Men with Guns :: Films Movies Economics Feudalism Essays

Men with Guns Men With Guns is not so much a film about economic processes as it is a film about the effects of a certain economic system - feudalism. It is more a film about cultural and political processes than anything else, a film that deals in depth with the grave consequences of a country in Central or South America whose Indians are subjects to the knights - the â€Å"men with guns† - who control and terrorize their existence. Cultural processes can be defined as the creation, or transfer, of knowledge. It is the way in which the rules of an economic system are communicated. In Men with Guns, the rules of the feudal economic system are translated through the men themselves. The â€Å"sugar people† or the â€Å"corn people† know their place in society because the army or the guerrillas tell them what it is through force. Every Indian that the doctor meets tells him that they are subject to the men with guns, and that they are in control. As long as one has access to a gun, then that individual becomes a knight, no longer a feudal serf, and it does not matter if that person has began life as a white person or an Indian. Because the â€Å"men with guns† happen to be the army, the army acts as feudal knights, forcing the serfs to live in extreme poverty and fear of death, torturing who they like with no consequences, and moving entire villages. They are able to do this because of the political system in the rural part of the country. Political processes can be defined as the rules, or laws if they are established by a legitimate government, that are enforced within a political system. In the feudal system in â€Å"Men with Guns,† the rules are made by the army. In the feudal system, the rules are made legitimate purely through the ownership of firearms. It appears as though the people are helpless politically because the political system is the army. There is a feeling in the movie that two different political systems exist within the country, and that most definitely two different economic systems are present. The country can be split into two different cultures - the city and the rural areas. The city operates much like that of any other Western city, and the doctor appears to live with relative freedom and economic prosperity.

Concept of Phytoremediation

In recent years it has become clear that some environmental chemicals can cause risks to the developing embryo and fetus. Evaluating the developmental toxicity of environmental chemicals is now a prominent public health concern. The suspected association between TCE and congenital cardiac malformations warrants special attention because TCE is a common drinking water contaminant that is detected in water supplies throughout the U.S. and the world. There is a lot of concern about the clean up of toxic pollutants from the environment. Traditional methods for cleaning up contaminated sites such as dig and haul, pump and treat, soil venting, air sparging and others are generally harmful to habitats. Some methods strip the soil of vital nutrients and microorganisms, so nothing can grow on the site, even if it has been decontaminated. Typically these mechanical methods are also very expensive. Most of the remediation technologies that are currently in use are very expensive, relatively inefficient and generate a lot of waste, to be disposed of. Phytoremediation is a novel, efficient, environmentally friendly, low-cost technology, which uses plants and trees to clean up soil and water contaminated with heavy metals and/or organic contaminants such as solvents, crude oil, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and other toxic compounds from contaminated environments. This technology is useful for soil and water remediation. Phytoremediation uses one basic concept: the plant takes the pollutant through the roots. The pollutant can be stored in the plant (phytoextraction), volatized by the plant (phytovolatization), metabolized by the plant (phytodegradation), or any combination of the above. Phytoextraction is the uptake and storage of pollutants in the plants stem or leaves. Some plants, called hyperaccumulators, draw pollutants through the roots. After the pollutants accumulate in the stem and leaves the plants are harvested. Then plants can be either burned or sold. Even if the plants cannot be used, incineration and disposal of the plants is still cheaper than traditional remediation methods. As a comparison, it is estimated a site containing 5000 tons of contaminated soil will produce only 20-30 tons of ash (Black, 1995). This method is particularly useful when remediating metals. Some metals are also being recycled from the ash. Phytovolatization is the uptake and vaporization of pollutants by a plant. This mechanism takes a solid or liquid contaminant and transforms it to an airborne vapor. The vapor can either be the pure pollutant, or the plant can metabolize the pollutant before it is vaporized, as in the case of mercury, lead and selenium (Boyajian and Carriera, 1997; Black, 1995; Wantanbe, 1997). Phytodegradation is plants metabolizing pollutants. After the contaminant has been drawn into the plant, it assimilates into plant tissue, where the plant then degrades the pollutant. This metabolization by plant-derived enzymes such as nitrosedictase, laccase, dehalogenase, and nitrilase assimilates into plant tissue, where the plant then degrades the pollutant. This metabolization by plant-derived enzymes such as nitroredictase, laccase, dehalogenase, and nitrilase, has yet to be fully documented, but has been demonstrated in field studies (Boyajian and Carriera, 1997). The daughter compounds can be either volatized or stored in the plant. If the daughter compounds are relatively benign, the plants can still be used in traditional applications. The most effective current phytoremediation sites in practice combine these three mechanisms to clean up a site. For example, poplar trees can accumulate, degrade and volatize the pollutants in the remediation of organics. Phytoremediation is more than just planting and letting the foliage grow; the site must be engineered to prevent erosion and flooding and maximize pollutant uptake. There are 3 main planting techniques for phytoremediation. 