Pros And Cons Of Virtual Teams - 1496 Words

Final Research Paper: The Pros and Cons of Virtual Teams A History in the Making From its very inception, the Internet was intended to create a means for a secure, reliable communication network, with the strategy to connect people with data. Information that once stood evanescent and restrictive by one’s personal radius of influence, flourished into an evergreen and ever-spanning wealth of information. Alan Evans, Kendall Martin, and Mary Anne Poatsy, co-authors of Technology in Action (2016) state: The concept of the Internet was developed in the late 1950s while the United States was in the midst of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. At that time, the U.S. Department of Defense needed a computer network that wouldn’t be disrupted†¦show more content†¦Information is now not bound by the physical restrictions of printed texts, nor is access to information limited to by geographical or temporal boundaries. Cyberspace immeasurably extends possibilities for storage and transmission of information, and access to information. Further still, technology has moved beyond a passive, library archive of at-your-fingertips information to a collaborative, living structure of content available 24/7. Limited by bandwidth, network connectivity, hardware capability, and user skillset, businesses today focus on supporting the infrastructure needs of top talent for connectivity as opposed to shrinking geographical distances. Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams, co-authors of Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything (2008), pen: Today the Net is evolving from a network of Web sites that enable firms to present information into a computing platform in its own right. Elements of a computer – and elements of a computer program – can be spread out across the Internet and seamlessly combined as necessary. The Internet is becoming a giant computer that everyone can program, providing a global infrastructure for creativity, participation, sharing, and self-organization. (p. 37) Quickly business has moved from point-to-point modes of communication, sending linear streams of information back and forth like a ping pong ball, to a centralized storing of data, accessible for a multiplication of efforts by anyone, anywhere.Show MoreRelatedThe Role Of Virtual Teams And Challenges1207 Words   |  5 Pageswell as time zone. Consequently, the virtual team strategy, which is a group of employees working with a great distance from each other, come up in order to allow companies having capability to manage their own employees being able to collaborate intensively through innovative technologies, for instance videoconferencing, email, Skype or online project management software (Schilling, 2012). In this paper, I will discuss about effectiveness of virtual teams and challenges that have to face of peopleRead MoreThe Virtual Law Office Services1030 Words   |  5 Pagesas virtual law office services, and remote access at home to your office computer/s. With the advancement of these services life of the lawyer is made easier, money is saved and less time is consumed running around gathering documents and other sensitive client information. For the purpose of this paper we will go over these two services. The virtual law office is handy as it allows the use of secure online portals by clients to communicate and work with attorneys online. Also, the virtual lawRead MoreProject Management : Project Strategic Management Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pages 3 2. Co-location Vs Virtual †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 3. Perfect Project Circumstances †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 4. Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 5. References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Introduction Teams are an essential standard part of every organization, be it a small one or a million-dollar project organization. There are various factors that govern the building of teams for any project. Usually one can differentiate the teams in the following categoriesRead MorePros And Cons Of Tackle Football1161 Words   |  5 Pagessport for children today but this sport can have pros and cons. One of the most controversial sport that a child can play is tackle football. Tackle football is a full contact sport. In any full contact sport, there are risks like concussions, injuries and the lasting effects of those injures. There are also pros in playing this sport like teamwork, sportsmanship, character, and exercise. Youth football can also have psychological pros and cons that can affect the children that play this sportRead MoreWorking From Home And Work764 Words   |  4 Pagestoday’s time it is becoming more common to find people who are working from home. These people have set jobs to be completed daily just like every other employee who actually comes into the office each day. However, like with any other job they are pros and cons with this job setting. Some people prefer to be at home and work from there where others would rather go into the workplace daily. This all boils down to the employee’s preference or job description. Whatever the case may be both jobs are importantRead MoreA Brief Note On Salt River Project ( Srp )903 Words   |  4 Pagesrisks of allowing staff to work remotely. I will address the organizational behavior associated with both virtual and local leadership and staff. I will address what affect this would have on the organizational culture if implemented within SRP. Virtual Opportunities With the increased use of the internet geographic location of workers has become more diverse. A geographically mixed team is a concept that is taking on many creative forms. Companies are subbing out customer service call centersRead MoreThe Cost Accounting Center Of Excellence1308 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelopment of the project was at the request of the Chief Financial Officer the executive sponsor. The main goals set for the team concentrated on harmonizing the ways of working for all manufacturing facilities in The United States, centralize the execution of the cost accounting function, and reduce administrative costs associated with performing the cost accounting function. The team structure included a Steering Committee comprised of the Chief Accountant, Director of Business Excellence, and a BusinessRead MoreQuestions On The Action Challenge Essay1364 Words   |  6 Pagesexperience working in a virtual environment and what you see as your personal pros and cons to that t ype of work situation. From about 2010 until the summer of 2015, I had vocal chord issues that prevented me from having a fully functional voice (Note: two surgeries later I sound perfectly normal, hooray!). Therefore, much of that time I worked virtually, did freelance writing and video editing, and earned my degree online which all required communicating via email and chat. The pros : 1) feeling engagedRead MorePokemon Go : Pros And Cons Essay1253 Words   |  6 PagesPokemon Go: Pros Cons This generation has become effortless when it comes to communication. Along in years, old folks used letters to associate with their love ones. Nowadays, Social media and technologies are taking over the world. Everyone uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. to communicate their families, relatives and friends. Pokemon Go is one of the newest sociable and popular US mobile game ever. It was initially released in selected countries in July 2016. There are more than 21 millionRead MoreThe Cloud Computing Strategy Of Xyz Manufacturing1419 Words   |  6 Pagesprovides the user with virtual infrastructure, for example servers and data storage space (Tsagklis, 2013). Virtualization plays a major role in this mode, by allowing IaaS-cloud providers to supply resources on-demand extracting them from their large pools installed in data centers (Tsagklis, 2013). The Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing In my own opinion, cloud computing offers more pros than cons to most companies planning to migrate their services to the cloud. Some pros would be cost efficiency

What Does Best Practice Look Like Into The Mathematics...

