Individual Analysis of Working in a Group Situation

In this paper I will describe and analyze my experience working in a group situation, writing a paper on the movie 12 Angry Men. I will address therapeutic communication techniques used in our group situation. I will address any conflicts that arose in our group. Utilizing Tuckman’s group process theory, I will also address the effectiveness of our group process. Individual Analysis of Working in a Group Situation Learning how to work effectively in a group situation is key to success in many professions as well as in social situations. Groups vary from each other based on the individuals that make up each group, all of us belong to various groups at one time or another. The roles that we fulfill vary from group to group, and may even vary within the same group over time. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the communication process and the interaction of my group during the completion of an assignment. The group consisted of four members. Our task was to prepare an analysis paper on the movie 12 Angry Men. Because this was only a four-member group focused on a single specific task, there was a high level of cohesiveness and no conflict. Our group would be considered a secondary group because the relationship was impersonal and goal-oriented (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). Every member of a group plays a certain functional role within the group. Some functional roles relate to the task aspect of the group, while others promote social interaction. These functions are manifested in the behaviors of individual members and affect group dynamics. Task functions include such behaviors as; identifying tasks, coordinating, clarifying and summarizing. Maintenance functions include such behaviors as harmonizing, gatekeeping, encouraging and compromising. All of the members of our group were task specialists (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). According to Arnold and Boggs (2011), when task specialists dominate a group, members become dissatisfied and collaboration is diminished. However, this was not the case with our group. Due to the fact that our group was very task oriented and we collaborated well with each other everyone was satisfied with the experience. Our group was able to effectively function without a designated leader. As a group, we had many strengths. I believe one of our biggest strengths was our effective communication. When we met in person all the members of our group used therapeutic communication such as active listening, paraphrasing, and summarizing. We were all very respectful of each other and maintained eye contact and receptive nonverbal communication. There were several times during the movie that we paused the movie to discuss the jurors’ ages, professions, or the dynamics between the different jurors. Normally it wouldn’t be acceptable to repeatedly pause a movie for discussion, but it was widely accepted among our group and did not cause any conflicts. Another form of communication that our group used was the internet. It enabled us to receive papers via email attachment, and then download, print, edit, and return the changes at our own leisure. The only drawback with using the internet for communication is the lack of acknowledgement. In the future I will make sure that I ask the recipient to acknowledge that they have received my communication. Groups do not always start off fully-formed and functioning. Bruce Tuckman's model of the developmental sequence in small groups suggests that groups grow through clearly defined stages, from their creation as groups of individuals, to cohesive, task-focused teams. There are five stages of Tuckman’s theory, forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. During the forming stage of Tuckman's theory, group members meeting each other for the first time are primarily concerned with overcoming their discomfort with one another. In this phase, the group members are engaged in establishing boundaries and group norms for communication (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). In contrast to Tuckman’s description, our group did not introduce themselves or share their backgrounds or reasons for coming to the croup, since we have been together in class for a few weeks and had already been acquainted. Our group did not pass through all of Tuckman’s stages of group development. Specifically, we omitted the storming stage and passed from forming to norming. Tuckman's storming phase focuses on the interpersonal conflicts that erupt among the members as they compete with one another for leadership roles. According to Tuckman, the interpersonal conflicts that typically include personal criticisms undermine the group's ability to accomplish the task (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). There was no real conflict in our group, since there was no clear leader in our group and all of the members were very task oriented. According to Tuckman, during the norming phase the group has one goal and all group members take responsibility and work toward the success of the group's goals (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). Our group was able to arrive at this level of cohesiveness at the beginning of the first meeting. Our group agreed to watch the movie once by ourselves and then meet and watch the movie together, and once we had view the film we would decide as a group which questions to assign to each of the members. Tuckman’s preforming phase happened on our second meeting, when our group watched the movie. After viewing the movie we discussed each question and collaboratively decided who would be most knowledgeable about each of the different areas. After dividing up the different areas of the paper we decided on a date that we would email our individual sections to Katie. The final phase of Tuckman’s theory is the adjourning phase. Our group reached this phase after we completed our final paper with the satisfaction of all of the group members. I left the group with a real feeling of satisfaction at having achieved what I set out to do. Throughout this group process has been helpful in a number of ways. I have learned how to communicate more effectively and I have also learned to step outside of my comfort zone. I have also leaned to be more conscious of my body language, because it is more effective than what you say. This group project has helped me learn how to convey my thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas to my group in an effective manner. . I will be able to apply what I have learned to my work and also to future group projects at school. Groups are a fundamental structure for accomplishing a wide variety of tasks. An effective group has many traits or characteristics that combine to ensure that it is able to reach its goals and objectives in a manner that is conducive to a high level of performance. Most groups go through five separate stages before achieving effective collaboration. Bruce Tuckman described these stages as forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Several factors affect group performance: composition, size, norms, and cohesiveness. In working with groups it is important to be aware of the many factors that affect group performance and understand the individual as well as the group issues.

Everyone Struggles with Their Identity Essay

Identity is an intrinsic idea of one’s life. Whilst there are no certainties, the struggle of identity often happens, and the conflicts may depend on the individual himself. The conflict may occur due to various factors in one’s identities including their sexual orientations, skin colour and religious background. These variables may cause noticeable damages to one’s mentality and psychology, and hence lead the individual to struggle with who they are. Individuals with homosexual preferences often experience conflicts in terms of their identities. Homosexuality is considered wrong by part of the society because the majority- heterosexual human beings- partially as a result of religious influences over the past centuries due to the mass control the several religious convictions had over the human’s civilisation as a whole, sees homosexuality as breaching the norm of the social order. Homosexual individuals often try to avoid the controversy caused by confessing their sexual preferences, as ignorant people often judge them by being different to the society. In ‘The First Kiss’ written by Lian Low, Lian was a typical example of homosexual individuals struggling with their identities. She has failed to embrace the fact that she was interested in women instead of men during her teenage years. ‘‘You’re not the L-word, are you? ’ Of course I denied it. ’ She didn’t want her ‘Malaysian Christian friends’ or ‘badminton buddies’ to judge her by her sexuality which caused a conflict throughout her high school life. Lian has been in a conflict between whether she should confess her sexual preference to her loved ones, or just pretending to be interested in men like all her peers. Like Lian, some homosexual individuals may have same issues as Lian faced and struggled in the same way with their character as she did. Although homosexuality causes a lot of people to struggle with their identity, the damage caused by racism due to diverse skin colours is worse. As a result of historical factors, coloured races are often ignorantly considered inferior to Caucasian people, especially those with white skin throughout the world. Examples such as the 2005 Cronulla riots in Australia, a racial conflict involving Middle East Appearance, show that until today, people with coloured skins are still targets of racism due to bigotry and conservatism. In the movie ‘Skin’, Sandra Laing has been struggling to figure out whether she was a ‘black’ or ‘white’ throughout her school life which can be shown when she said to her maid, ‘Am I black? ’ Sandra has been discriminated for her skin colour all through her tragic life. From her primary school classmates calling her ‘monkey’, the boy she went for a ‘date’ with saying, ‘you don’t have to feel bad for looking like a coloured person’, finally to her husband Pietrus who said ‘her skin is a curse’. Sandra’s miserable life was a classic situation of a coloured person in the last century. She has been exploring her identity throughout the entire film including a change of skin colour identification twice, before she finally defined herself as nobody else but her children’s mother. Under the influence of bias opinions over coloured appearance individuals, for instance the apartheid system in South Africa, a vast amount of people are possibly undergoing similar conditions as Sandra, persevering to figure out there true identity. Besides racism, a personal choice of approach to an event, one’s cultural background can also possibly cause struggle to their identity. As the modern society involves more immigrants changing their nationalities, children in recent generations may have multiple identities in terms of where they are from, and has become a social norm for the new decade. For instance, the Australian-born-Chinese people, also known as ‘ABC’ in general, has developed into a stereotype or even a race over the history of Chinese immigrating into Australia since the gold rush. However, it is difficult for these immigrant’s offspring to relate to their family’s culture as they may not have had any type of interaction with it. In the short story ‘Sticks and Stones and Such’ written by Sunil Badami, Sunil failed to understand the meaning of his name due to the lack of understanding to the Indian naming culture, was however conscious of his peers not pronouncing his name correctly, which further led him into obstacles of fitting into his friends’ groups and referring himself as ‘Neil’. These immigrant’s offspring may even find it challenging to answer questions like, ‘where are you from? Using the ‘ABC’s as an example, should they answer Australia, where they have grown up in, or China, where their parents are from? According to a survey done by the Herald Sun in January, 77% of the participants answered ‘I don’t know’. The result has portrayed the difficulty of self-identification by ‘ABC’ racial groups, which also may apply to various societies with similar cultural conditions. Despite the main causes of identity struggling mentioned above, every individual in the human’s society will somehow doubt their identities in their own manner, including you and me. Let us think back together, have we ever felt left out in a group of people? Did we question ourselves on sporting fields when we had a bad game? Did we ever think why are we even born in this world? The answer is yes. We have all questioned ourselves at some stage throughout our lives. It isn’t something to be ashamed of. By doubting ourselves, we can revise what actions have we done wrong, it is a motivation for ourselves to do better in all areas, with the ultimate goal to not doubt ourselves ever again-noting it isn’t possible. One’s identity is intrinsic to the individual. Without the desire to explore their own identities, human beings are not very different compared to beasts like monkeys or chimpanzees. Although some particular individuals may experience conflict in their process of discovering their identities, but please note, a perfect elite in all areas only exist in fairy tales. As an ordinary human being like everybody else, I would like to say, ‘please keep on questioning yourself’.

