Starbucks Case free essay sample

Introduction This is a proposal based on the case study â€Å"Starbucks – going global fast† (Cateora and Graham, 2007), further research has been undertaken and analysis and recommendation will be based on these sources of information. Critique and analysis Being a multinational company expanding at a speed that leads thoughts towards badly imaged global corporation like McDonalds are these days not considered a strength. McDonalds might have conquered the world and made profit of people’s bad habits of eating junk, but this has backtracked on them resulting in extremely bad image and word-of-mouth meaning declining sales and profits. They have now tried to reposition, but without much success. Starbucks should learn from McDonalds and not obtain the same position. Considering the mission statement of Starbucks and the fact that it must be assumed that they still want to be successful in ten years time. The option of following the foot prints of McDonalds is not a possibility to be considered. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow† (p. 0, Kotler et al. 2005) Further more the mission statement emphasises work environment, diversity, high standards of excellence to every aspect of the core product as well as â€Å"†¦commitment to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business†. (p. 80, Kotler et al. 2005) At the speed Starbucks are expanding their business there is risk that some of these missions will be ignored when entering new markets. There are constantly new risks facing Starbucks both on the domestic and international markets. These factors should at all times be considered and â€Å"†¦a marketing mix from the controllable elements, the uncontrollable factors are precisely that; the marketer must actively evaluate and, if needed, adapt. That effort, the adoption of the marketing mix to these environmental factors, determines the outcome of the marketing enterprise. † (p. 11, Cateora and Graham, 2007) When this is mentioned it is important to stress the fact that though the awareness and management of the whole external environment is extremely important, there are bigger risks currently threatening Starbucks: 1. Image and perception This aspect is the biggest source of risk threatening Starbucks right now. This risk is not to be found in the uncontrollable environment, but in the controllable. Without consumers there is no future for Starbucks, it is therefore essential to understand them and meet there wants by tracking trends and continually improving the image of Starbucks. The way Starbucks is growing right now there is a big risk that they will be perceived to be a big global company wanting nothing but profit. In relation to the image it is important to understand the product life cycle and the international extension of this as well as the diffusion of innovations and how a product, an idea or a trend is adopted through society. (Rogers, 2003) 1. Lack of innovations In relation to the first point, there is a lack of being truly innovative and thereby doing what Starbucks was perceived at when they first entered the market in the 1980’s. Being true to there previous strategy of being innovative in all aspects; human resources, concept, product, marketing etc. What is happening currently is that several me too’ers are adapting and benchmarking the concept of Starbucks. This means that Starbucks only competitive advantage is that the fact that they back in the 1980’s where first movers. And since that is not always considered to be an advantage they don’t really have a clear advantage when entering new markets. A defence strategy has been used the last years and as Kotler et al. states: â€Å"Simply defending one’s current position or products rarely works†. Both of those aspects should be seen in relation to the â€Å"bible† of Starbucks the mission statement.

