Limitations: O Food consumption! O Calories and carbs. Are calculated every day, just to try and keep vital organs from failing. O Others: Cold, sunburn, stress, and too much or too little excersize. O Organizations:

Review of “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: A Review Harriet Jacobs wrote Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl to show Northern free people what was actually happening to slaves. She hoped her eyewitness stories would convince them that they should speak up against slavery and unite in the effort to end it. She was especially interested in showing free white women the difference between her life and theirs. She wanted them to see that many things they took for granted were denied slave girls and women.Jacobs was asking free people to look at slavery through her eyes and imagine the pain, both physical and emotional, that she and other slaves were forced to endure. Even though she was a slave, her first six years were happy ones. Her father had skills that made him valuable to the white people so he was allowed more freedom than the average slave. Her grandmother was the daughter of a slave holder. She was granted freedom but then recaptured. She was allowed to make money by selling crack ers after her slave duties were done.An injustice Jacobs describes early in her book is the pain suffered by slave families who are separated when one member is auctioned off to the highest bidder. She tells about this happening to her grandmother who helplessly watched as her son was auctioned off at the age of ten for $720. Jacobs knew the pain of a family being torn apart would weaken a free woman’s stand on slavery. Males were auctioned off more than females because owners were more likely to keep females as sex partners and to father children by them.Slave owners made promises to slaves but never felt obligated to keep those promises. Jacobs’ grandmother had been promised freedom when her mistress died. The executor of the 2 estate, Dr. Flint, instead sold her for $70. In spite of what the will said, he got away with selling her because she was property and no one held him responsible for this unlawful act. She also was never repaid when she lent her life savings to her mistress. Two of the most chilling events Jacobs reports witnessing are on pages 15 and 16.She tells of a male slave who was savagely beaten by Dr. Flint because the slave argued with his wife after finding out their child was really the son of Dr. Flint. She goes on to tell the story of a young slave girl in labor delivering her master’s child. The master’s wife stood by mocking the young girl as the newborn died. The slave girl’s mother watched as her only child also died during child birth. Jacobs wrote, â€Å"The poor black woman had but the one child, whose eyes she saw closing in death, while she thanked God for taking her away from the greater bitterness of life. Much of the book explains Harriet’s attempts to avoid Dr. Flint’s sexual advances. When she reached the age of 15 he began a relentless pursuit of her. She was disgusted by his attention. She did not want to lose her virginity to her master as she saw many other slave girls do. She prayed for a way to get away from him. She endured the jealousy of Dr. Flint’s wife who recognized what was going on. She was in love with a free black man but her master forbid her to have any contact with him. After she convinced her lover to go away, Harriet met Mr. Sands.She became intimate with him in another effort to escape the unwanted advances of Dr. Flint. She had children with Sands but still was not able to get free. Eventually she ran away. She hid for 7 years in a cramped crawl space at her grandmother’s house. Jacob’s goes into detail about her escape to the North and the people who were kind enough to help her in her efforts to stay in contact with her family and to stay hidden from Dr. Flint. He continued his search for her until he died. Jacobs then hid from his family who began a search for her. Harriet learned she couldn’t depend on Mr.Sands for help in getting their children 3 freed. She lived for a time with Isaac and Amy P ost who were activists working for the Underground Railroad. Eventually a woman named Mrs. Bruce bought Harriet Jacobs from Flint’s children for $300 and she gave her her freedom. Her grandmother got to see Harriet free but died shortly after that. Harriet found out that her children, Emily and William, already knew things like who their real father was and where she had been hiding for all those years.Jacobs is very graphic when she describes slavery and the terrible treatment of slaves. She is very good at detailing her thoughts and reactions to the horrible things she saw and experienced. She reminds free women that most women have the same dream of a loving husband, children and a happy home. She also makes it clear that only free women can live their dream. She often expresses the belief that slavery is worse than death. On page 47 she challenges doubtful readers to visit the South and witness the injustice of slavery for themselves.I’m sure that the book does not include all the events that made Harriet Jacobs who she was. There were probably some good memories she could have shared but that would not have supported her argument or fulfilled her purpose. It is not clear to me why Dr. Flint was constantly asking for Harriet’s affection and never forced her to have sex with him. He did with other slave girls. I wonder if he actually loved her and wanted her to submit to him willingly. He also searched for her for many years until his death. Why didn’t he just rape her as he believed he had a right to?This book is easy to read, interesting, and well written. I don’t really believe a slave could write that well though. I also doubt she could have lived in a crawl space for seven years without more serious physical and mental harm. Some things might have been exaggerated to accomplish the author’s goal. She succeeds in showing readers how unjust slavery was. It’s a good book because, even today, we need to be r eminded about how ignorant, cruel and evil people can be. Not all of America’s history is good. We should never forget how the slaves suffered.

Help Ever, Hurt Never Essay

Everyone should act up to the motto: Help Ever, Hurt Never. Every educated person should engage himself or herself in selfless service to society with humility and a pure heart. All academic distinctions or even observance of spiritual practices are of no use if there is no love in the heart. Love and compassion are inherent in every person. Each has to share this love with others. Failure to share one’s love is gross ingratitude to society, to which one owes everything. One should give one’s love freely to others and receive love in return. This is the deep significance of human life. To purify the mind, one should nurture noble and sacred thoughts of service to others. One who does not hurt anybody and has feelings of love and compassion to fellow beings is the greatest of men. That is why sage Vyasa gave the essence of the eighteen Puranas (scriptures) in the aphorism: Help Ever, Hurt Never. Help rendered, however small, if it comes from the deeper urges of service welling in the heart is as good as the offer of life itself. Look about for chances to relieve, rescue or resuscitate. Train yourselves that you may render help quickly and well. Seva is the most paying form of austerity, the most satisfying and the most pleasurable. It springs out of Love and scatters Love in profusion. To help the helpless is the only way to please Him, to follow and reach Him. Serve people with no thought of high or low; no Seva is high, no Seva is low, each act of Seva is equal in the eye of the Lord. It is the readiness, the joy, the efficiency, the skill with which you rush to do it that matters. Train yourselves to serve God by serving man, in whom there is God installed in the heart. Convince yourself that the seva of man is worship of God. Efforts to serve must spring from agony at the suffering of others and the service must be genuine effort to get rid of that anguish. Do not worry about the result. Help as much as you can, as efficiently as you can, as silently as you can, as lovingly as you can, leave the rest to God, who gave you the chance to server. You should make every effort to avoid harming others in any circumstance. You are only hurting yourself when you hurt others. You should not use harsh words. When you develop human values, you can be free from diseases and even enjoy good health with God’s Grace. Ahimsa, the virtue of non-violence involves much more than abstention from injuring living beings. One should desist from causing pain to any living being not only by his deeds but even by his words and even in his thoughts. One should not entertain any idea of hurting or humiliating another. Service to man will help your divinity to bloom, for it will gladden your heart and make you feel that life has been worthwhile. Service to man is service to God. For He is in every man and every living being and in every stone and stump. Offer your talents at the Feet of God; let every act be a flower, free from creeping worms of envy and egoism and full of fragrance of love and sacrifice. If you have the talent, use it for the glorification of God and do it by uplifting man. A manishi (ordinary man) gets transformed into Maharishi (sage) by engaging in selfless service. You have to transform your life through service. You should give no room for arrogance or self-interest to the slightest extent in your service activities. Install in your heart the feeling that the service you render to anyone is service to God. Only then does service to man become service to Madhava. Hence you should scrupulously follow the maxim: HELP EVER, HURT NEVER.

