Fire from Heaven

Alexander and the Palace Setup Chapter one of the book Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault introduces the reader to the main characters of the book. It introduces life in the palace by giving the reader a description of how the palace was organized as well as governed in terms of security of the royalty.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Fire from Heaven specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Philip, the king, is the husband to Olympia. Together, they have a four-year-old son called Alexander and a daughter called Cleopatra. The kids have their own rooms where their Spartan nurses take care of them at night away from the royal bedroom. The setting of the book is in a Greek society where Philip is the king. Olympia is the king’s wife who practices witchcraft. At this point, she has introduced her son Alexander to the art of snake charming against his father’s will. She keeps a snake called glaukos. When Alexan der finds a snake coiled around him, he thinks it is glaukos only to realize that it is a new one when he takes it to his mother’s room. He names it tayche (Renault 1). While in the royal bedroom, Alexander witnesses firsthand the feuds between his parents. When he steps in between his parents, though on his mother’s defense, his father throws him mercilessly down the stairs out of the room. Philip is a one-eyed king full of battle scars that make his own son view him as ugly: His son likens him to Polyphemos. Alexander is a smart child who knows how to have his way in the palace and places where he may not be allowed to access. Philip loathes his wife’s witchcraft. Alexander has a friend called Ptolemy whom he has heard guards say that he is Alexander’s brother. However, Ptolemy does not want to talk about it at all. Alexander shows how bright he is when he engages the envoys to his father in hard questions some of which they refuse to answer. He explain s to them that they do not need to greet his father by lying on the ground with their faces touching it. Philip’s empire is exceptionally large spanning across Europe, Asia, and Africa from where he draws his soldiers of war. He rules above kings making other kings of certain kingdoms become mini kings to him. The chapter ends with Alexander attending a worship ceremony at the temple of dionysos. Alexander and Leonidas, the Tutor As Renault writes, King Philip is at war again. This time, it is on the north east of the Chilkadian coast. One thing that torments him most is the idea of his wife practicing witchcraft (24). Olympias has grown forceful in stamping her place in the royalty. She has send out spies who inform her on every move her husband king Philip makes towards other women.Advertising Looking for report on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The thought of the king taking another wife or just a concubine sends her to perform rituals in the tomb as a way of invoking a curse on to the king who loves young women. The king enlists the services of the well-travelled Leonidas to be young Alexander’s teacher since he has attained the age of seven. He does this as he leaves for the battlefront. Leonidas is a well-travelled man and Olympia’s uncle who has stayed in Athens and learnt the elegant Aristocratic lifestyle of the Greek aristocrats. He is even more Hellenized than Philip himself. He therefore sets out to appoint Leonidas as a governor before proceeding to war. Leonidas would be in charge of Alexander’s education as well as his discipline. He would flank Alexander when he goes wrong thus making it his duty of ensuring that the young prince grows up perfectly as a Spartan. Alexander has been accorded teachers for different subjects with Epikrates being the music teacher and Naukles being the mathematics teacher (Renault 31). Philip realized he could n ot find these rare teachers on his own thus conscripting the services of Leonidas. Alexander was therefore provided with some of the best teachers fit for a royalty. Alexander’s tutors are not accustomed to strong drinks the way Spartans are. They often excuse themselves whenever the drinking becomes too much during the evenings to the amusement of the Spartans who are their hosts. They discuss among themselves about their student. They agree among themselves and sometimes disagreeing entirely. Their shyness towards the drink causes amusement among their Spartan hosts. Alexander is loathsome on how his teachers treat him. He even contemplates killing some of them. When he cannot do it, he runs away to the wild where a woodcutter picks him while injured to take him back to the palace. The king holds parties to celebrate his wins by inviting Alexander to sit with him to the point when the drinking starts. Encounters between Philip and Alexander after the War The king has taken a break from the war. He can be found sitting with his staff in the court of his palace. At this stage, Alexander is a ten-year-old boy who is remarkably sharp for his age. He knows almost all the guards’ names even for the ones who are barely a few days old at the posting in the palace. As Alexander enters his father’s court after being summoned, he displays the gait of a real Spartan man as trained by Leonidas (Renault 48). The king brings his son a present. As part of his training, he requires him to be around when the envoys come. Philip son’s interests and attitudes towards him disturb him. He asks himself if all his enemies are his son’s heroes due to his quest to have his son stop following his mother’s footsteps to grow up a real Spartan with all the Spartan civility. Alexander develops a tendency to take firm stands against his own mother. He accomplishes this attempt when his mother tries to influence the clothes he should wear when the e nvoys come. Renault writes, â€Å"I have to dress,† he told her, â€Å"for the Athenian envoys†¦I’ll wear blue† (50). Alexander tries as much as possible to please his father by looking at what his father wants him to look like.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Fire from Heaven specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Alexander uses his determination to satisfy his curiosity when he forces Phoinix to take him out to see the envoys as they arrive at night on their mules with torches. The envoys arrive in the night. When they wake up in the morning, they are amazed at the splendor of the palace guesthouse. Demosthenes, who is one of the envoys, witnesses Alexander’s smartness when he comes into the guest room asking questions beyond his age and size with a unique demeanor. Demosthenes recites his points on how he will talk before the king. Alexander and Epikrates Alexander is about twelve years old. By him is Epikrates who is his music teacher. They spend a lot of time together though Epikrates tells him that he will never make a good musician. Epikrates is a renowned music scholar who feels wasted. Although he is paid to teach Alexander how to play music instruments, the student has no interest. He feels it would be better to teach a child with a little talent for free than to teach a young rich royalty who has no interest at all. Epikrates feels resigned for the turbulence that he finds at the palace thus making a conclusion that he has to go away soon for his soul to find some balance (Renault 71). Alexander is supposed to perform at the dinner. However, his father comes late with an extremely filthy mood. Whispers go round that he is coming from seeing his wife who gives him a hard time. Alexander fails to break his voice as a young adolescent. His father blames this on his sorcerer mother. He blames any defect on his son to his mother. Alexander performs before his father at the dinner table leading to a standing ovation from guests and other members of the royal court. To him and everyone’s amazement, his father dismisses the music as not coming from a man. Once more, his anger rises based on the quarrel he has just had with his wife and the resemblance his son has of his mother when she would laugh sarcastically at him. Alexander runs away into the wilderness longing for a war at just twelve years old. He takes the hostage of Gyras who is one of the intermediaries who have taken the time off duty to visit their family. Alexander makes Gyras swear by a piece of meat he took away from the sacrifices that Gyras would not tell of him back in Pella, or betray him in his adventure. Alexander’s urge to go to war led by the voice of Herackles leads him to sleep in a peasant boy’s bed full of fleas as he leads the scorpion army against the Kimolians. He invokes his father’s name. With Gyras’ support, the headman listens to him. Alexander puts the skills he has learnt to use during the war against Kimolian’s thus killing his first man in a war: a son of a Kimolian’s headman.Advertising Looking for report on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Aristotle the Philosopher The chapter opens with the departure of Leonidas and the entry of Aristotle a distinguished philosopher and a student of Plato. Alexander hopes that he is better than Leonidas. Alexander realizes that, just like Leonidas, Aristotle too has not just come to teach him, but has come for political reasons. The only person with his welfare at heart is Phoinix. Alexander’s mother is against a philosopher being his son’s teacher though she does not know that Aristotle is one. She believes that philosophers make men reason away from the gods (Renault 94). Alexander considers Hephaistion his dearest friend. The new tutor comes in with his conditions for students during his time. He asks that they be boarded somewhere away from the court and its distractions. Therefore, they are taken to a hose on a hill away from the palace from where Aristotle would conduct his studies for them. The house is twenty miles away at the foot of mount Bermion. Philip had t he house restored, and a garden too cleared for Aristotle, the tutor. Philip leaves Olympias to welcome the tutor. For the first time, the two agree on an issue. To his utter surprise, Alexander decides that he will do it now that he is the man of just about fourteen. This attempt sends his mother into a spin of madness by feeling betrayed by a son who she has fought for all the time in her marriage. Alexander expresses himself when he is with Hephaistion (his best friend) by revealing his deep thoughts about his mother’s thinking that she can rule on his behalf based on how he made her cry by his firmness. Aristotle arrives by a whole ship, which had been sent to pick him. On arrival, he finds a waiting escort at the wharf to take him to the palace. The school is set in Mieza. Philip has some of his friends’ children join Alexander at the school as long as they are not too young as per the philosopher’s standards. Some are young Alexander’s friends while others are not. For instance, Kassandros has been forced by his father to join the class. Alexander starts to develop emotions for girls. However, he does not know how to go about it other than what he has heard the soldiers say. He meets a girl called Gorgo who he later finds out to be having an affair with his father. His mother destroys the girl later. The Mystery of Dionysio The students go