buy custom Eat, Pray, Love essay

buy custom Eat, Pray, Love essay Eat, Pray, Love: One Womans Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia is a memoir written by Elizabeth Gilbert, an American author. This book was published in February 2006 by the Vikings. After its publishing, this book became The New York Times Best Seller for several months. In this book, she writes her personal experience in travelling across the world after she has divorced with her husband. The book is all about a womans journey in seeking to be healed from spiritual and emotional crisis. Elizabeth Gilbert is in her mid thirties, married and lives in a nice modern house. Despite all these, she becomes unhappy in the marriage due to the fact that she has chosen not to have any children of her own. On the contrary, the husband is desperately in need of a child. This becomes the source of trouble in this marriage and Gilbert thus resorts to be sleeping on her bathrooms floor. In the end she decides to file for a divorce, something contested by the husband. They try to renew their love but it still seems to be a struggle. She becomes confused as things do not work as per her expectations. Her decisions seem to contravene the normal traditional American lifestyle where women are expected to have children and bring them up in a family. She therefore decides to travel to different countries, that is; Italy, India, and Indonesia to try and find out how to more of her situation. She does this to compare what she is going through with the happenings in those countries. She tries to find a culture or a situation that suits her and that can also offer a solution to her situation. She writes, I wanted to explore one aspect of myself set against a backdrop of each country in a place that has traditionally that one thing very well. She continues by writing, I wanted to explore the art of pleasure in Italy, the art of devotion in India, and in Indonesia, the art of balancing the two (Gilbert, E., 2006). Gilberts journey is funded by an advance for this book even before she writes it. Body Gilbert effectively uses the experiences she gets in her one years journey to bring out her prowess in to the international stage. In Italy, she describes Messina town as a scary and suspicious Cilician port town she continues. Its not my fault that ugly! Ive been earthquaked and carpet bombed and raped by the mafia, too! (Gilbert, E., 2006). The experiences she gets in these places have helped him present a well written work. In India, while at an ashram, she liberally narrates the kind of meditations that she has. She meditates of a life out of the expensive New York where she would afford an extra bedroom she could use as meditation room. She was in Italy for four months where she went only to enjoy herself away from the stress of United States life. This defines the Eat in the title of the book. She writes of coming to Italy pinched and thin, but after eating pizzas and the Italian wine, she adds weight and becomes healthier in body and soul. In India, she takes the following three months finding for herself more of the spirituality. This was characterized by the rigorous yoga meditation that she learns. In the books title, the Indian experience represents the Pray. The rest of that year is spent in Bali, Indonesia where she has come to find a balance between the two. The balance happens to be her Brazilian love. He is an owner of a factory. She decides to love again after discovering a balance of the two experiences. The author effectively engages the readers as she goes through the stages of her search journey. She does this by making the eader travel with her through the journey and the journey of discovery by detailing every step. The excitement is maintained throughout the book. She humorously describes herself as a tall and blond lady, something that makes her not physically blend well in most of other places. She also admits of her weakness of doing researches and also writes of her easy digestive woes. She however writes of her travelling prowess seen in her ability to easily make friends, even with the dead and four-foot sheetrock if nobody seems not to around to talk to. She therefore intelligently writes the book with the irresistible colloquialism (Egan, February 26, 2006). This is a non-fiction book and Elizabeth Gilbert writes a real life personal experience. The author is thus herself a primary source of information, something that makes the book be real and reliable. This is unlike those works that are done with most of the information from secondary sources. Believing the action is normally difficult in such instances. She is the modern woman that is challenged with choosing what is best for her. She realizes that she lacks a lot in terms of self knowledge and the knowledge of God. This is the reason she goes out to look for what she misses. She therefore represents the woman in the developed nations who still lack some self discovery. The things they lack can be found somewhere. The book has been well written with sections that clearly describes every stage of the journey. Eat is the journey and experiences in Italy, while pray describes the Indian yoga meditations. The last section is on love. This describes the ultimate meeting of a Brazilian with whom they fall in love. It takes place in Bali, Indonesia. She finds the balance between the two. The author writes that the format of this book had been revealed to her earlier while meditating in India. To her, this made her work of writing easier. The book is also divided into 108 chapters which are short and easy to