What does â€Å"best practice† look like in the mathematics classroom? As the focus of math changes students are asked to develop their mathematical thinking rather than their calculating skills. â€Å"While math traditionalist are correct that it is beneficial to memorize formulas, facts, and algorithms, the math reformists emphasize the need for students to have avenues such as journals, portfolios, or projects to demonstrate their understanding† (Kostos, Shin, 2010). As a result, students are asked to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. Teachers and students are taking on this task together. It is important that students are challenged to critically think and problem solve so they are able to transfer their learning to new and different situations. Jo Boaler, an expert in mathematical practices recognized the need for students to form a relevant connection to mathematics, with the hope that students would be able to use their learning outside of the classroom. Boaler found that students who learned mathematics in a project-based environment were able to apply their understanding to a variety of situations including assessments (Boaler, 1998). As our world changes and technology gets more advanced, we can no longer predict the situations our students will be in. Teachers must encourage critical thinking so students are ready to enter an ever-changing world. A strategy adopted by many schools to encourage the development of critical thinking in math is the implementationShow MoreRelatedLiteracy As A 21st Century Educator1604 Words   |  7 Pagesoften do not realize how much literacy is in every aspect of our daily lives. As a math teacher, I chose to explore this concept as it relates to mathematics. I wanted to gain a general understanding of how literacy is intertwined in mathematics, from vocabulary to word problems. As a 21st century educator, literacy plays a crucial role in mathematics in providing students the connections between skills to produce life-long learners who are able to tackle real world scenarios. Literacy, in its basicRead MoreGraduation Speech : Literature Review1648 Words   |  7 Pageswhen I quickly learned I had a classroom of â€Å"math haters.† When I surveyed my class, I found out the majority of my students thought math was boring and hard, and there was a strong dislike of math. While I collected my own data on them as well, via grades and watching how they worked, I realized I had students who excel greatly in mathematics, struggled immensely, and who are average to slightly below average. Realizing the diversity of learners in my classroom and the negative attitudes towardsRead MoreThe Practice Of Questioning Within Formative Assessment1506 Words   |  7 Pagesassessment is the subject of great discussion in education. In this assignment I will be investigating the practice of questioning within formative assessment; the theory behind it, strategies and evidence I have seen in the autumn term of my ‘Home’ placement. I have chosen to inves tigate this aspect of formative assessment in mathematics, as this is the subject in which I have had most teaching practice and opportunities to formatively assess children’s progress and implement Assessment for Learning. ItRead MoreTalkboard Is An Interactive Chalkboard On Your Mobile Apple Products1502 Words   |  7 Pageswill definitely try out Talkboard. The school would obviously have to be one-to-one specifically with iPads. There are many ways to adapt this in a cooperative learning classroom. It would be very effective in an activity such as Simon Says. I would like to get styluses for my students if I incorporate Talkboard in my classroom. 5) WebMath.com Although WebMath is a great resource for students, its parent site Discovery Education is a very useful tool for anyone involved in the education systemRead MoreImportance Of Road Mapping For Students1587 Words   |  7 PagesThe PLC could then plan or discuss a number talk for the students. According to Parrish (2010), the heart of number talks is classroom conversations focused on making sense of mathematics (p. 203). This means one of the most powerful tools a math educator can use with struggling students, or curriculum lacking adequate rigor, is a well-researched number talk with groups of students. A well-developed number talk can be a standalone whole group discussion, but often, the teacher will integrate itRead MoreThe Understanding Of Reading Comprehension1501 Words   |  7 Pageswill be used to help students achieve their reading goals. In areas such as mathematics, developing teacher content knowledge has been a major concern because it is generally accepted that t eachers who know these subjects are better able to teach them. As teachers, we need to research strategies that can be used to teach students how to read in every content area. Our focus in this literature review will be on mathematics and how teachers can find different strategies and activities to use to helpRead MoreThe Effect On Scaffolding And Through Students Centered Approach3714 Words   |  15 Pagesa facilitator of learning, this essay will throw more on the fact that learning effectively takes place when students are given ownership of their learning. When students are given autonomy of their learning, it motivates students to partake in classroom activates and this influence the teachers planning as students contribute with ideas and suggestions. Nonetheless, to execute the national curriculum in this way also comes with its own risks and these risks underpin the importance of students’ autonomyRead MoreLearning Styles Experienced As An Online Tutor And Academic Director1555 Words   |  7 PagesUNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO Faculty of Mathematics LEARNING STYLES EXPERIENCED AS AN ONLINE TUTOR AND ACADEMIC DIRECTOR PD2: Critical Reflection and Report Writing Waterloo, Ontario  ¬Prepared by Owen Cameron Linton 2A Honours Mathematics ID 20583132 December 1, 2015 1525 Fieldlight Blvd Pickering, Ontario L1V 3R5 December 1, 2015 Mr. Ron Champion, PD 2 Instructor Professional Development Program University of Waterloo 200 University Avenue West Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1Read MoreBenefits And Limitations Of A Number Of Teaching Strategies Essay1717 Words   |  7 Pagesfundamental skill which is necessary to sustain an active, industrious, satisfying role within society. As a result of this necessity, the very comprehensive learning area of mathematics which has been developed within the New Zealand Curriculum and implemented. The Ministry of Education (2007) states that â€Å"by studying mathematics students develop the abilities of thinking logically, critically, creatively and strategically while processing, organising and communicating information.† Then answer meRead MoreStudents With Differentiated Instruction Throughout My Daily Lessons1797 Words   |  8 PagesAttention teachers: have you ever caught yourself at the front of your classroom, teaching a very important lesson, giving specific facts and details that you know will help the students learn a new concept, and then suddenly realize several students are not paying att ention? Maybe some students have their heads down with their eyes wondering off into space, obviously bored and uninterested. Perhaps you’ve seen students already completing the task before you have finished the lesson, eager to move

Natural Disaster Responses in California Free Essays

For years, geologists have been predicting that a major earthquake will occur in california. In october 1989, a 7.1 quake hit the san francisco area. We will write a custom essay sample on Natural Disaster Responses in California or any similar topic only for you Order Now Five years later, northridge and southern california experienced an earthquake of similar magnitude. Why too many people is still coming to places like california where earthquakes and natural disasters are predicted? In my point of view, these are the strongest reasons: the most popular place to emmigrate, job opportunities, and better schools, education, and systems. California is the most popular place to emmigrate because it has a great weather, there are too many touristic atractions, many different places you can go to, and there is too many people that come from the same place you came from. I want to use mexican people as an example, they all come for one reason, â€Å"Succed†. They also know they will find a lot of people from mexico in california, specially in los angeles.They also kown that probably about half of the people california would talk spanish so I won†t be really hard for them to communicate with others. Job opportunities is another really strong factor that induces people to come and look for a better life. There are so many jobs in california that is almost a sure thing that anyone would get a job, educated or not educated people, or even if you are not legally able to work in usa you will still get a job. You can easily support yourself with a minimun wage, because you will probably get about 45 or 50 dollards a day when in places like mexico you will just get five dollards for the whole day and doing a really heavy job. Also relatively speaking, everything is expensive in mexico, I mean, here you can get or buy whatever you need for a low price, and you will still have some money left, but in mexico, you will never have enough money unless you are in the high class. â€Å"Schools,† california has great schools, great education level, and better systems than other places. Ucla and usc are some of the great universities california has and if you think about it, everything is related, if you go to a good school and become a really educated person, you will get a really good job and make really good money and then you won†t really worry about a good future because with your education that wiil be garranty. Scientist, doctors, and some other educated people come to usa, not only to california because of all technology that is here and can be helpul. A lot of support from schools, people, and business are another reasons teat encourages you to keep going and get better everyday, and if one day you decide to go back to the place you came from your education will open lots of doors for you. In my personal point of view, I think some people are aware of the disasters that are predicted, some others don†t care or just don†t believe it, nad the other part just come to make some money and come back to their native places. It is a true fact that so many people is still coming to california and when you hear about those things that are predicted, I†m sure you ask yourself why do people still come if they are aware of what†S going on? , well if you think about it I†m sure you will come out with almoist the same answers I just told. How to cite Natural Disaster Responses in California, Papers

