Analyse an Advert and Prequel to it in Depth Essay

Advertising is one of the world’s foremost businesses. Companies use this media to communicate their ideas, products and messages to the general public. This is one type of advert, which is used to draw people to donate to a cause. It is called an appeal. This appeal is from Help The Aged, a fairly large charity, dedicated to helping the older and less able people. This particular advert is for the SeniorLink pendant, a small telephone pendant that helps people when they get into trouble where they can’t reach the phone, because they are immobilised. I will analyse this form of the appeal and elaborate the techniques and tricks used to convince people to part with their money. This form of the appeal is a leaflet. Leaflets can be specially designed to appeal to a particular audience or aspect of society; this leaflet is aimed at anyone who has money. The purpose of it is to convince these people that their product is: reliable; fast acting; state-of-the-art; easy-to-use and most of all, lifesaving. If it succeeds than Help The Aged will get their reward of a donation that, in theory, should then be spent on the pensioners. The advert uses several conventions to convey their tricks and tactics to the target audience. I will elaborate these as I examine the advert. On the first part of the leaflet (The ‘Front’) we see Vera alive and well, along with a caption to the picture that, arguably, could be seen as the title to the leaflet. The photograph of Vera depicts her as smiling, cheerful and in good health. From this, empathy is drawn from the audience, giving the advert a good note from which to begin with. It can also be seen as a pointer to what the outcome of the event is, in a similar way to the introduction to Romeo and Juliet. The caption or ‘title’ of the leaflet is in large, white, bold, capitalised text, which is mapped on a black background. This is to make the text stand out considerably, as there is no bigger contrast than black and white. At the end of the text is an ellipsis. This adds to the beckoning feel of the text that makes the audience want to read on. The second part of the advert or â€Å"Middle of the leaflet† is a transcript of the conversation between Lyn, a SeniorLink operator, and Vera Smith, an old woman in distress. The sheet is in four parts: A quotation, used as a title An introduction to the transcript The telephone conversation, recorded as a transcript And an epilogue to the piece. The quotation to the page is in a similar style to the original caption, in the first part. It shares the same bold, white on black style, however it is not all in capitals. This is because it is a quotation from Vera, presumably from after her ordeal. This is to show again that she recovered and that she owes her life to the SeniorLink pendant. Next is an introduction to the transcript. It starts with an introductory sentence that uses simple adjectives and sentence structure to describe the characters. Next comes the setting of the scene, where Vera’s predicament takes shape. One sentence is underlined, this sentence: ‘To her horror†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is highlighted to make it stand out more, as it is shocking and important. The intro ends with another ellipsis, opening the way for the transcript. Just before the transcript is a picture of both Lyn and Vera, depicted as happy, this is showing: how good the receiving staff is and how pleased Vera is to be alive. The transcript itself is 16 lines long, combining playscript style speech and bold typed event explanations. The playscript reads like normal speech, Vera pauses and the text is punctuated appropriately, â€Å"Please†¦ Help me!† The language is different for Vera and Lyn, Vera sounds helpless and afraid, while Lyn sounds calm and efficient. At three intervals the scripting cuts into a short explanatory line, distinguished by its bold enhancement. These explain what is happening, like directors notes. We are expected to give the appeal some trust and believe that the conversation really happened. Finally there is an epilogue where, using reassuring text, they bring this ordeal to an end. They finish this section by emphasising that the SeniorLink saves lives. The final part of the advert, the back, is the possibly the most important. It is the advert in full, the appeal or the explanation section. It is nine paragraphs that encompass all of the emotion, drawn from before and add to it, then channel it into giving a donation. The title of the piece is large, bold and eye-catching. It is presumably a joke to suggest that she could, ‘hear voices’ as some old people develop insanity. Otherwise the comment that she is alive because she could hear voices is a stupid one and not thought out. The first paragraph is an assurance that Vera made a full recovery, thanks to the SeniorLink system. This is to put worried minds at rest. Then in clear bold text it says: â€Å"But many other elderly people aren’t so lucky†, This shows that next the appeal will give information, possibly facts on old people that didn’t make it through their ordeals. Paragraph 2 is apparently a factual one, where they give you shocking statistics on how many people don’t survive each week. This is supposed to appeal to your human nature and lull you into wanting to help decrease this statistic. Next comes another single line of text that prepares you for upcoming information. It is underlined and utilises an emphasising adverb, which is describing an adjective, ‘tragic’. This is used to change it from being tragic to really tragic, emphasis. The next two paragraphs are two cases, which are utilised to shock you further, and again to appeal to your ‘Human side’. The fifth paragraph is in bold text and is designed to be reliving after the heavy emotion carrying paragraphs. It is positive and righteous. It opens with a statement of good, â€Å"Yet tragedy can be avoided† This is showing the gold horizon, while saying that our cause is the most important cause. Then in the second sentence it uses the mysterious inference again: ‘Hearing Voices’ In the sixth paragraph the appeal itself surfaces and they make their quick request for money, while surrounding it with ideas of stopping unnecessary deaths and the strange ‘voice’ inference again. The donation request itself is only five words long, out of the whole advert. It is short and enveloped to try to mask their intentions, while making it stand out in your mind. Also in this paragraph two words are underlined to add emphasis on their aims. The next paragraph is a short direct paragraph and adds a little more emphasis on the pendant itself. Paragraph eight is the technical element, it explains exactly what the pendant is, wrapped in technical terms to show that this is cutting edge technology and is really effective. The text ends with a warm climax ands shows one last time that the pendant is an amazing thing. The logo of Help The Aged is a rising sun, symbolising that there is dawning hope and always a light for old people. In conclusion, the advert uses most of the persuasive techniques in the handbook, from simple adjectives and bold text to psychological hints and shocking ‘facts’. However I would say that the advert has been worked at: psychologically wise, everything is in the right place, and the things that should stand out do stand out. At every step of the way they have used persuasive writing, showing that: Vera survived because of the pendant, The pendant is efficient and will always work, Pensioners without a pendant die frequently, Preventing the deaths is easy: donate money. On a personal level I wasn’t convinced, I saw the IT tricks and psychological hints as insults, and saw right through them. Perhaps I’m wrong, and I just am not human enough to see that they really are doing good in the world. But, most people would or should give money as it is fairly well thought through and has pretty shocking facts, if they’re true. I have learned that advertising is a crooked business and has many ways of persuasion. It does take a lot of thought.

Inspirational teacher Essay

Dear Ms. Cornell, On the last day of my 9th grade English class, I gathered my books, took one last look around, and wondered if you and I would ever cross paths again. As you erased the chalk board, I wondered how many students were actually as inspired by you as I was. I considered interrupting your meticulous erasing, but decided against it, coming to the conclusion that you had had enough of us rowdy 9th graders for one school year. Your English class was my favorite, and I always looked forward to the exciting activities you’d come up with for us to participate in. Going into the 9th grade, I didn’t think that group activities and reading those â€Å"long† short stories would be something that I actually looked forward to, but you changed my outlook completely. I never thought I would have the opportunity to contact you again as I ventured off to high school to pursue the final years of structured schooling. It’s funny, though†¦as I walked out of your class room, you stayed with me through the duration of my schooling. The way that you taught inspired me in ways that no other teacher could. Your exclusive focus on each individual student you encountered helped me to understand that everyone is, indeed, individual. The creativity you incorporated into each lesson plan helped me to see that nothing has to be boring†¦it’s all in the way that a person approaches it. The little methods you utilized to make large exercises seem small and easy encouraged me to break down my large assignments into several small tasks. Something about the way you spoke to us kids made anything impossible seem absolutely attainable. I am in the process of completing my credentials to become a grade school teacher. I have completed student-teaching for Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd and 4th grade classes. I can now say that I honestly understand why this field is so rewarding. The kids are always so eager to see me. As I did with you, they continually await the learning activities I have planned for them. The various students I have had the opportunity to work with remind me of when I was young and dependent on the grown-up standing in the front of the room trying to teach me all the things I would need to know in life. As I approach the end of my formal education, I felt it was important to let you know that you played an important role in what I chose my career to be. Though the grades are different, the purpose is the same. Watching you effortlessly pass on your knowledge to a bunch of somewhat unappreciative 14-year olds gave me aspiration to practice a career in education. You had a major impact in my life and my hope is that one day I will be someone’s â€Å"Ms. Cornell. † For everything that you taught me, and for everything that you do, Thank you. Sincerely, ________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of.

