External Macro Environmental Factors of the Starbucks Brand Essay Example

External Macro Environmental Factors of the Starbucks Brand Paper Struck mission Statement is to inspire and nurture the human spirit one arson, one cup and one neighborhood at a time (Struck 201 1 a Struck Mission Statement). With over 17,000 stores worldwide, they seem to be living the statement, but they didnt make their name on coffee alone. In 1 991 , Struck became the first privately held U. S. Company to offer stock options program that included part time employees. Since then Fortune named Struck One of The 100 Best Companies to Work For four separate times. They have also been named one of the worlds most ethical companies by Allegro Strategies. The list of awards given to Struck goes on and on. What they all add up to is a brand that withstood the test of time. Struck has expanded their brand from brewed coffee and lattes to a full menu of gourmet drinks, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries. They offer Wi-H service to allow for working coffee breaks and last minute study sessions. They have transformed the corner coffee shop into a hub that supports diversity in demographics across the community. But as the macro-environment that surrounds this brand empire shifts will they be able to change with it? There are so many things in business that we can control, and yet there are till so many factors that seem to be out of our hands. The recent economic crisis is a living testament to that. Despite warnings from economists we were a nation living the high life. Nobody wanted to question what happens when the entire nation is overextended. But we all found out the hard way. The effect of the economy on business was astronomical. Even well established brands have felt tremors from the economic turmoil that is present on the world stage. But what are the long-term effects? Struck has positioned itself well as part of our daily lives, not just in America, but across the world. : Even as we all tighten our spending belts it remains a part of the day to day routine for millions of people worldwide. Since the beginning of the financial meltdown in 2008 experts have been putting out lists telling consumers how to cut expenses. Without fail cutting out gourmet coffee continues to top the list. How has this affected the bottom line? In 2009 Struck closed 300 stores and cut over 6000 jobs. (Seattle Times, 2009). We will write a custom essay sample on External Macro Environmental Factors of the Starbucks Brand specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on External Macro Environmental Factors of the Starbucks Brand specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on External Macro Environmental Factors of the Starbucks Brand specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer But after the all of the cuts and closures, and two consecutive years of tumbling profits, 2009 ended up being Struck best earnings year yet. With careful management the brand has been able to withstand the worst economic conditions since the company was founded. If only economics was the only speed bump the company was facing along the way. Conservation is the buzz word of the decade. Conserve money, conserve energy, and conserve resources. The world is going green, and companies arent missing their opportunities to capitalize on the green revolution. Currently Struck is blazing trails in community responsibility. They are offering incentives for using reusable mugs instead of the traditional paper cups. They host cleanup projects in local communities, recycle products used in store, and support local farmers. CEO Howard Schultz made a vow to make all Struck cups 100% recyclable by 2012. Despite all of this community awareness, over 3 million paper cups bearing the siren logo end up in landfills every year. (Struck Cup Dilemma, 2010) When Struck introduced the paper cup in 1984, they had 7 stores. Now their convenient mobile billboard has become an industry wide problem. But as they do with most problems the company is faced with Struck owned the problem, and looked to find a way to dominate it. They developed the first cup featuring 10% post-consumer recycled content In 2006 the cup won the won the National Recycling Coalitions annual award. .(Struck Cup Dilemma, 2010) Whether Struck efforts are a part of a human spirit marketing campaign or actual corporate responsibility, they are staying true to their mission statement and making a difference. As a whole American society is one of instant gratification. We want things now and we are not concerned with the consequences. However, in recent years we have started to see a shift in that line of thinking. People are paying ore attention to the things that we are consuming and their affects both on us and the environment. This change in behavior has a lot of companies scrambling to revamp marketing strategies from fast and friendly to quick and healthy options. Even on this front, Struck seems to be one step ahead Of the rest. From double espressos to skinny SOY chi tea lattes they have the market covered. The question now seems to be will they be able to change with the social climate? So far their track record shows that they are setting the trends.