Brand Familiarity Satisfaction Evaluations MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Brand Familiarity for Satisfaction Evaluations. Answer: Introduction In current trend, each and every person is engaged with the buying and consumption process and those persons are consumers. The consumer behavior can be described as the actions and related activities of the customers who are involved in buying and consuming the goods and services. It includes both physical as well as mental actions. In the simple words, consumer behavior describes the decisions of the consumers in terms of consumption, purchasing and disposition of the products and services and the time and idea of decision making process. The understanding of the consumer behavior is helpful to understand the various market segments and the strategies to effect penetration in these markets (Mooradian, Matzler Ring, 2012). Along with this, it is also helpful in analyzing the gaps and solving the daily problems of the customers in purchasing. The consumer behavior and consumer decision making process are affected by the various number of factors. There are some personal influences w hich affect the purchasing decisions of the consumers. There are internal factors which are known as personal influences of the customers. The factors include motivation, attitude, lifestyle, perception, roles and learning. These internal factors impact on the purchasing decisions of the customers (Ferrell Hartline, 2011). The internal factors and influences generally depend upon the lifestyles and way of thinking of the customers. These are basically personal thoughts, self concepts, attitude, lifestyle, feelings, memory and motivation and thoughts of the customers. The internal factors can be known as psychological influences of the consumers. These factors reveal the way by which customers identify their feelings develop ideas and beliefs and take some actions. The aim of this report is to identify the two influences which affect the consumer decision making. Further, the aim is to describe the implementation of individual influences by a company to improve the marketing strategies (Lindgreen, 2010). The aim of this report is to analyze the impact of consumers internal factors on their buying and consumption behavior towards the specific products or services. For the discussion, the famous company Starbucks has taken. This report analyzes how Starbucks made the use consumers internal forces to achieve in the market and to achieve high customer base. To understand the mind status of the customers, the fast food chain or stores are beneficial to analyze. The customers who order for coffee have the option of choosing regular, large or extra large. This is the similar case of Starbucks, the company has introduced Trenta cup of coffee which is costlier as compared to the normal coffee (Starbucks Corporation, 2017). The company has to understand various internal and external factors while launching this new type of product in the market. There are many psychological factors which are involved in the consumer decision making process in the market i.e. understanding the needs of the cust omers, choosing various alternatives to satisfy those needs, making final decision about product or service etc. in present time, consumers gather data, devise plan, and focus on that before making purchases for the specific product (Hajarrahmah, 2011). So, there is the need of effective marketing messages to appeal and understand the customers who in turn will value and mean the product and services. In case of Starbucks coffee, consumers may have various opinions having some information about the different aspects of the product. These aspects and the perception of the customers based on these aspects, the customers decide how they will perceive the product. All these factors affect the marketing strategy of Starbucks to promote the coffee among the consumers (Solano Arquiza, 2009). Consumer needs Motivation The consumer needs and motivation are inter-connected. The market researchers agree that every human has some basic needs and needs turn into different wants and then resulting into various motives. Each and every customer is different and unique to each other so it is important for the marketers to understand the different needs of the customers and provide appropriate product and services based on their requirements (D'Souza, 2010). Consumer motivation can be considered as the drive to satisfy the various needs and wants of the customers by the purchasing and consumption of the products. Basically, customers are motivated by many things in the market. So, motivation can be defined as the driven force which impels the individuals to the action. It is a goal oriented behavior which is based on various theories. There is the model of motivational process and by following the motivational process, individual can get properly motivated (Michael, 2013). It is understood that buying motives push the customers towards buying products and goods in the market. The inner motives of the customers direct them to behave for the particular product or service. Motivation is the inner striving condition which can be described as desires, wishes, drives and needs. Consumer purchase any kind of project based on certain economic or mental forces which create wants and desires and those can be satisfied by the products offered for purchase. There are many theorizes of motivation which reveal the importance of motivation in the consumer buying process. The Maslow Hierarchy of needs is the famous theory of motivation which depicts the importance of motivation based on various human needs. This theory is based on various motivation training exercises (Hornik Giulia, 2009). Biological and Psychological needs- These needs include thirst, hunger, sleep etc. these are the most basic needs of the human and other needs are have no importance until these needs are not satisfied. In the basic needs, food clothes and shelter are most popular. Safety needs- These needs include the protection from the accidents i.e. financial security and family stability. These needs are for social and economic security rather than physical safety. Belongingness needs- This is the need for the various relations in the society. it is full of clubs, family associations and religious organizations. These needs are based on the desire of love, group acceptance, affiliation and identification. Esteem needs- It includes the high evaluation of self and esteem of others in the society. Fulfillment of these needs provide the self-confidence. These needs are basically related to the feeling of usefulness and accomplishment of the customers. Self-actualization needs- This is considered as the highest level of needs. It means identifying the potentials and achieving them. In simple words, it is the need to achieve maximum capabilities by the individuals. Further, there are some more theories of motivation which explain the importance motivation in the buying process of the consumers. Those theories are cognitive theory, psychoanalytic theory and Gestalt theory. According to these theories, by the motivation, customers are able to develop a purchasing behavior in the market. Motivation is the expression of the need which is important to satisfy by the required product or service. The level of motivation affects the buying behavior of the customers. Based on the various needs of the individuals, motives take place to seek the satisfaction. So, motivation is directly connected to the various needs and can be defined in the various stages in the buying and decision process of the consumers. The purchasing motivation is helpful is helpful in increasing sales, and encouraging the customers to purchase the products and services. Motivation is the crucial factor which is helpful in deciding the market strategy of the specific product such as coffee at Starbucks. There are some customers who are naturally motivated for comparing the prices of the products at various places. Every person is influenced or motivated by various perspectives. Many customers are motivated by their relatives and friends on what coffee to drink. Basically, motivation is considered as the motive behind the attitude and perception itself. For the product such as the Trenta cup of coffee in Starbucks, efficient marketing strategy plays an important role in the purchasing decision process based on the motivation and attitude of the consumers (Stvkov et al, 2007). There are the needs to be sense of urgency in the advertisements and promotional activities with the attractive offers and coupons. Along with this, consumers can also be motivated by offering and implementing the discount programs (Cadogan, 2009). These kinds of programs enable the customers to use the Starbucks credit card, to avail cash back on the purchasing and redeem the rewards points to make further purchasing. By this approach, Starbucks is able to motivate the customers and gain the customer loyalty for long term basis. Customers of the Starbucks are motivated for drinking coffee because of adding value and developing a strong by the customer card services. Starbucks is much known about the impact of the external factors such as demography, culture and society. So, company is focused on the importance of the internal factors such as perception, motivation and attitudes. Starbucks is focused on meeting all the needs and requirements of the customers by the effective strategies and expanding its customers base and production in the market. In the consumer decision making process, motivation is the factor which helps in formulating a better way to understand the behavior of the consumers in the market. Motivation is helpful for Starbucks in developin g the new products and new of coffee for the customers. Motivational Resons behind consumer choice of Starbucks There are some reasons based on the theories motivations, by which consumer make purchasing for e particular product. Those motivations are visitor motivation, branding, and social influence which push the customers towards the products. There are some social factors i.e. social classes, family, references group and culture which determine the behavior of the customers towards the coffee (Schultz, H. Gordon, 2012). Along with this, consumers have perceived the marketing of Starbucks as the green marketing. Starbucks is now operating in the global scale having the priority to secure the supply chain system for the purchasing of fresh coffee. By adopting quality management, Starbucks is able to improve the brand equity, quality performance and efficiency in the market. Consumers choose the coffee of the Starbucks over the competitors because Starbucks always wants to satisfy the customers deeper with focusing on their emotional needs the customers of the company choose to pay a premiu m as they always search for prestige form the company. Further, Starbucks satisfies the customers by self esteem and belongingness and creating experience for every customer. Starbucks stores create a pleasant atmosphere which motivates the customers and to be socialized and get inspired (Krikorian, 2014). Consumer Perception is also an effective internal factor which affect the decision making process of the customers while buying the products. Perception can be described as the process by which individuals gather process and analyze the information from the surroundings and environment. It is based on the point that how a customer perceives a specific product. It is important for marketers to understand the buying perceptions of the customers in the market. So, it is crucial to understand the concept of consumer perception in the consumer behavior. Once the customer is aware about his or her needs then it is important to gather the information regarding products and the solution of their needs. In present time, consumers are becoming more aware about the stores and product information by the magazines, newspaper and other media. On the basis of information of products, they interpret the data which is called perception. It is basically a process by which people select, gather and int erpret the information to make a picture of the product them. There are variations in the behaviors of the buyers in the market towards the products and services. Perception is basically the process to find the meaning or importance of the stimulus get by the social and commercial environment (Kazmi, 2012). By the definitions, it has analyzed that perception is the three step process. Although consumers receive various information regarding specific products and services, but only few information improve the awareness regarding the products. There are some theories of perception by which the level of importance of the organization can be analyzed. There are Gestalt theory of perception, and cognitive theory of perception which are helpful in understanding the concept of perception deeply. By the theories of perception, it is observed that perception is basically the first impression drawn by the individual based on his or her selection and interpretation of the information. That is the reason it is believed that customer perception affect the level of the satisfaction of the customers along with their buying and usage decisions. In the perception by the customers, there are three parts i.e. perceived price, perceived quality and perceived value. Perceived