Saturday, November 16, 2019
Deontological Vs Utilitarian Ethics Essay Example for Free
Deontological Vs Utilitarian Ethics Essay Kant believed that morality is dependent upon reason, that to act rationally was the same as acting morally. He placed a high value upon duty in determining the moral worth of an action. Kantââ¬â¢s deontological ethics is essentially an ethics of duty or obligation. As such, he claims that the moral worth of an action depends solely on whether or not it was done exclusively from a sense of duty. If an act is done simply because one is so inclined, the act has no moral value. This principle holds true even if inclination happens to be in agreement with duty. To illustrate this point, he uses the example of a truly beneficent person. He says that while kindness to all man is a duty, there are some who are naturally inclined to be kind. He asserts ââ¬Å"But I maintain that in such a case an action of this kind, however proper, however amiable it may be, has nevertheless no true moral worth, but is on a level with other inclinationsâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (Gregory and Giancola, 82). When these spread kindness while motivated by their own inclination to be kind, their kind acts have no moral value, because in his view in order for an act to be moral, it must be done for the sake of duty alone. Essentially, deontological ethics says the less inclined one is to perform an act that duty calls one to, the more moral worth the act has. While deontological ethics is completely independent of inclination, utilitarian ethics is in many was based upon it. Utilitarianism is built on hedonism, which is the claim that pleasure is the supreme good for man. The main idea of utilitarianism is that man is naturally inclined to seek pleasure and avoid pain and this natural inclination is to be embraced as it will lead man to the supreme end, which is happiness. Utilitarian ethics says that moral acts are those that promote pleasure and avoid pain while immoral acts do the opposite. In is definition of utilitarianism, John Mills says that as far as possible, pleasure in its highest quantity and quality should be promoted and this for the greatest number of people possible. He says, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦that standard is not the agentââ¬â¢s own greatest happiness, but the greatest amount of happiness altogetherâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (Gregory and Giancola, 92). In my view this means that according to utilitarian ethics, the moral act is the o ne that brings pleasure to the greatest amount of people.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
To What Extent Did D.C. Stephenson Affect the Fall of the Ku Klux Klan
A. Plan of Investigation The focus of this investigation was to understand and determine to what extent D.C. Stephenson affected the fall of the Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s. During the 1920s the Klan had an all time high of membership across the United States and was a large part of American society. The Klan was prevalent in everyday society and in politics, and was a positive presence for many Americans. However, the Klan was pushed into a negative light due to Stephenson kidnapping and raping Madge Oberholtzer. Membership in the Klan dropped shortly after, and many blame Stephenson. In order to decide whether or not Stephenson was responsible, the Klan was examined during Stephensonââ¬â¢s involvement, and the aftermath of his involvement. D.C. Stephenson was also examined to better understand how he could have changed the course of the KKK. Sources that discussed the Klan and Stephenson were looked at, like They Called Themselves the KKK, and. Citizen Klansmen: The Ku Klux Klan in Indiana. Those sour ces, among others, helped give a better understanding of D.C. Stephenson and how he affected the KKK. B. Summary of Evidence The Ku Klux Klan began in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1865 (Martin). It started out as a group of men creating a social club, mainly for confederate soldiers who had fought in the war. Its name is derived from kuklos, meaning circle of friends (Martin). It was a secret society with rules and codes, and men were given special titles (Bartoletti,25). The nature of the Klan was not originally to be destructive, but as it began to grow and more white men and confederate soldiers joined, the purpose changed. Tension grew across the country as Reconstruction went under way and white southerners were unhappy. The Kl... ...." Dying Declaration of Madge Oberholtzer. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. "Ku Klux Klan." Civil Rights in the United States. Ed. Waldo E. Martin, Jr. and Patricia Sullivan. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. "Ku Klux Klan." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. Lutholtz, M. William. Grand Dragon: D.C. Stephenson and the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue UP, 1991. Print. MacLean, Nancy. Behind the Mask of Chivalry: The Making of the Second Ku Klux Klan. New York: Oxford UP, 1994. Print. McDonnell, Janet, Ann Angel, and Carolyn Kott. Washburne. America in the 20th Century. North Bellmore, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 1995. Print. Moore, Leonard Joseph. Citizen Klansmen: The Ku Klux Klan in Indiana, 1921-1928. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina, 1991. Print.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Quality – Market Leader