Coffee and Starbuck Essay

Summarize the overall strategy of Starbucks Management in its effort to create and develop a new concept and a rapidly expanding company. The overall goal of Starbucks Management was to create an American version of the Italian coffee bars that Howard Schultz had experienced first-hand in Milan. He believed that Starbucks should function as an important part of the community, as a meeting place for its customers. He wanted Starbucks to become an experience that would differentiate itself from its competitors. One of their key strategies in meeting this goal is a focus on customer service in order to create an experience for its consumers. Another one of their strategies is to ignite their emotional attachment with consumers. They also have a commitment to improving their business through better training, tools, and products and to give attention to store-level economics and operating efficiency. All of these are prongs to their strategy that will allow Starbucks management to turn Starbucks into a location where people don’t just go to grab coffee, but to experience the atmosphere of an Italian coffee shop. Another prong to their strategy is to offer many different products and to distribute them among a variety of distribution methods. Which one of the five generic competitive strategies discussed in Chapter 5 most closely approximates the competitive approach that Starbucks is employing? There are five generic competitive strategies that can be employed and they are low-cost provider strategy, broad differentiation strategy, focused low-cost strategy, focused differentiation strategy, and best-cost provider strategy. The strategy that Starbucks uses is broad differentiation where they seek to differentiate their product offerings from rivals’ with attributes that will appeal to a large variety of consumers. The key market characteristic for the strategy of differentiation to work is that buyers’ needs and preferences are very diverse and cannot be satisfied with a standardized product offering. This is an evident characteristic of the market because consumers all have different preferences on the way they like their coffee. Which is the reason why Starbucks offers many different product options like lattes, skinny lattes, coffee, iced drinks, blended drinks, etc. They also offer fruit cups, water, and bakery items to provide even more options for their consumers. If a differentiation strategy is successfully implemented the firm will be able to do one of the following: command a premium price for its products, increase unit sales, and/or gain buyer loyalty to its brand. Starbucks has some of the highest prices for the type of products they offer and people tend to be extremely loyal to whatever coffee they are used to purchasing, because they trust the quality. Methods to enhance differentiation 1. Create superior product features, design, and performance Starbucks has a superior knowledge of coffee and a commitment to providing customers with quality coffees. Providing top-quality, fresh-roasted whole-bean coffee was the company’s differentiating feature and a core value since the beginning of its founding. Couches, fireplaces, newspapers, drive-through windows, kiosks in supermarkets and other public places were added to locations depending on what would add value to their consumers. Due to their focus on providing a different experience depending on the location of the store, their international strategy is a multi-domestic approach. The core characteristics of each new store was based on local materials and craftsmanship, a focus on reused and recycled materials and exposure of structural integrity and authentic roots. Most important of all they believed that coffee should be central and that distractions should be removed. They believed that the combination of all these elements should tell a story that would engage the consumer’s five senses and provide them with flexibility to meet the needs of the many different consumers that would be attracted to Starbucks. 2. Improving customer service or adding additional features When Howard Schultz first became part of the company he realized that one key problem Starbucks was having was that first-time consumers often felt uneasy about their absence of knowledge about high-quality coffee. An additional problem was that the employees came off as arrogant and unapproachable. He then worked with employees to teach them about friendly customer service and created a pamphlet to teach new customers about coffee. He also began to offer part-time employees health insurance and a stock option plan for all employees, because he believed that if a company treated their employees well, then they would in turn treat their consumers well. The additional features that Starbucks offers are fireplaces, couches, music, Wi-Fi access, ability to use paid sites and services like Wall Street Journal’s site, exclusive content and previews, free downloads, local community news, and activities. 3. Pursuing production R&D activities Starbucks is constantly brewing new flavors and blends to offer their consumers a variety of coffee to try. Flavors are rotated daily or weekly to offer constant variety. They also test new product offerings like Frappuccino’s, Lattes, Skinny Lattes, and seasonal drinks. 4. Striving for innovation and technological advances One way that Starbucks was able to constantly strive for innovation was by controlling the cost of opening and renovating stores by centralizing buying, developing standard contracts and fixed fees for certain items, and consolidating work under those contractors who displayed good cost-control practices. Starbucks retail operations group outlined the minimum amount of equipment each store would need. This meant that standard items could be ordered from vendors in volume at 20 to 30 percent discounts. The items would then be delivered to the site from a warehouse or from the vendor. A technological advance was that they used computer software to build store layouts that would calculate costs as the design progressed. This cut costs by a significant amount and shortened the process of opening a store to 18 weeks. 5. Increasing intensity of marketing and sales activities Originally, Starbucks didn’t spend a lot of money on advertising, because they relied mostly on word-of-mouth. In 2008 McDonald’s stepped up their advertising to highlight their McCafe coffee drinks. In order to counter this Starbucks undertook the largest advertising campaign ever. 6. Seeking out high-quality inputs Starbucks promotes environmentally sustainable practices in coffee cultivation methods and have specific guidelines they follow called Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices that help farmers to grow high quality coffees in environmentally beneficial ways. In 2000 they began purchasing their coffee organically and a growing percentage of their coffees were grown organically as well as Fair Trade Certified. 7. Improving employee skill, knowledge, and experience Starbucks has a commitment to training their employees so that they are better able to serve their customers. All partners and baristas receive at least 24 hours of training in their first two to four weeks on topics such as coffee history, drink preparation, coffee knowledge, customer service (for a total of 4 hours), and retail skills. Baristas in particular are required to learn how to grind beans, steam milk, pull perfect shots of espresso, memorize recipes, practicing how to mix drinks, and how to customize drinks. Sessions also include how to operate the cash register, clean the milk wand, explain the Italian drink names, and making eye contact with customers. Management trainees are required to attend classes for 8-12 weeks and learn about store operations, practices, and procedures. When a new store is opened a Star Team of experienced employees are sent to make sure everything runs smoothly. From time to time, Starbucks conducts special training programs, including a coffee masters program, leadership training program, and career programs for partners in all types of jobs. When does a differentiation strategy work best? A differentiation strategy works best when buyer needs and uses of the product are diverse, there are many ways to differentiate the product or service that have value to buyers, few rival firms are following a comparable differentiation approach, and technological change is fast paced and competition revolves around rapidly evolving product features. Starbucks’ actions to differentiate their product line They have expanded their product offerings along many different distribution channels by capitalizing on their growing brand name and awareness. First they were able to market their product to restaurants, airlines, hotels, universities, hospitals, business offices, country clubs, and select retailers. United Airlines, Hyatt, Hilton, Sheraton, Radisson, Westin hotels, and Wells Fargo all began to serve Starbucks coffee. A joint venture with PepsiCo came with the sale of a bottled version of the Frappucino drink and Starbucks Doubleshot espresso drinks. In 2008, they partnered with Suntory to sell ready-to-drink Doubleshot drinks in Japan. In 2010 a partnership with Arla Foods spread Doubleshot products and Starbucks chilled cup coffees into retail stores in the UK. A 1995 partnership with Dryers created a new line of coffee ice cream under Starbucks names that was later disbanded in 2008. At this time the rights to manufacture, market, and distribute Starbucks ice cream was given to Unilever. In 1998 Kraft Foods began marketing and distributing whole bean and ground coffee to supermarkets in the US. Tazo Tea was acquired by Starbucks in 1999 and in 2005 they acquired Ethos Water. A partnership with Jim Beam Brands created Starbucks Coffee Liqueur in 2004 and Starbucks Cream Liqueur in 2005. In order to offer healthier options they began offering skinny lattes, banana walnut bread, fruit cups, yogurt parfaits, a farmer’s salad, and smoothies in 2008. Also in 2008, Starbucks responded to customer’s wishes to have a blend of coffee that was always in stores. They created the Pike Place Roast in order to satisfy these customers. 2009 saw the introduction of VIA instant coffee. In 2009 the retail sales mix of Starbucks was 76% beverages, 18% food items, 3 percent coffee-making equipment and other merchandise, and 3% whole bean coffees. What are the key policies, practices, business principles, and procedures that underlie how Howard Schultz and Starbucks’ management have implemented and executed the company’s strategy? Key Policies, Practices, Business Principles, and Procedures The key policies that have been implemented can be broken down into five groups. First is how the company goes about expanding the number of Starbucks stores. The second is their international expansion practices. The third group is their staff training. The fourth is their principles towards ethical business practices. Fifth, is their coffee roasting practices. Store Expansion Starbucks management’s approach to store expansion is using a hub city approach. After a suitable demographic area is chosen Starbucks begins to open up stores in a large city that serves as its hub. After about 20 stores are opened in this hub city, they will then move on to the surrounding areas that are the spokes. This expansion strategy serves to create buzz and brand recognition for the company in an area that has a high amount of foot traffic before moving into a location that has less customer traffic. When a new area was selected for expansion a group of professionals were sent to facilitate the opening. Starbucks also had zone vice presidents who would oversee the expansion process and instill the culture of Starbucks in the new stores. International Expansion When expanding internationally Starbucks has two options; they either open company-owned and operated stores or license to a company that has a good reputation and the knowledge of retailing in that area. Starbucks prefers to license, rather than franchise because licensing provides more assurance of quality control. When they move into foreign markets one of their practices is to use a partner or license to help recruit individuals for employees, set up relationships with suppliers, find store locations, and learn how to cater to local market conditions. For stores that were licensed Starbucks would receive a license fee and a royalty on sales. Companies that were licensed to supply Starbucks coffee were required to follow their detailed operating procedures. Not only that, but managers and employees were required to attend the same training as employees at company-owned stores. Staff Training As mentioned previously, employees are put through an extensive amount of training to learn daily practices and how to treat customers. They are put through this training because customer service is so integral to their organization. Some of the things that baristas learn in their 24 hours of training are coffee history, drink preparation, coffee knowledge, customer service, retail skills, and beverage preparation. Beverage preparation includes grinding the beans, steaming milk, pulling a perfect shot of espresso, memorizing the recipes, practicing the drinks, and learning how to customize drinks. Finally, partners were trained on cash register operations, how to clean the milk wand, how to explain Italian drink names, how to sell espresso machines, making eye contact, interacting with consumers, and taking responsibility for the cleanliness of the store. Not only that but they had many rules that needed to be learned as well such as: milk needs to be steamed to 150 degrees Fahrenheit but not more than 170 degrees, an espresso shot not pulled within 23 seconds needs to be thrown out, coffee can’t sit in the pot more than 20 minutes, and disgruntled customers were given a coupon for a free drink. Managers were required to go even more in depth with their training. Ethical Business Principles Starbucks purchases products that are Fair Trade Certified, meaning that farmers make a fair amount of money for their products. They are very involved in Corporate Social Responsibility and take a number of measures to reduce, reuse, and recycle. They are also committed to purchasing from companies that use environmentally sustainable growing practices. Coffee Roasting Practices Coffee recipes are put together by the coffee department once all components have been tested. In order to be sure of consistency computerized roasters are used. Trained personnel are required to monitor the process by using hearing and their sense of smell to check when the beans are perfectly done. There are extremely exacting standards that must be met and the color of the beans is tested in a blood-cell analyzer and if it doesn’t meet the requirements the batch is discarded. Directly after roasting and cooling coffee is vacuum-sealed into bags that are guaranteed to preserve freshness for 26 weeks. However, policy says that after three months they need to be used. Once opened the shelf life is seven days. What â€Å"values† does Starbucks have? How well do they connect to the strategy and to the manner in which the company conducts its business? Are they successful in implementing to them? The values that Starbucks consider important are included in their mission statement and those are: 1) Coffee: They are committed to providing their consumers with top-quality coffee that is ethically sourced, and to improve the lives of the people who grow the beans. They do this through a variety of methods. First is their Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices (C. A. F. E Practices). These practices specify product quality, that the price received by farmers/growers is fair, that safe and humane working conditions are being used, and that the methods of growing are environmentally responsible. Second, they do not add artificial flavorings to their coffee beans. Third, they have Farmer Support Centers in Costa Rica and Rwanda. These support centers were staffed with agronomists and experts on environmentally responsible coffee growing methods and worked with coffee farming communities to promote best practices in coffee production They also worked to improve coffee quality and production yields. 