Aspects of a Sonnet Essay - 2511 Words

Aspects of a Sonnet Explore aspects of the sonnet tradition through reference to a range of material you have studied? A sonnet is a 14-line poem with each line having 10 syllables. It originated in the 13th century and was introduced into England in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Wyatt. The Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet characteristically consists of an eight-line octave, rhyming abbaabba, that states a problem, asks a question, or expresses an emotional tension, followed by a six-line sestet, of varying rhyme schemes, that resolves the problem, answers the question, or resolves the tension. The rhyme scheme for the sestet is cdecde. For instance, Wilfred Owen uses the first eight-lines to describe how deaths at war†¦show more content†¦The question of whether Shakespeare was a bi-sexual has never been answered. Shakespeare uses very emotive words in his sonnets, which captures you amongst the words and involves the readers mind, body and soul. For instance in his famous sonnet Shall I compare theeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦?, Shakespeare compares someone to the beauty of nature, thus his first line and the title of the sonnet. He uses a rhetorical question to inhibit the fact that he knows the answer himself and needs no one to confirm it. Shall I Compare thee to a summers day? (Sonnet XVl l l, line 1) The sonnet describes of how summer only last for a short time therefore the sonnet could have been implying that the beauty of this person is only temporary. However he crushes this idea with the lines: But thy eternall Sommer shall not fade (Sonnet XVl l l, line 9) Nor loose possession of that faire thou owst (Sonnet XVl l l, line 10) Shakespeare portrays his love in this sonnet by giving it a sense of immortality and suggesting it is eternal. He indicates that the only enemy in love is time therefore why he portrays his love as timeless. Although he is not talking from experience his poems still exert a sense of realism in his words of wisdom. The language and imagery used in many of his sonnets leave an impressionable mark on the reader as his belief in love boils over the top in his sonnet, Shall I compare thee? His exaggeration in theShow MoreRelatedAspects of Poetry931 Words   |  4 Pagesto explain the aspects of poetry to you all, I thought I would break the mini lesson down into two parts. It will help you understand the differences between a poem and a sonnet, and will make it easier to absorb all of the components involved. First we will start with a sonnet. Let’s start by talking about just what a sonnet is. â€Å"Before Shakespeare’s day, the word â€Å"sonnet† meant simply â€Å"little song,† i.e., a short lyric poem† (poetry.about.com, 2010). By the 1200’s, the sonnet had come to be knownRead MoreThe English Sonnet768 Words   |  4 PagesThe English Sonnet The sonnet is the most important, as it is the most perfect, of all modern lyric forms (Reed, 119). Although the sonnet made a relatively late appearance in English literature, it has become a staple in the lyrical expression of private emotions. The sonnet has been used by every poet from Petrarch, who created the original Italian sonnet, to Shakespeare, who reinvented the sonnets form. Because the Italian, or Petrarchan, sonnet is the original form, it is the legitimateRead MoreHoly Sonnet 10 By John Donne1607 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Donne, Holy Sonnet 10 (page 1412) John Donne presented â€Å"Holy Sonnet 10† in a very phenomenal way. Within the fourteen lines, one can really dig deep into the message that Donne is trying to portray. The reader can really read between the lines and receive something different each time this sonnet is read. I believe that is what Donne tried to do when writing â€Å"Holy Sonnet 10.† This is a sonnet that one must read more than once to really become intrigued within the meaning Donne tries toRead MoreEssay about Copmaring Shakespeares Sonnets 116 and 1471489 Words   |  6 PagesCopmaring Shakespeares Sonnets 116 and 147 Light/Dark. Comfort/Despair. Love/Hate. These three pairs of words manage to sum up William Shakespeares Sonnet 116 and Sonnet 147, while also demonstrating the duality of Shakespeares heart. Sonnet 116 reveals to a careful reader the aspects of Shakespeares concept of what ideal love is. However, Sonnet 147 shows the danger of believing in this ideal form of love. These two sonnets perfectly complement and clarify each otherRead MoreMessages Of Charlotte Turner Smith1476 Words   |  6 PagesJaquelin Govea Professor Patterson English IV DC 7 25 March 2015 Messages of Charlotte Turner Smith Charlotte Turner Smith was a poet and novelist during the time of English Romanticism. She began the revival of the English sonnet and wrote political novels of deep feeling. Smith was a successful writer, publishing ten novels, three books of poetry, four children s books, and other assorted works, over the course of her career. She always felt poetry was her calling although she excelled inRead MoreEdna St. Vincent Millay s Sonnet Iv1122 Words   |  5 PagesEdna St. Vincent Millay’s â€Å"Sonnet IV† is a sonnet spoken from the point of view of a woman who is permitting herself to remember an old lover over the duration of her cigarette. The poem is set up through the classical structure of a Petrarchan sonnet and shares the topic of a lost lover. The octave follows the course of the dream, which takes the form of smoke and shadows. The volta marks the end of the cigarette and the dream, but the speaker still continues her memories in the sestet to followRead MoreS hakespearen Sonnets Essay883 Words   |  4 PagesShakespearen Sonnets William Shakespeare is one of the most famous authors of all times. His works span a wide range of formats, styles, and themes. While best known for plays, such as the tragedy Romeo and Juliet, he was also a composer of poetry. To many people, these poems constitute the greatest of Shakespeares accomplishments. They were often highly emotional in nature, and dealt with timeless ideas such as beauty, love, and death. Each one of the poems is unique. Yet for allRead MoreAnalysis Of Poem Anthem For Doomed Youth By Wilfred Owen And Trench Duty927 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history, wars have been an important factor affecting many people’s lives. The two sonnets â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† by Wilfred Owen and â€Å"Trench Duty† by Siegfried Sassoon are two tales inspired by their experiences fighting in WW1 and all the horrors that war made them experience. Both poets use different sonnet structures, yet convey quite similar messages. In addition, th ese poets develop powerful images and metaphors, but in subtly different ways. Sassoon and Owen use structure, imageryRead MoreA Comparison of Shakespeares Sonnets 116 and 1301354 Words   |  5 PagesComparison of Shakespeares Sonnets 116 and 130 Shakespeare examines love in two different ways in Sonnets 116 and 130. In the first, love is treated in its most ideal form as an uncompromising force (indeed, as the greatest force in the universe); in the latter sonnet, Shakespeare treats love from a more practical aspect: it is viewed simply and realistically without ornament. Yet both sonnets are justifiable in and of themselves, for neither misrepresents love or speaks of it slightingly. IndeedRead MoreThe Significance of Shakespeares Regards Toward His Mistress in Sonnet 130918 Words   |  4 PagesThe Significance of Shakespeares Regards toward his Mistress in Sonnet 130 Sonnet 130 compares William Shakespeare’s mistress to typical, natural beauty; each time drawing attention to his mistress’ obvious imperfections. He addresses her as if she cannot compare to the ideal appearances women are expected to look like in that of the natural world. The comparisons Shakespeare addresses highlight aspects of nature, such as snow (3)or coral (2) yet; each comparison proves to be unflatteringly

Clinical Case Formulation Kay Redfield Jamison And...

Clinical Case Formulation: Kay Redfield Jamison and Bipolar (Manic-Depressive) Disorder Kay Redfield Jamison is a caucasian female who is a professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University. She is currently 70 years old and published her novel An Unquiet Mind about her bipolar disorder in 1995. Her father was an Air Force officer, who eventually struggled with alcoholism, depression, and anger issues after the family moved to California. Her sister also has struggled with mental illness, likely bipolar disorder as well. Her mother and brother both do not suffer from any kind of mental illness. As a child, her and her family often travelled to a variety of military bases due to her father’s service. She lived in Washington for a†¦show more content†¦82)This emphasizes the book’s point of saying that some criteria are â€Å"abnormally increased activity or energy,† and â€Å"flight of ideas or subjective impression that thoughts are racing,† (Kring et al. 2016, p. 140). She mentions that during these episodes that her friends would tell her to slow down (Jamison 1995, p. 37). This can also be considered as the symptom characterized by unusual talkativeness and rapid speech (Kring et al. 2016, p. 140). According to the textbook, a decreased need for sleep also characterizes mania, which Jamison often refers to, saying that â€Å"Decreased sleep is both a symptom of mania and a cause,† (Jamison 1995, p. 69). During her manic episodes, Jamison also had a tendency to dress provocatively and overspend money, which the DSM-5 characterizes as â€Å"excessive involvement in activities that are likely to have painful consequences, such as reckless spending, sexual indiscretions, or unwise business investments,† (Kring et al. 2016, p. 140). She also mentions that during one of her manias, she bought snakebite kits because â€Å"God had chose me, and apparently only me, to alert the world to the wild prolifer ation of killer snakes in the Promised Land,† (Jamison 1995, p. 76), which can be classified as the DSM-5 criteria â€Å"increased self-esteem; belief that one has special talents, powers, or abilities,† (Kring et al. 2016, p. 140). As for her depressive