UNIT 10 ââ¬â QUALITY QUESTIONS 1. What does it mean by ââ¬Å"Qualityâ⬠and ââ¬Å" Quality Controlâ⬠? 2. What should companies do to maintain the quality of their products/services effectively? 3. What do you think about the quality of Vietnamese products? What should companies do to enhance their competitiveness in competition? ANSWERS 1. The definition of quality depends on the different circumstances and perceptions. The meaning of quality is also time-based or situational. a. The definition of quality in manufacturing organizations is often different from that of services. Quality de? itions in manufacturing usually focus on tangible product features. The most common quality de? nition in manufacturing is conformance, which is the degree to which a product characteristic meets preset standards. Other common de? nitions of quality in manufacturing include performanceââ¬â such as acceleration of a vehicle; reliabilityââ¬â that the product will function as exp ected without failure; featuresââ¬â the extras that are included beyond the basic characteristics; durabilityââ¬âexpected operational life of the product; and serviceabilityââ¬â how readily a product can be repaired.The relative importance of these de? nitions is based on the preferences of each individual customer. It is easy to see how different customers can have different de? nitions in mind when they speak of high product quality. b. In contrast to manufacturing, service organizations produce a product that is intangible. The intangible nature of the product makes de? ning quality dif? cult. Also, since a service is experienced, perceptions can be highly subjective. In addition to tangible factors, quality of services is often de? ned by perceptual factors.These include responsiveness to customer needs, courtesy and friendliness of staff, promptness in resolving complaints, and atmosphere. Other de? nitions of quality in services include timeââ¬â the amount of t ime a customer has to wait for the service; and consistencyââ¬â the degree to which the service is the same each time. Quality control Quality control is a process that is used to ensure a certain level of quality in a product or service. It might include whatever actions a business deems necessary to provide for the control and verification of certain characteristics of a product or service.Most often, it involves thoroughly examining and testing the quality of products or the results of services. The basic goal of this process is to ensure that the products or services that are provided meet specific requirements and characteristics, such as being dependable, satisfactory, safe and fiscally sound. 2. What should companies do to maintain the quality of their products or services effectively? In order to maintain the quality of what we sell, we need to carry out wise quality control program as well as good customer services. 3. 1.Total Quality Control (TQC) program. 3. 2. 1. We have to focus on continuous improvement, tend to think of improvement in terms of plateaus that are to be achieved, such as passing a certification test or reducing the number of defects to a certain level. Because we can never achieve perfection, we must always evaluate our performance and take measures to improve it by using The Planââ¬âDoââ¬âStudyââ¬âAct Cycle. Another way companies implement continuous improvement is by studying business practices of companies considered ââ¬Å"best in class. â⬠This is called benchmarking. . 2. 2. We should also consider empowering all employees to seek out quality problems and correct them. The new concept of quality, TQC, provides incentives for employees to identify quality problems. Employees are rewarded for uncovering quality problems, not punished. In TQC, they are considered a vital element of the effort to achieve high quality. Their contributions are highly valued, and their suggestions are implemented. In order to pe rform this function, employees are given continual and extensive training in quality measurement tools. . 2. 3. Teamwork Approach TQC stresses that quality is an organizational effort. To facilitate the solving of quality problems, it places great emphasis on teamwork. The use of teams is based on the old adage that ââ¬Å"two heads are better than one. â⬠Using techniques such as brainstorming, discussion, and quality control tools, teams work regularly to correct problems. The contributions of teams are considered vital to the success of the company. For this reason, companies set aside time in the workday for team meetings. . 2. 4. Use of Quality Tools To control the quality of products or service, some company use quality tools. These are often called the seven tools of quality control and are shown in the picture. They are easy to understand, yet extremely useful in identifying and analyzing quality problems. Sometimes workers use only one tool at a time, but often a combi nation of tools is most helpful. Those tools include Cause-and-Effect Diagrams, Checklists, Flowcharts, Control Charts, and Scatter Diagrams. 3. 2. 5. Product DesignA critical aspect of building quality into a product is to ensure that the product design meets customer expectations. To produce a product that customers want, we need to translate customersââ¬â¢ everyday language into specific technical requirements. 3. 2. 