Shamanism In Hmong Culture Essays

Shamanism In Hmong Culture Essays Shamanism In Hmong Culture Paper Shamanism In Hmong Culture Paper Essay Topic: Invisible Man Hmongs began to settle in the United States from Southeast Asia in 1975 but still practice many traditions from their homeland today. In many cultures that migrate to new areas, practices are discontinued over time due to Americanization. Although with many younger generations these traditions may be forgotten about, for many elders they are still practiced on a regular basis today. Healthcare providers need to have an understanding of and respect the practices of other cultures. A large percentage of Hmongs are not familiar with biomedical healthcare and do not feel comfortable with health care procedures used in the U. S. In the Hmong culture the believed source of illness can differ from what U. S. healthcare providers feels the source is. Some of the included sources of illness in the Hmong culture can be soul loss, supernatural or spirit, natural causes, magical causes (illness from cast spelled on patient), or the expiration of ones â€Å"life Visa†. The practices used to cure the illness are traditional and differ from the practices used by healthcare providers in the U. S. One of the most common practices used in the Hmong culture today to cure the ill is bring in a shaman for a seance. A shaman is also known to the Hmongs as the master of ecstasy. The shaman can be either male or female and is thought to have the ability to detach is soul from the body during a heeling seance so he can leave for the â€Å"invisible world† and be in equal standings with the spirits. Not only can the shaman disconnect is soul from its body to interact with the spirits, it can also interact by seeing them, talking to them, touching them, and if necessary can catch them and return them home. In the Hmong culture it is believed that illness can occur when the soul is not satisfied with their current owner. When this happens the soul would attempt to incarnate itself to a new location. An example of how this is though to work is given below. â€Å"It is thought that sometimes souls may not be satisfied with their owner and would therefore try to incarnate themselves elsewhere. Say, for example, that I am a hard-working Hmong farmer. My right hand is wrinkled and callous. Because of an accident that happened while I was at work, my hand is hurt. Close to me there lives a young girl that takes great care of herself. She has a very tender and beautiful hand. One day, the soul of my hand cannot stand it any longer, and it falls, as the Hmong would say. By this it must be understood that the soul of the farmers hand escapes in order to reincarnate itself in the girls hand that is so soft. â€Å" When the soul successfully leaves its owner the body is left mutilated and sick which is why a shaman is called in to contact the spirit and heal the body by bringing back the soul potentially by using force. Hmong people typically belong to a specific clan and for each specific clan they have their own shaman which has been chosen by the spirits. The shaman heals the patient by draping the ills face with a black cloth and leaves their body to enter the invisible world. While in the invisible world the shaman may ask for specific animals to be sacrificed in order to satisfy the spirit who are accountable for the evil and illness. When the shaman is finished satisfying and retrieving the lost soul health is then restored to the patient. The healing process needs to be done in very correct and specific ways in the Hmong culture and before they can seek further medical attention the shaman needs to be brought in to seek the soul first. The process of using a Shaman to restore healing does not only reconnect the soul with its owner it also restores connections that were lost during the illness between the patient, family, and community. Being that many Hmong people living in the Untied States today still practice healing with a Shaman it is important that health care workers understanding what and how a Shaman works. When a Hmong person comes in to seek medical attention or is taken unknowingly (is concounsious or unstable and is brought in by another person or family member) it is important to understand that before a procedure or given medications a Shaman may be needed before this process can happen. In their culture in order to a person to heal the Shaman needs to find the lost soul or health will never be restored. Although this might sound strange or be aggravating to many biohealth believers being respectful and understanding is key to winning their trust. A majority of Hmong people do not feel comfortable seeking health care at hospitals and clinics in the U. S. because the practices vastly differ from the practices in their home land. So as a healthcare professional do your research and have an understanding about cultures other than your own. The Shaman is a necessity in order to heal a person in their beliefs and if medical attention needs to be carried out bring in a Shaman and let them first heal the patient by their beliefs so that the needed surgery or care can take place.

The Making of Malcolm essays

The Making of Malcolm essays Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X Malcolm X, one of the most complex and enigmatic African-American leaders ever, was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 and died in 1965; Malcolms life has increasingly acquired a mythic stature (p.3). Malcolm X was one of the Civil Rights Movements most loved and also revered leaders and M. Dyson looks to explore some of the myth and fact about such an influential man. M. Dyson starts by historically and politically giving background information about the making of Malcolm into one of the most controversial, yet influential figures in the Civil Rights Movement. M. Dyson gives the reader warning, Malcolm's complexity resists neat categories of analysis and rigid conclusions about his meaning (p.14) Dyson starts the book giving a critical reading of the books on the Malcolm X. M. Dyson covers different books about Malcolm and does so by placing them into 4 different categories: c.) Malcolm X as a vehicle for psychohistorical d.) Malcolm X as a revolutionary figure M. Dyson aims to critique the different interpretations of Malcolm X and assess the different reasons for the designation of these roles. M. Dyson looks into the use of Malcolm X in forms of re-creation and reproduction of the 1960s cultural nationalism. M. Dyson explains how they kept from turning Malcolm X into a sort of iconic figure on both the cultural nationalism and multiculturalism aspects. M. Dyson challenges black bourgeois nationalists downplay of Malcolm Xs legacy, even as M. Dyson states that these transgressors that the door of the church remain open. M. Dyson critiques and challenges the use of Malcolm Xs persona in black popular culture. Although he makes an interesting argument about the way in which Malcolm X is portrayed and used to deflect ...