back to Mieza sometimes after the sacrifices to Dionysio. To Aristotle’s amazement, Alexander looks sharper than it is usual after such a sacrifice (Renault 128). Alexander reconciles himself with what he saw his mother do to Gorgo by accepting that it was her way of revenge just like when men go to war and kill. While at school, his parents write him letters thinking his quietness is due to the Dionysio experience not knowing that it is due to some form of shame he feels his father is taking him through. To this situation, Alexander feels that he might never love a woman. Hephaistion still worships his friend Alexander by going a long way to impress him by importing him a book. On his part, Aristotle keeps his duty of training the young lads while taking the time to make observations on the nature besides making notes on the deer’s coupling. Hephaistion discovers a vixen’s den. Together, they scout the vixen. The cubs seem to be the only thing that would make Alexander smile between long moments of silence, which makes his friend Hephaistion happy when he smiles because he has made it his loyal duty to keep Alexander happy. Alexander yearns for war. From his conversations with his friend, he talks about how he dreams of marching into Greece as a general after the war. He is good at javelin and sword. However, he prefers the sword as his favorite weapon for a face-to-face combat. Philip has a disdain for his son’s south-like behavior when he comes in clean-shaven to which he does not consider Macedonian. However, he restrains himself from sa ying anything that might offend him due to the business at the table. Alexander’s father startles him when preparing for war. He informs him that he will remain behind to do the administration work. He further tells him that he might be ripe maybe two years from then. He is left with the royal seal of Macedon, which is a symbol of the king’s authority. Though the king makes it look like he wants his son to do administration before he can go to war, he feels from deep inside himself that his son is not man enough. Once again, when his father is away, his mother tries to influence him to do a favor to her henchman’s son. However, Alexander refuses with reason much to his mother’s disdain. Alexander’s first War As Alexander prepares to go to war, he goes to his mother to find answers to lingering questions about his paternity. Alexander goes to war with his father as they lay siege Thebes. On the way, Alexander comes across Leonidas’ grave to w hich he pays his respect though he never respected him as a general (Renault 170). Alexander observes that the southerners covet each other because they land starved. Thus, it makes them come out in a united front. Philip gets the wall of Elatia put up again and makes it his fort. From here, he sends envoys to all cities he has laid siege on asking them to surrender. Philip lays siege to Thebes. This case brings out the experience in him in matters of war. Thebans debate over the idea of giving Philip a passage to Athens by considering him an ally though they are dismayed by the way he puts up Elatia. Thebans voted in favor of tearing the treaty with Macedon. They allied themselves with Athens thus counting Philip as an enemy. Demosthenes, the king of Thebes, consults oracles as they prepare for Philip’s southern march. Athens prepare for war. However, when they consult an oracle, it shows the odds against them to which Demosthenes declares that someone among them is Philipâ €™s traitor. Philip is simply trying to test his ally’s loyalty to which Thebes fails. Philip gives Alexander a Calvary to lead as his birthday present on his 18th birthday. Demosthenes inspects the army as files of strong young men stand guard. They start falling on their spears due to fatigue as they keep watch for invasion from the Macedons. Demosthenes himself is a politician and not a fighter. Therefore, he has to account for everything that happens. Alexander leads the army in war as his father watches from a distance on the hilltop the way a shepherd looks over his ship. Young Alexander has the voice to command. Demosthenes had instilled fear in the Athenians by telling that Philip would blot them off the face of the Earth. Therefore, they have to fight for their city’s survival. Philip and his father win the battle against Thebes. With it, they take prisoners from among the fighters. Father and son have a good relationship at this moment as the father avoid s picking him. Philip’s new Wife Eurydike Eurydike, who is King Philip’s newest wife, gets a baby girl. To Philips relief, his new wife is a total opposite of Olympias. He mulls over a thought of having her killed by justifying that she has blood in her hands. Hence, it would be justice anyway. This thought stops when he realizes that his son Alexander would one day come to know about it however discreet the plot would be. Alexander and his mother leave the palace for a place called Epiros. From there, Alexander sends his father a letter asking him to restore his mother’s place before they can come back (Renault 205). The king’s plans for another war are affected by the news of bands of men or soldiers sighted in different parts of his region thus leaving him undecided on what step to take. This happens after Alexander has fled with his mother. Hephaistion is with Alexander as they live through a life of squalor since they are in a self-imposed exile. He tells him how much his father adores him and how he wishes he went back. Alexander dismisses this as just a plot to have him back to hold as his father goes out to war in Asia. He puts a condition that his mother’s place must be restored before he can go back. Alexander ponders on how to get back home to his father, as he is apparent the heir who sends Demaratos to his father as a go-between for reconciliation. Philip is ready to reconcile with his son. However, the biggest impediment is his wife whom he does not want near him at all. At the end of the day, Philip is convinced by Demaratos to bring back his wife and son. Eurydike, the new wife, has an affine house built for her a few meters away from the palace. Alexander feels ashamed of his father for going for a 15-year-old girl at his age. Olympias learns of Arridaio’s marriage plans, and sends her son immediately to relay the news. Alexander is startled by the news of his half brother being made heir by his father though the boy is a halfwit. Alexander’s relationship with his father deteriorates after he tells him in his face that he should find inheritance for himself. This leads to a conspiracy between the mother and son. The situation leaves Philip dead so that Alexander can inherit the throne despite his bastard nature. Evaluation The Author Author Mary Renault is a Hughes and Bristol college trained nurse born in 1939. She is an acclaimed author with many novels penned under her name. She was made a flow of the Royal literature in 1959 due to the work she had contributed in literature. As a writer, Renault comes out strong with the way she presents her story. It is captivating in such a way that it keeps the reader’s attention to details. Her work is fiction. From the book Fire from Heaven, the reader finds that it takes so much knowledge about the ancient Greece for someone to come up with such a masterpiece. Though the story meanders a lot before it takes shape, the writ er seems at home with the lifestyle of the old Greece. The writer has experience with the subject as she has also written other pieces on ancient Greece besides this work. Renault is prejudiced in a way that she has a negative bias towards Olympia, the mother of Alexander. Though she pays so much tribute to Alexander, she paints his mother as a sorcerer. The purpose the writer has on this book is to expose the intrigues of the ancient Greek’s royalty, which was a mix of heroes, villains, and gods. The lines between the gods and the people are so thin that kings would be referred to as gods. The book also exposes the reader to the ancient dark art when rituals were performed to please the gods. Informative Nature of the Book The book is informative about the ancient royal life and society in general. From this book, it is evident that education then was for the privileged few being the royalty and the aristocrats. It informs readers on the art of war. The book also enlightens readers on how battles were planned and executed during the ancient times. Small communities would unite against a common enemy or they would simply pay allegiance to the stronger ones in society. The book informs readers on the art of diplomacy, its origin on how treaties were cut, and how submission was made. The book is convincing as it uses real life characters. It uses real life settings to create a picture of how things would work then. Although the book is a work of fiction, it is almost convincing in the way it has cast people like Aristotle who were real persons during that time. The book is not particularly easy to read due to so many intertwined characters that have been used. The names of many places are mostly in Greece making it difficult to read easily. However, as the story line continues, there is more clarity as the main characters are used repeatedly. The piece is suitable to anybody who wishes to read both for fun and for academic purposes. It offers an overview of historical Greece culture. It also enumerates practices, which would be good for anyone trying to understand the world of civilization and its origins as people live today. The masterwork is also good for literature students. Language students would profoundly benefit from the book due to the literary styles employed in executing the plot. The storyline leaves one curious for the next step. It is full of tension. The work is recommendable to students in different fields of study spanning from literature, history, religion, as well as geography. It can also be a good recommendation for students studying English as a foreign language. Students who wish to improve on their vocabulary should also read the book. The subject is covered fairly with in-depth descriptions that bring out the picture the writer is trying to create. Conclusion/My lesson from doing the Report The lesson learnt from doing the report is that a person needs to have enough vocabulary that would enable him or her make a summary of work. To make a report, one needs to read the subject. The reader should understand the subject so that the summary he or she comes up with is a representation of the whole work. Additionally, the reader should be able to give the picture of the entire story. One also needs to filter out what will make sense in the report. This summary should be used to prepare the report. A report should be brief in this sense, but loaded to the brim with the information it is trying to put across. The experience leaves a reader believing in him/herself with regard to the amount of work this assignment is and the time required to execute it. Works Cited Renault, Mary. Fire from Heaven. Arrow, London, 1970. Print. This report on Fire from Heaven was written and submitted by user Hugo Stokes to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Human Geography - an Overview (Cultural Geography)

