Lady macbeth suicide letter

A blade tearing through skin†¦ Unman skin.. Then the color, it was so vivid. As if you were staring at the sun with your bare eyes and they caught fire. And the feeling. Warm, dripping down my hands, seeping into my clothes. I find I am no longer able to walk without slipping on the pools of blood that cover my bedroom floor. There is no escape. Not even in sleep. I was overwhelmed by ambition. Thane Of Castor King The very though made me shake with excitement but now I can only tremble with fear.Your letter announcing you had become THANE OF CASTOR was he spark that lit a flame of my ambition. I love you.. But I'm not the only one falling apart here†¦ You'd be lying if you said you weren't. And us together, were falling apart. We only have catheter to trust however you no longer have trust in me. This path we have chosen.. Its not like we imagined it to me. We loathed power, status and respect. We've received betrayal and hatred. All that's left is the screams of a mother and her children, that wont leave my head.I have sunk into an empty abyss and cannot find anyway out . This depression has taken me as a hostage and no one can rescue me, no matter how hard they try. I don't see a light at the end of this tunnel. I can only hope that in death will find peace. Life here is just no longer bearable. I'm exhausted; this depression has become so insidious that can no longer see my future. You may view me as a coward but believe I am more brave and courageous then 10 Of you combined, so don't you even begin to view me like that. Remember I helped you get here so don't waste it.This isn't the path we had planned for.. But I can only believe my death will help clear it for you. I refuse to live life in fear any longer and the only way to achieve that is by not living. I know you'll understand. Though now it may not shine as bright, promise to keep your ambition lit and don't ever let anyone blow it out. Don't let them see your confidence waver. Until we reu nite in death know that I will never lose my love for you. Its safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.

Causes of Environment

cause of environmental degradation The primary cause of environmental degradation is  human disturbance. The degree of the environmental impact varies with the cause, the habitat, and the plants and animals that inhabit it. ————————————————- Habitat Fragmentation Habitat fragmentation carries long term environmental impacts, some of which can destroy entire ecosystems. An ecosystem is a distinct unit and includes all the living and non-living elements that reside within it. Plants and animals are obvious members, but it will also include other components on which they rely on such as streams, lakes, and soils.Habitats become fragmented when development breaks up solid stretches of land. Examples include roads which may cut through forests or even trails which wind through prairies. While it may not sound all bad on the surface, there are serious consequences. The largest of these consequences are initially felt by specific plant and animal communities, most of which are specialized for their bioregion or require large areas of land to retain a healthy genetic heritage. Area Sensitive Animals Some wildlife species require large stretches of land in order to meet all of their needs for food, habitat, and other resources.These animals are called  area sensitive. When the environment is fragmented, the large patches of habitat no longer exist. It becomes more difficult for the wildlife to get the resources they to survive, possibly becoming threatened or endangered. The environment suffers without the animals that play their role in the food web. Aggressive Plant Life A more critical result of habitat fragmentation is land disturbance. Many weedy plant species, such as garlic mustard and purple loosestrife, are both opportunistic and invasive. A breach in the habitat gives them an opportunity to take hold.These aggressive plants can take over an envir onment, displacing the native flora. The result is habitat with a single dominant plant which doesn't provide adequate food resources for all the wildlife. Entire ecosystems are threatened with extinction, according to the National Resources Defense Council. Effects of Environmental  Degradation One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is environmental degradation, including deforestation, desertification, pollution, and climate change – an issue of increasing concern for the international community.Environmental degradation increases the vulnerability of the societies it affects and contributes to the scarcity of resources. Climate change will lead to an increase in the intensity and frequency of weather extremes, such as heat waves, floods, droughts and tropical cyclones. The people hardest hit by climate change and environmental degradation are those living in the most vulnerable areas, including coastal communities, small island nations, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asi an delta regions. It is the poorest of the poor, who lack the resources to prepare, adapt and rebuild, that are most affected.Environmental degradation can lead to a scarcity of resources, such as water and farmable. Extreme weather events, such as severe flooding, increase the spread of waterborne diseases, such as malaria and diarrhoea. The effects of the major environmental problems on both health and productivity are: a. Water pollution and water scarcity: As per the estimation of UN, more than two million deaths and billions of illnesses a year are attributable to water pollution. Water scarcity compounds these health problems.Productivity is affected by the costs of providing safe water, by constraints on economic activity caused by water shortages, and by the adverse effects of water pollution and shortages on other environmental resources such as, declining fisheries and acquifer depletion leading to irreversible compaction. b. Air pollution: As per the estimation of UN, urb an air pollution is responsible for 300,000—700,000 deaths annually and creates chronic health problems for many more people. Restrictions on vehicles and industrial activity during critical periods affect productivity, as does the effect of acid rain on forests and water bodies. . Solid and hazardous wastes: Diseases are spread by uncollected garbage and blocked drains; the health risks from hazardous wastes are typically more localized, but often acute. Wastes affect productivity through the pollution of groundwater resources. d. Soil degradation: Depleted soils increase the risks of malnutrition for farmers. Productivity losses on tropical soils are estimated to be in the range of 0. 5-1. 5 per cent of GNP, while secondary productivity losses are due to siltation of reservoirs, transportation channels and other hydrologic investments. e.Deforestation: Death and disease can result from the localized flooding caused by deforestation. Loss of sustainable logging potential and of erosion prevention, watershed stability and carbon sequestration provided by forests are among the productivity impacts of deforestation. f. Loss of biodiversity: The extinction of plant and animal species will potentially affect the development of new drugs; it will reduce ecosystem adaptability and lead to the loss of genetic resources. g. Atmospheric changes: Ozone depletion is responsible for perhaps 300,000 additional cases of skin cancer a year and 1. million cases of cataracts. Global warming may lead to increase in the risk of climatic natural disasters. Productivity impacts may include sea-rise damage to coastal investments, regional changes in agricultural productivity and disruption of the marine food chain. Conclusion:  The impact of environmental disasters can be devastating on the social, economic, and environmental systems of a country or region as well as the global ecosystem. Environmental disasters do not recognise man-made borders, and threaten the legacy le ft to future generations of a clean and supportive environment.Because of the interdependency of earth ecosystems international co-operation is paramount to prevent, and when disaster strikes, respond to relieve quickly and effectively the effects of environmental disasters. Thus, Governments, International organizations and communities must work together – at all levels – to lessen the risks associated with environmental degradation and its contributing factors, such as climate change, and ensure that vulnerable people are prepared to survive and adapt. At the same time, companies, organizations and individuals must also ensure that their work is environmentally friendly and sustainable. Similar essay: Disadvantages of Plants Living on Land