Learn the Parts of the Roman Name

Learn the Parts of the Roman Name In todays international world, you may come across: people who have what we would call the last name before the first namepeople known by a singular name (like Madonna or Lady Gaga, since Lady is a title)people who lack a middle name (George Washington)people with extra middle (saints names)people with the requisite number to fill out most contemporary forms in the U.S.: a first, middle, and last name Ancient Roman Names During the Republic, Roman male citizens might be referred to by the tria nomina 3 names. The first of these 3 names was the praenomen, which was followed by the nomen, and then the cognomen. This wasnt a hard and fast rule. There might also be an agnomen. Praenomina were waning by the 2nd century A.D. Although not shown on this page, there were sometimes additional names, especially on inscriptions, often abbreviated, that gave further indications of social groupings like tribes, and, in the case of slaves and freedmen, their social status. Praenomen The praenomen was a first name or personal name. Females, who didnt have praenomina until late, were called by the name of their gens. If further distinction were necessary, one would be called the older (maior) and the other the younger (minor), or by number (tertia, quarta, etc.) The praenomen was usually abbreviated [See Roman Abbreviations on Inscriptions]. Here are some of the common praenomina with their abbreviations: Aulus A.Appius App.Gaius C.Gnaeus Cn.Decimus D.Kaeso K.Lucius L.Marcus M.Numerius Num.Publius P.Quintus Q.Servius Ser.Sextus Sex.Spurius Sp.Titus Ti.Tiberius Ti. Tib. Latin Grammar Romans could have more than one praenomen. Foreigners granted Roman citizenship by imperial decree took the emperors nomen gentile as a praenomen. This made the praenomen less useful as a way to distinguish men, so by the end of the third century, the praenomen had virtually vanished except to confer high social status [Fishwick]. The basic name became the nomen cognomen. Nomen The Roman nomen or nomen gentile (nomen gentilicum) indicated the gens from which a Roman came. The nomen would end in -ius. In the case of adoption into a new gens, the new gens was indicated by the -ianus ending. Cognomen + Agnomen Depending on the time period, the cognomen part of the Roman name could indicate the familia within the gens that the Roman belonged to. The cognomen is a surname. Agnomen also refers to a second cognomen. This is what you see when you see a Roman general awarded the name of a country he conquered like Africanus. By the first century B.C. women and the lower classes began to have cognomina (pl. cognomen). These were not inherited names, but personal ones, which began to take the place of the praenomina. These might come from a part of the womans fathers or mothers name. Sources Names and Identities: Onomastics and Prosopography, by Olli Salomies, Epigraphic Evidence, edited by John Bodel.Encyclopedic Dictionary of Roman Law, by Adolf Berger; Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (1953), pp. 333-809.Latin Funerary Epigraphy and Family Life in the Later Roman Empire, by Brent D. Shaw; Historia: Zeitschrift fà ¼r Alte Geschichte (1984), pp. 457-497.Hastiferi, by Duncan Fishwick; The Journal of Roman Studies(1967), pp. 142-160.J.P.V.D. Balsdon, ; 1962.

Paper Helper

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Analysis of Newspaper Article-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelpc.com