2) Partners: In order to better care for their employees Starbucks has a health care plan available for all employees, a stock purchase plan, employee training, and employee recognition. Some of their employee recognition awards include Coffee Master awards, Certified Barista awards, Spirit of Starbucks awards, Manager of the Quarter, Green Apron awards, Green Bean awards, and Bravo! Awards, 3) Customers: They value connecting with customers and uplifting the lives of consumers by providing the perfectly made beverage and going the extra mile for their customers. Employees are trained to take heroic measures to make customers happy. 4) Stores: Starbucks management’s goal was to create the stores to be a haven where customers belong and meet with friends. They do this by creating a store ambience, having interesting music playing, leather couches to sit and read newspapers in, and they make sure that nothing overpowers the smell of coffee. 5) Neighborhood: Their stores are part of its community and to be a force of positive good in the area. One way they do this is by using local materials and craftsmanship. They are also extremely involved in Corporate Social Responsibility. The commitment to do the right thing has been a significant part of how Starbucks operates as a company ever since Schultz became CEO. Starbucks has been named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s list of â€Å"The 100 Best Corporate Citizens† for the 10th time in 2010. 6) Shareholders: Starbucks is committed to getting all of the above values right so that they can help everyone that is involved and affected by Starbucks thrive. What is your evaluation of Starbucks social responsibility strategy? How much does it help to create their public image? Starbucks CSR strategy has four main parts which are: 1) Ethical sourcing of products: They do this through their C. A. F. E Practices, purchasing Fair Trade Certified products, and buying from manufacturers that have a commitment to environmental and social responsibility. 2) Community involvement: Starbucks has several organizations to foster community involvement. First, is the Starbucks Youth Action Grants which involves young people in community involvement projects. Second, is their program to give medicine to people suffering from HIV in Africa. Third, is the Ethos Water Fund where they donate 5 cents every time somebody purchases a bottle of Ethos Water. Fourth, they donate money to the Starbucks Foundation which was the fund that was started in 1997 to handle all the Starbucks’ philanthropic actions. 3) Environmental Stewardship: In order to achieve this goal they have several methods. First, they focus on increasing recycling and reducing waste which they do by giving discounts to people who bring in their own mugs, coffee grounds are donated for use as a soil amendment, they take part in Earth Day activities, they purchase paper products with recycled content and unbleached fiber, and they encourage their suppliers to provide energy-efficient products and eliminate unnecessary packaging. They also have commitments to be more energy efficient, use renewable energy sources, conserve water resources, use green facilities, using environmentally friendly building materials and energy-efficient designs. They also have plans to achieve LEED certification globally. In 2009 they became part of the Businesses for Innovative Climate Change and Energy Policy coalition. They have also collaborated with the Earthwatch Institute and work on replanting rain forests, mapping water resources, and biodiversity indicators, and sharing sustainable agriculture practices with coffee growers. 4) Farmer loans: They provide funding to organizations that make loans to coffee growers. Their goal for 2015 is to donate $20 million dollars to these funds. They have also committed money to hurricane Rita and Katrina victims, as well as to help the devastation after the earthquake in Haiti. Having a strong CSR campaign adds to the value of Starbucks’ products if consumers know that they are involved in these activities. It lets consumers know that part of the money they are spending is going to a good cause. By getting on the Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s list of â€Å"The 100 Best Corporate Citizens† for the 10th time in 2010, it increases the knowledge that people have about their CSR strategy. Compare the US and International share of yearly revenue, revenue growth, and operating income/revenue. What do these ratios tell you? What is your overall assessment of Starbucks’ financial performance during fiscal years 2005-2009? Explain the performance of Starbucks stock. Exhibit 1 Comparison of Starbucks’ Financial Performance in the US and Internationally| | | 9/27/2009| 9/27/2008| 9/30/2007| 10/1/2006| 10/2/2005| Yearly Revenue ($ millions)| | | | | | | United States| $ 6,572. 10 | $ 6,997. 70 | $ 6,590. 20 | $ 5,495. 20 | $ 4,359. 50 | | International| $ 1,608. 00 | $ 1,774. 20 | $ 1,437. 40 | $ 1,087. 90 | $ 852. 50 | Revenue Growth ($ millions)| | | | | | | United States| -6. 08%| 6. 18%| 19. 93%| 26. 05%| | | International| -9. 37%| 23. 43%| 32. 13%| 27. 61%| | Operating Income/Revenue ($ millions)| | | | | | | United States| $ 531. 80 | $ 454. 20 | $ 1,005. 20 | $ 955. 20 | $ 818. 50 | | International | $ 92. 90 | $ 110. 00 | $ 137. 70 | $ 108. 50 | $ 82. 30 | These ratios tell us that overall they have been increasing their revenue growth by significant percentages of an average of 20% internationally and 12% domestically. Domestically the amount of revenue growth per year slowed down in 2008 and went negative in 2009. Revenue growth also went negative in 2008 internationally. This makes sense because 2008 was the beginning of the economic downturn which affected the company’s bottom line. Operating income has fluctuated quite a bit since 2005 and since its peak in 2007 ($1,0005. 20 million) has decreased significantly to $531. 80 million. Internationally it has remained steadier at an average of $106. 28 million. Again these numbers make sense because it was in 2008-2009 that the economic downturn occurred and Schultz instituted strategic initiatives and revamped strategy execution efforts to fix these financial problems. One reason that the economic downturn affected Starbucks’ bottom line badly is because it was considered a treat to go to Starbucks and to get coffee that wasn’t brewed at the home. Less people were indulging in coffee by the cup. In 2006 and 2007 Starbucks reached its peak growth in the period displayed in exhibit 1. This is represented in the stock chart because it is also when their stock performance reached its peak at 40. The lowest point on the stock chart was in 2008 which makes sense because this is when the economic downturn occurred so many people were selling stocks. In 2008-2009 Schultz’s measures to institute strategic initiatives and revamp strategy execution efforts began and clearly worked because in the period of time from 2008-2010 stocks returned to almost 30. What are the key elements and your evaluation of Howard Schultz’s transformation agenda for Starbucks during 2008-2010? What do you think of the letters shown on page C-364 and C-365? Has Schultz done a good job since his return as Starbucks’ CEO? Why or why not? Elements of the Transformation Agenda Howard Schultz’s transformation agenda during 2008-2010 had several key elements. First, he planned on slowing new store openings to 73 internationally. Second, 900 underperformed company-owned stores were closed in the United States. The goal of this action was to raise sales and traffic at nearby sales. Around 75% of these stores that were considered underperforming were within three miles of an existing store which shows that their strategy of having a Starbucks everywhere was cannibalizing their sales. The third element of the transformation agenda was raising the projected return on capital requirements for proposed new store locations. This is a way for Schultz to be more particular about new store placement and to have a better chance of making a significant amount of profit and not losing traffic to existing stores. Fourth, he planned on revamping the company’s locations in Australia with a focus on Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney as the hub cities. He planned on closing 61 under-performing locations in order to do this. Fifth, it was important to Schultz that there be an emphasis on developing new store designs in order to promote a refreshed customer experience. In order to do this the character of each store would be a reflection of the area it was in to make the customers feel more at home and to make Starbucks the center of that community. Sixth, customer experience would be heightened through a variety of methods. The first method was by removing warmed sandwiches from the menu, because it inhibited the aroma from the coffee. Second, high-quality baked goods and pastries would be offered at the store along with new menu items for healthy eating on the go. For example, fruit cups, skinny lattes, yogurt parfaits, salads, smoothies, and healthier bakery selections were all a result of this step in Schultz’s transformation agenda. The seventh part of the agenda was to create a program to share best practices in stores globally, this would promote quality control and improve customer service, which was one of the things that Schultz had found lacking when he became CEO again. Eighth, Schultz thought it was important to provide resources and tools for store employees such as laptops and internet-based software for scheduling. Ninth, there were cost-containment initiatives put in place in order to improve the bottom line that included a reduction of 1,000 people in staffing. Finally, the last part of the agenda was to renew the attention placed on employee training in order to reignite the enthusiasm to please customers that is vital to the mission of Starbucks. Evaluation The goal for 40,000 stores worldwide as a long-term objective and the rapid expansion that Jim Donald began led to a decrease in customer traffic in the US stores, new store openings that continued at a rate of 6 per day worldwide, and the emphasis on increased store operations efficiency put financial strain on the company and led to a decrease in customer service. Good customer service is one of the cornerstone values of Starbucks and was a central idea during Schultz’ leadership. Schultz’ return to CEO and his strategic initiatives mentioned above will help to return Starbucks to the values it originally held as very important and to return it to profitability by slowing down on expansion to focus more on the three main themes Schultz saw as important to his strategy. These themes are: strengthening the core, elevating the experience, and investing and growing. Before he can focus on growing the company, they need to have a strong base of employees and a focus on the experience that Starbucks is meant to provide its consumers. Letters from Schultz The letters that are shown on page C-364 and C-365 of the case show that Schultz is dedicated to his shareholders, which is one of the values in their mission statement. He is being extremely open and upfront the concerns of shareholders and about the actions that will be taken to address those issues. The first letter is addressed to customers and he explains that he has come back to Starbucks as CEO in order to ensure that the customers receive the experience that he believes Starbucks is known for. This letter shows that he truly cares about the thoughts and concerns of consumers. The second letter is to the employees of Starbucks. In this letter Schultz addresses them as partners in the path to revitalizing Starbucks’ mission. He even says, â€Å"I am proud to be your partner†¦Ã¢â‚¬  By treating his employees like this he is able to foster accountability for the actions that everybody can take in helping to turn around Starbucks to what Schultz’ vision for it is. Evaluation of Schultz’ work. Schultz has done a good job by creating strategic initiatives in order to return Starbucks to where he thinks the company should be. His vision includes becoming the authority on coffee, engaging and inspiring Starbucks’ partners, igniting the emotional attachment with customers, expanding global presence and making each store the neighborhood’s heart, being a leader in ethical sourcing and environmental impact, creating innovative growth platforms, and delivering a sustainable economic model. Every one of these visions is addressed in some way in his agenda, which shows he has a clear idea of where the company should go and how to get it there. In 2008-2009 the company experiences five quarters of deteriorating sales, but from 2009-2010 had five quarters of improving sales, which shows that Schultz’ transformation agenda has been working. What issues confront the company as of mid-2010? What should Starbucks’ management be worried about? What are the challenges in expanding internationally? Issues as of mid-2010. 1) Oversaturation of the market: With the â€Å"A Starbucks Everywhere† approach and the rapid expansion steps taken by Donald, there was a decrease in customer traffic at the stores, resulting in a loss of profit. 2) Lack of emphasis on customer relationships: The emphasis on increased efficiency in store operations led to a decrease in good customer service. 3) Drifting away from the original values of Starbucks: Starbucks was built with an emphasis on high-quality coffee, good customer service, and a commitment to creating an experience for customers. However, when Schultz became CEO again he noted that this was lacking. 4) Offering high-quality products: As Starbucks moves into new locations in order to draw attention away from local popular spots they will need to offer a product that is of high enough quality to keep consumers coming back. 5) Differentiation: Again, as they move into new markets they will need to do significant research to find out what those consumer’s value. They need to be able to give it to them in order to achieve their goal of being the heart of the neighborhood. 6) Coffee prices: Coffee prices fluctuate significantly due to weather, economic, and political conditions in the countries where they are grown. What should management be worried about? Management should be worried about offering high-quality products. If they cannot prove that their product is better due to quality or differentiating features then locations that sell coffee and consumers are already loyal, they will have issues drawing consumers away. However, Starbucks does have an extremely strong brand image and hype associated with their name, which is an asset for them in entering new markets. International Challenges Some challenges that Starbucks will face internationally are: 1) Adapting their stores to fit the location they are in 2) Creating partnerships and licensing agreements with reputable companies to offer their products abroad 3) Regulations on foreign businesses moving into their country 4) Having enough control over the quality in the international stores that are licensed. 5) Higher production costs Starbucks has chosen to follow a multi-domestic approach to international expansion, meaning that they customize their product offerings to match the tastes and preferences of local buyers. The main challenge that Starbucks will face in entering international markets is knowing what that group of people wants and prefers. Another problem is that they will need to make partnerships and licensing agreements with reputable companies in order to be sure that the culture of Starbucks is continued to their new stores. Finally, they will have the issue with tailoring their stores to fit the environment they are in, because they will be unable to use a set design which could raise production costs. What recommendation would you make to Howard Schultz to sustain the company’s growth and support continued strong financial performance in the years ahead? Consider both the US and International strategies. Recommendations * Coordinate with suppliers to address consumers’ needs better: By coordinati.