Campus life Essay

Why do you want to transfer to Carolina, and what do you believe you will contribute to campus life and what can I contribute for campus life? I want to transfer to the University of North Carolina because I believe it is one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. Basically, I believe that the school’s excellent academic programs and comfortable environment would greatly help me in developing my career. Moreover, I believe that I would be receiving high-quality education as the school has highly-competent instructors and professors. In other words, I would be learning from the best, and in effect, I could potentially excel in my chosen career. Furthermore, since the university is located in an area rich in culture, political history, and working opportunities, I believe that I can broaden my perspective regarding various aspects of the country while earning enough to live a decent life. In other words, I believe that I will have a bright future in the university as it will provide me with not only the best education, but also an environment that is easy to adapt to. If I am blessed and fortunate enough to be admitted to the University of North Carolina, I believe that I would be able add more to its success with my various skills. Being an international student, I believe I can contribute to its cultural diversity as my peers would be able to learn more from my culture and I, in turn, would be able to learn from them. In addition, I believe that my passion and my skills in playing the saxophone would also allow me to actively participate in musical activities. In short, I believe that the UNC would not only help in my personal growth, but also allow me to become a well-rounded and highly competent professional in my chosen career after I graduate.

Biological security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biological security - Assignment Example Both the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Framework (NRF) have and continue to enhance the federal government’s ability to coordinate efforts between state and local governments in the event of terrorist attacks or national disasters. The NRF outlines guidelines that help in the alignment of key responsibilities and roles of different agencies involved in disaster relief efforts (Homeland Security 8). In addition, the NRF describes best practices for the different authorities it furnishes with the responsibility of mitigating disasters be it on a small or large scale. It is important to note that the NRF is very flexible whereby the guidelines outlined are designed to cater for the different types of disasters (Homeland Security 8). NIMS complements the NRF by further outlining a systematic, proactive approach, which helps to guide departments in the government, private, and non-governmental sectors as they disburse emergency relief supplies and services to victims of natural disasters or terrorist attacks (FEMA). Dealing with a biological attack in the US or in any other country cannot be haphazard. The RAIN concept is a simple outline of the four steps that emergency respondents should follow in a systematic manner when dealing with biological attacks. The first step calls for the recognition of the hazard or threat. More often than not, medical personnel who deal with medical emergencies; for example, EMTs are often the first point of contact with the biological hazard.

Television advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Television advertising - Essay Example ising is almost similar to radio advertising only that it combines audio and visual information; a typical television advertisement would be ten to sixty seconds in duration (Entrepreneur, 2014). Television advertisements are often placed at strategic breaks in the course of the main programming as well as in the course of the last few minutes until the top of the next hour. For instance, a television advertisement broadcast during a live event such as the Olympics or the Super Bowl attracts the attention of billions of potential customers. Television commercials are generally more expensive to produce and broadcast compared to other advertising options but is more appealing to audiences and reaches a broader audience simultaneously since they are both audio and visual. Given that individuals spend at least four hours in front of the television and a majority of households own a T.V. set, television advertising remains one of the most effective marketing approaches, the prevalence of new media platforms notwithstanding. Television advertising entails two main tasks including creating a commercial that is acceptable by broadcasters on the basis of outlined broadcast standards as well as placing the advertisement strategically to reach the largest number of viewers possible. The intricacy of television advertising requires the professional input of production companies and advertising agencies with appropriate experience in the two tasks outlined above. Television advertisements increasingly feature songs or specific musical themes that are designed to hook audiences and to be memorable so that they can remain in the minds of the audience even long after the ad campaign has passed. Many television ads also exploit humour as a creative tool, since it is strongly associated with advertising persuasion; psychologists have attempted, in numerous studies, to explain the impact of humour on advertising persuasion. Headquartered in Germany’s city Bonn, T-Mobile

Consultancy Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consultancy Project - Essay Example This will also help the company to identify its customers and gain knowledge about their needs and interests which in turn makes positioning quite easy. We strongly recommend that the marketers should play an active role in identifying the targeted customers. It is also recommended that the company should open its own restaurants in convenient locations after conducting market research. Frequenting local festivals is not the best way of establishing a new business enterprise in an area. If the company opens its own restaurants, it becomes visible even to passersby who may be tempted to try the products offered by the company. It becomes easy for the company to market its products by virtue of being visible to many people. Company owned restaurants also have an advantage in that the customers can relax and enjoy their meals and they can interact with the staff members. This helps the employees to get feedback from the customers which can be used to improve the operations of the firm. We also recommend that the company should adopt an integrated marketing communication strategy rather than relying on social media and limited advertising. Integrating the firm’s various communication channels will help it to deliver clear and consistent messages about their products. Other strategies that should be used by the firm in this case include personal selling, sale promotion and direct marketing. It is our strong belief that personal selling will help the marketers to interact directly with the customers which can help them to provide the necessary information about their brands. This goes hand in hand with direct marketing which creates direct contact between the marketers and the consumers. We also believe that sales promotion will significantly help to appeal to the interests of the new customers since this is also a new business entity in the area. Last but not least, we recommend that the company should strive to employ local people who have

Human Resources Management Pay for Performance at Dee's Personalized Case Study

Human Resources Management Pay for Performance at Dee's Personalized Baskets - Case Study Example The company needs to analyze following determinants before designing any PFP model. Employees value outcome of their effort in terms of monetary benefit and other recognition Monetary outcome is more valued than any other kind of recognition Performance level expected by the company must be measurable Performance measurement must synchronize with strategic goal of the company Reward must be tempting enough to motivate workers It is evident from the case study size of the organization is not big hence measuring performance of each employee is possible hence the company should adopt individual level PFP system. Merit pay plan and incentive system will complement individual level PFP program. In merit pay plan payment is done as certain percentage of base salary and distributed in top down approach. Research report shows that workers prefer merit pay plan over straight fixed salary. Merit pay plan helps the employee to assume that employer has recognized his/her performance. The company should adopt the system for all employees. Incentive schemes can be applied to all employees of the company. The company can use incentive scheme rigorously to improve performance of sales team. Key Performance Indicator (KPI) model can be used to design PFP system for the company (Parmenter, 2011, p. 3-15). KPI will help the company to identify key performers responsible to increase sales and based on appraisal the company can decide salary structure for key performers. Dee’s Personalized Baskets should introduce performance based incentives for all the employees to motivate them to perform well. The company needs two types of additional information to build effective PFP model (Bernardin & Russell, 2013, p. 753). It is evident from the case that the company is lacking in creating sustainable performance standard and appraisal system. The company should try to design a consistent incentives system to fulfill expectancy of employees (Kreitner & Kinick, 2013, p. 222). Externa l information (industry average for incentives and salary structure and how much competitors are paying to their staffs). Internal data (annual performance report for employees). PFP system of the company needs to address following issues. Annual bonus system not tied with base salary. Bonus pay level should be adjusted to 0% to 20% for non supervisory personnel and 20% to 40% to supervisory personnel. Forced distribution should be used for performance appraisal. Proper alignment between job designation and performance measurement. Designing annual merit pay program for major achievement Key performance indicator should be integrated in the system to monitor performance of employees and KPI should be used improve performance on monthly basis. Answer 2 Gain sharing is the process of sharing financial benefits of increased productivity or cost reduction with employees. Gain sharing plans aim to reduce level of human resource pool required to produce certain output or increase producti vity from existing human resource pool. Research suggests that maximum effectiveness of gain sharing can be achieved by 1- cooperative union, 2- utmost faith between employee and employer, 3- participation of worker and management to achieve common organizational goal. Research scholars believe measuring gain sharing is difficult because involvement of complex financial

Science versus Pseudo- science Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Science versus Pseudo- science - Coursework Example Secondly, there are different astrological traditions in different countries. Finally, it may be useful only to create a horoscope. Karl Popper would suggest that astrology will not be able to pass the test of critical rationalism as many of its fundamental principles may be easily proven wrong. In other words, its main postulates can not be found objectively true. Thomas Kuhn would argue that there has been no paradigm shift in astrology for a considerable period of its existence. This suggests that it hardly develops as a science and, therefore, can not be recognized as one. In addition to that, Imre Lakatos would also note that astrology should be classified as a pseudoscience as it makes novel predictions with regard to unknown phenomena, but fails to prove it with fact. As a result, any theory that is being advocated by it can not be verified by the evidence and is easily

Business Economics for the World Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Economics for the World Market - Essay Example Based on this analysis the total costs of the project exceed the present value of future sales. It is true that the total costs of the project exceed the present value of future sales, but we have to consider the R&D costs were already incurred. If the company were to decide to reject the project the R&D expenses would become a sunk cost. A sunk cost can be defined as cost that has been incurred that cannot be reversed (Investopedia). If the firm decided to forfeit the project the accumulated sunk cost would lead to a project loss of $8 million. On the hand if the firm decided to invest an additional $4 million dollars the firm would end up with a final project loss of $2 million. It is better to lose $2 million than to lose $8 million. Another possibility of continuing the project is for the company to create extension products or other related product lines in the future. These products could help improve the total performance of the project in order to reach profitability. Another consideration for the company is that producing this product can help the firm improve its overall market share in the industry. The firm should have performed a better analysis of the potential returns of the project much earlier in the project life cycle. Since the firm already invested $8 in research and development the best decision is to continue with the project. I do not agree with the recommendation of canceling the project. The firm made bad decision in the past to undertake the project and invest $8 million in R&D without having a good estimate of the potential returns of the project. Right now rejecting the project at its current development stage would compound the original problem. 1b) The new information given that the marketing and overhead expenses associated with continuing the project amount to $4 million does not change my opinion about the best solution for the firm. Based on the new figures the company would lose $6 million if they continue with the project. If the firm decides to discontinue the project the overall loses for the project would be $8 million. The company should continue with the project in order to learn from their experiences. Based on the new information I would be more willing to reject the project if the financial conditions are not correct. For instances if the company does not have the $8 million dollars readily available I would recommend the company does not go out of their way to incurred in moves such as selling common stocks to finance this project. The firm should implement changes in its risk assessment protocols for new products or capital projects in order to incorporate the utilization of methods such NPV to assess the viability of a project prior to investing money in research and development initiatives. 2) The video rental store owner would have benefited a lot from having more knowledge about economic concepts. It is possible that the owner made a decision based on the law of demand and supply which sti pulates that by lowering the price of an item the volumes of sales will go up as a consequence. The error the video rental owner made is that he did not consider the implications of having a price of elasticity of -0.45. The price elasticity of demand is an economic variable that measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good or service to a change in its price (Absoluteastronomy). The price elasticity of the firm can be categorized as relative elastic since the value of -0.45 which is between cero and -1. This implies

Unit 1 Individual project 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 1 Individual project 2 - Essay Example The managers must ensure that they follow this questionnaire when interviewing the applicants. All the other employees who had applied for the other positions of Messengers, Cooks, Janitors, Security Guards, secretaries, receptionists and workers will be asked the following general questions. The list comprises of twelve permissible questions. It is important to note that there are a number of illegal questions that should never be asked in a recruitment process. These include gender-related questions, questions on the marital status, questions regarding the race, and those regarding the disability status of the applicant. These are sensitive areas that should be avoided at all costs. Religion and Nationality questions should also be out of the picture. Age and the birthplace questions should also not be asked. With this in mind, the rights of the employment candidates will be preserved. Krannich, Caryl Rae, and Ronald L. Krannich.  Job interview tips for people with not-so-hot backgrounds: how to put red flags behind you to win the job. Manassas Park, Va.: Impact Publications, 2004.

