Teenage pregnancy in Croydon – literature review and research outline

Research studies have suggested that teenage pregnancy is a major global issue and it needs to be addressed accurately due to the health, social and economic risks associated with this issue (Baker, 2007; Roth et al., 2009; Kamberg, 2012). Decline in the number of teenage pregnancies have been reported as a result of the strategies undertaken by governing bodies across Europe to reduce the number of unplanned teenage conceptions. However, England still has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies which are mostly unplanned (Teenage Pregnancy Associates, 2011). Teenage pregnancies are a major cause of poor health conditions in teen mothers and their babies, it have an adverse economic impact and play a crucial role in increasing child poverty (WHO, 2012). According to a recent press release, London Borough of Croydon recorded 50% reduction in the teenage conceptions; however, the borough is still amongst the regions with highest teenage pregnancy rate (Croydon, 2012). In order to further reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies in Borough of Croydon it is crucial to identify the factors causing the increase in teenage conceptions. Therefore, the aim of this research study is to effectively recognize the factors causing increase in teenage pregnancies in the London Borough of Croydon and the chosen organisation is Croydon Health Services NHS Trust. The research objectives are: * To identify the factors causing increase in teenage pregnancies through literature. * To identify the factors causing increase in teenage pregnancies in the London Borough of Croydon. * To identify the strategies that could be adopted by the governing bodies in London Borough of Croydon to address the issues of increasing teenage pregnancies. 1. LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Individual Factors Research studies have suggested that individual factors play an important role in teenage conceptions (Imamura et al., 2007). Children of teenage lone mothers are more vulnerable to become teenage parents (Botting et al. 1998). Members of some certain ethnic groups such as Caribbean and Asian are more likely to become teenage parents in comparison to white teenagers (Botting et al., 1998; Berthoud, 2001). Underperforming children at school who show little or no interest in learning and eventually drops out at early ages are also at a risk of becoming teenage parents (Kiernan, 1995). Research evidences have suggested that increased number of teenage pregnancies have also been observed in young children living in care or those who leave care (Imamura et al., 2007). According to Haldre et al. (2009) alcohol abuse in the family and lower levels of sexual knowledge also lead to higher number of teenage pregnancies. 1. Socio- Economic Factors According to Baker (2007), socio-economic disadvantages are one of the major causes of teenage pregnancies. Teenagers who are detached or detach themselves from the society as a result of discrimination or lack of support from the society are highly vulnerable to early pregnancies. Social disadvantages as identified by England’s Social Exclusion Unit includes unemployment, poor quality of health, living in deprived areas, having lower levels of skills, poor housing facilities, family fall outs and low income (SEU, 2001). Gruber (2009) argued that individuals become socially disadvantaged when they are denied their basic rights and the opportunities to become an active part of the society which leas to involvements in crimes and other illegal activities. Research studies have suggested that children of socially disadvantaged young parents live in poverty (Baker, 2007). However, not many evidences are present in the literature about the contribution of poverty to teenage pregnancies and this area needs more exploration. According to a research study by Arai (2009), poverty is common in households where the head of the household is a teenager. MacPhail and Campbell (2001) identified that poverty pose an influential impact on the decisions of teenagers to buy contraceptives leading to unintended teenage pregnancies which further leads to lack of finance and support. Trapani (1999) found out that in most cases of teenage pregnancies boyfriends of teenage pregnant girls hesitate from taking the responsibility of the child due to its impact on their educational and employment opportunities. This rejection from partners can cause depression in teenage mothers and their children could significantly suffer in many ways as a result of this depression. It is clear from the preliminary literature review that individual, social and economic factors play an important role in increased number of teenage conceptions. Recent reports published by NHS suggest that government has taken a number of steps to reduce teenage pregnancies; however, despite of these measures the success rate is low. This leads to the formulation of the research question for this study which is to understand why is teenage pregnancy increasing and what more factors are contributing to this problem in addition to the ones identified by previous research studies 1. METHODOLOGY 1. Research Philosophy and Approach Positivist research philosophy has been adopted for this research study. Positivist research philosophy will allow gathering quality data, having high validity in a natural setting (Belk, 2008). Research approach can be inductive or deductive depending upon the type of the research study and for this qualitative research study inductive research approach has been adopted. The advantages of inductive research approach include its flexibility and its supportive framework that effectively allows the formulation of new models (Monsen and Horn, 2007). 1. Research Strategy An exploratory case study research strategy has been undertaken for the accomplishment of the aim of this research study because of its effectiveness in exploring the problem understudy and because of its proficiency in unveiling new issues (Walsh and Wigens, 2003). This research strategy is extremely time consuming and provides no control over the information provided by the participants; however, according to Kumar (2008) the researcher can effectively overcome these problems through his/her competent research skills. 1. Data Collection and Analysis Primary as well as secondary data will be collected for this research study. Secondary data will be collected from the reports published by NHS, books, journals and news articles. Both the qualitative and quantitative sources of information will be explored. The advantages of include time effectiveness, cost effectiveness and the ease of access to the information. Invalid or incomplete pieces of information and possible confusion due to the availability of huge amount of information are few limitations of this data collection method (Kumar, 2011). Primary data will be collected by conducting semi- structured interviews because of its efficacy in establishing an informal two way conversation between the researcher and the participant (Carter and Thomas, 1997). Data will be analysed in a step wise manner (Maykut and Morehouse, 1994). Firstly all the responses will be carefully examined followed by the unitization and categorisation of different pieces of information. Finally the responses will be interpreted. 1. Target Population and Access The target population for this research study are the pregnant teenagers attending antenatal clinics in Croydon and the sample size would be 15. Initially contact over the phone was established with a supervisor of midwives to arrange a meeting in order to explain the benefits of this research study. It was decided in the meeting that the invitation for participating in the research study will be given to the pregnant teenagers by the midwives attending antenatal clinics in local medical practices. Pregnant teenagers willing to participate will be given a date and time for the interviews after consulting the researcher and all the interviews will take place in a room within the medical practices so that an assuring environment could be provided to the participants. 1. Ethical Considerations Participation will be voluntary, anonymity will be maintained, information about the study will be provided to the participants and written consents will be taken prior to the interviews. Information collected will only be used by the researcher. 1. Validity, Reliability and Generalisability To maintain the reliability and validity of the data all the measures will be taken to avoid the chances of errors during face-to-face interviews and when analysing the data. Generalisability is the potential limitation of the research study as the results might not completely reflect the condition in other Boroughs of England. 1. CONCLUSION In conclusion, despite of the limitation this research study will effectively contribute towards the information present in the literature about the factors causing the increase in the number of teenage conceptions.