1.Growing plants on the land, like crops. This technique is most useful when the contaminant is within the plant root zone, typically 3 – 6 feet (Ecological Engineering, 1997), or the tree root zone, typically 10-15 feet. 2.Growing plants in water (aquaculture). Water from deeper aquifers can be pumped out of the ground and circulated through a â€Å"reactor† of plants and then used in an application where it is returned to the earth (e.g. irrigation) 3.Growing trees on the land and constructing wells through which tree roots can grow. This method can remediate deeper aquifers in-situ. The wells provide an artery for tree roots to grow toward the water and form a root system in the capillary fringe. The majority of current research in the phytoremediation field revolves around determining which plant works most efficiently in a given application. Not all plant species will metabolize, volatize, and/or accumulate pollutants in the same manner. The goal is to ascertain which plants are most effective at remediating a given pollutant. Research has yielded some general guidelines for groundwater phytoremediation plants. The plant must grow quickly and consume large quantities of water in a short time. A good plant would also be able to remediate more than one pollutant because pollution rarely occurs as a single compound. Poplars and cottonwoods are being studied extensively because they can used as much as 25 to 350 gallons of water per day, and they can remediate a wide variety of organic compounds, including LNAPL’s. Phytoremediation has been shown to work on metals and moderately hydrophobic compounds such as BTEX compounds, chlorinated solvents, ammunition wastes, and nitrogen compounds. Yellow poplars are generally favored by Environmental Scientists for use in phytoremediation at this time. They can grow up to 15 feet per year and absorb 25 gallons of water a day. They have an extensive root system, and are resistant to everything from gypsy moths to toxic wastes. Partial listing of current remediation possibilities. Plant Chemicals Clean-up numbers Pondweed TNT & RDX 0.016-0.019 mg of TNT L per day Poplar Trees Atrazine 91% of the Atrazine taken up in 10 days Poplars Nitrates from fertilizers From 150 mg/L to 3 mg L in under 3yrs. Mustard Greens Lead 45% of the excess was removed Pennycress Zinc & Cadmium 108 lb./acre per year & 1.7 lb./acre per yr. Halophytes Salts reduced the salt levels in the soils by65% Advantages and Disadvantages to Phytoremediation: Advantages: ( www.rtdf.org/genlatst.htm) 1.Aesthetically pleasing and publicly accepted. 3.Works with metals and slightly hydrophobic compounds, including many organics. 4.Can stimulate bioremediation in the soil closely associated with the plant root. Plants can stimulate microorganisms through the release of nutrients and the transport of oxygen to their roots. 5.Relatively inexpensive – phytoremediation can cost as little as $10 – $100 per cubic yard whereas metal washing can cost $30 – $300 per cubic yard. 6.Even if the plants are contaminated and unusable, the resulting ash is approximately 20-30 tons per 5000 tons soil (Black, 1997). 7.Having ground cover on property reduces exposure risk to the community (i.e. lead). 8.Planting vegetation on a site also reduces erosion by wind and water. 9.Can leave usable topsoil intact with minimal environmental disturbance. 10.Generates recyclable metal rich plant residue. 11.Eliminates secondary air or water-borne wastes. 1.Can take many growing seasons to clean up a site. 2.Plants have short roots. They can clean up soil or groundwater near the surface in-situ, typically 3 – 6 feet (Ecological Engineering, 1997), but cannot remediate deep aquifers without further design work. 3.Trees have longer roots and can clean up slightly deeper contamination than plants, typically 10-15 feet, but cannot remediate deep aquifers without further design work . 4.Trees roots grow in the capillary fringe, but do not extend deep in to the aquifer. This makes remediating DNAPL’s in situ with plants and trees not recommended. 5.Plants that absorb toxic materials may contaminant the food chain. 6.Volatization of compounds may transform a groundwater pollution problem to an air pollution problem. 7.Returning the water to the earth after aquaculture must be permitted. 8.Less efficient for hydrophobic contaminants, which bind tightly to soil. 1) At the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, phytoremediation is being used to clean up trichloroethylene (TCE) from a shallow, thin aerobic aquifer. Cottonwoods are being used, and after 1 year, the trees are beginning to show signs of taking the TCE out of the aquifer. (Betts, 1997) 2) At the Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant, phytoremediation is being used as a polishing treatment for explosive-contaminated soil and groundwater. The demonstration, which ended in March, 1997, used native aquatic plant and hybrid poplars to remediate the site where an estimated 1-5% of the original pollutants still remain. A full-scale project is estimated to reduce the contamination by an order of magnitude (Betts, 1997). 