Bipolar Disorder Essay Research Paper Bipolar DisorderThe

Bipolar Disorder Essay, Research Paper Bipolar Disorder The phenomenon of bipolar affectional upset has been a enigma since the sixteenth century. Bipolar upset or as the surrogate names, frenzied depressive unwellness or affectional bipolar upset can be classified as a temper upset characterized by temper swings from Manis ( overdone feeing of wellbeing ) to depression. History has shown that this affliction can look in about anyone. Even the great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed to hold had bipolar upset. It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar upset ; nevertheless, despite the copiousness of people enduring from the it, we are still waiting for definite accounts for the causes and remedy. The one fact of which we are distressingly cognizant is that bipolar upset badly undermines its? victims ability to obtain and keep societal and occupational success. It is besides believed that the Li degree is what causes these temper swings. Because bipolar upset has such debilitating symptoms, it is imperative that we remain argus-eyed in the pursuit for accounts of its causes and intervention. A smorgasborg of symptoms that can be broken into manic and depressive episodes characterized by affectional upsets. The depressive episodes are characterized by intense feelings of unhappiness and desperation that can go feelings of hopelessness and weakness. Either the manic or the depressive episodes can rule and bring forth few temper swings or the spiels of temper swings my be cyclic. Some of the symptoms of a depressive episode include anhedonia, perturbations in slumber and appetency, psycomoter deceleration, loss of energy, feelings of ineptitude, guilt, trouble thought, indecisiveness, and perennial ideas of decease and self-destruction ( Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ) . Some of the other symptoms that may happen in the depressive phase can be besides fatigue that can last anyplace from hebdomads to months and a individual may non be cognizant of why this is really go oning. Daytime drowsiness can besides happen doing it difficult for a individual with this unwellness to keep down any kind of a occupation for a length of clip. Unintentional weightloss can do the physician go in a different way in this doing it hard for them in diagnosing because of all the possible symptoms that a individual may exhibit. A individual may besides hold some memory loss episodes or episodes of memory loss, traveling space for a periods of clip. They may non even be cognizant that they have a household to take attention of their occupati ons. The frenzied episodes are characterized by elevated or irratable temper, increased energy, decreased demand for slumber, hapless judgement and penetration, and frequently foolhardy or irresponsible behaviour ( Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ) . When a individual is in the frenzied statge they may go agitated which makes them more chatty than usual or they feel pressured to maintain speaking, they besides may contorting their custodies or restlessness because they feel unsure of the state of affairs that they are in and seem to hold merely utmost restlessness to them. They might look to hold put on rather a spot of weight and choler highly easy. Their fickle behaviour can do it difficult for their households to be around them. Finally forcing their households aside and the diagnosing is harder to acquire because of the deficiency of support from others and their behaviour is frequently so away. In this phase the sexual activity can be increased dramatically, doing the patient seek other people to be with if they are non fulfilled in their relationship at place. This can take to the break of the household unit. This disease is really serious and can impact anyone. Bipolar upset affects about one per centum of the population ( about three million people ) in the United States. Bipolar Disorder can impact both males and females and involves episodes of passion and depression.. Bipolar upset is diagnosed if an episode of passion occurs whether depression has been diagnosed or non ( Goodwin, Guze, 1989, p 11 ) . Persons with frenzied episodes most normally see a period of depression. The rarest symptoms were periods of loss of all involvement and deceleration or agitation ( Weisman, 1991 ) . As the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association ( MDMDA ) has demonstrated, bipolar upset can make significant developmental holds, matrimonial and household breaks, occupational reverses, and fiscal catastrophes, loss of occupations and 1000000s of dollars in cost in society.As the patient ages or acquire older they report that the depressions are longer and increase in frequence. Many times bipolar provinces and psychotic provinces are misdiagnos ed as schizophrenic disorder. Particularly if the household history exhibits schizophrenic disorder or some other unwellness. Bipolar is most distinguished with households that have mental unwellness in their background and can happen most frequently in those scenes than in any other, although it can impact anyone. Speech patterns assist separate between the two upsets ( Lish, 1994 ) . The oncoming of Bipolar upset normally occurs between the ages of 20 and 30 old ages of age, with a 2nd extremum in the fortiess for adult females. A typical bipolar patient may see eight to ten episodes in their bipolar Disorder 3 life-time. However, those who have rapid cycling may see more episodes of passion and depression that win each other without a period of remittal ( DSM III-R ) . Rapid cycling agencies that their temper alterations several times a twenty-four hours. The three phases of passion Begin with hypomania, in which patients report that they are energetic, extrospective and self-asserting ( Hirschfeld,1995 ) . The hypomania province has led perceivers to experience that bipolar patients are addicted to their passion. Hypomania progresses into passion and the passage is marked by loss of judgement ( Hirschfeld, 1995 ) .Often, euphoric grandiose features are displayed, and paranoiac or cranky features begin to attest. The 3rd phase of passion is apparent when the patient experiences psychotic beliefs with frequently paranoid subjects. Address is by and large rapid and overactive behaviour manifests sometimes associated with force ( Hirschfeld, 1995 ) . When both manic and depressive symptoms occur at the same clip it is called a assorted episode. Those afflicted are a particular hazard because there is a combination of hopelessness, agitation, and anxiousness that makes them experience like they could leap out of their tegument ( Hirschfeld, 1995 ) . Up to 50 % of all patients with passions have a mixture of down tempers. Patients study experiencing distressed, down, and unhappy ; yet, they exhibit the energy associated with passion. Rapid cycling passion is another presentation of bipolar upset. Mania may be present with four or more distinguishable episodes within a 12 month period. There is now grounds to propose that sometimes rapid cycling may be a transeunt manifestation of the bipolar upset. This signifier of the disease exhibits more episodes of passion and depression than bipolar. Lithium has been the primary intervention of bipolar upset since Bipolar Disorder 4 it s debut in the 1960’s. It is chief map is to stabilise the cycling feature of bipolar upset. In four controlled surveies by F. K. Goodwin and K. R. Jamison, the overall response rate for bipolar topics treated with Lithium was 78 % ( 1990 ) . Lithium is besides the primary drug used for long- term care of bipolar upset. In a bulk of bipolar patients, it lessens the continuance, frequence, and badness of the episodes of both mania and depression. Unfortunately, every bit many as 40 % of bipolar patients are either unresponsive to lithium or can non digest the side effects. Some of the side effects include thirst, weight addition, sickness, diarrhoea, and edema it may besides rise the suicide potency that is present with sustained depression. Patients who are unresponsive to lithium intervention are frequently those who experience distressed passion, assorted provinces, or rapid cycling bipolar upset. One of the jobs associated with Li is the fact the long-run Li intervention ha s been associated with reduced thyroid operation in patients. Preliminary grounds besides suggest that hypothyroidism may really take to rapid-cycling ( Bauer et al. , 1990 ) . Pregnant adult females experience another rporblem associated with the usage of Li. Its usage during gestation has been associated with birth defects, peculiarly Ebstein’s anomalousness. Based on current informations, the hazard of a kid with Ebstein’s anomaly being born to a female parent who took Li during her first trimester of gestation is about 1 in 8,000, or 2.5 times that of the general population ( Jacobson et al. , 1992 ) . There are other effectual interventions for bipolar upset that are used in instances where the patients can non digest Li or have been unresponsive to it in the yesteryear. The American Psychiatric Association # 8217 ; s guidelines suggest the following line of intervention to be Anticonvulsant drugs such as valproate and carbamazepine. These drugs are utile as antimanic agents, particularly in those patients with assorted provinces. Both of these medicines can be used in combination with Li or in combination with each other. Valproate is particularly helpful for patients who are lithium defiant, experience rapid-cycling, or have comorbid intoxicant or drug maltreatment. Major tranquilizers such as Haldol or Thorazine have besides been used to assist stabilise frenzied patients who are extremely agitated or psychotic. Use of these drugs is frequently necessary because the response to them are rapid, but there are hazards involved in their usage. Because of the frequently terrible side effects, Benzodiazepines are frequently used in their topographic point. Benzodiazepines can accomplish the same consequences as Neuroleptics for most patients in footings of rapid control of agitation and exhilaration, without the terrible side effects. Some physicians as intervention for bipolar upset have used antidepressants such as the selective 5-hydroxytryptamine re-uptake inhibitors ( SSRI? s ) fluovamine and Elavil. A double-blind survey by M. Gasperini, F. Gatti, L. Bellini, R.Anniverno, and E. Smeraldi showed that fluvoxamine and Elavil are extremely effectual interventions for bipolar patients sing depressive episodes ( 1992 ) . This survey is controversial nevertheless, because conflicting research shows that SSRI? s and other antidepressants can really precipitate frenzied episodes. Most physicians can see the utility of antidepressants when used in Bipolar Disorder in concurrence with temper stabilising medicines such as Li. In add-on to the mentioned medical interventions of bipolar upset, there are several other options available to bipolar patients, most of which are used in concurrence with medical specialty. One such intervention is light therapy. One survey compared the response to light therapy of bipolar patients with that of unipolar patients. Patients were free of psychotropic and hypnotic medicines for at least one month before intervention. Bipolar patients in this survey showed an norm of 90.3 % betterment in their depressive symptoms, with no incidence of passion or hypomania. They all continued to utilize light therapy, and all showed a sustained positive response at a three month followup ( Hopkins and Gelenberg, 1994 ) . Another survey involved a four hebdomad intervention of bright forenoon visible radiation intervention for patients with seasonal affectional upset and bipolar patients. This survey found a statistically important decrease in depressive symptoms, with the maximal antidepressant consequence of visible radiation non being reached until hebdomad four ( Baur, Kurtz, Rubin, and Markus, 1994 ) . Hypomanic symptoms were experienced by 36 % of bipolar patients in thi s survey. Predominant hypomanic symptoms included rushing ideas, deceased slumber and crossness. Surprisingly, tierce of controls besides developed symptoms such as those mentioned above. Regardless of the account of the outgrowth of hypomanic symptoms in undiagnosed controls, it is apparent from this survey that light intervention may be associated with the ascertained symptoms. Based on the consequences, careful professional monitoring during light intervention is necessary, even for those without a history of major Bipoler Disorder. Another popular intervention for bipolar upset is electro-convulsive daze therapy. ECT is the preferable intervention for badly frenzied pregnant patients and patients who are murderous, psychotic, catatonic, medically compromised, or badly self-destructive. In one survey, research workers found marked betterment in 78 % of patients treated with ECT, compared to 62 % of patients treated merely with Li and 37 % of patients who received neither, ECT or Li ( Black et al. , 1987 ) . A concluding type of therapy is outpatient group psychotherapeutics. Dr. John Graves, interpreter for The National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association has called attending to the value of support groups, and challenged mental wellness professionals to take a more serious expression at group therapy for the bipolar population. Research shows that group engagement may assist increase Li conformity, lessening denial sing the unwellness, and increase consciousness of both external and internal emphasis factors taking to manic and depressive episodes. Group therapy for patients with bipolar upsets responds to the demand for support and support of medicine direction, and the demand for instruction and support for the interpersonal troubles that arise during the class of the upset. The bipolar upset can impact anyone at anytime. It is still ill-defined as to what and why this happens. Some physicians believe that the organic structures? chemical sometimes acquire out of whack and that the intervention of Li every bit good as the other drugs will assist battle the normal degrees in our organic structures. Whether we of all time fins a remedy or truly how this familial and emotional upset does come about, we all can hold that this does happen in households and most of the clip it affects adult females more so than that of the work forces. I think that is because adult females are so emotional to get down with and that AIDSs in the frenzied depression episodes. Hopefully scientist will go on to analyze and dissect this upset that affects so many people.

Hacker Target and Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hacker Target and Response - Assignment Example The principal objective of this paper is to identify the areas and the information that an attacker might want to obtain and the methods that they may employ in undertaking the criminal activity. The paper also seeks to highlight the possible damage that their activities may cause to the information system. It is also important to show the preventive measures and the appropriate responses towards the security threat. As said earlier in the paper, one of the probable offenders is an ex-employee of an organization. The reason for this is that the ex-employee might have negative motives of releasing sensitive information that could destroy the reputation of the organization. The primary objective of an ex-employee would be to revenge. Another area that could be attacked by the ex-employee is the financial security system. The offender could have an objective of crumbling the organizations financial stability. The terminated employee may also target the organization’s foundational information, its economic weaknesses, production information and organizational information (Covaleski, 2013). There are multiple ways in which the terminated employee may use to hack into the company’s information system. One of the ways is using other employees to obtain information; the other means they could employ is to use their knowledge of security passwords and access the organization’s information system. A well-planned data security strategy alternatively posits the objectives of the information system of a business and formulates a plan to attain these goals (Dhillon & Backhouse, 2000). Any leakage of sensitive corporate information is a pragmatic basis of corporation collapse. Precisely the data system lacking a prolific information security is prospective to be a separate collection of check procedures that include numerous severe security threats. Information systems security policies at that instance may frequently be

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example The video top ten business model pitfall by Ash Maurya seeks to draw the entrepreneurs’ focus from the product and its development to thinking of the whole venture as the product. To overcome the pitfalls Maurya proposes that the entrepreneurs must define what success will be and set the measure of success even before they start off. That way they can know whether they are achieving their objectives or not. The entrepreneur needs to know to what extent they wish to grow and whether it will be necessary to expand further or not. This will prevent overexpansion and operation of the business below its potential. The entrepreneur should hence define what success should look like and when they should have achieved the goal. Another mistake identified in the video that entrepreneurs sometimes make is to try to create a product that will meet everyone’s need. In the end the product may not satisfy anyone. It is, therefore, necessary that the entrepreneur should focus on a specified target market and strive to satisfy their need. In doing so, one should identify the early adopters and seek to satisfy their needs before expanding to serve others with the product. However, the entrepreneur must not be too particular since at the start of the venture, the main idea is not about executing a specific plan but experimenting to come up with a plan that will work. He should therefore not focus too quickly on narrowing down to a specific product or service as he may lose out on a greater opportunity.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 19

