Starbucks Corporate Strategy Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Corporate Strategy Essay Starbucks Corporate Strategy Corporate Strategy fundamentally is concerned with the selection of businesses in which the company should compete and with the development and coordination of that portfolio of business. [1] In the case of Starbucks the corporate strategy they have implemented is unique to their industry which has allowed them to differentiate from their competitors and is summarized best by Howard Schultz CEO of Starbucks, â€Å"We’re in the people business serving coffee,[2]† high quality specialty coffee and related products in a European cafe environment. It is clear Starbucks is in a growth strategy utilizing three key techniques that support its Mission, â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time†[3]. Vertical Integration Tying in with Starbucks’ Mission, the companies vertical integration with its supply chain from roasting its own coffee in one of two of its plants to its involvement with developing and fostering strategic partnerships with local coffee farmers may be the most important growth strategy the company focuses on. Quality and corporate social responsibility are the pillars of Starbucks; vertical integration is the key component to insuring both of these fundamental characteristics of Starbucks are managed. Diversification Starbucks has created related diversification into wholesale distribution by developing coffee based branded products with Pepsi-Cola and Dreyer’s Inc. that can be sold in grocery stores. The company is also expanding into non-related industries by creating an entertainment division focusing on the music and movie industry. As Starbucks expands diversification will become as important as its vertical integration as it moves through the product lifecycle in the coffee industry. (See Appendix A) Horizontal Integration Starbucks has expanded with horizontal integration by acquiring Seattle’s Best Coffee and Torreazione Italia Coffee. With the increased competition and new entrants in the coffee industry horizontal integration may become a greater focus for Starbucks. Starbucks Business Strategy At the business level, the strategic issues are less about the coordination of operating units and more about developing and sustaining a competitive advantage[4]. In order to understand the Coffee Industry’s competitive advantage the use of Porters five Competitive Forces Model should be utilized. (appendix b) Starbucks has gained its competitive advantage by the use of diversification. The company has focused, through vertical integration corporate strategy, on providing the highest quality coffee products in a sustainable practice that is highly identifiable by its customer base. The use of their innovative marketing design with their European Cafe feel and creative diversification with its products has allowed it to be classified as, â€Å"the most dynamic retail brand conceived over the last two decades†[5] Starbucks faces a high degree of rivalry and a medium degree of buyer power (appendix b). The coffee industry also retains many characteristics of having high Consumer Market Segmentation, which can be supported by the relatively large span in the price for a cup of coffee and the varying degree in which certain coffee chains are found in certain particular geographic regions and outlets. Starbucks has found a way to incorporate a broad strategy attracting a broad consumer despite the high prices of its products[6]. This supports that their differentiation strategy is affective and it is clear consumers can identify the high quality of their products and the overall experience of visiting one of their locations. With a high threat of new entrants (appendix b) and the presence of high Consumer Market Segmentation, Starbucks’ strong differentiation strategy will allow it to remain competitive in light of this high threat.

Skeeball and The Secret of The Universe :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book Skeeball and The Secret of The Universe, the main characters are; Matty-narrorator, Cal-Matty's best friend, Dana, Cal's sister, Finch-the old mant hat works at the arcade, Jennifer-the cute girl Matty likes, with the red sports car, and Jennifer's two roomates, Denise and Claudia.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The conflict of this book is person vs. self because, throughout the whole book, Matty is mad at Cal for getting a job and at the end, he finally realizes he was mad at himself and taking it out on Cal. This book was first person because Matty was talking about what happened to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was about Matty and Cal making an pact on not to get a job because it was their last summer together and they wanted to make it count. Cal ended up getting a job nbeacuse he hated bumming money off of his friends and family. Eventually, Matty ended up getting so mad at Cal he stopped talking to him. Matty had nothing to do anymore since hie best friend was off at work all the time and he was mad at hime, so her started going to the arcade and he didn't like the video games, he liked the carnival games.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One night whgen he was playing skeeball, this old man that worked there, Finch, started giving him a lot of tokens and tips on skeeball. After a couple of weeks of going to the arcade, on his way home, he was going to the Stop and Shop where Cal had been working for a while. Matty was walking through the prking lot when three cute gilrs pulled up in a red sports car, Jennifer, Claudia, and Denise. They asked him the address to the beach house Jennifer's dad had just bought for them. He started giving them the diretions and they told him to get in the car and just show them. When Matty laid his eyes on Jennifer he thought she was the one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later on, Matty found out Cal's sister, Dana, liked him. Matty realized that Cal was mad at him, but he didn't know what for. When he found out Dana liked him, he realized Cal was mad at him because of that. Matty kept Finch up-to-date on everything, Dana found out that Matty started playing skeeball so she started playing also. Finch kept telling Matty that he should talk to Dana more often because Finch knew Dana liked Matty.