Price- Consumers have both positive and negative perception on the buying behavior with respect to price. Having low income, consumers are price conscious and they shift their preferences towards private label brand rather than selecting the national brand. Along with this, some consumers are price seekers who always look for low price products. For these kinds of customers, having expensive product means achieving high value. On the other hand, there are some customers who are associated with low piece and low quality. For them, high prices are the signal of better quality product. So, there is the price-quality relationship in the perceived price (Monika, Nancy Kent, 2012). Perceived Quality- Quality can be described as the evaluation of superiority and excellence of the specific product. The aim of the quality is to evaluate of the product based on its physical characteristics. The national label brands always produce the products with high technology and sophisticated process and on the other hand, private label brand use less technology and unsophisticated process while producing the products for the customers. The different products create various kind of perception among the customers. So, marketers must focus on the consumer perception by the promotional strategies and products align. Perceived risk- Risk can be considered as the doubt of the customers about their decision of purchasing. Consumers risk perception is an important factor which affects the buying decisions of the consumers in the market. Sometimes, risk during the buying and consumption process may have negative impact on the attitude of the customers. To reduce the risk, consumers prefer to buy more expensive products. There are various types of risk perceived by the consumer i.e. social risk, financial risk, physical risk and functional risk (Yusuf, Fatih Hayrettin, 2013). The above given figure describes the relationship between perceived value, perceived price, perceived risk and perceived quality. It is clear that the quality, price and value is positively related and perceived risk is negatively related. Higher perception of price is the sign of low perceived risk and high perceived quality. On the other hand, lower perception of price and quality are the sign of the higher perceived risk. Now, higher perception of price and value has the positive impact on the value of the product perceived by the consumers. Consumers who perceive the value of price is high, the product will show a better value in the market (Schiffman, Kanuk Hansen, 2012). Perception is the crucial part in the internal influence of the product. People receive various sensations such as sound, smell, taste, texture and sight and select, organize and interpret them. In case of Starbucks, the marketing decisions are related to the environmental factors because of the presence of Starbucks in global market. There are many distribution channels and have different associated constraints. Although Starbucks has very flexible marketing plan with the innovative strategies depends upon the locations to meet the various requirements of the customers. The stores of Starbucks have uniform store culture in all over the world. Along with this, the quality of product is consistent in the Starbucks. The customers perception is affected by the economies, demography and unique culture which come under the environmental factors (Dahlstron, 2010). Despite of focusing on the college students to expand the business, Starbucks have vision to attract the working professionals as well. This came from the realization that the costlier and high quality coffee would be appreciated by the customers and sought by the working professionals as compared to the students. From a survey, it is observed that number of male customers prefer rich coffee and high calorie treats as compared to female customers. Consumers perception for Starbucks Consumer basically focuses on some steps in their decision making process i.e. recognition, information search, identification of alternatives, purchasing and post purchasing behavior. The customers of Starbucks rely on the recognition step if they are existing customers. If the customers are new then they rely on information search about the product. For the customers, Starbucks coffee can be the morning treat. There are many loyal customers of the Starbucks who speak very highly about the brand and its quality of coffee. Starbucks is perceived the best coffee provider company due to having most convenient location for the customers (Burge, 2013). In the Starbucks Company, the decision making process of the consumers is as follows: Need Recognition- In case of Starbucks, need recognition is coffee Starbucks is known for one of the top coffee provider so, customers think about the coffee when it comes to satisfy the customers need. For the Starbucks, customers need is the coffee to stay en energetic during their work so they purchase the coffee in mid-day. Information search- Customers always need information to make purchasing. So, they always start to find from the external sources i.e. asking to the friend or family, and searching from the internet for blogs and news. These are the way of non-controlled information. Along with this, consumers are attracted by the advertising and the Starbucks advertising is well known in the market including ads on TV, newspaper and internet. One of the famous ad of Starbucks is the printed green logo on the cup of coffee. Evaluation of alternatives and purchases- Some customers evaluate the purchases based on the taste of coffee along with the variety, customers services, environment, brand rating and convenient. Sometimes, they evaluate the product based on the location with the taste. Taste is the most significant attributes which is preferred by the customers (Semejin, Van Ambrosini, 2004).. Purchase decision- In the decision making process, perception is the specific factor in the daily life of the consumer. In this context, Starbucks focuses on the employees and their impact on the consumers and their decisions. Starbucks has modeling guidelines to shape the corporate perception for the success in the market. Post purchase decision- The post purchasing behavior is also the most important process to make the customer loyal so that they buy the product again and again. Starbucks basically provides good motive to the customers to come back (Tam, 2008). If they are not satisfied with the drink then they will be offered another drink and a coupon for free one. Starbucks has excellent customer service which provides unique experience to the customers. The company makes sure that customer receive those products which they ask for. The CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz stated that Starbucks is not in the coffee business, serving people. Starbucks is in the people business, serving coffee. Recommendations Although Starbucks is perceived as the good company among the consumers in terms good taste of coffee but there is the need to increase more customers base by the company in the market. To ensure that all the customers are satisfied, company should engage in the collection of opinions of the customers. Along with this, dealing personally with the customers will improve the satisfaction of customers. Company should conduct training and seminars to provide best customers services to its customers. Further, company should focus on the immediate response to increase emotional satisfaction of the customers. Customers always express brand association by their behavior. Consumers always perceive the product based on that quality which they receive. So, Starbucks should focus on the relationship between the product quality and consumer perception which they receive (Zikmund et al, 2010). Further, company should understand and implement service profit chain as the basic satisfaction of the cu stomers is coffee. High level of satisfaction always turns into customer loyalty. Company should encourage the employees to serve effectively to the customers. Conclusion This report has described the importance of various internal factors of the consumer behavior on the buying process of the consumers. From the above discussion, it has observed that consumer behavior is the decision of the consumers in terms of consumption, purchasing and disposition of the products and services and the time and idea of decision making process. The internal factors of consumers are basically personal thoughts, self concepts, attitude, lifestyle, feelings, memory and motivation and thoughts of the customers. In the report, two main factors motivation and perception has taken. From the analysis, it has observed that consumer motivation is drive to satisfy the various needs and wants of the customers by the purchasing and consumption of the products. Motivation is the inner striving condition which can be described as desires, wishes, drives and needs. There are various theories given by researchers in the consumer motivation i.e. Maslow hierarchy theory, cognitive theo ry, psychoanalytic theory and Gestalt theory. Further, in present time, consumers are becoming more aware about the stores and product information by the magazines, newspaper and other media. On the basis of information of products, they interpret the data which is called perception. For the discussion, the company Starbucks has taken. In Starbucks, consumers are motivated by offering and implementing the discount programs. Above discussion reveals that Starbucks has innovative e marketing strategies for its customers because company knows that customers are very well aware about each and every product because of information available on newspaper, magazines and social media. So, it is important for the marketers to understand the needs and wants of the customers to satisfy them. There are also some theories of perception i.e. Gestalt theory of perception, and cognitive theory of perception which are helpful in understanding the concept of perception deeply. The quality of the products is the strength of Starbucks which are perceived by the customers as the best coffee over the competitors. There are some recommendations for the Starbucks to understand the concept of consumer behavior. To conclude, it can be said that it is important for the marketers to understand the concept of consumer behavior for the success in the market. References Burge, S. A. (2013). The Motivational Reasons behind Consumer Choice in Branded Coffee Shops. Retrieved on 10th May 2017 from https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/reinvention/issues/bcur2013specialissue/burge/ Cadogan, J. (2009). Marketing strategy. London: SAGE Dahlstron, R. (2010). Green Marketing Management. South-Western College Publishing: New Jersey D'Souza, W. (2010). Motivation. Retrieved on 10th May 2017 from https://consumerbehaviour4vtu.blogspot.in/2009/03/motivation.html Ferrell, O. Hartline, M. (2011). Marketing management strategies. New York: South-Western. Hajarrahmah, D. (2011). The American Image of Starbucks Coffee as Perceived by Its Consumers: Case Study: Starbucks Coffee Paragon Mall Semaran. Retrieved on 10th May 2017 from https://eprints.undip.ac.id/31277/2/The_American_Image_of_Starbucks_Coffee.pdf Hornik J. and Giulia, M. (2009). Synchrony Effects on Customers Responses and Behaviors: International Journal of Research in Marketing. 26(1). 3440 https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/mission-statement Kazmi, S. Q. (2012). Consumer Perception and Buying Decisions: International Journal of Advancements in Research Technology. Volume 1(6) Krikorian, M. (2014). Business overview: Why Starbucks deserves your attention. Retrieved on 10th May 2017 from https://marketrealist.com/2014/01/business-overview-starbucks-deserves-attention/ Lindgreen, A. (2010). Market orientation. Farnham, Surrey, England: Gower Michael R. S. (2013). Consumer Behavior: Buying, having and being. (10th). USA: Pearson Education Monika Kukar, K., Nancy M, R., Kent B, M. (2012). The Role of Price in the Behavior and Purchase Decisions of Compulsive Buyers: Journal of Retailing. pp 6371 Mooradian, T., Matzler, K. Ring, L. (2012). Strategic marketing. Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall Schiffman, Kanuk Hansen. (2012). Consumer Behaviour: A European outlook. USA: St .Johns University, Newyork Schultz, H. Gordon, J. (2012). Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. California: Rodale Books Semejin, J.,Van, R. Ambrosini, A.B. (2004). Consumer evaluations of store brands:effect of store image and product attributes: Journal of Retailing and Consumer Service. 11. pp 247-248 Solano Arquiza, M. P. (2009). Consumers' perception on Starbucks' experience economy: a case analysis. Retrieved on 10th May 2017 from https://dspace.cas.upm.edu.ph/xmlui/handle/123456789/361 Starbucks Corporation. (2017). Starbucks Coffee.Retrieved on 10th May 2017 from Stvkov J., Prudilov H., Toufarov Z., Nagyov L., (2007). Factors influencing the consumer behaviour when buying food: Agricultural Economics Czech. 53 (7). 276284. Tam, J. L. (2008). Brand familiarity: its effects on satisfaction evaluations: The Journal of Services Marketing Yusuf, A., Fatih, G., Hayrettin, Z. (2013). Examining Perceived Risk and Its Influence on Attitudes: A Study. 9(4) Zikmund, W. G., Babin, B. J., Jon, C. C., Griffin, M. (2010). Business research methods. SouthWestern: Cengage Learning