6. Process Management A quality product comes from a quality process. This means that quality should be built into the process. Quality at the source is the belief that it is far better to uncover the source of quality problems and correct it than to discard defective items after production.If the source of the problem is not corrected, the problem will continue. TQC extends the concept of quality to a companyââ¬â¢s suppliers and ensures that they engage in the same quality practices. If suppliers meet preset quality standards, materials do not have to be inspe cted upon arrival. Today, many companies have a representative residing at their supplierââ¬â¢s location, thereby involving the supplier in every stage from product design to ? nal production. 3. 2. Customer Services It is wrong to think that the sales process ends right after the moment our customers buy the products.We had better keep an excellent relationship with them by an annual customer satisfaction questionnaire towards our products/services, by offering the products they bought routine checks to ensure that they are well-maintained, by giving them warranty that lasts for an adequate time, or by guarantee our offering compensation if there is still a faulty products. 3. The quality of Vietnamese products Quality is an abstract definition which is usually judged by customers. The fact that a product is said to be of good or bad quality is all depend on each customersââ¬â¢ view.Generally speaking, Vietnamese products are quite good and their quality has been continuously enhancing. An evidence for this is that Vietnamese people have now increased using them, and the value of products exported to other countries also goes up. However, our products still have a lot of limitations. They are hard to compete with the products coming from other countries in both domestic market and global market. What the limitations are and also the reasons for them are mentioned below: * Low quality owing to technological level: Our country is still a developing country.Our corporates are limited about expenditures, capital, experience, and other elements. They cannot afford to buy the advanced machines. Besides, they do not have enough qualified experts to operate the modern new equipment. Made by old techniques and ineffective manufacturing process, our products are usually of lower quality and uncompetitive. Moreover, this has led to a consequence in the structure of Vietnamââ¬â¢s trade balance: exporting mainly agricultural products, crafts and other kinds of un processed goods but not high-technical or processed ones. Popularity of unsafe products and loss of customersââ¬â¢ trust: Some corporates still just focus on their profits but not their value propositions. They try to cut their costs without taking notice on improving product quality. Some small companies even conduct their manufacturing process inappropriately, using some poisons, preservatives improperly or releasing waste directly and polluting the environment. The products made by those companies are not only bad for customersââ¬â¢ health but also unfriendly to the environment. This has a serious bad impact on consumersââ¬â¢ belief on Vietnamese products. Product quality does not commensurate with their price. In the correlation between quality and price, Vietnamese products have to face a lot of pressure from those of other countries. Their tastes, durations and many other criteria of our products are still uncompetitive and unattractive to customers. * Prices and desi gns of products are hard to compare with those of foreign goods. For example, our products are competed by the imported ones coming from China, Thailand, India and many other countries. Especially, Chinese goods are really varied, diversified and at extremely low price.Besides that, the favorite of using foreign products of Vietnamese people also limit competitiveness of Vietnamese goods. * Low position in customersââ¬â¢ mind: The government has made a lot of regulations on products quality and also carried out many methods to test productsââ¬â¢ safety. However, not much enhancement is made. Consumers still have to worry about cleanliness as well as safety of Vietnamese products. Moreover, the issue of counterfeiting goods is still serious and this contributes to lower our product position. * The difference in quality between domestic-use products and exporting products due to corporatesââ¬â¢ behaviors.In reality, because of the difference in value, exporting products are u sually of higher quality than domestic-use ones. This discrimination has a negative effect on how consumers judge our products. * Infamous and low-trusted brands: Although we are a large exporter in some kinds of goods, our products are still not subject to any specific standards. Not having any national or international standards to ensure their quality, our products are not appreciated by customers. Their brands are also unpopular with them. In some cases, some brands have been certificated by Globalcap standards such as Nam Roi Grapefruit.However, they are now still threatened because our government does not have enough expenditure for recertification. In sum, Vietnamese products have a lot of limitations that need to be changed to raise their competitiveness. Enhance productââ¬â¢s competitiveness All we have to do is to fix the limitations as mentioned above. * Consumers only want to buy necessary goods of high quality. Hence, after investigating the demand of them towards ce rtain goods, we upgrade our production chain so that we can satisfy our customer totally. But how do we pgrade our production chain? A survey carried out in 2012 showed that among nearly 8000 enterprises in the field of manufacturing, 96 per cent claims the crux of the problem is that they cannot afford to invest in new technologies. Assistances from our state are not enough. Therefore, to do this really difficult