Coffee and Starbucks Essay

Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin and Ziv Siegl founded Starbucks in 1971. Their goal was to sell the finest quality whole beans and ground coffees (Starbucks timeline and history, 2004). In 1982, Starbucks had grown to five stores and started serving coffee to restaurants and espresso bars. Harold Schultz was employed as the director of retail operations and marketing. Harold Schultz convinced the founders of Starbucks to open a downtown Seattle coffee bar, which opened in 1984. With the success of Seattle coffee bar, Schultz left Starbucks to start his own company named Il Giornale. In 1987, Il Giornale acquired Starbucks retail operations for 4 million dollars. In addition, Il Giornale changed its name to Starbucks Corporation and open locations in Chicago and Vancouver, B. C. (Starbucks timeline and history, 2004). Starbucks continued its expansion throughout the late 1980 and beyond. In 1991, Starbucks became the first privately owned U. S. Corporation to offer stock options to part time employees (Starbucks timeline and history, 2004). In the early 1990s Starbucks started setting up coffee shops in Nordstrom?  ¦s department stores, Barnes & Noble bookstores and ITT/Sheraton hotels. In 1995, the corporation began selling compact discs and formed an alliance with the Canadian bookstore, Chapters Inc. In 2000, Schultz promoted Orin Smith to the position of CEO. Schultz remained chairman for the corporation. This allowed Schultz to focus on Starbucks?  ¦ global strategy. Starbucks operates and licenses more the 7,500 coffee shops in more than 30 countries. Coffee Industry In the United States, coffee is the second largest import (Roosevelt, 2004). Furthermore, the United States, consumes one-fifth of all the worlds?  ¦ coffee (Global Exchange, 2004). The present industry is expanding. It is estimated that North America? ¦s sector will reach saturation levels within 5 year (Datamonitor. n. d. ). According to National Coffee Association (NCA), 8 out of 10 Americans consume coffee. In addition, it is estimated that half of the American population drinks coffee daily. The international market remains highly competitive. It is estimated that 3,300 cups of coffee are consumed every second of the day worldwide (Ecomall, n. d. ). The latest trends included dual drinkers, an increase in senior citizens consumption and a shift in consumption away from home. There has been a significant increase in the consumption of dual drinkers (NCA, 2004). Dual drinkers are people who drink both traditional coffee and gourmet coffee. According to NCA, 54% of America?  ¦s coffee drinkers are dual drinkers. Gourmet coffee is experiencing substantial growth with senior citizens. According to NCA, senior citizens coffee consumption leaped from 9% to 13%. Another trend is coffee consumption is moving outside the home. Coffee consumption away from home increased by 6%. Mission Statement The current mission statement is ?  §Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow. This mission statement fits well with the general direction and the future strategies of Starbucks Corporation. Principles The following principles compliment both Starbucks mission statement and their strategies. Our recommendation is to keep the current mission statement and principles. ?aProvide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity. ?aEmbrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business. ?aApply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee. ?aDevelop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time. ?aContribute positively to our communities and our environment ? aRecognize that profitability is essential to our future success. SWOT Analysis StrengthWeakness ?aFinancial Resources ?aGlobal Presence ?aBeverage Innovator ?aReliance on US Domestic Markets ?aReliance on Beverage Innovation ?aInternational Expansion Problems OpportunitiesThreats ?aInternational Operations ?aContinued Growth of Gourmet Coffee Market ?aExpanding ? V Unit Clustering ?aSupply Risk/ Dependence on Trading Companies and Exporters ? aUS Market Reaching Saturation Levels ?aCompetition Internal Strength. A few of Starbucks strengths included strong financial position, name recognition and being creative beverage innovators. Starbucks has reported revenue from January to July 2004 as 409 million dollars, which gives the company a strong financial position. Starbucks has a strong global presence from its many stores and licensees units, which has made Starbucks a household name. Starbucks is known for their creative innovations of beverages. Starbucks is not afraid to experiment and test new drinks in their stores. Some of the beverages introduced are Fappuccino Blended Beverages or Iced Shaken refreshments. Internal Weakness Some of the weakness the corporation faces includes international expansion problems and dependence of the United States markets and beverage innovations. The corporation was forced to close a number of stores. These stores failed to entice potential customers and Starbucks was forced to end a joint venture due to the lack of success. Starbucks has a dependency on beverage innovation and US markets. It is estimated that 85% of the corporation revenues come from the United States (Datamonitor, n. d. ). Starbucks contributes its growth based on beverage innovations (Datamonitor, n. d. ). External Opportunities One opportunity deals with clustering its business units. Starbucks uses clustering to ensure domination in chosen geographical areas. This practice allows Starbucks to bring conveniences to customers and at the same time preventing new business from entering the market. The last two opportunities are profitability of international operations and the expected growth of the specialty coffee market. The profitability of international operations and the expected growth will give the company greater leverage into the world market and will promote new market expansions. External Threats. One major threat is the lack of superior coffee beans. The expansion of Starbucks operations and limited quantity of superior coffee beans may result in a shortage of supply. Other factors, which could affect the coffee beans, are weather, political and economic conditions. Organizations like Fair Trade could change or alter the coffee industry. Another threat to Starbucks is the dependence on trading companies and exporters for their supply of superior coffee beans. Although Starbucks has limited the risk by paying above average prices for the superior coffee beans, the risk is still there. The last threats are competition and market saturation. The success of the coffee industry will attract more competitors. A competitor with a serious financial backing and resources could compete against Starbucks (Datamonitor, n. d. ). It is estimated that if the current market growth continues saturation levels will be reached in five years (Datamonitor, n. d. ). Customer Satisfaction Customer Satisfaction is defined as the measure or determination that a product or service meets a customer’s expectations, considering requirements of both quality and service (www. eglin. af. mil/46tw/StrategicPlan/glossary.htm). A customer?  ¦s expectations of product quality, service quality, and price, then a firm will achieve high levels of customer satisfaction. On the other hand, if the customer?  ¦s expectations are not met, the customer will be disappointed and this is likely to lower the satisfaction level. Due to lowered satisfaction, the customer could choose to stop buying from the firm/company. There have been many studies done that have shown that high customer satisfaction increases the likelihood of corporate profitability. It also showed that the costs incorporated with keeping an existing customer are five times that of getting new ones The Starbucks Customer The Starbuck?  ¦s Corporation is the leading retailer in the coffee industry. The market size of the coffee industry in the United States for 2003 is near 18 billion. The company?  ¦s sales have increased 23. 9% in the year 2003. These statistics show how many people in the U. S. are drinking Starbucks coffee. Starbucks attracts a cult-like following, serving 25 million drinks a week at nearly 7,000 locations worldwide. At one time or another, just about everyone has been a customer at a Starbucks retailer. Based on research done on the Internet, we have identified who the typical Starbucks?  ¦ customer is. A typical Starbucks customer is a male or a female, age ranging from 18 to 55. In most cases, the Starbucks?  ¦ customer is a college student, businessperson or someone in their mid to late fifties. A Starbucks customer tends to be very loyal to the company and will not accept substitutes. The usage level of a typical customer is at least three times a week, for some; it is every day. The benefits sought by customers range from enjoyment, relaxation, energy, and reward. Those who are not in a hurry like to sit down for a cup of coffee, listen to the relaxing songs played at the shops, enjoy a conversation with a friend, or just way to be alone and study. Another important characteristic of a typical customer is that most of the customers are financially stable enough to be able to afford to spend at least $2. 50 for a small cup of coffee. A typical Starbucks?  ¦ customer spends and average of $40 to $65 a month for coffee drinks. However, there are many customers who spend well over $65 a month. Improving Customer Satisfaction According to Schultz, ? §our success is based on their continued trust in our people and our environment over long periods of time. † Redefining the industry you’re playing in doesn’t just mean hiring an agency to think up a fancy new slogan. To make it work, you have to offer high-quality new products and services that customers actually want, and that will reinforce the value offered by your core brand and expand the emotional connection your customers feel with it ( www. fastcompany. com from Issue 84 July 2004, Page 50 by:Alison Overholt). To continue the success that Starbucks had over the years, there must be ways to measure the customer? ¦s perceptions of the company. The customers are what make Starbucks what it is today, and to keep them we need to know what they expect from us. Based on research done on starbucks. com, it is evident that Starbucks values their customers. On the main page of the website there is a link to Customer Service; here the customer can ask questions or leave comments. This tool could be much more beneficial to the company if questions and/or comments could be asked by the customer. In the area of questions/comments-there is a drop down list of freqeuntly asked questions/comments, from this list the customer must pick. There could be many times when a customer has a question/comment, but it is not included on this list. The idea of having this link makes the customers feel that their opinions are valued, but there are a few areas that could be improved on that would be much more beneficial to the company. It is important that Starbucks asks for the opinions of their customers, but why only offer this online? Even though we have become such a computer savy world, there are still many people out there that are not computer literate. Many do not have access to computers, or some just do not know how to use them. This does not mean that these people don?  ¦t drink Starbucks coffee. To increase overall customer satisfaction, we should also incorporate a general product/service survey or some type of comment card in the retail stores. Surveys may seem tedious at times, but to help us find out information that could help our company in the long run, it is worth it. Surveys will give us an idea of how we can improve our product and service to satisfy the customer. Typical customer surveys are designed to measure: ?aOverall satisfaction ?aProduct-level satisfaction ?aImportance vs. satisfaction ? Timeliness of delivery ?aCustomer service process satisfaction ?aReturns and exchange process satisfaction ?aInterest in new potential products and services Included is sample survey that could be used to get a general idea of how our customers feel about our products and services. The main goal to achieve customer satisfaction needs to be: to find ways to deliver a great customer experience around your product or service. Customer expectations may be set, the idea is to exceed those expectations that they might already have. The recipe for a great cup of coffee includes four fundamentals, proportion, grind, water and freshness. Using the right proportion of coffee to water is the most important step in making great coffee. The shorter the brewing process, the finer the grind. The amount of time the coffee and water spend together affects the flavor elements that end up in your cup of coffee. Using fresh, cold water heated just off the boil is perfect for extracting the coffee?  ¦s full range of flavors. Use fresh ground coffee by grinding beans each time you brew the freshness is preserved. Starbucks quality is dependent on trading companies and exporters for its supply of green coffee. The company is looking to secure long term supply contracts, and in some cases has had to pay inflated prices in order to obtain such contracts. Starbucks responded to world coffee prices reaching 30-year lows during fiscal 2001 by offering suppliers more money to guarantee supply, and as such the risk of non-delivery on such purchase commitments is low. However, the nature of the business dictates that the company?  ¦s dependency on suppliers does put it at risk. Starbucks quality is at risk to the volatility of the supply and price of coffee. The company?  ¦s search for the superior standard coffee mean in can be adversely affected by multiple factors in the producing countries, including weather, political, and economic conditions. In addition, green coffee prices have been affected in the past, and may be affected in the future, by the actions of organizations and associations that have in the past attempted to influence prices of green coffee through agreements establishing export quotas or restricting global coffee supplies. The actions of these associations could cause a degree of costly disruption to Starbuck?  ¦s operations. Purchasing Guidelines Starbucks has also introduced coffee purchasing guidelines. The goal of these guidelines is to support Starbucks commitment to purchase coffee that has been grown and processed by suppliers who meet environmental, social, economic, and quality standards. Global coffee production can only be sustainable if it is economically viable, socially responsible, and environmentally sensitive at all levels of the supply chain. Over the past few years Starbucks has been working on the sourcing guidelines and they feel that is an important step that will help increase the production of high quality coffee and improve the health of the specialty coffee industry. With these guidelines, Starbucks is taking a leadership role in addressing the environmental and social issues surrounding the global coffee industry. This initiative is part of a long-term partnership between Starbucks and Conservation International to promote methods of coffee production that help to conserve global biodiversity. To launch these guidelines, Starbucks will enlist the support of coffee suppliers who are sustainable advocates. Starbucks has instituted a flexible point system that rewards performance in sustainable categories. Points will be accrued based on a supplier?  ¦s ability to meet sustainability guidelines, and suppliers who earn more points in the program will receive higher purchasing preference when Starbucks purchases green coffee. Starbucks has a long-standing practice of paying premium prices for coffee, and has always paid an average of at least $1. 20 per pound. As part of this practice, Starbucks will provide additional premiums of up to ten cents per pound to vendors based upon how well their coffee samples meet the standards. These financial incentives will help defray the costs incurred by participating suppliers. Suppliers wishing to participate will be required to provide independent, third party verification of their performance against the guidelines. Starbuck?  ¦s hopes that the success of this program demonstrates to the rest of the coffee industry that they can benefit by producing coffee in a way that protects global biodiversity and improves the livelihoods of coffee farmers. The Three Keys to Quality Coffee The three keys to quality coffee are: 1)Quality Green Arabica Coffee – The best coffee beans produce the best cup of coffee. 2)Fresh Roasted – Great tasting coffee relies on how soon the coffee is brewed, and consumed after roasting. For coffee to be fresh, and best, it must be consumed within five days after roasting, three hours of grinding, and fifteen minutes of brewing. The first sign that coffee is stale is a bitter taste. 3)Proper Brewing ? V Temperature and time, brewing is the extraction of coffee flavor oils from the roasted grounds using water. The best temperature for optimum extraction is water just off the boil (195 degrees to 205 degree Fahrenheit). This temperature will extract the full range of flavors from fresh roasted beans. Time is a function of brewing method and grind size. There are many ways to brew good coffee. Steeping and espresso are the two best methods. Financial Analysis Total net sales for Starbucks Corporation were analyzed for 2001, 2002, and 2003. The company had a total net sales increase of $639. 9M between the years 2001 and 2002. Another net increase of $786. 6M in sales occurred between 2002 and 2003. This is a positive sign because in a growing company, of course, we would expect a consistent increase in sales. A result of the increase in sales in part is due to a recent innovation of drive-throughs being added for the convenience of its many customers. Net income increased substantially to 215. 1M in 2002. This was due to the boom in sales and good control of its cost of goods sold. Net income increased to $53. 2M in 2003. The coffee giant acquired Seattle Coffee Company from AFC Enterprises for $72. 0M in 2003, as well. Income from operations took a boost up from $281. 0M in 2001 to $318. 7M in 2002, a difference of $37. 6M. Income from operations saw a considerable upturn of $424. 7M in 2003. In a growing company we would expect income from operations to grow from year to year. Cost of sales continued to increase $237. 2M between the years 2001 and 2002 and it peaked again $335. 9M between 2002 and 2003. This is normal when sales are increasing significantly. Management Strategies From cappuccinos to lattes to just regular coffee, the quality of Starbucks fine coffee beverages is worth the cost in dollars. An article from the Internet stated ?  §At $43 in mid-June, a share of Starbucks (SBUX) cost 47 times what Wall Street analysts expect the coffee-shop chain to earn per share this year. The typical stock in the S&P 500 index trades at just 19 times earnings (Rosato, D. , 2004, p. 124). The article continued to state that management is projecting Starbucks earnings to grow to 20% every year for the next three to five years. With an amazing growth rate like that its no wonder that their growth far exceeds the typical S&P stocks growth rate by as much as three times. Starbucks has a very strong balance sheet. It has little long-term debt and $380. 0M in cash. It continues to expand its long-term assets and finances them from its own cash flow. If a company is in a state of expansion, we would expect long-term assets to increase. The total current assets for the year ending September 29, 2002 for Starbucks Corporation were $847. 5M. For the year ending September 28, 2003 total current assets grew $76. 5M. This gives us a good indication that the company is expanding. Inventory increased from $263. 1M in 2002 to $342. 9 in 2003. In a growing company, we would expect inventory to increase. An article in the Internet stated that in November 2001, Starbucks offered their own Starbucks card. It was a convenient way for coffee drinkers to pay quickly and easily for their morning cup of coffee (Kuykendall, 2004, p. 7). Starbucks sold roughly $18. 0M of these gift cards. This strategy is a great way to increase volume and unlike other cards Starbucks said, ?  §It had never charged the fee noted on its cards — $2 a month after on year ? V to anyone (Kuykendall, 2004 p. 7). Another vision to increase its financial strategy was the introduction of the Duetto combo prepaid/credit card in late 2003. An article on the Internet stated how the Chicago based Bank One Corp. called Duetto worked with Starbucks to generate a program where cardholders would receive rewards based on their spending habits. Starbucks conducted a survey to determine the gift that was most attractive to customers and Colette Courtion, director of Starbucks Global Card Services stated, ?  §Duetto cardholders receive a one-time $10 ?  §preload and 1% in so-called Duetto dollars that are automatically loaded on the stored-value side each month for every Visa purchase made. Starbucks also donates $5 to the Starbucks Foundation, after every customer?  ¦s first Starbucks Card Duetto Visa purchase (Martin, Z. , 2004, p. 22). A half-pound of coffee was one of the great appealing rewards, as well. Bank One and Starbucks were very well pleased with the markets positive response to the Duetto card. We are in agreement with these financial strategies and as a team, we concur that Starbucks Corporation should continue the card services as a strategic process that gives their company a great competitive advantage. A key strength of Starbucks is being a disciplined innovator. Frappuccino blended beverages and iced refreshments were new innovations and helped the growth of Starbucks. Starbucks should continue coming up with new kinds of beverages, as that is its core product. Perhaps a vegetable drink that is geared more toward the healthier population like a low calorie, low fat, and low sugar carrot drink that is actually providing the body with good vitamins and minerals. According to information retrieved from the Factiva database, Starbucks Price/Earnings ratio in the last twelve months was 56. 9 and its current ratio was 1. 8. Starbucks is on the right track with their strategies and they have done such an excellent job so far that we believe these strategies will continue to bring revenues for many upcoming years. Growth Starbucks Corporation has a good strategic growth plan currently to enhance their business and gain market share over their competitors. In this section of the report, it will go over Starbucks current ideas about their growth and give different recommendations in how some other ideas may increase their current and future growth. In the current high completive coffee market Starbucks has a good market share and are opening location across the world. Starbucks have opened their location in markets before any of their competitors has any of their location even around that market. Starbucks has a global brand name over their competitors. Starbucks Corporation has roughly 7,500 retail locations across the world, with majority are owned and operated in the United States of America. Starbucks currently has locations across 30 different countries to set their business in the market before any competitors due. Even with Starbucks aggressive move to open many locations across the world they have very little profit with their business. The reasons that Starbuck?  ¦s profitability is low because they?  ¦re trying to cease the market first. In the fiscal year of 2003, the company has a total of nearly 1,300 licensed retail stores, with 1,000 in Asia-Pacific region, 176 in Europe/Middle East/Africa and the remainder in America, excluding North America (Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru and Chile). Starbucks is headquartered in Seattle, derives approximately 85% of its revenues and substantially all of its profits from its domestic US market. The US market is the market that gives them the most profit of all markets. Starbucks started most of their locations at cold states based that more coffee drinkers live in cold states. With the new innovation of the cold flavored coffee drinks increased their chance to open more location in warm clement locations. Even with the rapid growth of coffee businesses in the US Starbucks has a large market share and with any change the Starbucks may due their competitors looks to target. Starbucks looks to enhance their brand image in the US market to increase their product sales from the stores that carry Starbucks coffee drinks, like Seven Eleven that carry only Starbucks coffee only. Starbucks reliance on the beverage innovation is important for the Starbucks future growth. With the increase for coffee store based on the need for coffee because of the new flavors, coffee market is growing but Starbucks looks to bring a new innovation to the market. The only problem at hand would be how long will the need and growth of the market last. In the international markets need less innovation then the US market based that there are less competitors in the market. International markets may need to have certain products for their taste. Most often different countries have different customs and life styles that could change the need for each custom. By the fiscal year of 2004, Starbucks international market will achieve profitability. About 23% of the company?  ¦s stores locations that are profitable are located in North America markets that include UK and Japan. Currently the specialty coffee sector accounts for 15% of the US retail market, and which is already worth $21 billion. By 2005, the retail coffee market will be worth $22 billion, and the specialty coffee will account for 41% of the market. Also Starbucks are looking to invent a coffee ice cream and ice cream coffee drink. All of the ice cream has many different flavors and if the newly product takes of like it?  ¦s planned on doing. The specialty coffee products are now sold even at retail store based on the growing need for it. Starbucks is looking to open coffee and ice cream combined stores in start a new market. Starbucks currently sees that more and more coffee business are opening threw out the US by small business owners, so Starbucks is selling more stores to lessen the opening of small businesses. Starbucks feels that if they sell their name that more small business owner would rather have a well-known name to enhance their chances in doing well. Starbucks owners will learn and gain from the innovation and marketing ideas that Starbucks will give. Starbucks will grow faster if they sell of most or all of their location because their will be less need in maintaining their stores and more need in bring new ideas to the market. Now their competitors are franchising their location to. Most of the Starbucks locations in malls or in strip malls across the world. Currently Starbucks are building freestanding locations and designing a drive threw so their customers can have a more convenient way when needing their service. With these newly developed locations will have a food line. They?  ¦re looking to have hot food and cold food to compete with the Tim Horton coffee business. They are also looking to stay open 24 hours, seven days a week. Starbucks is looking to carry donuts, breakfast sandwiches, bagels and other morning food. Starbucks interest to change to compete with Tim Horton?  ¦s may hurt their business or help their business based on the cost involved in the change. Starbucks has concerns regarding the US store growth potential. Currently if the growth continues, saturation levels within the North American retail division will be reached inside five years, the reasons why Starbucks has some concern is that about 75% of the companies revenue growth and a greater portion of its profit. Before the US market becomes saturated, the US market sales growth will grow slowly over the next three to five years. With this change of saturation point coming, the pressure will be on the international Starbucks division will need to grow faster. Currently Starbucks global coffee market is very competitive, and must compete against the likes of restaurants, coffee shops, and street carts. Any major competitors, with a large financial background and the same resources as Starbucks can enter the market at any time and compete directly against the company. Starbucks feels that they have a good market share and are aware of competition on all levels and can maintain its operational performance if its to maintain its status as the world?  ¦s leading specialty coffee retailer. Starbucks was one of the first coffee businesses in the market and will try to be one of the last to leave. The recommendation to Starbucks Coffee that if they are going to grow in the market faster than their competitors is not to change their business to be more like Tim Horton?  ¦s and have their own identity. Currently Starbucks started the wireless Internet access in their stores and now every competitor is doing it. Also, it will help Starbucks if they would enhance the online service to provide laptops and other computers at their locations. They should have online ordering of coffee so when business people need to go fast they can order online and pay online to have a faster way in getting there coffee. With the innovation of new products, Starbucks should think in expanding in creating a coffee machine that can be place at schools, hospitals, and other companies that may need coffee and late hours or that don?  ¦t need a store. They currently market their own coffee brand coffee to purchase at other store but they should have it accessible online to order. The best thing that Starbucks has going for them is that none of its direct competitors are selling their product at store and online. With the increase in people that drink specialty coffee, Starbucks should innovate more different flavored coffee to increase their potential growth currently and in the future. The international looks to be the best growth for their business and they should invest more into locations and countries. Summary In order to ensure future success, we feel that Starbucks should implement the following suggestions. To improve customer satisfaction, Starbucks should include a section where customers actually ask questions and/or leave comments both in store and at their website. In addition, Starbucks should incorporate a survey to measure customer satisfaction. To ensure quality, Starbucks should continue its current practices. The practice includes securing long-term contracts, paying premium prices for coffee and additional premiums to suppliers to ensure quality needs are meet. To guarantee financial security, Starbucks should continue its role as a disciplined innovator. Starbucks should continue to promote the use of Starbucks cards and Duetto combo prepaid credit cards. An important part of Starbuck continued growth is emphasizing their unique image and to continue to provide the latest technical advancements. Starbucks should start expanding by providing coffee machines at schools, hospitals and other similar organizations. These strategies will continue to promote Starbucks as a leading retailer in a highly competitive coffee industry. Starbucks Customer Survey Dear Customer: I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you. Please help us serve you better by taking a couple of minutes to tell us how we are doing. We appreciate your business and want to make sure we meet your expectations. Attached you will find a coupon good for 1 free coffee.   