Biography of a Race Essay Example for Free

Biography of a Race Essay It may be hard for biographers to win prize for his work. Therefore, for this to happen, it would take an exceptional skill paired with devoted attitude towards the craft. Such award as Pulitzer Prize requires these and David Levering Lewis apparently has these as proven in his biography about the civil rights leader William Edward Burghart Du Bois. The book is called ‘Biography of a Race’ which shows a remarkable manner of tackling of the life of Du Bois. It shows with clarity the picture of the environment in which the struggles set for the purpose of an endeavor. The complexity of this civil right leader’s involvement in socio political movements was carefully drawn with a structure that is outlined according to significant key points. The life of Du Bois revolves around his contribution with the condition of the present American society. He tried to escape the stereotypical position of blacks as subject class. Du Bois strived to gain social reform and have equity among the people regardless of race and color. He pushed the belief that blacks should also have access on all essential community benefits such as education. His life story is indeed challenging for any biographer to write. The whole context of the book is particularly exquisite although there are some parts of the first five of eleven chapters that may seem a little bit confusing. The length of the passages may require some reader to go over it again to get the key points but otherwise, they are precise. It is given that the life of Du Bois is complex and that can be the reason for this. The choice of the right approach is the true mark of Lewis’s skill in telling story and history. His book is a comprehensive study of a life story and succeeded in its purpose to reflect the life that made a huge contribution in the history. Thus, an award is nothing but deserved. Reference Lewis, D. L. (1993). W. E. B. Du Bois, 1868-1919: Biography of a Race. ON: Henry Holt and Company, LLC