read. Gilbert had earlier written a short story book. This means that she had more knowledge in writing short chapters. The work is therefore easy to read and understand than most other works. This is also a departure from her previous work where she had authored a novel entitled: The last American Man which is not a personal story or work. The author has been able to fully bring give a representation of a modern woman in the first world countries where married is not seen as very important. The woman in these countries is independent and is busy chasing after careers and education. These have led to the empowerment of women to charter their destinies without restrictions brought about by marriage or child bearing. Unfortunately, there still exists a void that needs to be filled. This is seen when Gilbert goes out in search for God and true happiness through true love. Her experiences in Italy and India answer her questions on God. Her last journey in to Indonesia makes her meet the Brazilian love. Gilberts wit and prowess is evident in the way that she writes the story. First, she only concentrates on her mission of self discovery and nothing else. She also avoids all the digression that is of no consequence. She is open about her feelings and openly tells her story. She avoids all the things that may paint her in the wrong way. This seems to be reason of not mentioning more of their disagreement with the husband. Her travel in less developed nations like India does not make her digress into writing how poor the place is. She is a focused lady who has no business on non consequential things. Critics have however dismissed this book as not comparable to her previous work. It has flaws that have weakened the intent. Gilbert has not expressly explained her reasons of being unhappy with her maarriage. She avoids the issue even as she decides to file for a divorce. After their separation with the husband, she leaves everything to the husband, something that leaves the readers with more questions than answers of her intent. Unfortunately, she becomes depressed in life and decides to look for God. After finding God, things seem not end as expected. Jennifer Egan of The New York Times argues that Gilbert life and her decisions revolve some unresolved stuff that she fails to tell the reader. The omitted confusion, according to Jennifer, should be what dictates real life (Egan, February 26, 2006). The downplaying of the American culture by the book has also been criticized. Some have pointed out that Gilberts work is an endorsement of the eastern thought and culture (Callahan, December 23, 2007). The book seems to be not as strong as the previous ones. Her skills are questionable as the journey that she takes is too self-conscious. It is does not get exposed to the dynamics of life. Considering that the journey took one year as it has been indicated, then more things could have happened than what has been indicated in the book. She insists on telling the audience how the divorce was horrible, something that led to her going away to find herself. The reader is never told what caused the divorce and continues to wonder what really happened. This omission is a weakness in Elizabeth Gilberts book. Her self consciousness in the book is very evident in the way she magically paints herself. She never does anything wrong. All her decisions turn out to be right and without fault. The story also does not show any regret in her life in the whole period that she travels for self discovery. This may be the reason as to why she omits the core reason for divorce, something that should be the core antagonistic reason in the whole story. She fails to show this to the reader. This explains the reason why this work has been mostly criticized by many writers. It does not show the prowess that a writer of her standard should exhibit. Some critics have said that Eat, Pray, Love is only good for beach reading. Another notable weakness is shown when she is in India. This is the place where more need needed to be seen as the epic of the story, but this is not seen. Her life in India is seen as the most boring accompanied with regrets from the former failed marriage. She allegedly finds God after yoga meditation in this place. This should have been the place where the reader should have been exposed to more of divinity. To the contrary, the woman still thinks of the previous marriage. In fact, most of the experiences are not interesting. It should also be noted that Elizabeth Gilbert represents those young women in the developed societies who feel they are discontented and thirsty despite having all they require for survival. Despite the privilege they have. For instance, she lives in New York City, owning two homes, having a husband, but yet too depressed to settle down in life. Conclusion In conclusion, Eat, Pray, Love: One Womans Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia by Elizabeth is well written book with a clear truth in it due the fact that it is a non-fiction book. It is a personal story that she passionately shares to the readers. Despite of having possessions that people look for, she forfeits them when she discovers that she needs more. With great humor, she narrates her journey to finding emotional and spiritual healing. She eventually achieves her goals within the journey. As much as this book is easy to read, there are weaknesses in terms of literary value. She omits the very important elements that are responsible for making her story a real life one. But generally it is a good book since it is a personal experience. Buy custom "Eat, Pray, Love" essay