Case Study of Starbucks Free Essays

string(140) " shop market in Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America \(Table 1\) and these regions make strong revenue contributions \(Table 2\)\." When the announcement was made in mid 2008 that Starbucks would be closing nearly three-quarters of its 84 Australian stores there was mixed reaction. Some people were shocked, others were triumphant. Journalists used every pun in the book to create a sensational headline, and it seemed everyone had a theory as to what went wrong. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study of Starbucks or any similar topic only for you Order Now This case outlines the astounding growth and expansion of the Starbucks brand worldwide, including to Australia. It then shifts focus to describe the extent of the store closures in Australia, before offering several reasons for the failure and lessons that others might learn from the case. . Background Founded in 1971, Starbucks’ first store was in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. By the time it went public in 1992, it had 140 stores and was expanding at a breakneck pace, with a growing store count of an extra 40-60% a year. Whilst former CEO Jim Donald claimed that â€Å"we don’t want to take over the world†, during the 1990s and early 2000s, Starbucks were opening on average at least one store a day (Palmer, 2008). In 2008 it was claimed to be opening seven stores a day worldwide. Not surprisingly, Starbucks is now the largest coffee chain operator in the world, with more than 15,000 stores in 44 countries, and in 2007, accounted for 39% of the world’s total specialist coffee house sales (Euromonitor, 2008a). In North America alone, it serves 50 million people a week, and is now an indelible part of the urban landscape. But just how did Starbucks become such a phenomenon? Firstly, it successfully Americanised the European coffee tradition – something no other coffee house had done previously. Before Starbucks, coffee in its current form (latte, frappacino, mocha, etc. ) was alien to most US consumers. Secondly, Starbucks did not just sell coffee – it sold an experience. As founding CEO Howard Schultz explained, â€Å"We are not in the coffee business serving people, we’re in the people business serving coffee† (Schultz and Yang, 1997). This epitomised the emphasis on customer service such as making eye contact and greeting each customer within 5 seconds, cleaning tables promptly and remembering the names of regular customers. From inception, Starbucks’ purpose was to reinvent a commodity with a sense of romance, atmosphere, sophistication and sense of community (Schultz and Yang, 1997). Next, Starbucks created a ‘third place’ in people’s lives – somewhere between home and work where they could sit and relax. This was a novelty in the US where in many small towns cafe culture consisted of filter coffee on a hot plate. In this way, Starbucks positioned itself to not only sell coffee, but also offer an experience. It was conceived as a lifestyle cafe. The establishment of the cafe as a social hub, with comfortable chairs and music has been just as important a part of the Starbucks brand as its coffee. All this came with a premium price. While people were aware that the beverages at Starbucks were more expensive than at many cafes, they still frequented the outlets as it was a place ‘to see and be seen’. In this way, the brand was widely accepted and became, to an extent, a symbol of status, and everyone’s must-have accessory on their way to work. So, not only did Starbucks revolutionise how Americans drank coffee, it also revolutionised how much people were prepared to pay. Consistency of product across stores, and even national boundaries, has been a hallmark of Starbucks. Like McDonald’s, Starbucks claims that a customer should be able to visit a store anywhere in the world and buy a coffee exactly to specification. This sentiment is echoed by Mark Ring, CEO of Starbucks Australia who stated â€Å"consistency is really important to our customers †¦ a consistency in the product . . . he overall experience when you walk into a cafe . . . the music . . . the lighting . . . the furniture . . . the person who is working the bar†. So, whilst there might be slight differences between Starbucks in different countries, they all generally look the same and offer the same product assortment. One way this is ensured is by insisting that all managers and partners (employees) undergo 13 weeks of training – not j ust to learn how to make a coffee, but to understand the nuances of the Starbucks brand (Karolefski, 2002) and how to deliver on its promise of a service experience. The Starbucks formula also depends on location and convenience. Starbucks have worked under the assumption that people are not going to visit unless it’s convenient, and it is this assumption that underlies their highly concentrated store coverage in many cities. Typically, clusters of outlets are opened, which has the effect of saturating a neighbourhood with the Starbucks brand. Interestingly, until recently, they have not engaged in traditional advertising, believing their large store presence and word-ofmouth to be all the advertising and promotion they need. Starbucks’ management believed that a distinctive and memorable brand, a product that made people ‘feel good’ and an enjoyable delivery channel would create repeat business and customer loyalty. Faced with near-saturation conditions in the US – by 2007 it commanded 62% of the specialist coffee shop market in North America (Table 1 ) – the company has increasingly looked overseas for growth opportunities. As part of this strategy, Starbucks opened its first Australian store in Sydney in 2000, before expanding elsewhere within New South Wales and then nationwide (albeit with 90% of stores concentrated in just three states: NSW, Victoria and Queensland). By the end of 2007 Starbucks had 87 stores, enabling it to control 7% of the specialist coffee shop market in Australasia (Table 1 ). By 2008, consumer awareness of Starbucks in Australia was 90% (Shoebridge, 2008), with each outlet selling, on average, double the number of coffees (270 a day) than the rest of Australia’s coffee shops (Lindhe, 2008). . Expansion into Asia Starbucks currently operates in 44 markets and even has a small presence in Paris – birthplace and stronghold of European cafe culture. Beyond North America, it has a very significant share of the specialist coffee shop market in Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America (Table 1) and these regions make strong revenue contributions (Table 2). You rea d "Case Study of Starbucks" in category "Free Case study samples" It is in Asia that they see the most potential for growth as they face increasing competitive pressure in their more traditional markets. Half the international stores Starbucks plans to operate in the next decade will be in Asia (Euromonitor, 2006; Browning, 2008). Indeed, Starbucks has done well in international markets where there has not traditionally been a coffee drinking culture, namely Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and China. In effect it has been responsible for growing the category in these markets. The first Starbucks outside the US opened in Tokyo in 1996, and since then, Starbucks’ Japanese stores have become twice as profitable as the US stores. Unsurprisingly then, Japan is Starbucks’ best performing overseas market outside North America. More than 100 new stores open each year in Japan, and coffee is now more popular than tea in terms of both volume and value (Lee, 2003; see also Uncles, 2008). As opposed to their entry into the Australian market, Starbucks made small changes to its formula for the Japanese market; for example, the invention of a green tea frappucino, and the provision of smaller drinks and pastries to conform to local tastes. Starbucks arrived in China in 1998 and by 2002 had 50 outlets, and 165 outlets by 2006 (BBC News, 2006), quickly becoming the nation’s leading coffee chain. Starbucks now sees China as its key growth market due to the size and preferences of the emerging middle class. In the Asia-Pacific region, Starbucks command of the specialist coffee shop market grew from 15% in 2002 to 19% in 2007 (refer to Table 2). The total market for cafes in China grew by over 135% between 1999 and 2004 to reach US$2. 6 billion. It is projected to grow another 144% by 2008 to reach US$6. 4 billion in sales. More specialty coffee shops are opening across China as a middle class with strong purchasing power emerges, although this rise in coffee consumption is highly concentrated in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Starbucks has said that it expects China to become its biggest market after the US and the plan is to open 100 stores a year (Euromonitor, 2006). Significantly, certain Western brands are valued by Chinese consumers and Starbucks appears to be one of them. A growing number of China’s 500 million urbanites favour Starbucks for its ambience, which is seen as an important signal of service quality, and Starbucks’ design concept rests easily with China’s consumers, who tend to lounge with friends while sipping coffee. Its outlets in China frequently maintain larger seating areas than average outlets in other countries, and plush chairs and davenports are provided to accommodate crowds that linger. However, success for Starbucks in China is not a given, and they will face several challenges in the coming years. China’s accession to the WTO has led to the gradual relaxation of the policy governing foreign-owned retail outlets, and this will lead to more foreign investment and thereby competition (Lee, 2004). Several multinationals are engaged in selling coffee (including KFC, McDonald’s, Yoshinoya, and Manabe), and a number of local brands have recently emerged, some even imitating Starbucks’ distinctive green and white logo and its in-store ambience (notably Xingbake in Shanghai). Furthermore, the reduction of import tariffs on coffee will also encourage foreign investment in coffee. . The Australian retail coffee industry Australia’s taste for coffee is a by-product of the waves of immigrants arriving on the country’s shores following World War II. European migrants, predominantly Greeks and Italians, were the first to establish the coffee culture, which was later embraced more widely in the 1 980s. For decades Australians enjoyed a variation of the †˜lifestyle coffee experience’ that Starbucks created from scratch in the US. Australians did not need to be introduced to the concept of coffee as many other countries did. Savouring a morning cup of coffee was already a ritual for many consumers. It is fair to describe Australia’s coffee culture as mature and sophisticated, so when Starbucks entered Australia in 2000, a thriving urban cafe culture was already in place. This established culture saw Australians typically patronise smaller boutique style coffee shops, with people willing to travel out of their way for a favoured cup of coffee, especially in Melbourne where coffee has developed an almost cult-like following. For Australians, coffee is as much about relationships as it is about the product, suggesting that an impersonal, global chain experience would have trouble replicating the intimacy, personalisation and familiarity of a suburban boutique cafe. Furthermore, through years of coffee drinking, many Australians, unlike American or Asian consumers, have developed a sophisticated palate, enjoying their coffee straighter and stronger, and without the need to disguise the taste with flavoured, syrupy shots. This love of coffee is easily quantified. The Australian market is worth $3 billion, of which $1. billion relates to the coffee retailing market. For every cup of coffee consumed out of home, two cups are consumed at home (AustraIAsian Specialty Coffee Association, 2006). Per capita consumption is now estimated at 2. 3 kg-twice as much as 30 years ago. Whilst Australians are among the highest consumers of instant coffee in the world, they are increasingly buying coffee out of the home (Eur omonitor, 2008c). More than 1 billion cups of coffee are consumed in cafes, restaurants and other outlets each year, representing an increase of 65% over the last 10 years. Even between 2000 and 2005, trade sales of coffee have increased about 18%. In 2007, the growth in popularity of the cafe culture resulted in trade volume sales growing at an annual rate of 5%. Some 31% of the coffee sold through foodservice is takeaway, and it is thought that ‘fast coffee’ will be a growth area in future years (Euromonitor, 2008d). There is also a trend towards larger takeaway sizes, with 400 ml cups increasing in popularity (Euromonitor, 2008d). One might argue that Starbucks drove these trends, especially in regards to larger sizes. There are almost 14,000 cafes and restaurants serving a variety of coffee types in Australia, and during 2006/07, they generated $9. 7 billion in income (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008). However, despite these statistics, the coffee business does not guarantee success. As Paul Irvine, co-founder of Gloria Jean’s notes, â€Å"Australia is a tough retail market and coffee retailing is particularly tough†. According to official statistics, the cafe business is not always profitable, with the net profitability of cafes falling to about 4%. For a cafe to be successful, it has to offer marginally better coffee than local competitors, and do so consistently. Coffee drinkers in Australia are discerning, and they will go out of their way to purchase a good cup of coffee. They are not as easily persuaded as people from other countries simply to visit their nearest cafe. Secondly, for a cafe to make a profit, it needs to turn over 15 kg of coffee a week The national average is 11 kg, so a cafe has to be above average to begin with to even make a profit. Any newcomer needs to understand this before entering the market. The other significant constraint on profitability is the cost of hiring baristas, with a good one costing between $1000 and $1500 a week (Charles, 2007). However, it seems that this is a necessary cost in order to deliver a superior product. The question that then begs to be asked is: How well did Starbucks understand this existing coffee culture? Did they under-estimate the relational aspect of coffee purchasing in Australia, as well as the importance of the quality of ingrethents and the skills of the person making each cup? Did they overestimate the value consumers attach to the in-store experience and the ‘third place’ concept? Or did they just look at the statistics regarding coffee consumption and think that operating in Australia was a license to print money? Did they simply see Australia as the next logical step to global domination? Starbucks has 87% of the US specialty coffee shop market, and only now is it beginning to feel pressure from non-traditional competitors such as Dunkin Donut, 7 Eleven, McCafe and Krispy Kreme (Burritt, 2007). However, in Australia, the competitive landscape is different. Gloria Jean’s dominates the high-street part of the coffee retailing market and McCafe dominates the convenience end (Shoebridge, 2008). Other significant competitors include The Coffee Club and Wild Bean Cafe (an add-on to BP petrol stations) and Hudson’s Coffee (see Table 3). All offer a similar in-store experience to Starbucks, with McCafe from 2007 onwards refurbishing many McDonald’s stores to imitate the Starbucks’ experience, albeit at the economy end of the market. 