3) After investigating using phytoremediation on a site contaminated with hydrocarbons, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management granted a site. The site involved about 1500 cubic yards of soil, and began with approximately 70% of the baseline samples containing over 100 PPM of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH). After 1 year of vegetative cover, approximately 83% of the samples contained less than 10-PPM TPH. 4) Phytoremediation was used at the decommissioned Detroit Forge plant to clean up approximately 5,800 cubic yards of lead-impacted soil. Two plantings were completed, the first using sunflowers and the second mustard plants. Following treatment, analysis indicated soil lead concentrations were below the target clean-up criteria. The project resulted in an estimated saving of $1,100,000 over hazardous waste disposal. 5) Water, soil, and trees transpired gases were monitored to track the fate of TCE. About 2-4% of the TCE remained in the effluent as compared to 68% in a non-vegetated control group. The field trial demonstrated that over 95% of TCE were removed by planting trees and letting them grow. Additional studies showed that the trees did not release TCE into the air, as no measurable TCE was present in the air immediately surrounding the leaves (captured in small leaf bags and analyzed) or in the general atmosphere (using a laser technology that can see TCE in the air in the tree canopy). Phytoremediation is an aesthetically pleasing, solar-energy driven, and passive technique that can be used at sites with low to moderate levels of contamination. Phytoremediation is more than just planting and letting the foliage grow; the site must be engineered to prevent erosion and flooding and maximize pollutant uptake. Currently, the majority of research is concentrated on determining the best plant for the job, quantifying the mechanisms by which the plants convert pollutants, and determining which contaminants are amenable to phytoremediation. Polluted sites are being studied, and phytoremediation looks promising for a variety of contaminants.

Racism As Poor Treatment Of Or Violence - 4883 Words

Racism Webster defines racism as poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race and the belief that some races of people are better than others, this leads to the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capabilities and that racial differences produce a superiority in a particular race. (Webster) With modern thinking and understanding we now know that this is truly not the case. Even in today s society we still have a racial bias towards groups of people. In a classic study a group of people were shown a photograph with a white man fighting another white man who had a knife. After shown the photograph people were able to identify the correct person wielding the knife. When shown another†¦show more content†¦The rationale for the enslavement of other races was based on the bible surprisingly, the slave traders would interpret the book of Genesis, by saying Ham had committed a sin against his father Noah, and he had condemned his bla ck descendants to become servants unto servants. When Virginia decided in 1667 that slaves could be kept in bondage, not because they were actual heathens but because they had heathen ancestry, the justification for black servitude was changed from religious status to something approaching race. Beginning in the late seventeenth century, laws were passed in North America forbidding marriage between whites and blacks and discriminating against the mixed offspring of informal marriages. Without clearly saying so, such laws implied that blacks were inferior. Eighteenth century ethnologists subdivided people into three to five races, usually considered as varieties of a single human species. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, however, an increasing number of writers, especially those defending slavery, believed that the races constituted separate species. (Frederickson 2003) The Nineteenth century was an age of emancipation, nationalism, and imperialism, all of which contributed to the growth of racism in Europe and the United States. Although the freeing of blacks from

Dew Point Temperature An Overview

The air at any given temperature is capable of holding a certain amount of water vapor. When that maximum amount of water vapor is reached, that is referred to as saturation. This is also known as 100% relative humidity. When this is achieved, the temperature of the air has reached the dew point temperature. It is also called the condensation temperature. The dew point temperature can never be higher than the air temperature. Said another way, the dew point temperature is the temperature at which the air must become cooled in order to become completely saturated with water vapor. If the air is cooled to the dew point temperature, it will become saturated, and condensation will begin to form. This could be in the form of clouds, dew, fog, mist, frost, rain, or snow. Condensation: Dew and Fog The dew point temperature is what causes dew to form on the grass in the morning. The morning, just before sunrise, is the lowest air temperature of the