Human Geography - an Overview (Cultural Geography) Human geography is one of the two major branches of geography (versus physical geography) and is often called cultural geography. Human geography is the study of the many cultural aspects found throughout the world and how they relate to the spaces and places where they originate and then travel as people continually move across various areas. Some of the main cultural phenomena studied in human geography include language, religion, different economic and governmental structures, art, music, and other cultural aspects that explain how and/or why people function as they do in the areas in which they live. Globalization is also becoming increasingly important to the field of human geography as it is allowing these specific aspects of culture to easily travel across the globe. Cultural landscapes are also important because they link culture to the physical environments in which people live. This is vital because it can either limit or nurture the development of various aspects of culture. For instance, people living in a rural area are often more culturally tied to the natural environment around them than those living in a large metropolitan area. This is generally the focus of the Man-Land Tradition in the Four Traditions of geography and studies human impact on nature, the impact of nature on humans, and peoples perception of the environment. History of Human Geography Human geography developed out of the University of California, Berkeley and was led by Carl Sauer. He used landscapes as the defining unit of geographic study and said that cultures develop because of the landscape but also help to develop the landscape as well. In addition, his work and the cultural geography of today is highly qualitative rather than quantitative - a main tenant of physical geography. Human Geography Today Today, human geography is still practiced and more specialized fields within it such as feminist geography, childrens geography, tourism studies, urban geography, the geography of sexuality and space, and political geography have developed to further aid in the study of cultural practices and human activities as they relate spatially to the world.

Is speaking of addiction in terms of sin illuminating, dangerous, or Essay

Is speaking of addiction in terms of sin illuminating, dangerous, or both - Essay Example For Christians, abstinence and â€Å"temperance† are the only acceptable types of behaviour with respect to the consumption of addictive substances (Cook, 2006). Applying this reasoning to addiction is illuminating because it establishes boundaries in which addiction can be judged. It is dangerous only because it does not recognize the scientific pathology of addiction. Scientifically, addiction is a disease and unless the addict seeks the appropriate therapeutic treatment, the addict has no control over his or her craving for the addictive substance (Cook, 2006). As such, the addict cannot control his or her consumption and cannot abstain. Moreover, an addict who has fully recovered from his or her addiction will be complying with Christian tenets if he/she practices temperance but would be acting in a manner inconsistent with Scientific standards. These scientific standards dictate that temperance would create the addiction all over again. Theological definitions of addictio n place it squarely in the realm of sin. One such definition perceives addiction as â€Å"the inability to say no because of captivity to pathological desires† (Myers, 2001, p. 89). It can be assumed that the pathological desires as cravings and/or dependency. ... Another biblical representation of the sin of addiction is the belief that addiction runs counter to the requirement to â€Å"limit consumption based on need and to distribute the goods equitably† (Myers, 2001, p. 89). Aligning addiction with sin based on biblical teachings is illuminating because it points to the necessity of flexibly interpreting the bible so that addiction can be understood in biblical contexts. It is dangerous because it seeks to place addiction in biblical contexts that do not contemplate addiction to either illegal or illicit substances. For instance, aligning addiction with sin on the basis that it is against the will of God because there is a need for the fair distribution of goods implies that the substance addicted to is good. Many of the substances addicted to such as tobacco, unlawful drugs and alcohol are not good for human health on both a spiritual and physical level. Regardless, using the fair distribution of goods as a basis for aligning addic tion with sin can be misleading and this may be dangerous for theologians’ attempt to validate religious standards. Augustine’s view is perhaps more illuminating in that according to Augustine, human evil originates out of the â€Å"self-imposed, radical bondage of the will† (Harkins, 2008, p. 185). According to Harkins (2008) in the Augustinian tradition, sin is perceived not only as â€Å"a cause of suffering† but also â€Å"in response to it† (p. 185). Therefore sin is: ...a tragically structured vulnerability of the human condition, including our vulnerability to various forms of psychopathology (Harkins, 2008, p. 185). Harkins (2008) raises a number of questions for exploring whether or not one can truly align addiction with sin. The suggestion that addictive items, such as alcohol,

Industrial Law Assignment ( Contract Law ) Essay

Industrial Law Assignment ( Contract Law ) - Essay Example The Company A has accepted the contract with Company B with all the clauses. Company B, in effect offered to provide the equipment by a particular date. It agreed to do so for a particular amount, which is the consideration. Company B accepted the offer and communicated to Company A that they would complete the order. The letter issued by Company B stated that it was â€Å"accepting the order subject to our standard terms of business.† Clause 10 of the standard terms of business of Company B in effect stated that Company B would be liable to any defect in the equipment only if claim to that effect is lodged within seven days of supply of the equipment. The standard terms of Company B also provided that it would not be liable for any loss caused due to delay in supply of equipment. The Contract Manager of Company A communicated to Company B the details of the equipment it needed, and by implication agreed to the standard terms of business of Company B in their entirety. The first three terms were acted upon. The equipment was supplied to Company A well within time. Company B was paid for the same. The other two terms are not applicable to the problem at hand. Company A did not communicate to Company B the defect within time, and the liability of Company B as regards the defects ended on 8th July 2009. So the complaint communicated to Company B by letter Dt. 15th July 2009 can not be legally enforceable. The contract entered in to by the parties was fully acted upon, and no clause of the contract would be open for interpretation other than what was given to it in express terms. The contract was of the executed consideration type and ended in fulfillment when the Company B was paid by the Company B. Though the Contract Manager of Company A was unaware about the particular Clause 10 which ended the liability of Company B on expiry of period of seven days of the supply, it does not in any way alter the lack of the contractual obligation on

ServerVault Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ServerVault - Case Study Example The contribution margin shall be the total revenue minus the overhead costs per unit. The overhead costs are $50,000. The break even point is thus the total overhead costs divided by the contribution margin. This equals $(50,000/1.300=38). The break even point is thus 38 servers. This number is important given that it determines the number of units that should be sold to earn a profit. In this case, it is 39 units or more. The key drivers behind cash generation on consumption for ServerVault are the security features it offers and it reliability. While the security feature is seven-layered and has thus met the U.S. Department of Defense security standards, the reliability feature results from its use of multiple internet access points. The revenue from the facility is $1,300 as a result of the two drivers. The cash consumption from the premises and the facilities installed is due to the fact that ServerVault has not reached its breakeven point. Beyond this point, the business would be profitable. With the total number of the servers (Dec-02) at 14,137,000 from a mere 3 in January of 2000, the business is promising. The cash position keeps improving too. From a difference of less than $20,000 in January 2000, the cash position improved to a difference of more than $1.5m in May of the same year. To this end, ServerVault should concentrate on reducing debt while increasing its returns to hit the breakeven point soon enough. This will win the confidence of investors and thus allow for injection of more capital for its