Analyse Newspaper Article of your Choice. The article that has been chosen for analysis is based on the â€Å"Tillerson sacking† decision that has been taken by Trump. The dismissal of Rex Tillerson from the post of the Secretary of the State was a decision that was taken by Donald Trump with an aim to reduce the divisions of the US administration related to the key issues of foreign policy. The argument on which the entire analysis of the article will be based is â€Å"whether the moves made by Donald Trump were able to reduce the divisions related to the decisions made about the key foreign issues† (Hammond, 2018). I do not agree with the â€Å"America First† movement that had been taken by Trump when he moved into the White House for the first time. The President of America mainly tried to develop its policies related to the foreign policies of the country. Trump has failed in the attempts that were undertaken by him over the years (Acharya, 2014). However, I agree that Trump has taken many steps regarding the shifts to be made from the orthodox methods of governing the country by the Republican and the Democratic presidents in the past. He has made many alliances in order to expand the democratic order of the country that is liberal in nature. The President has withdrawn the US alliance with many important treaties like the Trans-Pacific and the Asia-Pacific Partnership. The country has also withdrawn from the climate change related deal that is signed by greater than 170 countries. The above two deals were made under President Obama and Trump took back the key initiatives that were taken by the previous government. The nuclear agreements that were made by the country with Iran are also under serious jeopardy after the various decisions taken by President Trump (Aradau & Huysmans, 2014). I disagree with the dismantling of policies that have been undertaken by the US government during the last year. The President has been in the position for over a year now and still he has not been able to deliver the promises that were made by him regarding the changes in the foreign policies of the country. The President has not been able to bring any developments in the policies and the international treaties made by the country during the last year (Temby, 2015). I agree with the reviews that were made by the research firm named Gallup regarding the worst image of the leadership of the United States of America that has been formed in the last year. The leadership of the country under Trump was found to be weaker as compared to 134 other countries in the world. The New York Times has reported that the president was totally unable to deliver according the huge promises that were made by him during the last year. The approval of the US leadership was found to be the lowest of about 30% under the governance of Trump (Baylis, Smith & Owens, 2017). I agree with the poll that was undertaken by the organization named Pew Global which in the past year which depicted that more than thousands of the citizens of USA were not happy with the leadership of Trump. The policies related to global issues that were made by Trump were also not satisfactory for the people of his country. The poll further depicted that the support that was gained by Trump was even lesser than the support which was received by George W. Bush after the major controversy that had occurred in the country related to Iraq (Fierke & Jorgensen, 2015). I agree with the step that was taken by Trump regarding the dismissal of Tillerson from the position of Secretary of State and further appointment of Pompeo in the same position. As has been discussed in the article this can be a suitable step for the development of the country and increasing the harmony between the United States of America and the other countries. The reason being that the policies related to global warming may be formed in a better way by Pompeo as compared to those formed by Tillerson (Hammond, 2018). However, the change in the Secretary of State may not have significant effects on the foreign policies that will be formulated by the US government in the future. The nature of the President regarding the ways by which he deals with the officials of the government can still lead to problems related to the formulation of policies. I agree that the ways by which Trump performs his responsibilities may lead to many issues between him and the officials of the government. The foreign policy of USA has been the most affected by the decisions that have been taken by Trump during the year of his tenure. The dismissal of Tillerson and the appointment of Pompeo in the position of Secretary of State can help in the improving the position of USA in the style of leadership that is followed (Holmes & Traven, 2015). I agree with the fact the governing style of Trump depicts that lack of experience and the lack of knowledge regarding the international problems as well. This has further led to an ad hoc process of governing the country by the President. I disagree with the fact that the decision that was taken by Trump regarding the change of the Secretary of State was entirely wrong. The number of conflicts between Tillerson and President Trump has been high and they had difference in opinions in many situations. The appointment of Pompeo can further help the government in making changes in the foreign policies and making improvements in the international affairs of the country (Kelley & Simmons, 2015). The analysis can be concluded by stating that the steps undertaken by Trump to develop the foreign policies of the country were not successful initially. However, the appointment of Pompeo in the position of the Secretary of State can be a huge step towards the development of the country and the improvement of the international relations. The major reason behind making this statement is that the less knowledge of the President regarding international affairs can be complemented by the huge knowledge base of Pompeo. Acharya, A. (2014). Global International Relations (IR) and Regional WorldsA New Agenda for International Studies.  International Studies Quarterly,  58(4), 647-659. Aradau, C., & Huysmans, J. (2014). Critical methods in International Relations: The politics of techniques, devices and acts.  European Journal of International Relations,  20(3), 596-619. Baylis, J., Smith, S., & Owens, P. (Eds.). (2017).  The globalization of world politics: an introduction to international relations. Oxford University Press. Fierke, K. M., & Jorgensen, K. E. (2015).  Constructing International Relations: the next generation. Routledge. Hammond, A. (2018).  Tillerson sacking will not reverse Trump’s foreign failures.  The Age. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/tillerson-sacking-will-not-reverse-trump-s-foreign-failures-20180314-p4z4at.html Holmes, M., & Traven, D. (2015). Acting rationally without really thinking: The logic of rational intuitionism for International Relations theory.  International Studies Review,  17(3), 414-440. Kelley, J. G., & Simmons, B. A. (2015). Politics by number: Indicators as social pressure in international relations.  American journal of political science,  59(1), 55-70. Temby, O. (2015). What are levels of analysis and what do they contribute to international relations theory?.  Cambridge Review of International Affairs,  28(4), 721-742

Improving organisational performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Improving organisational performance - Essay Example 451) Although there is no universal definition of performance management, but still conceptually performance management can be defined as the process which is used by the supervisors or organizational managers to gain a fair understanding of the goals, work expectations and feedbacks. This also helps the mangers to recognize the training and development opportunities and evaluate performance results. In simple terms performance management is all about improving the individual and organizational performance. It is a process that links people and jobs; provides fair understanding of what is to achieved by one and how and performance management is also a process to ensure that people are doing the required things in the most effective way possible as per the individual ability. Performance management process is a medium through which the managers and the employees join forces to improve the level of work satisfaction and results. However, the performance management system is likely to b e most effective when the managers and the employees work a cohesive unit and both play an active role. Today in the middle of a highly competitive business environment one of the most critical success factors for some of the major global firms happen to be the high performance management system. Today most of the organizations are looking to make a shift from the traditional to effective high performance business models. High performance work systems or HPWS happen to be companies that tend to opt for a different approach in case of organizational management rather than going for the traditional hierarchical approach. Some prominent industrial psychologists and organizational behaviour experts suggest that the High performance work systems have the ability to provide long term sustained competitive advantages. Later in the paper through a multiple case study approach, it would discuss how two of the major multinational companies implemented the High performance work system to great effect. The organizations in focus would be GE and Toyota Motors (Armstrong and Baron, 2005, p. 301) Conceptual Frameworks Performance management is actually a process as well as a framework that companies use to communicate some important messages to the employees. The performance management process framework includes four different stages (Beardwell and Holden, 2010, p. 291) The performance planning includes the plan for the upcoming years in areas such as the standards and expectations for the job; performance and development goals. During the next step i.e. the day to day coaching and feedback the managers and employees discuss about performance on regular basis. Here it needs to say that the regular discussions go beyond the formal reviews and meetings. They share feedbacks about the success of the employees as well as the areas where the employees may need certain improvement. During the process the mangers also seek the inputs of the employees regarding results and the work process. The reviewing and the review and appraisal phase usually happen on a quarterly basis. (Holbeche, 2005, p. 299). This should ideally occur at least once in every quarter. The main focus of

International Money and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International Money and Finance - Essay Example ompany name â€Å"Sunbelt Rentals.† Sunbelt Rentals has 358 facilities across the United States, and functions primarily in the commercial construction market. The company’s annual report from 2010 provides clues on the exchange rate risks. The operating statistics on the number of rental stores and staff strength provide a comparative view of the performance of the Ashtead Group for both Sunbelt Rentals and A-Plant in the years 2009 and 2010 respectively (Ashtead Group Press Release, 2011). Ashtead Group exposure to exchange rate risk develops from translation risk, which emerges from most of the company’s assets, liabilities, income, and costs being written in U.S. dollars. The changes in the comparative value of Pound Sterling and the U.S. dollar impact on the financial strength and functioning of the company. All of the company’s debt is shown in U.S. dollars in order to secure the revenue stream, hedging against the translation effect erupting from the shift in the dollar exchange rate. The company pays dollar interest on its debts to reduce the impact of any shift in the dollar exchange rate on its income (Moffett et al., 2009, p. 260, Ashtead Group Annual Report Accounts, 2010). Movement in the exposure of the company against the Pound Sterling or other currencies can create significant transaction exposure. Higher levels of exposure can affect the firm’s short-term cash flow and therefore may force the firm to borrow in order to meet its short-term cash requirements (Moffett et al., 2009, p. 253-255). Until the 31st of October, 2010, all company debts were shown in U.S. dollars and nearly 80% of the value of the company’s net assets was also in dollars. It proved to be a robust hedge against currency fluctuations. It reduces the impact of exchange rate fluctuations as interest is paid through dollars, thus reducing the effect on pre-tax profits and income. Based on the latest currency mix of Ashtead Group’s profits and dollar debt levels, in