Microsoft's Current Development Strategy Case Study

Microsoft's Current Development Strategy - Case Study Example As a company, Microsoft values integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect. They are committed to their customers and partners and have a passion for technology. They take on big challenges. They hold themselves accountable to their customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honoring their commitments, providing results, and striving for the highest quality.Microsoft’s best selling products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software. These products have prominent positions in the desktop computer market, with market share estimates as high as 90% or more as of 2003 for Microsoft Office and 2006 for Microsoft Windows, in line with the company's original mission of "a computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software".Microsoft has footholds in other markets besides operating systems and office suites, with assets such as the MSNBC cable television network, the MSN Internet portal, and the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopedia. The company also markets both computer hardware products such as the Microsoft mouse and home entertainment products such as the Xbox, Xbox 360, Zune and MSN TV. Known for what is generally described as a developer-centric business culture, Microsoft has historically given customer support over Usenet newsgroups and the World Wide Web, and awards Microsoft MVP status to volunteers who are deemed helpful in assisting the company's customers.

Taking the Next Step in the Death Industry Essay

Taking the Next Step in the Death Industry - Essay Example Raji (2007) stated that consumer passes through various stages of decision making process before taking a decision regarding the purchase of product (p.13). It is further mentioned that need for a product is the first stage in buying decision process (Raji, 2007, p.13) and various researches suggest that customers go through five stage decision making process which includes information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchasing and post purchase evaluation apart from need recognition (http://tutor2u.net). Morticians may follow the decision making process of buyers and could include the webpage service in the package of funeral products explaining the benefits to the consumer and friends like allowing long distance relative and friends to send condolence messages and other notes. According to Clow (2007) dual channel marketing is â€Å"when firms sell the same goods or services to both consumers as well as businesses†(p.107). In present scenario, Nancy and Margo are targeting morticians as they are in direct contact with the relatives and friends of the deceased person. It is further pertinent to mention that the website will also setup links to the newspaper wherein the short obituary will include the web address which itself will create direct customer relations for the website. This makes it clear that Nancy and Margo, through morticians are creating market for themselves as well as developing direct relations with the customer, thus giving an indication of the use of dual channel program. The strategy of Nancy and Margo, not directly promoting the service to patron, is correct because morticians, who deal with funeral materials and accessories, can strike a deal with them along with the materials instead of Nancy and Margo going to the patrons and promoting their website. The concept of providing website dedicated to deceased person is innovative and may strike a chord among people living in technological era. Though

Journal 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal 3 - Essay Example n almost unanimously agree,† Adding that, â€Å"Debates over immigration can continue for decades, resulting in significant policy changes without -- or even in opposition to -- presidential leadership. Scholars point to the lengthy debates of the 1840s and 1850s, when nativists particularly feared the growing political power of Irish Roman Catholics. From roughly 1880 through 1930, the "new immigrants" from Asia and Southern and Eastern Europe provoked many Americans into predictions of what they called racial "mongrelization.",† (Gabaccia, p.1). In consideration of the high level of immigrants which traveled to the Americas long ago and to a certain extent to this day, it is quite intriguing to see the lack of discussion that occurs on a political level as it comes to the debate over such an issue that possesses great historical relevance to the history of any nation, including the United States. In the case of current debate, often times the subject of immigration is placed heavily on the issue of border control between neighboring countries. When it comes to choosing political candidates, it becomes quite commonplace to view them first in foremost through such means as categorizing based on ethnic background, nationality, or even gender. Despite the continued desire among many to see those who live within the borders of the United States through such means that are not legal, it continues to be an issue for discussion that appears to have no clear cut way for attempting to solve the matter at all. In the end, â€Å"Race, ethnicity, religion, and nativity can fig-ure prominently in presidential campaigns precisely because they symbolize the depth of contradictions in the shifting political coalitions that uneasily unite national parties. That was certainly the case in 1928. It is equally true today,† (Gabaccia, p.2). One of the basic things which many take for granted is that of the chance to wear what we want and to do so when we please. Such

MKTG 4050- The Marketing of Osteoporosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MKTG 4050- The Marketing of Osteoporosis - Essay Example asers) that there is efficacy in taking these products as shown from the improved health condition that alleviates pain and suffering from osteoporosis. From the point of view of manufacturers, for instance, the critical positioning or selection process to be decided on would include price of the product, efficacy, propensities for side-effects (safety), and availability (or ease of access) and the overall satisfaction to be derived from the drug. If one were to manufacture the most effective drug for osteoporosis, given the product feature characteristics and the value positioning noted above, the most important value that one would focus on is efficacy, or the ability of the drug to provide the desired effect (as promised) at the most immediate time frame, with the least side-effects. Focusing on this product feature would ensure that the customers would be satisfied with the drug, and would essentially purchase it despite applying premium strategies in price or place, as needed. Meaning, even if one would position the brand to be a little higher priced and to be offered in locations that are far or limited, customers would still seek to purchase this product due to the effectiveness of alleviating pain and improving the health condition of patients with osteoporosis, when compared to other drugs. Lessons to Learn From Traditional B2B Marketing." 11 January 2010. Slide Share, Inc. 9 October 2012

Prestressed Concrete Beam Test Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prestressed Concrete Beam Test - Lab Report Example All the beams were pretension concrete beams and they were cast through a precast beam that was manufactured on 6 September 2014. The tension stress was big enough but it seems to have reduced from the initial one and this could be due to elastic loss or friction. The flexural tensile strength was less than the tensile stress. Basing on the results the experimental loads were a bit lower than the theoretical loads, this could be due to experimental errors during the experiment that includes wrong measurement, inaccurate equipment etc. The stress is zero on the neutral axis and this is seen when t pass through the centroid. After adding compressive stress to the bending stress, the stress is decreased everywhere and the neutral axis tends to move away from the centroid, the movement will be towards the tensile edge. There is a possibility for the neutral axis to extend beyond the edge. The results will as well indicate the fatigue resistance in the given prestressed concrete beams as well as any advanced warnings related to the failure. Basically, it is recognized that warnings are indicated and provided by the increasing crack widening and deflection before the failure happens.Snapping of stressed tendons. One should never stand at the end of the beam. Protective screens and warnings signs need to be in position. The experiment objective was met despite a big difference in values between the practical and theoretical values. The properties of the concrete were obtained from the standard sample tests.

International Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

International Finance - Essay Example In this age of globalisation, many companies conduct businesses in countries other than their own. With opportunities in new markets come various types of risks—business risks, macro environmental risks, as well as foreign exchange risks (Pattichis et al. 2004). When a company conducts a business outside the country where it is based, the company is said to be exposed to some foreign exchange risks, where the fluctuations in the differences between the home countrys currency and the host countrys currency may result in adverse impacts in the companys income from international operations, as well as its balance sheet. In this age of globalisation, many companies conduct businesses in countries other than their own. With opportunities in new markets come various types of risks—business risks, macro environmental risks, as well as foreign exchange risks (Pattichis et al. 2004). When a company conducts a business outside the country where it is based, the company is said to be exposed to some foreign exchange risks, where the fluctuations in the differences between the home countrys currency and the host countrys currency may result in adverse impacts in the companys income from international operations, as well as its balance sheet. Companies need to protect themselves from these risks; a drastic change in the exchange rate between the home countrys currency and that of the host country can result in significant gains or losses (Nazarboland 2003). Aside from this, those which are otherwise very profitable international ventures of the company, due to fluctuations in the foreign exchange rate, may seem to be a losing business. For companies that have significant foreign direct investments across the globe, in order to assess more accurately the performance of their international subsidiaries, managing the foreign exchange risk is very important (Collier et al. 1990). Also, these differences will have a

Source Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Source Evaluation - Essay Example This research paper will evaluate the 2005 publication of Environmental and Resource Economics to establish if it is a credible source for use in this paper. Authors Credentials Dr. Ida Ferrara is a PHD holder from York University. She is currently an associate professor and an undergraduate director in the department of economics, faculty of liberal arts and professional studies at York University. Ferrara is a credible and known writer who has done many publications on waste management and environment alone and with other writers. Ferrara has vast knowledge in diverse research areas including applied microeconomics, public economics, natural resource economics, environmental economics, and industrial economics. She has won many accolades on her research work and special merit on her work. This information about Ferrara makes her a credible writer. Dr. Paul Missios who worked with Ferrara in this publication is a PHD holder from York University. His teaching fields include environme ntal economics, engineering economics, and microeconomics. Dr Paul has research interests in environmental economics, natural resource economics, public economics, and international trade. ... The data used in this research was collected from households in communities across Ontario, which is within the states that cover my research. The research sought to establish a relationship between several commonly recycled materials and individual household characteristics, recycling programme attributes, and garbage collection financing methods. My research paper focuses on recycling and if it should be made mandatory for every household. The fact that this source focuses on the significant effects of mandatory recycling for almost all types of provisions, links it to my research paper. Sufficient Coverage This publication covers fully well on the topic of study. The sample collected on a few households in Ontario, Canada can give an overview of the situation in other states of USA. Data collected reveals a significant rise in recycling on introduction of user fees on garbage collection, which gives an insight on what need done to encourage household recycling (Ferrara and Missios 221) Reputable Publisher or Respected Periodical Environmental and resource economics is a peer reviewed journal published monthly in three volumes per year. This paper is a publication of European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) started in 1991. EAERE encourage and improve communication between teachers, researchers, and academic institutions on environmental and resource economics issues. It has over 1000 membership in over 60 countries in European and beyond. EAERE awards for outstanding publication in the journal environmental and resource economics. EAERE is a reputable publisher of a respected journal of environmental and resource economics. Publication Date The journal’s publication date is in the year 2005. My research

Poverty Case Essay Example for Free

Poverty Case Essay Question: Choose an issue of importance to you—the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope—and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation. My parents had a life where there were no three meals a day, no electricity and so many other things. They used to tell â€Å"you never know how bad poverty is until you experience it†. Poverty is the leading cause of death in every developing county. We all know about poverty but we do nothing to stop it. According to UNICF more than 22000 kids die every day because of poverty. The food that we waste everyday will be enough to remove world poverty. My parents and grandparents came from world of utter poverty. When I talk about poverty I know how bad it is and I want the new generation to everything they can to remove poverty. Have anyone gone hungry for a day or two? We all eat at least three meals a day but there are people in the world who don’t even have a single piece of bread to eat. Mahatma Gandhi once said â€Å"there are people in the world, so hungry that god cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.† We all are living in a country where we have everything but there are people in the world who have to drink dirty water to slake their thirst. In Africa more than 5000 kids die each day because of drinking dirty water. We all know about this but we do nothing to stop world poverty. Remember that today’s kids are tomorrow’s future. If we put the all the billionaires in the world together they may be able to remove world poverty from this world. According to human nature if we want to do something we have the ability to do it but no one is there to take the lead. As a 17 year old teenager I care about my fellow citizens and the coming generation. I don’t want them to see a world of poverty and death. I want them to see a world of evergreen sunshine. Poverty is not something that we can remove in two or three days. It takes time to remove world poverty. As a member of the new generation let’s all make sure that we show our kids that we are living in a country with no poverty.

Treaty of Versailles Essay Example for Free

Treaty of Versailles Essay The 1919 Treaty of Versailles was made by George Clemenceau, David Lloyd George and Woodrow Wilson. They were the World War One leaders of France, Great Britain and America respectively, and after the war, made the Treaty to decide what to do with a defeated Germany. Four years of fighting and losses throughout the First World War made decisions difficult, but overall, the Treaty was the best that could have been achieved under the circumstances. The months of arguing, negotiation and compromise that led to the completed Treaty of Versailles were without Germany. She had not been invited to join in in any of the decisions, and the Treaty was presented to the nation on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. This was because the Big Three were arguing with each other so much, and didnt want to seem weak or divided in front of their enemy. Not only did this anger Germany, but there was nothing she could do about it. If the German government refused to sign the Treaty, the war would restart and it would be impossible for them to win. The German leader Friedrich Ebert had to sign it, or inflict inevitable defeat on his country. It was signed on the 28th June 1919. Part of the Treaty was Wilsons League of Nations; his ideal world parliament, to which many of the Germans overseas colonies were given to. Germany was not invited to join until it had shown it was a peace loving country, which insulted them greatly. Another of Wilsons ideas was self-determination for people in Eastern Europe; however German people in the newly-created countries of the other post-war treaties, were treated as second-class citizens and ruled by non-Germans. They thought this was unfair and that the Allies were treating them with double standards. This angered Germany, giving her people another reason for revenge. One of the Treatys other terms was that Germany had to accept full responsibility for starting the war and all of the consequent damage it had caused. Clemenceau and Lloyd George were in favour of this, however Wilson, known for his idealism, believed that Europe as a whole had triggered the war. He was probably right, as America had been an observer for the most part of the war. Germany was outraged at being given all of the blame. The German Count Brockdorff said, We are told that we should acknowledge that we alone are guilty of having caused the war. I would be a liar if I agreed to this. Their army was also restricted to 100,000 volunteers, roughly an twenty times smaller than it had been. The bitter resentment of holding the all of the war guilt hurt the Germans pride, but was also why in the 1930s, Hitlers idea of re-building the German army was so popular. The Treaty did not come down on either side of the fence. Germany was weakened, but no so weakened that it could not rise within a generation to threaten the balance of world power once again, said historian John Sheerer. The Treaty wasnt kind enough so the German people wouldnt be bitter, but not harsh enough to ensure that they wouldnt retaliate. It left the Germans both strong and resentful and the rest of the world in a dangerous position. The Treaty also lost Germany all of its overseas land, ten percent of its territory; population; agricultural land; coal, steel and iron industries; as well as a massive reduction in its army size. The reparations fee was an immense ? 6. 6 billion, which the nation only would have finished paying in 1984, had the fee not been reduced in 1929. Despite this, a treaty the Germans gave to the Russians, the 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, demonstrated how harsh the Germans would have been if they had won the war. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk stripped Russia of thirty-four percent of its population, thirty-two percent of its agricultural land, fifty-four percent of its industry, twenty-six percent of its railways and eighty-nine percent of its coalmines, as well as a fine of 300 million gold rubles. The Treaty of Versailles seemed harsh, but was very mild in comparison to Brest-Litovsk. Historian Sally Marks adds, The real difficulty was not that the Treaty was exceptionally severe, but that the Germans thought it was, and in time persuaded others it was. Another point of view is Historian Dr. Ruth Henig, who says: The German people were expecting victory not defeat. It was the acknowledgement of defeat as much as the treaty terms themselves, which the found so hard to accept. The Treaty had not been read from cover to cover by anyone when it was presented to the Germans in the spring of 1919. Nobody knew what its cumulative effect would be, and none of the three leaders were satisfied with their work. Maybe if someone had taken the time to read it, or the Germans had been allowed to negotiate with the Big Three, history would be different. However, this may not have been possible. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the War to End All Wars ended, and the Allies were left with an unstable defeated nation, on the brink of economic and political chaos. The Big Three were under a lot of pressure to get a Treaty together before Germany totally collapsed, and the Treaty of Versailles may have been the best they could have achieved given the time pressure. It was better to come up with a solution, than not have one at all. The whole world was watching them make a decision that could change history, and that must have been stressful for the politicians. The leaders were also being pressured by their countries. Not being dictators, Clemenceau, Lloyd George and Wilson had to represent their peoples views. However, voters often see things in black and white, and in 1919, nothing was different. The citizens of France and England especially wanted to see Germany suffer, but did not understand the complex situation that their leaders did. In fact, George Clemenceau was actually voted out of parliament in 1920 for not being harsh enough on the Germans. Without a doubt, the Treaty was hard to make, and some historians point of view is that Lloyd George and Wilson were forced into agreeing to a harsh treaty. George Clemenceau was famous for being a tough, uncompromising politician, but he also had the moral high-ground. France had been most badly affected by the war. The stomach-turning pictures we see of wounded, shell-shocked soldiers were taken on French soil, not British or American. Large parts of France had been destroyed, and they wanted pay-back. Furthermore, France is geographically closer to Germany than Great Britain or America, and if Germany were to attack, the French would be the first victims. Clemenceau and the French population knew this, and this may have been why a lot of the Treatys terms seem to benefit France; for example, Alsace-Lorraine being returned to France. The Big Three all had very different aims: Lloyd Georges were to weaken Germany, but not cripple it so much, because Germany was Great Britains second biggest trading partner. If they were not able to trade with Germany, many British people would lose their jobs. He also needed France to be rebuilt, as they were long standing allies and when both strong, were useful to each other. As well as this, Lloyd George wanted the Germans to lose their empire, as it threatened the British Empire. Like the British Prime Minister, Wilson didnt want Germany crippled, because he feared that they would want revenge if their punishment were too cruel. He also campaigned for his League of Nations, which would bring world peace; and self determination for the people in Eastern Europe. However, Lloyd George disagreed with this, as self determination in some countries might lead to revolution in the British Commonwealth. Wilsons idea to end all empires obviously didnt go down well with the British or French either. Clemenceau only wanted Germany to be crippled and crushed enough so France wouldnt be attacked. Germany had invaded France twice in the past fifty years, and Clemenceau had been around to witness it both times. He wanted Germany to pay dearly for the damage and suffering it had caused, expand the French industry and to rebuild the towns and villages that had been turned to rubble. This was all going to be hugely expensive. There had to be a compromise. Some of the aims were almost polar opposites, and whichever way it turned out, disappointment was inevitable. If the circumstances had been different, and France, Great Britain and America had all wanted the same things, the Treaty would have been much easier to put together, but this was not the case. With the benefit of hindsight; knowing that the Treaty indirectly caused the Second World War, it is easy to say that the Big Three didnt do enough to maintain the peace they created. There are some elements of the Treaty that could have been handled better (for example, reading it beforehand), but overall, it was the best outcome under the tough circumstances, especially seeing what the Germans would have done if they had been victorious. When you think of the pressure on the politicians, as well as the inevitable anger from the Germans, and three exhausted, arguing, war-weary nations trying to decide what to do with their enemy, the Treaty of Versailles was definitely the best that could have been achieved in 1919.