Benchmarking With Costa Coffee And Caffe Nero Marketing Essay

Benchmarking With Costa Coffee And Caffe Nero Marketing Essay The organisation chosen for the report is Starbucks Corp. and the report would compare it with two similar companies, one being Costa Coffee and the other being Caffà © Nero. The report would highlight the frameworks underpinning the competitive position of Starbucks and also would identify and asses the economic and the competitive position of the firm. A financial model using appropriate ratio analysis would also be presented in a spreadsheet format identifying the industry trends and their impact on the performance of Starbucks vis-à  -vis Costa Coffee and Caffà © Nero. Both quantitative and qualitative data would be made available so as to provide an insight into Starbucks sustainable performance and prospects. Analysis of Starbucks operational, financial, organisational and marketing capabilities would be made available through application of PESTEL analysis, Porters 5 forces model, the Ansoff Matrix and the BCG Matrix. The report would also discuss the issues, the problems, the opportunities and the options available to Starbucks for future business growth, followed by conclusions to draw together all the variables identified. Recommendations would be provided for the company highlighting the direction it needs to take to ensure business profitability with comments on the suitability, acceptability and the feasibility of the options made available. INTRODUCTION The Starbucks Company was founded in Seattle in 1971 by Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin and Zev Seigel with a vision to educate American consumers about the fine coffee drinking experience. In 1987 Howard Schultz took over the Starbucks Group. Starbucks is the number one in the industry, with more than 12,000 shops in more than 35 countries. Just within a couple of years they grew from a small coffee business house to a multi-million dollar player in the coffee industry by buying the best coffee available and providing the people with an unmatched store experience. Freshly brewed coffee is the main product offered by Starbucks along with other drinks which include cold and hot teas, cakes and pastries. The Starbucks coffee comes in a many varieties each possessing a different taste, aroma and flavour. INDUSTRY TRENDS AND MARKET ANALYSIS The market right now for gourmet coffee business is hot. All the multi-national fast food chains and street-corner shops want in on the boom. Many big companies are focused on the supply of specialty branded coffees and the economic stage is heating up. Specialty coffee industry is one of the fastest growing financial services globally. Growth in the coffee industry is continuously peaking, with many new overseas companies entering the market using policies offering exclusive perks and special discounts, despite the questionable quality of the coffee being used to increase the market share. A notable trend seen is that often a significant increase in sales occurs every time a cafà © starts to use branded consumables. The consensus is that these coffee drinks would be a long-term trend, with focus on elevating the customers taste for a product that they are familiar with and then leading them to the coffee stores to buy it. Many companies are also tinkering with expanding the food menus as well including an in-store display of sandwiches, fresh baked goods and many confectionary items. The newest trend is the drive-thru coffee stores. Starbucks has many such stores, all of which are seeing continual growth and long lines. Another trend includes customer requests for organic coffees, which has encouraged retailers to move towards the beans growing environment. The array of products offered has never been as wide, as retailers are adding more flavours to whole beans and creating variations to the basics of espresso and steamed milk. The clever retailers have added iced tea concoctions and coffee shakes to their menus to outdo competitors. Most specialty retailers now also retail whole beans and many such stores have added coffee grinders, espresso machines and other brewing supplies for add on sales. STARBUCKS ANALYSIS This part of the report would analyse the working of the business by application of PESTEL analysis, Porter 5 forces and the BCG Matrix. PESTEL Analysis POLITICAL Taxation policy High taxes levied on farmers in the bean producing countries, would consequently increase the rate at which Starbuck would buy the coffee beans and any such fluctuations in the taxation policy would certainly be passed on to the consumer, who now would have to purchase the end item at a higher price. International trade regulations and tariffs Trade issues would affect Starbucks directly when exporting and importing goods. When the government of the trading country imposes a tariff it would not only result in an efficiency loss for Starbucks but also such large income transfers can become inconsistent with equity. This extra charge would have to be borne by the consumers. Government stability A change in government policies has a direct impact on the taxation and legislation framework. Also the countries in political turmoil or civil war should be considered with great caution when considering probable market ventures. Employment law Reduction in the licensing and permit costs in coffee bean producing countries would consequently lower production costs for the farmers and any such saving would subsequently pass on to Starbucks when purchasing the raw materials and finally to the customers. ECONOMIC Interest rates High interest rates would mean putting off the investment and expansion plans of Starbucks, which would result in fewer earnings for the firm. Low interest rates should have the opposite effect. Economic Growth In periods of negative growth, the consumer incomes would fall leaving less disposable income thus impacting sales for Starbucks. Inflation rates Business costs will rise in times of inflation which would ultimately have to be borne by the consumer. Competitors pricing Competitive pricing from competitors would impact Starbucks pricing that would drive down the profit margin as they try to maintain their market share. Exchange rates If the currency value falls in a bean supplying country, Starbucks would get more for the same price, when importing the goods. This saving would be passed to the end consumer. SOCIAL Population demographics Identification of the target population at which Starbuck needs to aim their products is a significant factor in the business operations. The marketing campaign undertaken would focus accordingly. Coffee is a luxury product in some ways, so the people with the most amount of disposable income should be targeted. Working Population A large number of workers in big cities now go out for lunch and meals. Starbucks can cash this to their advantage by promoting the shop as a place where people can eat and meet, boosting the sales. TECHNOLOGICAL IT development Starbucks launched its first-generation e-commerce website in 1998. As a result, scalability and performance have improved, and the company now has the tools it needs to profile and target customers, analyse site data, and deliver new features to the market in the shortest time possible. New materials and processes Technology developments in coffee making machines and the computer systems that Starbucks use to operate their cash registers would enable the staff to work swiftly and efficiently. This results in customers being served quickly thus creating potential for serving more people in the day. Rate of technological change Technology is advancing at an astounding rate. Starbucks will need to invest majorly just to stand their ground in the always expanding and developing market, and also to try to stay ahead of competitors. ENVIRONMENTAL Pollution problems Starbucks customers create a lot of waste by disposing off the cup and the contents incorrectly. The material for the cup should be carefully selected to make it as biologically degradable as possible. Planning permissions Planning permission may not be granted to Starbucks if the construction would harm the environment. The land may be protected. Environmental pressure groups Starbucks should be aware of the influential and physical power of groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Any violation of animal or environmental rights by a company is usually followed by a swift and attention-drawing protest from one of the groups. Brand image and customer bases are often irreconcilably tarnished due to the actions of these groups. LEGAL Trade and product restrictions Starbucks need to follow the trade laws of the countries where they have established businesses. They must ensure that they are not in violation of any local laws. Some countries impose a tariff that has to be paid accordingly when importing or exporting goods and this must be taken into account as well. Employment laws Each country has different employment laws, like limiting the number of hours a person can work per week, varying levels of minimum wage etc. Starbucks should be aware of such factors when considering business expansion. Health and Safety regulations By not maintaining high standards they would be liable for damages if found in violation as it is a legal requirement for them to enable that their staff and customers are safe when they are in their stores. PORTER 5 FORCES ANALYSIS New Entrants MID Buyer Power MID Supplier Power LOW Competitive Rivalry LOW Substitution Threat LOW 1. COMPETITIVE RIVALRY (Low) Starbucks is the leader in retailing and roasting of specialty coffee in the world. Major competitors include Costa coffee, Caffà © Nero, Seattles Best Coffee and secondary coffee providers such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. The competition is nowhere near to Starbucks volume of operations and sales. Consumption of coffee is not dependent on the price of the product but also on the differentiation between each product and several value adding variables such as the quality of customer services, brand, brand recognition and image of the company. Hence, Starbucks is not majorly sensitive to movements of other firms in this segment. 2. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS (Mid) Starbuck is the world leader in its industry and has controlled access to distribution channels. Starbucks have extreme control over such distribution channels because of setting strict guidelines for the suppliers to follow. Starbucks is also constantly innovating and showing strong product differentiation to hamper the possibility of new entrants. However, the entry barrier for the industry is relatively low and any big firm where funding is not a problem, can be a potential entrant. Some of the more current and on-going threats of new entrants are Burger King, McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts which can become a major problem in the near future. 3. BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS (Mid) A big threat to Starbucks is the absence of switching costs in the speciality coffee industry, customers face no switching costs in switching from Starbucks to Costa Coffee or Caffà © Nero for a cup of coffee. Also a threat to Starbucks is the ability of customers to brew their own coffee. Starbucks tries to counter this threat by offering the Preferred Office Coffee Providers and also provides directions for making a perfect cup of Starbucks coffee at home, that perfect cup of course includes all ingredients which have to be purchased from Starbucks Also with new entrants and competitors such as McDonalds who claim to offer premium roast coffee of reasonable quality for lower price, thus giving the customers some bargaining power. 4. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS (Low) Central and South America produce coffee which is the second largest traded commodity in the world and Starbucks depends upon outside brokers and a mutually direct contact with exporters for supply of premium coffee beans. The quality of coffee beans sought by Starbucks is very high, proving to be a potential threat to the company. Only suppliers which meet Starbucks coffee standards are able to supply to the giant company. The supplying industry only has few firms which can deliver the quality giving them considerable bargaining powers. However, Starbucks counters this due to its massive size and being the primary buyer and also because of the importance of Starbucks business to any individual supplier as it would account for a large percentage of the total suppliers sales, thus reducing the bargaining power of suppliers. 5. THE THREAT OF SUBSTITUTION (Low) Substitute products are the products that can pose as a trade-off for the product being offered by a company. In the specialty coffee industry, substitute products can be soft drinks, tea, energy drinks, fruit juices and other caffeinated drinks. Here innovation would play a huge role. To counter this Starbucks have given their menus a complete revamp and have differentiated so many of their products which are now part of the main product line. The menu includes various teas, hot and cold coffee, baked goods and various confectionary items. The only true direct substitute for specialty coffee would be the basic coffee, which is of lower quality than specialty and as such does not present any threat. BCG MATRIX RELATIVE MARKET SHARE HIGH INDUSTRY SALES GROWTH RATE HIGH STARS ( Growth Strategy ) Global stores Market Penetration and Development Backward, Forward or Horizontal Integration LOW CASH COWS ( Stability Strategy ) Product Development and Differentiation Diversification U.S Stores ANSOFF MATRIX Present Product New Product Present Market Market Penetration: Hotels, Schools, Airlines, Grocery Stores, Businesses, and Industries Cafeteria Product Development: New Bold Fresh Lunch Programmes and Salads e.g. fiesta chicken salad, fruit and cheese platter New Market Market Development: Opening of stores all over the world. Expansion strategies into Brazil, Russia, Romania and India. Diversification: Music CDs, Clothing, Coffee Mugs and other accessories. STARBUCKS FINANCIAL ANALYSIS This part of the report would highlight the financial position of Starbucks using the annual reports and comprehensive ratio analysis for the financial years 2008, 2009 and 2010 which are enclosed in the appendix. 