5. Growth grinds to a halt . . . store closures In recent times however things have started to go wrong for Starbucks. Internationally, company earnings declined as cashstrapped consumers faced record petrol prices and rising interest rates meaning they have had to pull back on gourmet coffee and other luxuries. Sales fell 50% in the last 2 years, the US share price fell more than 40% over the past year and profits dropped 28% (Bawden, 2008; Coleman-Lochner and Stanford, 2008; Mintz, 2008). Consequently, Howard Schultz, the founder and chairman of Starbucks, resumed the position of CEO in 2008 with the aim of revitalising the business. He slowed the pace at which stores were opened (and in fact closed more stores than he will open in the coming year), introduced key performance targets (KPTs) and an employee rewards system in the US, and simultaneously shut down every store in America for three and a half hours of staff training (Muthukumar and Jain, 2008). Customer-oriented initiatives have included the addition of more food, the launch of the Starbucks card and Starbucks express, and the provision of high-speed wi-fi internet access (Hota, 2008). Notably, Schultz acknowledges that the company’s focus has been more on expansion than on customer service – the very thing that was at the heart of its unique value proposition. However, it seems that these measures were too late for the Australian operation. On 29th July 2008, Starbucks announced that it would be closing 61 of its 84 Australian stores (i. e. , 73%) by August 2008, resulting in a loss of 685 jobs. All of these stores had been under-performing (8 were in SA, ACT and Tasmania, 28 in NSW, 17 in Victoria and 8 in Queensland). This decline of Starbucks in Australia was not as sudden as many would have us believe and in fact some reports (Edwards and Sainsbury, 2008; Shoebridge, 2008) indicated that by late 2007 Starbucks already had: * accumulated losses of $143 million; * a loss of $36 million for that financial year; * lost $27. 6 million the previous financial year; * loans of $72. 3 million from Starbucks in the US; * was only surviving because of its US parent’s support. These closures saw 23 stores kept open in prime locations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. But this begs the question: can a 23-store chain be viable for the brand in the long-term? Based on the approximate numbers in Table 3, Starbucks had a 6% share of stores in Australia before the closures; this has now fallen to a share below 2%. Even before the closures, Australasia represented only 1% of company sales (Table 2) and now the figure is expected to be much lower. This may not make much commercial sense as it will be difficult to achieve economies of scale in terms of marketing and purchasing, and such small numbers are totally out of step with the clustering strategy adopted in its strongest markets -the US, Japan and China. However, it could also be argued that with Starbucks’ strategy of global domination, it is unlikely that it will ever close its Australian business entirely. Whilst Starbucks’ management have been keen to suggest that â€Å"this decision represents business challenges unique to the Australian market and in no way reflects the state of the Starbucks business in countries outside of the United States†, the US market has also suffered. By September 2008, 600 stores had closed (or were due for closure), with about 12,000 workers, or 7% of Starbucks’ global workforce affected (Mintz, 2008). It should be noted that the situation in the US has only worsened as a result of the global financial crisis. 6. So what went wrong? Opinions abound as to why Starbucks failed in Australia. Our research suggests there is some truth to many of these opinions. Whilst the troubled economy might seem an easy scapegoat, with people tightening their belts and eating out less, it is unlikely that this was the core problem as evidenced by the continuing growth of their competitors. Indeed, coffee is no longer considered a luxury item by many Australians, but rather an affordable part of their daily routine. Instead, there is substantial evidence to suggest a number of factors combined to bring about Starbucks’ demise. 6. 1. Starbucks overestimated their points of differentiation and customer perceived value of their supplementary services â€Å"I just think the whole system, the way they serve, just didn’t appeal to the culture we have here† Andrew Mackay, VP of the Australian Coffee Traders Association, in Martin (2008) Whilst there was initial curiosity and hype about Starbucks, after trying it, many Australians quickly found that it failed to offer a particularly unique experience that was not offered by other chains or cafes. Given the strong established coffee culture and discerning palates of Australians, the core product – coffee – was not seen as particularly different from, say, a latte or short black from a good suburban barista, Gloria Jean’s or Coffee Club. Its point of difference in Australia, where a coffee culture already existed, had to be in its supplementary or value-adding services – i. e. , its unique servicescape, engaging customer service, brand image and so on (Lovelock et al. , 2007). But was this worth a premium price, especially as the competition began replicating Starbucks in-store experience? Starbucks has since been harshly criticised by Australian consumers and the media. Their coffee has been variously described as ‘a watered down product’, ‘gimmicky’, and consisting of ‘buckets of milk’. These are not the labels you would choose to describe a coffee that aspires to be seen as a ‘gourmet’ product. It has also been criticised for its uncompetitive pricing, even being described as â€Å"one of the most over-priced products the world has ever seen† (Martin, 2008). Even the idea of the third place has come under criticism – â€Å"why would you want to sit around a pretend lounge room drinking a weak and expensive coffee when you can go around the corner and have the real thing? † (Wailes, 2008). It seems that Starbucks’ rapid expansion, its omnipresence, somewhat standardised store design and recent insistence on staff achieving various sales KPTs (key performance targets) such as serving ‘x’ customers per hour, all combined to diminish the instore experience. The introduction of sales targets for front-line employees, for example, meant staff and baristas had less time to engage with customers. It began to stray too far from its roots and the very values upon which the brand was built. Some of these actions were forced upon Starbucks by emerging competitors seeking to imitate the brand, and thus gain a slice of the ever growing lifestyle coffee market. Starbucks’ points of differentiation were systematically being eroded and, in a sense, the brand that taught the world that coffee is not a commodity was itself becoming one. 6. 2. Declining service quality The brand has also come under fire for declining customer service as it continued to expand. For example, the quality of baristas is said to have declined as Starbucks widened its pool of applicants in order to meet demand at new stores. Can a 17 year old high school student really compete with a boutique trained barista with a passion for coffee? By not offering a better experience and product than emerging direct competitors, Starbucks found itself undermined by countless high street cafes and other chains that were selling stronger brews at lower prices and often offering better or equal hospitality. Whilst they may have pioneered the idea of a ‘third place’, it was an easy idea to copy, and even easier to better by offering superior coffee, ambience and service. Now, with so many coffee chains around, Starbucks have little point of differentiation, even wi-fi internet access has become commonplace across all types of cafe. Furthermore, while customers were offered promotional rewards for returning to Starbucks, the card-based scheme is no more sophisticated than equivalent me-too cards at Gloria Jean’s, Coffee Club, Hudson’s and many independent cafes. And as noted earlier, one of the things that set Starbucks apart from the competition – i. e. , acknowledging customers (often by name for regulars) within a few seconds of entering the store and seriously engaging with them, began to unravel when Starbucks imposed both customer service and sales targets for its cafes. The imposition of these targets plus an ever widening range and complexity of coffees to remember and make to perfection, meant staff morale and inevitably customer service levels declined. In fact in the USA some staff were so disillusioned with the imposition of sales targets because it meant they simply didn’t have time to engage with customers) they posted blogs openly stating that Starbucks had lost its way. Finally, it appears that Starbucks were not even delivering on their core promise of serving superior coffee in comfortable surroundings, thus justifying its premium price. By switching to vacuum packaged coffee, consumers are denied the store-fi lling aroma of the coffee beans. The switching of traditional coffee machines to automated espresso machines (which can make coffees 40% faster and move customers through the lines more quickly), has also resulted in a loss of ‘theatre’ (Grove et al. 2000) for people wanting to see their coffee made that way and has also had implications for taste. In-store, it has been noted that there are fewer soft chairs and less carpeting, and Starbucks recently lost ground in the ‘service and surroundings’ category of the Brand Keys 2007 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (Cebrzynski, 2008). It seems that Starbucks is now less about the quality of the coffee, and is more about the convenience of faster service and being on every corner – whilst still charging a premium. 6. 3. Starbucks ignored some golden rules of international marketing Ironically, it seems that the very thing that made Starbucks successful in the first place, its ability to adjust the original (European) business model and coffee tradition to local (US) conditions, is the thing that let it down. Whilst Starbucks has made minor changes to its menu in countries such as Japan and Saudi Arabia, it generally offers the same products all around the world. When the company came to Australia, it brought its ‘American’ offering, simply bringing what worked in the US and applying it here, without really understanding the local market. But with more than 235 ethnicities speaking more than 270 languages and dialects, companies wanting to get ahead in Australia need to be aware that they are not dealing with one homogeneous market. Unfortunately what worked in the US was â€Å"bitter, weak coffee augmented by huge quantities of milk and sweet flavoured syrups. Not so much coffee, as hot coffee-based smoothies†. For the Australian consumer raised on a diet of real espresso, this was always going to be a tough sell (Mescall, 2008) As McDonald’s Australia chief executive Peter Bush noted, US retailers that have had trouble making it work in Australia (e. . , Starbucks, Denny’s, Arby’s, Taco Bell) are those that have â€Å"introduced formulae developed for US palates and for the US way of doing business . . . These formulae have, at best, modest relevance in Australia†. Peter Irvine, co-founder of Gloria Jean’s, also noted that â€Å"US retailers often arrive in Australia thinki ng the size of their overseas chains and the strength of their brands in other markets will make it easy for them to crack the local market. Their focus is on global domination rather than the needs of the local consumers†. Further, there is a strong sense in Australia of buying local, supporting the community, having relationships with the people you buy from, and supporting ethically-minded businesses. Starbucks clashed completely with that, whereas local stores can differentiate themselves as being local and non-corporate. Furthermore, some would argue that Starbucks has become a caricature of the American way of life and many Australians reject that iconography. Many are simply not interested in the ‘super-size’ culture of the extra-large cups, nor want to be associated with a product that is constantly in the hands of movie stars. 6. 4. Expanding too quickly and forcing themselves upon an unwilling public In the US, Starbucks started in Seattle as a single store. In a nation bereft of a genuine cafe culture, that single store captured people’s imagination, and soon became a second store, quickly followed by a third. Before long, Starbucks had become a demand-driven phenomenon, with everyone wanting a Starbucks in their local area. McDonald’s grew exactly the same way in Australia, opening just one or two stores in each city – nowhere near enough to meet demand – thus creating an almost artificial scarcity, which created huge buzz around the brand experience. Krispy Kreme did the same. But when Starbucks opened in Australia, they immediately tried to impose themselves with multiple store openings in every city – adopting the US-model of expansion through store clusters. Australians were not given a chance to ‘discover’ it. As Mescali (2008) points out â€Å"they took key sites, hung huge signs, made us order coffee in sizes and gave the coffees weird names. Starbucks said to us – ‘that’s not how you drink coffee. This is how you drink coffee'†. They took the Coca-Cola strategy of being available wherever people looked, but this quickly led to market saturation. Their expansion did not hurt their competitors so much as themselves, and they found themselves cannibalising their own stores. Furthermore, by becoming too common, the company violated the economic principles of cultural scarcity and the novelty wore off. By having too many outlets, becoming too commercial and too widely used, it began to lose its initial appeal of status and exclusivity. It began to have a mass brand feel, certainly not the warm feeling of a neighbourhood cafe. Furthermore, they became more reliant on less affluent consumers who now, with a worsening economy, are spending less, making Starbucks more vulnerable to economic fluctuations. 6. 