The Statement of Principles terminated on 30 June 2013. The UK Essay

The Statement of Principles terminated on 30 June 2013. The UK Government has proposed a new programme, including a new mechanis - Essay Example The fishing industry offers employment to around 250,000 people in Indonesia and thus, with this tsunami there were a number of people that lost their jobs3. Tsunami not only has resulted in the death of local people in Indonesia, but there were a number of tourists from different parts of the world especially from Europe that came under the fire as well. Around 9,000 foreign tourists were dead in this flood, and most of these tourists were from European countries4. However, there is little that the government can do in such a catastrophic situation. Although there are certain techniques and strategies that the government can take in order to reduce the impact of these floods such as Stormguard Flood-plan can be implemented in order to be better prepared for such situations as well as to reduce the impact of such disasters5. Similarly, there have been floods in United Kingdom as well. Although the disasters were not as high as Indian Ocean tsunami but still a large number of people l ost their lives. North Sea flood is the worst flood that has occurred in United Kingdom6. North Sea flood occurred on 31st January, 1953 and a number of areas were affected including Belgium, Scotland, Netherlands and England7. The causalities because of the North Sea flood were equaled to 2,142 including 354 people that lost their lives in United Kingdom alone8. ... Thus, it badly affected the economic situation of the country. The damage estimated was around  ?5,000 which if compared in today’s monetary terms would be equal to ?740,00010. The London School Of Economics has announced and warned about flood risk in Britain. According to the research conducted by the school Britain is a highly risky area because of the changes in climate along with the continuous development in floodplains for both residential as well as commercial properties. Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment have conducted research and published the paper. They have also been consulted by the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)11. Therefore, this paper has raised concerns and risks for people that are buying and investing properties. In order to overcome this issue and concerns of the public, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) along with the natio nal government has come up with the Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) which is known as Flood Re. This Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the government, and the carriers and on the basis of this MoU, a non-profit or a not-for-profit flood fund has been developed12. Association Of British Insurers (ABI) is an important company in the insurance industry as it has more than 90% of the market share in the United Kingdom insurance market13. The basic idea of this Flood Re is to offer a cap flood insurance premium for the property owners. This insurance premium will be according to the value of the properties. Moreover, this fund will offer insurance to people that are at a higher risk for flood

Emerging Viral Diseases Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emerging Viral Diseases - Research Paper Example The modification of the given genetic makeup of the host has also contributed to make them susceptible to diseases (Beltz 19). The disease causing viral agents have also modified their genetic makeup to increase their survival in the host’s system. Human behavior can also be attributed to the cause of the emergence and re-emergence of viral diseases. Human behavior such as urbanization, population increase, and migration lead to spread of diseases (Beltz 136). As people begin to occupy previously uninhabited areas, they get exposed to new environmental sources of infectious viral agents. Changes in food handling, storage, and processing by humans has also led to new spread (Beltz 145). Human advancement in bio warfare also increases the risk of contracting new and emerging disease threats. Ecological factors such as climate change have also led to emergence and re-emergence of new and old diseases (Beltz 162). Climate changes cause shifts in the geographical distribution of di sease causing agents and vectors. The shift in climatic conditions causes the agents to inhabit new regions causing diseases. Public health response to emerging and re-emerging diseases is vital in controlling and eliminating the threats of the viral agents. The response by public health organizations takes various forms. An enactment of global surveillance systems of the viral diseases is a vital response tool. These surveillance systems contain diagnostic and communication tools that detail disease spread plus its monitoring. Surveillance ensures that public health officials can map out the people affected by the viral disease spread, and how they can undertake their response to stop the disease spread (Beltz 256). Vaccination also presents a response by public health organs. The development of new drugs also gets carried out to nullify the effect of any emerging viral diseases (Beltz 258). The public health sector can also respond to emerging and re-emerging diseases by conductin g public health education. Health education is used as a vital tool to prevent disease spread among the public. Public health officials disseminate health messages concerning the diseases that get spread. The public health sector may also respond by initiating vector and zoonotic control (Beltz 270). Public health officials may employ the use or develop safe insecticides to trap the disease causing agents. The understanding of the reproductive cycle of HIV and other disease causing viruses is vital in stopping the spread of diseases. Infectious diseases can get prevented at a variety of points dependent on the infectious cycle of the diseases (Beltz 300). Understanding an infectious cycle of a virus is vital to allow for the identification of accessible targets for control strategies. The reproductive cycle of the viruses comes in handy in the development of drugs that alleviate their effect on the host’s body. Understanding the reproductive cycles of viruses ensures that sci entists can identify the points within their life cycles where the viruses are most vulnerable to intervention. This allows the scientists to develop tools such as vaccines and drugs that can fight of the spread of the disease causing viruses in the host’s body. Scientists get to design drugs that are more suppressive of the viruses and have fewer side effects on persons with disease. Understanding the life cycle of disease causing viruses also assists scientists to make predictions about the disease, and

Compare and contrast Russo-Chechen wars to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Essay

Compare and contrast Russo-Chechen wars to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Discuss with special reference to theories of conflict - Essay Example A similar massacre of Azerbaijanis followed in the Armenian city of Spitak. The Armenian protests against Azerbaijan based on Nagorno-Karabakh actually started in the perestroika spirit, but it immediately turned out to be a political organisation called Karabakh Committee that stood for an extensive anticommunist coalition for national sovereignty and democracy. 1 Similarly, the war between Russia and Chechnya started with the ambition of the former to topple the latter’s president through military intervention. The military intervention turned out to be a complete warfare against the people of Chechnya through the invasion and brutal bombing of civil areas in an awkward attempt to bring down the Dudayev regime. The war also awoke the dormant fighting spirit of the Chechens which they had gained from their long martial tradition with roots from a century long, persistent warfare with the imperialist Russian empire in the nineteenth century. 2 The mounting loss on the Russian side provoked its generals to make a quick response to the Chechen resistance through indiscriminate artillery and aerial bombardment on Chechnya’s capital. The death toll of people in the city was huge and the city was levelled in every part in an attempt by Russia to subdue the Chechen defenders. 3 The conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous area to separate from Azerbaijan and merge with Armenia that started in 1988 was called illegal with reference to the Soviet Constitution of 1978 that allowed merger of a region to another nation only with the permission of the home republic. The conflict in Southern Ossetia since 1990 is a similar case where the autonomous region is a part of north eastern Georgia and the war was provoked by the national administration and supported by the imperialists in Moscow. The support from Moscow was to weaken Georgia. The Georgian-Abkhazian conflict has been the bloodiest of all wars in the region. Though there are differences in