day, so it is the time when the dew point temperature is most likely to be reached. The moisture evaporating into the air from the soil saturates the air around the grass. When the temperature of the grass surface hits the dew point, moisture comes out of the air and condenses on the grass. High in the sky where the air cools to the dew point, evaporated moisture becomes clouds. At ground level, its fog when a layer of mist forms at a point just off the ground surface, and its the same process. Evaporated water in the air reaches the dew point at that low elevation, and condensation occurs. Humidity Heat Index Humidity is a measurement of how saturated the air is with water vapor. It is a ratio between what the air has in it and how much it can hold, expressed as a percentage. You can use dew point temperatures to help determine how humid the air is. A dew point temperature close to the actual temperature means that the air is quite full of water vapor and thus very humid. If the dew point is significantly lower than the air temperature, the air is dry and can still hold much additional water vapor. Generally, a dew point at or lower than 55 F is comfortable but more than 65 F feels oppressive. When you have a high temperature and a high humidity level or dew point, you have a higher heat index as well. For example, it may only be 90 F, but it actually feels like 96 because of the high humidity. The Dew Point vs. the Frost Point The warmer the air, the more water vapor it can hold. The dew point on a warm and humid day can be fairly high, in the 70s F or in the 20s C. On a dry and cool day, the dew point can be quite low, approaching freezing. If the dew point is below freezing (32 F or 0 C), we instead use the term frost point.

Operations Management - Hazel and Hazel Revisited

Case overview This case is about Hazel, an employee that has worked for a Fortune 500 company for nearly 15 years. She suddenly finds herself unemployed and in need of a job. After many months of searching for employment unsuccessfully, she began to mow the lawns of her neighbors for income while she continued to look for employment. When she failed to gain employment, she decided to go into business for herself maintaining neighborhood lawns. In the beginning, the business was slow, but once the word got out about her lawn service business, she began to obtain many clients. Hazel believed that she could earn a living from her new business and eventually hired 2 part-time employees. Case relevance to operations†¦show more content†¦Without quality work being done customers will not retain her services and her business will go under. e. What kinds of maintenance must be performed? Some types of maintenance that will be performed are equipment maintenance and possibly vehicle maintenance. 3. What are some of the trade-offs that Hazel probably considered relative to: a. Working for a company instead of for herself? Some of the trade-offs that Hazel probably considered relative to working for a company is having her own schedule, not having to answer to anyone but her customers. Other trade-offs are covering her own insurance policy, handling company taxes and payroll duties. Another trade off that Hazel may have considered is incorporating her business and creating franchising opportunities. b. Expanding the business? Some of the trade-offs of expanding the business is having the business grow too quickly where she can’t handle the demand. The company will grow and she will have to expand her employees and possibly cut into potential profits with the employee increase. If she doesn’t expand the business she may open the door for competitors to come in and take over her market. c. Launching a Web site? For launching a website Hazel will have to consider is a website necessary for the size of territory she is currently covering. Another consideration for Hazel would to possibly update the website and think of its cost to maintain. 4. The town isShow MoreRelatedTesco and Globalization3575 Words   |  14 Pagesregional development effort anchored in immediate feedback and measurable results (Goodman, Zammuto, Gifford, 2001). Tesco is unique in that they strive to have regional and local requirements permeate and drive the priorities of supply chain strategy (Hazel, 2010) instead of taking the WalMart strategy of relying purely on economies of scale for global expansion (Christopherson, 2007). Tesco has in fact learned from the mistakes of WalMart at globalization. This is exemplified in how effectively the companyRead MoreInternational Management67196 Words   |  269 PagesThis page intentionally left blank International Management Culture, Strategy, and Behavior Eighth Edition Fred Luthans University of Nebraska–Lincoln Jonathan P. Doh Villanova University INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT: CULTURE, STRATEGY, AND BEHAVIOR, EIGHTH EDITION Published by McGraw-Hill, a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Copyright  © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Previous editions  © 2009Read More The War in Iraq Being an Oil Currency War Essay4124 Words   |  17 Pagescould potentially reduce future oil currency and oil warfare. The essay ends with a reflection and critique of current US economic and foreign policies. What happens in the 2004 US elections will have a large impact on the 21st century. Revisited -- The Real Reasons for the Upcoming War With Iraq: A Macroeconomic and Geostrategic Analysis of the Unspoken Truth If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be . . . The People cannot be safe withoutRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesKin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American