5. Entering late into a highly competitive market â€Å"In America, Starbucks is a state of mind. In Australia, it was simply another player. † Barry Urquhart, quoted in Delaney (2008) From Day I1 Starbucks got off on the back foot. They lacked the first-mover advantage they had in the US and Asia, finding themselves the late entrant in an already very developed, sophisticated and competitive market. Indeed, the competitive landscape in the Australian retail coffee market is very different to that of other countries. Here, Starbucks found themselves competing with hundreds of independent cafes and speciality coffee chains (see Table 3), where the coffee was generally better and the staff knew their customers by name. Significantly, they were also the last of the major chains to gain a presence in Australia. 6. 6. Failing to communicate the brand Worldwide, Starbucks rarely employs above-the-Iine promotion, and this was also the case in Australia. Instead, they maintained that their stores are the core of the business and that they do not need to build the brand through advertising or promotion. Howard Shultz often preached, â€Å"Build the (Starbucks’) brand one cup at a time,† that is, rely on the customer experience to generate word-of-mouth, loyalty and new business. But in a market as competitive as Australia, with a consumer whose palate is discerning and whose loyalty often lies with a specific barista, advertising and promotion was essential to communicate the Starbucks message. The issue is not so much about building awareness – which, at 90%, is high – but to communicate what the brand means and to give consumers reasons for patronising Starbucks. Their lack of advertising made this branding issue even worse, with many people unable to articulate why they should be loyal to Starbucks. At the same time, competitors were communicating their messages very effectively – McDonald’s, for instance, is a heavy spending, award-winning, advertiser in the Australian market. Added to which, more subversive counter-messages were coming from those who saw in Starbucks a ‘brand bully’ riding rough shod over the nuanced tastes and preferences of local cultures (Klein, 2000; Clark, 2008). In other words, a range of strong contrary messages were undermining Starbucks’ own very limited communications. 6. 7. Unsustainable business model Starbucks’ product line is limited primarily to coffee. Sometimes a new product idea will be developed, such as the Frappucino, but these tend to have limited product life cycles and/or are seasonal. For example, the Frappucino has traditionally made up 15% of (summer) sales, but recently sales have been down, suggesting that customers are already bored with it (Kiviat, 2008). Furthermore, in the instance where other products were offered, people failed to purchase them as they only really associate Starbucks with coffee and generally seek food elsewhere. This is a very different model to The Coffee Club which has much more of a cafe feel to it, or McDonald’s which has a full range of breakfast and lunch/dinner items that can be complemented by a McCafe latte. Hence the average transaction value at Starbucks is lower than its competitors, and therefore more customers must pass through its doors to reach the sales and profit levels of its competitors. It also creates conflict with the Starbucks ethos of the third place (and allowing people to sit around for 30 minutes sipping lattes and reading, talking or surfing) versus the need to get people in and out quickly and not take up valuable ‘real estate’ (which in itself means that the average Starbucks store needs to be much bigger than the average cafe). Unlike most of the other retail coffee chains, Starbucks does not use a franchise model, preferring to lease and fit-out its own outlets. This means more cash is being spent upfront, and in Starbucks’ case, more debt accrued. But adopting a franchise model would have numerous other advantages than just minimising this. It would mean that local investors, with a good sense of the local market, put their own money into the business and take an active role in running it and shaping its direction. 7. What are the main lessons from this case study? Several key lessons emerge that should be of interest to both domestic and international marketers. 7. 1. Crossing international borders is risky and clearly Starbucks did not do their homework, or ignored their homework Well conceived market research involving both primary and secondary data, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, would have uncovered the extent of the ‘coffee culture’ that existed in 2000 when Starbucks entered the Australian market. It seems inconceivable that Starbucks management, or at least its Australian representatives, were not sufficiently apprised of the extent to which many consumers were already well acculturated in terms of buying and consuming European styles of coffees such as short black, lattes and cappuccinos, nor the extent to which many customers were in fact loyal to their suburban cafe or competitive brands such as Gloria Jean’s. As a late market entrant, Starbucks clearly failed to do thorough homework on the market before entry – this is a failure in terms of due diligence. Alternatively, they chose to ignore the messages that were coming from any due diligence that they had undertaken. This may or may not have been due to some arrogance on the part of Starbucks, or due to the fact that they considered they had a strong global brand which would meet with universal acceptance. An example of where Starbucks did do its homework, and act on it, was in France when it entered that market in 2006, establishing a cafe in the middle of Paris. Research had clearly shown the American way of consuming and socialising over a coffee was an anathema to many French, so Starbucks held back from entering the French market and when they finally entered it was with great trepidation, expanding at a very slow pace and testing the market at every step. 7. 2. â€Å"Think global but act local† This familiar maxim in international marketing should be well understood. While Starbucks had brand awareness as a major global brand, it failed to adapt the product and the customer experience to many mature coffee drinkers in Australia. As noted earlier, all the evidence suggests that it simply tried to transplant the American experience into the Australian market without any adaptation. In particular, it failed to adapt either its core product or its supplementary services to create the intimacy, personalisation and familiarity that is associated with established boutique cafes in Australia. 7. 3. Establish a differential advantage and then strive to sustain it A question of strategy that Starbucks perhaps failed to address was, â€Å"Is our product differentiation sustainable in the long term and does it ontinue to justify a price premium? † As noted earlier, it can be argued that the core product in this case, that is the coffee itself, is essentially a commodity, and that Starbucks’ coffee, according to many consumers, was no different to the competition, and in some cases inferior. Then Starbucks’ points of difference clearly revolved around its brand image and supplementary services. It wa s these supplementary services, such as its unique servicescape and excellent customer service, that they used to justify a premium price. However, as competitors (e. g. The Coffee Club) quickly imitated the ‘Starbucks experience’ (i. e. , their supplementary services, ambiance, etc. ), by providing premium coffee and an intimate casual experience, Starbucks’ value proposition began to fade. In other words, their key points of difference could be easily imitated and were not sustainable. Faced with this scenario, the onus was on management to re-fresh and evolve any lingering differential advantage that Starbucks might have had or, at the very least, give customers reasons to continue patronising Starbucks through its communications. 7. 4. Don’t lose sight of what made you successful in the first place As more and more competitors emerged, both individual cafes and chains such as Gloria Jean’s and The Coffee Club, competitive pressures forced Starbucks to impose rigid sales targets on their frontline staff including baristas to increase store productivity. However, the imposition of these KPTs and the pressure to serve more customers more quickly meant that Starbucks forgot the very thing that made it unique in the early days, namely, to provide a customer experience in an intimate casual setting that set it aside from competitors. As more pressure was placed on staff to have higher throughput, this meant that baristas and other employees had little time to engage with customers. In other words, Starbucks forgot about the very things that made it unique in the first place. This is akin to the Wheel of Retailing hypothesis (Hollander, 1960) where a no-frills retailer gradually moves upmarket in terms of variety of product, price and more services and within several years finds itself competing with the more established premium supermarkets that were the very competitors that they tried to distance themselves from in the first place. The only difference with Starbucks is that it reversed the direction of the Wheel – by gradually moving downmarket it brought itself into direct competition with cheaper operators and lost sight of what made it successful in the first place. 7. 5. Consider the viability of the business model It has to be questioned whether the Starbucks’ business model is viable in the long term, or even the medium term. A business model that uses a premium price to justify the excessive floor space and elaborate servicescape, and allows customers to sit in this environment for an hour sipping one latte, has to be questioned. Given that Starbucks do not have the array of products that, say, a McDonald’s might have and, as documented earlier in this case, therefore do not generate the same sales volumes and revenues, it is hard to see how the Starbucks’ model is financially viable. 8. Conclusion In summary, it appears on all the evidence that Starbucks not only misjudged the Australian coffee culture but also misjudged the extent of the competition, and failed to adapt its offering to the local market. Furthermore, with the advent of high quality barista training, the availability of premium coffee beans and the technology to produce a high quality cup of coffee (at a modest cost), sole operators who knew their customers by name, were able to set up business as viable competitors. Starbucks may have been responsible for growing the premium coffee category, but the emergence of Gloria Jean’s and the Coffee Club (and McCafe, a premium coffee shop embedded in McDonald’s restaurants) turned out to be serious competitors. Finally, questions have to be raised about Starbucks fundamental business model in a market where many small niche players can easily replicate the ‘Starbucks Experience’. References References AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association, 2006. Australian Coffee Market: Key Facts for 2006. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008. Cafes, Restaurants and Catering Services, Australia, Report 8655. 0 for 2006-07. Bawden, T. , 2008. Starbucks reports first loss in 16 years. Times Online, 31 July. (accessed 15. 08. 08. ). BBC News, 2006. China central to Starbucks growth. BBC News, 14 February. (accessed 29. 08. 08. ). Browning, E. 2008. Starbucks hopes growth abroad will save its bottom line. ABC News, 3 1 July, (accessed 29. 08. 08. ). Burritt, C, 2007. McDonald’s challenges Starbucks with cheaper lattes. Bloomberg, 11 September. (accessed 29. 08. 08. ). Cebrzynski, G. , 2008. Starbucks-dominated category wakes up and smells McD’s espresso rollout. Nation’s Restaurant News 42 (3), 1-6. Charles, E. , 2007. In the trenches: Coffee. In the Black, May, 28-31. Clark, N. , 2008. Starbucks: The brand we love to hate. Marketing, 2 April. Coleman-Lochner, L. , Stanford, D. D. , 2008. Starbucks reports first loss since 1992, predicts slower growth. Bloomberg, 30 July, (accessed 29. 08. 08. ). Delaney, B. , 2008. Starbucks to go. Guardian, 30 July, (accessed 29. 08. 08. ). Edwards, V. , Sainsbury, M. , 2008. Weak coffee and large debt stir Starbucks’ troubles in Australia. The Australian, 31 July. Euromonitor, 2006. Starbucks Ups Expansion Plans. Euromonitor International. Euromonitor, 2007. Starbucks Corp – Consumer Foodservice – World. Euromonitor International. Euromonitor, 2008a. On-trade Watch: Identifying Key Growth Markets to 2012. Euromonitor International. Euromonitor, 2008b. Company Watch: Starbucks Wakes Up and Smells the Coffee. Euromonitor International. Euromonitor, 2008c. Coffee – Australia. Euromonitor International. Euromonitor, 2008d. Impulse Food and Drink Channels – Coffee – Australia. Euromonitor International. Grove, S. , Fisk, R. , John, J. , 2000. Services as theater. In: Swartz, T. , Iacobucci, D. (Eds. ), Handbook of Services Marketing and Management. Sage Publications, CA, pp. 21-35. Hollander, S. , 1960. The wheel of retailing. Journal of Marketing 25 (1 ), 37-42. Hota, M. , 2008. Starbucks: brewing more than just coffee. European Case Clearing House (ECCC), 508-025-1. Karolefski, J. , 2002. Conquering new grounds. BrandChannel, 11 February. (accessed 29. 08. 8. ). Kiviat, B. , 2008. Wake up and sell the coffee. Time South Pacific (Australia/New Zealand edition) 7(13), 52-56. Klein, N. , 2000. No Logo. Flamingo, London. Lee, H. , 2003. Japan: a nation of coffee lovers. Euromonitor International. Lee, H. , 2004. Coffee brews a future in China? Euromonitor International. Lindhe, J. , 2008. One skinny cap to go. Business Review Weekly, 7 August. (accessed 1 5. 08. 08. ). Lovelock, C, Patterson, P. G. , Walker, R. , 2007. Services Marketing: An Asia Pacific and Australian Perspective. Pearson Education, Singapore. Martin, S. , 2008. Starbucks: a study in liberal failure. Part II. Conservatism Today, 29 July, (accessed 29. 08. 08. ). Mescall, J. , 2008. Starbucks in Australia: where did it go wrong? Unleashed, 7 August. (accessed 29. 08. 08. ). Mintz, J. , 2008. Starbucks closing 600 stores in the US. International Business Times, 1 July, (accessed 14. 09. 08. ). Muthukumar, R. , Jain, S. , 2008. Starbucks suffers: Schultz returns. European Case Clearing House (ECCC), 308-152-1. Palmer, D. , 2008. Starbucks: what went wrong? AFN Thought for Food, 31 July. (accessed 29. 08. 08. ). Schultz, H. , Yang, D. J. , 1997. Pour Your Heart into It: How Starbucks Build a Company One Cup at a Time. Hyperia Publishing, New York. Shoebridge, N. , 2008. Local palate bucks another US retailer. The Australian Financial Review, 4 August, (accessed 15. 08. 08. ). Uncles, M. D. , 2008. Aroma Australia Pty Ltd goes to Japan. In: Schiffman, L. , Bednall, D. , O’Cass, A. , Paladino, A. , Ward, S. , Kanuk, L. (Eds. ), Consumer Behaviour, fourth ed. Pearson Education Australia, Australia, pp. 584-588. Wailes, N. , 2008. Taste of defeat for the mugs from Starbucks. Sydney Morning Herald 31 (July). AuthorAffiliation Paul G. Patterson*, Jane Scott, Mark D. Uncles School of Marketing, Australian School of Business, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia 7453 How to cite Case Study of Starbucks, Free Case study samples