The Mexican War and Manifest destiny Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Mexican War and Manifest destiny - Essay Example This encouraged western expansion, with the ultimate aim of controlling the entire North America. The federal government policy also served as an incentive to the expansion of the west. This can be related to the Homestead Act of 1862 that encouraged the development of the agricultural west. Another incentive for the expansion of the west was the development of transportation. The economy of the west was based on cultivation of cotton. As a result, the canal system developed because of steam boats. Development of railroads also played a significant role in the development of the west. For example, the transcontinental rail road played an essential role in the growth of the population and trade (Mountjoy, 2009). Despite the expansion of the west, several factors can be associated with the opposition to the expansion. The expansion of the west faced massive opposition from anti-slave Northerners, who believed that additional territories would encourage the legalization of slavery. They purported that western expansion would ensure that slave states outnumbered slave free states. As a result, this would lead to legislation that would favor slavery (Meed, 2002). Although some Native Americans, such as Indians, opposed the expansion of the west, American settlers defeated them. They could not withstand the movement of thousands of settlers because the army defeated them in a number of battles. They were also confined into reservations; the US president, Andrew Jackson, passed the Indian removal act, which encouraged coercive removal of

Compare and contrast Russo-Chechen wars to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Essay

Compare and contrast Russo-Chechen wars to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Discuss with special reference to theories of conflict - Essay Example A similar massacre of Azerbaijanis followed in the Armenian city of Spitak. The Armenian protests against Azerbaijan based on Nagorno-Karabakh actually started in the perestroika spirit, but it immediately turned out to be a political organisation called Karabakh Committee that stood for an extensive anticommunist coalition for national sovereignty and democracy. 1 Similarly, the war between Russia and Chechnya started with the ambition of the former to topple the latter’s president through military intervention. The military intervention turned out to be a complete warfare against the people of Chechnya through the invasion and brutal bombing of civil areas in an awkward attempt to bring down the Dudayev regime. The war also awoke the dormant fighting spirit of the Chechens which they had gained from their long martial tradition with roots from a century long, persistent warfare with the imperialist Russian empire in the nineteenth century. 2 The mounting loss on the Russian side provoked its generals to make a quick response to the Chechen resistance through indiscriminate artillery and aerial bombardment on Chechnya’s capital. The death toll of people in the city was huge and the city was levelled in every part in an attempt by Russia to subdue the Chechen defenders. 3 The conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous area to separate from Azerbaijan and merge with Armenia that started in 1988 was called illegal with reference to the Soviet Constitution of 1978 that allowed merger of a region to another nation only with the permission of the home republic. The conflict in Southern Ossetia since 1990 is a similar case where the autonomous region is a part of north eastern Georgia and the war was provoked by the national administration and supported by the imperialists in Moscow. The support from Moscow was to weaken Georgia. The Georgian-Abkhazian conflict has been the bloodiest of all wars in the region. Though there are differences in

African American Studies paper Essay Example for Free

African American Studies paper Essay The civil rights movement was a mass protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination in the southern states that came to a national eminence during the mid 1950’s. This movement can be said to be a â€Å"long time coming† for African slaves and their descendants to resist racial oppression, especially after the United States abolished slavery. Although, slaves were emancipated during the civil war were then granted basic civil rights through the passing of the 14th amendment and 15th amendment they still struggled and suffered trying to get â€Å"equality† for the next hundred years. Throughout the period of time in which African Americans fought for equality, desegregation and racism, the United States made massive changes. Beginning with the Jim Crow Laws, the countless court cases and the vast impact on the Civil Rights leaders during this time period of trying to gain â€Å"equality† there were two sides to this fight. One side was through the nonviolent protest while the other side was more of an active resistance. The modern period of the civil rights movement can ultimately be divided into several phases. Each act of a protest first started off small and ultimately became big. The Brown vs. Board of Education demonstrated that the process of taking legal action strategy of the NAACP could challenge the legal foundations of southern. This thought or strategy would only work if blacks came together instead of individually trying to conquer. Therefore during the 1950’s and 1960’s the NAACP sponsored legal suits and social movement seeking social changes accompanied legislative lobbying. The primary phase of the black protest began on Page 2 December 1, 1955 when a woman named Rosa Parks, of Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her seat to a white bus rider. In the result of not giving her seat up she was defying a southern custom that required blacks to give seats toward the front of the buses to whites. Therefore by not giving up her seat she was then arrested and put in jail. When she was jailed a black community boycott of the city’s buses began. The boycott lasted more than a year, demonstrating the unity and determination of black residents. The well-known Martin Luther King, Jr. who was most famous for his â€Å"I have a dream† speech was the most active leader of this boycott. Although King and Parks were apart of the NAACP the Montgomery movement led to the creation in 1957 of a new organization called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with King as the president. On February 1, 1960 four freshmen at North Carolina AT College began a wave of sit-ins designed to end segregation at southern diners. These protest resulted in the new organization called the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. August 28th though was the climax of the civil rights movement. That was the day blacks did the March on Washington Martin Luther King, Jr.gave his â€Å"I have a dream† speech. King with the help of many others helped bringing the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. After the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the last major racial protest would be the Selma to Montgomery march. Soon after the march Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. By the late 1960’s there was a growth of a new organization with more of a radical approach, the organization was called the Black Panther Party. During the late half of the 1960’s there were a series of â€Å"riots†. Page 3 Supporters of black liberation saw civil rights reforms as an insufficient method because they did not address the problems faced by millions of poor blacks. Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X influenced the Black Nationalism group. After the 1960’s civil rights movement blacks witnessed both group of leaders, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. , assassinated. The mark these two men left behind did not fade away though. Despite the civil right’s gains of the 1960’s racial discrimination remained a significant factor in America. Even after President Johnson declared a war on poverty and Dr. King initiated a Poor People’s Campaign in 1968, the distribution of the nation’s wealth and income moved toward greater inequality during the 70’s and 80’s. Some advantages of the Civil Right’s Black Power movement was that ethnic minorities gained rights that should not have been denied to them on the basis of skin color. The common law did not provide satisfactory protection of basic human rights for the future of the community. The civil rights movement ensured that rights are protected and courts require a clear direction about what rights should be protected. The con about the civil rights movement was that the increase of litigation in the courts would give excessive power to the judiciary rights. Earlier in the essay I referenced the different movements but what I didn’t mention was that both groups took different strives to achieve their goals. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference took more of a non-violent approach to reach their goals according to the â€Å"Southern Christian Leadership Conference† website. While King and his group was more of a non-violent group, the Page 4. Black Nationalism and Malcolm X were more radical. Malcolm X had coined the phrase â€Å"by any means necessary† which meant he wanted to achieve equal rights at any length of sacrifice. Even though Malcolm X said, â€Å"by any means necessary† according to Dr. Stephanie L. McKinney he only used violence as a â€Å"self defense†. Martin Luther King Jr. on the other hand realized that nonviolent tactics was the way to go. Ultimately both leaders pursued the same goal and both achieved it. As you can see in the paragraphs above both Martin Luther King Jr.and Malcolm X had two different approaches to gain equality but I support Martin Luther King Jr. ways of gaining equality more than Malcolm X’s. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the few people who lived up to what he preached. Martin Luther King Jr. sold out to his cause, was passionate about his mission, and connected with the audience. Malcolm X’s radical movement was the reason why I couldn’t side with him. I respect Malcolm X but disagree with any view that encourages violence. King wanted change with his voice, which in my opinion is the strongest tool for someone, who doesn’t support violence. If you think about it physical punishment is dealt to one person and everyone else doesn’t necessarily feel the pain but words can be felt through everyone who’s listening. Just like many other movements and eras the Civil Rights Black Power movement started, climaxed, then faded. Although, this era influenced many generations that came later and many people still benefit from the efforts of the Civil Rights leaders such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. , Malcolm X. Some former civil rights activists, such as John Lewis, Andrew Young, and Jesse Jackson, launched Page 5 careers in electoral politics. American civil rights legislation of the 1960s became the center for affirmative action programs that increased opportunities for many black students and workers as well as for women, disabled people, and other victims of discrimination. However, civil rights issues continued to stimulate protests, particularly when previous gains appeared to be threatened. Overall, the 20th-century struggle for civil rights produced an enduring transformation of the legal status of African Americans and other victims of discrimination. It also increased the responsibility of the government to enforce civil rights laws. APA Citations Page 54h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. (n. d. ). Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam [ushistory. org]. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www. ushistory. org/us/54h. asp From Black Revolution to Radical Humanism: Malcolm X between Biography and International History. (n. d. ). Home. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://www. humanityjournal. org/humanity-volume-3-issue-2/black-revolution-radical-humanism-malcolm-x-between-biography-and-internat. McKinney, S. (n. d. ). Malcolm X. About. com 20th Century History. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://history1900s. about. com/od/people/a/Malcolm-X. htm Nonviolent Resistance. (n. d. ). Nonviolent Resistance. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://mlk-kpp01. stanford. edu/index. php/encyclopedia/ Southern Christian Leadership Conference. (n. d. ). Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/southern_christian_leadership_co. htm.