Reflective Writing Study Skills Essay

At the beginning of the task no one took the initiative of introducing themselves. Our initial concern was getting started on the jacket. This seemed to be of more importance to everyone. This could be viewed as unsociable, but on reflection, previous to this task we all took part in an ice-breaker session, whereby we had to introduce our selves by name, followed by a descriptive word, this meant we were already acquainted with one another, so concentrating on the task in hand seemed most appropriate. I believe we were all very wary of taking over as we were always asking one another ‘do you think this is a good idea?’ and ‘shall we do this?’, rather than just doing it without the opinion of other team mates. Although this was the case it is possible we were being very agreeable to any idea put forward in order to keep peace, and put over a likable persona. Upon reflection the organisation of our group to begin with was very inefficient, we did not consult one another about how we would make the jacket, before getting on with the task, this meant the sleeves were being made by myself, whilst the body of the jacket by another, with no idea how they would fit together. I believe this is because we all wanted to have a share in making the jacket and help as much as possible, but no one wanted to adopt the role of task leader. On the other hand our team displayed great efficiency in the way we worked together, at one point we had a production line, where one would pass the Sellotape, then one would hold the piece in place, while the other stuck them together. We became a more efficient team the more we worked together on the task. Communication between us became more important. On the whole and on the basis of the finished product, it is evident that our team did work together efficiently, as we finished the task in good time and all of us had an input in the overall finished product. I believe I took on many different roles within the team. Initially I took on the role of energiser. This was evident by my enthusiasm, I was eager to get started and began listing many different ideas I had about how to put the jacket together, Jake was also an energiser as he had many different ideas he wanted to express and was fully involved in the task. Ricky initially  took on the role of relaxer as he was contemplating how things would work out and managed to condense our ideas to form a jacket. In these kind of situations I would usually put forward a good argument as to why my idea should be used above someone else’s. I did not adopt this attitude in this instance because my team mates were new acquaintances so I wanted to leave a good impression, I was more conscious of their thoughts and ideas and accommodating them was important to me. With this in mind I would conclude that we worked as a collective rather than a hierarchy. Further into the task I took on the role of nurturer. I wanted to make sure that everyone had an input on the finished product and that all of our ideas had been listened to fairly, and put in place if all agreed. This was evident in that I was asking my team members what other ideas they had, and finding ways of accommodating them. I did not want anyone to feel left out or less involved. Ricky’s mathematical mind meant that it was easier for us to measure out the different parts of the jacket equally and in proportion. As Jake is used to working as a team when he plays football, this quality was evident in this task, as he was an up building and upbeat member of the team, trying to include everyone in the activities. Jake was soon nominated by myself and Ricky to be the model for the jacket, therefore it was up to me and Ricky to actually make the jacket. We both had an equal share in the labour, cutting, sticking and measuring different parts of the jacket at the same time, then finding a way to fix them together. This was important because if somebody was uninterested or just giving out orders the whole team could be affected and not want to take part. We all helped each other when needed and were happy in our individual tasks. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate the importance of achieving the task 6/10. This is because I did view the task as a competition, even though we were never told it was such. On reflection this would show I am a competitive person and I like a challenge. When a task is viewed competitively one will be more inclined and motivated to try their best and ultimately reach their potential. Initially the task seemed menial and pointless hence why I only  scored 6/10. I was aware the jacket itself had little importance and that rather the emphasis was on team work. Even though I was aware of this my competitiveness made me want to create an excellent jacket. With the prospect of becoming a teacher one day, this teamwork exercise has taught me that there are many different roles people can take on under a team building exercise. Everyone within my team had different skills and abilities. This exercise has taught me, not only how to identify these skills and abilities but also how they can be used in a beneficial way to complete a task. As a teacher I will have to cater for the needs of each student identifying their strengths and weaknesses and using them in a positive and up building way, so they can reach their potential. I have also seen how important these exercises are in terms of the class getting to know one another, for the student this can help by taking the emphasis of social fear and more onto learning. This is evident by more members of the class being involved in group discussions after the task. This could have the same effect on my future students.