In The Novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee, The Author Comment

In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the author comments on life. Specifically, Harper Lee comments on racism and true courage. Racism is the first subject that the author comments on. It is obvious from her writing that she feels racism is that it is wrong. This is displayed in several ways. The best example of racism is the trial of Tom Robinson. Tom received a guilty verdict even though he was innocent. The white jury convicted him for the sole reason that he is black. Another example of racism is that fact the black children were not educated. Only the white children of Maycomb were granted the right to go to school. Another example of racism is the way people acted at Calpurnia's church. Unlike the other examples of racism described, this is not white vs. black discrimination, but black vs. white racism. Lula, a member of the First Purchase Church, thought that Jem and Scout should not be there because of the fact that they are white. She was very open about expressing this opinion. True courage is another aspect of life that Harper Lee comments on. Her comment is that true courage is when a person begins something, even though they are already licked. True courage is displayed by Atticus Finch. Atticus showed this by the fact that he defended a black man to the best of his ability, even though the majority of people in the town were against him. He defended Tom and created reasonable doubt. He put his reputation on the line for what he believed. Mrs. Dubose, an elderly neighbor, also displayed true courage. She demonstrated true courage by the fact that she tried to beat her addiction even though it meant dying in pain. As can be seen, the author comments on racism and true courage. Her comments are that racism is wrong and true courage is beginning something even though you are guaranteed a loss.