Starbucks International Entry Methods and its Global Marketing

Starbucks International Entry Methods and its Global Marketing Introduction In 1971, in Seattle’s Pike Place Market two teachers and a writer opened the first Starbucks retail shop, as a roaster and retailer of bean and ground coffee, tea and spices (Roos, 2010). Today, with over 20,000 stores across the world, from Monaco to Colombia and many in between, Starbucks is a name that stands for innovation beyond its industry and constant growth (Chen, 2014). From ethical sourcing initiatives to the employee stock options and health benefits, Starbucks is a unique company, in a continuous evolution across the world (Hincha-Ownby, 2013). The company is a global marketing phenomenon, reinventing its operations to suit their growth ambitions, but remaining true to the passion of serving coffee in a friendly atmosphere (Thompson Arsel, 2004). Starbucks has been a pioneer in the coffee house industry in many geographical regions, having virtually introduced this concept to various countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Otmazgin, 2008). In addition to this, the company is continuously reinventing itself in European countries where the coffee house culture is more sophisticated (Patterson, Scott, Uncles, 2010). It is mandatory to analyse their strategy for market entry mode selection, as their success suggests they have found the golden middle between adopting distinct tactics and allowing local influences to shape their product, whilst keeping their core business values intact. In addition to using secondary sources to analyse the global expansion of Starbucks, this paper also outlines how the global marketing strategy of the company compromises between standardisation and adaptation to local target audiences’ preferences (Alderman, 2012). From the product-price-place-promotion marketing mix adaptation tactics to the use of loyalty card that reward loyal customers and the encouragement to share Starbucks moments via social media, the company continuously seeks the view of their customers through crowd-sourcing and creating a sense of community (Misener, 2014). However, similarly to their entry mode selection, the coffee house giant manages to preserve their core values in all the regions where it operates. Entry mode of Starbucks Globalisation and technology as the two core macro environmental elements of the 21st century business settings have imposed and aided companies’ international expansion strategies and tactics (Daft, 2010). As such, success beyond the national borders of a corporation is not only an indicator of success, it has ultimately become necessary for survival in a competitive market (Zahra, Ireland, Hitt, 2000). Whether through Joint Ventures (JVs), Exports, Franchises, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), take overs or any other strategies, everyone, from SMEs to large corporations is jumping on the bandwagon of international expansion (Kim Hwang, 1992). However, beyond the need to expand internationally, companies need to carefully evaluate all factors influencing the decision regarding the area of expansion and the entry mode of the company in the new region. A timeline of the geographical evolution of Starbucks over the last decade (Figure 1) shows that the company aims to increase their global presence, becoming the coffee shop of choice of all the coffee aficionados (Starbucks, 2014). Figure 1 Geographical expansion of Starbucks. Authors own, adapted from Starbucks (2014) Root (1994) defines the entry mode as a strategic decision making process in which the company’s products, technology, human skills and all other resources are evaluated in relation to the country of destination where the organisation is planning to extend its operations. In addition to this, the characteristics of the market that a company intends to penetrate are also taken into account for the purpose of selecting the most suitable entry mode (Canabal White III, 2008). The capital and human investment of a corporation towards expansion in new geographical areas is ultimately decided in correlation with profitability potential for the organisation. The factors influencing the entry mode of a corporation in new markets were divided by Chen and Mujtaba (2007) into three categories: firm specific factors, country specific factors and market specific factors. Although their categorisation of factors is valid in the strategic management of internationalisation of firms, it can be argued that market specific factors can be integrated in the country specific factors and another category called industry specific factors can be added to the mix. Figure 2 below presents a new theoretical framework developed by the author of this paper, which presents the changes enumerated, underlining the importance of trends and particularities of the overall industry in which a company operates. Figure 2 Factors influencing Selection of Entry Mode. Authors own, inspired by Chen and Mujtaba (2007) Although not exhaustive, the list of elements presented above indicates the variety of elements involved in the selection of markets where Starbucks can extend its chain of stores and the best strategy to ensure success in the new region. According to Root (1994) and Koch (2001) the factors influencing the entry mode selection can also be divided into external and internal factors. Political, economic and socio cultural dimensions of a foreign country are crucial external elements that determine the profitability of marketing the products offered by a company (Koch, 2001). Starbucks is marketing a social product beyond its coffee offerings, having positioned itself in the industry as a company that offers a great environment where people can enjoy ethically sourced beverages and snacks (Schultz, 2011). As such, it is crucial to evaluate the socio-cultural environment of a target foreign country and the marketability of such an offering within that particular geographical area. The key to success lies within the ability to match the product offerings of a company with the demands of the local foreign market, without compromising the firm’s business model. Partnerships with local firms through a joint venture or penetrating the market through licensing or franchising offer a company low risk solutions (Yoshino Rangan, 1995). However, when Starbucks decides to licence or franchise their product offerings, the extent to which they can monitor the quality of the products or operations of coffee shops that trade under their company name is significantly lower than in the case of joint ventures or wholly-owned subsidiaries. Joint ventures are often necessary due to political reasons, as is the case with some Middle Eastern countries that demand part ownership of local companies or residents within a foreign business (Terblanche, 2009). In addition to this, sharing the risk and costs with a partner in a local region can be advantageous for the company that extends their operations in a foreign market, due to lower capital investments (Root, 1994). However, there are disadvantages to be taken into account when opting for a joint venture, as sharing the technology with a potential competitor in the industry can lead to a conflict of interests and