United Nations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United Nations - Essay Example After the end of the World war one, the League of Nations was formed by the great and victorious powers who participated in the war. The goal was simple, not to allow another war in the future. Due to the failure of the Versailles treaty, all were looking for another organization which could bring stability to the world.The organization had success in solving conflicts between different countries namely The Aaland island issue between Sweden and Finland, Upper Silesia problem between Germany and Poland, The Memel problem of 1923 in Lithuania, humanitarian crisis in Turkey, conflict Between Greece and Bulgaria etc. however the organization faced failures also they were the crisis in Italy in 1919, Teschen problem between Poland and Czechoslovakia, the Vilna conflict between Russia and Lithuania, the war between Russia and Poland in 1921, the invasion of the Ruhr, conflict between Italy and Albania etc are few of them (League of Nations, n.d)The year 1970 was an important year in the h istory of the world as far as relations between countries were concerned. Many important changes occurred in Europe as well as in Asia. The concept of Third World got prominence during this period. The erstwhile Soviet Union, which was a great super power during that period, took initiatives for setting up an international jurisdiction with the cooperation of other countries. G.I. Tunkin a renowned soviet jurist was credited for formulating the first volume of international law in 1970. the law was made by him based on the events took placed internationally since 1917. The main highlights of the law were the nature of legal relationships among socialist countries, principal factors at work in international politics, legal nature of international organizations, international law, foreign policy, diplomacy etc (Tunkin, G.I. n.d) After the failure of the league of nations, a new organization was formed by the world powers after the second world war ,which came to be known as the United Nations established in the year oct24,1945 (Charter of the United Nations, n.d). The general assembly of the United Nations was established in the year 1945, the main objective of the assembly was to become a major policy making establishment of the UN. The general assembly consists of 192 member countries. Normally meeting sessions are generally conducted in between September and December every year (Functions and Powers of the General Assembly. (n.d). The International Security Council, another r prominent arm of the UN comprises of five permanent members. They are US, China, Russia, France, and the UK. It also has ten non permanent members having a term of one year. There is a president of the Security Council who is selected among the member countries holding the office for one calendar month (About the Council. (n.d)). The international court of justice established in 1946 is another important establishment of the UN. The main aim of the ICJ is to look after the judicial matters globally. It is situated in The Hague, Netherlands. The main activity of the court is to settle dispute submitted by member countries as well as to provide advices (International Court of Justice, n.d) East Timor was a small country neighbouring Indonesia under Portuguese occupancy in the year 1975 Indonesian forces attacked the region and annexed it. The conflict forced the Portuguese to withdraw from East Timor on the condition that East Timor should remain a self governing region. In 1991, the Portuguese authorities went to the court against Australia on the reason that Australia and Indonesia had a treaty between them for the exploitation of "Timor gap". The complainant claimed that the actions of Australia for exploration were against the self governing rights as well as other rights of the people of East Timor. The Portuguese authorities also claimed that the treaty between Australia and Indonesia was against the administering rights of Portugal in the area. The ICJ did not entertain jurisdiction in this matter because of the reason that a