Assignment - Essay Example that includes export control, protectionism, strategic trade policy incorporating foreign direct investment (FDI), capital controls, and regulation, antitrust, and competition policy. There are groups of small businesses that require political protection. These also require economic laws to be protected especially from the competition of foreign projects such as Saudization. It is defined as goods imported from abroad. It leads to abandoning local goods. There are several methods that can be used to protect these businesses and include import tariffs. This is a tax imposed by the government on goods imported from abroad. Whether service or commodity, quotas that are importing goods must follow certain laws. Tax cuts to local businesses are taxes taken from a local business. This is done directly by a state. Protectionism it is a kind of trade policy. In addition, the antitrust and competition policies are also used to protect the local economy for the small businesses in the country. The antitrust policy erases professional competition from large companies. Additionally, it promotes laws that prohibit monopolization, which affects the profit making capacity of th e smaller businesses in the area. This also helps in preventing large companies from growing to the point that they gain strong control of the market as compared to other companies. This can also be viewed as preventing one organization from controlling the entire market. The presumed anti- competitive behavior prices are too high. There are benefits to companies if they follow the antitrust laws such as the use of national resources in a professional manner and having a more localized growth, achievement of stability in prices for both output and employment. If the figures of imports were rising disproportionately to export figures, imports would be more than exports. It must be specified which goods can be exported to the outside. These laws protect the domestic economy of the country from the impact

Women and Mysticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Women and Mysticism - Essay Example Sometimes death is easier than life and possession is easier than death. No matter what your religion, the teachings for that religion refer to demons. These demons are able to possess those that lack strength and are vulnerable to that possession (Bengtsson &Saveman, 2). Women who have been abused and beaten especially by an intimate partner are vulnerable and lack the strength to protect themselves, thus the possession. This is not an effort to show power in a way that is acceptable, this is a direct result of the pain in their lives because of their powerlessness. Distress of the proportions that these women experience bring depression, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) (Goodman, Smyth, Borges, 1). Goodman states that the combination of violence and poverty lead to stress, powerlessness, social isolation, ptsd, depression and other emotional problems. It is not hard to put this damage into perspective when demonization or possession occurs. Who can know whether the demonization they then feel is real or not real. To the victim it is real just like spiders on the wall are very real to the psychotic patient (Goodman, et.al., 2). The Bourguignon paper (559) argues that possession normally affects women in such a way as to allow them to assume a powerful presence or to somehow get what they want.

Executive Pay Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Executive Pay - Case Study Example The roles involved range from setting the goals, planning, overseeing to implementation (He, Mahoney and Wang 302). The size of the company should compensate the managers for all their contributions to the company. Among the inducements as He, Mahoney and Wang indicate include the reasonable compensation packages to the managers, and ownership of the management process (302). This will automatically motivate the managers to perform. So as to control the relationship so that it suits the interest of the shareholders, it is recommended that the managers and the stakeholders build their rapport (He, Mahoney and Wang 302-6). This will ease the compensation process considering the kind of effort the managers put in the organisation. The managers will in turn make propositions that will favor the shareholders through meeting the set goals of the organization. The acquired profits will be distributed reasonably among the involved stakeholders. He, Jinyu. Mahoney, Joseph and Wang, Heli. â€Å"Firm capability, corporate governance and competitive behaviour: a multi-theoretic framework†, Int. J. Strategic Change Management, 1.4(2009):293 – 318.

Columbian Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Columbian Foreign Policy - Essay Example Colombian drug cartels successfully organize the manufacture and export of cocaine. Much of the spread of this business can be attributed to the consumers’ interest in cocaine. Colombia would not produce cocaine if other countries would not consume it. Colombia’s came to terms with US under the influence of the previous Pastrana administration and the relations between the two improved considerably. This can be estimated from the fact that US promised a lot of funding to Colombia for programs directed at the assistance of Colombian police as well as military for the purpose of increasing counter-narcotics abilities. This aid of net worth equal to $400 million opened several projects for establishing numerous judicial and economic reforms, alternative development, ensuring humanitarian assistance and achieving human rights. The 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers in the US led Colombia to play its significant role in the War against Terrorism. One reason for this was the fac t that Colombians had themselves been dealing with terrorism for quite a lot of years before the 2001 attacks happened. Colombia has largely provided the central stage for planning, preparing and practicing all antiterrorist activities in US against terrorists ass well as all agencies and countries supporting them. The Columbian government has denounced the left-wing guerrillas that are generally responsible for the trafficking of cocaine in Columbia as terrorist agencies. The Columbian government was able to achieve this with the help of US. Former President Uribe pledged that he would give all it takes to eradicate terrorism from his country, though he needs to be watchful about the possibility of surfacing of right-wing militias that are able to make a Civil War out of the War against Terrorism. Columbia is really exposed to great threat of breakout of a Civil War because similar incidents have happened in the history of Columbia as well as of the Central America. Therefore, Form er President Uribe needed to provide an objective record of human rights for his military in order to be able to retrieve their support for the War against Terrorism. Violation of human rights would increase the hindrances in Former President Uribe’s way of presenting his contributions for the War against Terrorism to the international community. Former President Uribe understood the importance of promoting relations with US, US being the primary consumer of Columbian drugs. Colombia is waging a war on two fronts: against guerrillas and against drugs. The former cannot be won on the battlefield alone. If the current peace talks fail, the country will plunge into all-out chaos. So the United States needs to take Colombia off the back burner and work with its government to help tamp down the violence, limit the drug lords' clout, lower the demand for drugs abroad, and prod the peace process along. Without these steps, even billions in U.S. aid will not be enough. (Pardo). Besid es, Former President Uribe ought to ensure that the US government did not indulge its military in the War against Terrorism in Columbia. In order to fight successfully in the War against Terrorism, Former President Uribe had to base his plan on the foundations of support for the peasants of coca leaf to raise alternative plants, consolidation and solidarity of democratic organizations, and financial aid for development. International front might be the only area in which Columbia could acquire effective

Religion in american experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Religion in american experience - Essay Example ishing slave trade also saw support from the moderate social thinkers who taught that the Protestants initiated steps of abolishing slave trade would bear fruits. The Protestants encouraged the slaves to disobey their masters because they taught that the Bible would free the slaves. The Protestants believed that the civil war was a religious war and it was being predestined by God. According to Protestants in 1860s, the civil war marked a period of their influence in United States; however this also marked the end of the domination of Protestants in America (Noll 72). Abraham Lincoln, who was not a member of any religious church, had the same opinion as Protestants since he believed that the civil war was as a consequence of religious war. During his second Inaugural speech in 1865, he captured on the religious distress of the civil war than any protestant follower (Noll 72). He says those who fought were the same people who read the same Bible, and prayed the same God; however, these people turned against each other. Lincoln was assassinated just some days after the Civil War ended and many Protestants mourned and expressed their dissatisfaction for his death. These Protestants believed that Lincoln contributed immensely to the end of civil war, which also led to the abolition of slave that had penetrated most parts of the Northern America (God in America, Episode

Transforming Nursing And Healthcare Essay Example for Free

Transforming Nursing And Healthcare Essay In today’s ever changing healthcare world, effective communication among healthcare team members is essential to provide safe and quality patient care. Conventional communication methods such as the telephone and the word of mouth are no longer the most effective ways of communicating important aspect of patient care. So health organizations are adopting communication systems which improve interaction among healthcare providers (McGonigle Mastrian, 2012). Recently my hospital adopted a new operating system called Care Logistics. Care logistics is a â€Å"†¦centralized care coordination model to efficiently anticipate, prioritize, coordinate, schedule, prepare for and track all patient movement, care, services and transport. This coordination of multiple people and departments establishes predictability and timeliness, improving throughput while best serving patients and caregivers.† (Care Logistics, n.d.). Order logistic is a section of care logistics that directly involves the nurses. Order logistics is a central order organizers, service departments and unit clinical care coordinators to manage simultaneous patient service demand across the hospital. The right patients receive tests and procedures in the order that best serves individual. After the nurse receives his/her assignment for the shift, she will log into care logistics to view the patient itinerary for the day. If a particular procedure such as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is scheduled at 10 o’clock a.m. Order logistics will communicate with the nurse that the patient will need to be NPO for at least eight hours, have a consent for the procedure and have at least a 20 gauge peripheral IV. Order logistics clearly shows nurses, doctors and service areas what is needed in order to deliver appropriate services. The nurse will acknowledge the procedure. By doing this, the logistics hub knows the nurse is aware that this patient has a procedure pending. During this time, if all requirements are met to have procedure then the nurse will make this procedure green, indicating that transportation can come for this patient. But for instance if the nurse was having a hard time getting the consent because the patient has dementia and  the family is unobtainable, then the nurse can make a note indicating the reason why this patient is not ready. Benefits of Care Logistics With care logistics, nurses are able to let patients and families know their daily itinerary. This eliminates the uncertainty of the day and the constant inquiry from patients about when certain events will occur. Order logistics allow nurses to spend more time with patients instead of the repeated interruptions by phone pages from radiology and other various departments. Acknowledging the procedures and/or indicating that the patient is ready, the nurse does not have to worry about scheduling and can spend more of her time providing quality bedside care. With order logistics doctors have started receiving test results more quickly. This allows them to appropriately diagnose and treat patients. Care logistics move patients through the hospital faster, by reducing wasted time and average length of stay for patients. Care logistics enhances communication and workflow while keeping the care in the forefront. As with any new healthcare technology patient care is the focus. Barriers of Care Logistics As with any new technological tool, there will be barriers that arise. Compliance of staff members to care logistics has been a problem. Resistance has occurred because nurses look at this system as another task to be completed. In actuality it is not anther task, it is eliminating repeated telephone calls and the uncertainty of what the patient need. Most of the nurses that experience this are older nurses that view change as a difficult obstacle. This slows down the process. Before the hospital went live with care logistics, there was a brief class orientation to the system. For someone that does not have a problem with maneuvering themselves around computer systems, a brief class orientation is sufficient. However for the nurses that struggle with computerized charting should be given the opportunity for extending class time. During their sessions they would be given scenarios of multiple patient itineraries and be guided through the care logistic process. If this was done then the hospital would probably have better compliance with this new communicating system. References Care Logistics. (n.d.). Care Coordination Model. Retrieved from http://www.carelogistics.com/solution/care-coordination-model.aspx McGonigle, D., Mastrian, K.G. (2012). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones Bartlett Learning.

