Managing Projects College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Projects College - Essay Example Calculation of WACC is not a simple task as many would think, this is because the only part which is simple is calculation of the debt a firm has, these debt include the bank loan and other borrowing, however this is usually the beginning of the hard task since it known that the equity finance is usually more expensive than cost debt finance, this is due to the fact that equity finance has complex computation of the risk premium making computation of WACC complex. This computation of WACC is made more complex when determining which debts or equity should be used to increase the returns on capital of the share holders. The inclusion of corporate tax- rate in this computation adds more trouble while calculating WACC in view of the fact that interest payment is taxable. From the above facts, I would not agree with the statement that calculation of the WACC is the easiest thing in the world because even though the formulae appears simple it cannot be interpreted in lay mans language, e.g. the total finance includes all the trade credits and current liabilities which are reflected in the balance sheet of a company, but for the accountants who calculate the investments alternatives and evaluate critically the account of a company whose objective is to maximize the investment returns, it may not be a hard thing. But I would conclude by disagreeing with the statement. Q2. Determining the replacement of maximus limited machinery using equivalent annual cost: year capital investment running cost scrap value gross value present value factor present value 1 9999 0 9999 9999 1 9999 0 2985 5040 2055 0.909091 1868.182 present value 11867.18 2 9999 0 9999 9999 1 9999 0 4015 3100 -915 0.909091 -831.818 0 4015 3100 -915 0.826446 -756.198 present value 8410.983 3 9999 0 9999 9999 1 9999 0 8970 1080 -7890 0.909091 -7172.73 0 8970 1080 -7890 0.826446 -6520.66 0 8970 1080 -7890 0.751315 -5927.87 present value -9622.26 From the above calculations the machines should be replaced on the third year, this is because the net present value of the machine in the third year is negative (-9622.26) as compared to the other years where the net present value is positive. A negative present value means that the machine has negative value. This is a good measure of investment because it considers the time value of money and particularly useful for selection of a mutually exclusive investment and instrumental in achieving the objective of financial management, however one major factor that needs to be considered while selecting the better investment project is that, this is an absolute measure in that it favors the investment with higher NPV but it is likely that this project has a higher investment cost therefore, its doesn't give best results. Another factor to be considered is the whether the machines have different lives. 3. MARKET EFFICIENCY AND SHAREHOLDER WEALTH MAXIMISATION ARE TWO SIDE OF THE SAME COIN. Market efficiencies is defined as a market in which all the participants have all the information in the market, that is, all buyer and seller have know the prices concerning all the products whereas

Theme Duality in My Papa's Waltz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theme Duality in My Papa's Waltz - Essay Example The initial reading may make people comment that y Papa's Waltzis simply a delightful childhood incident a tender moment between father and son. While another interpretation is the that the boy in the poem is being abused by his father that is the child ancesunwillingly. Whether the poem is a about a positive or negative relationship between a father and son, Roethke goal as an author is clear. He wanted to write a poem in which the reader can just as much part in determining the theme as the author. Meaning and theme of any piece of literature is partly determined by the author and also by the audience. y Papa's Waltzexemplifies the situation in which personal and past experience determines the ultimate theme. Due to the various discussions over the meaning of the poem, the reader neglects the grace and skill of the writing. Roethke creates this split meaning poem by skillfully using a number of literary elements. Roethke in y Papa's Waltzemploys the use of contrasting images, allit eration,and meter to create the poem's dual theme. y Papa's Waltzis poem about a ancebetween a father and child. Roethke uses the metaphor of the waltz as a way to show the relationship between a father and child. The waltz is a dance between two people, like all dances someone must lead and someone must follow. This is true in all parent child relationships. The drunk father and son dance in the poem knocking over items, bumping into things while the mother looks on disapprovingly. The father dances the son right into the bed. However, the poem is not that straight forward. There are several components of the poem which are not light hearted or fun. It is obvious that t

Theater and war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theater and war - Essay Example The play starts off in a club, in Vietnam, and it was during a period before the Americans were removed from Saigon. The main theme that was brought out in the play was love. A seventeen year old orphan by the name Kim was working in the club, and there she met the engineer. At the same time, other ladies are preparing themselves for the nights show. The Americans knew that they were leaving Vietnam soon, and they were enjoying themselves with the prostitutes (Behr and Mark 95). Through the persuasion of John Thomas, Chris Scott who was a sergeant met Kim. He could be able to tell that Kim was a naive girl, but he dragged her in a room. Chris lamented on why God allowed him to meet Kim as they were almost leaving Vietnam. He persuaded her not to sell her body in the club because he wanted to marry her. Despite the risk that Saigon would be taken over by Vietnamese Chris was left behind and he traded a visa for Kim to move to America. Eventually, Chris married Kim in a wedding ceremon y (Behr and Mark 101). All my sons theatrical play The play all my sons are articles written by Arthur Miller, which describes betrayal to the American by Joe Keller. These events took place during the World War 2, where Joe Keller allowed his company to trade unworthy aero plane cylinders to be