Free Essays on Bar Responsibility

Take a Sunday morning stroll around the Pine Hills community in downtown Albany and you’ll likely encounter the wreckage of the previous night’s partying. Keep your eye out for broken bottles as you make your way down Quail Street. Notice the scattered plastic cups and beer cans that mark the path, and the bleary-eyed coeds, with disheveled clothes and hurting heads, making the â€Å"walk of shame† home from an unplanned sexual encounter (vivid description). Alcohol-related social and recreational opportunities characterize the college experience: happy hour bonding with classmates, ladies night with the girls, and wine and cheese gatherings. Less often acknowledged is how drinking interferes with the academic character of the campus, the harmony of the neighborhood, and the health and safety of the entire community. Now, here are some sobering facts. A survey performed in the year 2000, by the Core Institute, sampled 55,026 undergraduate students from 132 colleges across the US. 59% of the students surveyed were 20 years old and under. Of the total students surveyed, an astounding 84% reported using alcohol at least once in the year prior to the survey, and 72% within 30 days prior. Of the 32,175 students sampled who are under the age of 21, 82% admitted to using alcohol within a year prior to the survey, and 69% within the past 30 days! On average, per week, freshman and sophomore students drink over 5 drinks. That means that the average number of drinks that a minor is drinking a week is 5! Binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks in one sitting, has become a major problem on college campuses nation wide (definition). 46.5% of students sampled engaged in binge drinking at least once during the two weeks prior to the survey. Do I really need to go into great detail about the consequences of alcohol and binge drinking (rhetorical question)? It’s one of the biggest problems among college students today. 1,40... Free Essays on Bar Responsibility Free Essays on Bar Responsibility Take a Sunday morning stroll around the Pine Hills community in downtown Albany and you’ll likely encounter the wreckage of the previous night’s partying. Keep your eye out for broken bottles as you make your way down Quail Street. Notice the scattered plastic cups and beer cans that mark the path, and the bleary-eyed coeds, with disheveled clothes and hurting heads, making the â€Å"walk of shame† home from an unplanned sexual encounter (vivid description). Alcohol-related social and recreational opportunities characterize the college experience: happy hour bonding with classmates, ladies night with the girls, and wine and cheese gatherings. Less often acknowledged is how drinking interferes with the academic character of the campus, the harmony of the neighborhood, and the health and safety of the entire community. Now, here are some sobering facts. A survey performed in the year 2000, by the Core Institute, sampled 55,026 undergraduate students from 132 colleges across the US. 59% of the students surveyed were 20 years old and under. Of the total students surveyed, an astounding 84% reported using alcohol at least once in the year prior to the survey, and 72% within 30 days prior. Of the 32,175 students sampled who are under the age of 21, 82% admitted to using alcohol within a year prior to the survey, and 69% within the past 30 days! On average, per week, freshman and sophomore students drink over 5 drinks. That means that the average number of drinks that a minor is drinking a week is 5! Binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks in one sitting, has become a major problem on college campuses nation wide (definition). 46.5% of students sampled engaged in binge drinking at least once during the two weeks prior to the survey. Do I really need to go into great detail about the consequences of alcohol and binge drinking (rhetorical question)? It’s one of the biggest problems among college students today. 1,40...

Commentary on Social media Applications for the Support of Essay

Commentary on Social media Applications for the Support of Collaborative and Community-Based Learning - Essay Example Research and theory has shown social media to have numerous advantages for collaborative learning, including the creation of a network of peer support, enhanced opportunities for communication and knowledge-sharing and the facilitation of multimedia as methods of instruction. Pitfalls involved in this centre primarily on the lack of non-verbal cues and the possibility for inappropriate content and misinterpretation of communication. Based upon the authors own experience of using social media applications in collaborative learning, such as ThinkBinder and Edistorm, it is found that the theoretical potential of these applications in support of collaborative learning is largely realized, particularly in the areas of peer-support, diversity of communication methods and convenience. Disadvantages surround the lack of non-verbal cues. It is recommended that the inclusion of another form of media, such as podcasts, may have enhanced learning even further. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTIONâ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ..4 2. ... ..13 3.1 Class Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦13 3.2 Discussion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦.....14 4. CONCLUSION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦19 5. REFERENCES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.20 1. INTRODUCTION Communicative and collaborative technologies such as social media applications are becoming increasingly important in both the workplace and in educational environme nts. As Gordon (2006) suggests, organizations and educational institutions alike are increasingly adopting online collaboration tools as platforms where data, information, and knowledge about a particular topic can be shared among employees, students or team members. Many such social media applications are relatively new tools that are used to promote collaboration and learning as well as enhance knowledge sharing. By their nature, these tools have increasingly facilitated the development of virtual teams and enabled community-based learning. This facilitation is not solely due to the technical features offered by these applications, but also by the network of peer support and degree of learner control they enable. In analyzing the potential and pitfalls of social media applications in support of collaborative learning, it is vital to first outline the theory behind collaborative learning and the necessary environment and conditions which must be present if collaborative learning is to occur. This essay will then review the literature concerning social media as a means of supporting collaborative learning, including suggestions about possible disadvantages. It will conclude by assessing the