Homeland Security - Response & Recovery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Homeland Security - Response & Recovery - Essay Example , when to release it?, how to release it?, where to release it?, whom to release it to?, and why to release it?† (Leader for Leaders, 2010). The first step I will take before making any public interviews or communication is to analyze the different stakeholders involved in the specific disaster scenario. This entails the identification and relationship of various stakeholders to the current situation. The second step I will take after identifying the different stakeholders is to determine what specific goals or objectives I have to achieve so the needs of all those involved are addressed. Last but not the least is the third step where an appropriate technique for appraising results is established (Goldschmid, 2011). In a disaster situation, the stakeholders are the general public and the various agencies who are involved in the operation. Having been able to determine those concerned in the disaster scenario, my objective now as the Director of Media Relations is how to communi cate effectively with all of them bearing in mind the factors of communication failure and success. According to Leaders for Leaders (2010) there are five types of communication letdowns that often jeopardize the success of an operation in disaster situations. These communication letdowns or failures which I must avoid are: â€Å"1. ... Therefore the messages given out by the various agencies involved in the operation must be consistent with each other so that the people do not lose faith in officials making the statements. Aside from this a back-up plan must be established when and if the normal communication lines get damaged, which makes it hard for everyone to communicate with each other. A perfect example is the time when Hurricane Hugo devastated South Carolina, where all the communications of relief agencies from various levels of the government were unable to coordinate with each other making the whole relief operation inefficient (Miskel, 2006). The next kind of communication failure is the information released late, where the public is left guessing as to what is really happening and what they should do. In cases of disaster an immediate answer is necessary to prevent the people from taking steps to follow the advises of others whose only interest is to take advantage of the present situation. The third co mmunication failure is paternalistic attitudes where certain facts are withheld. It is essential that people must be given the true facts about the situation and are given the leeway to come up to their own conclusion. By telling the public what they need to know, they are in a better position to decide whether they should or should not be worried about the disaster that happened (Leaders for Leaders, 2010). The fourth communication failure is not countering rumors in real-time. To be able to respond to false information, agencies involved in the recovery operations must monitor the situation as it progresses. This involves being tuned to all information outlets like broadcasts from television and radio

Conflict Management in the Restaurants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conflict Management in the Restaurants - Essay Example Conflicts and disagreements that arise in the restaurant and hospitality industry can differ from those in the corporate sector, said a general manager of an establishment that generates tens of thousands of dollars in sales in week. In the restaurant industry, the hours an employee works are often long and varied and some workers may find themselves spending more time with their colleagues than with their own families, which can lead to conflicts, outbursts and clashes, said the assistant general manager of the same establishment. "Everyone is here more than their with their families," he said. "It's not like you're at a sit down job where you're in front of computer all day or at a press where you can't hear anybody. There's down time, and they are going to talk to each other." "Operators/ managers turn a blind eye to conflict at their own peril-customer loyalty is at stake, says Cathy Greenberg, managing partner of h2c consulting company, with offices in Tuscon and Philadelphia. "Customers will return to restaurants where they feel they're known, she explains. "Ongoing and unresolved staff conflict will lead to high turnover, which in turn will lead your customers feeling disconnected from your business." "Communicating with employees is essentialThe manager has to have an ongoing dialogue with all the staff. Managers need to diffuse and stay on top of situations. How you get there is that ongoing, daily dialogue." (http://pizzatoday.com/features_articles.shtmlarticle=NzE4MXN1cGvyNzE3OHN1Y3J1d....) While handling an issue as it arises is urgent, the manner in which conflicts are resolved have changed over the years. While an employee can be terminated on the spot depending on the severity of the incident, most companies and organizations now have steps that must be followed to resolve issues. "In the last ten years it's really been different," the general manager said. "Ten years ago you could tell them 'if you can't see it my way you can just leave.' Now you have to try and understand what they're thinking and where they're coming from." Procedures today now include verbal warnings, documentation/ write-ups, a three-day suspension and then, finally, termination. The gender of the management dealing with a conflict can also play a role in how the situation is handled. Men and women differ widely on their emotions, reactions to situations and stress levels. This all plays a part in how a situation can be resolved. "Being a female, I