Le Noble Chevalier contre le Ballon Monstrueux †French 4 Essay

Le Noble Chevalier contre le Ballon Monstrueux – French 4 Essay Free Online Research Papers Le Noble Chevalier contre le Ballon Monstrueux french 4 essay On se trouve ici, au milieu de Founders Park, sur l’emplacement dun grand monument qui commà ©morera ceux que le nom de cet endroit honore – ceux qui ont à ©tabli notre facultà © il y a 125 ans. Ce sont eux qui ont en fait le droit de juger ce quon crà ©e en leur honneur, mà ªme sils ne vivent plus, car les à ©tudiants et les professeurs de cette università © ont la responsabilità © de parler leur nom, de dà ©fendre leurs idà ©es du savoir. On nous prà ©sente deux propositions qui marqueraient cet anniversaire: une noble statue dun ours californien avec un soldat de Troie sur son beau cheval, et un à ©norme ballon de football amà ©ricain. Il est à ©vident que celle-l honorerait le legs de la facultà ©, tandis que celle-ci ne pourrait que linsulter. On ne peut pas douter du fait que la statue de lancienne icà ´ne de notre à ©cole et des animaux est de loin le monument le plus approprià ©. Le chevalier de Troie est un symbole qui reprà ©sente toutes les facettes du caractà ¨re mà ©taphorique de là ©tudiant idà ©al quont prà ©vu les fondateurs. Le cheval sappelle le Savoir, sur lequel le jeune guerrier lutte contre les dà ©fis de son à ©poque, sur lequel il dà ©pend pour savancer vers la rà ©ussite. Il est fort – il lutte, mais il ne se rend pas avant sa mort. Et cà ´tà © de lui, il y a lours qui reprà ©sente cet à ©tat, la Californie, oà ¹ se trouvent tant doccasions et tant de beautà ©s qui attendent dà ªtre dà ©couvertes par les savants de cette facultà ©. Mais certains croient quil vaudrait mieux quon fasse un ballon monstrueux de football amà ©ricain pour honorer lhistoire de luniversità ©. Que cest ridicule! On passerait par ce parc chaque jour en voyant le jouet massif qui ressemble un ventre ballonnà © – il nous rendrait malades. La grande chose ridicule naurait ni valeur historique ni beautà © ( moins quon puisse trouver beau le bà ©ton simulant la peau de porc). Si on tient croire que le ballon reprà ©sente quelque chose dhistorique (notre à ©quipe de football), il faut considà ©rer ce quoi pensaient les fondateurs quand ils ont crà ©Ãƒ © la facultà ©: la culture du savoir – non pas la culture du corps. Le ballon devrait se trouver dans le jardin dun garà §on, pas dans une università ©. Cest le temps de se dà ©cider pour le monument qui honorera le mieux lhistoire de cette facultà ©. Il faut se souvenir du fait que ce monument restera toujours sur cet emplacement et quil nous rendra chaque jour soit fiers soit honteux. Il faut se souvenir des fondateurs, de leurs souhaits. Pour les honorer, on doit choisir la noble statue du chevalier de Troie et lours de la Californie. On ne peut quespà ©rer que lidà ©e de là ©norme ballon de foot tombera en oubli. Research Papers on Le Noble Chevalier contre le Ballon Monstrueux - French 4 EssayTrailblazing by Eric AndersonQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtThe Hockey GameAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Definition of Export QuotasThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementResearch Process Part One

The Emerging areas of Social Software Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Emerging areas of Social Software - Essay Example Actually we have reached here through a long and gaining experience for hundreds of years in broadcast media. The experience was gained through printing press and broadcasting through radio and Television. We had earlier the communication technique such as telephone and telegraph before email and other electronic media came into existence. The vast experience gained through these personal or one-to-one way of communications or social communication through radio, TV etc help us in quickly adopting these new social software through which a fast communication through Internet takes place. The Major social software: Now we have all three types of communication i.e. one-to-one way of communication (instant messages, email), one-to-many way of communication (blogs) and many-to-many way of communication (wikies). Let us see how the three ways of communication takes place. a) Instant Messaging (One-to-one communication): Instant messaging is a one-to-one way of communication and by this techniques a person can communicate with other person privately over a network. The major instant messaging provider includes skype, yahoo messenger, and msn messenger, ICQ etc. The system highlights a group of people if they are online and thus you need to have the email id of the person to know whether he or she is online. You can open any instant communication to any of the person whose status is online. These are very simple to use and people can communicate with each other in almost real time across the globe. b) Blogs (0ne-to-many): Blogs and websites are the examples of one-to-many way of communication are becoming more and more popular. Many people write blogs and the readers of these blogs can post their views about the topic. There are a large number of people having their blogs on the net. Some of the common blog websites includes blogspot and livejournal. c) Wikies (Many-to-many): Wikies are the excellent examples of many-to-many way of communication. Here in wikies a person can edit the content written by another writer. So, a number of people can write and edit the contents available on the websites. The examples of these websites include Metballwiki, Wikipedia and Wiktionary. d) VoIP: VoIP or voice over Internet protocol is also termed as Internet telephony or IP telephony. In VoIP the voice is routed through IP based networks and requires a broadband and therefore it is also termed as broadband telephony or voice over broadband. The voice over IP protocols are used to communicate voice between two users and these services are very cheap and even a VoIP to VoIP phone calls is either free or costs too less. There are lots of advantages of VoIP over dialed PSTN and some of these includes incoming calls are automatically routed to your VoIP even when you are out of town, VoIP work from anywhere with a reliable Internet connection, mobile VoIP facilities and many more. The main difficulty with VoIP is that you can not send fax from it (Wikipedia, undated). Emerging Trends in social software: The major advantage of social software in Community gain: There

Popular Culture (4-2) Class Participation Assignment

Popular Culture (4-2) Class Participation - Assignment Example The way that John’s character unfolds and is portrayed also affected the way I thought about him. The movie builds and revolves around him in such a manner that I started connecting with the character. The fact that he was a cop and was a sober man also helped in recognizing him as a hero. He showed signs of being a good natured, stable, modest and no-nonsense man. All theses qualities assured me as John’s character being central and that of a hero. The film was released in 1988 and was an American action Film. And I feel that how the hero is portrayed in a movie, to a good extent is dependent on what the viewers want to see. This was the time when people wanted to see the character of hero being a common man with whom the audience could relate to and this trend still continues. The action movies during that time were completely a one-man show, though there used to be a back-up provided for the hero from other characters but in all indirect means. Till this time people expected a little more realistic planning and thinking from the hero. Therefore, the character of John McClane showed no signs of being a perfect and extremely skilled guy but still somehow being able to sort out everything in the end in a smart way and in his own

Aspects of Psychology Unit 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aspects of Psychology Unit 5 - Essay Example A good example for this stage is Homer and Marge Simpson. They show much affection and caring for their children and these parental acts are the general scenario of Generativity. It is the Simpson’s family that embodies sentiments of affection, caring, greed, self-indulgence, self-centeredness, and lack of enthusiasm in individuals, and the larger world. Integrity versus Despair As defined by Erikson (1997), integrity is a feeling of peace. No melancholies or accusations. The connection between the stages is possibly more evident here than anywhere else: individuals are more likely to reexamine their lives enthusiastically and contentedly if they have made a difference to the world (Erikson, Erikson & Kivnick, 1986), like Warren Schmidt. Schmidt’s personality embodies acceptance and Integrity. However, Schmidt also embodies the opposite nature when he shows feelings of regrets and missed opportunities, or what Erikson refers to as Despair. This stage is an excellent win dow through which an individual can reexamine his/her life—prior to reaching old age (Erikson et al. 1986). Fortunately these days for numerous individuals it is usually possible to make amends, even in the midst of despair. A Study Supporting ‘Generativity versus Stagnation’ According to the study of Kenneth Coll and colleagues (2006) on the psychosocial development of adolescent offender, enhancing generativity and lessening stagnation methods require integrating the five therapeutic exercise of John Bowlby for developing stronger relationship. Basically, the study supports Erikson’s theory by stating that providing an individual a stable foundation to examine a variety of depressing and difficult life features, promoting considerations of means where in to experience relationships with existing major figures, supporting analysis of each relationship linked to building sympathy for the other individual’s ideas, promoting consideration of how exist ing ideas and anticipations emerge from childhood experiences and the embedded meanings from others, and aiding to understand that the detrimental self-realizations are rooted in negative experience and can be altered. A Study Supporting ‘Integrity versus Despair’ According to the study of Kylie Rylands and Debra Rickwood (2001) on ‘the effect of accepting the past on depression in older women’ accepting the past, just like what Erikson argued, was a significant way to reduce depression in people, particularly in older people. The comparative strength of the ego-integrity process of later-life personality, as actualized by making amends of the past, was experimented as a determinant of depression in a multivariate approach consisting of other quite recognized determinants, such as negative and positive affectivity, physical reliance, social assistance, and age. References Coll, K.M., Thobro, P. & Haas, R. (2006). ‘Outcome Evaluation of Adolescent Offe nder Psychosocial Development: A Comparative Study’. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 45(2), 208+ Erikson, E., Erikson, J.M., & Kivnick, H.Q. (1986). Vital Involvement in Old Age. New York: W.W. Norton. Erikson, E. & Erikson, J. (1997). The Life Cycle Completed. New York: W.W. Norton. Ewen, R.B. (2003). An Introduction to Theories of Personality. Mahwah,