Examine the use of the dramatic monologue Essay Example for Free

Examine the use of the dramatic monologue Essay Examine the use of the dramatic monologue in the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy Unlike the soliloquy, the dramatic monologue speaks directly to the reader and voices a single character or personas thoughts, this offers a better understanding of the ideas and message the poet is trying to express. The dramatic monologue is used to form a bond or relationship between the speaker and the reader, taking the poem to a personal level, and in turn more effective in conveying a certain message. This essay will explore the way the dramatic monologue is used in both Demeter and Mrs. Midas by Carol Ann Duffy, taken from her collection of poems The Worlds Wife. The phrase, Behind every great man there is said to be a great woman comes to mind when reading The Worlds Wife. The title of this collection reveals much about its content and Duffys intentions. The Worlds Wife places emphasis on the wife, giving the woman the centre stage and allowing her the chance to speak through the medium of the dramatic monologue. From Mrs. Midas to Mrs. Beast, Duffy explores the thoughts and feelings of the women behind famous men, be it through history or through myth or fairytale, Duffy makes it very clear that every woman has a tale to tell. Mrs. Midas tells the untold story of the well-known Greek myth King Midas, who is miraculously, granted the wish of turning everything he touches into gold. As with all the poems in The Worlds Wife, the title is a clear giveaway of what the poem is about to entail, and this is no different. Mrs. Midas, the wife of King Midas is the persona of this particular monologue and here she voices her thoughts on her husbands newfound ability. The kitchen filled with the smell of itself. This personification continues through the first stanza of Mrs. Midas. Its steamy breath and wiped the others glass like a brow, personifies the kitchen Mrs. Midas is in to help you relate to the familiar homely setting that surrounds her. The effect of this is that you feel how she feels at that time, safe, happy and without a care in the world. The lines begun to unwind and the imagery of her relaxing to a glass of wine enforce this feeling. The use of dramatic monologue helps to dramatise the final line of the stanza, He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig, the descriptive lines before this contrasts with the abrupt change of topic, this prepares you for the turning point in her story, where the twist to her tale begins. Within the next few stanzas Mrs. Midass tone dramatically changes from feeling relaxed and happy to shocked and horrified at what her husband has done. He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed. He drew the blinds. The short sentences evoke a feeling of everything happening too fast, supporting the shocked and horrified mood, which continues to the next stanzas. The first point of the poem in which you hear of her husbands reaction is where he laughs in reply to her question, What in the name of God is going on? Duffy has intended his initial reaction to be laughter instead of explaining himself to portray the stereotypical man that doesnt show consideration or take the situation or his wife seriously when she clearly needs it. The poem is set out in a structure of eleven stanzas consisting of six lines where only two exceptions of this rule is made. He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks. The word forks takes a line by itself to help you imagine the way in which Mrs. Midas is speaking to you, she is clearly still in a state of shock and this new line marks a short pause in her speech where she is struggling to stay calm. You see, we were passionate then, where then is on a line by itself it is as though Mrs. Midas has taken a short moment to imagine those happy times when they were passionate, appreciating them as those days are now long gone. I locked the cat in the cellar, The toilet I didnt mind. Like in much of her work, Duffy implements short spouts of humour throughout the poem, the effect of this is that the colloquial language engages the reader and helps to support the idea that Mrs. Midas is actually voicing her tale to the reader personally. Mrs. Midas speaks bitterly about the fatal consequences her husband has bought to their marriage, Separate beds. In fact, I put a chair against my door, near petrified, she also reminisces of the days when they were happy and uses words such as unwrapping which connotes the excitement she once felt. Contrasting the good times they had together with the breakdowns of their marriage they are experiencing now highlights the selfishness and lack of thought her husband had for their relationship. The poem ends with Mrs. Midas being forced to separate from her husband. He is left secluded on his own in the wilds away from people he can potentially harm. The irony of this is that he had hoped the power of the golden touch would win him prosperity, popularity and love and respect by all, and yet it has forced him to live alone for the rest of his life, unable to ever be intimate with his wife again, and unable to enjoy the things he had hoped money would buy him. but the lack of thought for me. Pure selfishness.

Festingers Social Comparison Theory Psychology Essay

Festingers Social Comparison Theory Psychology Essay In this essay we are asked to look at Festingers social comparison theory and its findings, applications, methodologies and theoretical approaches since its birth. We are asked to illustrate our understandings with reference to literature. Social comparison theory assumes that people tend to evaluate their successes, failures and opinions in relation to others (Festinger, 1954). This may occur with reference to a physical reality; what is happening at a particular moment in time relative to ones perceptions of anothers abilities. Take for example if someone can run a 6 minute mile he or she cannot know this is good or bad without comparing this time with other runners. It may also take place with reference to an objective evaluation, for example a comparison between two assignments with similar grades. Festinger (1954) postulates that there is an innate drive within human beings to compare themselves with outside images and assess their abilities in line with their assessments of others who are similar on the same tasks. Following on from Festingers (1954) original theory according to Kruglanski Mayseless (1990) people prefer to compare themselves with people who are similar to themselves as it tends to result in a mo re accurate evaluation. For example the runner would take into account age and sex of other runners and make comparisons based on this knowledge. Social comparisons are defined as comparative judgements made about a stimulus from the environment. They are context dependent (Kruglanski Mayseless, 1990). There are three levels of analysis to Social Comparative Theory. Firstly a judgemental process must exist before comparisons can be made. Social comparisons are made up of categorisations and comparative judgements about the self. The third level is the most specific of the three and is composed of the content of the comparison whether it is in the domain of comparison for example in sporting competition; levels of achievement with reference to age and gender may be taken into consideration, as outlined by the runner example(Kruglanski et al., 1990). There are two main kinds of social comparison; upwards and downwards social comparisons. Upwards comparisons occur when an individual compares itself to someone who they believe to be better off than themselves. Downwards social comparisons occur when people compare themselves to people they believe to be worse off than themselves. Festinger (1954) proposes that people who engage in downwards social comparisons do so in order to maintain their self esteem and buffer their self evaluations. Upwards social comparisons supposedly exhibit more negative effects such as lowered levels of self-esteem. These processes will be discussed later. There have been many components to Festingers original theory that still remain intact but the scope of social comparison theory has been extended to a vast array of psychological domains and its implications have been applied to a variety of settings. How SCT findings, methodologies and theorising has evolved since Festingers 1954 publication Festingers original theory has undergone a number of changes over the years particularly in relation to its extension towards cognitive psychology. Since its founding the theory has been accepted to be more complex than originally thought. For example new dimensions of the theory have been suggested. Revisions include en empirical emphasis on motivations and drives, self enhancement, perceptions of self esteem, self esteem buffering, perceived target closeness, components of closure to name but a few (Kruglanski et al., 1987; Corning, 2002, Gerrard, Gibbibs, Lane Stock, 2005). According to Suls, Martin Wheeler (2002) social comparisons serve as a defence mechanism to protect ones self evaluation. Self enhancement depends on a number of variables such as whether the person compares upwardly or downwardly. If a person compares his or her own abilities in relation to people perceived to be lower than the individual this may act as a buffer to maintain the person sense of self worth and esteem. In the educational domain, people that are less academically driven prefer downwards social comparisons to prevent them from felling bad about bad results (Blankton et al., 1999). Research suggests that people have varying responses to social comparisons and these depend upon the perceived closeness of the target and the perceiver, and the importance of the particular domain of categorisation or expertise owned by the perceiver (Tesser, 1988; Suls et al., 2002). Several other models have been introduced to extend Festingers (1954) original theory. Social comparisons proxy model as proposed by Wheeler, Martin Suls (1997) refers to a situation in which people use social comparisons to assess their abilities in relation to an unfamiliar task. To illustrate, Wheeler et al., (1997) offers the example of a person considering pursuing a university degree. Social comparisons are made between the person and others who are currently in university. If the proxy (experienced other) is similar to how they perceive themselves on average they are more likely to pursue the goal. Amount of effort needed to pursue goal is an important indicator of the outcome and often other related attributes are perceived irrelevant (Suls et al., 2002). There seems to be sufficient evidence to support this theory. A model that has been derived from SCT is the Relative Deprivation Theory as proposed by Davis (1959). This model provides a conceptual framework for personal perceptions of discrimination and deprivation. Davis (1959) postulates that this process helps people cope with social deprivation, people tend to assess their levels of deprivation by comparing their situation with those around them. In India because of the inflexibility of the Caste system people often compared themselves downwardly in order to deal with their present state of poverty, for example those living in the slums would compare themselves to the sewage dwellers or pavement people. This acts as a buffer for people to cope better with their unchangeable circumstances. The applications of Festingers (1954) theory are vast. The implications have many important effects particularly for health psychology. Research suggests that when a threat is involved downward social comparisons help people cope better. For breast cancer patients it was found that patients who preferred downwards social comparisons dealt with their illness much better (Taylor, Wood Lichman, 1983). Likewise, according to Meta analysis, comparisons of the self to others in relation to appearance can lead to body dissatisfaction which correlates strongly with eating disorders (Myers Crowther, 2009). In conjunction with Meta Analysis Corning, Kruum Smithans (2006) study looking at social comparisons and eating disorder symptoms found that women who engage in everyday social comparisons were more likely to exhibit eating disorder symptoms, and also found that self esteem was also a predictor of disorders. Research reveals that social comparisons can also predict success in cessation o f smoking behaviours (Gerrard, Gibbons, Lane Stock, 2005). People that dissociate themselves from other smokers or the target behaviour are more likely to give up smoking in comparison to those who do not. When a decrease in downwards comparisons to smoking exists, smokers are more likely to quit. Social comparison theory has also been applied to an academic setting. Research suggests that upwards social comparisons can predict success in an academic environment. Gibbons, Benbow Gerrard (1994) found that gifted students preferred to compare themselves with those who did the best in the class on receiving a high grade. Conversely, if students received a poor mark they preferred downwards comparisons. This inconsistency is considered by the researchers to represent a form of buffering of the self concept and esteem. Research conducted by Blankton, Buunk, Gibbons Kuyper (1999) found that overall those who preferred upwards social comparisons did better in end of term grades. Interaction between affect and social comparison Comparisons may involve affective and cognitive components. The Wheeler Miyake (1992) study that incorporated the Rochester Social Comparison Record (RSCS) scale found several important findings conveying the importance of the cognitive and affective component. Firstly the comparison direction, either upwards or downwards; depended on the perceivers relationship with the target. It also found evidence for a cognitive component to the theory, that is to say, priming mood effects the directional movement of social comparisons. Schacter (1959) proposes that people make comparisons by evaluating emotions. In a number of experiments he found that fear evoked participants to want to be in a situation where someone else was experiencing the same feelings. This has been explained as a self evaluative component similar to what Festinger outlines in his original theory (Schacter, 1959). Conversely, Goethals Darley (1977) suggest that values are a component people make social comparisons base d upon. Priming of a negative mood led to more upward social comparisons. Wills (1981) found that inducing threat leads to more downwards social comparisons this is explained as downwards comparisons serve to increase positive affect, mood, boost esteem and may reduce anxiety. Another study found that comparisons can lead to an induction of a positive or negative feeling (Buunk, Collins, Taylor, VanYperen Dakof, 1990). Downwards social comparisons increased peoples subjective well-being and an opposite effect was found for the upwards comparison (Wheeler et al., 1992). Being primed with either a threatening ego or self-esteem booster condition has a significant effect on individual social comparisons. When an ego boost is induced people tend to prefer upwards social comparisons and can this can predict behaviour i.e. individuals exhibited increased ability on a task. The opposite effect was found for an induced threat, similarly to Buunk et als. (1990) findings. Thus it has been co ncluded that motivations to maintain a positive self evaluation reflects performance on tasks (Johnson Stapel, 2007). Lastly people who exhibited high self esteem tended to engage in more self-enhancement comparisons (Wheeler et al., 1992). There seems to be a ubiquitous consensus that SCT exists but the exact dimensions of the theory are contested. The methodologies used tended to be mostly qualitative and really not applicable to the natural world. According to Wheeler Myiake (1992) existing methodologies for studying social comparisons have focused primarily on retrospective accounts and specify that an experience sampling measure should be adapted to account for social comparisons as they occur in naturalistic settings. In their 1992 study they describe a qualitative method of measuring SCT called the Rochester Social Comparison Record (RSCR) (Wheeler et al., 1992). Discussion Conclusion It has been assumed that social comparison theory is a pervasive and ubiquitous phenomenon in everyday life. However, there still needs to be a lot of work conducted in this area particulary in relation to directional comparisons and their implications (Buunk et al., 1990). Albeit, despite revisions on social comparison theory the fundamental building blocks of Festingers (1954) original theoretical framework remains the same. The self evaluative component is important for this theory (Suls et al., 2002). As proposed by Festinger (1954) people make evaluations of their own behaviours in relation to others that they perceive are similar, this aspect has remained untainted. There seems to be evidence for this drive like ambition for humans to compare themselves in relation to others (Festinger, 1954). There seems to be a distinct cognitive component to social comparison theory. Suls et al. (2002) propose that comparisons are made uniformly across all domains and are not exponentially context driven. Priming can effect comparative judgements (Wills, 1992; Schacter, 1959). Current research in this domain outline that comparative knowledge depends on the motivations of the comparator and are dependent upon a number of situational, cultural and personality facets. Kruglanski et al., (1990) posit that motivational factors, perceived relevance, and availability heuristics all have an important role in whether the evaluative dimension relates to similar or different others. The work on social comparison theory has been extended to practical applications to health, counselling psychology and educational psychology. Over all social comparison theory has had a major impact in Psychology. Its implications and applications have been extended to many branches of psychology and undoubtedly the full extent of its pervasiveness have yet to be uncovered.