CHINAS RESPONSE TO OVERPOPULATION Essay Example For Students

CHINAS RESPONSE TO OVERPOPULATION Essay Introduction Today so many children and people in the world suffer from poverty and starvation. In so many third world countrys families are going without food or good water. Never before have we seen so many children die before the age of five. It is impossible to feed all of these mouths and clothe all of these backs. The world is full of natural resources at our disposal. These resources are taken for granted and not preserved the way they should be. As a result, fossil fuels will not be available in a matter of years. Nature is missing links due to the extinction of many species, many we dont ever get a chance to learn about. More people means more products made in factories, more jobs needed, and more consumption of this earths precious resources. Were are overcrowded! We are overpopulated. Not to mention all of the disease that is spread through the poverty stricken slums that the malnourished live in. We are already living with the consequences of human population growth. There are now so many people, that we were probably pretty much forced to modernize and give up smelly outhouses in favor of the more convenient and practical flush toilet. Sanitation workers are paid to collect the trash that huge cities of people generate, as large populations need proper sanitation.(Garrett Hardin) We try to regulate this epidemic by using birth-control and other devices, but we see what good all of that is doing. We ourselves are setting up for extinction. There must be a way to control the overpopulation. We should not be a disease to this planet. Do we not see the connections between science and society!? Gaylord Nelson was quoted as saying, The number one environmental problem facing the earth today would have to be population. Where on Earth Are We Going? He said the answer is: Its all up to us. The level of human population and the scale and intensity of human activity has reached a point where we are literally affecting the very conditions on which human life and well being depend. The first major effect of overpopulation is consumption of valuable resources. This is one of the major causes of depletion of our natural resources. When mentioning consumption, we are referring to all the products we buy and use. In the United States, Americans consume far more than what is necessary. The more people there are on the planet, the more people we have to feed. However, food is not the only product that we consume. We consume everyday products such as wood for paper, gasoline for cars, and even water to flush the toilets. Sometimes people do these everyday activities without thinking how it affects our planet. (Alexandra Paul) Our future depends on how well we manage these processes. Were not doing it well at the moment.(cnn.com) Do we not see the devostation and collapse of society if nothing is going to be changed!! The Chinese think they have a solution. Discussion In 1979, due to population overload, China created a one-child law. This law states that a married couple can only have one offspring. This simple law would cut its population in half. Two humans making one. This idea seems brilliant. On the contrary many religious couples found this to be an inhumane attempt, leading to a huge resistance. This law also lead to the missing female babies in China. Many families wanted males to carry out the family name. Having a girl was almost a dead end for these families. Big wigs like Ted Turner and other advocates try and spread the knowledge and word of this law to the Western world. Turner advocated a one-child policy, which he says will reduce the worlds population from 6 billion to 2 billion, if it is practiced for the next 100 years. He believes that world overpopulation carries a number of evils, including environmental degradation. This issue was a headliner for the News Week International and actually made the front page! The article stated that the fertility rates had decreased in the past ten years due to families having one child.In Europe 1. .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 , .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 .postImageUrl , .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 , .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464:hover , .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464:visited , .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464:active { border:0!important; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464:active , .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464 .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucf0c0a355a23c2279baa19fd6b163464:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Electing Sharon Essay46 children per woman during her lifetime (from .

Argentina Essays (1061 words) - Demography, Population, Free Essays

Argentina Essays (1061 words) - Demography, Population, Free Essays Argentina For my case study on demographic transition Ive chosen the well-known country of Argentina, which is located in South America. I decided to conduct my study from 1936 to 1960. For this 25-year period I found all the statistical data which I need to actually complete population growth analysis. In the demographic transition model of Argentina we can see that the crude birth rate (CBR) is almost always double or higher then the crude death rate (CDR). This allows the natural rate of increase (NRI) to be higher than the CDR. NRI reflects how fast population is growing. In the demographic transition model of Argentinas CBR per 1000 (blue line) is the highest line relative to the origin. We can see that the line stays very steady from 1936 to 1943, at about 22 to 23 live birth per thousand. In 1944 we see a gradual increases of live birth per thousand. By 1946 the CBR is at one of it highest points. This line fluctuate from 24 to 25 per thousands range for approximately twelve years to 1956 until it gradual decrease to it original state, back to 22 per thousands. The ten to twelve years peak period of CBR helps to increases NRI for Argentina in the mid 40s and into the 50s. (We will see how this effects the NRI later) The CDR (pink line) is the lowest line in the model. In the beginning of the line (1936) we see the CDR start to rise and reach it highest point at 11 per thousand in 1938. From then on it stay steady at 10 per thousands for nine years. After 1948 we can see the line slowly decreasing to 8 per thousand by 1960. This slow drop in CDR also effected the NRI (which we will see later). Both CBR and CDR effect how well a country like Argentina population is growing both factors relate to the natural rate of increase. This is the middle line in the model (yellow line). The NRI is determined by subtracting the CBR by the CDR. In the model Argentinas CBR is fairly high and CDR is less than half of it. This allows the NRI line to stay between them. We can see from the model that the NRI starts to decrease from 1936 to 1938. This is happens because the CDR rises and the CBR remands steady. In 1938 the NRI reaches it lowest level at 11 per thousand. From that point on we see an increase of the NRI. NRI increase because of the growth in CBR and the slow decrease in CDR. The NRI reaches it highest point of 16 per thousand in 1950 and from than on decrease gradually. It gradually decreases because both CBR and CDR are also decreasing. By looking at NRI we see point of high population increase was from 1944 to 1956 this time period is better known as the baby boom. From the m odel we see that Argentinas NRI is in the middle range of population growth from 12 to 16 per thousand, which is 1.2 to 1.6 percent increase per year. Form the demographic transition model of Argentina I see no discernable pattern. But I do feel that by looking at the demographic transition model of Argentinas that it falls under the second stage of the model. This stage is where growth potential is realized and where CDR drops before CBR, which allow for rapid population growth. I also found it not to fit the pattern of the pioneer countries. The reason for this is that Argentina didnt keep fertility and the mortally level relatively low like the pioneers. We can see this by have the NRI over one percent. The demographic gap is the gap between the live birth rate and death rates in the demographic transition model. The larger the gap between lines (providing CBR is high the CDR) will determine the growth rate of a country. In my case study of Argentina as a developing country it imply that the future growth will remain relatively the same. The reason for this is that even though the CDR is dropping, death rates cant fall forever and it will eventually level off. Another