Moving through levels of care in health

Moving through levels of care in health A Health system can be defined as a group of people whose primary focus is to improve the health or wellbeing of others (WHO, 2005). These entities could include organizations such as hospitals and other health care services that respond to the needs of the population. This essay will focus on the three levels of care: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary and explore how patients move through these three levels of health care in New Zealand (NZ), the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). The similarities and differences between these systems will be highlighted and the accessibility of these providers will be discussed. There are three different levels of care in terms of Health Systems, each addressing the necessities of the patient and are organized into Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Care (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). Primary care is usually the first point of contact for many individuals and focuses on ambulatory care such as general practitioners (GP’s), midwives and pharmacists. Healthcare at this level tends to be family orientated and situated around communities, treating ordinary, every day health problems (Alberta Physician Link, n.d.). The Secondary care level usually involves much more specialized services and is generally hospital based; examples include specialized physicians like pediatrics and obstetrics (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). Tertiary care typically involves specialist physicians such as cardiac surgeons and immunologists. Care at this level comprises of the treatment of uncommon and complicated diseases (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). The margin between secondary an d tertiary health care is difficult to distinguish between as enhancements in modern day technology means that surgeries that are associated with tertiary level is being introduced to local hospitals (French, Old, Healy, 2001). Patient flow through the three levels of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary care differs from country to country and is dependent on the country’s focus and organization. Each country operates differently in order to respond to the needs of the population. Patient flow in most cases is a stepwise process and enables efficiency in Health care systems. In New Zealand, individuals who have health problems will go directly to their GP as their first contact (French et al., 2001). The reason for this is, unless it’s an accidental and emergency situation, New Zealanders’ can only gain access to secondary and tertiary services by referrals from their GP’s. GP’s can be described as ‘gate keepers’ who hold the key to higher levels of health care (French et al., 2001). Only by obtaining this key – in this case a referral, will patients in NZ be able to gain access to secondary and tertiary care. The same situation also applies to private health sectors (French et al., 2001). If further diagnosis is required after seeing the GP, the patient will be referred to a specialist at a public hospital who will be the sole decision maker in deciding the urgency of the situation. If specialized assistance is required, the patient and their GP will be notified within ten days and will have an appointment within six months (Cumming et al., 2013). GP’s taking on the role as gate keepers will lead to the development of a strong patient-caregiver relationship, which eventually leads to better health outcomes (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). In the United Kingdom, the British National Health Service (NHS) provides health care. The GPs here also take on the role of gatekeepers and apart from treating every day problems; they also provide prevention services such as immunization to prevent diseases and vaccinations (Boyle, 2011). Similar to New Zealand, patients are unable to gain access to secondary services unless they have a referral from their general practitioners (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). This system differs from New Zealand in that a referral from a GP to access health care at the tertiary level is quite unusual and is usually attained by a referral from the secondary care level (Wheeler Grice, 2000). The exceptions to these regulations are accidental and emergency situations, for example, a trip to the Accidental and emergency department (AE) would not require a referral. The US health system focuses more on care at the tertiary level. This health system differs from NZ and UK in that patients are able to access secondary and tertiary levels of care without a referral (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). In the US, patient flow is not as efficient and it has become customary for individuals to approach any doctor of their choice depending on their health problems (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). The numerous roles specialists and doctors have to undertake accentuate the huge gap in primary care. In NZ and the UK where physicians specialize in providing health care at the secondary level, tertiary physicians in the US have to provide health care at both the primary and secondary level in order to make up for the lack of primary care providers (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). Access to health care is how obtainable medical care is. There are numerous barriers to access and these include factors such as cost, transport and locations of hospitals relative to where individuals live. Each country differs in the way they attack certain barriers. The US health system focuses more on the concept of the dispersed model in terms of organization and is more orientated towards tertiary care (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). Health insurance is a major factor that influences individual’s access to healthcare. Individuals in the US have employers who aid in the costs of health insurance. However, individuals who have employers that do not cover health insurance, have to figure out their own way to access health care (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). More often than not, it is these individuals who do not fit the criteria for public health insurance and do not have the means to obtain private health insurance due to expensive premiums (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). The number of uninsured people has been increasing and countless employers have responded to the ever-growing costs of health insurance by no longer providing it for their employees. Health insurance in the US poses as the biggest financial barrier towards access and Bode nheimer and Grumbach accentuates this point. Their findings reveal that those who are not insured receive less care, resulting in bad health consequences. The two main public health insurance companies in the US are Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid’s target audience is for citizens aged 65+ and in low-income families while Medicare’s targets disabled individuals and residents who are 65+, under 65 year olds are funded by private insurance (The Commonwealth Fund, 2012). However, many physicians do not accept people with Medicaid insurance as this means they receive less payment. Compared to the individuals who are uninsured, those who are insured with Medicaid have a much more stable source of health care and access to other services. However, in contrast to the others who are privately insured, they are more likely to have difficulties when pursuing medical care and other prescriptions (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). Numerous residents are underinsured and uninsured (The Commonwealth Fund, 2012) resulting in less people obtaining access to medical care. People are entitled to refer themselves to any level of health care depending on their situation, resulting in a large out of pocket fee if they were uninsured. However, access to health care is incredibly beneficial for the well off individuals who are able to afford private insurance. The US health system primary focus on the tertiary level impacts access as it allows entry into any level of care depending on the patient’s choice and this is incredibly advantageous for those who are well off, but poses as a disadvantage for the poor and those who cannot afford health insurance. In NZ, the health system focuses more on the regionalized model in terms of organization and is orientated towards primary health care. The Government along with the District Health Boards (DHB) and Primary Healthcare Organizations (PHO) plays a huge role in delivering health care to individuals in NZ (Gauld, 2012). There are two types of PHOs established, interim and access (Malcolm, 2004). Access PHOs subsidies 60-70% of GP costs for those in disadvantaged areas, whereas Interim PHOs subsidies 30-40% of GP costs for those who are in less disadvantaged areas (Malcolm, 2004). This will enable those who live in underprivileged areas to gain access to health care, without worrying about costs. Most hospital fees are free of charge with some additional expenses depending on different situations (Cumming et al., 2013), the government also subsidizes visits to the GP. This means that those who struggle financially will be more likely to access primary health care, enabling better health o utcomes, especially because a referral is needed in order to access secondary and tertiary levels of care. Individuals are also able to obtain private health insurance, allowing them to receive a private appointment with a surgical consultant before individuals who are noninsured, resulting in a reduction in wait times for surgery (Cumming et al., 2013). However, there could be a limit in choices of private providers as they are mainly situated in the main centers, limiting access for those in rural areas (Cumming et al., 2013). Large distances and small numbers of care providers make it difficult for populations in rural areas in NZ to access health care (Cumming et al., 2013). This poses as a significant barrier that limits access as those who live a great distance away have a limited amount of options in terms of health care. The distribution of health care services and physicians in rural areas is smaller as this life style is undesirable, reducing rural populations’ acce ss to health care (Cumming et al., 2013). Access in NZ is beneficial as hospitals are situated in good geographic locations as studies reveal that 90% of individuals are able to reach a district hospital within an hour (Cumming et al., 2013). NZ’s focus on the primary health care level impacts access as it allows individuals whom require specialized care to gain access by referral from a GP. Compared to the US, access to health care in NZ is favorable for those who live in good geographical locations but poses as a disadvantage for those in rural areas. In the UK, the health system is similar to NZ in that its health system is structured like the regionalized Dawson model and orientated towards primary health care (Bodenheimer Grumbach, 2009). The British National Health Service (NHS) provides primary care and hospital services (Boyle, 2011). Most primary health care is free and is covered by the NHS, although there are some out of pocket payments that are not covered (Boyle, 2011). Free primary health care would maximize access, as those who struggle financially will still be able to seek treatment without concerns of payment. Boyle’s research also reveals that there has been many unnecessary trips to the AE were not considered as crucial, possible reasoning for this could be due to their inability to obtain primary health care. Waiting times in the UK poses as a barricade to health care, with some patients waiting up to 18 months for surgeries, however, the average waiting time has now been reduced to 18 weeks (Boyle, 2011 ). Long waiting times reduces access which means that less people will be able to receive the care that they need in the time that they require it. These wait times could’ve instigated numerous avoidable AE trips that could’ve been solved by the GPs. The UK is quite successful in terms of access as it has many after hour services including AE, NHS Direct and after hour GP services (Boyle, 2011). These services will maximize access to health care, as more people will be able to obtain the care they need in the time that they require it. The structure of the UK’s health system primarily focuses on the primary level, its impact on access just like NZ, enables entry into higher levels of health care through a referral from a GP. Access in the UK is beneficial to all residents due to the free primary health care being provided along with after hour services. No health system is perfect. Every health system has certain flaws that could be improved. However, all health systems have something common, they all have a goal to provide care for those in need.

Amateur City Essay -- Literary Analysis, Katherine Foster

Amateur City, a city filled with confusion and intolerable human behavior. In this detective fiction novel, Katherine Forrest demonstrates the social, sexual and power dynamic of each character which all leads to the curious homicide of Fergus Parker. In Forrest’s Amateur City there are multiple analysis regarding the characters of the â€Å"Modern Office† also including the detective Kate Delafield. Amateur City portrays a huge hierarchy of the predominant human society in which the class of race, ethnicity and gender are all divided in the image of Forrest’s characters. The social, sexual and power dynamic of the â€Å"Modern Office† provides a powerful message in Forrest’s Amateur City, which clearly magnifies the realistic and true nature of humanity. This essay will stress upon the representive of Forrest’s characters relating to the modern world. The characters in Forrest’s Amateur City are redundantly interesting. Some of the most appealing characters are Ellen O’Neil and Kate Delafield. As a lesbian, Kate is very conservation among herself. â€Å"The detective in charge, she seems very good at her work, very tough and capable†, this here was mention by Ellen at her first impression of Kate; Forrest previews of how Kate’s image can reveal a powerful message about her personality (Forrest 60). Kate does not show much of her mysterious secret such as her homosexual interest in Forrest’s novel, not until her private encounter with Ellen. In the novel, Kate has a shield which protects her from exposing her sex interest and identity. That shield is the discernment and awareness of publicizing Kate’s personal emotions and authenticity in public. On the other hand, Ellen is portrayed as a more-like and typical lesbian who isn’t afraid of publ... ...ican women of today’s modern world. The significant of Forrest’s â€Å"Modern Office† is the development of her characters. Forrest is clearly promoting the genuine characteristics of the people living among us today by using characters from the Modern Office. Within each of these characters, Ellen, Kate, Gretchen, Gail and Fred, Forrest has allowed her audience to experience the realism. That realism is the diversity of the sex gender behavior among males and females, the knowledge of modern human behavior. Forrest did an excellent job of showing the difference of various female attitudes and the focus of racism in Amateur City. The corruption relating to the homicide of Fergus Parker is caused by the all these key characteristics. The represented social, sexual and power dynamic of the â€Å"Modern Office† reflect the positive and negative effect of today’s modern world.