Business Culture of Albania and Italy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Culture of Albania and Italy - Essay Example The researcher states that language is regarded as an important part of business dealings as communication is the backbone of successful business negotiations. In case of Albania, it has been found that most government officials speak English, but the same thing cannot be said about people employed in the private sector. Use of interpreters or translators is a commonplace business practice. In case of Italy, English is also the most commonly spoken foreign language. In Italy, use of body language is as important as hand gestures and personal contacts are as dominant as speech. Avoiding excessive use of body language may be considered as an unfriendly attitude, which can, therefore, harm the business. This practice is not found in Albania. Given the difference in the official language of the two countries, need for translators will be inevitable to carry business if English is not spoken. In this case, it can be stated that misinterpretations of non-verbal gestures like, hand gestures , may act as severe intercultural communication barrier between Italy and Albania as Italians tend to use more such gestures. It has been observed that time is not considered to be an important parameter in case of Albania, but is quite important for Italy. Punctuality has been regarded as an important parameter in inter-cultural business. This is because punctuality has the notable influence on the social behavior. It is noticed that Italians expect a formal explanation if there is any delay in the business meeting and such a habit is condemnable. However, the social attitude of people in Albania makes punctuality an obsolete requirement. So, in case of business dealings between companies of these countries, it is important for the Albanians to be more particular about the time factor. Â  

Siemenss knowledge management strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Siemenss knowledge management strategy - Essay Example This essay discusses that the ability of the government to protect and make effective use of the intellectual capital of the workforce declines with an increase of the retirement rate among the federal workforce. The agency loses its timely decision making ability with the lack of critical knowledge. Where there is lack of knowledge management, agencies are neither able to execute their projects in a timely manner nor they able to complete the project within the estimated cost. Having assessed this dilemma, a representative of the Aberdeen Group said, â€Å"Knowledge workers today are losing productivity in an endless search for information they know resides in the organization but is not easily accessible†. One way for an agency to spread the critical knowledge of program to a wide range of stakeholders is by implementing an effective knowledge framework along with an enterprise-wide strategy of knowledge management. Teams benefit from this flexibility by gaining a way to com prehend the effects as well as interdependencies of the constantly changing environments along the project’s life. The data an agency has at a certain point in time is nothing more than mere representation of the temporal circumstances. There needs to be an appropriate knowledge management strategy in place to understand the relation of the data with different variables and to use it in the decision making process. The knowledge management strategy enables the workers to use the knowledge in the decision making process as they are able to completely understand different aspects of the knowledge. This paper looks into the knowledge management strategies implemented by the Siemens Company. Literature Review The Frid’s Knowledge Management Model Various strategies and models have been conventionally proposed for knowledge management. One of such models is the Frid’s Knowledge Management Model. The Frid’s Knowledge Management Model divides the assessment leve ls of knowledge management maturity into five levels. These five levels are â€Å"knowledge chaotic, knowledge aware, knowledge focused, knowledge managed, and knowledge centric† (Haslinda and Sarinah, 2009, p. 195). The first level proposes that organizations tend to comprehend and implement the Frid framework of knowledge management by working upon the vision, objectives, and indices of knowledge management. In order to optimize on their potential of knowledge management, organizations tend to advocate and adapt the departmental vision of knowledge management. The second level of knowledge awareness considers organizations to be at a higher step than the ones at knowledge chaotic. At this point, organizations need to focus on the development on a road map of knowledge management and a collaborative working with the office of knowledge management. The third level requires organizations to cover the aspects of implantation just like in the lower two levels. At this level, org anizations need to integrate the knowledge management into the process engineering, develop initial infrastructure of service, training and knowledge management, and make the budgets inclusive of knowledge management. â€Å"[T]he fourth level termed as knowledge managed adopt the fundamental activities suggested in level one, two and three other than organizations should attempt to embed knowledge management in performance reviews and also in business plans apart† (Haslinda and Sarinah, 2009, p. 193). Knowledge centric is the highest level of the implementation maturity of knowledge mana