thing, companies have to recruit qualified experts who can help them develop new ways, new methods of production. Once they have been successful, they are truly bailed out to provide customers with high quality items. * Create a unique image for our products.This is the only way to retain customersââ¬â¢ faith towards our products. They will know well where our products are and buy them, not faked ones. Also, using a signal or friendly slogan for products can help customers to remember us, typically. A practical action to solve this problem is to teach customers to reali ze us among the crowd. * Make our products value for money. Enterprise must be wise when performing price strategies so that customers gain the satisfaction when using our products, without whispered complaints on them being too expensive.High quality, but value for money. And, donââ¬â¢t try to lower the prices as what our rivals do, set the lowest level for our prices. This determines our true value. To some extent and in some segment, consumers they no longer pay the best attention in prices, but value ââ¬â or quality. Keeping our prices at a reasonable level can create a good impression on our customers, that they are our life. * Gain the diversity when design our products. Imagine we have a large market for one kind of product. We make items the same as the others, and customers are fed of them.Especially girls, they donââ¬â¢t want others to ââ¬Å"copyâ⬠their style. Thus, our product designers had better be innovative ones, or we have to hire more and more desig ners. * Once it is Vietnamese product, it must be as good as each other. The markets where we sell our products cannot decide the quality of them. This thinking will help our products to win the trust from our customers everywhere, for its being always of high quality. * We also need to change our mind of doing business. Vietnamese people tend to think they are never as good as foreigners.This one-track thinking indirectly do foreign business people a favor. We can do better than them if we can draw carefully a practical and effective plan. And the most important thing is that enterprises have to take actions to maintain the quality of the products for the forthcoming periods in which the state of the global as well as the local economy may come unexpected. Besides, we need to get help from other factors including productivity of motivated employees, wise and effective advertising campaigns or applying new methods in delivery.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Critical analysis of page 41-42 of the Great Gatsby
Fitzgerald describes the ââ¬Ëmusicââ¬â¢ coming from Gatsbyââ¬â¢s house which is effectively used to foreshadow the images of music in the party later in the passage. He also uses the term ââ¬Ësummer nightsââ¬â¢ which presents the reader with the impression of a continuous party and demonstrates more clearly the hedonistic world that the rich inhabited in 1920s America which is further confirmed when Fitzgerald refers to the ââ¬Ëchampagneââ¬â¢ in the next sentence suggesting this expensive delicacy was the normality at these lavish parties. The ââ¬Ëblue gardensââ¬â¢ in the following sentence gives the reader a vivid picture of the evening light whilst also using the metaphor to evoke a feeling of beauty regarding Gatsbyââ¬â¢s party within the readers mind. The image of the comings and goings being ââ¬Ëlike mothsââ¬â¢ gives the idea of the fleetingness of the upper class guests that have no real purpose or aims but to drift at these parties. Fitzgerald uses the term ââ¬Ëmen and girlsââ¬â¢ as opposed to referring to the ââ¬Ëgirlsââ¬â¢ as women, perhaps suggesting at the immaturity of these women, so much so that they appeared to be like little girls. The use of the word ââ¬Ëwhisperingsââ¬â¢ creates a sensual feeling in the reader as it appears romantic and furtive but also could refer to the gossiping ways of the wealthy party guests. The image of ââ¬Ëthe starsââ¬â¢ induces both a vision of peaceful night sky, which contrasts the lively atmosphere of the party and therefore highlighting this further to the reader, but also presents an image of the affluent party guests as stars, some in their own rights, and some whom only saw themselves this way. Fitzgerald describes ââ¬Ëhis [Gatsbyââ¬â¢s] raftââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëhis beachââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëhis two-motor boatsââ¬â¢ in the following sentence to portray the sense of wealth and affluence of Gatsby and this detailed visual imagery enables the reader to relate with the narrator as they share in his feeling of awe at Gatsbyââ¬â¢s affluence. The warm light imagery of the ââ¬Ësun on the hot sandââ¬â¢ adds to the ongoing sense of romance in the passage, which reflects the numerous romances and affairs within the book, primarily that of Gatsby and Daisy. Fitzgerald effectively uses a metaphor to describe the Rolls-Royce, a relatively small car, becoming an ââ¬Ëomnibusââ¬â¢ to further emphasize to the reader the massiveness of these parties and the copious people that attended. The simile of the station wagon scampering ââ¬Ëlike a brisk yellow bugââ¬â¢ not only makes the inanimate object more realistic to the reader but reflects the urgency of the guests to attend these magnificent parties. The immensity of Gatsbyââ¬â¢s parties is further shown through the statement that ââ¬Ëeight servants, including an extra gardenerââ¬â¢ had to work all of Monday to restore the mansion to its former grandeur and to get rid of the after effects of the party. The image of