Report on NatWest Bank’s Creativity and Innovation Essay Example for Free

Report on NatWest Bank’s Creativity and Innovation Essay NatWest Bank is a member of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS Group). In 1968 National Provincial Bank (est.1833) and Westminster Bank (est.1836), fused as National Westminster Bank. Jointly, these banks could outline their history back down the centuries through a ancestry of influential constituents, since the 1650s. The declaration totally astonished the public, but to both banks the benefits were obvious the merger enhanced balance sheet strength, created opportunities to streamline the branch networks and enabled greater investment in new technology. The statutory process of integration was completed in 1969 and National Westminster Bank commenced trading on 1 January 1970, with the three-arrowheads symbol as its Logo of the company with 3,600 branches, established a wide range of new services, including the banks first credit card, Access, in 1972, and computer-linked cash dispensers, Servicetills, in 1976. Deregulation in the 1980s, culminating in Big Bang in 1986, also encouraged National Westminster Bank to enter the securities business. County Bank, the Groups merchant bank, acquired stockbroking and jobbing firms to create NatWest Investment Bank. In the mean time, the International Banking Division appeared to offer international banking services to large companies and to focus on expansion in the USA, the Far East and Europe. In the 1980s new services were developed such as telephone banking and touch- screen share dealing to assist the governments privatisation programme. The 1980s also saw the National Westminster Home Loans established in 1980 and the Small Business Unit in 1982. The Switch debit card extended the electronic transfer of money to point of sale in 1988. In the 1990s financial services markets world-wide underwent huge variations and in response the bank refocused its activities, exiting from a number of markets and adopting the title of NatWest. In March 2000, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group completed the acquisition of NatWest in a  £21 billion deal that was the largest take-over in British banking history. NatWest ranks fifth in the world and is now part of a financial services group which is the second largest bank by market capitalisation in the UK and in Europe. (NatWest 2006) Read more: Essay About National Westminster Bank Creativity and Innovation of the Bank: With granting a muscular competitive encourage to innovation, creativity and efficiency, it always attains lead on rival firms. Innovation is a driver of productivity growth. Novel products, processes and methods of working can relent efficiency gains and quality improvements not only within the innovating firm, but also within other firms that recap or institute on the innovation within their own firms. There are a number of reasons why the rate of innovation is likely to fall below socially optimal levels, and smaller innovating firms may face particularly severe barriers to innovation. The key constraints are: †¢ Limited access to risk capital: The informational impediments to free- functioning markets for SME finance were discussed earlier in this chapter, but it is particularly difficult for potential lenders or investors to assess likely risk and returns accruing to future research or to the implementation of unproven innovations. Newly-established innovating firms often m ake a loss and face severe cash-flow constraints in their early years. †¢Difficulties appropriating the full benefits of innovation: Whilst a competitive environment will provide the best general incentive for firms to innovate, firms need to be confident that they can reap the rewards of their innovation. This is why the intellectual property regime allows firms to prevent, for a limited period, their competitors from copying their innovations. This is a necessary reward for the costs of RD, and helps to encourage innovation. Nevertheless, the internal return to innovation may still be modest relative to the industry-wide benefits that arise once the innovation can be replicated by other firms. †¢ Inability to diversify risk: While larger companies may have a large portfolio of innovative activity, innovation in smaller firms may be concentrated on a single product or process, and the cost of undertaking the necessary RD may be very large relative to the overall financial assets of the company. Accordingly, where SMEs are risk-averse, they will be discouraged from investing in innovative activities with uncertain returns. Assembling the enterprise confront will rely on the innovation and creativity of entrepreneurs themselves, but the Government must also provide the right condit ions and the necessary support for successful enterprise. (Cosh and Hughes 2000) The NatWest Group has a total of 6 UK banking licences and licences from several other authorities. There are two principal costs linked with getting to the position where a bank is in a position to obtain and maintain its banking licence: 1) Implementing a reporting system that satisfies the requirements of the regulators. In addition to standard financial reports these would include implementing the systems to monitor and report capital adequacy, liquidity, credit risk, and interest rate risk etc. 2) Ensuring that there is the necessary infrastructure in place to satisfy individual regulatory requirements on operational areas such as money laundering, advertising and sales of financial products. There are also noteworthy sunk costs in coping with the provision of creativity infrastructure. To replace the existing branch and service centre network and administrative buildings is a major project in its own right and in addition to the costs of such physical assets, which are on the balance sheet it would be necessary to handle the stipulation of such facilities. Costs would also be involved in the provision of such items as HR policies, for example the sunk costs associated with setting up employee benefit programmes, such as pension plans, stock options, bonus schemes, car schemes, health care etc. The same tactic has been adopted and this turns up at an total expenditure of  £ [255] m. This is probably a conservative estimate. Over the period 1996 to 2000 NatWest incurred expenses of around  £ [13] bn in respect of its Retail Transformation programme, which was only a modification of part of its existing infrastructure rather than creation of a totally innovative one. (RBSG, 2002) NatWest depends entirely upon the qualities of innovation, and suffer more acutely from the rapidity of transform. Whether in presentation, writing, the visual arts or advertising, the progress of new ‘product’ is at the heart of all doings. Without this self- generated action, there is not anything to put up for sale. The sector therefore has a specific and challenging manufacturing process or value chain which, at each stage, demands different talents. At the raw development end of production (ideas generation, creating, training) there is a need for concepts, leading edge ideas and formulations, creativity, innovation and initiative customer orientation. Problem solving is paramount. At the moment of production (turning ideas into products, locations for production) – this first set of aptitudes is still important but must be supplemented by: _ï€  Intelligence, understanding of the market, industry foresight and strategic view; _ï€  Effective management o f resources; _ï€  Ability to develop and manage relationships with partners, explore new connections and collaborations with suppliers. The merger of the Royal Bank of Scotland (BoS) and Halifax to form HBOS resulted from increasing competitive pressures in the financial sector. Since about 1980, with the decline of heavy industries and growth of a service economy, like other clearing banks, BoS was obliged to expand further into small business lending and new retail products (e.g. residential mortgages, financial services, credit cards, etc.). Competition was exaggerated by banking deregulation, which led to the growth of a secondary banking sector, the transformation of many building societies (including Halifax) into banks, and new amalgamations into ever-larger banks (as cited in Leyshon and Thrift 1993). During this period there was increasing concern in the Scottish banking community about the potential for takeovers to erode a distinctive Scottish banking sector (as cited in Saville 1996: 717-40), which had been partly maintained by an historical ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between the English and Scottish banks to limit their presences in each other’s markets. In September 1999, BoS surprised The City of London by making a  £20.85 billion bid to take over NatWest Bank, in effect striking first in an environment where further bank mergers seemed inevitable. Many in the financial press were quick to point out that under these new terms, BoS and other Scottish banks could not expect to have the ir future ‘independence’ protected. In late November the Royal Bank of Scotland, BoS’s main competitor in Scotland, made a successful counter bid of  £25.1 billion. The City now anticipated a takeover of BoS, compelling BoS to keep pace with the Royal Bank. BoS and Halifax began merger negotiations in April 2001, and the new banking group, HBOS, began trading on the stock market on 10 September, 2001. The Halifax was the dominant partner in the merger, being about twice the size of BoS in terms of number of employees and market value at the time of merger, and supplying key organizational leadership, including the CEO. The core rationale of the merger was that it brought together Halifax’s substantial mortgage lending income and BoS’s expertise and placement in the corporate banking world to create new business opportunities for the merged organisation. It also saw the dislocation of BoS’s rather conventional, cautious and habitual banking ethos by the more modern, competitive and market driven ethos of the Halifax organisation. Thus the merger was experienced by staff as an encounter between two different corporate cultures, and two different national cultures, at the same time. By ‘the ideology of change’ it specifies an ideological condition that corresponds closely with Therborn’s conception of modernity. With this phrase I want to dire ct attention not so much to a set of ideas and beliefs about change, but more to a disposition, or attitude toward change. I mean to suggest a normatively charged attitude in which established ways of doing things are devalued and innovation and change is positively valued in principle, regardless of the particulars of any given situation. It is, in a sense, a ‘presumption of guilt’ in regard to the old, and ‘presumption of innocence’ in regard to the new. This attitude is deeply naturalised, so that the imperative and positive value of change is widely regarded as self-evident, and not easily questioned. Thus rather than the great social critiques and political programmes associated with the formation of modernity, I mean to invoke a routinized and normalized aspect of established modernity—seen in the way political parties and governments promote themselves through promises of reform, in the way corporations and public institutions are constantly restructuring in order to ‘modernize’ and keep pace with their competitors, and in the way consumer-citizens in capitalist society come to expect scientific and technological advances that will increase knowledge and improve commodities and services, while fashions in popular culture rapidly replaces one another. The ideology of change is mundane, relentless common sense. Some problems of ‘innovation and creativity’ lay with the organization and its leadershi p, rather than personnel, the exhortation to embrace change was ultimately being translated into a message of personal moral reform. In this way the ideology of change, while meeting resistance, percolated down to beleaguered selves seeking some greater purchase on their state of affiars. (Hearn 2006) HRM Strategic Milestones in NatWest: During 1990–91 County NatWest, an investment bank, asked all its business units, including its personnel department, to set up strategic milestones for a five-year period. Their performance was to be measured against those milestones at specified target dates. The requirement to produce strategic milestones as an input to the bank’s five-year marked an important watershed in defining the contribution of personnel to the business at a strategic level. It forced the department to reflect on the nature of that contribution. Senior management of the bank duly authorised 18 separate strategic milestones. The milestones were consistent one with the other, and overall addressed issues that consultation within business units and across the three personnel teams had shown to be critical to business success. Each milestone was assigned to a designated individual and was incorporated into his or her own targets of performance. Quarterly reviews on progress, involving the whole department, were subsequently held to ensure that the milestones were on target. The operational tasks that a centralised TD planning process involves seek to ensure that: TD considerations are taken fully into account when business strategy is formulated. They form part of a human resource plan within the wider business plan. At business unit/divisional level there are policies to ensure people are trained and developed in line with the needs of the business. At the individual level TD is an integrated part of daily routine and procedures, helping people to achieve performance standards and behavioral objectives and building up the kind of workforce needed in terms of productivity, quality and flexibility. TD staff operates a collaborative approach to planning at every stage in order to ensure a high level of buy-in from line management and other stakeholders. (Harrison 2001) Conclusion: NatWest Bank had recently a remarkable triumph over the competitors on November 15 2006 in the 12th Annual Convention- CCA Excellence Awards categorized for â€Å"Best Customer Focus: Financial Services† (details available on http://www.ccai.org.uk/events). The Bank is the second giant bank in the entire Europe (after Deutsche Bank) and incredibly progressed in a very short span of time (as discussed in the historical background). NatWest’s creativity and innovation â€Å"line of attack† led the bank to the stature of success. Chinua Achebe (1930 ), Nigerian novelist, poet, and essayist rightly says: â€Å"Contradictions if well understood and managed can spark off the fires of invention. Orthodoxy whether of the right or of the left is the graveyard of creativity†. (Anthills of the Savannah) References NatWest; A History, (2006), NatWest Bank, available on http://www.natwest.co.uk/aboutus.htm/ accessed April 29 2007. Cosh and Hughes, (2000), Tackling Market Failures, British Bankers Association. Jonathan Hearn, (2006), National Identity, Organisational Culture, and the Ideology of Change in Scotland, BSA Annual Conference, Scottish Study Group. Rosemary Harrison, (2005), Producing and Implementing LD Strategy, CIPD Publications. Appendix A: NatWest Glossary AER Annual Equivalent Rate. This shows what the interest rate would be if interest were paid and added to your account each year. APR Annual Percentage Rate. The interest payable on what youve borrowed is added up along with other charges (e.g. arrangement fees) and then expressed as an annual rate of charge. The APR helps you compare the true cost of borrowing, for example for a mortgage. The APR takes into account all fees and charges applied to the mortgage as well as the monthly payments over the life of the loan. arrangem ent fee a fee to cover administration. arrears money that was due to be paid but has not been paid. When you are behind in payments, you are in arrears. assets your money, property, goods and so on that have a financial value. assurance a policy that you pay for, and that pays money to your next of kin when you die. bankers draft a cheque drawn on the bank (or building society) itself against either a cash deposit or money taken directly from your own bank account. A bankers draft is a secure way of receiving money from someone you dont know and where a cash is inconvenient. Bankers drafts are commonly used for large purchases such as homes and cars. base rate the interest rate from which lenders set their rates for lending and savings products. Its usually based on the base rate set by the Bank of England. capital money that youve invested or borrowed (e.g. to buy a home). It doesnt include the income or profit you get from an investment, or the interest you have to pay on a loan or mortgage. CHAPS Clearing House Automated Payment System. This is a system that enables money to be transferred from one bank account to another on the same day. chip and PIN a system to reduce card fraud. A chip and PIN card has a smart chip that holds your four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN). When you pay in a shop with a chip and PIN card, youll be asked to enter your PIN into a keypad instead of signing a receipt. This PIN is the same number that you use to withdraw money at a cash machine. cleared balance/cleared funds includes credits (cheques and cash) that have completed the clearing cycle. You can only withdraw or transfer money to another account with money from your cleared balance. The cleared balance is updated during the day as you make payments into and out of your account. clearing cycle the process that your cheque goes through when you pay it into your account. A cheque wont be cleared if, for example, the person who gave it to you doesnt have enough money in their account. credit card allows you to borrow money to pay for goods and services without using cash or cheques. credit balance the amount of money in your account. credit limit the maximum amount of money that you may borrow. debit card allows you to pay for goods and services without writing cheques or using cash. The money is taken directly from your current account (you dont borrow the money as with a credit card). Some debit cards can also be used to guarantee cheques. debt an amount of money that you owe to a person or company. Direct Debit an instruction from you to your bank or building society allowing someone to take money from your account. The amount of money taken can vary, but you must be told the amounts and dates beforehand. Direct Debits allow you to pay bills automatically from your account on a regular basis. discounted rate a variable rate that is set at a fixed percentage amount below the lenders standard variable rate for a period of time. At the end of the period, the mortgage goes back to the lenders variable rate. EAR Effective Annual Rate. This is the amount of interest charged on an overdraft and is stated as an annual rate. Unlike the APR, the figure does not include any fees or charges. Equity (in property) the difference between how much your property is worth the balance of your outstanding mortgage and any other debts secured on the property. Equity release a way of releasing extra money by borrowing against the equity in your home. ERTF Exchange Rate Transaction Fee. This is a fee that you pay when withdrawing foreign currency from a cash machine or when paying for something in another currency (e.g. when youre on holiday abroad). The foreign currency is converted into pounds sterling (using the banks exchange rate) and a fee for doing this is added. fixed-rate interest an interest rate that stays the same throughout an agreed period. flexible mortgage a mortgage that allows you to make overpayments and underpayments on the mortgage without penalty, and, in some cases, to take payment holidays. gross the whole amount before any deductions (such as tax or fees) are made. gross interest rate interest before income tax is deducted. Insurance policy a policy that you pay for, and that pays money to you to cover possibilities such as theft, damage to property, loss and so on. interest the amount that you pay when you borrow money. Its expressed as a percentage rate over a period of time. interest-free no interest is charged on money that you borrow. interest-only mortgages a loan on which you only pay the interest element. The amount of capital you owe remains the same throughout the term of the mortgage and is due to be repaid at the end of the term. interest rate the rate at which you pay back interest, expressed as a percentage of the amount you borrow. investment something you put money into that will provide income in the future (such as savings) or gain in value so that you can sell it at a higher price later (such as a house). loan money that you borrow (e.g. to buy a new car) on condition that you pay it back. lifetime mortgage a type of equity release product for the over 60s, which allows you to release money by borrowing against the value of your home. There are no monthly repayments, instead the interest is added to the loan and the whole amount is repaid when you die or move into long-term care, usually from the sale of the house. This means more interest will build up than with a conventional mortgage. mortgage a loan to help you buy property on condition that the company giving you the loan has certain rights, including the right to sell the property if you dont pay back the loan. net the amount after deductions (such as tax or fees) are made. net interest rate the rate payable after the lower rate of income tax is deducted. (NB the rate of tax may vary, so a net rate is usually only given as an example.) nominal annual rate the rate of interest that would apply if the interest were not added each year and if there were no inflation. overdraft borrowings from your current account. overpayment higher or extra mortgage payments that you make (usually to pay off your loan or mortgage early). p.a. per annum, which means each year. payment holiday a period of one or more months when you dont make repayments on your loan or mortgage, although interest continues to accrue during that time. PIN Personal Identification Number. This is the four-digit number that you enter into a cash machine when you want to take out cash, and that you use when you pay with your chip and PIN card. Never give this number to anyone, or write it down. rate the percentage interest rate charged by a lender. remortgage replacing a mortgage with a new one (from your existing or a different lender), without moving home. You use the money you borrow for the new mortgage to repay the old one. repayment method the means by which a mortgage is repaid. The two main repayment methods are interest only and repayment. repayment mortgage a loan where you pay back some of the capital as well as interest each month. The amount you owe is gradually reduced. return the profit you get, for example, when you invest money. share a unit of ownership in a company. share certificate shows the amount of ownership. share dealing the process of buying and selling shares. standing order a method of making regular payments directly from your bank account. Its a fixed sum and you tell your bank when to start and stop paying it. stock another term for share. transaction each time you pay money into or take money out of your account, its called a transaction. unarranged borrowing an overdraft that is higher than your bank or building society has agreed to. uncleared balance the amount of money in your account including all the uncleared items in your account and any items paid in during the day. underpayment a loan or mortgage payment that is less than the amount that you should normally pay for that month. variable-rate interest the interest rate that you pay on your loan or mortgage and that rises and falls roughly in line with a stated index, such as the base rate set by the Bank of England. (NatWest , 2006, available on http://www.natwest.co.uk/glossary.htm/)