Discuss One environmental problem facing cities and outline some solutions free essay sample

Discuss One environmental problem facing cities and outline some solutions The issue of a severe problem called solid waste in Manila and Beijing is becoming a matter of concern. Causes of numerous waste aroused widespread attention. Therefore, the solution to reduce greenhouse gas emission from solid waste management can be regional and international (Ooi, 2009, p.189). It seems that waste has become an important part of the environmental problem in cities. Waste can be divided into two distinct parts, hazardous waste and non-hazardous waste, and the non-hazardous waste is consisted of municipal solid waste, industrial waste and some other types (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). Because of the large amount of waste, government needs to spend more human and financial resources. Therefore, some additional environmental problems in cities are related to waste, such as air pollution, water pollution and the greenhouse effect. This article will introduce the causes of municipal solid waste, industrial waste and hazardous waste, and some effective prevention methods to solve these problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss One environmental problem facing cities and outline some solutions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The spawning of municipal solid waste, which including residents living garbage, hospital waste and commercial waste, building waste, leads to the most serious problem. Most of human behaviour could cause the growth of solid waste. Materials which are thrown away by citizens, such as the product bottles, food scraps, newspapers and batteries are the direct causes of solid waste. Consequently, effective methods need to be implemented. The most direct method is to decrease the amount of waste. To perform the principle of waste prevention, the society should focus on the recycling and collecting, which means to withdraw useful and organic materials, then turn these items into new products. This method could reduce the needs of raw materials. In addition, waste can be used as a resource and it will be economical use (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). Manufacturing and industrial procedure are the most direct cause of industrial waste. Stone tools and sickles are difficult to be seen in current-day, because in factories, up-to-the minute production lines that produce numbers of waste per day are used as a substitute for wood and stone. To show an example, by 1990 the amount of industrial waste has raised  up to 265 million tons, which is a shocking figure to the public (Waste Industries, 2013). Hence, the city government should provide a convenient environment for factory managers and convince them that they should undertake the environmental responsibility. Meanwhile, managers should comply with the principle of recycling industrial waste. Therefore, waste management issues in cities should be people-oriented (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). Hugo (2012) stated †Some industrial waste management services companies even emphasize on understanding clients’ industrial processes that produce waste and then supplying the tools for deterring accurate chemical and physical properties.† In addition, hazardous waste is damaged in both human health and the city environment. Solvents, electroplating wastes, heavy metals, and acids, which all produced by laboratory and chemical plant in cities cause substantial accumulation of hazardous waste. In agriculture, citizens’ non-standard behavior of using pesticides can lead to the generation of hazardous waste. Moreover, non-standard behavior in city life can also cause the creation of hazardous waste, such as batteries and some items containing heavy metal thrown away by citizens (Harris et al, n.d.). Thus, cities should take some actions to reduce producing hazardous waste. In industries, numbers of methods need to be done. For instance, melt materials like batteries can be recycled. To recover resource and lean production, Harris (n.d.) claimed â€Å"Zinc can be gathered from smelting furnaces. Used oil, hydraulic fluids, refrigerator compressors and more can be taken from cars and fridges.† Citizens should pay attention to establishing especial collection facilities in cities. Considering the problem of land, the city government needs to find a suitable place in the city where could offer special disposal of toxic waste (Harris et al, n.d.). In recent years, the number of waste becomes a growing tendency, which is a common phenomenon, has aroused wide concern in cities. The causes of waste are the spawning of Municipal Solid Waste, industrial activities and citizens’ and industries’ non-standard behavior. What is more, to decrease the amount of waste, citizens should standardize their behavior and use waste as a resource, and managers should release their environmental responsibility so that factories could reduce the discharge of industrial waste. Government needs to establish especial collection facilities in cities and find a suitable place for toxic waste. In conclusion, the whole society should pay close attention to the problem of recycling and reducing. Citizens of the future may be more environmentally conscious than people in the current society.