2008 In fiscal 2008, Starbucks experienced declining store sales in its stores, primarily due to lower customer traffic. The weaker traffic was caused due to number of on-going factors in the global economy such as the higher costs of gas, food, personal debt and rising levels of unemployment along with reduced access to consumer credit. In fiscal year 2008, store sales declined a margin of 8%. Consolidated operating income was $503.9 million in fiscal 2008, and operating margin for the year was 4.9% compared with 11.2% in the prior year. The 260 basis points of the decrease in operating margin were due to the restructuring charges, primarily related to the significant US store closures. EPS for fiscal 2008 was $0.43, compared to EPS of $0.86 per share earned in the previous year year. Restructuring charges and costs associated with the execution of the transformation agenda impacted EPS by approximately $0.28 per share in fiscal 2008. 2009 Financial year 2009 was a tough year for Starbucks. The recessionary economic environment stressed the consumer spending in the US and internationally, which impacted store sales, operating income, company revenues, and the operating margins negatively. Starbucks countered the affects and created a business model less dependent on high revenue growth to drive profitability margins. The strategy was to rationalize the global company operated store portfolio to reduce the cost structure and renewing the focus on customer service excellence. Starbucks had to close down about1000 stores. Steps that targeted reductions in the cost structure in FY 2009 proceeded according to plan, with full year costs of $581 million removed from the cost portfolio. The company created a strong financial foundation, with no short term debt outstanding at the end of FY 2009, with cash and liquid investments totalling more than $640 million. The strong financial position and the continuing strong cash flow generation allowed Starbucks the financial flexibility to implement the restructuring efforts. 2010 In fiscal 2010, revenues increased to a record $10.7 billion. Operating income increased by $857 million from  ¬Ã‚ scal 2009 to $1.4 billion. The full-year operating margin of 13.3 % represented the highest full-year consolidated operating margin in Starbucks history. Fiscal 2010 ended with the highest full-year comparable store sales growth that Starbucks have seen in the recent past, while the earnings per share also grew more than double from  ¬Ã‚ scal 2009. BENCHMARKING WITH COSTA COFFEE AND CAFFÉ NERO Starbucks is a US chain whereas both Costa Coffee and Caffà © Nero were established in the UK. Costa Coffee was setup in London in 1971 by Bruno and Sergio Costa and acquired by Whitbread PLC in 1995. Caffà © Nero was established by Gerry Ford in 1997 in the UK. The comparison would be carried out using the financial information of the three firms which is available in the appendix. The comparison would majorly be based on the UK market. There are 1,175 Costa Coffee shops in Britain as compared to 731 of Starbucks and 440 of Caffà © Nero. A comprehensive business analysis of Starbucks has already been supplied in the above report; this part would focus on the business analysis of Caffà © Nero and Costa Coffee individually followed by a coherent conclusion of the findings. Costa Coffee According to the financial data available operating profit grew by 59.5% to  £36.2  million; 312 new stores were acquired or opened and like for like sales increased by 5.6%. Costa operates in 24 countries and is the number two international coffee shop operator with more than 1,600 stores. Sales performance improved strongly across the year, confirming the brands resilience, even in a recessionary environment. Caffà © Nero The groups 60% equity is held by the Ford family, the rest 30% by a private equity firm Paladin and 10% with the management. Caffà ¨ Nero has recently completed a  £140m refinancing to fund the businesss future growth goals. The business more than 500 outlets in the UK and internationally and has registered 54 consecutive quarters of positive like-for-like stores growth, it is forecast to generate  £32m in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the 12 months to May 2011. Revenue for the same period is forecast to reach  £170m, an increase of 12% on the previous year. The new financial structure would provide the Group with a financial platform to support its growth ambitions and expansion plans both in the UK and internationally. Nero has a lot of ups including strong brand positioning, intensive marketing campaigns and a clear differentiation point. However, there are some weaknesses, one of them being lack of experience in going international, thus some problems could arise while penetrating foreign markets. Though both the companies Costa and Nero are well established in the UK market, Starbucks is the industry leader in the world and is a major competition to them in the UK. Financial turnover of the Starbucks Group is so massive that it provides them with all the capital requirements to innovate and differentiate their product from the 2 competitors; it already has established a sizeable market share in the UK, but still needs to take over Costa Coffee which it should be able to do in the near future, looking at the financial figures provided and the international global strategy adopted by the group which seems very promising. ISSUES FACING STARBUCKS A major challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is the current financial crunch in the world economy forcing them to call closures of many stores around the world. Also another challenge that Starbucks is facing is with is competitors. There are many coffee shops all over the world and to be able to stand out and to generate loyal customers is very important. Their main competitors are McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and Nestle in the US and brands like Costa Coffee and Caffà ¨ Nero in the UK, the two major markets for Starbucks. It is critical for Starbucks are aware of their competitors and know what they are currently doing. Also Starbuck coffees are priced higher than other market competitors because of Starbucks only purchasing the highest quality coffee beans for their product, thus increasing the price of the drink. As Starbucks have many competitors, this can be a potential advantage to for such competitors. Also Starbucks inadequate marketing strategy on advertising is a hindrance in the business growth opportunities. They prefer to build the brand by promoting the drinks cup-by-cup with customers. The advertisement ends until they drink the coffee, reducing the chances to attract valuable customers. Starbucks also does not emphasize on distributing their products to supermarket because of being concerned with the quality of the coffee; if the coffees were packaged into plastic bags. Also the rigorous expansion strategy followed by Starbucks can take a toll on the firms brand image. As a company grows there would be a tendency to focus heavily on increasing the output and store locations, thus focussing less on the quality and brand image. Starbucks needs to stay with its values and ideals that have made it successful. Also Starbucks policy of not franchising can be a cause of concern for the firm. Franchising would allow the company to open many new stores with less risk, and make considerable profits in doing so. Because of this the firms research and development costs would fall making use of the franchisee knowledge of the local market in terms of geographic, psychographics, demographics, and the local country regulations. CONCLUSION AND RECCOMENDATIONS Starbucks has to effectively pursue a Focus-Based Strategy in conjunction with differentiation and cost leadership based strategy. Being a lower cost store will increase the difference between Starbucks and provide it with a competitive edge. At present, Starbucks competitors are attempting to specialize in the coffee business, therefore Starbucks must pursue focus strategy to increase its strength. Starbucks must reduce their product price by producing a new product of coffee using cheaper beans or can come out with special discounts and promotions to reduce cost, thus increasing sales enabling Starbucks to enter new low cost markets and increase profitability. Also needs to focus on building alliances in new markets/countries to reduce management focus and benefit from the local and experience curves. Should focus on advertising the brand through internet services for users to access, do road shows, hand out brochures etc. so that consumers become more aware of the brands strong international presence and brand name. Market penetration and market development will help increase the sales. Access unexplored distribution channels like making available packaged Starbucks coffee for consumers by displaying it nationwide in various convenience and shopping stores and not only Starbucks stores. Starbucks must adopt twin policies of Product Development and Product-Market Diversification to counter the stiff competition in international markets. There needs to be concentration of efforts in the product development so as to focus majorly on making the existing products better. Product and market diversification can be modelled through research and development coupled with creativity and innovation. Product differentiation would be an excellent defence against the threat of the bargaining power of buyers. Developing new products lines may offset such potential risks. A strategy should be formulated to tackle the competition by entering into long-term contracts and agreements with the food service companies which could be the potential competitors. This way their coffee would be sold at these competitors outlets providing access to more markets and increase sales while decreasing the competition. Starbucks must be a first mover into markets with their new products and ideas. Being a first mover into developing international markets would be the appropriate way for Starbucks to build their customer loyalty and upholding its image as the innovative company that it is. Starbucks should also locate the store operations in possible high traffic and visibility areas. The company should take adequate care in picking such locations. It is of prime importance that Starbucks international stores reflect their trademark uniqueness in their location and layout. Having locations in a variety of areas will ensure large market exposure. REFRENCES Johnson, Scholes (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy, 8th edition, FT Pitman Whittington Vaitilingam, R.(2005) Financial Times Guide to Using the Financial Pages, FT Prentice Hall Holmes, Sugden Gee (2008) Interpreting Company Reports Accounts 10thed, FT Prentice Hall Brealey, Myers Allen (2003) Principles of Corporate Finance 9thed McGraw Hill Miller, A (1998) Strategic Management, 3rd edition, McGraw Hill Grundy, T et al (1998) Exploring Strategic Financial Management Prentice Hall Buckley, A et al (1998) Corporate Finance Europe McGraw Hill Barker, R (2001)Determining Value valuation models and financial statements, FT Pitman Fraser L Ormiston A (2001) Understanding Financial Statements, Prentice Hall Shapiro A Balbirer S (2000) Modern Corporate Finance Prentice Hall Chorafas D (1995) Financial Models Simulation St Martins /Macmillan Watson D Head A (2001) Corporate Finance Principles Practice FT Prentice Hall Starbucks (2010) Company Profile [Online] Available from: http://assets.starbucks.com/assets/company-profile-feb10.pdf [Accessed 11th May 2011] Starbucks (2010) Recognition [Online] Available from http://assets.starbucks.com/assets/starbucks-recognition-jan2010.pdf [Accessed 2nd May 2011] Iwata (2006) Owner of small coffee shop takes on java titan Starbucks [Online] Availablefrom:http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2006-12-20-starbucks-usat_x.htm[Accessed 1st May 2011] Jagger (2008) Starbucks profits dive by 97% [Online] Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article5127267.ece[Accessed 2nd May 2011] Linn (2008) Starbucks to close 600 stores in the U.S[Online].Available from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25482250/ns/business retail/[Accessed 2nd May 2011] Thompson (2008) Starbucks blames UK for weak performance[Online].Available from:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/starbucks-blames-uk-for-weak-performance-1012568.html [Accessed 3rd May 2011] Bowers (2010) Starbucks losses in UK rise to  £10m [Online].Available from:http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/09/starbucks-losses-rise-recession[Accessed 6th May 2011] Guardian.co.uk (2010) Starbucks triples profits to $240m [Online].Available from:http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/21/starbucks-triples-profits-coffee[Accessed 14h May 2011] BBC.co.uk (2010) Starbucks profits jump as sales climb[Online].Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11699561 [Accessed 19th May 2010] Weber (2011) Preserving the Starbucks Counter Culture [Online]. Available from:http://www.workforce.com/section/recruiting-staffing/feature/preserving-starbucks-counter-culture/[Accessed 16th May 2010] Starbucks (2011) Investor Relations [Online] Available from http://investor.starbucks.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99518p=irol-irhome[Accessed 3rd May 2011] Dobson (2011) www.statistics.gov.uk (2011) Employment [Online] .Available from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=12 [Accessed 10th May 2011] Hoovers.com (2011) Starbucks Corporation [Online].Available from http://www.hoovers.com/company/Starbucks_Corporation/rhkchi-1.html [Accessed13th May 2011]