ââ¬Ëseveral hundred feet of canvasââ¬â¢ being used just for Gatsbyââ¬â¢s party once again indicates his enormous wealth and success and makes it more realistic to the reader by using measurements. Fitzgerald uses colour imagery to describe the party food such as ââ¬Ëglistening hors-dââ¬â¢oeuvreââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ësalads of harlequin designsââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëturkeys bewitched to a dark goldââ¬â¢. This creates a more realistic and physical aspect to the food that makes it more vivid for the reader. The use of the ââ¬Ëdark goldââ¬â¢ image also symbolises Gatsbyââ¬â¢s wealth and the grandeur of the party. Fitzgerald combines the visual images of the ââ¬Ëginââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëliquorsââ¬â¢ and other drinks with the sound imagery of the ââ¬Ëoboesââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëtrombonesââ¬â¢ and other orchestra instruments in the following paragraph in order to appeal to more of the readers senses. By using sound imagery alongside visual imagery, the party appears more realistic to the reader and they instantly become more involved. The listed instruments depict to the reader the vastness of the orchestra, suggesting it was in competition with the ââ¬Ëchatterââ¬â¢ and the vast amounts of party guests. During this paragraph, Nick also changes tense from past to present, as he describes that ââ¬Ëthe bar is in full swingââ¬â¢. This also makes the passage more realistic to the reader as it is more inclusive and engages the reader to feel like they are also attending this party. The use of the image of ââ¬ËCastileââ¬â¢ a wealthy Spanish town, indicates the affluence of the people at the party as their fashion was ââ¬Ëbeyond the dreamsââ¬â¢ of even the most wealthy towns. Fitzgerald describes the cocktails as ââ¬Ëfloating roundsââ¬â¢ indicating how insignificant the party guests thought of the servants, so much so that they appeared to be invisible. This shows the shallow, snobbish nature of the wealthy Americans of the time. Personification is used effective to describe the air as ââ¬Ëalive with chatterââ¬â¢ highlighting to the reader the enormity of the noise of the party that must have been audible for miles around. The idea of the ââ¬Ëenthusiastic meetingsââ¬â¢ of women who ââ¬Ënever knew each otherââ¬â¢s namesââ¬â¢ compels the reader to consider how genuine this enthusiasm was in someone they did not know or whether it was fake interest from possibly fake and shallow women of the time. There is further light imagery as it grows ââ¬Ëbrighterââ¬â¢ mentions of the ââ¬Ësunââ¬â¢ which evoke images of wealth and beauty. Fitzgerald creates both visual and sound imagery when he describes the ââ¬Ëyellow cocktail musicââ¬â¢ in which the light imagery again indicated wealth to the reader and also creates a soft, sensual feel. The ââ¬Ëopera of voicesââ¬â¢ further highlights the noise of the party and connects both the orchestra noise and that of the guests conversations. The groups changing ââ¬Ëswiftlyââ¬â¢ gives the impression of elegance and restlessness, as people are reluctant to stay in the same place as groups ââ¬Ëdissolve and form in the same breathââ¬â¢. Fitzgerald stresses the self obsessed, egotistical nature of the party guests when he reveals their aim; to become centre of attention which, when fulfilled, makes them ââ¬Ëexcited with triumphââ¬â¢. The passage comes to a close with the ever recurring light imagery of the ââ¬Ëconstantly changing lightââ¬â¢ perhaps symbolising not only the beauty of the scene but also the fleetingness of the people that inhabit it.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
GIS
GIS GIS in Fighting Wildfires Recently there has been an onslaught of wildfires throughout southern California, New Mexico and Florida. GIS and the USGS have come to the aid of firefighters fighting these wildfires. New digital maps that are the combination of aerial photographs and the geometric qualities of a map were used in the recent New Mexico wildfires. These maps DOQ's (Digital Orthophotoquads) which are aerial photographs are supplied by the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park California. DOQ images can also be found on the Microsoft TerraServer site at http://terraserver.microsoft.com/default.asp These maps allowed firefighters to have a more accurate picture of the terrain where a fire is burning and where it might spread. On DOQ's trees look like trees rather then a green shaded area on a topographic map. Buildings are more visible and there shape and possible use can possibly be determined. Because these maps were in high demand during the wildfire, these maps were delivered electronically, downloaded and printed by the recipient, thus speeding up the process of determining a way to get these fires out.Topographic map of the OxbowThis is in sharp contrast to a time when topographical maps had to be updated by hand scribers and printed on special presses.USGS began producing these maps in 1991. Images are derived from the archives of the National Aerial Photography Program (which is housed in Sioux Falls, S.D.). Today nearly 165,000 DOQ's available in the U.S. Because DOQ's can serve as a layer in a GIS system, they are especially useful for community and special event planners. Ex.. They were used in Atlanta for the 1998 summer Olympics and are being used to create maps for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics to layout event sites and plan transportation corridors.With USGS's DOQ's New Mexico was able to contain...