Overpopulation, Industrialization, and the Degradation of the Environme

Overpopulation, Industrialization, and the Degradation of the Environment The overall growth of the human population in the last 2000 years has been a J-shaped growth. This can also be expressed as an exponential growth. A big question that can only be answered in time is how this population growth will slow down or stop. The planet can only handle so many humans before the effects of overpopulation send the environment into an unrecoverable tailspin of degradation. So the question is will the overall maximum human population be reached in a gradual manner with a trend resulting in an S-shaped population growth, or do we as humans need to experience some kind of catastrophic event that will let us know that the maximum capacity of our planet has been reached, or will we overpopulate gradually and realize that we need to reduce the population to a lower level? These three different theories have been termed the logistic, Malthusian, and domed theories of projected population growth, respectively(Southwick, 159-160). The trend that we have seen in recent his tory of human population growth can obviously not be sustained, so will the future of humans be played out in an optimistic or pessemistic light? Or will it be somewhere in between? Throughout human history, people have always been pressed to provide nourishment for themselves and their families. With the dawn of agriculture humans were provided with leisure time, and with that time they were able to develop many different trades beyond hunting, gathering, and agriculture. This meant that the food necessary to feed a population was able to be provided by a small portion of the population. With industrialization the portion of the population that was employed to feed the... ...r anthropogenic greenhouse gases(Hansen). Obviously the size of the human population has effected the environment by stressing the land to produce enough food to feed us all. Up to now we have had a degrading effect on the environment. I feel that it should be our role as human beings to take care of the environment that we need to live. This is a necessary step in order to prolong our survival on the planet Earth. Works Cited: Southwick, Charles H., Ch. 15 from "Global Ecology in Human Perspective" Oxford Univ. Press, 1996, pp. 159-182 Quay, Paul, "CLIMATE CHANGE: Enhanced: Ups and Downs of CO2 Uptake" Science 2002, vol. 298, pp. 2344-2346. Blunier, Thomas "PALEOCLIMATE:"Frozen" Methane Escapes from the Sea Floor" Science 2000, vol. 288, pp. 68-69. Hansen, J., Ruedy, R., Sato, M., Lo, K., "Global Warming Continues" Science 2002, vol. 295, p. 275 Overpopulation, Industrialization, and the Degradation of the Environme Overpopulation, Industrialization, and the Degradation of the Environment The overall growth of the human population in the last 2000 years has been a J-shaped growth. This can also be expressed as an exponential growth. A big question that can only be answered in time is how this population growth will slow down or stop. The planet can only handle so many humans before the effects of overpopulation send the environment into an unrecoverable tailspin of degradation. So the question is will the overall maximum human population be reached in a gradual manner with a trend resulting in an S-shaped population growth, or do we as humans need to experience some kind of catastrophic event that will let us know that the maximum capacity of our planet has been reached, or will we overpopulate gradually and realize that we need to reduce the population to a lower level? These three different theories have been termed the logistic, Malthusian, and domed theories of projected population growth, respectively(Southwick, 159-160). The trend that we have seen in recent his tory of human population growth can obviously not be sustained, so will the future of humans be played out in an optimistic or pessemistic light? Or will it be somewhere in between? Throughout human history, people have always been pressed to provide nourishment for themselves and their families. With the dawn of agriculture humans were provided with leisure time, and with that time they were able to develop many different trades beyond hunting, gathering, and agriculture. This meant that the food necessary to feed a population was able to be provided by a small portion of the population. With industrialization the portion of the population that was employed to feed the... ...r anthropogenic greenhouse gases(Hansen). Obviously the size of the human population has effected the environment by stressing the land to produce enough food to feed us all. Up to now we have had a degrading effect on the environment. I feel that it should be our role as human beings to take care of the environment that we need to live. This is a necessary step in order to prolong our survival on the planet Earth. Works Cited: Southwick, Charles H., Ch. 15 from "Global Ecology in Human Perspective" Oxford Univ. Press, 1996, pp. 159-182 Quay, Paul, "CLIMATE CHANGE: Enhanced: Ups and Downs of CO2 Uptake" Science 2002, vol. 298, pp. 2344-2346. Blunier, Thomas "PALEOCLIMATE:"Frozen" Methane Escapes from the Sea Floor" Science 2000, vol. 288, pp. 68-69. Hansen, J., Ruedy, R., Sato, M., Lo, K., "Global Warming Continues" Science 2002, vol. 295, p. 275

Free Color Purple Essays: The Power of Women :: Color Purple Essays

The Power of Women in The Color Purple   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the odds women can overcome all obstacles.   In the past, women have desperately struggled because they were belittled by men.   They were thought of as ignorant beings that only knew how to manage housework.   In The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, sexism was interrelated in the novel.   Throughout the story, several women were extremely mistreated by men.   Their experiences were considered trivial because they were always subordinated to them.   Through the collection of letters that Celie wrote, the reader could see the development of a frightened young woman who had little regard for herself and of another, Shug, who struggled to become a successful woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, Celie nearly struggled for her happiness her entire life.   When she was only a little girl, her stepfather sexually abused her.   He then sold her to a man named Mr. ____ who had no intention of loving her, â€Å"No matter what I’m thinking.   No matter what I feel.   It just him† (Walker 69).   Mr. ____ verbally and physically abused her.   He expected her to manage all the housework and demanded that she took care of his kids, â€Å"They look at me there struggling with Mr.____ children† (Walker 45).   If Celie refused, she was punished.   Through all these traumatizing events, Celie lost respect for herself and forgot how to love.   Her life was full of darkness without a single trace of light.   However, Celie met a woman named Shug who gave her the courage to fight for what she believed in.   Shug taught her how to laugh and play and showed Celie a whole new perspective of life.   Shug constantly reminded Celie to speak out if something was bothering her and to not do anything that she did not feel like doing, â€Å"†¦say whatever come to mind, forgit about polite† (Walker 75).   Cel ie was no longer afraid of Mr. ____.   She stopped doing housework and left the dwelling to start her own business, â€Å"You a lowdown dog is what’s wrong.   It’s time to leave you and enter into the Creation.   And your dead body just the welcome mat I need† (Walker 207).   She realized that women do not need men to survive because they can manage on their own.   Celie was a brand new woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, Shug was a successful and powerful woman.   She was a desirable blues singer who was creative and smart.

I Choose You

What’s holding you back? Who do you really want to be for the rest of your life? What course will you take then? These are the questions that some high school sstudents encounter. At some point in our high school life, we thought deeply on what course to take in college. We spent hundreds of hours thinking about that one decision that could change us forever. This may be the hardest decision a teenager could ever make because their whole life will reflect on that decision. But who really gets to decide regarding these matters?Is it our paren't or our personal decision? Paren'ts choosing their son/daughter’s career for them have been evident for the past years up until now. What happens to our decision then? Nothing. Those long hours of thinking have gone to waste. Although parent's know what is best for their children, their interference with choosing course in college should be stopped because it hinders freedom, wastes effort and holds back happiness. â€Å"Mothers k now best† is a quotation that has been famous for generations. Before children could actually think for themselves, their parent's decide for what is right and just for them.Paren'ts would only give their best bets and try hard to make the right choices for them. It’s a paren't’s obligation to do so for the first few years of their children’s lives. But does the same principle apply in making a decision on what career path to take? Many parent's questioned the ability of the youth to decide for themselves. According to statistics, only 4% of the teenagers belonging to families that didn’t encourage them to even attend college decided to pursue higher education. On the other hand, 41% of the sstudents belonging to families that not only encouraged but also pushed them to take certain courses chose to do so.This statistics has shown that teenagers are incapable of deciding for themselves. Their way of thinking may still be unfit for the situation.. (W illiam 2010). But still, this doesn’t justify the questionable system of having our parent's decide what career we should pursue. This is because first of all, it hinders one’s freedom. According to an essay, people are generally given the right to livelihood. This is because no one could live without it. If this is so, then, as representatives of oneself, one should have freedom to choose whatever career path to take. The youth of today aspires so many things.However, these aspirations only turn to crushed dreams because parent's want them to fulfill their very own crushed dreams. This is usually the case why parent's restrict their children to only take a certain course (Studymode. com 2011). According to another essay, everyone has the right to freedom. This includes the youth in the sense that they are supervised by their parent's until a certain age when they are fully capable of being responsible for one’s decision. They should be free to explore and learn more than what he/she set out to learn in the first place.Controlling the decision of one’s child in only creating boundaries for learning. Time will come when they have to choose their own career and by then they must’ve developed judgmental qualities to help them choose a better option for them. This way, they have the freedom to express and recognize their talents and potentials that would lead them to a better future (EzineMark. com 2009). Second, it could result to a waste of energy, money, effort, but most importantly, time. Time is the only thing in this world that we could never get back once it passes.Taking a course that is only preferred by our parent's could make the most out of our great time as a youth go to waste. According to an article, one good example of course that is mostly taken by sstudents because of their parent's is nursing. They push their children to take up nursing because they hope that their son/daughter would be able to get a high payin g job in countries that has high demands for nurses like the United States (WordPress 2008). According to Shepherd (2009) the nursing course nowadays dramatically decreases it’s number of sstudents per year.According to real life situations, former nursing sstudents shift to other courses like fashion and pharmacy. Sometimes it may also become a sense of insecurity. Some nursing sstudents complain on how some of their other university friends are discussing a case study in criminal law while they’re stuck in something they don’t prefer just because someone won’t allow them to drop it. It is evident that most of the sstudents who dislikes their given courses result into shifting. This way, a lot of energy, time effort and money have gone to waste. Third, the child would be unsatisfied.This is a common situation nowadays. According to a journalist, every paren't wants his or her child to be successful. This is the reason why they choose their childrenâ€⠄¢s career for them. They demand them to take up something that may not be in their field of interest even if the child could only learn in a trial-and error basis (Anamika 2013). According to an article, there are a lot of cases where the paren't and the child would totally disagree with one another regarding what career to pursue. Paren'ts often prioritize the career where the child could succeed economically.This career is usually way different from the interest of the child. Paren'ts do decide for what’s economically and financially best for their children. However, children consider interest and skills as elements of success more than financial or monetary gains. If you push a child in to something that he is not interested in and at the same time may be beyond his capabilities, he might be pressured to take that course. And in the end, it may only result to failure, frustration and depression (SoundVision 2010). There’s nothing wrong with parent's wanting their c hildren to be successful.