How to Read George Saunders “Lincoln in the Bardo”

How to Read George Saunders' â€Å"Lincoln in the Bardo† Lincoln in the Bardo, the novel by  George Saunders, has become one of those books everyone is talking about. It  spent two weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, and has been the subject of numerous hot takes, think pieces, and other literary essays. Not many debut novelists get this kind of adulation and attention. Not all debut novelists are George Saunders.  Saunders has already made his reputation as a modern master of the short story- which explains his low profile, even among avid readers. Short stories usually don’t get much attention unless your name is Hemingway or Stephen King- but the story has been having a bit of a Moment in recent years as Hollywood has discovered that you can base entire feature films on shorter works, as they did with the Oscar-nominated Arrival (based on the short story Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang). Saunders is a delightful writer who combines a sharp intelligence and wit with science fiction tropes and a keen understanding of how people live and think to produce unexpected, unusual, and often thrilling stories that go in directions no one can possibly claim to have predicted. Before you rush off to buy a copy of Lincoln in the Bardo, however, a word of warning: Saunders is deep stuff. You can’t- or at least you shouldn’t- just dive in. Saunders has created a novel that really is different from any other that has come before, and here are a few tips on how to read it. Read His Shorts This is a novel, it really is, but Saunders honed his craft in the field of short stories, and it shows. Saunders divides his story up in smaller stories- the basic plot is that Abraham Lincoln’s son, Willie, has just died of fever in 1862 (which really happened). Willie’s soul is now in the Bardo, a state of being in-between death and what comes later. Adults can remain in the Bardo indefinitely through sheer willpower, but if children don’t shuffle off quickly they start to suffer horribly. When the President visits his son and cradles his body, Willie decides not to move on- and the other ghosts in the graveyard decide they must convince him to go for his own good. Each ghost gets to tell stories, and Saunders further divides the book into other snippets. Essentially, reading the novel is like reading dozens of interconnected short stories- so bone up on Saunders’ short work. For starters, check out CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, which is not at all what you think it is. Two others you can’t miss would be 400 Pound CEO (in the same collection) and The Semplica Girl Diaries, in his collection Tenth of December. Don’t Panic Some folks might be tempted to assume this is too much for them- too much history, too much literary trickery, too many characters. Saunders doesn’t hold your hand, that’s true, and the opening of the book is deep, lush, and extremely detailed. But don’t panic- Saunders knows that what he’s done here might be overwhelming to some, and he’s structured the book with alternating waves of energy- highs and lows. Make it through the first few dozen pages and you’ll start to see how Saunders offers up a moment to catch your breath as he slides in and out of the main narrative. Watch for the Fake News When Saunders dives out of the narrative, he offers up the personal stories of the ghosts as well as glimpses of Lincoln’s life before and after his son died. While these scenes are offered up realistically, with the dry tone of historical fact, they’re not all true; Saunders mixes real events with imagined ones pretty freely, and without warning. So don’t assume that anything Saunders describes in the book as part of history really happened. Ignore the Citations Those historic snippets are often offered with citations, which serve to both burnish that sense of realism (even for the imagined moments) and root the story in the real 19th century. But a curious thing will happen if you simply ignore the credits- the veracity of the scenes ceases to matter, and the voice of history becomes just another ghost telling its tale, which is a little mind blowing if you allow yourself to sit with it a while. Skip the citations and the book will be even more entertaining, and a little easier to read. George Saunders is a genius, and Lincoln in the Bardo will no doubt remain one of those books that people want to talk about for years to come. The only question is, will Saunders come back with another long-form story, or will he go back to short stories?

PHY 131 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PHY 131 - Assignment Example Sources of errors include; One procedure during the experiment involves measuring the horizontal distance travelled by the block after being released from the top of the inclined plane. In this context, there were possibilities of parallax error. Parallax error results from the distance between the observer’s eye and the measuring scale. Parallax error occurs whenever the observer’s eye fails to squarely align with the scale. Therefore, there is a possibility of parallax error when measuring distance ‘x’ travelled by the block. Systematic errors usually occur whenever observation features as one procedure used in collecting experimental data. Technically, it is almost impossible to start and stop the watch at precisely the ideal moment in time throughout the experiment. With respect to the experiment, stop watch error may have affected all the five entries of time. In this regard, it will be accounted as a constant systematic error throughout the experiment. Typical instruments like rulers will not lack resolution errors. In the energy and kinematic experiment, values obtained for distance ‘x’ contains instrument resolution errors. The ruler used had finite scale, thus limiting the ability to precisely obtain small measurements. Conventionally, electronic meters would measure slight adjustment in distance (Arlene 41). However, precision and resolution of rulers are limited by the finite scale, and cannot measure fractions of a millimeter. In physics experiments, precision of procedures is important in ensuring accuracy of data obtained. For repetitive procedures, changing a physical aspect like reversing one side of the block will cause a substantial error in reproducibility. When combined with other errors, physical variations cause considerable imprecision of empirical values. In conclusion, it is undeniable that numerous types of errors are responsible

EDLE 636 - Discussion Posts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EDLE 636 - Discussion Posts - Essay Example The school’s principal aim is to aid its pupils in getting assimilated within the present culture rather than fearing the world. The catholic school essential nature is that it is amongst the great opportunities of the church’s salvilic mission. Catholic education pays reverence to individuals’ transcendence, enlightening them on the manner in which to live within this world while fixing their eyes on the God’s vision. It is also essential to acknowledge that the catholic education has a counter-cultural position and it is largely multi-leveled in nature (Gilchrist, 1994). On one side, the catholic school can be considered as a ‘civic institution’ whose targets, procedures and characteristics are similar to any other school. On the other side, the said school can be considered as a ‘Christian community’ which possesses educational goals which are founded on Christ along with his gospel. In regard to the previously mentioned sedime nts, Gilchrist’s article can be said to have given the true picture of the catholic education. Gilchrist’s article has sampled various studies carried out by different researchers regarding the Australian catholic schools’ ‘catholic’ character. ... Evidence-based leadership role is viewed as vital in the promotion of data utility (Pettit, 2012). However, there is the general perception that evidence-based leadership is absent within the analysis and utilization of results within the school level. This kind of leadership comprises of components such as the recognition of the data leader’s role along with providing operational elements which facilitate efficient, as well as, effective analysis along with utilization of the given information. These may entail of proper school structures along with satisfactory time to carry out such analysis. Moreover, it comprises of the whole-school plans formulation in order to make thorough utilization of the information. In accordance to the featured LTLL model within the Bezzina’s article, the shared moral purposes versus shared leadership relationship is dynamically interplaying (Bezzina, Burford & Duignan, 2007). The model makes an illustration of the manner in which the shar ing of moral purpose along with leadership closely intertwines within the trusting relationships network. In the absence of that, it seems uncertain that instructors would possess the confidence in engaging in picking up of the educational leadership mantle within a mutual fashion that promotes shared moral purpose deepening. Pettit articulates that the ‘moral potency’ along with context role in shifting to moral action from the moral purpose is to function as a filter sandwiched amid the moral action and moral purpose; amid the leader’s readiness and perceived capacity to act, as well as, the enacted observed behavior (Pettit, 2012). Importantly, in accordance to Pettit’s analysis, the context within which student achievement data is viewed has the

Starbucks Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Starbucks - Case Study Example It still had to face criticism as people believed that it was not an actual size reduction but just a fad on the part of the company. Due to this they started producing the snickers mini and phased out the giant. The environmental aspects that have positively impacted the company include demography of the area of operation which is within cosmopolitan regions. This also has been amounted to by the technological advancements within these regions especially that their products are furnished brands to the existing products. Lastly, the cultural trends of the regions of operations have been characterized by fashionable products which basically triggered the entry of Snickers into the market space. Moreover, the success of starting the company was amounted to the level of education of the management; this accorded the management technical as well as managerial skills, having studied a bachelor’s degree in business management. By extension, prior experience in a sugar processing far m came in handy as regards the stages of production and general processing. In addition to this there was adequate savings to initiate the company as initial capital. Product Description and Segmentation The Starbuck Company produces products made up of Nougat, caramel and covered with chocolate. They have a range of products, the original snickers, the dark snickers, the almond snickers and the ice cream. The ice cream comes in three forms, a cone, a brownie and a bar. Current Market Target Starbucks Company has enjoyed a whopping 30% market share owing to its quick establishment as regards to the core products which long before never existed to satisfy the consumers’ needs, but if they did then were of poor quality. The main area addressed by Starbuck coming in handy as a cutting edge was their technological inclusion in the venture. This furnished the brand of the product. In addition to their quality products the government was quite impressed and considered funding the e xpansion in the production of this new brand of products. In addition to the aforementioned market share, Starbucks Company’s considerations come along with the knowledge of the customers of probable benefits accruing from the entry of the new product, their willingness and capability to pay higher prices for the new products, their likelihood to adopt the new brand based on their attitude and their criticisms about the product which they would wish to be addressed; especially the health concerns. Proposed Promotion Mix The current advertisement that Starbuck Company has been running is the â€Å"when you are hungry, you are not you†. It is this concept that has received recognition and they have made some really interesting advertisements that have earned them acclaim. This advertisement focuses on the fact that the company products give you energy and makes you young and energetic. Other than this the company has also used various promotion strategies like Push strat egy as well as the pull Strategy which has ensured the maximal exploration of all available channels of distributing the product to the market. In these methods of advertising the company has employed various stratagems like Product comparison advertising; whereby it has enjoyed the benefit of an outstanding product. Other equally competitive marketing