Effect of the Financial Crisis on Islamic Banks

Effect of the Financial Crisis on Islamic Banks Islamic banking is a very young concept even though it has already been implemented as the only system in two Muslim countries; there are Islamic banks in many Muslim countries, and a few in non-Muslim countries as well. Despite the successful acceptance there are problems. These problems are mainly in the area of financing. Dubai Islamic Bank was the first private interest free bank and was set up by a group of Muslim business men from different countries in 1975. in 1977 two more private banks under the name of Faisal Islamic bank were founded in Sudan and Egypt. Since the establishment of the Dubai Islamic Bank, more than 50 interest free banks have been set up. Most of them are in Muslim countries but there are others in Western Europe as well as Denmark, UK, and also Switzerland. All the interest free banks use basic principles that are agreed upon but individual banks have different ways of implementing and applying the principles. These differences are brought about by a countries laws, the circumstances facing the bank, its objectives and experience as well as its interaction with other banks. The features of the Islamic banks The interest free banks have three kinds of deposits, namely; current accounts, savings accounts and investment accounts. The current accounts operate just like the other conventional banks. In the savings accounts are treated differently depending on the banks policies. In some cases, the banks are allowed to use the clients money but they have to guarantee to give back full the full amount. In this cases, no capital is promised. On the other hand, savings accounts are treated as if they were investment accounts but they have less stringent withdrawal and minimum balance conditions. In these cases the expected profits level are usually low and only a portion of the average minimum balance is awarded. With the investment accounts, deposits are accepted for a given period of time and the investors make an agreement in advance on how the profits will be shared with the banks. For this accounts, a capital is not guaranteed. MODES OF FINANCING The mode of financing in the Islamic banks is carried out in three ways; investment financing, trade financing, and also lending. Investment financing has three perspectives; musharaka, mudharaba and estimated rates on return basis investment. In mushraka, the bank joins another bank to set up a joint venture with both parties participating in their different activities. The profit or loss made from the venture business is shares among the banks in accordance to a pre arranged agreement. This venture is usually an independent legal entity and the bank has the right to gradually withdraw after the initial period. In mudarabha, a bank contributes finances required for an investment and the client sources and provides the needed expertise, labor as well as the management to oversee things. The profit gained from these investment is shared between the bank and the client according to a pre arranged plan. Incase losses are made, the bank takes responsibility. Financing on the basis of an estimated rate of return. The bank makes an estimation of the expected rate of returns on an investment on project that it has been requested by a client to finance. The bank then provides the financing on the condition that the rate is payable to the bank in a given time period or intervals. Incase the expected rate on return is higher than the estimated rate, the client takes the excess profits but if it is less than the estimated rate, the bank accepts the lower rates. In case of a loss, the bank shares in it. Trade financing Trade financing is also carried out in several ways; mark up, leasing, hire purchase, sell an buy back, and letters of credit. In the mark up approach, the bank buys an asset for the client and is to be paid at a certain time for a certain price and some profit. In leasing, the bank simply purchase an item and leases to a client for an agreed time. At the end of this time period, the client pays the balance and becomes the owner of the item. Hire purchase is similar to leasing only that the item purchased by the bank is hired to the client for a given period and when the ends, the client automatically becomes the owner if the item. The buy and sell back approach entails a client selling an asset to the bank at a price payable immediately and promises to buy it back from the bank after an agreed time period and for a pre determined price. Letters of credit involves international trade. In this case, the bank uses its funds to guarantee the import of an item in place of the client, on condition that the profits made from the sale of the item will be shared between the bank and the client. LENDING The third mode of financing used in the Islamic banks is lending and it has three forms namely; loans with service charge, no cost loans and bank overdrafts. Loans with service charge are loans that are given to the clients with no interest but a service charge is levied to cover the expenses incurred by the bank during the transaction. No cost loans are loans offered by the bank and no interest or service charge is required. The bank is required to set aside funds to enable it to grant these loans that are aimed at helping the needy people and also the small businesses. Bank overdrafts are also allowed in the Islamic banks and free of charge but they are subject to a certain maximum. Other services offered by the Islamic banks are; money transfers, bill collections as well as foreign currency trade which is at a spot rate. Islamic bankers treat their depositors as partners, in the sense that they have invested their money in the bank and the profits and losses should be shared accordingly The effects of financial crisis on Islamic banking Islamic banks looks at the sharia law for guidance in its activities and bans interest gaining activities and trading debt. Islamic finance is being promoted as way of dealing with the financial crises that is global. This year is said to be a mile stone for Islamic banking in the sense that the global financial crises has provided the Islamic banking with a golden opportunity globally re establish itself as a main stream and a financier and provider for equity and debt. The main reason as to why Islamic financing is said to be a good remedy for the current market is the fact that one can only promise what they have. For the first time, Islamic banking has been considered as a choice among the present structures and the current systems in reference to products and solutions to the financial crisis. It is therefore important for nations to adopt the Islamic banking techniques and principles in running their economies. Islamic banking industry is facing challenges and most of these challenges are in real estate and stock prices, according to advocates the system has built-in protection from the kind of runaway collapse that has afflicted so many institutions. The use of financial instruments like derivatives, which are said to contribute highly to the down fall of banks, insurance and investment giants, is banned. The dealing of Islamic banks is directly linked to economic activities that involve assets or the provision of services. This banking system is also distinguished from other financial systems fo it commitment in upholding integrity and its way of avoiding risky business activities. The reason as to why this global financial crises has greatly affected other banks especially the world bank is their involvement in debt buying and accounts enlargement without evident or tangible transactions being carried out. The fact that the Islamic banking has been the least affected by the financial crisis has made it more attractive. Islamic Banking portrays many new and unique ideas that present the Islamic Banking system as a way of ensuring full employment, equitability of wealth, prices stability, income distribution, and sustained growth. The Islamic bank also carries out investigations on the nature and functions of money in interest free banking system and then, integrates money in capital theory. The lack of debt in the Islamic financial systems has saved it from many financial problems that are brought about by bad credit and this has seen its survival through rough financial periods. Also its prohibition of a risk free interest on return and trading permission has made the financial activities in an Islamic financial set up to be real estate backed and this gives it the ability to bring about value addition. The success of the Islamic banking regardless of the global financial crises is attributed to its capitalist financial system. The reason as to why Islamic banks have remained immune to the mortgage problem acing the international finance systems is because of their inherent factors. These factors include ; taking precautionary measures against money laundering, prohibiting trading in debt and also the professional and official restraints on taking up risky projects. There were complains that the Islamic banks were not offering genuine Islamic banking products they offered products similar to those in other commercial banks and gave them an Islamic name with the aim of attracting commercial banks customers who did not want to pay interests. The effects of the global financial crisis on the Islamic banks was not known since the Islamic banks received a lot of support from many other governments. Instead, the Islamic banks have taken precautionary measures and diversified their economic activities so as to avoid the financial crises consequences. It is argued that the global crises might continue for the next two years but the Islamic banks have secured liquidity which places it at a better position in facing the financial crisis in comparison to other financial systems. This success has led to serious considerations of using Islamic banking principles as it has continued to realize more achievements and has proved to be resilient an d viable to the currently crisis hit financial system

Ethanol Proposal Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays Gas

Ethanol Proposal Purpose As the number toxin spewing cars rises, pollution has presented itself as a major problem in urban areas. There have been many solutions presented to help solve this problem, but few have been widely accepted by the general public. I believe the pollution problem is one that cannot be solved in one big step, but in smaller steps. I see Ethanol use as one of those steps. The intention of this proposal is to recommend an approach that would lead to widespread use of ethanol. Background Concern about air quality has been around for years. Emissions have long since been a contributing factor to air pollution. Ethanol didn't get its first real big push until the federal Clean Air Acts of 1990. These acts required that oxygenated fuels, such as ethanol, be added to gasoline to reduce harmful emissions such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, sulfur, and nitrates. So far these acts only apply to cities in which ozone and carbon monoxide levels are too high, as determined by the public health standards. Ozone and carbon monoxide are toxic in certain levels to humans outside of urban areas, but are not regulated. Needs The search for a cleaner burning fuel is not a new one. Although most people know that they?re cars are spewing out toxins that are harmful to the environment, they drive the car anyway. In this modern day when faster is better, cars have become necessities. Air pollution caused by cars hasn?t always been such a big problem. When there were fewer cars on the road, nobody thought anything about the possible consequences. Not thinking ahead has always been human nature though. Environment concerns have only arisen in the past few decades because technology has allowed scientist to m... ...is a direct product of corn and many other crops), the federal budget and the unemployment rate. Implementation and Recommendation Implementation of a tax break such as this would require action taken by the general public who is already knowledgeable about ethanol. These people must take the time to call their state and nationally elected representatives and ask for such a bill that would include the two-cent tax incentive. People must also vote for ethanol supporters when election time rolls around. Since this is a political proposal, it must be carried out by elected officials and then be supported by the public. Sources Cited: 1.Iowa Department of Natural Resources, "Ethanol Promotion," 1999 www.state.ia.us/government/dnr/energy/programs/ren/ethanol.htm 2. Renewable Fuels Association, "Ethanol Industry Outlook," 1998 www.enthanolIRFA.org

An Analysis of A Tale of Two Cities :: Tale Two Cities Essays

An Analysis of A Tale of Two Cities    By reading the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, it gives us an understanding of the French Revolutionary War that cannot be found in textbooks.    By reading between the lines, each of the characters represents the stirring emotions and reactions of the people that were affected by the War.    Lucie Manett, who later becomes Lucie Darnay, is a tender and affectionate loving person. She is a very virtuous woman who reaches out to all human beings in need of love. Most of all the people she meets immediately have respect for and are loyal to her. From the French Revolutionary war point of view, Lucie represents family and bonds between lovers. She is what people are truly fighting for, to defeat the antagonist, battle for what they believe in and then go home to their loving families...Lucie. Lucie also symbolizes peace, when being with the one you love or knowing that they are there its makes people more at ease, it makes war and life a lot more easier to go through.    Charles Darnay is a French nobleman by birth. He is a righteous man who renounces his inheritance and his title, he chooses to earn an honest living as a tutor in England. Charles Darnay was falsely accused of treason. Dickens wrote this, to stand for all the people that were barely involved in the war but were unjustly accused of things they did not do. In the novel you felt what Darnay was portraying and how it affected the people that cared for him most. This showed that there were many people that had done wrong and were sentenced to death for it, yet there were also people who did not deserve to be there. These people were either killed or rescued. Fortunately Darnay was rescued to be with his love.    Like in all wars there is always evil to be present. Madam Defarge is all of the dreadful aspects of war put into one. As she slowly knits the names of her victims that need to die she plots revenge on the people who she watches. She seeks war but waits for the perfect time.