Starbucks Coffee Company Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Coffee Company Essay Executive Summary 1. Starbucks product isn’t only about the goods it provides, but the services and the experience of going to a starbucks as well. 2. Starbucks has two main end user groups, to which Starbucks product has many different aspects that are beneficial to them. 3. SWOT internal analysis reveals strengths of brand image and high standards and weaknesses in over saturation and lack of diversity. Externally, Starbucks has opportunity to expand and diversify to avoid threatening competition and reliance on individual products. 4. Porter’s Five Forces analysis displays threats from high consumer and supplier bargaining power, a large amount of substitutes and a low chance of new competitors although high competition with current competitors. 5. Historically, Starbucks has employed saturation and awareness strategies. 6. Current strategies reflect environmental analysis as Starbucks aims to expand and diversify, as well as raise social awareness and accountability. 7. Starbucks’ competitive advantage draws from its strategies of differentiation, technological advancement and unique atmosphere. Product Description Benefits. Starbucks is an internationally renowned brand, with 20,891 stores in 64 countries. The Starbucks product is not just a range of beverages and food; it is the service, the culture and atmosphere and the sustainability that can be expected in all of its stores. Starbucks represents this in their mission statement: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one  cup and one neighbourhood at a time. The more obvious part of the product is the coffee as well as other drinks and food, but another significant part of Starbucks product is it’s goals in caring for its community and being an ethical and environmentally friendly corporation. Starbucks’ large market share can be accounted to specifically targeting two main end-user groups and catering the product to their needs. Customers both male and female ages 25-40 make up for a massive 49% of Starbucks total business. Judging by their age we can assume these consumers are most likely working with greater disposable income, and we can assume working people are often busy travelling and on the go. These ages are also typical of people with new families. Another target audience is young adults aged 18-24 who make up 40% of Starbucks total business. Commonly people this age are studying, travelling, and enjoy socialising and hanging out. Generally judging on the age group they will have less income and if they are students they may have no job or only have part time work. The brand image of Starbucks plays a strong part in appealing to consumers. Starbucks’ brand image symbolises wealth and status. Starbucks utilises this by targeting the working adult and creating loyalty to its brand. Starbucks also appeals to young people as they have a strong brand image of being, quite simply, cool. Through many of the benefits of Starbucks we can understand how loyalty is an important role in why it’s customers prefer it to other cafes.There are many Starbucks cafes worldwide, and wherever you are in the world you know what to expect when you walk into a Starbucks cafà ©. Starbucks has a strong sense of consistency throughout its branches, from the menu, to the service and often the appearance of the cafà ©. This makes Starbucks a welcoming and a familiar place wherever you are buying coffee.They also benefit their consumers by being so widely available making it easy to find a Starbucks. Consequently, it is beneficial to travelling and working people who can find a Starbucks in unfamiliar places, providing the coffee and service they know and enjoy. The cafà © itself is part of the service; customers have the option to sit and stay or takeaway as it suits them. The cafà © provides a  great meeting place for young adults to socialize or study and also benefits adults who need to work, meet people or get something to eat or drink during the day. There is free Wi-Fi available which is especially appealing to young people for both study and social networking as well as beneficial to older consumers with work to attend to. Starbucks meets a range of consumer needs by having a very large variety of drinks available, and customisation is a significant part of their appeal to consumers with 87,000 different drink combinations. Because they have such a large variety, they have an option for nearly anybody and this makes Starbucks more appealing over other coffee shops. Young adults have a greater partiality to customisation, as they appreciate having many choices of different flavours and combinations. Older consumers, especially those on the go, often know what they want to order (e.g. trim flat white, long black) but benefit from the consistent menu, which always has their drink available. Loyalty is gained not only from the consistency of high quality products and service to the customers but also from the way in which Starbucks values the community and environment. Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks Coffee summed up what makes Starbucks successful in saying â€Å"we have no patent on anything we do and anything we do can be copied by anyone else. But you cant copy the heart and the soul and the conscience of the company.† Company’s International Strategy Starbucks is clearly a leading coffee branch that has been very successful over the past 30 years, with its constantly growing market share. However, in order to further develop a company, they must first assess their internal and external environment to evaluate the organisation’s current position. Internal and external assessment provides an opportunity for an organisation to plan, implement and evaluate their operations. SWOT analysis helps to assess the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses as well as their external opportunities and threats. Starbucks’ strengths are high quality coffee beans, strong brand image, excellent employee management, power within the industry, and unique strategy. Starbucks is one of the most powerful brands in the world (ranked 54th for the world’s most powerful brands by Forbes) and is the most powerful brand in the coffee industry. This prevents new entrants from gaining market share and has helped the organisation to remain competitive. On the other hand, they have some weaknesses; one of the main weaknesses is the fact that the entire business relies on the coffee industry. If the coffee industry faces a hard time, it will have a bad influence on Starbucks directly. One of the main reasons an organisation becomes a Multinational Enterprise is to diversify themselves against the risks and uncertainties of the domestic business cycle. However, Starbucks has over-saturated the US market with more than 3 quarters of their business located in the home market. If their home market goes through a recession, this will have a huge impact on its business. Also, their relatively high coffee price increases competition with low priced brands. After assessing the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses, an organisation then evaluates its external environments. Starbucks may extend their supplier range such as developing new products, not only their coffee but products like health and organic drinks, considering there are emerging groups of people seeking well-being products. They could also expand their business to more countries especially developing countries such as China and India. Regardless of the fact that China has a strong tea culture, Starbucks has been very successful. They currently have more than 600 stores in more than 50 cities in China, yet it is only the beginning. The market share for Starbucks is still growing however, compared to past years; it is not doing so well. The main reason for this is because of the new competitors who entered the market, for example, launch of McCafe from McDonald’s. Increased competition and competitors resulted in a higher bargaining power of buyers that lowers the market price for coffee which made it even harder for a brand who sell expensive, high quality coffees, to compete in the market. Starbucks coffees’ main ingredients are coffee beans and milk. A rise of coffee bean and dairy product prices, as a result of various non-government activities, have a strong influence on the company which may result in a  significant drop in their market share. As mentioned above, Starbucks was successful in China. Though copyright law in China is vulnerable and trademark infringement is a huge problem for all companies who are operating in China. Finally, while the earnings in the US and China remains strong, the profit from the European market has fallen due to a different regional tastes and coffee culture that resulted in a just recognisable increase in total revenue. Overall, these are Starbucks’ internal and external environments assessed using SWOT analysis. Starbucks should work through their weaknesses and threats especially their decreasing customer base due to increased competitors. Also, they should create or develop their competitive advantages through their strengths and opportunities. Furthermore, another method that helps to assess for the external environment is ‘Porter’s Five Forces Analysis’. It is a strategic tool that is used to analyse the level of competition within an industry. There are five stages to assess: bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, threat from substitutes, and rivalry among existing competitors. The bargaining power of buyers is high due to an increasing number of influential competitors and the fact that there are no or minimal switching costs to other companies. No or minimal switching costs means a customer can switch to its competitors easily and a growing number of competitors means that there are even higher chance of a customer switching to other companies. The degree of threats of new entrants depends much on its location for example, markets such as UK and US are already highly saturated and as such there are limited chances of a company entering the market. Also, due to the substantial amount of financial resources associated with buildings and property being required to enter the market, the threat of new entrants to the industry to compete with Starbucks is low. The bargaining power of suppliers is also very high. The world demand for coffee is fierce and coffee beans are available only in certain geographical areas such as, Africa, Latin America and some parts of Asia. There are a wide range of substitute products for Starbucks or their coffee including tea, soft drinks, water, juice and energy drinks. This, combined with an increasing focus on the negative effects of caffeine from media and among consumers, increases the percentage of consumers switching to its substitute  products. Also, there are locational substitutes such as pubs and bars where groups of people can gather and spend time away from their house and work environments. Overall, due to an increased number and power of its competitors, especially, McDonald’s (McCafe), Caribou Coffee and Dunkin Donuts, as well as many others from small local coffee shops to large global brands, the rivalry among existing competitors is very high. Unlike the early 90’s where Starbucks begun to expand, there are copious numbers of influential competitors in the market all over the world resulting in very high competition within the industry. Starbucks needs to work on how to reduce the growing power of its competitors and to gain its market share in the long-term. Starbucks holds a strong competitive