used by the United States armed forces. This caused the death of the American pilots who were more than twenty. Steve who was a business partner to Joe had noticed the unworthy parts, but Joe went ahead and allowed the shipment of the faulty parts. It was for this reason that the pilots died, and the two were arrested. However, Joe managed to release himself and the blame shifted to Steve. One of the main characters in the play is Kate Keller. She took part and the title mother in the play. She was described as the wife to Joe Keller and a mother to Chris and Larry. She lost her son Larry in the war and despite the fact that she had a successful man and another son she could not forget her s on Larry. She demonstrated more great issues than grief for the loss of her son, which was shown by her self-denial and delusions (Miller 7). She took her husband’s secret as a burden and still tried to show a clear conscience of an untroubled woman to the world. She tried to hide suspicion and nervousness, and this led to her suffering from nightmares and severe headaches (Miller 10). She had a character of self-preservation which developed her fantasies towards Larry. She still had hope of the return of Larry and feels threatened when someone close to Larry failed to share her confidence. Stage make ups and war plays A stage makeup is the mode of painting the stage to bring out the message in the play. It entirely involves the paintings, drawings and the costumes of the actors. The stage makeup plays a very major role in bringing out the appearance the actors want to portray. It also helps the public in understanding the message behind the play. The paintings and the drawin gs at the stage should be designed such that they explain the message of the play in a simpler way that will enable each and every person to understand. War plays are plays that are constructed to preach peace and reconciliation especially in regions that have recently faced warfare. The stage makeup

Media Coursework Essay Example for Free

Media Coursework Essay For my GCSE media coursework I have been asked to write about a television soap or series. I have chosen to write about the popular soap, Eastenders. Eastenders is a fictional drama soap about a small community living in East London. First I shall explain what a soap is. A soap is a television program that is all about peoples daily lives and the events that happen. Soaps are ongoing, contemporary dramas. Contemporary means that the plots and storylines are all based on on real life events that can and do happen to real people. Ongoing means the plot of the soap is held out over the episodes. Soaps can be split into different categories such as, countryside soaps, city soaps, or police soaps. Emmerdale is an example of countryside soap, Coronation Street, Eastenders, as city soaps, and The Bill as a police soap. The reason television soaps are called soaps is because the soap used to be advertised on the side of soap packets. Soaps always end with a cliffhanger. When I say cliffhanger, I mean that at the end of the episode the main plot finishes half way through. This leaves the viewers wondering what will happen next, so they watch the next episode. On the other hand, series have a different way of keeping the viewers interested. At the end of the episode they show you a sneak preview of what will be happening in the next episode. I dont think this is a good way to make sure you keep your viewers because its spoils the surprise. A series has a new main plot for every episode, the plot is introduced as the episode begins and finishes as it ends. Series always have smaller plots. The idea for these is for you to keep in the back of your mind, so you keep watching. The smaller plots are carried on over two or three episodes, like in soap. Another way they keep people watching is by letting newspapers and magazines inform their readers of the future storylines. I dont think they should be allowed to do this because most people would rather watch the soap without knowing what will happen next. It makes the soap or series more enjoyable. By doing this, it means more people watch so they get more money. Another Eastender makes its money is by merchandising. In other words, Eastenders produce product which have a connection to Eastenders and try to sell them. On the Eastenders website (www. bbc. co. uk/eastenders) they sell items such as, mugs, T-shirt, books etc. All of which have some connection to Eastenders. They may have a picture of a character of Eastenders written across it. Series are not ongoing. They usually have about 12 episodes, then switch with a different series. Series also have different categories, such as, city and countryside series, relationship series, police, crime and prison series, comedy series, and hospital series. Both soaps and series exaggerate the plot to make it more interesting and attract more viewers. We know that it doesnt really happen like that in life but we except and believe it to make the soap work, if we didnt they would be no point in watching. Like in Eastenders, the characters live in a fictional city called Albert Square in East London. We all know this place doesnt exist but we believe in it. Julia Smith and Tony Holland created Eastenders as a rival for Coronation Street. The first ever episode was transmitted at 7pm on the 19th February 1985. For the first eight years, Eastenders was shown twice weekly but on the 11th April 1994, it was changed to three episodes per week. Now, in the year 2002, the standard yearly output with four episodes a week is 208 episodes plus the omnibus repeat on Sundays. However, there are often additional episodes filmed throughout the year, increasing the figure to between 210 and 215 episodes. I think one of the reasons it was changed to four times a week is because that is how many times Coronation Street is shown. Eastenders is one of the most successful BBC programs in history and to date is topping the charts with viewing figures of 11. 