Starbucks Coffee Company Research Paper Example

Starbucks Coffee Company Paper Starbucks had a humble beginning with one small store front in 1971 at the famous Pike’s Place in Seattle, Washington. The inspiration for Starbucks came from Peet’s Coffee and Tea who started importing fine Arabica beans from around the world (Arthur, 1999). At that time Starbucks had a simple mission of providing the world’s finest fresh roasted coffee to its customers, and it worked. A decade later in 1981, Howard Schultz, now Chairman, President and CEO, had entered Starbucks and was instantly captivated. For over a year, Howard pursued employment at Starbucks, wanting the job far more than Starbucks wanted him. Eventually, he convinced the three partners to take him on as head of marketing. He soon hung up his high profile New York City position and moved to Seattle. He quickly gained acceptance, knowledge and experience in all aspect of the coffee business. Howard’s trip to Italy a year later would change that one small store into the global corporation it has become today. He was be taken by the warmth and connectivity local Italians shared at their coffee bars, and wanted to combine the great coffee with the closeness of the community. After having a cafe latte, he concluded it was the perfect drink and no one in America knows about it. Upon returning, he had growing frustration as the owners did not want to leave the retail business for the beverage business. A year later, once the sixth store was open did Howard get his espresso bar? It was a huge success, but he could not convince the owners to expand the beverage business to the other stores. He left Starbucks to create his own coffee shop il Giornale with the financial help of Jerry Baldwin. He used Starbuck’s coffee to brew espresso and coffee beverages. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Coffee Company specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Coffee Company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Coffee Company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Soon II Giornale’s three stores had annual sales of $1. 5 Million. In 1987, Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker decided it was time to sell Starbucks and Howard knew this was his opportunity. He was able to obtain the $3. 8 Million in capital to purchase Starbucks. This acquisition started the chain of quick expansion for Starbucks. By the late 1980’s, Starbucks had a few years of unprofitability as the stock market had crashed in October of 87. Howard relentlessly pushed forward, battling with his board to better the company and continue expansion. By 1991, the financial performance had improved and Starbucks went on to introduce their â€Å"bean stock. † This was an employee stock option plan that all employees working more than 20 hours per week were granted 12 percent of their base pay with stock options (Arthur, 1999). These generous fringe and higher than average pay allowed for Starbucks to retain highly motivated and talented baristas. In 1992 Starbucks went public with one of the most successful IPOs of the year. This allowed for Starbucks to pursue their three year geographic expansion plan. They achieved their plan by opening a large store in a major city that acted as a hub. A team of professionals were located in the â€Å"hub† and were task with the opening, support, and development of 20 or more stores around the hub store (Arthur, 1999). To grow internationally, Starbucks sought out license agreements with local companies. In 1996, they made their first international expansion into Japan and Singapore. They identify reputable companies that had experience in retailing and strong local knowledge. Through their aggressive expansion strategy combined with their model to be a connected member of the neighborhood, they have stores in 61 countries and 18,066 shops. They have successful just launched the acquisition into India with the first stores opened in Mumbai in 2012. Starbucks has a diverse beverage product line. Their core business is fresh roasted Arabica coffee, and espresso beverages. From this base, Starbucks continue to innovate their beverage offering based on consumer’s wants where they offer a range of smoothies, teas and chocolate beverages. With tea being a substitute for coffee, they had acquired Tazo Tea and most recently Teavanna. They have expanded their food offering in every store with an emphasis on healthy options. Through a partnership with Pepsi bottling, Starbucks entered the soft drink retail business with bottled Frappuccino and other coffee drinks. The entered the instant home brewing market with the launch of the Starbucks K-Cups. They continue to grow their merchandising and equipment business. Starbucks have a diverse line of merchandise from coffee accessories to music that is played in the stores. They retail all the equipment necessary to properly brew coffee from home, and sell their fresh roasted coffee. Not just a coffee shop and retailer, Starbucks realized its strength and advantage came from motivated baristas who would positively engage customers. The baristas are the face of Starbucks, and to cultivate the Italian espresso bar image, Starbucks had to develop engaged employees. Starbucks is very committed to quality and the image of Starbucks that is why Starbucks does not operate any franchises. At the end of 2012, Starbucks had a total of 18,066 stores of which 9,405 were company owned and 8,661 were licensed stores. The mix of company owned stores and licensed stores allow Starbucks to retain authority while accessing difficult markets and reducing costs. Starbucks classifies its stores into a three-region structure which includes: 1) Americas; 2) Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and 3) China/Asia Pacific. As of September 30, 2012, Starbucks had 7,857; 882; and 666 stores opened in each region respectfully. Under their licensed agreements, Starbucks had 5,046; 987; and 2,628 stores respectfully in each region (Form 10k). Overall the licensed agreements accounted for 9 percent of total revenue in 2012. Since 2009, Starbucks have seen a rapid and steady increase in their stock price. From the low of $8. 