The Death of Ivan Ilych

The short story, â€Å"The Death of Ivan Ilych†, written by Leo Tolstoy, is about the reactions of a man and his friends to his suffering and death. Everyone who knows Ivan including Ivan himself has led a life of total disconcern for the feelings and sufferings of others. They all lead shallow lives not daring to probe into the feelings deep down inside for fear of stepping outside the lines of propriety. That is the biggest rule that people of that society follow. Do not say or show what you are thinking. Ivan Ilych’s attitude toward life is the same all the way up to his death. He was as the author put it, â€Å"†¦a capable, good-natured, and social man, though strict in the fulfillment of what he considered his duty: and he considered his duty to be what was so considered by those in authority. † (p. 1088) That quote states that Ivan was solely concerned with his duties and his advancement in position by following the orders of his authorities. Ivan was son of a successful man who held many positions in many departments. That man, Ilya Epimovich Golovin, had three sons. The oldest followed his father’s example and was a success. The youngest son was a total failure. He had blown many opportunities and was the shame of the family. Ivan the middle son was the better of the two. Ivan was a mix of his two brothers. He had the hard-working spirit of the older brother but also appreciates the value of a good time like the younger brother. Ivan’s career grew steadily. In a short time, he eventually obtained the position of examining magistrate. Ivan did very well in this position. He excelled in the separation of the personal duties in his life and the official duties to which he was totally dedicated. This taste of power which came with his new position was very appealing to Ivan. The idea that writing a few words or giving a simple command sent people into motion made Ivan very happy. Upon moving to a new town to take up the position of examining magistrate, Ivan met his future wife, Praskovya Fedorovna Mikhel. Ivan saw her as a â€Å"†¦well connected, and was a sweet, pretty, and thoroughly correct young woman. † The view that she was so within the lines of propriety was the most attractive feature which this young woman possessed in Ivan’s view. At first the marriage which Ivan thought couldn’t hurt his pleasure-seeking life didn’t, then according to Ivan she began to disturb the pleasure and propriety of his life. This ordeal only worsened when his wife became pregnant. She became unbearable to him, overly jealous and coarse, becoming an obstacle to his pursuit of happiness and properness. When the child was born, Ivan realized that a life totally separate his family life would be necessary to fulfill the goals he set for himself. He also came to the realization that to keep his marriage in order that he was going to have to adopt the same attitude to his family that he has to his official duties. Ivan developed an attitude towards his family of complete indifference as stated in the story, â€Å"He only required of it those conveniences—dinner at home, housewife, and bed—which it could give him. † (p. 1092) More children arrived and his wife’s attitude only worsened. After three years and becoming a highly looked upon official he received a promotion to the position of Assistant Public Prosecutor. This new promotion made Ivan like his job even more. Meanwhile, more children were born which made Ivan’s life even more difficult. After getting another promotion and moving to another province, the marriage was getting increasingly difficult. To try and overcome this Ivan decided to spend some time in the country with his wife. This move turns out to be a very bad one. Ivan falls into deep depression and decides that some drastic measures are needed. He returns from the country heading towards St. Petersburg with the objective of obtaining a salary of 5,000 rubles a year. Things worked out very much in his favor. He got a promotion two steps above his former position. After obtaining this position, he returned to the country and his marriage life improved immensely. Ivan then proceeded to the province to which they were moving to attempt to locate a house. He found one which suited his tastes perfectly. Ivan turned his attention towards furnishing his house. He searched for all the things which give his house an air of aristocracy and yet not too snobbish. While showing an upholsterer how he wanted the drapes hung, Ivan fell and nearly caught himself but unfortunately managed to hit himself in the side and give himself a large bruise. This is when the health problems begin. The illness began slowly but the pain steadily increased. Ivan visited many doctors, but none of them could give him a solid diagnosis. The pain caused many problems in his life, most of all it interfered with how he did his job. People began to look down upon him. No one really felt sympathy for Ivan. The people whom he called his friends treated him the same as he treated them in his life, with total indifference. Even Ivan’s own wife treated his illness as a burden and a trouble. He begins to realize how everyone is treating him. All that he wants is pity and there is no one there to give him it besides his servant Gerasim. Ivan shows spots of beginning to realize how he treated life. He treated life with the utmost propriety and tried his very best not to let his emotions get in the way of how he acted and performed his duty. This shows when Ivan says, â€Å"What if my whole life has really been wrong? †(p. 1117) Ivan says this while looking at Gerasim peacefully sleeping at his side, the only one who shows the slightest bit of pity and sorrow for him. Ivan’s wife is falsely concerned in his condition merely because that is the thing for her to be in this situation. She does not really care if he makes it; she is only worried about the inconvenience his suffering is putting her through and the financial bind his death puts her in. Ivan realizes all these things and cannot even bear to speak with her. He thinks to himself, â€Å"Yes, I am making them wretched†¦They are sorry, but it will be better for them when I die. † (p. 1119) All of these things lead up to the conclusion in Ivan’s mind that he is sorry for them. He is trying to act so as not to hurt them. In the final scene someone besides his servant, Gerasim, begins to show pity for him, it is his son. Ivan sees the sorrow and pity in his eyes and apologizes to him for causing this grief. With this story, Leo Tolstoy shows that a man can change. That even if it must be through pain and suffering that everyone is capable of redemption. If a man such as Ivan Ilych who never cared for anyone more than necessary can be redeemed and see the fault in his ways then anyone can. The most selfish man can be changed if people show him pity and feel for him, as he should feel for others. It stirred something inside Ivan when people went out of their way to attempt to comfort him. It made him realize his faults and want to change.