advantage over its rivals mainly due to its large market share and powerful brand image. Through constant innovation and expansion, Starbucks has maintained a loyal customer base and a competitive standing within the market. The company has employed strategies such as diversifying its products, attempting to gain a larger market share internationally, such as in China, developing sustainability, such as the use of reusable cups and adapting to new methods of marketing, including social media. Starbucks has also come under scrutiny for some of its marketing techniques which include saturating the market and intentionally placing pressure on competition. Due to its early entry to the market, Starbucks was able to solidify its position and reputation. Starbucks originally built this reputation using strategies which were designed to make it the ‘third place’ people spend their time, along with work and home. This similar setting of comfort set Starbucks apart from its competitors and began the culture that now represents the company. Starbucks then began saturating areas within the United States, which created an awareness of the company whilst putting pressure on smaller businesses and competitors. As stated, Starbucks came under scrutiny for its practise of buying out other businesses and saturating the market, with some stores operating at a loss, in order to put competitors in an unfavourable position. The saturation of markets, originally in the US and later worldwide, has created a huge awareness and familiarity of the Starbucks brand. The company, therefore, has a very unique strategy; Starbucks spends less than 1% of its annual revenue on advertising, relying largely on word of mouth advertising. Comparing this to the fact that its competitors spend hugely on its advertising on media (Dunkin Donuts spent more than 83% of its budget on TV and McDonald’s spent 97%), this is very surprising. Starbucks also cuts back on it’s advertising costs through its increasing use of social media advertising. Keeping up with trends such as social media has allowed Starbucks to stay relevant at this lower cost. To illustrate their effectiveness in social media marketing: they are the highest downloaded food and drink app. Further technological advantages Starbucks uses are cloud controlled coffee machines and cloud integrated equipment and staff which allow quicker transfers of information and greater data gathering. This point of difference creates a competitive advantage that Starbucks uses to maintain its dominant position. Furthermore, Starbucks has begun to focus on diversifying its products with a heavier focus on substitutes and complementary goods such as tea and food. With tea becoming increasingly popular in the West, this allows Starbucks to have a lesser reliance solely upon coffee and creates another point of difference from its competitors. Similarly, Starbucks acquired La Boulange bakery in 2012 in order to increase the quality of its food offerings and again diversify its products to attract a larger customer base and decrease its reliance upon the coffee trade. The adoption of these emerging markets allow Starbucks to not only create greater offerings and secure its place within them, but also to become more competitive with rivals where they couldn’t before. An area in which Starbucks has proven to be focusing on is ethical and environmental responsibility. This reflects modern consumer interests and is of greater importance to Starbucks due to its international exposure. In 2013, a reusable cup was introduced at $1 each, while offering a discount on purchased coffee. This both increased overall revenue and created an environmentally responsible image. According to a YouGov Omnibus survey,  taken in January 2013, 28% of Americans had already bought, or planned to buy the reusable cup, showing the importance of the move. Starbucks’ focus on environmentalism reflects the companies focus on improving its image and its understanding of the consumer. In order to further this image again, Starbucks is currently switching its coffee sources to fair trade and aims to be 100% ethically sourced by 2015. As a further display of its social awareness, the company offers its employees an extensive range of benefits and a pay rate higher than its competitors, which resulted in a high employee loyalty, hence, less staff turnover and higher productivity. Finally, one of the larger challenges that Starbucks had faced was expanding internationally and catering to different tastes and cultures worldwide. The aim behind Starbucks’ expansion was to bring the Starbucks experience to the world. Currently, Starbucks is largely focused in expanding in China due to its size and relevance as an emerging world power. Here, Starbucks has an advantage of brand awareness which aids in establishing a dominant position in China, as well as other markets. Keeping up with trends in tastes and technology also helps Starbucks expand internationally; with the emergence of the tea drinking market into which Starbucks is investing and the global increase in communication which Starbucks capitalises upon with its social media and cloud based ventures. It is important for Starbucks to continue looking internationally for its business expansions due to having already saturated much of the US and therefore to reduce its dependence on the US market and its tastes. It is clear that Starbucks is able to continue to be competitive offering its premium priced coffee due to its constant innovation and understanding of its consumers. Starbucks consistently stays ahead of the competition in its technological advances, expansion, social awareness and product development which makes it recognisable and desirable and reduces said competition in the market. The environment which Starbucks presents creates a willingness in the consumer to pay premium pricing for the service as a whole rather than just a coffee. This is ultimately what has differentiated Starbucks from its competitors and allows it to maintain a strong and growing loyal customer base where customers will be less inclined to switch between  companies. The Starbucks company itself possesses several times more market share than any of its competitors and therefore have an almost monopolized status as an entity in the huge coffee industry. It is Starbucks’ large competitive advantages which allow them to hold this position. Not only that, the coffee giant has been able to sustain its presence for over forty years. This begs the question: is Starbucks able to sustain their competitive advantages in the future? Firstly, what are these competitive advantages? Starbucks puts a lot of focus, time and energy into differentiating itself from the competition. This can be seen in the design of its coffee shops around the world, the music played there and the types of products it sells, such as jazz CD’s, thermos’, key chains and coffee-brewing equipment. It is clear to see that Starbucks sets itself apart with the vivid attention to excellence. This differentiation is achieved by the fact that no matter which Starbucks coffee shop you visit the atmosphere will be the same, thus giving the company a status of independency and uniqueness; not following any preconceived ideas. This provides customers with a sense of belongingness which in turn results in sustained business success from loyalty of customers, unmatched by competitors. As our contemporary lives are heading towards a faster and more efficient fashion, Starbucks makes sure to keep current on the latest technology, often times pioneering the latest in technological and communication advancements for its business and customers, far ahead of the times for a coffee shop. This dominance in technological communication is a competitive advantage which not only allows for quick and sustained adoption, but also builds relationships with its customer base. For example, Starbucks was one of the first companies to adopt location-based promotions and mobile payments. In general, retail stores will set up shop in locations based on demographics, locations of competitors, locations of own stores, traffic  patterns and so forth. However, instead of following the rest of the sheep, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz had a different idea. Schultz decided that his strategy focused on heavily increasing the foot traffic in one specific part of town. By clustering a specific part of town with coffee shops Starbucks quickly achieved market dominance with this competitive advantage. Starbucks boasts the highest frequency of weekly visiting customers out of any American retailer, with over 20 million weekly visitors. Even more so impressive is that the company spends less than 1% of its annual revenues on advertising, against the typical 10% rather, the Starbucks competitive advantage relies on word of mouth. They believe that by creating an intimate and welcoming environment in their stores, as well as providing a great cup of coffee, customers will not only return, but do the advertising for them. Starbuck’s, with its clear points of difference, has created a loyal customer base which is willing to continue paying premium prices for the ‘Starbucks experience’. As Starbucks’ annual revenue increases have been consistent over the past ten years (see table 1), from $3.3 billion to $13.29 in 2012, this experience seems greatly successful and as such it is hard to imagine these competitive advantage formulae and successes being unsustainable for the foreseeable future. References 3 Ways Starbucks Is Innovating and Why You Should Care. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229580 Business Strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://thebusinesstrategy.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/how-has-starbucks-been-so-successful.html Hennessey, R. (2012, August 06). 3 Reasons Why Starbucks Still Shines, Despite Market Shortcomings. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelhennessey/2012/08/06/3-reasons-why-starbucks-still-shines-despite-market-shortcomings/ Many innovations today are associated with companies as opposed to individuals. Why is this, and what does it tell us? (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://research-methodology.net/ Mission Statement. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/mission-statement Starbucks Competitive Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://www.slideshare.net/mspinella1016/starbucks-competitive-analysis Starb ucks Company Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.statisticbrain.com/starbucks-company-statistics/ Starbucks reusable cups are a hit. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://today.yougov.com/news/2013/01/08/starbucks-reusable-cups-are-hit/ Starbucks: A Model of Success | TIME.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://business.time.com/2013/08/27/starbucks-a-model-of-success/ Sustained Competitive Advantage of Starbucks. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://unrealist.hubpages.com/hub/Sustained-Competitive-Advantage-of-Starbucks Tice, C. (2013, January 17). How Starbucks Will Make Millions Off Its New, Reusable Cup. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/caroltice/2013/01/17/how-starbucks-will-make-millions-off-its-new-reusable-cup/ The Worlds Most Powerful Brands. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://www.rankingthebrands.com/The-Brand-Rankings.aspx?rankingID=279nav=category A look at Starbucks’ marketing strateg y. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.insidebusiness360.com/index.php/a-look-at-starbucks-marketing-strategy-1425/