45 per share to the recent value of $65. 11 per share as of June 24th, Starbucks is trading just under its 52 week high. Starbucks is financial sound, producing steady cash from operations indicating steady demand and innovation. Consolidated revenues for 201 were $13. 3 billion which is an increase of 13. 7 percent from 2012 revenues of $11. 7 billion. From the $13. 3 billion, company-owned stores contributed 79. 2%; licensed stores – 9. %; and CPG food serveries contributed 11. 7% (Form 10K). Starbucks has been making financial improvements to its operating income which is up 40% since 2010. Their net income is also up 46% since 2010. With this increase only brings marginal performance increase. The operating margin for 2012 was 15% up from 13% in 2010. This has only seen slight improvements due to the volatility in the commodity markets and high costs of operating the stores. Starbucks has been steadily improving and that have estimated a revenue increase of 10 to 13 percent for 2013. They continue to develop and expand their channel development line which includes K-Cups and bottled coffee and tea drinks. They will see a steady increase in revenue from their licensed stores as-well-as their company owned stores. Their stock is estimated to appreciate into the low $70 per share range for 2013. Starbucks faces extensive competition on their coffee beverage business from quick-service restaurants and specialty coffee shops. As more local coffee shops open, they pressure the sales of existing Starbucks. Dunkin Donuts has set its sight on Starbucks, and has rebranded them a beverage company. By 2015 they plan to have opened 15,000 stores west of the Mississippi with a large portion of those stores operating in California (O’Connor, 2013). In distribution and sale of coffee and premade coffee products, Starbucks faces completion from nationwide coffee manufacturers. Kraft Foods is the supplier of Maxwell house and Procter and Gamble is the parent company of Folgers brand coffee. Recently Starbucks had a deal fall through with Kraft over the distribution of coffee to supermarkets. Schultz’s vision to create a company with soul derived the basis of Starbucks competitive advantage. Schultz’s dream to treat every employee with respect and to do better for the community became a way of life for Starbucks through good and bad financial times. Through extensive employee training and involvement, Starbucks developed actively engaged baristas that exceeds customers’ expectations of their coffee shops. Every new hire receives 24 hours of training within the first two to four weeks. They learn how to address and engage the customer, brew the perfect cup, and properly handle the coffee. Starbucks coffee line is hand chosen from around the world. Starbucks strives for the highest standard in the coffee industry and bypasses the coffee commodity market. They enter into fix-price contracts to secure their supply. This also allows Starbucks to exert considerable power of farmers to rely on the accuracy of the fair trade agreements. The stores ambiance of Starbucks is critically important to driving the culture and experiences at the coffee shop. Starbucks developed their own internal team of architects and designers to ensure that each store would convey the right image and character (Arthur, 1999). The company went to great lengths to make sure the store fixtures, the merchandise displays, the colors, the artwork, the banners, the music, and the aromas all blended to create a consistent, inviting, stimulating environment that evoked the romance of coffee, that signaled the companys passion for coffee, and that rewarded customers with ceremony, stories, and surprise (Arthur, 1999). Soon the cost of opening a new store became highly undesirable. Starbucks responded by centralizing buying which allowed them to realize a discount of 20 to 30 percent on orders from vendors. They focused on the equipment that was absolutely necessary for a successful new launch and employed a just in time management system on materials. This significantly cut costs and lowered store development time from 24 to 18 weeks. Through innovation Starbucks continues to remain competitive. Schultz’s built a company where employees can freely, without repercussions, submit ideas and comments about any aspect of the business. Through technological change, Starbucks have captured and stayed true to their promise of coffee and connectedness. Through digital applications, customers can pay for their order by using their phone to enhance the experience of their 14. 