Violent Video Games did Not Cause the Columbine High School Shooting Es

â€Å"I feel like getting a baseball bat, breaking it over his head, and then STABBING him with the broken end!!!!† vents Eric Harris about his local weatherman on his web page (Anton 5). Harris, being one of the killers in the Columbine High School shooting, was called a â€Å"die-hard gamer who loved the interactive bloodbath called DOOM† (Anton 2). Doom was thought to be one of the factors in Eric Harris’ violent tragedy. The question is: did playing Doom lead to him being a violent child, or did being a violent child lead him to playing Doom? Proceeding my perusal of articles and research, written by authors with scientific credentials or otherwise, I have concluded that video games are no more to blame for the ebullition found in today’s society than any other possible cause. However, the incessant brouhaha as well as the negative notoriety surrounding media and video games refuses to cease or let up. These claims—for or against video games—are ultimately subjective and inconclusive and very little can be confidently derived from them. Granted, the violence found in our youth is growing rapidly, and there must be external reasons for that, but using video games as a scapegoat will not rectify anything. Video games have been subjected to much finger pointing and blame for the too often seen violent tragedies as of late. David Grossman, a military psychologist that researches â€Å"killology,† is one of the many who provides his opinion against video games. Killology is a term he coined for the study of the methods and psychological effects of training army recruits to circumvent their natural inhibitions to killing fellow human beings (Grossman 1). By observing past wars (preceding killology), one can see how much people will... ...C IGN. 19 March 2002 http://pc.ign.com/articles/091/091815p1.html Grossman, David. â€Å"Trained to Kill†. Christianity Today Magazine – COVER STORY: Trained to Kill. 10 August 1998. Christianity Today. 20 March 2002 http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/8t9/8t9030.html Anton, Mike and Lisa Ryckman. â€Å"In hindsight, signs to killings obvious†. In hindsight, signs to killings obvious. 2 May 1999. RockyMountainNews.com. 20 March 2002 http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/shooting/0502why10.shtml Tzemach, Gayle. â€Å"Blood and Gore Onscreen†. Violence Invades Video Games. 1 December 2001. ABC News. 19 March 2002. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/dailynews/internetgames981201.html Zarozinski, Michael. â€Å"Video Game Violence†. Violence in Video Games. 12 September 2001. Louder Than A Bomb. 19 March 2002 http://www.louderthanabomb.com/vg_voilence.htm