Ethics of Full Disclosure of Security Holes Essay -- Hackers Internet

Ethics of Full Disclosure of Security Holes Introduction Security breaches are making big headlines nowadays, and Microsoft is leading the charge. Its flagship operating systems and office suite are so bulky and complex, that it is impossible to be bug-free. The system administrators (the white hats) are up to their noses plugging all the holes from super hackers (the black hats). Yet they are also facing attack from another front – those that post vulnerabilities on the internet (the gray hats). The gray hats are hackers that find security vulnerabilities and post them on the internet, forcing system administrators to patch up the holes. Usually, they inform the vendor ahead of time. Then, if they deem the company is not taking them seriously, and malicious hackers will exploit the threat, they post it on a forum. Though acting in good faith, the ethics of full disclosure of security holes are in debate, including: how full disclosure can cause more harm then good, how long vendors should be allowed to fix the problem, and liabilities for posting on the internet. Issue 1: Full disclosure of security-related information can inflict more damage than good. You are showing people how to break into systems. The debate about vulnerability-disclosure policies involves two main parties. Researchers at security companies say they want to get their latest findings out quickly to hasten software makers' response to bugs. Software makers, on the other hand, say they aren't given enough time to deal with a problem, and that publicizing it simply alerts malicious hackers to an opportunity. There are super hackers out there who find security vulnerabilities, then write a script up on the internet, with one or two l... ...on't publish code, 17 Oct. 2001, CNet News.com, 11 Mar. 2004, 6. Lemos, Robert, Microsoft developers feel Windows pain, 7 Feb 2002, CNet News.com, 12 Mar. 2004, < http://news.com.com/2100-1001_3-832048.html> 7. Lemos, Robert, When is Hacking a Crime? 26 Sept 2002, ZDNetNews, 15 Mar. 2004, 8. Fried, Ina, Attack concerns slow Microsoft's pace, 16 Mar. 2004, CNet News.com, 16 March 2004, 9. Shankland, Stephen, Governements to See Windows Code, 14 Jan 2003, CNet News.com, 14 March 2004, 10. Lemos, Robert, New laws make hacking a black-and-white choice, 23 Sept 2002, CNet News.com, 14 March 2004,

American Directness and the Japanese Essay -- Essays Papers

American Directness and the Japanese American and Japanese ways of speaking are so different that they often cause culture shock to both Americans and Japanese who visit each other's country. Most Japanese who come to the United States are at first shocked and have a problem with the American direct way of speaking. Culture shock occurs because most Japanese cannot easily escape from the formula "politeness= indirectness." Compared to the American way of speaking, Japanese speak much more indirectly. Directness is considered a form of impoliteness in Japan. Therefore, when we want to be polite, we speak and act very indirectly. For example, we seldom say, "I'll go to a bathroom," except when we are with close friends. Usually, we say, "I'll go wash my hands." Especially when we are at the table or with an important person, we say only, "Excuse me. I'll be back in a minute" because we do not want to remind other people of the bathroom, which is considered a dirty place, even though it is actually clean. Also, other Japanese can infer that we are going to a bathroom from this phrase. But Americans cannot. They ask where we are going since they have no idea what we are going to do: make a phone call? buy something? Yet, in this case, these questions make Japanese frustrated, wondering why these Ame ricans do not understand our polite expression. Basically, expressing our desire directly is not considered polite, and culture shock happens to Japanese when Americans expect us to express our feelings honestly. Concerning appetite, when we are guests, we are unlikely to say, "I'm hungry." We put up with hunger until we are asked, "Aren't you hungry?" Even when we answer the question, we want to stay polite, so we never say, "Yes.... ...ure shocks to Japanese who come to the States. The difference between American and Japanese ways of speaking can cause us some bad experiences at first; however, once we get accustomed to the direct speech of Americans, it is more convenient than the Japanese way. First, we can say what we want. Second, we do not have to hesitate to tell the truth in order to be polite. Finally, it frees us from unnecessary misunderstandings. The third point makes us happy because it makes us feel we have adjusted ourselves to American society at last. Compared to Americans trying to learn the Japanese way of speech, we are supposed to have much less difficulty learning the American way. At first, it might seem to be difficult, but in a few months, we will find ourselves comfortable in the direct speech of the Americans and may be in trouble when speaking with newcomers from Japan.

Human Migration Factors Essay -- essays research papers

Human Migration Factors   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Migration, the movement of people from one place, origin or country to another1. For as long as man can remember migration has been a big part in our lives. People have migrated continuously since their emergence as a species.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The art of migrating is to move from place to place or country to country, to find what we searched for, A suitable environment for our families and us to live in. It is vital for humans to keep on the move or migrating. Many people migrate to different places around the world, like Europe, Africa, The Americas, Australia, and the Soviet Union. Humans migrate because they feel that they need to have stable and suitable environment in which to live in and bring up their families. Pe...