Monday, November 4, 2019
DD121 TMA03 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
DD121 TMA03 - Essay Example But Darwin also stressed the role of interaction between individuals, and equally important is the effect of the dynamic interactive environment. ââ¬Å"Our differences are also a product of our social relations, cultural processes, the kinds of environments we are born into, the environments we live in, our bodies and so on.â⬠(Hinchcliffe, 2000) So, natural differences exist but complex and interactive processes play a very significant role. IQ tests are designed to measure intelligence and claim to be culture-free. The problem with these tests is that they are designed to ââ¬Å"measure problem-solving skills in the abstract rather than in the world of social relations and experienceâ⬠(Hinchcliffe, 2000) i.e. they do not measure social intelligence. Also, the skills required for being successful in IQ tests can be easily practiced but they are a result of education, which is a social experience. Moreover, they are not independent of culture. The criticisms apply specially to verbal tests because they are ââ¬Å"totally dependent on Western knowledge which is only available in certain cultures.â⬠(Hinchcliffe, 2000) This puts children who have not been exposed to the same environment at a distinct disadvantage. Studies on twins for example, who largely share their upbringing in the same socio-cultural environment show that they have similar IQ scores. Albeit a restrictive definition, a market is ââ¬Å"a physical place where many buyers and sellers come together to trade goods and services, exchanging them usually for money.â⬠(Hinchcliffe, 2000) But exchange can take place in many ways e.g. through a catalogue or over the Internet, and the goods exchanged are not necessarily tangible. Thus, there are two economic agents who interact in a social space; rules govern how they interact and ââ¬Å"a sale results in the transfer of property rightsâ⬠(Hinchcliffe, 2000), and markets neither
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Recommendation memo for business trend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Recommendation memo for business trend - Essay Example Starbucks' clients have less money in their pockets than they used to. They may have lost their jobs or cut back on consuming luxury coffee like Starbucks. Furthermore, as the housing bust has unwound, whole neighbourhoods have changed. They will want to reconsider the placement of cafes. These are just several of a number of recommendations included below to help Starbucks weather this storm and once again get back on top of the coffee world. Starbucks is a very strong brand with a loyal following. They are well positioned to storm back to the top of the charts. Over the years, Starbucks has proved itself to be a very successful company. It is has expanded substantially and is a recognized brand. But the financial crisis and economic downturn had a severe impact on its revenue (see figure 1, appendix). Now is the time to consider a number of steps which can help Starbucks restore itself to its former glory. It is not a matter of simply returning Starbucks to the position it held bef ore the crisis. Many things have changed in the marketplace since then. Success may well mean something different now. Starbucks must look around at a changing marketplace and seize new opportunities. In some cases it may have to shift its focus in order to maximize returns. What follows are five recommendations to ensure the Starbucks does not become a relic. The recommendations aim to help Starbucks focus on its customers and its future. Lower cost and rebrand The era of conspicuous consumption is over. The economic crisis made sure of that. It resulted in serious damage to national economies worldwide and the cuts that will have to result to bring down the deficit have not yet been made. Things are going to get worse before they get better. This is a problem because the price of Starbucks coffee is too high. Competition with MacDonalds may be negatively impacting Starbucks sales (Ordonez). The truth is that the climate has changed and cost is a big factor for many people these da ys. We need to see a small reduction in the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks. That alone will be worth media attention and will be a kind of signal to consumers that Starbucks takes this issue very seriously. A lot of the coffee is overpriced and this overpricing is not sustainable with new competition in the market. Reducing the price even ten or fifteen per cent will show consumers that Starbucks is willing to change and adapt to new economic realities. This can be part of a rebranding that will make Starbucks more appealing to a larger audience. The communications element of branding is key to attracting more customers (Capon, 296). Currently, Starbucks is seen as a hipster place where the elites go to sip an expensive latte. There is no reason to lose this cache, but it makes sense in this economic climate to try to create a larger tent in which many different types of people can come and enjoy themselves. Starbucks needs to think long and hard about who it wants to attract in 2012 and beyond. The larger the customer base the more stable the company. It is important to remember that rebranding can be a risky proposition (Muzellec, et al, 802). Approach it with caution. Expansion into new markets Starbucks is seen primarily as an American company, with most of its cafes in North America and Western Europe. These generate a lot of
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