2milion viewers per weekday episode, which is equal to 53% share of television viewing. Eastenders is mostly watched by people aged 25- 45 with 34% of the viewers fitting in that age group. Closely following is the under24s which make up 24% of the viewers. The remaining 42% of the audience are the over 45s. Over half of the viewers are female whilst only 33% are male and 12% of Eastenders audience are children. The reason for such a low percentage of children, I think, is because Eastenders is on our screens at round about 7:30pm or 8:00pm and stays there for roughly half an hour. Most children would be in or going to bed. Eastenders is transmitted for our enjoyment, every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday with a repeat every Sunday. I timed an episode of Eastenders. The viewing time was 27:06:92 minutes and the credits were 00:31:38 seconds, which together, give a total o 27:38:25 minutes. This is slightly over the target length for Eastenders, which is 27 minutes and 15 seconds. The maximum is 27:40:00 minutes. I also timed an episode of another popular soap, Coronation Street. I found out that Eastenders is on our screens for about 1 minute and 30 seconds longer than Coronation Street. The reason for this may be that, Coronation Street has a commercial break, which Eastenders doesnt have. A plot is the main storyline of the program. It usually involves two or more of the characters. Currently, the main plot of Eastenders includes Phil Mitchell, Peggy Mitchell, Sonja Jackson, Jamie Mitchell, Lisa Fowler and her and Phils baby, Louise. In a recent episode, Lisa took her baby and fled to Portugal. Phil wasnt happy about this; after all she had taken his child. Phil followed her to find his daughter. In the last episode, Phil pulled up in a taxi and climbed out with Louise. The viewers were then expecting Lisa to get out, but then the taxi pulled away. Phil had returned. Without Lisa. People were very suspicious and refused to believe when Phil lied to them saying that he and Lisa had came to an agreement. He said Lisa was suicidal and they had agreed it was best for Phil to take the baby. We found out that this was a complete lie when Peggy, was unpacking for Phil and she came across two passports. One was Phils and the other was Lisas. Peggy knows he is lying but she refuses to believe it and keeps quiet about it. This is the main plot at the moment, it only involves a few characters, but it is interesting to watch. Other issues that have been in the plot of Eastenders include, rape, abortion, teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution, divorce, extra marital affairs, unmarried mothers, mixed marriages, murder, gambling, adoption, teenage runaways, Alzheimers disease, HIV/AIDS, drink driving and euthanasia. I think that it is a good idea to broadcast these issues because all these subjects happen in real- life and it helps people to learn about it and how to cope if it should ever happen to them. These issues could also be involved in the sub- plot. Sub- plots are just like main plots but they involve fewer characters and are just there for us to keep in the back of our minds. If soaps only had one storyline, it might not involve your favourite character so you might not be interested in watching. The most recent sub- plots in Eastenders are involving Ian and his wife, Laura. Laura is pregnant, but we all know it isnt Ians child because he has had a vasectomy. Steven, Ians son has found out that Ian is not his real dad and that his real dad doesnt even live in England or know he has a son. Sonja made her boyfriend Jamie, sneak into Phils pub to find Lisas passport. Soaps usually have about three or four sub- plots. This means only about half of the cast is actually involved in one episode. They are roughly 35 different characters in the cast, two of whom have been in Eastenders since the first episode. The two characters that have been in Eastenders since the first episode are Adam Woodyatt, who plays Ian Beale and Wendy Richard, better known as Pauline Fowler. Adam Woodyatt is my favourite character. He is 34 years old and was born on the 28th June 1968. He was born in Walthamstow. Adam is one of the few cast members to actually come from the East End of London. Ian Beale is my favourite character because he is a very believable character. This is because if you combine Adams wonderful acting with the skill of the scriptwriters, it creates a real, believable character. Also, Ian is nearly always written into the script. So far, Ian has been through divorce more than twice, bankruptcy, his wife tried to murder him, he has slept with a prostitute, told his old fianci e, Mel, that his child was ill just so she would marry him and his most recent plot is that his current wife, Laura, is pregnant but the child is definitely not Ians. Ian Beale comes across as a sneaky, sly, wimp and he likes to get his own way. He always seems to be plotting something but his plans never work. He is a bit of a failure. As a businessman, as a husband and as a dad. His business failed when he went bankrupt, he has been married three or four times and his son has left him, to go see his real dad. Ian does not seem like a nice man. The reason I like him is because I feel quite sorry for him. Everything goes wrong and I think he deserves something nice to happen. Underneath, I think he is really sensitive. He cries a lot, I must have seen him cry about 5 times, usually to do with his children. Ian is a character I definitely wouldnt like to be, because he has a hard life. However, the character I would love to be is Janine Butcher. The actress Charlie Brooks has the task of being Janine Butcher. Charlies date of birth is 3rd May 1981 and is originally from Barmouth, North Wales. Her first appearance in the soap was on 22nd June 1989 when she was only eight years of age. She was the third actress to play Janine Butcher. Janine is a fairly pleasant character although she is awful to the people she dislikes. I think she is greatly misunderstood. She likes to get her own way, and if she doesnt she really can be a frightful person to be near. She is also uses people. She once made friends with a man called Terry, just to get her hands on his money and have a job and a place to stay. But, I would still like to be Janine because she knows how to have fun and is very witty. Janine also knows how to take care of herself. These are the reasons I admire her. On a whole, I think Eastenders is really realistic because they dont exaggerate the issues too much unlike other soaps. It is also fun and easy to watch. It doesnt matter if you miss one or two episodes because it is so easy to catch up on the plot. I really enjoy watching Eastenders along with 53% of television viewing and I think it is one of the best soaps to watch.