Summary of Apple Inc. Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of Apple Inc. Case Study - Essay Example During the period of John Sculley (1985-1993), the then CEO of Apple Inc, numerous strategies were adopted in order to make Apple pioneers in the desktop publishing segment. Under the leadership of Steve Jobs, the company had been capable of achieving sustained growth. During his reign, Apple underwent restructuring efforts and also outsourced manufacturing of the Mac products to the contract assemblers of Taiwan. The company’s distribution systems were also revamped. Through company’s website, Apple was capable of selling the products directly to the consumers. The company’s image was invigorated as well by promoting itself as a hip substitute to another computer brand. During the year 2008, one of the key drivers of revenue was Macintosh computers. Apple had put the high emphasis on the technology and innovation which had assisted the company in beating the cutthroat competition. The first retail store of the company was in McLean, Virginia which started its op eration in the year 2001. Until the year 2008, the company was found to be operating through 215 stores. The case study also details the growth of the PC industry since its inception from the mid-1970s. The close competitors of Apple Inc had been IBM, Compaq, and Dell among others those had been focusing upon research and development in order to compete successfully with Apple, Inc. The PC industry has sought tremendous change in the recent years. It is now available in numerous forms ranging from laptops, workstations, sub-notebooks, and servers. However, after the components became standardized the manufacturers of PC started cutting their spending on research and development. Instead of spending on R&D, the companies started focusing on innovation in manufacturing, marketing, and distribution in order to achieve competitive advantage.

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Journal - Essay Example In these studies, chemical compounds in tobacco smoke seem to hasten follicular depletion (Soares 40). Moreover, qualitative impacts on follicular maturation, steroidogenesis, embryo development and fertilization have been documented. Exposure to cigarette substances in animals negatively impacts both pre- and post-impantation competence in embryonic development. For instance, tobacco inhalation in female mouse was demonstrated to be harmful to early development of the embryo and results into reduced fetal total weight. Direct nicotine injection in rats impedes cleavage of the embryo and considerably decreases the number of cells. It has been acknowledged women who smoke tobacco has a high probability of tubal barrenness and a noticeably a high danger of ectopic pregnancy. In a study, the ectopic pregnancy’s OR among smoking women was around 15.69. Tobacco smoking has been illustrated to negatively impact both the cellular and humoral immune systems. Moreover, it has been hypothesized that such changes may make tobacco smokers more liable to tubal contagions and ensuing infertility. Regarding the effect of tobacco smoking on male, Soares (42) contend that research demonstrate that normal conception in couples having a tobacco smoking spouse has a considerable decrease in fertility, with an elevated time-to-pregnancy, in situations where cigarette intake is greater than 15 per day. Tobacco smoking does not only alter variations in standard sperm limits, but also can impact the quality of the sperms. Also, biochemical alterations that can decrease the quality of sperms have been published in seminal liquid smokers, and tobacco genotoxicity is indubitable. In various groups analyzing DNA sperm fragmentation in tobacco smoking and nonsmoking males, it was established that an increased fragmentation rate in tobacco smokers was greatest in pre- and post swim-up