Apples Ethics And Supplier Code Of Conduct

Apples Ethics And Supplier Code Of Conduct Apple, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. Apple surpassed the software giant Microsoft, in May 2010 and secured the reputation of the largest and one of the most valuable companies of the era. The company operates 301 retail stores scattered across ten different countries as per August 2010. Its traditionally well known for its Mackintosh line of personal computers. As years passed by, Apple has gained a significance amount of reputation in the global market by the introductions of products such as iPad, iPhone and the latest introduced iPad. The following throws light on Apples supplier responsibility program, its code of ethics and also the controversy it was recently involved with electronic leader, Foxconn. Company Perspectives Apple Inc. is devoted to creating the finest music and personal computing experience for every single one of its users, from students to educators, business professionals to government officials and other consumers by means of ground-breaking hardware, software, internet offerings, peripherals, and services. Apples business approach powers its distinctive ability, through the design and progression of its personal operating system, hardware, and countless technologies and software applications, to provide its customers with the latest creations and simple solutions through outstanding innovative industrial design. Company History Before being able to produce some of the finest computer products we have nowadays, Apple went through countless processes and hurdles. Apple was established in 1976 by two college dropouts, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Also part of the team was Ronald Wayne, who was older and had personal assets of his own. Waynes uncertainty of the company worried him about the risk of investing his assets, and resulted with him selling his share back to Wozniak and Jobs for $800. That same share of the company would be worth over 3 billion dollars today (Linzmayer, 2011). The main objective of starting the company was to sell their first invention, The Apple I, which took place on January 3rd, 1977. It was successful for use at the time as it only included the most important parts: a straightforward motherboard plus CPU, RAM and very simple textual-video chips. Only a few months later, The Apple II was released during April, 1977. By the end of 1978, the United States saw Apple to be one of the fastest-emerging companies having its products available through 100 dealers. Apples development continued to grow with more and more developments and by December 1980, the company went public. Within only minutes, 4.6 million shares were sold at $22 each (Linzmayer, 2011). The company was formerly recognized as Apple Computer Inc., for the first 30 years, but later removed computer from its name to reflect its expansion into consumer electronics and wanted a better portrayal as a lifestyle powerhouse rather than just personal computers. It continued to produce some of its popular products today including the Macintosh line of computers, iPod, iPhone and the iPad. Apples attitude towards comprehensive artistic design as well as its unique advertising operations is just a few of many reasons why the company has created a distinctive reputation in todays computer industry (Linzmayer, 2011) Products Apples super stylish and exclusive product line has allowed it to create a distinct name for itself. Some of the popular Apple products include: iMac It is the vibrant and stylish all-in-one Macintosh desktop computer that offers a variety of features including a very rich desktop experience. The first model of the iMac that was released was the G3, and the latest iMac released towards the end of 2009. The new iMac comes with a smooth, professional look that redefined Apples known all in one model. iPod Touch The main turning point for Apples iPod line was the iPod Touch. It has been a massive success and customers are loyal to this brand as the company continues to update the device with the latest features. iPod Touch 3G is the latest of the model. iPhone The entire smart phone industry was revolutionized on June 29, 2007 when the iPhone was released. It was labeled by many to be the years best invention. Since the launch of the iPhone 4, 3 million units have been sold. Within the first weekend, 1.7 million were sold. iPad The product causing a lot of todays buzz is the iPad. 300000 units for sold on day one. It would be classified somewhat between a phone and a laptop. Users no longer have to choose between toys or tool as the iPad has all the technologies and features for both work and fun. Apples ethics: Controversies exist whenever a firm becomes big. We cannot really judge the actions of a firm as its just not one person who is in control. A firm consists of ethical and unethical employees. One of the most famous ethical dilemmas faced by apple was the Foxconn case. We would be looking at what apple has done to fix it in the next segment while right now we would be looking at some of the ethical and unethical practices at apple. Apple has raised its ethical standards due to a lot of pressures by outside parties. Apple was not considered ethical due to the issues that arose in china. However there were ethical standards that applied to people working at apple as it didnt flourish and become a billion dollar company just like that (Hyatt, 2010) Ethical codes of conduct are the basis of a company a company cannot exist without it as there would be no direction, motivation or discipline. Apple has separate ethical standards for employees at different rankings due to the fact that every position requires something different and each has specific criteria. Apple targets reasons that lead to unethical behavior and works on them so that they dont arise in the company. The code focuses on: Conflicts of interest, confidentiality, proper use and protection of the companys records and assets, insider trading, fair dealing, and reporting of illegal and unethical behavior .All the points are self explanatory. One of the main things that are encouraged at apple is feedback. Supervisors are expected to help workers understand and require them to provide feedback as it not only helps the supervisor understand the areas at which the workers lacks comprehending but also encourages and in turn motivates them (ILO, 2008). While the responsibi lity of officials like the president, chief executive officer and senior financial officers is to make sure that the company runs in accordance to the legal requirements and also to make sure that each violation is dealt with in an appropriate manner so as to make sure that the mistake is not made again (ILO, 2008). Apple is constantly changing so its policies get updated. It applied a policy called ranking and rating in which the sales metrics of the employees were hung up so that everyone could see. Even though the salary of the employees was not commission based it helped senior officials, as they could now see which workers werent selling much (Spence, 2010). The officials then tried looking for the root cause of the problem and provided training to those workers. This was one approach by apple to motivate but obviously some critics did think that it is not very effective. But the idea of trying and coming up with ways to make this better should be admirable (Hyatt, 2011)Â   Apples supplier code of conduct: Apple is holding suppliers accountable The reputation of apple has been drastically bruised due to its suppliers. Foxconn is one of the major supplier of apples products and the management practice there was put into the spotlight when workers started committing suicide. Steve Jobs was put a lot of pressure due to this as the public demanded an answer. He responded to this by the formation of a detailed supplier code of conduct. It covered expectations in these areas: management systems, labour and human rights, impact on the environment, ethics, health and safety (Hyatt, 2011). Management systems: Workers are required to be trained and well informed. It should be made sure that they provide feedback. Third party audits to eliminate chances of fraud and also to implement new and improved policies. A corrective action process in which mistakes are corrected and the process is then again followed up (Hyatt, 2011). Documentation and records are required to be checked by the management regularly and company policies are to be applied to the suppliers (Spence, 2010). Labor and human rights: Suppliers should make sure that they do not discriminate labor on the basis of things like sexual orientation or race. They should not hire underage workers, provide benefits and incentives, protect juvenile workers, be fair in treatment and do not require them to work for long periods as this is the main cause of strain and demotivation. Works should also not be required to pay large sums of money to employment agencies and wages should be sufficient. Impact on the environment: Suppliers are required to take permits when dealing with something that requires permission from the government. They should also dispose of their air, water and solid waste in such a manner that it doesnt harm the environment. And make sure that they do not dispose of toxic or hazardous substances (Hyatt, 2011). Health and safety: Workers should not be required to do things would be looked at as a health or safety risk for them. They should be given proper food as well as living space. There should also be worker health and safety committees on the premises (ILO, 2011) Ethics: Important documentation should be protected and there should be a degree of conditionality between the company and the supplier so they can easily disclose information to one another. Complaints should be taken into account and action should be taken immediately. Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. is a multinational subsidiary of Hon Hai Precision Co Ltd., a Taiwanese company that is the worlds largest maker of electronic components (The Circuit Assembly Top 50 EMS Companies, 2009). According to the 2010 Fortune Global 500 Companies, Foxconn secured the 112th rank overall earning a profit of 2,291.7 and revenue of 59323.9 million dollars (Fortune Global 500, 2010). The companys primary focus was on providing vertically integrated manufacturing services for the handset industry. Foxconns employee count reaches more than half a million in China alone (Eyck, 2010). The founder of the company is Terry Gou, a billionaire, and has made Foxconn the worlds largest manufacturer of printed circuit boards spreading all over Asia, Europe and America. The majority of the companys sales to Asian customers is attributed to the Peoples Republic of China. The operational activities of the company are primarily located in China, then the United States, Mexico and other countries (Buetow, 2010). Foxconn Controversies Foxconn in the recent past has been involved in manufacturing in large quantities products for Apple viz., the iPod, iPad and the iPhone. Being one of the most renowned companies in the world, Foxconn has been involved in controversies mainly on how to manage employees (Jones, 2010). These initiated with the set-up of the Apple factory in Shenzhen, China. Apple was all over the news around the first week of Feb 10 not only for its sensational launch of the iPad, but also because of the high number of worker suicide in its Foxconn factory. Amidst all this, 12 Foxconn workers have already ended their lives this year, by jumping of the multi-story dormitories they live in or from the building during the very short duration of rest which they were given (Eyck, 2010). This crisis has urged the company to install safety nets in between the buildings as 20 more were stopped from killing themselves by the company authorities. At Longhua, there was a highly charged. This is because approximately 350,000 workers eat and otherwise live there, and during their protests, they had started chanting an insulting chant at Foxconn. The president of Foxconn, after heavy negotiations, said that the company would plan to move a significant portion of its workforce to a Western part of China, where they will be closer to their families. The case had become so out of control that the people who lived on the company premises had started calling the factory a Death Express. Management also had taken some steps toward controlling this phenomen on, such as creating a suicide hotline, and bringing monks to counter forces of evil. The Foxconn Empire employs about a million people, in the city of Shenzhen, across the city of Hong Kong. The premises of the industry contain 15 manufacturing buildings and they have dedicated one building to each customer. It was in these buildings where the suicides took place. The company made public a statement where it said that they have avoided a further 20 suicides. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple upon hearing about the tragedy said that he found this incident very troubling and also mentioned that Apple always strives to provide the best jobs in a company with regard to understanding the working condition under the companys supply chain. There has been an alarming increase in the number of suicides, whose reasons are still not apparent. The culture of the workforce at Foxconn has been described as being run similar to a military. (Moore, 2010). Foxconns Unethical Management Working conditions The main reason for Foxconn being under the spotlight was because of its unethical management and working conditions which has been considered as the root cause of the deaths and suicides in the past one year. A report recently explains the toiling and the exhaustion caused by 12-hour shifts, workers prohibited from talking or interacting with co-workers and the pressure of just-in-time production in order to meet the high demand (Eyck, 2010). SACOM held a protest on the 8th of June which was the same day Apple launched its iPhone4. The demand of the protests initiated by the activists was to boycott all the Foxconn products (Eyck, 2010). Furthermore, a Chinese undercover team, filtered through the Longhua plant and gave the reporters they entire scenario of the industry. They reported by stating that the facilities were adequate but highly criticized their management. Hundreds of people work in the workshops and did not have the permission to even talk to their colleagues.. If so found, they would get a black mark on their record, be shouted at by their manager or even be fined. The report was followed adding Foxconns laying off of more than ten thousand workers due to the financial downturn and had been pressured to meet up with the demand for the Apple iPad due to its monumental success (Moore, 2010). The iPad appears to have placed immense strain on Foxconn workers which resulted in them in quitting jobs at the rate of 15,000 a month (Robins, 2010). The workers in the factory need practice to become really efficient and the new staff has to keep up. The workers that were asked about the working conditions stated that their hands would still keep on twitching when they are not working and mimic the motion as they were not able to relax their minds (Chang, 2010). The workers worked for an average of 120 hours per month, exceeding the limit set by Apply by 70 hours (Moore, 2010). Foxconn management style was regarded as severe and obstructed the code of ethics for managing employees. Apple therefore was urged upon to take appropriate steps if they were concerned about the health and safety of the workers (Crothall, 2010). Nevertheless, Apple has taken this issue into strict consideration and has urged Foxconn to do the same. These tragedies threw a very undesirable spotlight on the labor practices of Foxconn. After a few months of this incident, Foxconn has pledged to enhance work conditions, increase the pay, take into consideration of allowing workers to live closer to their homes aswell as reduce overtime hours. Conclusion Apple Inc. regardless of the recent controversies with Foxconn has reacted well and taken action in this regard under the guidance of Steve Jobs. After tremendous pressure from the labor organization in China, Steve Jobs has given this matter of utmost importance and high priority. Nevertheless, the situation in the province of Longhua has shown to improve. The Labor Department has agreed upon increasing the wages and to provide better facilities to the workers all around. Apple has lived up to its reputation of living up to its strong supplier responsibility program and its supplier code of conduct.