Efficient managers and effective managers

Efficient managers and effective managers Difference between efficient managers and effective managers Effectiveness and efficiency are mutually exclusive things. For a manager, they are both fundamental preconditions. Being effective means that one is able to properly analyse the evolving environment and selecting the right things as the areas of strategic focus for the enterprise. On the other hand, being efficient requires a carefully carved cultural and operational framework which helps the manager to achieve a particular degree of success, given the level of resources applied to a particular objective. In any business, an efficient manager is one who uses limited resources available viz., time, material and men to get the job done in a more professional manner. This includes securing productive and profitable results in a short span, using funds allotted for a business more legibly yet smartly, and appraising employee performance etc., In other words, an efficient manager would keep the business running even in dire circumstances. An effective manager, on the other hand, is slightly different from the efficient one. The effective manager focuses on productivity rather than increased/balanced profitability. Effective management has various layers in its setup such as motivation, teamwork, communication and objectives. An effective manager is someone who leads, coordinates and filters various activities of the sub-ordinates and decides an appropriate mechanism to work upon. An effective manager usually works without any constraints such as funds, manpower etc. The focus always implies on better management practices and in turn, better output. Effectiveness is a precondition for the success of any manager; however that depends more upon the uncontrollable variables dictated to the manager by the operational environment and his ability to come up with the right choices that would suit his resources built over time. It may be appreciated that a firms resources in terms of manpower and technology as well as capital would have been built up over time and they have a great degree of rigidity. Once you become effective, efficiency can be an easier thing to bring into operation. The two things are in fact complimentary. Efficiency in fact depends upon the lower level managerial abilities and culture while effectiveness is almost always a top management variable. In management, operating in efficient and in effective ways is a key to good performance and to successfully reaching the goals set for the business. While efficiency and effectiveness are similarly desirable characteristics of business behavior, either one is often seen as attainable only at the expense of the other. Looking at the interplay of the two characteristics can give a clear insight into the ideal behavior for a manager when faced with tasks which must be completed quickly, but also completed in such a way that the key goals are attained. Luther Gulick advocates seven elements which make up common management in any organization. He calls it the POSDCORB. Planning a strategy to accomplish the objectives set for an enterprise. Organizing a formal structure of authority, arranged and defined for specific jobs. Staffing / Recruiting and training personnel. Directing/ Decision making and embodying rules, instructions etc., Co-ordinating various parts of work. Reporting through records, research and inspection. Budgeting in form of fiscal planning, accounting and control. These make up the common administrative tasks managers perform in an organization. The effectiveness of each element makes up both an efficient and effective management system. The following make up management behavior. Management of human resources is a social phenomenon. An effective communication channel is always imperative in any kind of an organization. James Pfiffner calls it the heart of management. Chester Barnard remarks it as the foundation of co-operative group activity. For an effective communication, the information passed on must be clear, consistent, adequate, timely, uniform, flexible and acceptable. A manager must make sure that a proper communication channel is present in an organization. This includes avoiding semantic and ideological barriers, two-valued thinking (Halo effect), stereotyping and dogmatism among the employees. Decision-making is a vital part of an efficient management system. Robert Tannenbaum says decision-making involves a conscious choice or selection of one behavior alternative from a group of two or more behavior alternative. A behavior alternative may simply be known as a decision. Decision-making, in more ways or the other, is a singular function of the manager. It is thus very important in an organization. Herbert Simon came up with the fact that every decision has two basic premises a factual premise and a value premise. A fact is a statement of reality while a value is an expression of preference. A manager would go by decisions based on these only. An effective manager goes in for the factual premise because it can be measured empirically, while the value premise, which may determine efficient factors such as profit, loss, employee satisfaction, cost-cutting etc., would be more preferred by efficient managers. Rensis Likert calls motivation as the core of management. Motivation is a psychological process which energizes and activates an individual to achieve formulated objectives. A manager thus plays a vital role as a driving force behind motivation. On this part, both effective and efficient managers must be good motivators, so as to bring about the best in the employees. Classical and modern management thinkers have listed money and a variety of socio-psychological factors as a source of motivation. Motivation also helps to build teams and perform better. Teamwork is another essential part of management. A manager is the undisputed leader of a team. He delegates work to his sub-ordinates, assigns tasks, creates plans and makes decisions. An autocratic manager would do all the above functions by himself. It is not desirable in an effective organizational system. On the other hand, an efficient manager would tend to be a little autocratic in his functions, because of the limited resources available and some other constraints. It is however better for an organization to be more democratic for proper functioning. Importance Managing effectively and efficiently is the way to go about in business. Efficient business tactics would help to know how to deal with finance and personnel in a more productive way. Most successful businesses in the world today are rather efficient than effective. Efficient management practices provide increased sustainability and stability in an organization. It involves novelty in management practices and output. An effective management system takes a long time to fully materialize. It has more to do with the long-term vision of an organization than its present objectives. Effective management also involves setting time benchmarks within the organization, so that a given objective gets completed within a set time. Traditional management practices are usually followed, and the manager sets up an instructional framework within which the sub-ordinates are expected to follow. An effective management system, summarily can be defined as, one which Raises productivity Increases work output from sub-ordinates Functions within a set of rules and regulations Works in a more democratic manner Builds teamwork and effective communication channels A good manager, therefore is one who works both efficiently and effectively simultaneously. It is imperative that he does work in a more systematic manner and adapts himself depending on the organizational situation and environment. What an organization / business would need is an effective mechanism and an efficient output.