Starbucks Competition and Strategy Analysis

Starbucks Competition and Strategy Analysis Executive Summary As coffee drinkers of all ages and sizes increase around the world, Starbucks amongst fierce rivals continues to experience unsurpassed growth sales. Their upscale coffee outlets that deliver pleasing to the eye dà ©cor and brand uniqueness at locations scattered nationally and internationally, their distinct aromas and scents, Starbucks has been able to differentiate themselves from all competitors. The aforementioned characteristics that is Starbucks, has enabled the coffee retailer to increase profitability, expand globally, and attract new customers. With an estimated 17,000 outlets in approximately 55 countries, Starbucks boasts as the largest coffee outlet chain in the world. In North America alone, Starbucks employs nearly 11,000 full-time and 60,000 part-time employees. Additionally, the chain employs over 7,000 outside its United States borders. Through providing top quality coffee beans and distinctive varieties (aforementioned), Starbucks has led the way in revolutionizing the market industry. The chain not specializes in serving coffee, but also teas, juices, pastries of all kinds and now even coffee-flavored ice cream brands that deliver pleasing to the taste and thirst of many loyal, and soon-to-be new customers. Since 1994, Starbucks has enjoyed measurable success through clever mergers and or acquisitions. A few successful ventures include Seattles Best coffee chain now offers a small line of its premium brands on commercial Delta airlines flights and thanks to the ever-increasing Wi-Fi market, Starbucks continues to connect with customers. In 2010, after extensive market surveying, Starbucks introduced three new ice cream coffee-free flavor brands. Starbucks continues to face stiff competition and only through strategic planning hinged upon finding new and creative ways to be innovative will the firm continue to diversify its financial portfolio while enabling its ability to cover liabilities. Introduction Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Starbucks is an international Corporation (www.Starbucks.com) whose stocks are traded on the NYSE under the SBUX ticker symbol. Starbucks is the largest coffee outlet in the world, with close to seventeen thousand shops in approximately fifty countries or provinces, eleven thousand in America alone, over one thousand in Canada, eight hundred in Japan and seven hundred Coffee Shops in the United Kingdom. Starbucks in 2003 was listed as a Fortune 500 firm, ranked 465. By the end of 2010, they were ranked 241. Background Howard Schultz gained control of Starbucks in 1987. Starbucks was founded by three colleagues in 1971 in Seattle who were inspired by a mutual acquaintance Alfred Peet, an established businessman. By 1980 the company had grown to four locally owned stores that turned a reasonable profit every year. It was in 1981 when Howard Schultz, then Vice President of U.S operations for Swedish Kitchen and Coffeemaker equipment decided to visit Starbucks out of curiosity as to how and why the Starbucks was so successful with selling his companys products. Managerially, Schultz was impressed with the company. After much persistence, Schultz landed his first job with Starbucks as head of marketing and research. Overflowing with ideas for the company, Howard Schultzs biggest inspiration and vision for Starbucks future came in 1983 while on a business trip to Italy and the idea of Espresso Bars came fell upon him. After failing to convince Baldwin for the expansion of business, he initially left Starbucks in 1985 and started the Il Giornale coffee bar chain in 1985 and the coffeehouse was very successful. In 1987 after buying out the former owners Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker, Schultz began to quickly begin to realize his full dream for Starbucks and quickly expanded business operations in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Chicago, Illinois, of the same year. By 1992, Starbucks then a recognized publicly traded company on the stock market had expanded nationally to 165 shops. In 2009, Starbucks succeeded by opening about nine hundred additional shops outside the Continental United States. Mission Statement (Actual per www.starbucks.com, accessed on 20 February 20, 2011) Establish Starbucks as the premier distributor of the best coffee on the planet without compromising principles on quality of growth. Our Coffee It has always been, and will always be, about quality. Were passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done.(2, 7) Our Partners Were called partners, because its not just a job, its our passion. Together, we embrace diversity to create a place where each of us can be ourselves. We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold each other to that standard, ensuring the latest technology is implemented for producing superior products to our loyal customers. (4, 8, 9) Our Customers When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers-even if just for a few moments. Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. Its really about human connection. (1) Our Stores When our customers feel this sense of belonging, our stores become a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. Its about enjoyment at the speed of life-sometimes slow and savored, sometimes faster. Always full of humanity. (6) Our Neighborhood Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously. We want to be invited in wherever we do business. We can be a force for positive action-bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility-and our potential for good-is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead. (3) Our Shareholders We know that as we deliver in each of these areas, we enjoy the kind of success that rewards our shareholders. We are fully accountable to get each of these elements right so that Starbucks-and everyone it touches-can endure and thrive. (5) Customer Products or services Markets Technology Concern for survival, profitability, growth Philosophy Self-concept Concern for public image Concern for employees Mission Statement Analyzed   I consider this to be a fairly good, and accurate statement although per my rating (based on research), the mission statement