Case Study of Starbucks

When the announcement was made in mid 2008 that Starbucks would be closing nearly three-quarters of its 84 Australian stores there was mixed reaction. Some people were shocked, others were triumphant. Journalists used every pun in the book to create a sensational headline, and it seemed everyone had a theory as to what went wrong. This case outlines the astounding growth and expansion of the Starbucks brand worldwide, including to Australia. It then shifts focus to describe the extent of the store closures in Australia, before offering several reasons for the failure and lessons that others might learn from the case. . Background Founded in 1971, Starbucks' first store was in Seattle's Pike Place Market. By the time it went public in 1992, it had 140 stores and was expanding at a breakneck pace, with a growing store count of an extra 40-60% a year. Whilst former CEO Jim Donald claimed that â€Å"we don't want to take over the world†, during the 1990s and early 2000s, Starbucks were opening on average at least one store a day (Palmer, 2008). In 2008 it was claimed to be opening seven stores a day worldwide.Not surprisingly, Starbucks is now the largest coffee chain operator in the world, with more than 15,000 stores in 44 countries, and in 2007, accounted for 39% of the world's total specialist coffee house sales (Euromonitor, 2008a). In North America alone, it serves 50 million people a week, and is now an indelible part of the urban landscape. But just how did Starbucks become such a phenomenon? Firstly, it successfully Americanised the European coffee tradition – something no other coffee house had done previously.Before Starbucks, coffee in its current form (latte, frappacino, mocha, etc. ) was alien to most US consumers. Secondly, Starbucks did not just sell coffee – it sold an experience. As founding CEO Howard Schultz explained, â€Å"We are not in the coffee business serving people, we're in the people business serving coffee† (Schultz and Yang, 1997). This epitomised the emphasis on customer service such as making eye contact and greeting each customer within 5 seconds, cleaning tables promptly and remembering the names of regular customers.From inception, Starbucks' purpose was to reinvent a commodity with a sense of romance, atmosphere, sophistication and sense of community (Schultz and Yang, 1997). Next, Starbucks created a ‘third place' in people's lives – somewhere between home and work where they could sit and relax. This was a novelty in the US where in many small towns cafe culture consisted of filter coffee on a hot plate. In this way, Starbucks positioned itself to not only sell coffee, but also offer an experience. It was conceived as a lifestyle cafe.The establishment of the cafe as a social hub, with comfortable chairs and music has been just as important a part of the Starbucks brand as its coffee. All this came with a premium price. While people were aware that the beverages at Starbucks were more expensive than at many cafes, they still frequented the outlets as it was a place ‘to see and be seen'. In this way, the brand was widely accepted and became, to an extent, a symbol of status, and everyone's must-have accessory on their way to work.So, not only did Starbucks revolutionise how Americans drank coffee, it also revolutionised how much people were prepared to pay. Consistency of product across stores, and even national boundaries, has been a hallmark of Starbucks. Like McDonald's, Starbucks claims that a customer should be able to visit a store anywhere in the world and buy a coffee exactly to specification. This sentiment is echoed by Mark Ring, CEO of Starbucks Australia who stated â€Å"consistency is really important to our customers †¦ a consistency in the product . . . he overall experience when you walk into a cafe . . . the music . . . the lighting . . . the furniture . . . the person who is working the bar†. So, whilst th ere might be slight differences between Starbucks in different countries, they all generally look the same and offer the same product assortment. One way this is ensured is by insisting that all managers and partners (employees) undergo 13 weeks of training – not just to learn how to make a coffee, but to understand the nuances of the Starbucks brand (Karolefski, 2002) and how to deliver on its promise of a service experience.The Starbucks formula also depends on location and convenience. Starbucks have worked under the assumption that people are not going to visit unless it's convenient, and it is this assumption that underlies their highly concentrated store coverage in many cities. Typically, clusters of outlets are opened, which has the effect of saturating a neighbourhood with the Starbucks brand. Interestingly, until recently, they have not engaged in traditional advertising, believing their large store presence and word-ofmouth to be all the advertising and promotion t hey need.Starbucks' management believed that a distinctive and memorable brand, a product that made people ‘feel good' and an enjoyable delivery channel would create repeat business and customer loyalty. Faced with near-saturation conditions in the US – by 2007 it commanded 62% of the specialist coffee shop market in North America (Table 1 ) – the company has increasingly looked overseas for growth opportunities.As part of this strategy, Starbucks opened its first Australian store in Sydney in 2000, before expanding elsewhere within New South Wales and then nationwide (albeit with 90% of stores concentrated in just three states: NSW, Victoria and Queensland). By the end of 2007 Starbucks had 87 stores, enabling it to control 7% of the specialist coffee shop market in Australasia (Table 1 ). By 2008, consumer awareness of Starbucks in Australia was 90% (Shoebridge, 2008), with each outlet selling, on average, double the number of coffees (270 a day) than the rest of Australia's coffee shops (Lindhe, 2008). . Expansion into Asia Starbucks currently operates in 44 markets and even has a small presence in Paris – birthplace and stronghold of European cafe culture. Beyond North America, it has a very significant share of the specialist coffee shop market in Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America (Table 1) and these regions make strong revenue contributions (Table 2). It is in Asia that they see the most potential for growth as they face increasing competitive pressure in their more traditional markets.Half the international stores Starbucks plans to operate in the next decade will be in Asia (Euromonitor, 2006; Browning, 2008). Indeed, Starbucks has done well in international markets where there has not traditionally been a coffee drinking culture, namely Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and China. In effect it has been responsible for growing the category in these markets. The first Starbucks outside the US opened in Tokyo in 1996, and since then, Starbucks' Japanese stores have become twice as profitable as the US stores.Unsurprisingly then, Japan is Starbucks' best performing overseas market outside North America. More than 100 new stores open each year in Japan, and coffee is now more popular than tea in terms of both volume and value (Lee, 2003; see also Uncles, 2008). As opposed to their entry into the Australian market, Starbucks made small changes to its formula for the Japanese market; for example, the invention of a green tea frappucino, and the provision of smaller drinks and pastries to conform to local tastes.Starbucks arrived in China in 1998 and by 2002 had 50 outlets, and 165 outlets by 2006 (BBC News, 2006), quickly becoming the nation's leading coffee chain. Starbucks now sees China as its key growth market due to the size and preferences of the emerging middle class. In the Asia-Pacific region, Starbucks command of the specialist coffee shop market grew from 15% in 2002 to 19% in 2007 (refer to Table 2). The total market for cafes in China grew by over 135% between 1999 and 2004 to reach US$2. 6 billion.It is projected to grow another 144% by 2008 to reach US$6. 4 billion in sales. More specialty coffee shops are opening across China as a middle class with strong purchasing power emerges, although this rise in coffee consumption is highly concentrated in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Starbucks has said that it expects China to become its biggest market after the US and the plan is to open 100 stores a year (Euromonitor, 2006). Significantly, certain Western brands are valued by Chinese consumers and Starbucks appears to be one of them.A growing number of China's 500 million urbanites favour Starbucks for its ambience, which is seen as an important signal of service quality, and Starbucks' design concept rests easily with China's consumers, who tend to lounge with friends while sipping coffee. Its outlets in China frequently maintain larger seating a reas than average outlets in other countries, and plush chairs and davenports are provided to accommodate crowds that linger. However, success for Starbucks in China is not a given, and they will face several challenges in the coming years.China's accession to the WTO has led to the gradual relaxation of the policy governing foreign-owned retail outlets, and this will lead to more foreign investment and thereby competition (Lee, 2004). Several multinationals are engaged in selling coffee (including KFC, McDonald's, Yoshinoya, and Manabe), and a number of local brands have recently emerged, some even imitating Starbucks' distinctive green and white logo and its in-store ambience (notably Xingbake in Shanghai). Furthermore, the reduction of import tariffs on coffee will also encourage foreign investment in coffee. . The Australian retail coffee industry Australia's taste for coffee is a by-product of the waves of immigrants arriving on the country's shores following World War II. Euro pean migrants, predominantly Greeks and Italians, were the first to establish the coffee culture, which was later embraced more widely in the 1 980s. For decades Australians enjoyed a variation of the ‘lifestyle coffee experience' that Starbucks created from scratch in the US. Australians did not need to be introduced to the concept of coffee as many other countries did.Savouring a morning cup of coffee was already a ritual for many consumers. It is fair to describe Australia's coffee culture as mature and sophisticated, so when Starbucks entered Australia in 2000, a thriving urban cafe culture was already in place. This established culture saw Australians typically patronise smaller boutique style coffee shops, with people willing to travel out of their way for a favoured cup of coffee, especially in Melbourne where coffee has developed an almost cult-like following.For Australians, coffee is as much about relationships as it is about the product, suggesting that an impersona l, global chain experience would have trouble replicating the intimacy, personalisation and familiarity of a suburban boutique cafe. Furthermore, through years of coffee drinking, many Australians, unlike American or Asian consumers, have developed a sophisticated palate, enjoying their coffee straighter and stronger, and without the need to disguise the taste with flavoured, syrupy shots. This love of coffee is easily quantified. The Australian market is worth $3 billion, of which $1. billion relates to the coffee retailing market. For every cup of coffee consumed out of home, two cups are consumed at home (AustraIAsian Specialty Coffee Association, 2006). Per capita consumption is now estimated at 2. 3 kg-twice as much as 30 years ago. Whilst Australians are among the highest consumers of instant coffee in the world, they are increasingly buying coffee out of the home (Euromonitor, 2008c). More than 1 billion cups of coffee are consumed in cafes, restaurants and other outlets each year, representing an increase of 65% over the last 10 years.Even between 2000 and 2005, trade sales of coffee have increased about 18%. In 2007, the growth in popularity of the cafe culture resulted in trade volume sales growing at an annual rate of 5%. Some 31% of the coffee sold through foodservice is takeaway, and it is thought that ‘fast coffee' will be a growth area in future years (Euromonitor, 2008d). There is also a trend towards larger takeaway sizes, with 400 ml cups increasing in popularity (Euromonitor, 2008d). One might argue that Starbucks drove these trends, especially in regards to larger sizes.There are almost 14,000 cafes and restaurants serving a variety of coffee types in Australia, and during 2006/07, they generated $9. 