a potential loss of competitive advantage (Doz Hamel, 1998). Although wholly-owned subsidiaries eliminate the risks associated with all other entry modes, offering exclusivity over the profits and technology control, a company runs the risk of misunderstanding the cultural aspects of the country of destination and decreases its chances of succeeding in a new market (Makino Delios, 1996). Successful companies, such as Starbucks, are able to determine the best mix of entry modes specific to the regions where the expansion is taking place in order to become global leaders. The table below (Figure 3) shows that the company’s internationalisation strategy allows flexibility depending on country specific factors in the countries of destination. Figure 3 Starbucks Entry Mode Type and Partners in each region. Authors own, adapted from Starbucks (2014) In May 1998, Starbucks expanded its operations into the first European country, the UK, as part of a long-term internationalisation strategy (Bintliff, 2009). The company acquired sixty-five Seattle Coffee Company stores, a company founded and managed by two Americans (Scott and Ally Svenson) with a similar coffee culture as the American giant Starbucks (Simmons, 2012). The cultural gap between the US and UK attitude to coffee shops and the resistance of British consumers to American products was taken into account by Starbucks, who waited one year before they completely rebranded the existing Seattle Coffee Company stores, therefore allowing the consumers to adapt to the concept and products of Starbucks prior to the rebranding. At present, Starbucks has 549 company operated stores in the UK, with an additional 125 licensed and 57 franchised stores across the country, making it one of the industry leaders in the country (Campbell, 2014). In October 1998, Starbucks extended its operations in New Zealand, through licensing its store concept to Restaurant Brands New Zealand, an authorised licensee of KFC and Pizza Hut brands at the time (Morrison, 2013). Due to its enthusiasm of bringing the Starbucks experience to consumers in the country, Restaurant Brands New Zealand was the ideal partner for Starbucks in positioning itself in the Asia Pacific market in an incipient stage of the coffee industry in this geographical region. The relatively low popularity of the coffee shop industry at the time in the region was a risk that could have deterred the success of a wholly owned market entry (Field, 2011). The leading position and market knowledge of the partner firm that Starbucks licensed its store concept to ensured the minimal risk and lead to the success that the brand is enjoying in New Zealand presently, operating 22 stores in the country, with a $25.1 million sales annually (Morrison, 2013). Global Marketing Strategy Although globalisation has allowed large multinationals to expand across the globe increasing their popularity and profits, this phenomenon has been widely criticised and Starbucks was also the victim of anti-consumerism and anti-globalisation movements (Klein, 2009). The growth experience by the company and its current world dominance has generated many negative discourses, primarily criticising Starbucks’ ascendancy at the expense of local coffee shops. As a multinational brand that aspires to be a recognised global leader, Starbucks’ marketing strategy requires a degree of standardisation. To start with, the company hardly advertises in the traditional sense via TV, radio and print adverts, â€Å"instead relying on their ubiquitous cafà ©s to do the talking† (Kiley, 2006, p. 56). In addition to this, the company has developed and perfected their social media marketing strategy, using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other platforms for competitions and promotional offers for their customers (Moth, 2013). It can be argued that Starbucks’ success in the social media sphere is also highly dependent on the anti-Starbucks movement, as this generates increased coverage of the brand name, allowing the company to counteract the accusations and promote their ethical behaviour even more (Holden, 2012). The involvement of consumers in product development and range (i.e.: new drink flavours) as well as the encouragements to share personal experiences are now an integral part of Starbucks’ international marketing strategy (Shayon, 2013). The company often prides itself on the fact that it creates a community sense amongst individuals from distinct countries through the recognisable brand name Starbucks (Batchelor Krister, 2012). The company uses social media to encourage its consumers to create a sense of belonging to a community and rewards its loyal customers through My Starbucks Reward, using polls to ensure a maximum potential of crowd sourcing (Schoultz, 2013). Through this, the company demonstrates loyalty on its own part to its customers, focusing on transforming their consumers in brand ambassadors, rather than investing time and large budget shares in aggressive marketing tactics aimed at accumulating large shares of new consumers. Levitt (1983) sustains that standardisation of a marketing programme needs to have a positive impact on the performance of the organisation. Being able to maintain a consistency across the marketing strategy and tactics in operations that span across the globe can have a positive impact on a company’s financial performance, as the budget for developing the marketing program is significantly lower (Samiee Roth, 1992). However, the cultural differences between different geographical markets make it difficult to distinguish the profitability and impact on performance of standardised marketing plans (Porter, 2011). Studies suggest that, irrespective of general traits of global marketing for brand recognition purposes, multinational corporations need to take into account any cultural aspects of the countries where their subsidiaries are. As such, Starbucks adapts their food and beverage offerings in their cafà ©s in order to suit their customers’ taste (Bussing-Burks, 2009). Below (Figure 4) is a list of products that are exclusively available in specific geographical areas as evidence of adaptation tactics used by the company. Figure 4 Country Specific products. Adapted from Misener (2014) In China, Starbucks has adapted their product offerings in order to be able to introduce the coffee shops in a market which was loyal to a long-lasting tradition of tea. Despite the concerns expressed by many in regards to the potential success of an American coffee-house chain in a country where other multinational food and beverage brands like Dunkin Donuts and Burger King have failed, Starbucks opened 500 stores across China (Fellner, 2008). The company licensed its brand name to Mei Da Coffee Co. and entered a JV with Shanghai President Coffee Co. (Figure 3). Instead of trying to force the products that appealed to Americans and made the company successful in their mother land, Starbucks launched green-tea flavoured coffee drinks and relied less on takeaway orders due to their lack of popularity in China (Rein, 2012). More importantly, through charging premium prices for their beverages, instead of adopting the general strategy of under-pricing their products in the Asian market, Starbucks cups have become a