Principles of Accounting Essay

This paper seeks to examine at least four accounting regulatory bodies, and discuss how an organization complies with the standards of the regulatory bodies. The four regulatory bodies to be discussed are the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB), the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board PCAOB. Both standard boards FASB and GASB aim to the make the financial statements understandable, relevant and useful to users of financials statements by prescribing the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to be used as guides in the preparation of financial statements (Business Editors, 2002). They however differ on entities covered. While GASB issues GAAP to local and state governments, FASB prescribes GAAP to the private and public entities. Since the primary objective of the government entities is service rather than profit, GAAP for local and state governments deals on fiscal and operational accountability. On the other hand, since the primary objective of private and public entities is profit, GAAP under FASB focuses on fair presentation of the financial statements. The differences in the functions of the two are evident in the kind of users. The users of FASB standards are private and public companies are stockholders, investors, creditors, labor unions, taxing authorities and the customers while the users of GASB standards are normally legislators, oversight bodies, investors, creditors and the general public. Strayhorn, 2003) The entities covered also differ in auditors. Those under the GASB jurisdiction are subject to audit by government auditors while those under FASB are subject to audit by certified public accountants or independent auditors As to how organizations comply with the standards prescribed by the two bodies is just to the two bodies to have a clean or unqualified opinion by auditors who will conduct and audit of the financial statements of the companies. If the audit opinions are not unqualified for clean, there is a good sign of non-compliance with GAAP. The US SEC is also in sense an accounting regulatory bodies since it will make it sure that public companies covered by the GAAP will have to comply with the requirements other these companies risk the penalties that the SEC may impose in accordance with its authority a regulator body under the law. Since the companies may suffer the consequence for non-compliance with the GAAP, these companies are encouraged if not forced to comply with the standards set by the FASB as enforced by SEC. By the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley Law of 2002, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) was created for the purpose of overseeing the audits of public companies and their auditors. The office in a sense helps in the implementation of the purpose of Sarbanes-Oxley law in increasing independence requirement of auditors, in the forms of more strict professional and ethical standards for auditors, directors and offices via the use of more disclosure requirements (Giles, J. et. al, 2008). In short the PCAOB is believed to improve quality and transparency of financial reports issued by companies. Thus, PCAOB is also considered an accounting regulatory body since strengthening the audit requirements necessary forces compliance with the accounting standards set by the FASB.