Gender Segregation and Discrimination in CTE :: Females Women Discrimination Essays

Gender Segregation and Discrimination in CTE The Traditional Reality The CTE system before Title IX has been characterized as traditionally dominated by gender segregation and discrimination (National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education 2002). In many cases, females were denied entry into training programs for higher-wage, traditionally male, industry and technical occupations. Gender stereotyping in guidance and counseling practices and materials, bias in teacher practices, and harassment by other students discouraged nontraditional enrollment by females and in practice restricted CTE opportunities for females to lower-wage, traditionally female, health and cosmetology occupations. In short, systematic practices and expectations steered females into home economics and away from shop or auto mechanics. In the long run, the most damaging consequence of such gender bias was to limit females' access to the benefits of CTE—the living wage that provides females the same economic self-sufficiency that males have long enjoyed. The Continuing Reality Unfortunately, CTE is still characterized by pervasive gender segregation and discrimination (National Women's Law Center 2002). Thirty years later, there are still striking gender disparities in guidance and counseling practices, in CTE program enrollment, in the level and quality of classes available in traditionally male and traditionally female CTE programs, and in the wages earned by female and male CTE graduates. An interesting comparison of two surveys (reported in Gloeckner and Knowlton 1995-96), one in Montana in 1980 and another in Virginia in 1995, illustrates a large, enduring gender gap in a critical CTE program area: . In Montana in 1980, females accounted for half of enrollment in only one high school technical education course—51 percent of Graphic Arts students were female. Female enrollment was less than 10 percent in all other high school technical education courses. . In Virginia in 1995, only one high school technical education course, Communications Technology, had about 50 percent female enrollment. In the 32 remaining high school technical education courses, female enrollment was less than 15 percent in 27 course and less than 10 percent in 17 courses. . In 1995, Virginia students explained gender differences in terms that could be considered classic for CTE. Females and males both perceived technology education classes as "guy" classes; females perceived technology education classrooms are dirty, hence unfeminine.