Catalina de Erauso essays

Catalina de Erauso essays Lieutenant Nun is a novel based in 1585. Catalina de Erauso is the main character of the memoir, and she faces a world where there were certain expectations for women, and at the time. Women did not play mens roles like they do today. For example, Catalina enlists to be a soldier shortly after life in a convent. Today, that might be a little out of the ordinary, but not unheard of. Whats interesting about Catalina is that she not only participates in masculine activities, but after the convent, she even dresses like a man and takes on the characteristics of a man, including playing with women, dressing like a man, and fighting and killing enemies. She is arguably a transvestite. Of course the question arises about Catalina de Erausos role, regarding the fact that she could possible be a soldier in the body of a woman, or a woman playing the role of a soldier. Because Catalina takes on masculine characteristics so well, fights, dresses like a man, and is even perceived by others as a man, its easy to say that shes a soldier in the body of a woman, but I believe that Catalina is a woman playing the role of a soldier. Catalina is a virgin, and of course, has the orient of a woman. She enters the convent when she is four and stays until she is about fifteen when she decides to escape. Catalina was rebellious natured, and I believe that Catalina, as a woman, had the desire to experience what a man in the world would experience, and that is why she chose to escape. For example, the only ecstasy for Catalina in the convent is praying. So why not escape and experience the ecstasies of a man? For example being involved with women, killing, fighting, escaping, and succeeding at ripping people off. Even the thrill of having responsibilities is what Catalina, perhaps wishes to experience. When Catalina starts on her journey, often times, she finds herself in thrilling scenarios where she is forced...

Diet Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diet Program - Research Paper Example The body burns both fats and carbohydrates, therefore, if carbohydrates are reduced or eliminated the body will start burning fat. On this diet, the amount of food consumed is limitless. The restriction is on the type of food: no refined sugar; milk; white rice; pasta/white flour; and white potato. All the foods rich in fats are allowed to be eaten: meat; eggs; cheese/spread; red meat, fish (including shellfish); fowl; one may cook with butter; use mayo; and olive oil. This is diet of almost pure protein and fats. This diet is divided into four stages; phase one, two, there, and four. The first phase, phase one, lasts two weeks, the dieter eats only proteins and fats. three cups of loosely packed salad, or two cups of salad with two-thirds cup of certain cooked vegetables per day. For phases two, three, and four, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables are added gradually, and limitedly. The objective of this is more fats and protein. Dieters must keep checking their weight and decrease their carbohydrate intake if they begin to gain weight. This is a diet that also requires the dieter to take vitamins supplements (WebMD). Obviously this is not a practical diet. A diet with an intake of more protein than carbohydrates ; and is going to last a lifetime, can never be healthy. Exerciser seems to be the only good thing that this diet promotes. The diet is a life sentence; and the dieter can never touch the restricted food again; who wants to be held hostage to a diet for life? Robert H. Nickel, MD, director of the general clinical research center at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, tells WebMD: "Our worries over the Atkins diet go way past the question of whether it is effective for losing weight or even for keeping weight off. We worry that the diet promotes heart disease ... We have concerns over whether this is a healthy diet for preventing heart disease,

DD121 TMA04 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DD121 TMA04 - Essay Example Surveillance is a form of control and therefore a closed circuit form of the exercise of institutional power. Power works in a hidden way and ‘provokes’ people to behave â€Å"in ways that make it difficult for them to do otherwise† (Hughes, 2004: 34). However, Foucault explains how we â€Å"take it upon ourselves† (ibid) to control our own behaviour. Furthmore, he observes that even though â€Å"we are free to act in all kinds of ways, we choose to constrain our behaviour† (ibid). So, â€Å"there is no overarching power which brings us into line† (ibid). Instead, we choose ourselves to constrain our own behaviour. People behave within this ‘framework of choices’. This perspective makes power a positive thing and this is the understanding behind how power works, termed ‘the powers of provocation’. For example, in a ‘provocative’ advertising campaign people are informed but have the ultimate power of choice. A political ideology has these characteristics: It is â€Å"a cluster of ideas that both describe societies, propose moral and practical alternatives, and are aligned with political movements† (Hughes, 2004: 46). Examples are conservatism and feminism. In conservatism the basic desire is to conserve. For example, it upholds a traditional view of the family, in which both parents have defined roles and moral responsibilities, the family serves to protect children, and above all that this is the natural â€Å"god-given way of ordering our lives† (Hughes, 2004: 60). Such ideas about social structures and institutions, about what they are and how they ought to be, promoted by exercising power are political ideologies. Thus, the concept of different political ideologies arises from different social values, and ideas for ordering power. Most people live in families but this institution is changing dramatically in response to increasing