7 billion in income (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008). However, despite these statistics, the coffee business does not guarantee success. As Paul Irvine, co-founder of Gloria Jean's notes, â€Å"Australia is a tough retail market a nd coffee retailing is particularly tough†. According to official statistics, the cafe business is not always profitable, with the net profitability of cafes falling to about 4%.For a cafe to be successful, it has to offer marginally better coffee than local competitors, and do so consistently. Coffee drinkers in Australia are discerning, and they will go out of their way to purchase a good cup of coffee. They are not as easily persuaded as people from other countries simply to visit their nearest cafe. Secondly, for a cafe to make a profit, it needs to turn over 15 kg of coffee a week The national average is 11 kg, so a cafe has to be above average to begin with to even make a profit. Any newcomer needs to understand this before entering the market.The other significant constraint on profitability is the cost of hiring baristas, with a good one costing between $1000 and $1500 a week (Charles, 2007). However, it seems that this is a necessary cost in order to deliver a superio r product. The question that then begs to be asked is: How well did Starbucks understand this existing coffee culture? Did they under-estimate the relational aspect of coffee purchasing in Australia, as well as the importance of the quality of ingrethents and the skills of the person making each cup?Did they overestimate the value consumers attach to the in-store experience and the ‘third place' concept? Or did they just look at the statistics regarding coffee consumption and think that operating in Australia was a license to print money? Did they simply see Australia as the next logical step to global domination? Starbucks has 87% of the US specialty coffee shop market, and only now is it beginning to feel pressure from non-traditional competitors such as Dunkin Donut, 7 Eleven, McCafe and Krispy Kreme (Burritt, 2007).However, in Australia, the competitive landscape is different. Gloria Jean's dominates the high-street part of the coffee retailing market and McCafe dominates the convenience end (Shoebridge, 2008). Other significant competitors include The Coffee Club and Wild Bean Cafe (an add-on to BP petrol stations) and Hudson's Coffee (see Table 3). All offer a similar in-store experience to Starbucks, with McCafe from 2007 onwards refurbishing many McDonald's stores to imitate the Starbucks' experience, albeit at the economy end of the market. 5. Growth grinds to a halt . . . store closuresIn recent times however things have started to go wrong for Starbucks. Internationally, company earnings declined as cashstrapped consumers faced record petrol prices and rising interest rates meaning they have had to pull back on gourmet coffee and other luxuries. Sales fell 50% in the last 2 years, the US share price fell more than 40% over the past year and profits dropped 28% (Bawden, 2008; Coleman-Lochner and Stanford, 2008; Mintz, 2008). Consequently, Howard Schultz, the founder and chairman of Starbucks, resumed the position of CEO in 2008 with the aim of revitalising the business.He slowed the pace at which stores were opened (and in fact closed more stores than he will open in the coming year), introduced key performance targets (KPTs) and an employee rewards system in the US, and simultaneously shut down every store in America for three and a half hours of staff training (Muthukumar and Jain, 2008). Customer-oriented initiatives have included the addition of more food, the launch of the Starbucks card and Starbucks express, and the provision of high-speed wi-fi internet access (Hota, 2008).Notably, Schultz acknowledges that the company's focus has been more on expansion than on customer service – the very thing that was at the heart of its unique value proposition. However, it seems that these measures were too late for the Australian operation. On 29th July 2008, Starbucks announced that it would be closing 61 of its 84 Australian stores (i. e. , 73%) by August 2008, resulting in a loss of 685 jobs. All of these stores had been under-performing (8 were in SA, ACT and Tasmania, 28 in NSW, 17 in Victoria and 8 in Queensland).This decline of Starbucks in Australia was not as sudden as many would have us believe and in fact some reports (Edwards and Sainsbury, 2008; Shoebridge, 2008) indicated that by late 2007 Starbucks already had: * accumulated losses of $143 million; * a loss of $36 million for that financial year; * lost $27. 6 million the previous financial year; * loans of $72. 3 million from Starbucks in the US; * was only surviving because of its US parent's support. These closures saw 23 stores kept open in prime locations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. But this begs the question: can a 23-store chain be viable for the brand in the long-term?Based on the approximate numbers in Table 3, Starbucks had a 6% share of stores in Australia before the closures; this has now fallen to a share below 2%. Even before the closures, Australasia represented only 1% of company sales (Table 2) and now the f igure is expected to be much lower. This may not make much commercial sense as it will be difficult to achieve economies of scale in terms of marketing and purchasing, and such small numbers are totally out of step with the clustering strategy adopted in its strongest markets -the US, Japan and China.However, it could also be argued that with Starbucks' strategy of global domination, it is unlikely that it will ever close its Australian business entirely. Whilst Starbucks' management have been keen to suggest that â€Å"this decision represents business challenges unique to the Australian market and in no way reflects the state of the Starbucks business in countries outside of the United States†, the US market has also suffered. By September 2008, 600 stores had closed (or were due for closure), with about 12,000 workers, or 7% of Starbucks' global workforce affected (Mintz, 2008).It should be noted that the situation in the US has only worsened as a result of the global fina ncial crisis. 6. So what went wrong? Opinions abound as to why Starbucks failed in Australia. Our research suggests there is some truth to many of these opinions. Whilst the troubled economy might seem an easy scapegoat, with people tightening their belts and eating out less, it is unlikely that this was the core problem as evidenced by the continuing growth of their competitors. Indeed, coffee is no longer considered a luxury item by many Australians, but rather an affordable part of their daily routine.Instead, there is substantial evidence to suggest a number of factors combined to bring about Starbucks' demise. 6. 1. Starbucks overestimated their points of differentiation and customer perceived value of their supplementary services â€Å"I just think the whole system, the way they serve, just didn't appeal to the culture we have here† Andrew Mackay, VP of the Australian Coffee Traders Association, in Martin (2008) Whilst there was initial curiosity and hype about Starbuck s, after trying it, many Australians quickly found that it failed to offer a particularly unique experience that was not offered by other chains or cafes.Given the strong established coffee culture and discerning palates of Australians, the core product – coffee – was not seen as particularly different from, say, a latte or short black from a good suburban barista, Gloria Jean's or Coffee Club. Its point of difference in Australia, where a coffee culture already existed, had to be in its supplementary or value-adding services – i. e. , its unique servicescape, engaging customer service, brand image and so on (Lovelock et al. , 2007).But was this worth a premium price, especially as the competition began replicating Starbucks in-store experience? Starbucks has since been harshly criticised by Australian consumers and the media. Their coffee has been variously described as ‘a watered down product', ‘gimmicky', and consisting of ‘buckets of milk'. These are not the labels you would choose to describe a coffee that aspires to be seen as a ‘gourmet' product. It has also been criticised for its uncompetitive pricing, even being described as â€Å"one of the most over-priced products the world has ever seen† (Martin, 2008).Even the idea of the third place has come under criticism – â€Å"why would you want to sit around a pretend lounge room drinking a weak and expensive coffee when you can go around the corner and have the real thing? † (Wailes, 2008). It seems that Starbucks' rapid expansion, its omnipresence, somewhat standardised store design and recent insistence on staff achieving various sales KPTs (key performance targets) such as serving ‘x' customers per hour, all combined to diminish the instore experience. The introduction of sales targets for front-line employees, for example, meant staff and baristas had less time to engage with customers.It began to stray too far from its roots and the very values upon which the brand was built. Some of these actions were forced upon Starbucks by emerging competitors seeking to imitate the brand, and thus gain a slice of the ever growing lifestyle coffee market. Starbucks' points of differentiation were systematically being eroded and, in a sense, the brand that taught the world that coffee is not a commodity was itself becoming one. 6. 2. Declining service quality The brand has also come under fire for declining customer service as it continued to expand.For example, the quality of baristas is said to have declined as Starbucks widened its pool of applicants in order to meet demand at new stores. Can a 17 year old high school student really compete with a boutique trained barista with a passion for coffee? By not offering a better experience and product than emerging direct competitors, Starbucks found itself undermined by countless high street cafes and other chains that were selling stronger brews at lower prices and often offering better or equal hospitality.Whilst they may have pioneered the idea of a ‘third place', it was an easy idea to copy, and even easier to better by offering superior coffee, ambience and service. Now, with so many coffee chains around, Starbucks have little point of differentiation, even wi-fi internet access has become commonplace across all types of cafe. Furthermore, while customers were offered promotional rewards for returning to Starbucks, the card-based scheme is no more sophisticated than equivalent me-too cards at Gloria Jean's, Coffee Club, Hudson's and many independent cafes.And as noted earlier, one of the things that set Starbucks apart from the competition – i. e. , acknowledging customers (often by name for regulars) within a few seconds of entering the store and seriously engaging with them, began to unravel when Starbucks imposed both customer service and sales targets for its cafes. The imposition of these targets plus an ever widening range an d complexity of coffees to remember and make to perfection, meant staff morale and inevitably customer service levels declined. In fact in the USA some staff were so disillusioned with the imposition of sales targets because it meant they simply didn't have time to engage with customers) they posted blogs openly stating that Starbucks had lost its way. Finally, it appears that Starbucks were not even delivering on their core promise of serving superior coffee in comfortable surroundings, thus justifying its premium price. By switching to vacuum packaged coffee, consumers are denied the store-filling aroma of the coffee beans. The switching of traditional coffee machines to automated espresso machines (which can make coffees 40% faster and move customers through the lines more quickly), has also resulted in a loss of ‘theatre' (Grove et al. 2000) for people wanting to see their coffee made that way and has also had implications for taste. In-store, it has been noted that there are fewer soft chairs and less carpeting, and Starbucks recently lost ground in the ‘service and surroundings' category of the Brand Keys 2007 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (Cebrzynski, 2008). It seems that Starbucks is now less about the quality of the coffee, and is more about the convenience of faster service and being on every corner – whilst still charging a premium. 6. 3. Starbucks ignored some golden rules of international marketingIronically, it seems that the very thing that made Starbucks successful in the first place, its ability to adjust the original (European) business model and coffee tradition to local (US) conditions, is the thing that let it down. Whilst Starbucks has made minor changes to its menu in countries such as Japan and Saudi Arabia, it generally offers the same products all around the world. When the company came to Australia, it brought its ‘American' offering, simply bringing what worked in the US and applying it here, without rea lly understanding the local market.But with more than 235 ethnicities speaking more than 270 languages and dialects, companies wanting to get ahead in Australia need to be aware that they are not dealing with one homogeneous market. Unfortunately what worked in the US was â€Å"bitter, weak coffee augmented by huge quantities of milk and sweet flavoured syrups. Not so much coffee, as hot coffee-based smoothies†. For the Australian consumer raised on a diet of real espresso, this was always going to be a tough sell (Mescall, 2008) As McDonald's Australia chief executive Peter Bush noted, US retailers that have had trouble making it work in Australia (e. . , Starbucks, Denny's, Arby's, Taco Bell) are those that have â€Å"introduced formulae developed for US palates and for the US way of doing business . . . These formulae have, at best, modest relevance in Australia†. Peter Irvine, co-founder of Gloria Jean's, also noted that â€Å"US retailers often arrive in Australi a thinking the size of their overseas chains and the strength of their brands in other markets will make it easy for them to crack the local market. Their focus is on global domination rather than the needs of the local consumers†.Further, there is a strong sense in Australia of buying local, supporting the community, having relationships with the people you buy from, and supporting ethically-minded businesses. Starbucks clashed completely with that, whereas local stores can differentiate themselves as being local and non-corporate. Furthermore, some would argue that Starbucks has become a caricature of the American way of life and many Australians reject that iconography. Many are simply not interested in the ‘super-size' culture of the extra-large cups, nor want to be associated with a product that is constantly in the hands of movie stars. 