Is Tv the Cause of Violence in Today’s Society? Essay

TV has bad Impacts As we all know some TV programs are educational, they open our minds by providing information that are unlikely to be taught in schools and other places such as home-schooling But there are also some TV programs that are not so educational, which could affect us physically and emotionally. According to some research it was said that Television has a higher level of violence, in most of the cases these programs are being watched by young children which can be a negative influence and it could affects the children’s grades, sleep and daily activities. Kids are small and their minds haven’t developed yet, so when a child watches a show or a movie they usually copy everything that is being done on the screen, not even caring whether it’s good or bad. AS I said, when a child watches violence on TV they repeat what is being done, thinking that their action will not be punished, which means they are being persuaded that crimes, and violence don’t cause any harm. For example 47% of violent television programs show the victim being unharmed, especially in cartoons. Characters in cartoons and television shows get blowed over by another character and they get back up without being harmed, this makes children believe that violence doesn’t really hurt anyone. TV and Violance Television shows that allows the character who commits the crime to receive no punishment, allows children to learn that it is alright to commit a crime because nothing will be done. Television has no significant influence on an adult’s mind, but it has a major impact on children, and on their brain’s development. Most important of all, if children catch the idea of violence in childhood from TV, then their ideas and thoughts about crimes, murders, etc. can’t be changed. If we Watch too much television We begin to ignore the outer world, we become less social, our personality slightly begin to change negatively, and most of all we begin to have diseases such as refractive error of the eyes (especially near-sightedness), obesity, heart attack, spine disease, mental disorder, etc.,

Authentic Leadership

Article Summary: Authentic leadership for 21st century project delivery from the International Journal of Project Management APA citation: Lloyd-Walker, Beverley1 beverley. [email  protected] edu. au Walker, Derek(2). International Journal of Project Management; May2011, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p383-395. Retrieved from EBSCOhost, summarized by Rachell Bishop. Summary: The project managers of the 21st century will need to adopt new leadership models to sustain continuous improvement. There are three primary points that the article & study present.CMM (Capability maturity model), Authentic leadership and Alliance project management are at the forefront of the study. The importance of soft skills such as emotional intelligence, relationship building, trust and commitment are emphasized rather than the hard core technical skills held by project managers in general. The necessity to transition from transactional and transformational leadership styles to authentic leadership style is presented in detail. The authors noted the differences in leadership approaches and skill sets that will be necessary for project managers to be successful and remain relevant in the future. . Leadership styles: Transactional, Transformational and Authentic 2. CMM (Capability maturity model): Integration of transactional and transformational leadership styles resulting in authentic leadership paradigm 3. Alliancing: Demonstrated team building and cooperation among project management professionals to achieve optimal project delivery for all not just key stakeholders 4. Authentic leadership soft skills – overall emotional intelligence as demonstrated through ethical and moral actions, integrity and clarity in words and behavior, honesty, fairness and relational development 5.Generational shift: Baby Boomer, Gen X and Gen Y valuation of leadership skill sets must be addressed 6. Project managers and leaders: project-based versus project-oriented 7. Implementation: Communication and engage ment of all stakeholders is key The pilot study and preliminary research results concluded that there are major changes necessary for project management to evolve and remain relevant in the 21st century workplace. Authentic leadership, a CMM plan and soft skills are particularly relevant for the continuous improvement of the project management field.

Skate Characteristics and Information

Skate Characteristics and Information Skates are a type of cartilaginous fish that have a flat body and wing-like pectoral fins attached to their head. If you can picture a stingray, you know basically what a skate looks like. There are dozens of species of skates. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, the common skate is the largest skate species - it can reach over 8 feet in length. At only about 30 inches, the starry skate is the smallest skate species. Description of a Skate Fish Like stingrays, skates have a long, whip-like tail and breathe through spiracles. Breathing through spiracles allows the skate to rest on the ocean bottom and get oxygenated water through openings in their head, rather than breathing in water and sand from the ocean bottom. Skates may also have a prominent dorsal fin (or two fins) near the end of their tail, while rays usually do not. While many fish propel themselves by flexing their bodies and using their tail, skates move by flapping their wing-like pectoral fins. Unlike stingrays, skates do not have a venomous spine in their tail. Classification Skates are a type of cartilaginous fish. They are classified in the order Rajiformes, which contains a dozen families, including the families Anacanthobatidae and Rajidae, which include skates and smooth skates. Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ElasmobranchiiOrder: Rajiformes Feeding Skates eat shellfish, worms, and crabs. They have strong teeth and jaws, allowing them to easily crush shells. Habitat and Distribution Skates live throughout the world. Skates spend most of their time on the ocean bottom. Reproduction Reproduction is another way that skates differ from rays. Skates bear their young in eggs, while rays bear live young. Thus, skates are oviparous. With rays, the young develop in eggs that are retained in the mothers body, thus they are ovoviviparous. Skates mate at the same nursery grounds each year. Male skates have claspers that they use to transmit sperm to the female, and eggs are fertilized internally. The eggs develop into a capsule called an egg case- or more commonly, a mermaids purse - and then are deposited onto the ocean floor. These mermaids purses sometimes wash up on beaches. The egg cases may sit on the ocean floor, or attach to seaweeds. Inside the egg case, a yolk nourishes the embryos. The young may remain in the egg case for up to 15 months, and then hatch looking like miniature adult skates. Conservation and Human Uses Skates are harmless to humans. Skates are commercially harvested  for their wings, which are considered tasty (Skate Wing With Butter, anyone?). The flesh of a skates wing is said to be similar to the taste and texture of scallops. They are usually harvested  using  otter trawls. Skate wings can also be used for lobster bait, and to make fish meal and pet food. In addition to commercial fisheries, skates may also be caught as bycatch. Some U.S. skate species, such as the thorny skate, are considered overfished, and management plans are in place in the U.S. to protect skate populations through methods such as fishing trip limits, and possession prohibitions. Skate Species Below are some examples of skate species found in the U.S.: Barndoor Skate (Dipturus laevis)Big Skate (Raja binoculata)Longnose Skate (Raja rhina)Thorny Skate (Amblyraja radiata)Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata)Little Skate (Leucoraja erinacea) Sources Bester, Cathleen. Ray and Skate Basics (Online). Florida Museum of Natural History: Icthyology.   Canadian Shark Research Lab. 2007. Skates and Rays of Atlantic Canada: Reproduction. Canadian Shark Research Lab.   Coulombe, Deborah A. 1984. The Seaside Naturalist. Simon Schuster. Sosebee, Kathy. Skates - Status of Fishery Resources off the Northeastern US. NOAA NEFSC - Resource Evaluation and Assessment Division. World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). WoRMS Taxon List.