Essay on the African American Dream in Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon

The African American Dream in Song of Solomon      Ã‚   Like most Americans, African Americans have developed variations of the American Dream. Many African Americans find that their dream differs from the traditional American dream in that there is no immediate success. Sometimes the dream consists of equality via liberty or literacy, while at other times it is a simple desire to know self through historical connection.    In Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, Milkman was literate and had many options for further education, if so desired. Milkman was apathetic toward education and work. In fact, he was not sure what he wanted from life. Initially, he thought the best thing for his life was to leave his family and home. In order to do so, he needed money. His father, Macon gives him the task of searching for a bag of gold in his Virginian hometown. Macon fought Pilate for a particular bag of gold as children, and Macon believes the gold remains in the original location as it was when they were young. Milkman wishes to locate the gold as means to accomplishing his goal to achieve financial independence.    While on this quest, Milkman discovers his true dream, to discover "who he really is" and his family heritage. Milkman's version of the African-American dream is one of uncovering the past, a past that has been covered and lost through slavery and post-abolition renaming. Where his grandfather and father choose to leave the past behind, Milkman chooses to retrace their steps.    Through Macon, Milkman has been fed numerous variations of history. Pilate, his aunt, continues much of the same distortion. He is unsure of history and reality. In listening to his father's story, we read of Milkman's feelings, "Deep... ...ng his dream. With no immediate success, as occurs in the traditional American dream, Milkman sought to work towards the goal with patience and determination. Once he acquired the dream or a part of that dream, he turned around and gave back to his people, family and friends, in an effort to help those around him. Milkman's story, describes the quest for the African American dream of equality, and in that, exercising his inalienable rights.    WORKS CITED De Arman, Charles. "Milkman as the Archetypal Hero." Obsidian: Black Literature in Review 6.3 (1980): 56-59. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Peterson, Nancy J. Toni Morrison: Critical and Theoretical Approaches. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1997. Rice, Herbert William. Toni Morrison and the American Tradition: A Rhetorical Reading. New York: P. Lang, 1996.

Love is a Disease: An Explication of Sonnet 147 Essay

Love is a Disease: An Explication of Sonnet 147 Love is a disease. Desire is deadly. When one thinks about Shakespeare’s sonnets, the instinctual response is the thought of romance. For instance the adoring lines, â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day/ Thou are more lovely and more temperate† (Sonnet 18, 1-2), are thought to be the most famous words from a Shakespearean sonnet. However, instead of describing love in a starry-eyed fashion, Shakespeare discusses the punitive characteristics of love in Sonnet 147. The persona describes love as an infectious illness caused by sexual appetites. The persona’s mind knows better than to indulge his appetite, but he does not listen to his logic. He begins the sonnet by stating the primary issue: love is a disease. He transitions into explaining that the cure for this disease is reason, however he does not have hope that he can starve his sexual desire. He finally shifts to a more frantic state and in the end addresses the cause of his illness, the dark lady. Shakespeare articulates his hostile definition of love through fashioning love as a disease to display the tribulations of love, lust, and desire. In the first quatrain, there is the statement of the sonnet’s primary topic, which is that love is a disease. The content suggests the battle between love versus sexual appetite. His love is diseased because he has an intense appetite for lust, which when indulged in makes the disease worse. Shakespeare utilizes the metaphor â€Å"My love is as a fever† (Sonnet 147, 1) at the very beginning of the poem to make a strong statement that his love is a disease, and also to introduce the main idea throughout the sonnet. The placement of the metaphor displays that his unenthusiastic viewpoint of love is prominent. Secondly, he utilizes punctuation to create a clear argument. After the metaphor, â€Å"My love is as a fever,† (1) there is a comma dividing the first line in half. This comma is not a hard punctuation mark, however it isolates the initial metaphor. In doing so, the metaphor stands out immediately and makes these words even more important. Shakespeare uses feminine rhyme to form unity within the quatrain. The rhyming words are â€Å"still†, â€Å"disease†, â€Å"ill† and â€Å"please†. Each word is important to the meaning of the first quatrain; love is a disease that still yearns to be pleased. Additionally, he ends the each quatrain with a period. The  punctuation at the end of each quatrain keeps the ideas separate and the transition between the sonnet’s consistent content more obvious. For example, the first quatrain discusses love as a disease and the following quatrain discusses the dangers of desire versus the intelligence of reason. In the second quatrain, the persona discusses the battle between desire and reason. He conveys that reason is the doctor who can cure this disease, however he does not oblige. He declares that desire is dangerous and lethal. Shakespeare uses personification of the word reason, â€Å"My reason, and the physician to my love† (5). Reason is personified as a doctor to show that the mind is what cures a dangerous sexual appetite. The personification of reason brings the word to life and makes it more powerful and of greater importance. This displays the strength reason has over desire. Shakespeare carries the metaphor of love as a disease from the first quatrain into the second quatrain through the use of diction. He uses many words that refer to medical terms to align with the disease metaphor. For example, he uses the words â€Å"physician†(5) and â€Å"prescription†(6) to keep with the motif of the first quatrain to unify meaning. Lust has already been defined as devious in the first quatrain when it is referred to as a â€Å"sickly appetite†(4), however Shakespeare takes it a step further when he uses the metaphor â€Å"Desire is death† (8). Like the personification of reason, this metaphor gives the word desire greater importance. This aids in the quatrain’s main dispute of reason versus desire. â€Å"Desire is death†, is a harsh and straightforward metaphor. The persona expresses that desire is what causes the toxic disease. The use of punctuation also isolates the words desire and reason to show their importance to the quatrain. â€Å"My reason,† (5) is followed by a comma. When the reader says this out loud, it forces the reader to pause where the coma is. In doing so, the word reason is separate from the rest of the sentence and emphasized. The comma also creates a visual separation that creates emphasis. In the same way, â€Å"Desire is death,† (8), is also foll owed by a comma. The same emphasis applies here, which strengthens the quatrains conflict of reason versus desire. In the third quatrain, the persona expresses that he is hopeless. His sexual appetite cannot be cured. He is now angry, and like a madman tells  lies due to his detrimental sexual desires. This quatrain portrays the conflict between desire and the cure. Desire has overcome the cure and the persona is now hopeless of overcoming this disease. In the first line, Shakespeare introduces the meaning of the quatrain, â€Å"Past cure I am, now reason is past care† (9). Shakespeare uses repetition in the first line to emphasize the persona’s hopelessness of being cured. Along with repetition, an anaphora is used to greater tie the phrases together and create greater emphasis. The words â€Å"care† and â€Å"cure† are similar in sound and create a relationship, which underlines the persona’s loss of reason. Punctuation is used to separate two ideas within the quatrain; this is done through the use of a semi colon. The first segment is â€Å"Past cure I am, now reason is past care/ And frantic-mad with evermore unrest;† (9-10). It expresses his frantic hopelessness and is stopped by the semicolon. After which, the second segment states â€Å" My thoughts and my discourse as madmen’s are,/ At random from the truth vainly express’d;† (11-12). The second part expresses that he feels like a madman, and like a madman has begun to tell frivolous lies. The semicolon creates a break between the two ideas and reveals a regression from the persona’s frantic and hopeless state to the state of a madman. In addition, the second semicolon creates a separation between the quatrain and the couplet, which also are two ideas that are separate in meaning and tone because the end of the third quatrain transitions from the persona talking about his faults to the persona discussing someone else. The couplet at the end strays away from the metaphor in the first three quatrains, that love is a disease and surprises the reader by addressing the dark lady directly. The sonnet shifts dramatically because the persona is no longer talking about himself and his disease; he identifies another character, the dark lady. The persona declares her evil nature and finally explains the source of his sexual appetite, his disease. He claims that he use to think that the dark lady was gentle and beautiful, however he learned that she is evil. Shakespeare uses a simile to emphasize the dark lady’s evil qualities, he says â€Å"Who art black as hell, as dark as night† (14). The similes clearly reveal the malevolent nature of this woman and the detestation the persona carries towards her. The two similes are similar because they both use dark, evil words: â€Å"black†, â€Å"hell†, â€Å"dark† and â€Å"night†. The abundance of gloomy words stresses the persona’s feelings that the dark lady is evil and the source of his complaint. Shakespeare clearly sums up in fourteen lines that a sexual appetite is a dangerous entity. The persona reveals his transition of arguments filling his head, sexual appetites verses love, desire versus reason, and desire versus cure. At the end, he finally breaks down and identifies the source of his problems, the loathed dark lady. This sonnet reveals Shakespeare’s notion that women are dangerous beings. Women cause diseases because men’s sexual appetites need to be fed, however this leads to the disease growing. He expresses that the mind, reason, can overcome and cure this desire but men are hopeless to follow. Ultimately he reveals how not only are women the source of disease, but they also are deceivers who fake beauty and are truly wicked. The use of diction, metaphors, similes, repetition and more emphasizes Shakespeare’s detest. Through Sonnet 147, he reveals that lust is infectious and all consuming and that it leads to lack of reason, lies and dangerous women.