lacks two (2) important components: Technology and Concern for employees. The company must evaluate whether it is technologically advanced and even though the companys vision is of concern to its employees, it still should be added to its mission statement. Vision Statement (Actual per www.starbucks.com, accessed on 20 February 20, 2011) To establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world and become a national company with values and guiding principles that employee could be proud of. The vision statement clearly describes the dream or the future of the company that is to be the worlds most well known coffeehouse and also to be the most appreciated and positively graded brand by all levels of people around the world. Finally, the company focuses emphasis in the value of employees and their loyalty, and strives to create a happy work environment. The opportunity for entry of new competitors shows a balance between different firms competing in a market and subsequently, they can be looked upon as a threat to already established firms. One of Starbucks staunchest competitors is McDonalds McCafe which is really catching on globally. Competition is real due to entry level start up costs which can be extremely low and or offered at a bargain price to gain a competitive edge. This probably can explain why Starbucks has recently decided to partner with Burger King which I personally consider a very positive move. Starbucks Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) is illustrated below and compares the coffee firms internal and external factors, based upon strengths (superior or 4.0), against weaknesses (1.0), against its current, and projected market competition. Used effectively, it will give management clear idea about the firms strengths and weaknesses and aid in plotting a way forward that is healthy and most importantly, profitable. Anything in between can be rated from fair, to average to above average to superior. From the illustration below, Starbucks fares a little above average when compared to Dunkin Donuts, yet well below McDonalds. Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) In the External Factor Evaluation or EFE, only external factors, that is, opportunities, and threats, are evaluated. From the illustration below, the following info can be drawn: Gourmet coffee consumption tied in to drinkers educational levels. The higher the level of education the more gourmet coffee on average was consumed, by as much as seventy-one percent. Trends showed sixteen percent of U.S. adult population consumed specialty coffee on a daily basis; sixty-three percent only occasionally. The growth in popularity of specialty coffees has increased, as only thirteen percent and fifty-nine percent of people reported daily and occasional consumption, respectively, in 2002. Also, trends over the past ten-years showed consumers requesting more organic coffees which influenced retailers on the growing environment of coffee beans. Consumers are becoming more health conscious and are looking for sweats and snacks that are low in carbohydrates / sugar and calories. International market has a stronger economy and accordingly, consumers would be able to pay premium price for specialty or gourmet coffee. With regards to threats, the 2007-2009 economic recession adversely affected the specialty coffee industry. Recently, trends show consumer concern with nutritional value. Volatility in the stocks and coffee price could impact the purchasing power for the buyers. Smaller competitors are expanding their markets as well as their product line offerings. In conclusion, competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are becoming stronger in offering specialty coffee along with other complimentary products. This may explain why SBUX has recently announced a partnership with Burger King who has long lagged behind McDonalds, especially in the breakfast arena to start offering Seattles Best coffee products (a subsidiary of Starbucks), in efforts to further close the gap between itself from its the conglomerate that is McDonalds Corporation. External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix Gourmet coffee consumption rose with the drinkers educational level. Those who finished college bought forty-nine percent more gourmet coffee on average, and those with some postgraduate education bought seventy-one percent more Sixteen percent of the U.S. adult population consumed specialty coffee on a daily basis, whereas sixty-three percent indulged occasionally The growth in popularity of specialty coffees has increased, as only thirteen percent and fifty-nine percent of people reported daily and occasional consumption, respectively, in 2002 Another trend that has surfaced in the past decade has been consumer requests for organic coffees, and more emphasis was placed by retailers on the growing environment of the beans Consumers are becoming more health conscious and are looking for sweats and snacks that are low in carbs / sugar and calorie International market has a stronger economy and accordingly, consumers would be able to pay premium price for specialty or gourmet coffee Threats The 2007-2009 economic recession adversely affected the specialty coffee industry Recent trends shows consumers are concerned about the nutritional value of coffee products and are demanding nutritional info be posted on the products even in retail outlets. Volatility in the stocks and coffee price could impact the purchasing power for the buyers Smaller competitors are expanding their markets as well as their product line offerings Competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are becoming stronger in offering specialty coffee along with other complementary products Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix is a summary step in conducting an internal strategic-management audit used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a business, and provide a foundation for identifying and evaluating relationships founded upon those areas. Looking at key Internal Factors, Starbucks most advantageous opportunities lie in expansion in ever-growing Markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China or the BRICs as they are commonly referred. Of note, Starbucks doesnt appear to show any interest