Louisbourg Report :: essays research papers

The Fortress Of Louisbourg   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In all of North America, you will not find a more power fortress than Louisbourg. It was said to be indestructible, but was proven otherwise on a number of occasions. Established in 1713 and located on Northern Cape Breton Island, Louisbourg was not only a fortress but a major commercial center as well. Louisbourg was originally known as Port St. Louis, and its main purpose was protecting Quebec and Montreal by guarding the entrance to the St. Lawrence River against hostile ships. The other main job for Louisbourg was serving as a base for the cod fishing industry. French fishing ships could come to Louisbourg to unload their catch instead of taking it all the way back to France. This arrangement saved time and money and allowed the ships to catch more fish in a season, since they didn’t have to make the long trip back to France with each load. However, Louisbourg was also sending out raiding parties to attack New England villages along the coast. The New Englanders soon heard of the mutiny at Louisbourg, so the villages decided to fight back against this threat. In 1745, 4000 New Englanders, along with the Royal Navy, launched an attack against the fortress, but Louisbourg didn’t think them of as a threat. Louisbourg thought that the New Englanders wou ld not be able to launch a serious attack with any kind of heavy artillery, since they attacked the weak rear side, travelling over marshy, wooded areas to reach the fort. The people of Louisbourg were wrong, however, as the New Englanders did indeed manage to bring in artillery over the marshy terrain. Had Louisbourg attacked the New Englanders now with their entire garrison, the English may very well have turned and ran, but they chose to attack from within their walls with only muskets. This allowed the English to pound the fort with their cannons, as well as exchange musket fire with the French. Since the Royal Navy prevented the bringing in of supplies and reinforcements, Louisbourg was soon forced to surrender to the New Englanders, who banished the French back to France.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The War of the Austrian Succession, which began in 1940 in Europe, ended in 1948 with the signing of the Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle. As part of this treaty, Cape Breton Island, along with Louisbourg, is returned to France, outraging the New Englanders who fought so hard to take it just 3 years earlier.