Improvement of standard living contributes to damage to environment Essay

In the last decade, many countries over the world have to experience the inevitable consequences of damage to environment. The environment has been sacrificed as the people’s standard living has been improved, which is including the rising of new technology. Sometimes, the new technology that has been invented can cause environment’s devastation enhancement and also harms the ecosystem on it. Many forests and parks have disappeared so that animal extinction for some species cannot be avoided. Nowadays, many developer company compete each other to build residences, apartments, hotels, malls, entertainment centers, such as cafes, cinemas as the enhancement of our standard living. People need a living place more than just a place to sleep and take a rest. The more facilities that one residence area or apartment has, such as swimming pool, golf area, gym, supermarket; the more benefit they can offer to attract customer. It means, one developer company needs bigger areas to construct a residence or apartment. Besides that, we can see the increasing amount of skyscraper buildings in big cities. Along with many constructions, it means that many green areas has to be cut off to be changed into a commercial area and people do not contemplate the consequences of not having enough trees and green areas. In addition to this, many constructions also are not built with a good drainage system. Due to this matter, flood happens everywhere. For instance, in Jakarta, Indonesia, flood happens at least once per year during peak rainy season as the result of constructing park and forest to be a commercial building. Industrial companies also contribute to environment’s devastation. High technology system is developed to support the industrial business. Some of new technology system that has been invented are not eco-friendly. For instance, in Agriculture industry, pesticide is used for controlling the pest that can harm the plant. The consequences of using pesticide that can contaminate the soil, the plants, and harm the ecosystem surrounding it are being ignored and also it can harm the people who consume the fruits or vegetables of those plants. In addition to this, many wastes are produced every year and most of the waste cannot be recycled. Some of the waste fills the river and harm the ecosystem that live in the river, such as fishes. Later on, consuming fish from contaminated river can jeopardize human’s health. In the end, we have to realize that along with standard living improvement, often we neglect our environment and abandon the balancing of ecosystem in our planet. Besides environment devastation, we also harm our lives and our next generation lives. It is suppose that now is the perfect time for us as human being to look after our planet; maintain, protect and nourish our environment surrounding us to build a better health life in the future.