in marketing its products through advertisings as much as focusing on the quality of its coffee and that power alone to retain, and attract new customers. Key Internal Factors Strengths Starbucks expects to add approximately 20 net new stores to its global store base in fiscal 2009 by closing approximately 425 company-operated stores in the United States and adding of approximately 60 company-operated stores internationally The company plans to open approximately 65 net new licensed stores in the United States and approximately 320 net new licensed stores internationally Capital expenditures for fiscal 2009 are expected to remain unchanged, at approximately $600 million. Licensing revenues increased primarily due to higher product sales and royalty revenues as a result of opening 438 new licensed retail stores in the last 12 month Strong marketing and promotional campaign such as product placement in major TV series Starbucks also provides electrical outlets and, in some stores, wireless access, for customers who might need to use their MP3 players or laptop computers Starbucks products can be found in convenience stores, grocery stores, department stores, movie theaters, businesses, schools, and even airports Starbucks is rated by Fortune as one of the best top 10 places to work Starbucks also encourages the use of its Web site where customers are able to register their Starbucks cards, receive nutritional information about Starbucks products, shop online, search for careers, and much more Weaknesses 47 percent drop in earnings in one year (2008) For the 26 weeks ending March 2009, Starbucks revenues decreased 7 percent to $4.95 billion and net income decreased 72 percent to $89.3 million Moodys Investors Service recently downgraded Starbucks credit ratings The U.S. company operated retail business continued deteriorating trends For the second quarter of fiscal 2009, U.S. total net revenues were $1.8 billion, a decline of $131.5 million, or 6.8 percent, due to decreased revenues from company operated retail stores Many of Starbucks International operations are in early stages of development that require a more extensive support organization relative to the current levels of revenue and operating income in the United States International total net revenues were $433.7 million for the 13 weeks ended March 29, 2009, down $59.7 million, or 12.1 percent, compared with the same period last year, primarily due to the impact of a stronger U.S. dollar relative to the British pound and Canadian dollar Global Consumer Products Group (CPG) total net revenues decreased by 2 percent to $94.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2009, due primarily to lower margin on sales of packaged coffee as a result of discounting, as well as lower volume to the trade The Strength-Weaknesses-Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis is an effective to that when used properly, gathers, analyzes, and evaluates information which helps firms identify strategic advantages/disadvantages. SWOT Strategies Opportunities Gourmet coffee consumption rose with the drinkers educational level. Those who finished college bought 49 percent more gourmet coffee on average, and those with some postgraduate education bought 71 percent more Sixteen percent of the U.S. adult population consumed specialty coffee on a daily basis, whereas 63 percent indulged occasionally The growth in popularity of specialty coffees has increased, as only 13 percent and 59 percent of people reported daily and occasional consumption, respectively, in 2002 Another trend that has surfaced in the past decade has been consumer requests for organic coffees, and more emphasis was placed by retailers on the growing environment of the beans Consumers are becoming more health conscious and are looking for sweats and snacks that are low in carbohydrates / sugar and calorie International market has a stronger economy and accordingly, consumers would be able to pay premium price for specialty or gourmet coffee Implement product development by introducing organic coffee and disclosing the nutritional content to the consumers (S1, S2, S3, S5, S6, S7, O1, O2, O3) Continue opening more retail stores overseas where coffee is in demand and market has not been saturated by competitors (S1, S2, S3, S4, S9, O6) Develop new products with better nutritional value (S6, S8, O1, O2, O4, O5) Develop a marketing strategy such as Starbucks Combo by offering combination of gourmet coffee and cookie / cake or 2 for 1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the patrons can purchase coffee on Tuesday and get free refill on Wednesday (W1, W2, W3, O1, O2, O3) Establish joint venture with hotels, airlines, and retailers for having mini-Starbucks locations or for serving premium Starbucks coffee in the hotel rooms or during the flights (W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, O1, O2, O3, O6) Threats The 2007-2009 global recession negatively affected the specialty coffee industry Recent trends have shown that some of the consuming public is concerned about the nutritional value of such products as those offered by the specialty coffee sector and have even challenged the correctness of the labeling and calorie information posted on the products available at retail outlets. Volatility in the stocks and coffee price could impact the purchasing power for the buyers Smaller competitors are expanding their markets as well as their product line offerings Competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are becoming stronger in offering specialty coffee along with other complementary products Implement market penetration strategy by promoting additional licensing retail deals. This minimizes the risks and capital expenditures for Starbucks (S2, S3, S4, S5, T1, T4, T5) Lower prices of popular drinks by $0.50 and promote the price decrease through aggressive advertising (S6, S7, S8, T1, T4) Penetrate market by appealing to a wider variety of consumers (W6, T4, T5) Cutback on some of operating expenses such trying to improve purchasing power and getting better prices from the suppliers and vendors (W4, T4, T5) Create Promotional Strategies Such As Starbucks Combo Or Reduce The Price By $0.50 Per Drink On Popular Drinks Develop New Products With Better Nutritional Value Expand