Small Business Management: Childs Pay :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article was about owners of small businesses and how they compensate their children who are also involved in the family business. This article contained significant points. Three significant points that this article made were about over compensating, market rate, and what is expected of the children to run the family business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over compensating may and may not be a good thing. It may be good in helping an entrepreneur improve their business because the child might think that since they are getting paid more, that more is expected of them. If they follow that rule the child will help out and benefit the business by going ahead and doing extra beneficial things or just going the extra mile. The downside however is that the child will do the complete opposite and not benefit the business at all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Market rare is also good in helping an entrepreneur improve their business because it can help prevent the loss or â€Å"wasting† of money. I think a child might benefit from market rate in a sense that they do not expect things to be just handed to them and that is a good quality to have. It can make them appreciate the value of a dollar and maybe even appreciate their job a little more. You can always give them incentives and extra gifts to add a little more to their pay as well and to make market rate not so bad for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lastly, what is expected of the child will help an entrepreneur improve their business because it will make their business run more smoothly and successfully. Having your child go to college, meet special qualifications or just do other things to learn more about the business will benefit the business, I think in a great deal.

Relationships between Indians and English at Jamestown Essay

Before the English founded Jamestown in 1607, the Pamunkey Americans who lived in the Chesapeake Bay area were aware of the other culture overseas (Kupperman, 1). The Americans had watched the establishment and eventual abandonment of the Roanoke settlement some twenty years before Jamestown and gained knowledge of English society (1). European ships frequented the bay for trade. A Pamunkey man, who the Spaniards took back to Spain and baptized as Don Luà ­s de Velasco, returned to his homeland in 1571 and further informed the Pamunkeys (1). Though the English would become dominant, the Native Americans might have been the more erudite of the two cultures to clash. Europeans sent reports home from America and told of complex native civilizations and formidable tribes (Kupperman, 1). In time, the English came to assume that Americans were â€Å"accomplished people living in highly developed societies† and to rely their crops and supplies when needed (1). If one successful population could thrive on that land, then another could surely overtake it ultimately (2). The Pamunkeys had their own sights for a newly established Jamestown (Kupperman, 1). They understood the typical European behaviors and manipulated them to exert control (1). With over thirty tribes under Pamunkey leader Powhatan’s command, the natives kept the mostly inept English apprehensive and directed the trading of goods (1). The colonists traded for and exported furs and gold to Europe (1). For the Americans, metal tools, copper ornaments, glass beads and other Europeans products benefited them greatly in exchange (1). The Pamunkeys and their allies had power over the trade westward inland, therefore expanding their influence (2). True to form, the English settlers were incompetent with coping in the New World and became dependant to the natives for support (Kupperman, 2). As the two sides learnt more of each other as they mingled, mutual relationships formed (2). The English wasn’t completely destitute, however, and recuperated under Captain John Smith’s leadership (2). The Americans and the English became relatively amicable, but after Smith left the colony, the  relations deteriorated and conflicts rebounded (2). Meanwhile, retrogression in Europe drove more desperate people to seek life elsewhere, even in a foreign land. Despite that the battle-mottled situation in Jamestown, the English colony grew stronger, invested successfully in tobacco exportation, and ceased to count on Native Americans for help (Kupperman, 2). Instead of being exploited, the balance of power shifted and became more advantageous for the English. This has been: Examination of Relationships found in Indians and English Meet on the James by Karen Kupperman, www.iath.virginia.edu/vcdh/jamestown/essays/kupperman_essay.html

Appreciative and Thank-You Quotations

Appreciative and Thank-You Quotations A word of appreciation or a simple thank you can do wonders for building relationships. A thank you is not just courtesy or good manners; it acknowledges and hence cherishes kindness. Here are some beautifully worded thank you quotes. The gratitude of most men is but a secret desire of receiving greater benefits. -Francois Duc de la RochefoucauldDo not let the empty cup be your first teacher of the blessings you had when it was full. Do not let a bard place here and there in the bed destroy your rest. Seek, as a plain duty, to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life. -Alexander MaclarenO Lord, who lends me life; lend me a heart replete with thankfulness. -William ShakespeareIt is the will to be grateful which constitutes gratitude. -Joseph CookNext to ingratitude, the most painful thing to bear is gratitude. -Henry Ward BeecherThou hast given so much to me,Give one thing more- a grateful heart;Not thankful when it pleaseth me,As if Thy blessings had spare days,But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise. -George HerbertWhen we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? -G K Chesterton Kindness is the language, which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. -Mark TwainWe can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. -Thornton WilderWhat I have done is worthy of nothing but silence and forgetfulness, but what God has done for me is worthy of everlasting and thankful memory. -Joseph HallFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. -William WardWhen eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them. -Chinese ProverbOnly a stomach that rarely feels hungry scorns common things. -HoraceSaying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality. -Alfred PainterSilent gratitude isnt much use to anyone. -G B SternAs each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world. -Adabella Radici

Essay Sample on School Accountability Programs

Essay Sample on School Accountability Programs School safety is improved through different means that can be assessed and evaluated. Schools are required to establish mechanisms of accountability, which will ensures efficiency, effectiveness, and performance. (Dwyer and Warger 1998). Schools also do carry out frequent organizational structure reviews and means of enhancing the safety. These reviews are geared towards identifying school personnel who require training on safety. At the same time, schools provide a suitable level of training on safety for all school personnel in school master plans for in-service training. It also goes along way to promoting high standards of safety by having proper equipment for protecting school property and records (Dwyer and Warger 1998). School accountability programs need to incorporate various key elements. Some of the principles that form basis of accountability programs in school safety include; emphasizing on involvement of students. There is no school safety program that can be successful if it does not involve students. Even if the program is well developed and implemented, it will not enhance school safety without incorporating students (Dwyer and Warger 1998). Many district schools enhance school safety by giving parents contract forms to sign on behalf of the students. These forms are supposed to administer and regulate the students conduct both academically and also socially. The contract forms are created by students together with their parents in guidance of school teachers and other personnel of the school. To maintain school safety the students are supposed to report cases of indiscipline to the authorities for action to be taken (Dwyer and Warger 1998).