ANEMIA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ANEMIA - Assignment Example Iron deficiency anemia is triggered by failure in blood cell production. The proper management plan will be based in correcting the issue as well as replenishing iron stores. This is done by the prescription of oral iron therapy, activity restriction, and diet adjustment. The patient must be given iron supplementation and in instances where oral preparations cannot be tolerated, parenteral iron may be used. In cases or oral iron therapy, ferrous sulfate is the best iron salt to be administered. Oral iron must be continued until three months after the iron deficiency has been corrected; this aims at replenishing the stores. Analysis of the patient’s diet reveals the diet may have contributed to her condition. The proper management plan for dietary adjustment is counseling the patient on their consumption and development of a meal plan. This means the patient must start consuming meals rich in iron and folic acid, i.e. spinach, broccoli, kidney beans, whole grains, asparagus, an d broccoli. In addition, the patient has to be advised to increase her vitamin B12 intake. Restriction of activity is necessary for this patient based on the fact that she exercises intensely. Therefore, she ought to limit her activities until she is well. The hemoglobin level of the patient has to be monitored at intervals. This is part of the follow up procedure (Brashers,

(Philosophy) Comparison Book Review between Hollis & Rosenberg (SEE Essay

(Philosophy) Comparison Book Review between Hollis & Rosenberg (SEE BELOW description) - Essay Example In the actual perspective, social change are varies in nature where manifesting as an act of advocacy, a sort of event or action, a social behavior, and others which all promote a change in the present or the normative state of the social condition. In the history of the development of the society, several social changes have already transformed the development of the social structure and their development course. In the past, some examples of social changes in the past are the use of contraception particularly birth control pills as related to the population and marital realm in the society, the electoral system development incorporating women as the result of the female suffragist’s action for equality, and the acceptance of the concept of homosexuality in the social structure. These social changes have caused the development of the present social community to their contemporary state in the modern period. In the present, several social change issues are still influence the social behavior of the population namely the information technology structure which it now integrating their influence in the respective lives of the people. This in turn, has caused their presence to become a significant factor in the present state of modernity of the present social culture transforming the present society to become dependent upon the technology for their daily needs and activities. Poverty in the present is an economic and cultural concept that is mainly defined as the level of income of a certain individual or a group of people within a society that relates to the ability and purchasing power in acquiring the valuable things that are considered necessities for a normal living. This concept mainly becomes a sociological and cultural concept because it is significantly affected by the inequality in the economic distribution of income in the society. In defining and measuring the poverty concept within the society, one must both incorporate the aspect

Textual analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Textual analysis - Essay Example This narrative is a remarkable tale, and with her discerning language and word use, Chopin provides importance to the audience with every particular expression. Even though it is presented in a quite short description on the beginning of the narrative, one apparently becomes acquainted with the life of Louise Mallard and with her as a symbol, a great deal about the status of women in the time of Chopin. The Story of an Hour is one of the most concise works of Kate Chopin, but perhaps her most revolutionary literary creation: â€Å"It was an attack on marriage, on one person’s dominance over another in ‘that blind persistence which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime.’ The demand of self-sacrifice was the crime† (Kahle 2010, 11). Louise Mallard, the major character, was suffering from a heart disease. This description is the first one given to the audience about Louise; her first name was introduced after this particular description. It provided her a particular image, a fragile, flimsy, and weak individual. Her sister informed her, in ‘veiled hints that revealed in half concealing’ (Chopin & Knights 2000, 259) of the death of her husband in a railroad accident. The mention of the ‘veiled hints’ imply that t he Victorian society did not recognize women having the ability to handle such terrible news and the cruel truth. And the response of Louise was a deviation to Victorian norms: she remained composed, yet â€Å"she wept at once† (Chopin & Knights 2000, 273) and immediately escaped to her room. Instead of anguish an unexplainable happiness flooded her because of her newly found freedom, liberated from the authority and repression of her husband. She repeatedly utters, â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† (Chopin & Knights 2000, 260) Her sudden bliss represented

Discussion Questions Week 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Discussion Questions Week 3 - Essay Example ANOVA (analysis of variance) is used to test the differences between more than two groups. The difference between ANOVA and sample statistical testing is that it compares more than just one or two variables. The importance of hypothesis testing when conducting research is that it asks a hypothetical question as well as answers it. Without hypothesis testing, the hypothesis would be pointless because there were no attempts to prove or disprove it. Also, the point of coming up with a hypothesis is to test it, so that it can either be proven or disproven; in the case that it is proven, it can become a scientific theory. There are very few cases when hypothesis testing is not used, and those cases are usually when the answer is quite obvious and it would be a waste of time and money to test on it. When someone comes up with a magnificent theory, the only thing they really can do is test it to see if it is plausible. Hypothesis testing is a critical part of conducting research as it aids in one, doing the proper research to avoid messing up entirely and two, the come upon the wanted result (or in some cases, the unexpected

Discuss the meaning and importance of the concept of elasticity in Essay

Discuss the meaning and importance of the concept of elasticity in microeconomic reasoning - Essay Example n help economists ascertain whether it would be more profitable to increase or decrease the price of a particular product based on price elasticity of demand. Elasticity helps determine if a good is of inferior quality or normal quality based on price elasticity of demand. An inferior quality product is consumed less if the consumers’ income increasing while a normal quality product has higher consumption along with rising income of the consumer. Similarly, Elasticity can help decide whether the products are compliments or supplements. The difference between the two is that with complimentary goods the demand for one leads to demand for another of the same product, while supplementary goods are those that guide to less demand for another product. Cross price elasticity of demand determines if a product is a compliment or supplement. And lastly, price elasticity of demand can help economists find out whether her a supplier e.g. a farmer, will have the capability to suddenly inc rease their supply. Farmers and other agricultural goods producers have low price elasticity of supply as it takes them a long time to increase their supplies because their supplies take a long time to produce. So, in short, elasticity is used when economists want to know how something changes in relation to a change in another. The concept of elasticity is an integral part of the theory of microeconomics. Law of demand tells us that an increase in the price of a product leads to a decrease in its demand. Here, Elasticity can tell us how much demand will decrease for every one per cent increase in price. An elasticity of 1 or higher is â€Å"elastic†. While inelastic refers to products that remain on constant demand no matter what their price