Internationally By Opening Additional 100+ License Retailers Through Joint Ventures Portfolio Analysis: Starbucks BCG Matrix (The Worlds Most Innovative Companies Their creativity goes beyond products to rewiring themselves. Business Week and the Boston Consulting Group rank the best. Accessed and referenced on 20 February 20, 2011 at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_17/b3981401.htm) The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix is enhancing a multidivisional firms efforts to formulate strategies. The BCG allows a multi-focused firm to manage its portfolio by examining relative market share position and the industry growth rate each division relative to all other divisions in the organization. The Starbucks BCG matrix below shows four (4) divisions which include Question Marks, Stars, Cash Cows, and Dogs. Quadrant I shows low relatives market position, high growth industry. Cash needs versus cash generation are high and low. Quadrant II or Star Division identifies best long-run opportunities for growth and profitability. Quadrant III or Cash Cows with high relative market share position but compete in a low growth industry and finally, Quadrant IV or Dogs identifies relatively low market share position and compete in a snail or no market growth industry. Starbucks Income Statements shows steady increases between 2003 and 2005. The revenues on the year 2003 were $4,075,000, while $2,191,000 in year 2004, $6,369,000 in year 2005. Also, the firms growth sales rate for 2004 and 2005 was 56.3%. In conclusion, Starbucks were identified in Star division which means its long-run opportunities for the growth and profitability is overall good. Recommendations Starbucks coffees price are much more expensive than other market competitor products because Starbucks purchases the highest quality coffee beans which means and price-war advantage for its competitors in these challenged economic times. Develop series of new coffee, tea and fruit drinks with better nutritional values for health conscious customers. Initially, enter selected market with predatory pricing strategy and then move to larger market. Starbucks is showing signs of change and that the change has started to work. For the first time in eight quarters, the company posted positive earnings. In fact, all US company operated stores reported positive growth in their sales. For the last few years, the company over-expanded by opening too many stores and some too close to each others. Now, they have done an impressive job restructuring itself and returning back to being profitable by closing some stores and slimming down its workforce over the past few years. They further eliminated excessive waste in their operations and have been trying to be leaner in their day to day business processes. Leading the way in technological media, Starbucks innovative nature has enabled capitalization on the social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, Starbucks even has an iPhone application (accessed at Why Starbucks Has Room to Improve. http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/starbucks-growth-upgrade-profit-price-hikes/1/22/2010/id/26485 20 Feb. 2011.).

A cultural framework

A cultural framework Abstract This report is about how a cultural framework can affect a project success. What is meant by this is that you need to have a good project manager and project team in order for a project to meet deadlines and stay on budget. This report analysis and critiques what has been found in the article was conducted by Korin Kendra of Detroit and Laura Taplin of Canada. They analysed the data that was found form a Standish Group survey on project successes and failures this was conducted in the year 2000. The survey found that overall there is a project failure rate of 72 percent. Of the 28 percent it was found that 92 percent of these successes were due to assigned project managers, 58 percent used a defined measurement system and 46 percent used a project management methodology. The study concluded that the main reason for failure was due to the lack of good working relationships. Kendra and Taplin conducted their study by collecting data using an interview protocol they explored the organiz ations design elements, social and technical structures in the proposed success model developed in this study. From the information that they gathered they managed to draw out 5 main themes/conclusions these are, Theme 1: Project Management competences exist at the project manger level in the organization. Theme 2: Project success requires the employment of management process from the project management, system development, supplier management and business planning to be successful. Theme 3: Organizational structures at the project team level are the key to project success. The project structure is important to the success of the project because it determines the project manager level of authority, skills and competencies of the team and the dynamics of the group. Theme 4: Performance measurement systems metrics are defined at the individual, project and organizational level to evaluate project success. Theme 5: Organizational culture determines the importance of project manager com petencies, performance measurements, business process that are employed to perform project work and project organization structures to project success. 1. Background The topic for this article is project success in a cultural framework. This article was written by Korin Kendra of Detroit and Laura Taplin of Canada in April 2004. This report main point is how a cultural frame work can affect project success. What is meant by a cultural frame work is the background and the work ethics of the people involved of the project. This article was conducted to analysis the data that was found form a Standish Group survey on project successes and failures this was conducted in the year 2000. The survey found that overall there is a project failure rate of 72 percent. Of the 28 percent it was found that 92 percent of these successes were due to assigned project managers, 58 percent used a defined measurement system and 46 percent used a project management methodology. The study concluded that the main reason for failure was due to the lack of good working relationships. This conclusion left was question of what is required in a good cultural framework to mak e a project successful. Kendra and Taplin choose to investigate this question and wrote this article. The authors definition of a project success in the IT industry is that a project must have numerous success factors that contribute such as the project being on time, within budget and of good quality. 