Marketing and Department

Project title: MUJI Introduction The head office of MUJI is from Japanese company, RTOHIN KEIKAU CO. , LTD. , and it is a new life style store and advocate simple, nature, texture life philosophy. Also, provide high quality and reasonable price product that related with life, and not waste the material to care about the product’s eco. Flowchart * Human resource department * Distribution department * Quality check department * Marketing department * Finance/ Accounting department * Information technology department * Administration department Japan head office * Engineering department Purchasing department * Productive department * Research & Development department * Creative department * * Human resource department * Distribution department * Quality check department * Marketing department * Finance/ Accounting department * Information technology department * Administration department Japan head office * Engineering department * Purchasing department * Productive departmen t * Research & Development department * Creative department * Front- stage Front- stage Back- stage Back- stage Service delivery system Service delivery system Other contact points Other contact pointsCashier center, Warehouse, Fitting room, Display area (window display), delivery team Cashier center, Warehouse, Fitting room, Display area (window display), delivery team Service operations system Service operations system Cabinet, Burglar alarm, Clothes chest & stand, Refrigerator, Showcase, Display rack, Spot light, Leaflet tray, Telephone, Computer system, Barcode, etc. Cabinet, Burglar alarm, Clothes chest & stand, Refrigerator, Showcase, Display rack, Spot light, Leaflet tray, Telephone, Computer system, Barcode, etc. Other customers Other customers The Customer The Customer Other customersOther customers Advertising Promotion sale MUJI card Miscellaneous e-mail, mamil, phone calls, etc. Websites Exposure product of seasons Advertising Promotion sale MUJI card Miscell aneous e-mail, mamil, phone calls, etc. Websites Exposure product of seasons Customer service associate, Cashier, Supervisor, Storekeeper, Security, Customer service hotline Customer service associate, Cashier, Supervisor, Storekeeper, Security, Customer service hotline Front stage Backstage Customer action Employee action Phone/ internet contact Make recommendation Arrived store Pay Delivery Recorded & follow upCustomer service CS associate, Security Cashier Enter data Register data Distribution Sent out Front stage Backstage Customer action Employee action Phone/ internet contact Make recommendation Arrived store Pay Delivery Recorded & follow up Customer service CS associate, Security Cashier Enter data Register data Distribution Sent out Most of the customer are having connect with company is they come to the store. But MUJI also provide a delivery ordering service to customers. When the total price over $3001 that the delivery charge will be free but if below $3000, it will take $120 for the charge.And have other three types of charge, like bridge/tunnel toll, labor charge, assembly charge, that will charge when different situation happened. And must remember that does the large packing furniture can be moved to the designated location or not so need to careful of this. Also, MUJI have cooperation with Hang Seng Bank that created a MUJI card that to attract consumers. Using MUJI card at MUJI can earn $5 MUJI dollars for every spending of $100 and can use the MUJI dollars when you use the MUJI card to buy at MUJI next time to enjoy double benefits.The responsibility range of each department Back stage department Human resource Staff is very importance of a company because if you don’t have any staff or they didn’t like the company, will make company’s quality down and nothing can do without staff. So that the most importance thing of human resource department has to do is how company keeps outstanding staff in company and recru it some outstanding people outside to join the company. And the mainly job of the department are including, compensation & benefits, staffing & selection, and training & development.Distribution Distribution department need to help picking and packing goods, delivery goods, physical storage planning, physical storage planning, may facilitate the movement of materials. And the department is being an important charter in the company because the company sales are directly related to the speed of delivery goods. Quality check When product finishes production and delivery to Hong Kong, will have a check in lab for testing its different kind of quality, like safety, health, practicability, etc.And they not only do the checking in lab, they also need to go to stores to have a random check to make sure the products have the high quality provide to customers. Marketing When the product start the production process, marketing department also need to start thinking about the compan y marketing strategy to defined the target market of the product, then find out the most suitable way for sell. Also, the marketing strategy must including promotion plan, like new product exhibition, advertising, sale, distribute leaflets to potential consumer, etc. AdministrationAdministration department is a department that sundry duties in a company. They need to arrange the appliances, like stationery, and buy the appliances, like water dispenser, keep in good repair of office, for example, clean the windows or rug, contact with the security of building, response company pantry and the document sending. Finance/ Accounting The mainly job of the department would be properly to help company manage the affair of finance, handle and calculate each department of company, defined the future development plan from the account, make sure the money enough to un the business and have great management system to manage and protect company’s asset. Information Technology Help to desig n and create company website, then need to manage the website, provide technology of computer science that to maintain or upgrade office computers or company system. Back-stage department (Japan head office) Purchasing Purchasing department is searching manufactory, material suppler, then inquire about price, negotiated price, makes contract with suppler, tracking warehousing, manage the inventory, processing the defective products, etc.They have to help the company to find out the cheapest price and have good quality company to be the suppler because the material cost may increase when contract higher price with supplier then the selling price will also follow to increase so it is very important to the production. Productive The job of the deportment is to manage, control the time to finish the product on time, control the cost of the production. They will subscribe guide line about the standard of product to let manufactory to follow, include following: quality, specifications, qu antity, deadline, method of using science.Creative Creative department’s staffs must have many creative ideas to help company design a new, useful and special product that can have good selling number. But their design still need keep company style and control the quality. Research & Development This department’s mainly job is collect data for research, basic research and applied research, then by the result to think about how to develop the products and fits to market. Front-stage department Sales The mainly job of sales department is make marketing department creates marketing strategy plan to operate.Also, the department staffs are selling products at retail store and answer customers inquire. They need to know all detail of the product that which in their response area. And they must have good communication and selling skills. Public relationship A good business image is rely on good public relationship department because it is a department that response to pro vide positive image to public, like send out declare when having any bad in that country or update the positive news to consumers, etc. Customer ServiceThe mainly work of the department is handle daily running of customer service, like receive customer order and follow up the order, and provide good service to customer, answer customer’s inquire or complaint. Security It’s a most important deportment of a company because it is related to safety problem. Their job is make sure all the staff and company’s safety, have temporary problem solving sills, for example, something have been stolen or company on fire, so they response to follow the timetable to make one’s rounds of inspection and general security’s job.Conclusion MUJI is one of the company that provide high quality service, and they are not only focus this way, they also focus on resource of Earth, environment, recycle problems and it’s store image of ‘sample style’ can at tract many different age group people to visit. But one of thing that MUJI need to improve is their Hong Kong MUJI website is too simple that not enough information to show consumers.

A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the rye symbols essays

A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the rye symbols essays Introductory Statement: In the book The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger and in the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, there are many significant symbols throughout both books. In Merriam-Webster Dictionary, symbolism is defined as artistic imitation or invention that is a method of revealing or suggesting immaterial, ideal, or otherwise intangible truth or states. Both Salinger and Knowles display meaningful symbols throughout their novels that give the reader a better understanding of the intentions and meanings which are revealed throughout the novels. Thesis Statement: Both Salinger and Knowles display meaningful symbols throughout their novels that give the reader a better understanding of the intentions and meanings which are revealed throughout the novels. @ What I have to do, I have to catch . . .but thats the only thing Id really like to be (Pg 173) B: This is a people shooting. . . I shoot people in this hat (Pg 22) C: Finny, his balance gone, swung his head to look at me for an instant with extreme interest, and then he tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud" (Pg 52). D: We had never used this lower river . . . and into the turbid Naguamsett. (Pg 68) Paragraph 1 (Topic Sentence) @ Holdens desire to be The Catcher in the Rye has symbolic meaning of his need to stop the transition from childhood innocence to falling off the cliff and becoming a phony. Paragraph 2 (Topic Sentence) B: Holdens Red Hunting cap symbolizes his isolation and need to run from society when turned to the front, as well as his need of protection of childhood innocence, as if he is a catcher when his hat is turned to the back. Paragraph 3 (Topic Sentence) C: Finnys fall represents the fall from innocence, and ...