A Legendary Experience in the Robin Hood Festival Article

A Legendary Experience in the Robin Hood Festival - Article Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that every year during mid-august, hundreds of tourists flock to visit the Robin Hood county of Nottinghamshire to experience the celebration of the world-famous Robin Hood Festival. At this time of the year, people from different parts of the country witness the transformation of a quiet English town into a lively reverie of performances depicting the life of the legendary hero. The Robin Hood Festival is where the adventures of the famous English hero come into life. Some of the highlights of the festival include musical theatre and jousting performances that re-enacts the adventures of the famous outlaw. Aside from that, falconry and crafts display draw many tourists in awe. The best thing about the entire event is that you can witness it for free. Yes, you heard me right; visitors to the annual Robin Hood Festival witness the adventures of the medieval hero come to life by simply taking a short trip to the English city of Nottingham. Whet her you are living in London, Liverpool, or Birmingham, it is worth taking a stopover to the place where the legend is born. It is so easy to spot the Robin Hood County of Nottinghamshire because bows and arrows are used to guide the travelers in the area. Of course, another alternative route you cannot miss is the â€Å"Robin Hood Line†, a railroad in between Nottingham and Worksop. You can definitely enjoy the scenes of countryside on either trip. The 460 acres nature reserve known as the Sherwood Forest is where most of the actions happen. Every year, some 400,000 tourists visit the country’s famous forest in order to witness the exhibition in the County Park. Anywhere you look, there will always be medieval features in the surroundings – actors play as musicians, alchemists, magicians, and entertainers in the Middle Ages. Because everyone is dressed in medieval attire, you will indeed capture the typical English medieval atmosphere. While the band plays, liv e jousting and fighting scenes make the crowd lively. These activities make the entire festival more enjoyable and lively.

BI Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

BI - Research Paper Example st organizations have created different technological architecture not only to make the process of decision making flexible and effective but also to enhance the speed at which the managers make these decisions while at the same time providing adequate security to the information. This has all been achieved through business intelligence (Gurjar & Rathore, 2013). Business intelligence has been defined and redefined by various scholars over the last ten years. According to Ranjan (2009), it refers to the process of generating information that can be valued in terms of its currency and relevance. Therefore any business intelligence involves logical and different types of technologies and applications involved in collection and analysis of data that is used by businesses to make logical decisions that enables the organizations come up with new opportunities ((Gurjar & Rathore, 2013). A closer look at the IBM demo will automatically tell you that IBM is a prominent producer of dashboards in the market. From the visuals used by the IBM dashboard to the analytical capabilities shown proves that IBM dashboards are made from complex Business Intelligence applications and architectures and are capable of generating powerful and reliable information that can be very useful to any given organization. Capabilities demonstrated in the demo further shows that the IBM dashboard is made as more of an enterprise dashboard. The information it produces is vital to the future of the entire business. This is the kind of information important to the general management of the company. On the other hand, in the Tableau demo, Tableau online looks a bit simpler, less complicated applications and at the first glance of it, one feels that it is simple and easy to operate. The visuals displayed are also easy to read and manipulate and not forgetting the fact that Tableau online looks mor e attractive. These are the exact characteristics ordinary users would search for in the market. It is a

Case study- Netflix 2012 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study- Netflix 2012 - Essay Example Substitute products have a very strong influence over the organization because firms in other industries are producing substitutes to what Netflix is offering. These products are also comparatively priced to attract more customers. Bargaining power of suppliers is strong because there are very few content and studio providers available in the industry. Furthermore, the suppliers are significantly differentiated and the overall procedure of contracts is long-term and expensive. It is now easier for few firms to enter in to the market primarily because demand is constantly increasing and there are very low barriers for entrance, for instance, unrestricted regulatory policies, less capital requirements, low degrees of customer loyalty and brand preferences etc. (Peteraf). Based on the above analysis it can be summarized that movie rental industry is significantly attractive to make huge profits. This is firstly because customers are increasing rapidly and the new technological developments are encouraging them towards live streaming and DVDs. Although this is highly competitive market but if the organization applies right strategies then profits can be increased. The overall concept of movie rentals has drastically changed with the development of internet technology. Previously we used to get our movies from physical stores but today millions of people subscribe to websites such as Netflix in order to rent DVDs and watch movies. Netflix has also given significant customer facilities. In the near future customers are expected to switch completely to live streaming and online video libraries while paying a small amount as rent. The long term growth rate of Movie Rental Industry: In the last two decades customers using online movie rental services have significantly increased which has actually influenced the long term growth rate of the entire industry. It is evident that young people specifically from 14-34 years of age are now

Human Trafficking Essay Example for Free

Human Trafficking Essay Human trafficking is where a person is exploited by being recruited, transported, transferred and harbored through the use of force. Human trafficking affects every country in the world whether trafficking is conducted in the country of origin, transit or destination for the victims. Thousands of people are trafficked every year in their native countries or abroad. Human Trafficking has been described by some as modern day slavery. It is now one of the fastest growing transnational organized crime. The U. N. eports that there is an estimated one million people trafficked all over the world each year. Trafficking in persons has been described as modern day form of slavery. It is a serious human rights violation and is reported by the United Nations to be the fastest growing form of transnational organized crime. Human Trafficking Issues The major issue advocates against human trafficking face is how to educate and help prevent people from falling victim to human trafficking. Many are tricked into trafficking through job offers abroad. Identifying victims of human trafficking can be difficult. Many trafficked victims may have been forced into prostitution or they may have been caught crossing borders illegally, and because of these reasons they are not very free to approach the police. Language barrier might play a role in a victim not being able to seek help and most times traffickers threaten the victims that their families will be harmed if they were to come forward. It is also hard for advocates against trafficking to convince traffickers to leave the occupation because according to U.  N. estimates, trafficking is the third largest illegal industry which generates close to $ 7 billion to $ 10 billion a year. Surprisingly, an estimated 200,000 American children are trafficked into the sex industry each year and 17,500 foreigners are trafficked into the US. The victims of trafficking mostly come from distressed living conditions such as poverty or abuse and therefore are more vulnerable to deception from traffickers. Eighty percent of the trafficked people are women and children. It is almost impossible to keep track of the statistics of people who are trafficked each year because it is an underground industry. Trafficking is the third largest illegal industry worldwide and does not require much experience and skills and the returns are great, therefore it attracts men and women alike. Traffickers may operate on their own, with their families or some are in more organized groups. Since it does not require a lot of skills, governments with young unemployed youth might find their youth getting involved in the field. Another issue is that once these victims are trafficked and are not able to escape, they fall victim to the â€Å"human trafficking disease† and become traffickers themselves, thereby making it hard to have victims come forward and speak against the trade. Corruption plays a great part in allowing this trade to continue. It is important to note that laws against trafficking vary from country to country, so it is important for one to verse themselves on the laws of each country. However, universally all countries are against trafficking in the books, but the difference might come when it comes to enforcement of the laws. Police corruption in some countries plays a big part in lack of enforcement of the laws. Some police may get payment from the traffickers to look the other way. Victims are encouraged to seek help from organizations that deal with helping individuals free themselves from human trafficking. The best place for trafficking victims to seek refuge is through non-governmental organizations (NGO). NGO’s offer victims a safe place to recover with support from fellow survivors and advocates. Services offered at NGO’s may vary but most will offer temporary shelter, clothing, food, healthcare, counseling and career exploration. The Issue sometimes becomes that the victims will not want to seek help from such places because of fear and shame. Some victims may have contracted sexually transmitted diseases and may have been mentally and physically abused to the point that they feel that they are not worthy and whatever the traffickers tell them about themselves is what they believe. The complex root problems and the limited degree of awareness are factors that make it difficult to fight human trafficking. War, natural disasters, poor social and economic conditions and lack of assistance for victims have helped exacerbate the problem. The trafficking social, psychological and healthcare costs are high to governments. However, these costs are small compared to the long term effects trafficking may do to a nation. The constant irregular migration decreases the human capital and affects the social fabric of the nations affected. Although the human trafficking issue seems like a problem too big to handle, advocates however have not given up. Many inter-governmental bodies, donors, and NGO’s have started addressing the issues from different angles. Some organizations want to start tackling the issue from the source by helping with prevention, re-integration and awareness at the local level. U. N. offers help to nations by helping them draft laws and create national anti-trafficking laws. However, translating the written laws into practice is where the problem lies. Very few individuals have been arrested for human trafficking crimes. The only way governments will be able to help reduce the human trafficking problem is mostly through aggressive awareness programs, whereby curriculums are set in schools with such awareness in mind. Stiffer penalties for traffickers should be implemented, better corporations among governments in releasing information about criminals, a support system whereby people are able to go to seek help, governments should work together to have technology that can dictate fake documents such as passports and border enforcement should be funded and made more stricter. Since most of trafficking occurs during periods people are desperate, it is important that whenever a war breaks out, or there is a natural disaster, governments and NGO’s should take more precaution in verifying the final destination of refugees, and probably do a follow up to ensure that those refugees are safe wherever they stated they were headed. Human trafficking just liked drug trafficking needs humans to move the goods, so the only way to help alleviate the problem is for governments to improve the living conditions of its citizens and offer its citizens satisfactory employment that will keep them away from human trafficking.