Factors of Single Parent Families

Factors of Single Parent Families Single-parent families  can be defined as families where a parent lives with dependent children, either alone or in a larger household, without a spouse or partner. Single-parent is a parent who cares for one or more children without physical assistance of another parent in home. Single parenthood may vary according to the local laws of different nations or regions. Single-parent families which are families with children under age 18 headed by a parent who is divorced, widowed, adoption, artificial insemination, surrogate motherhood or not married. But mostly single-parent families came about because of the death of spouse. Besides that, most of the single-parent families face common problem and special challenge, the most common problem is their children. Children who live with single father or mother, they have to take care themselves and get less care from parent because of busy working. According to social scientists, children who growing up in single-parent families are disadv antages in other ways when compared to a two-biological-parent families. Many of these problems are directly related to the poor economic condition of single-parent families, not just to parenting style. Factors of Single-Parent Families The effect on children In single-parent families, children tend to experience short-and long-term economic and psychological disadvantages, higher absentee rates at school, lower levels of education, and higher dropout rates (with boys more negatively affected than girls). Besides that, they will more delinquent activity, including alcohol and drug addiction. Teenagers, on the other hand, are more negatively affected by parental discord prior to divorce than by living in single-parent families and actually gain in responsibility as a result of altered family routines. In addition, children in single-parent families more likely to suffer emotional problem, due to mother and father split up or any other reason. Children in single-mother homes are also more likely to experience health-related problems as a result of the decline in their living standard, including the lack of health insurance. In future, children who from single-parent families become adults, they are more likely to marry early, have children early, and divorce. Girls are at greater risk of becoming single mothers as a result of noncapital childbearing or divorce. Economics of single-parent families The main problem of single-parent families is economic, in single-father families, there will be no any problem, because father have particular job, have no worry. But in single-mother families, there might have problem, for example, when single-mother divorced or widowed, she have no any job or any income to maintain the families. Single-mother has to face economic problem, such as lack of money paid for children studies. Lower level of educational achievement Children or teenagers who live under single-parent families will face lower level of education problem, this is because the families facing finance problem, having poor economic condition, so the parent have no enough money send the children to tuition, or any learning centre to have extra learning, children just only go to the government school study. Besides that, parent who have finance problem, he or she dont have enough money to buy the reference books for their child, they just study the text book, cant get extra learning material or knowledge. Children / Teenagers having conflict with their parent Children or teenagers who lives in single-parent families will have conflict with the parent, this is because the parent are busy working outside and spend less time with their children, or even cant have a good communicate with them, lack communication between parent and their children, then the conflict occur. Parent who busy working outside, they cant spend more time on them, thats why the parent dont even know what their child need or wants. Besides that, children or teenagers with argue with their parent because the parent cant understand them, cant have a good communicate with them. Less supervised by parent In a single-parent families, single father or mother are busy working at outside, they dont have much more time supervised their children. This will cause the children turn to bad side, because the parent cant spend time on supervise them. When parent busy working not at home, or parent dont have much time with the children, so when the children will feel alone or boring, they will hanging out with friends, truancy with friends, smoking with friends, or taking drugs. In this situation, the parent doesnt know at all, they dont know what their children doing outside, making good or bad friends. No discipline Children who lives in single-parent families, most of them dont have discipline, this is because single father or mother didnt spend time on family education, they just busy with their job. Family education is important for children, for example, children who dont have discipline, he or she is just a rude boy or girl, they dont know what is respect and how to respect other people. Besides that, when the children study in school without discipline, he or she dont know how to respect the teacher and not following the instruction, for example, when teacher teaching the lesson, he or she playing with other friends and disturbing other students, he or she will be punish by the teacher or headmaster due to dont have any discipline. Divorce parent/single parent finds new partner who treats the children of the previous partner badly When a divorce parent or single parent live single for few years, he or she might find a new partner for accompany his or her. But here is the problem, if the parent find the new partner is bad, the new partner will treats the children of the precious partner badly. For example, if the new partner of the parent doesnt like the children, he or she will keep making trouble on them, such as beating them, threaten the children, and any other worst things on them.

Becoming a Prison Officer :: Papers

It's a tough job with unsociable hours, rare contact with the outside world and a less than impressive pay package. So why would anyone want to be a prison officer? I am asked to place my coat and bag in a small cloakroom area, and am ushered to a small room where my pockets are searched and body is frisked. I find this 'procedure' quite uncomfortable, but think myself lucky that these rigorous checks aren't performed everyday. I am given a white sticker with 'visitor' on it and am promptly told to 'wear it at all times' so I can be easily identified. I am let through a series of grey cold steel doors, opened by a large bunch of jangling keys and am greeted by the prison officer I have come to interview with a firm, almost predictable handshake. Carol Tomlin has been a prison officer at Bournemouth Magistrates Court for thirteen years. She works in twelve hour shifts, five, possibly six times a week in the 'cells' in the basement of the court. Her only interaction is with the prisoners themselves and her fellow officers. " Sometimes I don't see daylight all week, by the time I leave work its dark outside and when I get up its also dark-it can be quite a strain". To look at Carol you wouldn't think that her job was a 'strain'. She is far removed from the stereotypical prison officer that is synonymous with polished black boots and a stern air of authority. She has long blonde hair that is neatly tied up with a red flower hair band. She is tall at 6ft, but not overpowering, as her smile and welcoming stance assures. Her bright blue and pink make-up mirrors her personality and enthusiasm for the job she calls 'her life and her passion'. "The job is hard, but I do love it, you get a great deal of job satisfaction when you have helped somebody with a problem. Whether that means getting through to someone about their drug addiction, or