Organizational Commitment Essay

The focal point of effective human resource management (HRM) is on managing people within the employer-employee relationship. As banks are considered a very critical industry of the economy, it is important that the workforces supporting these banks are well motivated and are effective in delivering the necessary work output. It includes the productive utilization of employees to achieve the organization’s business objectives and satisfy individual employee needs (Stone, 1998). HRM seeks to strategically combine the interests of an organization and its employees (McGraw, 2003). Consequently, ineffective HRM can be a major barrier to employee satisfaction and organization success (McGraw, 2003). HRM practices in the banking industry play a key role in attracting, motivating, rewarding, and retaining employees. HRM practices include recruiting employees, selecting employees, designing work, compensating employees, and developing good labor and employee relations (Noe, 2005). For the purpose of this study, the researcher bundled five specific human resource management practices. These are HR planning, training, career development, performance appraisal, and employee participation programs. The researcher chose to bundle HRM practices since bundled HRM practices produce interrelated and complimentary functions. For example, training and development, and performance appraisal overlap each others’ results. The appraisal of an employee’s performance will show potentials and identify gaps in employee’s knowledge, skills, and abilities that will be filled in by training and development. Furthermore, the alignment of HR practices produce synergy contributing to increase productivity and corporate financial performance (Huselid, 1995). Bundled HRM practices contribute to overall firm performance by motivating employees to adopt desired attitudes and behaviors (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004). Moreover, Chang (2005) argues that employees perceived HR practice as an exclusive and single practice rather than separate and diverse fields. According to Fishbein’s (1963) an individual’s overall attitudes towards each HRM practices can be represented by a summation of the belief held about each HR practices. It is important to study HRM practices and its relationship with work related attitudes, and behaviors. Attitude is a mental state of readiness that is organized through experience, applying a dynamic influence on the individual’s response to objects and situations to which it is related such as job satisfaction and organizational trust. (Allport, 1935). On the other hand, behaviors are manners in which an individual or group conduct and respond to his/her environment like Organizational Citizenship Behaviors or OCBs ( Robbins, 2005). Employee perception of organizational banking practices and working conditions within the banks of Jamaica influence employee attitudes and behavior (Guest, 2001). Existing organizational practices within banks in Jamaica such as HRM should facilitate the development of desired employee attitudes and behavior that contribute to enhance firm performance. Previous studies have found that positive perceptions of HRM practices lead to positive employee attitudes and behaviors such as job satisfaction (Guest, 1999), organizational trust, organizational commitment, organizational justice (Greenberg, 1990). Job satisfaction, organizational trust and OCBs were the variables selected to be studied in relation with HRM practices as these three elements are key factors in organizational effectiveness and these variables are considered understudied. These facets affect and overlap each other’s functions and outputs that contribute to the development of HRM practices. Furthermore, this study contributes to the literature by examining a wide breadth of outcome measures within the same study. The study extends HRM literature in three ways. First, it provides additional research in the examining the role of HRM practices to employee attitudes and behaviors since there are limited studies in HRM conceptualized as a bundle (Chang, 2005; Guest, 2004; Huselid 1995). Second, it examines the proposition of Morrison (1996) on the role of HRM practices in contributing to extra-role behaviors. An examination of HRM literature revealed that there has no study conducted investigating HRM to organizational citizenship behaviors. Third, it also simultaneously examines HRM, job satisfaction, organizational trust, and OCBs in one study. Previous studies have examined these variables separately. For example, Ellickson (2002) and Bradley, Petrescu, and Simmons (2004) conducted the study on HRM practices to job satisfaction, Tzafrir (2004) examined HRM practices to organizational trust. Furthermore, since there are limited studies on HRM practices within the banking industry; this would contribute to the importance of HRM practices in the management organization. Review of Related Literature Human Resource Management Practices HRM contribute to the attainment of an organizations competitive advantage through the strategic implementation of a highly committed and competent workforce using an integrated range of cultural, structural, and personnel techniques. Effective HRM leads to an organization success by developing employees that contributes to the delivery of products and services bring customer satisfaction, business results, and shareholder value (Stone, 1998). The main purpose of HRM is to improve the productive contribution of people wherein the employees are being heard by the management and helping the employees to find new resources that enable them to successfully perform their jobs (Ulrich, 1997). The role played by human resource functions is best explained by determining the key objectives that they seek to align strategies, develop effective policies, systems and activities which are significant to the firm’s overall success (Torrington, Hall & Taylor, 2002; Storey, 1995). HRM functions are critical in running an effective organization. Organizations need to have a competitive HRM functions in order to maintain a competent workforce and attain business objectives (Newman & Hodgetts, 1998). HRM function includes planning, training and development, career development, performance appraisal, and employee relations. These functions help organizations to facilitate strategies that allow them to achieve efficiency and effectiveness (Stone, 1998). HRM functions must change in manner that it accomplishes new roles and new competencies. It also has to be transformed to deal creatively and practically with the emerging challenge. HRM practices have a tangible and various intangible organizational consequences. Prior researches have found support for the role of HRM practices in predicting organizational commitment (Davidson, 1998), job satisfaction (Bradley et al. , 2004), and procedural justice (Edgar & Geare, 2005). Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction is a pleasurable emotional state resulting from the valuation of his or her work (Locke, 1976; Steijn, 2002). Even though job satisfaction is a highly personal experience, there are a number of facets that seem to contribute the most to feelings of job satisfaction. Steijn (2002) stated that mentally challenging work, adequate compensation pay, career opportunity, the ready availability of promotions, people that are friendly, considerate, or good-natured superiors contribute to job satisfaction (Johns & Saks, 2000). For instance, the ready availability of promotions is positively related to job satisfaction. The promotion given enhances the perception of the employees that they are valued enough by the organization (Garrido, Perez, & Anton, 2005). Previous studies have shown that compensation (Bassett, 1994), opportunity for advancement (Schneider, 1994), psychological climate, and leadership style (Howell & Frost, 1989) are antecedents of job satisfaction. Organizational Trust Trust is an individual’s expectation, assumption, or belief about the likelihood that another’s future action will be beneficial, favorable, or at least not detrimental to one’s interests (Meyer, Davis, & Schoorman, 1995). Trust is considered to be an essential component in organizations since it is a consistent mechanism that supports organizational change and development in an unpredictable environment than hierarchical power and direct surveillance (Kramer & Tyler, 1996). Several studies clearly indicate that the formation of trust within workplace relationships is complex and elusive (Tzafrir, 2003). Furthermore, workplace trust is a necessary element for the development of competitive advantage through support, co-operation, and improvement of systems. Trust is viewed as a feature of the social foundation that begins interactions among parties (Mayer & Davis, 1999). According to Kramer and Tyler (1996), there is a need for organizational trust for the reason of there are organizational needs that are not to be disclosed and one of the elements to address these requirements are employees that trusts their organization. Currall and Judge (1995) defined trust as an individual’s reliance on another person under conditions of dependence and risk. Dependence means that one’s outcomes are reliant on the trustworthy or untrustworthy behavior of another. Furthermore, risk means that one would experience negative outcomes from the other person’s untrustworthy behavior (Kramer & Tyler, 1996). Previous studies have shown that psychological contract breach (Costa 2001), leadership style and organizational communication are antecedents of organizational trust. Organizational Citizenship Behavior Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCBs) are behaviors that are discretionary, indirectly seen or recognized by the official compensation system, and as a whole encourage the effective functioning of an organization (Organ, 1998). It is also defined as an employee behavior that is above and beyond the call of duty and is therefore discretionary and not rewarded in the context of an organization’s formal reward structure (Konovsky & Pugh, 1994). Social exchange is an explanatory mechanism to obtain OCBs. It refers to relationships that entail unspecified future obligations. Social exchange is a critical element in understanding OCBs. It is the theoretical basis and the starting point for OCBs to obtain. When HRM practices offered by the organization are perceived favorable by employees, they tend to reciprocate by OCBs (Organ, 1998). For example, when supervisors treat employees fairly, social exchange and the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960) dictate that employees reciprocate, and OCBs are the avenue for employee’s reciprocation. There are five dimensions of OCBs (Organ, 1998). First is altruism that involves all discretionary behaviors that have the effect of serving a specific other person with an organizationally important task or problems. The second is conscientiousness it is the extent that a person goes well beyond the satisfactory or required level in work attendance; the person exemplifies the brand of OCBs. Third is sportsmanship which the employees’ goodwill in tolerating less than ideal circumstances without â€Å"complaining and making a federal case out of small potatoes. † The fourth dimension is civic virtue which is the behavior that shows a concern for participating in corporate life for example, by performing tasks that they are not required to perform, and doing so for the benefit of the organization. It also implies a sense o involvement in what policies are adapted and which candidates are supported. The last dimension is courtesy which involves such actions as â€Å"touching base† with those parties whose work would be affected by one’s decision or commitments. Touching base refers to actions done by employees that their co-employees values (Organ, 1998). Previous studies have shown that procedural justice (Alotaibi, 2001; Organ, 1998), organizational commitment (Alotaibi, 2001; Mayer & Allen, 1997; Moorman et al. , 1993 ), and job satisfaction (Alotaibi, 2001; Moorman et al. , 1993) leads to OCBs.