Barista Ccd Starbucks Costa Coffee

Building the Starbucks Brand So far, Starbucks has spent very little money on advertising, preferring instead to build the brand cup by cup with customers and depend on word-of-mouth and the appeal of its storefronts. The company was, however, engaged in a growing effort to extend the Starbucks brand and penetrate new markets. In addition to expanding internationally, venturing into ice cream with Dreyer's and into Frappuccino with Pepsi, partnering with licensees, and developing specialty and mail-order sales. STARBUCKS MISSION â€Å"To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time. EXPERIENCE is about these 3 P’s: 1. People- the baristas and their connection with customers. 2. Place – the physical stores, their design and aroma 3. Product – the beverages, food, and merchandise 4. Price – 5. Promotion – 6. Physical Evidence – 7. Process – †¢(People & Product) Customer connectio n and a fresh, hand-made beverage. The newer automatic machines that replaced the La Marzoccos are faster, but blocked the visual sight line the customer previously had to watch the drink being made, and for the intimate experience with the barista. It seems that the personal connection between the baristas and the customers is the core of their experience. †¢(Place) The Aroma. â€Å"†¦ The loss of our people scooping fresh coffee from the bins and grinding it fresh in front of the customer, †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some say the sale of hot food has detracted from the coffee aroma that customers attach to Starbucks stores. †¢(Place) Store Design. Design of their stores has taken on a more streamlined feel to gain efficiencies. But that resulted in the stores losing their charm and uniqueness. Starbucks has â€Å"stores that no longer have the soul of the past and reflect a chain of stores vs. he warm feeling of a neighborhood store. Some people even call the stores sterile, c ookie cutter, no longer reflecting the passion their partners feel about our coffee. † †¢(Product) Coffee related merchandise. As a purveyor of fine coffee and tea, Starbucks has struggled as of late to get their merchandise to reflect their brand and their history. â€Å"Some stores don’t have coffee grinders, French presses from Bodum, or even coffee filters. † A more focused approach would be: (a)Participating in social media and (b) Gathering customer suggestions would be easier for a company with no meaningful social media experience to manage. It would also make it easier for Starbucks customers to follow-along. The current MyStarbucksIdea website is already unwieldy — lots of wayward ideas have been suggested and many of the ideas suggested are repeated numerous times in various categories. This website will only get more unwieldy. Points of difference: 1. Starbucks provides its customers with a Starbucks Card through which they can have an easy and fast access to the menu items and discounts. These cards are customizable and can be designed by the customers themselves as per their likings. 2. Starbucks follows an environment friendly drive in which every time a customer brings a reusable travel mug gets a 10 cent discount on any Starbucks beverage, anytime. Starbucks passion for reducing cup waste did not start with the Green Project. Since 1985, they have offered a discount to customers who bring in a reusable travel mug and will continue doing so. This is just one of the ways they are fulfilling their commitment to environmental stewardship while working towards a long-term goal of 100% reusable or recyclable cups by 2015. 3. It also offers its customers with various coffee and tea gifts. Customers can register and participate in a 3 months program in which they are sent special exotic flavors of coffee from around the world. BARISTA As of today, Barista exists in over 22 cities, and operates over 140 outlets nationally. In the last 2 years, Barista has opened over 100 outlets in the country and with a new outlet opening nationally every 14 dates, Barista is currently experiencing phenomenal growth. With outlets opening in Sri Lanka and Dubai, Barista is looking at potential growth opportunities in Asia, making it highly competitive international brand. Product Source: Barista sources its coffee beans from around the world, but a major supplier is TATA Coffee, part of the TATA Group that owns a large stake holding in Barista. These coffee beans are then sent to Venice, Italy where they are roasted into a blend exclusively for Barista. The food and desserts at Barista is exclusively catered to by the Taj, who ensures a high standard of quality with all its products. Barista also sells merchandise through its store, all of which is imported. The merchandise accounts for nearly 1/6th of Barista’s overall sales. Barista has a check on the quality of its products every 14 days. Barista also incorporates TQM at its headquarters in Delhi. Since Delhi is the base for all its distribution, quality control measures are adopted there to avoid any poor quality products being distributed. Pricing: Barista has a ‘Skim Pricing Policy’. They began with a higher price, and skimmed the cream for the market. With the sudden spurt of growth in number of outlets, came the benefits of economies of scale. Because of this, they have been able to gradually lower their prices, and appeal to different segments of their target market. Currently, their prices are the lowest they have ever been, and they can competitively match their prices against Cafe Coffee Day’s prices. The prices are constantly changing though, and the last 1-year has seen 3 changes (mostly reductions) in prices. This gradual price reduction meant that Barista could maintain its profit- maximization policy until it could earn large cost savings because of the benefits of high volume. The main factors that affect their pricing are their cost of goods sold. The costs are quite high because imports a majority of its products and product- sources. ? Process: The order and delivery process at Barista is based on self-service, where a customer goes up to the counter to place his order, and goes back to the counter to pick his delivery once it is prepared. Brand Image: Barista positions itself as a brand for anyone who loves coffee. Their products, services and outlets are more like the traditional European cafes, where people would meet for the love of coffee, and for an intellectual appealing time. They position their outlets as a place â€Å"where the world meets†, and they look to appeal to anyone in the 14- 60 age group that loves good coffee and looks for a nice quiet time. Products: Barista’s product mix constitutes a wide range of products that appeal primarily to traditional coffee lovers. Their products themselves are traditional products with traditional names. Food items like croissant, pastas, and sandwiches are complimentary to their coffee, and project a very classic image of Barista. Their merchandising also consists of primarily coffee related products like coffee beans, coffee machines, etc. Prices: Considering that Barista is trying to target a market whose age range is between 18 and 60 years, a pricing policy appealing to this segment is difficult. Extremely low prices act as a deterrent to some customers who might regard it as an indicator or quality, while very high prices cannot be afforded by most of the youth. But since Barista’s current consumer profile is quite young, their prices are mostly inexpensive, and at par with their competitors. People: The people at Barista are characteristically trained to be Pleasant, Polite and Positive. They ensure you have a quiet, uninterrupted visit and provide an escape from the daily pressures of life. Their uniforms are in sober shades of brown and orange, and contribute to the overall laid-back feeling of the cafe. Physical Evidence: Logo, Colors, Images: Barista, since the beginning has looked to use colors in its cafe interiors, logos and images; to project a â€Å"warm, earth glow, synonymous with coffee†. Barista uses shades of Orange & Brown to good effect to promote its â€Å"laid- back† atmosphere. The logo is a combination of Brown, Orange and Light Yell ow; with the word â€Å"Barista† written in an upward curve, and the word â€Å"Coffee† underneath. A simple logo that perfectly expresses Barista’s brand image, A traditional cafe for coffee lovers. Decor and Architecture: Barista’s internal decor and architecture expresses the simplicity you would normally associate with traditional cafes. The furniture is made of light shades of wood, and there are comfortable sofas in bigger cafes. The walls are shades of orange, with various photographs of the love for coffee spread around each outlet. Literature: The literature provided by Barista is indicative of its brand image. The menus, posters, pamphlets are all traditionally designed, with a classic and simple look. One aspect of particular note is their magazine, which is privately circulated in the cafes. The magazine encourages customers write, draw, make etc anything creative; and this is then published in the magazine. The magazine not only provides an avenue for advertising, but also an opportunity for Barista to express its brand image. ? Place: Barista looks to cater to their target market with strategically located outlets. Their outlets are generally located at High Street/ Family Entertainment Centers. Considering their generic appeal, there are Barista outlets in and around Malls, Cinemas, Colleges, and Offices etc. his endorses their brand image of a cafe that appeals to coffee lovers of all ages. Promotions: Barista currently carries out mass promotion campaigns. This is mainly in the form of promotions in the Press, TV and Radio Medias. At present, they do not rely heavily on advertising, but rely more on sponsorships and strategic alliances with other corporations. Barista also takes part in various sales promotion activities to help increase sales at their outlets. a) S ponsorships: Barista sponsors various events and festivals, which provides them valuable promotion directed at strategic markets. The sponsorships are mainly in kind, although major events are sponsored in cash also. b) Sales Promotion: Barista uses a special â€Å"Barista Coffee Card† for its sales promotion activities. Barista Coffee Card entitles you to one complimentary hot beverage when you are done sipping seven. It is available to all Barista coffee regulars. No membership fees, no references required. Fill out the card and you are a member. As a Coffee Card holder, you earn one stamp on the card every time you purchase a beverage. Simply present the card to the cashier when you place your order at any of their outlets. Once you have collected seven stamps, you can hand over the card to receive your complimentary hot beverage. Barista hopes this card can help drive sales growth, and increase customer retention. COSTA COFFEE When you walk into a Costa store you'll notice it's different to other coffee shops. First of all, there's the warm and welcoming atmosphere. Then the great range of authentic coffee drinks. Next the Ferrari of coffee machines. And finally, the most passionate and well trained baristas around. It's this unique combination that makes them stand out from the others. Costa believes that Hand-making a cup of coffee is an art. It takes time and skill to perfect. That's why every single barista, in every single Costa store is professionally trained in the art of coffee by experts. It's a little thing, but it makes a big difference, because it means you'll get a perfect cup of Costa coffee every time. †¢Costa Coffee has overtaken Starbucks as the leading coffee chain in the UK †¢The company has reported strong sales due to aggressive expansion †¢Costa now has more UK stores than Starbucks †¢Costa aims to double store numbers by 2013 Costa is to boost its UK growth through tie-ins with retailers and grocery stores †¢The company is planning an aggressive global expansion strategy, focused on under-represented countries †¢The company is expanding its India-located stores, aiming to make the country its third largest in terms of store numbers †¢Costa trains its coffee roasters at a special academy, highlighting its aims to create a premium coffee drinking experience †¢The company markets its traditional roasting methods as a key point of difference †¢The company has addressed ethical consumer concerns through new coffee sources and a coffee foundation †¢Costa is set to become the first major coffee chain to source its coffee through the Rainforest Alliance ? CCD CAFE COFFEE DAY VALUES- PRISM PRIDE – I take pride in my work and in my organization. RESPECT – I respect my customers, my subordinates, my peers and my superiors. INTEGRITY – I will show the highest level of integrity towards my work and my company under all circumstances. SELF – DISCIPLINE – I will imbibe and practice self-discipline in all my daily activities. MOTIVATION – I will always be motivated to give the best for my organization, my team and my customers. ? MISSION STATEMENT INTRODUCTION Coffee Day sources coffee from 5000 acres of coffee estates, the 2nd largest in Asia, that is owned by a sister concern and from 11,000 small growers. It is one of India’s leading coffee exporters with clients across USA, Europe & Japan. With its roots in the golden soil of Chickmaglur, the home of some of the best Indian Coffees and with the vision of a true entrepreneur nurturing it, Coffee Day has its business spanning the entire value chain of coffee consumption in India. Its different divisions include: Coffee Day Fresh n Ground (which owns 350 Coffee bean and powder retail outlets), Coffee Day Xpress (which owns 251 Coffee Day Kiosk), Coffee Day Take away (which owns 7000 Vending Machines), Coffee Day Exports and Coffee Day Perfect (FMCG Packaged Coffee) division. Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) pioneered the cafe concept in India in 1996 by opening its first cafe at Brigade Road in Bangalore. Till about the late 1990’s coffee drinking in India was restricted to the intellectual, the South Indian traditionalist and the five star coffee shop visitor. As the pure (as opposed to instant coffee) coffee cafe culture in neighbouring international markets grew, the need for a relaxed and fun â€Å"hangout† for the emerging urban youth in the country was clearly seen. Recognizing the potential that lay ahead on the horizon, Cafe Coffee Day embarked on a dynamic journey to become a large organized retail cafe chain with a distinct brand identity of its own. From a handful of cafes in six cites in the first 5 years, CCD has become India’s largest and premier retail chain of cafes with 251 cafes in 58 cities around the country. Cafe Coffee Day introduced the cafe culture in India with its first cafe at Brigade Road in Bangalore in 1996. There has been no looking back for their company from then till now, in fact they have grown from strength to strength. Cafe Coffee day is the regular meeting place for 18 to 35 year olds, both male and female, who are waited on by friendly and informed staff, and are offered the best made, hot or cold , in an invigorating ambience. They provide invigorating ambience and excellent customer service clubbed with excellent coffee to their customers. About the Logo For a brand to stand out and be successful there has to be a personal commitment from staff at all levels. The target customers must identify with it. It should be vibrant and have a â€Å"life† of its own. Liveliness, growth, fun and passion depicts the brand, the customers, the staff and the future– this is embodied in this design and colour. Cafe Coffee Day, has unveiled its strategy to strengthen its leadership position with an all new brand identity that syncs with its vision to be the friendly and stylish social hub. Developed from in-depth dialogue with customers, coffee lovers and stakeholders, the new change entails an all new smart menu, changes in furniture design and placement, new uniforms, new cutlery and total cafe rebranding. The famous Cafe Coffee Day squared logo in its fresh new avatar – a ‘Dialogue Box’ – with the words Cafe Coffee Day written in a distinct, specially created font. The new trendy dialogue logo symbolizes the essence of what a Cafe Coffee Day cafe is all really all about – a perfect place to ‘relax and dialogue’. And as we all know, a lot does happen over coffee! ? BUSINESS ASSOCIATION CCD has emerged as an interactive alternative media for brands to communicate with the ‘young at heart’. Other media, such as electronic, print and outdoor, offer brand communication through visual and audio modes to a large section of the populace, both relevant and irrelevant. Cafe Coffee Day offers a much more interactive, targeted communication, sometimes adding even a taste dimension to a brand idea! Various in-cafe collaterals used to impart visibility to a brand inside a cafe or to add the element of interactivity to a campaign are Posters, Tent Cards, Danglers, Leaflets, Brochures, Coasters, Drop boxes, Contest Forms, Stirrers, Standees etc. Over the years, CCD has successfully promoted a number of brands/products/events through various innovative tactics and promo ideas. Cashing in on its mass captive audience. ? DEPARTMENTS AT CAFE COFFEE DAY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: The team decides upon a suitable site where the cafes can be set up. They identify, shortlist, and finalize a site by negotiating with property owners. A significant effort is involved in getting legal clearances and statutory compliances. After all formalities are completed, the site is handed over to the projects team. The projects team comprises of some of the best designers who ensure that the coffee culture is spread across the country through beautiful outlets, They are in touch with a lot of property owners who are interested in franchising and licensing CCD. They normally take up places on long lease. All new cafes are built with a standardized design and the look of the cafe is in sync with the brand positioning. They aim to build cafes in the shortest possible time, at the least possible costs to capital outlay. OPERATIONS: This team achieves their sales objectives and is responsible for the daily running of their cafes in a profitable manner. Customer interaction is very important for this team, as they are the ones who interface with the customer and provide them with a satisfactory service and product experience. Cafe managers train all their employees who are involved in day-to-day operations. The cafe staff is their brand ambassador. The brand image of cafe coffee day is and will be reflected through them by the way they dress, behave and carry themselves , both within the organization and outside. They are the face of the company since they will be the first point of interaction with the customer. FOOD AND BEVERAGES (F & B): CCD are a lot more than coffee. Apart from serving the best coffee in the country they also serve a wide assortment of savories and desserts. The various coffee concoctions that they serve are the creations of their F&B team. They also ensure the highest level of hygiene and food quality. They impart training to the team on the preparation of the best quality of coffees and food at their cafes. The F&B team sources and manages vendors who supply food to the cafes. †¢Quality checks Quality checks take place all the time and in several aspects. The operational in-charge will go around checking business, record keeping, service and check the feedback forms. The food in-charge will look at the way food is being stored, coffee is being made, what is the time take to extract the coffee and so on. Marketing person will go about checking displays, how the merchandise are displayed. MARKETING: The marketing team is responsible for the brand positioning and all brand building activities that result in increased sales and greater visibility. They are also responsible for the various sales promotion activities and tie-ups. This team designs and manages the merchandise category, which is displayed and sold at their cafes. They constantly track loyalty programs and promotions at the cafes to help maximize sales. HUMAN RESOURCE AND TRAINING: The HR team deals with all matters pertaining to people within their team. They are responsible for recruitment and selection at all levels from team members to the management staff. They are responsible for employee salaries, career development and counseling. Constant efforts are made for employee up gradation in terms of improving skills and job satisfaction to meet the aspirations of all employees. FINANCE / ACCOUNTS: They look after the day to day accounting and financial activities and also provide them with the financial reports, which will help them, find out the profitability of the outlet. They help them reduce the costs and ensure compliance and fiscal discipline at the cafes. ? QUESTIONNAIRE Name: Age: Occupation: Gender: Question 1: Name any three Cafe Chains that you know. 1. ________________________ 2. ________________________ 3. ________________________ Question 2: How often do you visit a Coffee Shop? ?2-3 times a week ?Once a week ?Once a Month ?Very Rarely Question 3: How much money do you spend on an average visit to a Coffee Shop? ?Less than Rs. 70 ?Rs. 70-120 ?Rs. 120-150 ?Greater than Rs. 150 Question 4: How much time do you spend at a Coffee Shop? ?Less than ? hours to 1 hour ?1 to 2 hours ?Greater than 2 hours Question 5: Why do you go to a Coffee shop? ?Only for the Coffee ?To enjoy and have a Fun filled time To catch up with friends ?For group activities ?Specify if any Other:____________________________ Question 6: What do you look for when you choose a Coffee Shop to go to? ?Convenience ?Ambience ?Service ?Quality of Food ?Price Question 7: What factors according to you are applicable in case of Cafe Coffee Day? ?Convenience ?Ambience ?Ser vice ?Quality of Food ?Price Question 8: Mark the Cafe brands known to you. ?Cafe Coffee Day ?Costa Coffee ?Starbucks ?Barista ?Beans And Brews Question 9: Rank the factors in order of your preference for the following Brands. COSTA COFFEESTARBUCKSBARISTA CONVENIENCE / ACCESSIBILITY AMBIENCE SERVICE QUALITY OF FOOD PRICE