Reading Response on Missions Essay Example

Reading Response on Missions Essay Example Reading Response on Missions Essay Reading Response on Missions Essay The most effective way to employ the mission strategy is to know the past history of missions in our world. In the reading, R. Pierce Beaver gives the reader a look into the time line of missions throughout history. He starts by telling us of Boniface who was a man that first used an approach that was effective and set the stage for later works. Boniface used an aggressive approach, but in the end won over the locals and taught them how to live creating a civilized society. Beaver next discusses The Crusades. He explains how this war against Muslims left a hatred to the Islamic lands making it almost impossible for missions there. Despite this, the reader learns of two men who went to teach in love; Francis of Cassis and Ramona Lull. Lull, especially, was dedicated to the task of winning over the Muslims and devised a system to answer all opposition to Christianity by the Muslims. Until his death, he begged for an institution that would help train others to reach the Muslims. Beaver moves on to explain missions in Colonial expansion. During this time, Christianity became a worldwide religion in connection with expansion. The Pope told the monarchs to evangelize the people of the lands, found a church, and preserve it. This made mission part of the government itself. The mission strategies of the 17th century were connected to this expansion as well. Manuals of missionary principles and practice described what was needed to be a missionary. Also during this time, colleges and other institutions were put into place to help train those missionaries. The missionaries of the 17th century were the Jesuits. They shared the gospel with the native people by learning their language and customs and formed the gospel around it. The Shogun shut down Christianity and closed Japan to outsiders which sent the Christians underground. Eventually, Japan was reopened two centuries later. During the 19th century, Protestant missions largely made up the time period. Their goal was that of worldwide missions. The Protestants viewed the main objective of missions as Civilizing the locals because they viewed their culture as degenerate. This soon began to change with the help of two theoreticians; Henry Venn and Rufus Anderson. They established the three self formula which stated that the goal of session was to plant and foster the development of churches that will be self- governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating. Both men felt that after an area had been function well, the missionary should leave and go to another place to share the new of the gospel. American missions adopted these theories but the British missions resisted them. Also during the 19th century, we begin to see an emergence of missions in education and medicine. Another aspect of this time period was that of comity, which was employed by the Southern Baptists. Comity was put into place to eliminate competition for areas of need in missions. With these new tactics, cooperation was great and led to increasing home base communications. After World War II, missions changed again. Roland Allen wrote that the missionary was to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit. That they should convey the gospel and the simplest statement of faith. The old missions dissolved and made way for what we have today. Missionaries began to take Jobs in the culture and work as the people to religions in the world mission as well.

Persuasive argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Persuasive argument - Essay Example Rawls therefore tends to believe that enforcing a universal law within this diverse nature of the society is unworkable and hence raises two main fundamental issues: legitimacy and stability. In his view therefore democracy is based on justice in a liberal society since it promotes and provides for basic human rights that determine justice. In the view of Rawls, the use of unified law is not legitimate in a democratic society and hence it is not practical for a liberal society to work or function correctly while they are unified by one law and when they claim democracy. He also argues that in a democratic system, the political power is always based on the people and hence the legitimate use of the coercive political power is misplaced. The people here are viewed as a collective body. In this perspective we can not that Rawls is putting more emphasis on the will of the people and not on the political representatives in delivering justice. In fact, this argument can be interpreted to mean that the political power is not based on the individuals but on the people as a collective body. Rawls argument is that we cannot deliver justice to the people with just imposing on law to the people. This is because it is not legitimate for the democratic system to put all its citizens to follow just one law since the citizens themselves will always inevitably hold different views. In this perspective it would not function well and hence justice would only be delivered to certain few individuals who hold the same views or close views to the ones imposed by the law. The rest with diverse views would always conflict with the law enforcement agencies and it is not desirable. The issue of stability on the other hand puts the issue of democracy and political power from the receiving end. In this way, an individual would not obey the law if it is imposed on him or her by the individuals or a collective body with different values and beliefs to his or her own. He therefore argues that lack of willingness by the citizens of a particular society to obey the law is the main cause of inst ability in that social order. According to the Rawls’s ‘liberal principle of legitimacy† can only be used in such way that all citizens would be expected to endorse the law. In this regard, the use of political power must therefore fulfill the requirements of the citizens or the criterion that is necessary for reciprocity. The set of laws must be accepted reasonably by the citizens in this perspective, it is important to realize that the power of the people prevails in determine the success of particular law. The societal fundamental arrangements with regard to politics must be universally and freely accepted by the people and no just because they are minor or not informed about such laws. In this way of argument, Rawls believe that the people whom the law has coerced have to accept the law freely. This is important since it serve to address the problems of legitimacy. In this context, Rawls is giving light to his argument. It does not mean that justice delivered to the diverse composition o the society have to capture all the views oif the people. However, the coerced people should freely accept the law even though they are against their conception and not because the laws have been imposed on them. In this way, Rawls explains the first section that the power is based on the citizens. This explains why we cannot deliver justice in a non democratic society since the majority rule would prevail against the minor groups in the society or larger groups. But since

Hedge accounting under IAS 39 and IFRS 9 - A critical comparison Research Proposal

Hedge accounting under IAS 39 and IFRS 9 - A critical comparison - Research Proposal Example The second section  reviews  the literature related to IAS 39 and IFRS 9 as financial instruments used in hedge accounting. The next section outlines the methodology used in this study, including a conceptual framework of research variables, data sources, data collection and data analysis methods. The last section of this study discusses the ethical issues ethical issues arising from the proposed research and techniques to address these issues. Introduction Hedge accounting is a technique utilized in accounting where entries for the rights of a security and the opposing hedge are treated simultaneously. Hedge accounting endeavors to ease the volatility generated by the repetitive adjustment of the value of a financial instrument. This reduced volatility is done by combining the hedge and the instrument as one entry, which balances the opposing movements (GUPTA, 2008). IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement are a global accounting standard for financial instrume nts released by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) which summarizes the requirements for the recognition and measurement of financial liabilities, financial assets, and some contracts to buy or sell non-financial items. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is a complete, internationally recognized set of accounting standards using an  approach  based on principles  with a bigger emphasis on elucidation and relevance of those principles, intending at best replicating the economic substance of transactions. IFRS 9 Financial Instruments outlines the recognition and measurement requirements for fiscal  instruments and contracts to buy or sell non-financial items set to eventually form a comprehensive substitution for IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement. It was initially published in November 2009, reissued in October 2010 with requirements for financial liabilities, and pertains to annual periods commencing on or after 1st Jan uary 2015 (MIRZA & NANDAKUMAR, 2013). What makes IFRS 9 to be the most preferred than IAS 39 is its top preference of financial information which is a prerequisite for the evolution of capital markets as it has been argued that the structure informational environment plays a principal role in helping investors come up with decisions. Regulators will also have a lot of power with them to order a financial body to act whenever an instance is deemed to not be adequate (DICK & MISSIONIER-PIERA, 2010). In conclusion therefore, this is a complex issue that will need to be tackled carefully by experts in this field. In as much as the IAS 39 was greatly deemed unreliable and IASB went to great lengths to come up with a better standard that they thought would be suitable, these efforts may have not paid as it is not yet clear if most companies are going to readily adopt this new standard (IFRS 9). Although it has been termed as better than the previous one, still concerns have been raised th at more amendments should be done on the yet not completed IFRS 9. The major complaint launched being that financial reporting be carried out in a specific context before any standard is imposed. This is actually hard to achieve and may continue to delay the completion of the IFRS 9 which is in fact still underway and has already suffered great delays. IFRS 9 is a 'work in progress' and will eventually replace IAS 39 in its entirety and is subject to