Timbuktu, Mali and Today

Timbuktu, Mali and Today The word Timbuktu (or Timbuctoo or Tombouctou) is used in several languages to represent a far-away place, but Timbuktu is an actual city in the African country of Mali. Where Is Timbuktu? Located near the edge of the Niger River, Timbuktu is situated near the middle of Mali in Africa.  Timbuktu had a 2014 population of approximately 15,000 (the recent drop more in half due to its 2012–2013 occupation by Al Qaeda). The 2014 estimate is the latest data available. The Legend of Timbuktu Timbuktu was founded by nomads in the 12th century, and it rapidly became a major trading depot for the caravans of the Sahara Desert. During the 14th century, the legend of Timbuktu as a rich cultural center spread through the world. The beginning of the legend can be traced to 1324, when the Emperor of Mali made his pilgrimage to Mecca via Cairo. In Cairo, the merchants and traders were impressed by the amount of gold carried by the emperor, who claimed that the gold was from Timbuktu. Furthermore, in 1354 the great Muslim explorer Ibn Battuta wrote of his visit to Timbuktu and told of the wealth and gold of the region. Thus, Timbuktu became renown as an African El Dorado, a city made of gold. During the 15th century, Timbuktu grew in importance, but its homes were never made of gold. Timbuktu produced few of its own goods but served as the major trading center for salt across the desert region. The city also became a center of Islamic study and the home of a university and extensive library. The citys maximum population during the 1400s probably numbered somewhere between 50,000 to 100,000, with approximately one-quarter of the population composed of scholars and students. The Legend Grows A 1526 visit to Timbuktu by a Muslim from Grenada, Spain, Leo Africanus, told of Timbuktu as a typical trading outpost. Still, the mythical legend of its wealth persisted. In 1618, a London company was formed to establish trade with Timbuktu. Unfortunately, the first trading expedition ended up with the massacre of all its members, and a second expedition sailed up the Gambia River and thus never reached Timbuktu. In the 1700s and early 1800s, many explorers attempted to reach Timbuktu, but none returned. Many unsuccessful and successful explorers were forced to drink camel urine, their own urine, or even blood to attempt to survive the Sahara Desert. Known wells would be dry or would not provide enough water upon an expeditions arrival. Mungo Park, a Scottish doctor, attempted a trip to Timbuktu in 1805. Unfortunately, his expedition team of dozens of Europeans and natives all died or abandoned the expedition, and Park was left to sail along the Niger River, never visiting Timbuktu but merely shooting at people and other objects on the shore with his guns as his insanity increased. His body was never found. In 1824, the Geographical Society of Paris offered a reward of 7,000 francs and a gold medal valued at 2,000 francs to the first European who could visit Timbuktu and return to tell the story of the mythical city. European Arrival in Timbuktu The first European acknowledged to have reached Timbuktu was Scottish explorer Gordon Laing. He left Tripoli in 1825 and traveled for 13 months to reach Timbuktu. On the way, he was attacked by the ruling Tuareg nomads, was shot and cut by swords, and broke his arm. He recovered from the vicious attack and made his way to Timbuktu, arriving in August 1826. Laing was unimpressed with Timbuktu, which had, as Leo Africanus reported, become simply a salt trading outpost filled with mud-walled homes in the middle of a barren desert. Laing remained in Timbuktu for just over one month. Two days after leaving Timbuktu, he was murdered. French explorer Rene-Auguste Caillie had better luck than Laing. He planned to make his trip to Timbuktu disguised as an Arab as part of a caravan, much to the chagrin of proper European explorers of the era. Caillie studied Arabic and the Islamic religion for several years. In April 1827, he left the coast of West Africa and reached Timbuktu a year later, even though he was ill for five months during the trip. Caillie was unimpressed with Timbuktu and remained there for two weeks. He then returned to Morocco and then went home to France. Caillie published three volumes about his travels and was awarded the prize from the Geographical Society of Paris. German geographer Heinrich Barth left Tripoli with two other explorers in 1850 for a trek to Timbuktu, but his companions both died. Barth reached Timbuktu in 1853 and did not return home until 1855. During the interim, he was feared dead by many. Barth gained fame through the publication of five volumes of his experiences. As with previous explorers to Timbuktu, Barth found the city quite the anticlimax. French Colonial Control In the late 1800s, France took over the Mali region and decided to take Timbuktu away from the control of the violent Tuareg. The French military was sent to occupy Timbuktu in 1894. Under the command of Major  Joseph Joffre (later a famous World War I general), Timbuktu was occupied and became the site of a French fort. Communication between Timbuktu and France was difficult, making the city an unhappy place for a soldier to be stationed. Nonetheless, the area around Timbuktu was well protected, so other nomad groups were able to live without fear of the hostile Tuareg. Modern Timbuktu Even after the invention of air travel, the Sahara was unyielding. The plane making an inaugural air flight from Algiers to Timbuktu in 1920 was lost. Eventually, a successful airstrip was established; however, today, Timbuktu is still most commonly reached by camel, motor vehicle, or boat. In 1960, Timbuktu became part of the independent country of Mali. The population of Timbuktu in a 1940 census was estimated at approximately 5,000 people; in 1976, the population was 19,000; in 1987, 32,000 people resided in the city. In 2009, Mali statistical office census estimates put the population at more than 54,000. In 1988, Timbuktu was designated a United Nations World Heritage Site, and efforts were underway to preserve and protect the city and especially its centuries-old mosques. In 2012, due to regional fighting, the city was placed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger, where it still remains in 2018.