6. 4.Expanding too quickly and forcing themselves upon an unwilling public In the US, Starbucks started in Seattle as a single sto re. In a nation bereft of a genuine cafe culture, that single store captured people's imagination, and soon became a second store, quickly followed by a third. Before long, Starbucks had become a demand-driven phenomenon, with everyone wanting a Starbucks in their local area. McDonald's grew exactly the same way in Australia, opening just one or two stores in each city – nowhere near enough to meet demand – thus creating an almost artificial scarcity, which created huge buzz around the brand experience.Krispy Kreme did the same. But when Starbucks opened in Australia, they immediately tried to impose themselves with multiple store openings in every city – adopting the US-model of expansion through store clusters. Australians were not given a chance to ‘discover' it. As Mescali (2008) points out â€Å"they took key sites, hung huge signs, made us order coffee in sizes and gave the coffees weird names. Starbucks said to us – ‘that's not how you drink coffee. This is how you drink coffee'†.They took the Coca-Cola strategy of being available wherever people looked, but this quickly led to market saturation. Their expansion did not hurt their competitors so much as themselves, and they found themselves cannibalising their own stores. Furthermore, by becoming too common, the company violated the economic principles of cultural scarcity and the novelty wore off. By having too many outlets, becoming too commercial and too widely used, it began to lose its initial appeal of status and exclusivity. It began to have a mass brand feel, certainly not the warm feeling of a neighbourhood cafe.Furthermore, they became more reliant on less affluent consumers who now, with a worsening economy, are spending less, making Starbucks more vulnerable to economic fluctuations. 6. 5. Entering late into a highly competitive market â€Å"In America, Starbucks is a state of mind. In Australia, it was simply another player. † Barry Urqu hart, quoted in Delaney (2008) From Day I1 Starbucks got off on the back foot. They lacked the first-mover advantage they had in the US and Asia, finding themselves the late entrant in an already very developed, sophisticated and competitive market.Indeed, the competitive landscape in the Australian retail coffee market is very different to that of other countries. Here, Starbucks found themselves competing with hundreds of independent cafes and speciality coffee chains (see Table 3), where the coffee was generally better and the staff knew their customers by name. Significantly, they were also the last of the major chains to gain a presence in Australia. 6. 6. Failing to communicate the brand Worldwide, Starbucks rarely employs above-the-Iine promotion, and this was also the case in Australia.Instead, they maintained that their stores are the core of the business and that they do not need to build the brand through advertising or promotion. Howard Shultz often preached, â€Å"Buil d the (Starbucks') brand one cup at a time,† that is, rely on the customer experience to generate word-of-mouth, loyalty and new business. But in a market as competitive as Australia, with a consumer whose palate is discerning and whose loyalty often lies with a specific barista, advertising and promotion was essential to communicate the Starbucks message.The issue is not so much about building awareness – which, at 90%, is high – but to communicate what the brand means and to give consumers reasons for patronising Starbucks. Their lack of advertising made this branding issue even worse, with many people unable to articulate why they should be loyal to Starbucks. At the same time, competitors were communicating their messages very effectively – McDonald's, for instance, is a heavy spending, award-winning, advertiser in the Australian market.Added to which, more subversive counter-messages were coming from those who saw in Starbucks a ‘brand bully' ri ding rough shod over the nuanced tastes and preferences of local cultures (Klein, 2000; Clark, 2008). In other words, a range of strong contrary messages were undermining Starbucks' own very limited communications. 6. 7. Unsustainable business model Starbucks' product line is limited primarily to coffee. Sometimes a new product idea will be developed, such as the Frappucino, but these tend to have limited product life cycles and/or are seasonal.For example, the Frappucino has traditionally made up 15% of (summer) sales, but recently sales have been down, suggesting that customers are already bored with it (Kiviat, 2008). Furthermore, in the instance where other products were offered, people failed to purchase them as they only really associate Starbucks with coffee and generally seek food elsewhere. This is a very different model to The Coffee Club which has much more of a cafe feel to it, or McDonald's which has a full range of breakfast and lunch/dinner items that can be complemen ted by a McCafe latte.Hence the average transaction value at Starbucks is lower than its competitors, and therefore more customers must pass through its doors to reach the sales and profit levels of its competitors. It also creates conflict with the Starbucks ethos of the third place (and allowing people to sit around for 30 minutes sipping lattes and reading, talking or surfing) versus the need to get people in and out quickly and not take up valuable ‘real estate' (which in itself means that the average Starbucks store needs to be much bigger than the average cafe).Unlike most of the other retail coffee chains, Starbucks does not use a franchise model, preferring to lease and fit-out its own outlets. This means more cash is being spent upfront, and in Starbucks' case, more debt accrued. But adopting a franchise model would have numerous other advantages than just minimising this. It would mean that local investors, with a good sense of the local market, put their own money i nto the business and take an active role in running it and shaping its direction. 7.What are the main lessons from this case study? Several key lessons emerge that should be of interest to both domestic and international marketers. 7. 1. Crossing international borders is risky and clearly Starbucks did not do their homework, or ignored their homework Well conceived market research involving both primary and secondary data, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, would have uncovered the extent of the ‘coffee culture' that existed in 2000 when Starbucks entered the Australian market.It seems inconceivable that Starbucks management, or at least its Australian representatives, were not sufficiently apprised of the extent to which many consumers were already well acculturated in terms of buying and consuming European styles of coffees such as short black, lattes and cappuccinos, nor the extent to which many customers were in fact loyal to their suburban cafe or competit ive brands such as Gloria Jean's. As a late market entrant, Starbucks clearly failed to do thorough homework on the market before entry – this is a failure in terms of due diligence.Alternatively, they chose to ignore the messages that were coming from any due diligence that they had undertaken. This may or may not have been due to some arrogance on the part of Starbucks, or due to the fact that they considered they had a strong global brand which would meet with universal acceptance. An example of where Starbucks did do its homework, and act on it, was in France when it entered that market in 2006, establishing a cafe in the middle of Paris.Research had clearly shown the American way of consuming and socialising over a coffee was an anathema to many French, so Starbucks held back from entering the French market and when they finally entered it was with great trepidation, expanding at a very slow pace and testing the market at every step. 7. 2. â€Å"Think global but act loc al† This familiar maxim in international marketing should be well understood. While Starbucks had brand awareness as a major global brand, it failed to adapt the product and the customer experience to many mature coffee drinkers in Australia.As noted earlier, all the evidence suggests that it simply tried to transplant the American experience into the Australian market without any adaptation. In particular, it failed to adapt either its core product or its supplementary services to create the intimacy, personalisation and familiarity that is associated with established boutique cafes in Australia. 7. 3. Establish a differential advantage and then strive to sustain it A question of strategy that Starbucks perhaps failed to address was, â€Å"Is our product differentiation sustainable in the long term and does it ontinue to justify a price premium? † As noted earlier, it can be argued that the core product in this case, that is the coffee itself, is essentially a commodit y, and that Starbucks' coffee, according to many consumers, was no different to the competition, and in some cases inferior. Then Starbucks' points of difference clearly revolved around its brand image and supplementary services. It was these supplementary services, such as its unique servicescape and excellent customer service, that they used to justify a premium price. However, as competitors (e. g. The Coffee Club) quickly imitated the ‘Starbucks experience' (i. e. , their supplementary services, ambiance, etc. ), by providing premium coffee and an intimate casual experience, Starbucks' value proposition began to fade. In other words, their key points of difference could be easily imitated and were not sustainable. Faced with this scenario, the onus was on management to re-fresh and evolve any lingering differential advantage that Starbucks might have had or, at the very least, give customers reasons to continue patronising Starbucks through its communications. 7. 4.Don't l ose sight of what made you successful in the first place As more and more competitors emerged, both individual cafes and chains such as Gloria Jean's and The Coffee Club, competitive pressures forced Starbucks to impose rigid sales targets on their frontline staff including baristas to increase store productivity. However, the imposition of these KPTs and the pressure to serve more customers more quickly meant that Starbucks forgot the very thing that made it unique in the early days, namely, to provide a customer experience in an intimate casual setting that set it aside from competitors.As more pressure was placed on staff to have higher throughput, this meant that baristas and other employees had little time to engage with customers. In other words, Starbucks forgot about the very things that made it unique in the first place. This is akin to the Wheel of Retailing hypothesis (Hollander, 1960) where a no-frills retailer gradually moves upmarket in terms of variety of product, pri ce and more services and within several years finds itself competing with the more established premium supermarkets that were the very competitors that they tried to distance themselves from in the first place.The only difference with Starbucks is that it reversed the direction of the Wheel – by gradually moving downmarket it brought itself into direct competition with cheaper operators and lost sight of what made it successful in the first place. 7. 5. Consider the viability of the business model It has to be questioned whether the Starbucks' business model is viable in the long term, or even the medium term. A business model that uses a premium price to justify the excessive floor space and elaborate servicescape, and allows customers to sit in this environment for an hour sipping one latte, has to be questioned.Given that Starbucks do not have the array of products that, say, a McDonald's might have and, as documented earlier in this case, therefore do not generate the sam e sales volumes and revenues, it is hard to see how the Starbucks' model is financially viable. 8. Conclusion In summary, it appears on all the evidence that Starbucks not only misjudged the Australian coffee culture but also misjudged the extent of the competition, and failed to adapt its offering to the local market.Furthermore, with the advent of high quality barista training, the availability of premium coffee beans and the technology to produce a high quality cup of coffee (at a modest cost), sole operators who knew their customers by name, were able to set up business as viable competitors. 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