status symbol in the urban areas of Beijing and Shanghai (Schiavenza, 2013). Unlike many of its competitors, Starbucks prefers investing the money that companies spend on advertising into the benefits and training of their staff members (Kessler, 2012). In line with this philosophy, the company became one of the very few to extend their full health policy to their part-time workers (Schultz Yang, 1997). This philosophy applies even in their overseas stores, and employees in China reported a high level of satisfaction with their job benefits, indicating that this is one of the core values of the company and even through licensing and JV, Starbucks ensures that the contentment of all employees under the Starbucks brand name is indistinguishable across the globe (Rein, 2012). The Chairman of the company, Howard Schulz, believes that the training and satisfaction levels of the Starbucks baristas represent one of the best marketing tactics. He discovered that the attitude and skills of Italian baristas in coffee shops from Rome is what created the atmosphere within a cafà © (Bussing-Burks, 2009). In addition to this, the leadership team that sits in the head offices of Starbucks have a weekly exercise of reading consumers’ feedback, keeping them in touch with the realities of the consumer experience, not allowing them to lose sight of the end user of the services and products of Starbucks (Gulati, Huffman, Neilson, 2002). Although Starbucks has ventured into markets where the coffee culture was in its incipient stages, like countries in the Asia-Pacific area, the most difficult task that the company has had to date is strengthening its market position in nations with a strong coffeehouse culture, like France or the UK (Rudarakanchana, 2013). Their marketing strategies require more creativity in these geographical areas, particularly because Starbucks is up against well established coffee houses that offer a more unique and tailored cultural experience to its customers. However, the company is not oblivious to this issue and Starbucks inaugurated a coffee shop in Amsterdam in 2012 with an avant-garde architecture and a stage for poetry reading (Alderman, 2012). Howard Schultz is planning on expanding the plans for introducing more concept stores across Europe, in order to increase the appeal of the coffee house for consumers beyond the young hip customer, who sees Starbucks as a product that stands for the American lifestyle. Conclusions The company that reinvented the way in which people enjoy their traditional cup of coffee, Starbucks has conquered the globe in less than half a century, since the first store opened. The pace of growth and geographical reach of Starbucks is an undeniable reality that has sparked debates over the past decades. Most of the elements that have contributed to this successful expansion and brand recognition can be associated with the entry mode selection, the marketing mix adaptability and promotional strategies used by the company. Starting with the successful collaborations with local companies in the countries of destination through JVs or licensing through to the slight alterations made to the menu to suit the taste of local consumers, the company displays an exquisite cultural awareness. American giants in the food and beverage industry like Dunkin Donuts or Burger King have attempted to penetrate Asian markets preserving their business model and menu offerings. They encountered resistance from the local consumers, as their culinary and beverage preferences were not met by the menu of the American companies. Whilst it is understandable that MNCs desire to preserve their business model and should avoid making big compromises for each geographical region where they extend, as this would incur additional operational costs for product development and marketing, organisations need to demonstrate a willingness to take into account the culture of the host country. Starbucks’ main philosophy revolves around the atmosphere they can create in their coffee shops and the manner in which the company values its employees, rather than their product offerings, therefore allowing the organisation to expand, adapt and yet, stay true to their core values. Carefully selecting its international partners whose values match the Starbucks passion for great customer focused services, Starbucks seeks the necessary help from well-established local retailers. Although the whole-ownership market entry mode guarantees immediate higher profitability, Starbucks’ focus is on creating long-lasting relationships with consumers in every geographical region, seeking and rewarding the loyalty of the brand’s customers. As such, JVs, licensing or partly-owned subsidiaries are the entry modes of choice for Starbucks in their pursuit to establish themselves as market leaders. The company is clearly not seeking short term goals through aggressive tactics, rather focusing on a well-established strategy that promotes a steady continuous growth, which has so far proved to be a successful approach to internationalisation. References Alderman, L. (2012, March 30). In Europe, Starbucks Adjusts to a Cafe Culture. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/business/starbucks-tailors-its-experience-to-fit-to-european-tastes.html?pagewanted=all_r=0 Batchelor, B., Krister, K. (2012). Starbucks: A case study examining power and culture. PRism, 9(2), 2-11. Bintliff, E. (2009, October 26). Rivals take the froth off Starbucks. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0bd45f7a-c253-11de-be3a-00144feab49a.html#axzz3G7F67u57 Bussing-Burks, M. (2009). Starbucks. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. Campbell, P. (2014, April 25). Sales slide as Starbucks feels tax backlash: Coffee chain axes six shops after  £14m drop in business during the past year. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2612668/Sales-slide-Starbucks-feels-tax-backlash-Coffee-chain-axes-six-shops-14m-drop-business-past-year.html Canabal, A., White III, G. O. (2008). Entry mode research: Past and future. International Business Review, 17(3), 267-284. Chen, L. Y., Mujtaba, B. (2007). The choice of entry mode strategies and decisions for international market expansion. Journal of American Academy of Business, 10(2), 322-337. Chen, X. Y. (2014, February 11). Even with ~20,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks has room to grow. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Market Realist: http://marketrealist.com/2014/02/even-with-20000-stores-worldwide-starbucks-has-room-to-grow/ Daft, R. L. (2010). Organization theory and design. Mason, OH: Cengage learning. Doz, Y., Hamel, G. (1998). Alliance advantage: The art of creating value through partnering. Boston: Harvard Business Press. Fellner, K. (2008). Wrestling with Starbucks: Conscience, Capital, Cappuccino. Piscataway: Rutgers University Press. Field, N. (2011, January 25). Kiwi snobs wont stop Starbucks domination. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from The New Zealand Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3objectid=10701767 Gulati, R., Huffman, S., Neilson, G. (2002, July 17). The Barista Principle — Starbucks and the Rise of Relational Capital. 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