6 million loyalty card members. They adapt to consumer preferences and delivered Starbucks K-cups, a lighter roast coffee, and Starbucks refreshers. A constant problem that Starbucks faces is the increased competition from specialty coffee shops around the country. These shops possess a great threat to Starbucks because they specialize in fair trade organic coffee, but have a reputation of being the small business. Starbucks have been able to maintain a competitive edge over the small local coffee shop through their support of the â€Å"hub† system, high traffic locations, and Starbucks mission. The â€Å"hub† system allows for a highly talented team to quickly react to changes in the local market and satisfy consumers. The highly visible and high traffic locations make for convenience when consumers are in a rush on their daily routine. Starbucks involvement in the community through their extensive corporate social responsibility programs makes Starbucks seem like the local coffee shop. Starbucks Coffee Company (Starbucks) has five major stakeholder groups: customers, partners (employees), community / â€Å"neighbors,† suppliers and shareholders. Customers – Starbucks is incredibly dedicated to its customer base and emphasizes the human connection. Starbucks aims to, â€Å"connect with, laugh with, and uplift† (Starbucks mission statement) its customers, even though the customer interaction time is short. Partners (employees) – Starbucks does not simply call its employees, ‘employees,’ but rather partners because it is not just a job, but a passion (mission statement). Everyone within the organization â€Å"treats each other with respect and dignity. † All partners can feel comfortable being themselves because Starbucks is a place that embraces everyone’s individuality. Community / â€Å"Neighbors† – Starbucks has an extensive program around social responsibility and corporate citizenship. Starbucks believe that it should â€Å"have a positive impact on the communities it serves, one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. † (http://www. starbucks. com/responsibility) Suppliers – As part of its community and neighbor focus, Starbucks is passionate about ethically sourcing its coffee beans and â€Å"improving the ives of people who grow them. † (Mission Statement). Starbucks also makes it a point to work with suppliers that share the same vision of social responsibility. If a supplier is not meeting expectations, Starbucks will work with that supplier to make the necessary changes. Shareholders – Starbucks believes that if it can deliver in all of the above mentioned areas that it will be successful and be able to reward its shareholders. It wants its shareholder to â€Å"endure and thrive† (mission statement). Conflict among stakeholders can arise during changing economic conditions, specifically when suppliers are forced to raise prices. This increase in expense for Starbucks can translate into charging higher prices for its products. Customers may be turned off and change their habits and purchase their morning coffee from a competitor. This in turn will affect the financial success of the company and negatively impact the return to shareholders. (Annual report) However, interestingly enough coffee prices are actually falling but Starbucks has decided to increase its prices for certain products, as much as 10 cents. The shareholders will benefit from the extra money to the bottom line, but customers will be unhappy and may feel as though they are being taken advantage of. Table 1 (below), displays Starbucks’ top-management hierarchy, much in the same way the Jones text does in Figure 2. 1 (Jones, p. 38). Starbucks is a publically traded company so its shareholders are the legal owners of the organization. To oversee its governance structure, Starbucks’ Board of Directors adopted governance principles, committee charters and policies that guide the company to stay committed to its mission and maintain its uncompromising principles as it grows (corporate governance). The Board of Directors is also accountable for monitoring and evaluating the corporate-level management team that is responsible for Starbuck’s overall vision, strategic planning and goal-setting. Starbucks’ executive team is led by company founder and CEO, Howard Shultz. Schultz’s top-management team is made up of 14 executives that set strategy and oversee specific geographic areas (Americas, Asia, Africa, etc. ) and company functions like marketing, public affairs, community involvement, digital business, global strategy, and global coffee. Following down the chain of command are managers in line roles that are specifically responsible for the production of coffee in six roasting plants, and managers in staff roles that are responsible for overseeing specific organizational functions like communications, design, engineering finance, green coffee and tea management ,marketing, operations, procurement, quality, research and development, sales, social responsibility and supply chain management. Beyond the central functions are the divisional and functional management teams that oversee Starbucks’ 18,066 (annual report) company-operated and licensed stores throughout the world. In succession, regional directors oversee district managers that oversee store managers that supervise assistant store managers that supervise assistant store managers that oversee shift supervisors and baristas. Each position has its own responsibilities for meeting financial, management and customer service goals. One of the most important positions is probably that of the barista, as those partners are the face of Starbucks interacting with customers and create that personalized and unique customer experience.