Effects Conflicts On Growth And Development Of Businesses Politics Essay

Effects Conflicts On Growth And Development Of Businesses Politics Essay Conflict is an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals). Conflict is actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests, Conflict has serious implications for development in countries affected by it, not only in terms of the difficulty of implementing development policies, but also because it leads to more poverty and lower growth, which are very serious root causes of conflict. Conflict between the Mamprusi and Kusasi ethnic groups is long-standing over some decades and has resulted in sporadic and recurrent outbreaks of serious violence resulting in destruction of property and death on many occasions. Indeed the Bawku conflict brought into play a complex matrix of structural and contingent factors that makes the disaggregating of the events particularly difficult. Hostilities between the Kusasi and Mamprusi is probably as old as the state of Mamprugu itself, since the town of Pusiga, less than ten miles distant from Bawku, was one of the first stopping places for the band of invaders who established the Mamprusi Kingdom. Most recently, in December 2001, violence broke out following a dispute between a Kusasi and a Mamprusi at a lotto kiosk in the Sabongari section of the town. Subsequent tit-for-tat attacks led to at least 29 deaths and 36 serious injuries in the month of December alone. The area in which the conflict occurred is ethnically heterogeneous and has one of the lowest income (80% living in extreme poverty) and literacy (26.3% of adults functionally literate) rates in the country. It is a relatively densely populated area with over 100 residents per kilometer. There is relatively strong religious (66%) and ethnic (64%) attachment by the populace. Voter consciousness is high and party affiliation (NDC, NPP and PNC) strong with 2000 voter registration figures of 95 per cent. (Source:2000 population and housing reports) Additionally simmering disputes over the Bawku skin have persisted for years. A number of the protagonists have been brought before the courts, but to date no credible insights have been gained into the motivation for and execution of the attacks. A frequently cited study by Christian Lund provides further information concerning the history of conflict in recent decades, including overlapping issues of land ownership, ethnicity, chieftaincy an d others, including the unresolved issue of the Bawku skin (signifying entitlement to the throne); The skin is the symbol of chiefly authority in northern Ghana, equivalent to the stool in the south. It symbolizes the chieftaincy and the throne. When a chief is enskinned, he is seated on the skin of an ox sacrificed for the occasion. In normal parlance, chiefs who are forced to abdicate are de-stooled, not de-skinned. Bawku has a long history as a flashpoint town in Ghana. In 2001, at least 28 people were killed there when factions clashed in another battle apparently sparked by a relatively small crime, the destruction of a small shop. The international human rights group Amnesty International has expressed concern about the lack of political will to solve the crisis. The group said in a statement that the failure to resolve the conflict stems from a game of hurt no one in order to win all votes. An interview with the business community in Bawku revealed that some businessmen and women from Bawku have re-located their businesses to other parts of the region notably Bolgatanga and Zebilla. While some traders felt secure doing business in Bawku, others said they did not, citing the general insecurity and the decline in commercial activities as their reasons. The decline in business is further reflected in the assemblys revenue mobilization.   It collected 507.2 million cedis as against an estimated revenue target of 749.3 million cedis at the end of December 2001. The District Co-ordinating Director, Mr. Ibrahim Alhassan attributed the assemblys plight to looting of its coffers by revenue collectors in the wake of the conflict last December. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) seeking to bring peace to the area have been organising seminars, dialogues and brokered peace accords endorsed by the two main factions, the Kusasis and Mamprusis. This years United Nations (UN) day for peace and reconciliation was specially dedicated to Bawku to get the people to appreciate the need for peace the area. Advocates for peace in the area have suggested the combination of extensive military tactics to retrieve arms and diplomacy and education to bringing lasting peace to the area. 1.2 STUDY AREA INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF THE MUNICIPALITY LOCATION AND SIZE Bawku Municipality is one of the nine districts and municipalities in the Upper East Region of Ghana. It is located approximately between latitudes 11o 111 and 10o 401North and longitude 0o 181W and 0o 61E in the north-eastern corner of the region. The municipality has a total land area of about 1215.05 sq km. It shares boundaries with Burkina Faso, the Republic of Togo, Bawku West District and Garu Tempane District to the north, east, west and south respectively. The Bawku Municipal Assembly was established by LI 1738, 2004. LEADERSHIP OF THE ASSEMBLY Hon. A. A. Awuni Presiding Member Hon. MusahAbdulai Municipal Chief Executive Mr. P. K. Kuupol Municipal Coordinating Director LOCAL ENVIRONMENT LAND COVERAGE AREA The Municipality has a total land area of about 1215.05 sq km. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS As with the whole of the Upper East Region, Bawku Municipality is part of the interior continental climatic zone of the country characterized by pronounced dry and wet seasons. The two seasons are influenced by two oscillating air masses. First is the warm, dusty and dry harmattan air mass which blows from the north easterly direction across the whole municipality from the Sahara Desert. During the period of its influence (late November early March) rainfall is entirely absent, vapour pressure is very low (less than 10 mm) and relative humidity rarely exceeds 20% during the day but may rise to 60% during the nights and early mornings. Temperatures are usually modest at this time of the year by tropical standards (26 0c 28 0c). May to October marks the wet season. During this period, the whole of the West African sub-region including Bawku Municipality is under the influence of a deep tropical maritime air mass. This air mass together with rising conviction currents, provide the Municipality with rains. The total rainfall amounts to averagely 800m per annum. A striking characteristic of the rainfall worth noting is the extreme variability and reliability both between and within seasons. Another striking characteristic is the large quantity of rain water normally lost through evapo-transpiration from open water surfaces. An estimate of the volume of rain water loss varies from 1.55mm to 1.65mm per annum. POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS The estimated total population of Bawku Municipality is 205,849. Its population density is 169 persons per square kilometer. The population of the Municipality constitutes about twenty percent of the Upper East Regions population and 0.99 percent of the Nations population. The population is 20 percent urban and 80 percent rural. The dependency ratio is 1:1:25. About 55 percent of the population is outside the working group which constitutes a stress on the working population. Household sizes in the Municipality are fairly large like it pertains in most parts of the country. According to the 2000 population census report, on the average there are seven persons per household. Though these large households could mean availability of labour, it has some financial implication in terms of feeding, healthcare, education, clothing etc.The large number of household therefore constitute economic burden. POPULATION GROWTH RATE The population growth rate of the Municipality is 1.1. ETHNIC GROUPINGS The predominant tribes in the Municipality are Kusasis, Mamprusis, Bissas and Moshies with Kusasis forming the majority followed by Mamprusis. However, there are quite a number of migrants from other parts of the country, especially the south (most of whom are civil servants) and the neighbouring countries like Togo and Burkina Faso. Ethnic heterogeneity has had implications for harmony in the Municipality. In the very recent past, there have been sporadic violent ethnic clashes between the Kusasis and Mamprusis. It is expected however, that inter-marriages among the diverse ethnic groupings will provide the impetus for peaceful co-existence. The predominant languages spoken in the municipality are Kusal, Mampruli, Bissa and Moli. There are however quite a number of other languages spoken in the Municipality including Hausa, Ga, Gurune, and Twi. EDUCATION Education and literacy provide the opportunity for individuals to participate in a wider job market. In the Municipality, the standard of education is generally low as compared to that of the nation as a whole. Though the Municipality has seen a lot of interventions in the construct ion of new school buildings, many schools are still accommodated in dilapidated structures with some children still receiving lessons under tress and unclouded pavilions. Senior High School (SHS):- The Municipality has two (2) SHS, one Technical Institute, a Vocational Institute, Teacher Training College and a Nurses Training College. These institutions are opened to not only the Bawku Municipality but to the whole of Upper East Region and beyond. HEALTH The Municipal Health Management Team (MHMT) is headed by the Municipal Director of Health Services, assisted by Medical Assistants, Senior Nurses and Technical staff. Health care in the Municipality is provided through hospitals, health Centres, CHPS Centres and private clinics. 1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Conflicts are seen as a serious problem in our Ghanaian community and the world at large. The predominant types of conflicts in Ghana are so-called Chieftaincy Conflicts, which are centred on the chieftaincy institution. Relatively, the institution has survived the impositions of both the colonial and the post-colonial regimes that have included them within the boundaries of the modern states (see Nukunya (1992, 77-78). A country that has experienced many major developmental programmes undoubtedly is contingent on peace and stability. However, regardless of all this serious conflict-free campaigns, the bawku municipality in the upper east region of Ghana is still saddled with series of conflicts which posses so many threats on life and properties. People have ascertained that the root cause of the conflict lies on the fact that dubious and unscrupulous people in the area want to use the unsecured nature of the area to intentionally cause fear and panic in other to rob people off their properties. Secondly others are Also of the view that the conflicts dwells largely on chieftaincy. Notwithstanding, others still ascertain that their differences in political ideologies, farmlands, celebration of festivals, the unable ness on the part of the Mamprusis to have their damba festival celebrated and as well perform the funeral of the late Naba Calipha among others are the cause of the conflict in the municipality which leaves in its wake hunger and poverty. Generally, Chieftaincy disputes erupt when there are two or more rival claimants to a vacant à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾stoolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾skinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸, the symbols of kingship or chieftaincy in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾traditionalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ state. The rival claimants to such traditional authority may either belong to different ethnic groups or to different lineages of the founding family. These are exacerbated by direct as well as discreet political interventions in chieftaincy affairs. For instance, when governments support loyal claimants to chieftaincy positions against less amenable ones has led to tensions between traditional rulers and government officials on the one hand, and between rival claimants to chieftaincy positions on the other hand. So too have attempts by wealthy pretenders to gain the position on the basis of wealth and influence in society. Currently, it is estimated that there are over 100 chieftaincy conflicts in Ghana, centred on ethnicity, succ ession to traditional political office and the struggle over land (Tsikata and Seini, 2004; 25). In Ghana, the struggle to become a Chief may turn violent: when the historical, political, economic and social circumstances around the establishment of the chieftaincy institution in a traditional state become contested; when the rules of succession become unclear; when successive national governments and political parties support one group against the other in a bid to serve their own parochial political interest; and when there are small and light weapons available to the factions in the dispute. However, though chieftaincy conflicts are largely localized (as the disputes occur within the boundaries of the traditional state), and the associated violence hardly spills over into neighbouring traditional states, the conflicts social, political and economic ripples become felt beyond the conflict zone. Conflict has serious implications on development in countries affected by it, not only in terms of the difficulty of implementing development policies, but also because it leads to more poverty and lower growth, loss of lives, damage to properties, displacement of families, slows down development, among others. The puzzling question remains as to the effects, consequences, and what should be done to eliminate or mitigate the impact of it in our societies these days. It is against this background that the researcher seeks to determine the root cause and its effects on life, property and suggest ways of bringing peaceful resolution and settlement in the conflict prone areas in the Bawku municipality. 