The Ebola Virus Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Ebola Virus - Research Paper Example The Ebola virus, Sudan and Zaire subtype in particular, were first discovered in an equatorial province west of Sudan and the nearby region of Democratic Republic of Congo formerly Zaire in 1976. The discovery was made after serious epidemics were reported in the village of Yambuku located in the northern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nzara village in the Southern Sudan. The Reston virus was discovered in the western pacific in 1989 during an outbreak of simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV), while the Cote d’Ivoire species of virus were discovered in 1994 in a Tai forest in the country of Cote d’Ivoire (Peter, 2009). Some of the early symptoms characterized by the Ebola virus include: headache, sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and sore throat. Vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function often follows at an advanced stage of the disease, and in some cases both external and internal bleeding have been reported. Resear ch findings have shown low counts of white blood cells and platelets and platelets, as well as elevated liver enzymes (Ryabchikova, 2004). The Ebola Virus is said to be transmitted by direct contact with body fluids of infected individuals or blood, secretions. Transmission of Ebola has been linked to burial ceremonies where mourners have had direct contact with the body of the deceased person who suffered from this virus. The cause of infections of Ebola virus in humans has resulted from the human handling of infected non-human primates such as the chimpanzees, gorillas and consumption of forest antelopes either dead or alive or both. These cases have been reported and documented in the Cote d’Ivoire and the Democratic republic of Congo. The transmission of the Reston species, however, is because of handling the cynomolgus monkey (Bausch, 2011). Health care workers have not been left behind in the infection chain, and they have largely been infected in the line of duty. This is through treating the Ebola patients at a close contact, without following standard infection control precautions, and inadequate nursing procedures has always been the case in most African countries. The incubation period for the disease is put at a minimum of two days and maximum of 21 days (Ryabchikova, 2004). The natural reservoir of the Ebola Virus is still unknown to humans, despite the extensive studies directed to its course. All that is known is that it seems to reside in the rainy forests of the African continent and the western pacific, and although non-human primates have been the source of infections for human, they are believed to have been directly infected by the natural reservoir or some transmission chain in the natural reservoir. Some of the virulent factors that have led to Ebola infections in humans are linked to direct contact with chimpanzees, monkeys, guinea pigs, gorillas and porcupines in the rainy forests of Africa. However, there have been speculations that bats have played a role in maintaining the Ebola virus in the tropical forest since they caught the infection and did not die from it. This case forms one of the many hypotheses developed to explain the origin of the Ebola virus (Peter, 2009). Ebola virus test are extremely biohazard risk and are only conducted under maximum biological containment conditions. Diagnosis of the Ebola can be done under specialized laboratories where

Accounting decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Accounting decision making - Essay Example In addition, an explanation to support the variation in the contribution margin of the five services is provided and possible resource constraints faced by the firm is provided. Firms adopt different dividend policies which are in line with their goals. Dividend payment is preferred by shareholders since that is their source of reward for contributing equity capital. The article states that dividend payment is simply a transfer of value within the firm. That is, the movement of value already owned by the shareholders to shareholders. Therefore, there is no level of dividend payment that contributes to value creation. The statement is true for the reason that dividend payment does not increase the firm’s ability to increase the economic benefits. In other words, a firm cannot increase its cash flow generating ability by paying dividends. However, the payment of cash dividends has a positive impact on the value of a firm (market value). The market value of a firm (market capitalization) is determined by multiplying the outstanding shares of a firm with the current share price. It has been observed that the payment of cash dividends by firms increases the market value of companies. The increase is brought about as follows: when a firm pays cash dividends, more shareholders, who prefer certain payments, are attracted (Frankfurter, Wood & Wansley, 2003, pp. 91). The demand of shares of that company increases, thus increasing the share price. Consequently, the market value of the firm increases. There are two theories of dividend payment which supports the influence of cash dividend on the market value of the firm. That is, the bird-in-hand theory and information signalling dividend payment theory (Hunting & Paulsen 2013). The bird-in-hand, dividend payment theory states that stockholders prefer certainty due to their aversion towards risk. Dividend payments are more assured as compared