2. Method Data was collected using an interview protocol they explored the organizations design elements, social and technical structures in the proposed success model developed in this study. The inquiry focused on the organizations culture, project manager competencies, organizational structure design, performance measurement systems and the supporting business process employed in the change efforts to adopt project management. All interviews were conducted in the year 2001 and reflected past, present and future change efforts. The data was the analysed qualitatively using a grounded theory approach and inferential coding to identify the common themes and cultural values that form linkages between project manager competencies, performance measurement systems, process and structures. 3. Critique 3.1 Data are gathered in a scientific manner Data was gathered using an interview process to me this is not a very scientific manner although it is still a very good data collecting technique. They still gathered all the information that was required for the study. 3.2 Underlying assumptions are clear From what I had read the authors didnt really have many assumptions. All the data that they used was already gathered so assumptions were not necessary. Although their main assumption would have been that a cultural framework can affect a project success to which this assumption was very clear and easy to understand. 3.3 Overall Conclusions 3.3.1 What conclusions are drawn by the authors In this article the authors describe five main conclusions/themes that they have discovered. In their research, Kendra and Taplin (2004) established Theme 1: Project Management competences exist at the project manger level in the organization Theme 2: Project success requires the employment of management process from the project management, system development, supplier management and business planning to be successful. Theme 3: Organizational structures at the project team level are the key to project success. The project structure is important to the success of the project because it determines the project manager level of authority, skills and competencies of the team and the dynamics of the group. Theme 4: Performance measurement systems metrics are defined at the individual, project and organizational level to evaluate project success. Theme 5: Organizational culture determines the importance of project manager competencies, performance measurements, business process that are employed to perform project work and project organization structures to project success. 3.3.2 Are these conclusions valid Yes in my opinion is think that all these conclusions are valid as they all hold the main requirements for a project to be successful it is important to note that theme one and three are very important as they both hold valid points of how a team need to form together in order for a project to be successful. 3.4 The authors have some academic or professional standing Korin Kendra is a professor in the college of Management at Lawrence Technological University. She has a masters in industrial engineering and information systems, also has a PHD in organizational development. Kendra is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) Laura Taplin has her masters and PHD in organizational development she is also a certified Management Consultant (CMC). In this article both authors are highly qualified and have gained qualifications in relevant fields to their research. 3.5 The writing is clearly and correctly references its sources This article is very easy to read and explains most things in great detail. All information that refers to other persons work its referenced correctly at the bottom of the paragraph or inserted citations. I found that this piece was easier to read due to most information was grouped into topics rather than all together. 4. References Kendra, K., Taplin, L. (2004). Project Success: A Cultural Framework. Project Management Journal, 30-45.

A Soldiers Home :: essays papers

A Soldiers Home The willingness to risk failure-as difficult as that can be-often leads us to remarkable discoveries about ourselves and our world. But on the other hand, not taking risks can save us from amounts of devastation and heartache. I think that was a major principle for Krebs in the short story, "Soldiers Home." After going to hell and back, it's almost inevitable that anyone under the circumstances would be completely overwhelmed by all that Krebs had experienced and risked. He risked his life, and was then thrown back into a society that he had been absent from for years, and finds that its all the exact way that he had left it, except he says, "Nothing was changed in the town except that the young girls had grown up." In Krebs case, after returning from war, he had become a completely different person. Distant, quiet and depressed. He didn't want to risk any complications. He didn't want to risk any part of himself ever again. He didn't want to work for what he wanted, he had worked hard enough and had been through a lifetime of disaster. All he wanted was to sit back and just live. Not enjoy life, not experience new and better things, he just wanted to live without any complications and without taking any risks. He mentions that he would like to have a girl, or more so wouldn't mind. But he doesn't want to work to get her, or do anything drastic to get her attention. It would just all be to complicated. He wants no commitment, no strings attached. "He did not want any consequences. He did not want any consequences ever again. He wanted to live without consequences. Besides, he did not really need a girl. The army had taught him that." For Krebs, asking out a girl would be a risk and lead to complications whether good or bad. And taking that risk just wasn't worth anything. Krebs was dead inside. Not intentionally, but subconsciously. He knew not of what he was doing.