1.4 Objectives and Aims This study is about how chieftaincy conflicts can impact on the peace and socio-economic development and growth of businesses, Individuals, localities and countries. GENERAL OBJECTIVE The main objective is to examine the effects of conflicts on the growth and development of businesses in the Bawku Municipality as well as to make recommendations to policy makers on the way forward. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of the chieftaincy conflict on economic activities (commerce, agriculture and industry). To examine the effects of the violence on livelihoods of people: seen in terms of the household poverty and employment opportunities. Governance in terms of revenue collection and expenditure on security. To determine the effects of the conflicts on health and education. To make recommendations on how the conflict can be resolved/managed peacefully on a permanent basis. 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION Is chieftaincy a possible cause of the conflict in the bawku municipality? Does ownership of farmlands form part of the causes of the conflict in the municipality? 1.6 Significance of the Study My research on the effects of the Bawku chieftaincy conflict seeks to present empirical evidence that communal violence negatively affects the socio-economic development of local communities where they take place. This research will investigate the effects of the perennial violence in Bawku on the ability of the Municipal Assembly, the Local Council and the people of the area as a whole to mobilize resources to improve their well being. Apart from contributing to the knowledge base on effects of conflict, this research will provide a basis for policy making towards resolving and managing communal (ethnic and chieftaincy) conflicts 1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY: This research is expected to cover a period of one year and the associated limitations will be: Financial constraints/difficulties to be able to cover the required people and place. Inadequate and not straightforward answers or response from respondents is eminent or likely. Risky to venture into homes of respondents who were/are badly affected as it reminds them of their unfortunate and unplanned past memories. Answers/response will not be objective as respondents are/will be giving responses to favour their faction at the expense of the other faction. LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 0 Conflict has serious implications for development in countries affected by it, not Only in terms of the difficulty of implementing development policies, but also because it Leads to more poverty and lower growth, which are very serious root causes of conflict. Chronic conflicts continue to exist and to devastate the lives and economies of the People in the affected countries (and, to a lesser extent, on non-conflict-affected Countries). Naturally, this has created a precarious and unpredictable Environment that has not been conducive to fostering economic activities. Ongoing incidents of violence since 2008 seem to indicate similarly localised and minor disputes can become the basis for inter-group conflict on a larger scale. There are quite a few published works on the effects of conflicts on development in Ghana in general, but none on the effects of the Bawku chieftaincy conflict on the growth and development of businesses in the bawku Municipality. Recent literature on conflicts in Ghana has concentrated on the inter-ethnic and intra ethnic conflicts, since these are the dominant causes of conflicts in the country. A governance deficiencyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ has been cited by some of these works as the cause of the recurring ethnic and communal violence in many parts of Ghana. (Akwetey, 1996: Lund, 2003: Jonsoon, 2007). Akwetey for instance argues that the absence of adequate democratic institutions is to blame for the recurring violence. Avenues for expressing interest and demands are non-existent. Christian Lund (2003), in an analysis of the longstanding ethno-political conflict between the Kusasi and the Mamprusi in Bawku, has argued that the politicisation of the Bawku conflict has affected government efforts to resolve the conflict. He asserts that a wide range of political- including party-political- and economic competition over chieftaincy, land, markets, names of places and other issues are cut to fit the ethnic distinction as conflicts over rights and prerogatives are rekindled accounting for the perennial violence. According to Julia Jonsson (2007), in a crises working on Traditional leadership and ethnic conflicts in Northern Ghana, asserts that the link between development and conflict in the region, exist on different practical levels: In the actors discourse in the socio-economic grievances they perceive as important in the causation of the conflict, through the effects of the fighting. She concludes that conflicts have disrupted the development of the region: destroyed its resources and development projects. Moreover, according to Kusimi, et al. (2006), in a paper on conflicts in Northern Ghana, have expressed the view that violent clashes in that part of the country affect economic development (destruction of farms and produce; prevents cultivation of lands; disrupt economic activities; discourage investment, labour flow and tourism) (see also Brukum, 2007). They also assert that conflicts in the region affect educational levels and divert governments attention from tackling pressing national issues relating to development, to restoring peace and order. In an article on the Guinea Fowl War of 1994 in the Northern Region, Emmy Toonen (1999) asserts that the conflict affected inter-ethnic co-operation in the region. Though the situation has improved, she claims that the Konkomba are still too afraid to enter Tamale, the regional capital where the Dagomba are the majority. She also claims that medical and educational facilities in the region were also affected. Security has a direct impact on the levels of investment. The violence associated with the chieftaincy conflict in the Bawku municipality affects investments in the different sectors of the municipal economy. I present the data on the effects, sector by sector. Agriculture: The violence resulting from the chieftaincy conflict adversely affects production, marketing and investment in agriculture, the dominant economic activity in the Bawku municipality. During outbreak of violence in the Municipality, farmers, especially those engaged in the cultivation of perishable foodstuffs such as watermelons and onions suffer heavy losses. Watermelons and onions are cultivated by irrigation and need constant tendering. When violence breaks out, most farmers are forced to abandon their crops because they fear being either attacked or because of the curfew instituted by the government/security apparatus. Furthermore, the transportation networks are also disrupted during violent clashes and farmers are unable to transport their foodstuff to the market places. These results in the foodstuffs getting rotten on the farms, the markets are deprived of these produce, scarcity sets in while their prices soar in the Municipality and the country as a whole. Commerce: Commerce, the second most important economic activity in the Bawku municipality, has also been negatively affected by the chieftaincy conflict. The officials from the Municipal Assembly asserted that, commercial activities as a whole is negatively affected by the perennial violence in the Municipality. The Assembly finds it very difficult to attract potential investors. Such activities as looting, robbery and the general lawlessness, which bring businesses to a standstill during violent clashes, scare away potential investors. The officials also cited the out migration of business people to other parts of the country as a direct effect of the perennial violence in the Municipality. Restricted movement, disruptions in businesses, the loss of capital through burning of houses and shops, and limited and selective business transactions (this means that people will normally not do business with members of the other side, this limits the market available to each trader) were all cited by various respondents as effects of the violence which are disincentives to business in the Municipality. Amidst these chaos and confusions and the general instability in the municipality pragmatic efforts have been put in place to take of the problem of which a few of those as have been kept in place by the central government and the leadership of the municipality are as seen below; A number of security measures have been put in place to respond to the perennial violence from the chieftaincy conflict and to reassure people to go about their normal daily lives without fear. Some of these measures include the stationing of a rapid response Air-Borne Force and a significantly larger police force in the Municipality. These measures mean that central government and the municipal authorities have had to channel more resources into maintaining the military and police presence. The Municipal Assembly spends GH ¢25037 every month on the Air-Borne Forces (source; municipal chief executive). In addition, the municipal assembly pays their communication, health, and fuel bills. Some other steps towards mitigating this conflict and its influence in our society, businesses and the world at as suggested by (source; Emmanuel bombande-executive member of wanepb) are as follows; (a) the need for effective dialogue by the various stakeholders; (b) the equal distribution of farmlands and other resources; (c) the rightful à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ownersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ should be allowed to occupy the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Skinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸; (d) political parties should stop interfering in the chieftaincy conflict; (e) the Regional House of Chiefs or the National House of Chiefs are the appropriate authorities to resolve the conflict; and (f) the need for education and understanding. Some pessimists who enjoy pleasure in war argue that the conflict cannot be resolved and suggested that the two sides should be allowed to fight until one faction emerges victorious and asserts dominance 3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY INTRODUCTION The researcher will base his methodology on the following: Population of the area Sampling design Sampling techniques Data collection techniques Population of the area The estimated total population of Bawku Municipality is 205,849. Its population density is 169 persons per square kilometer. The population of the Municipality constitutes about twenty percent of the Upper East Regions population and 0.99 percent of the Nations population. The population is 20 percent urban and 80 percent rural. The dependency ratio is 1:1:25. About 55 percent of the population is outside the working group which constitutes a stress on the working population. Household sizes in the Municipality are fairly large like it pertains in most parts of the country. According to the 2000 population census report, on the average there are seven persons per household. Though these large households could mean availability of labour, it has some financial implication in terms of feeding, healthcare, education, clothing etc.The large number of household therefore constitute economic burden. POPULATION GROWTH RATE The population growth rate of the Municipality is 1.1. Sampling design The researcher will use an interview process and personal observation in gathering the information. Interview is a personal or one on one interaction between an interviewer and his targeted respondents on an issue where the interviewer has a predetermined motive whereas observation is the personal foresight of how things will go like. Sampling techniques The researcher will use simple random sampling where respondents from both factions will have equal chance of being selected for questioning. Data collection techniques The researcher will use the primary data in gathering his information. With the primary data, the researcher gathers his information through personal encounter and observation of the situation.