A 5 page critical review on the article Why is Quebec Separatism off

A 5 page critical review on the Why is Quebec Separatism off the Agenda Reducing National Unity Crisis in the Neoliberal Era - Article Example Their article looks at the reasons why the Quebec separatist agenda has quelled down over the recent years in the context of the neo-liberal era in Canadian federalism. The authors provide renewed intergovernmental agreements and neo-liberalism reasons for the eroding of Quebec’s separatism agenda over the recent years. The changing landscape of cooperation between the federal and provincial governments shaped by neo-liberal forces has assisted in dampening Quebec’s separatist agenda. This is a true assessment by the authors on the changing dynamics of Quebec’s separatism agenda (Changfoot & Cullen 772). The acknowledgment of fiscal imbalance between federal and provincial governments has led to specific initiatives targeting the province of Quebec. These initiatives have focused on creating a balance between the province and the federal government and thus changing the view on separatism by Quebecers. Neo-liberal forces have led to increased intergovernmental relations between Quebec and the federation and this has helped the province in mending its political culture of withdrawal. The neo-liberal direction taken by the federal government has necessitated a room for cooperation between Quebec and the federal states. Through this cooperation, a number of Quebec’s demands have b een satisfied and in the process ascertaining that federalism still works for the province of Quebec. The authors are right in assessing that placing more focus on Quebec’s economic development, prosperity and culture has ensured that the federal government has achieved to sell national unity to the province of Quebec. The author’s also contend that neo-liberalism in the federal government has allowed for keeping separatism off the agenda of Quebec. This is a correct assessment by the author’s. Historically, Quebec has always called for autonomy and independence off the federal government. The author’s provide a historical perspective from the 1940s and 1950s

Family ReResiliency Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Family ReResiliency Assessment - Essay Example Strong families solve problems with cooperation, creative brainstorming, and openness to others. (Walsh, 2006) A family's ability to recover from crisis is influenced by life stressors and by family perceptions. A family's goals, values, problem solving skills, and support networks impact its adaptation to long-term stress and crisis. Family resiliency includes characteristics, dimensions, and properties which help families to be resistant to disruption in the face of change and adaptive in the fact of crisis situations. (Walsh, 2006) Children and adults who learn the values and skills of resiliency will cope with stress, manage relationships, and contribute to others' lives more consistently than those without such strengths. This assignment asks me to explore my own family resiliency and to analyze our strengths and weaknesses. The question, at the end of this paper is "Are we resilient" I cannot say that the research I have completed on my family actually answers the question. I imagine that I am subconsciously biased in my presentation and accordingly, may not be capable of completing an untainted assessment. However, I can say that in the grand scheme of research our coping skills are appropriate. The father of my family is the one seated with power. He ultimately makes the rules and my mother conforms to it. While this does not fit in well with the American culture, it is a backboard of the Haitian Culture. (McGoldrick, 2005). I would consider my family to be over protective. I include myself in this label. We monitor each other as concerns what we feel are crucial life choices. This includes selecting friends, and intimate relationships. We also watch out for each other financially. My ability to help my family financially is a tremendous source of pride for me. (McGoldrick, 2005) Those who assist their family members with finances are highly respected in the Haitian culture. (McGoldrick, 2005). Indeed, when one family member cannot contribute financially to the family, it can see as a reason to break ties. (McGoldrick, 2005). Thankfully, I have not found myself in that situation. When each of us makes a life choice, it is discussed with the entire family. For example, taking this course as part of my education is something that was part of my family discussion. This is not to say that had they advised me, not to take this class that I would have followed their advice. Although we are protective with one another, we respect each other and respect the decisions, made by one another. Thus, if one of us made the wrong decision, my family would not throw it in one another's face and create conflict. Rather, they would say, "yes, you made a mistake, and you learned from it, now move on". I suppose I would liken my family to the Haitian proverb "During times of hunger, sweet potatoes have no skin". This proverb is meant to convey how my culture remains strong during times of adversity. (McGoldrick, 2005). We feel that as a family, we stick together and thus feed off of each