Research on Shisha Smoking Hazards

Research on Shisha Smoking Hazards Abstract This research was conducted to familiarize with the Hazards of Shisha Smoking among the youth of today, since past five years in the metropolitan city of Lahore. Primary and secondary sources were of great use. The information collected revealed that the teenagers are adopting Shisha as a style statement without knowing its health consequences. Cafes serving Shisha are considered to be rapidly increasing and therefore gain a big clientele. Besides being a growing trend it is a source of income to many suppliers. The study also found that smoking Shisha for an hour is as harmful as smoking 100 cigarettes. The need of the hour is to educate the youth regarding the harmful effects of smoking Shisha. Although a complete ban on anything is not possible, government should take steps to grip this growing culture. We have divided our main research topic into 5 different domains. Shisha Smoking and its Hazards Shisha originated in north westerns province of India, in the state of Rajastan and Gujrat. According to Cyril Elgood who does not mention his source, he was in India where Hakim Abdul Fateh Gillani an Iranian physician at the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar introduced the idea of Shisha..   Following popularity among noblemen, this new device for smoking soon became a status symbol for the Indian aristocracy and gentry. Although Hooka has been prevalent in rural areas of Pakistan, it only recently entered in the urban areas in a substitute form of hookah which is known as Shisha. Shisha became very popular amongst youth when it was first introduces, gradually it founds it way to peoples houses, parties, functions and events. Cafes and restaurants have gathered a lot of acknowledgement by adding Shisha in variety of flavours in their menu card. By seeing this acknowledgement almost all cafes are serving Shisha in Lahore. There are many problem been faced due to Shisha as it is a demerit good. Although some studies says that Shisha smoking is safer than tobacco cigarette smoking but medical professionals says that all kinds on smoking is bad for health, therefore Shisha stands at same level as is the cigarette regarding health issues. Each Shisha session typically lasts for more than 40 minutes, and consists of 40 to 150 drags that each consists of 0.15 to 0.50 litres of smoke. Hour long Shisha smoking is equivalent to 100-200 cigarettes; in a 45-minute smoking session a typical smoker would inhale 1.7 times the nicotine of a single cigarette. The water in Shisha use to filter diseases is not that efficient to remove all kinds of diseases. . People are suffering certain diseases as they had been a regular consumer of Shisha. Therefore Health issue is the main issue of Shisha consumption. A research department on Shisha smoking and cancer in Pakistan was published in 2008. Our scope of this research on Shisha is for last five years within geographical boundaries of Lahore. Our primary question for research is the hazards of Shisha. This we answered by acquiring knowledge of Shishas four domains significance of Shisha, health issues regarding the usage of Shisha, cafes serving Shisha and problems faced by Shisha victims due to its ban. Literature Review The objective of this paper is to study and highlight the social, behavioral, and health related aspects as well as its externalities with regard to water-pipe smoking among adolescents in Lahore since last 5 years and also to create awareness among the youth. Water pipe, also known as Shisha, â€Å"Hubble Bubble†, â€Å"Narghile†, â€Å"Ghoza† and â€Å"Hookah†, has been in practice for the last 400 years. The reasons accredited to this trend are various misconceptions, that water pipe smoking is not hazardous to health. Another factor adding to its popularity is its social acceptability as compared to cigarettes and its portrayal is a symbol of modernization of our cultural heritage. (Anjum et al, 2007) The extent to which water pipe smoking has penetrated our society is difficult to establish since very little work has been done on it. A recent survey conducted in high socio-economic schools of Karachi reported that Shisha is gaining popularity among the young generation and it is easily available in the restaurants, hotels and Shisha cafes. This survey estimated that almost 70% children have experienced this form of tobacco, as young as seven years old. Its smoke also contains hundreds of potentially dangerous substances including carbon monoxide, charcoal, nicotine, arsenic, cobalt, chromium and lead causing disorders including lung and bladder cancers, impaired pulmonary functions, coronary heart disease, infertility, tobacco dependence and so on. (Anjum et al, 2008) Some research carried out in the UK last year showed that the people who regularly smoke `Shisha` may suffer from disastrous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) resembling to that of inhaling a car exhaust. In addition, water pipe smokers might absorb higher concentrations of these toxic substances because of higher concentrations in the smoke itself, or because they may smoke for several hours at a time and may inhale the moisturised, less irritating smoke more deeply. An hour-long `Shisha` session involves inhaling 100 to 200 times the amount of volume of smoke inhaled when smoking a cigarette. This menace of Shisha Smoking is fast spreading among school and college going students. According to a research, more than 1000 Pakistani children of ages between of 6-16 years take up smoking every day. Although the Anti-Smoking Ordinance 2002, clearly prohibits storage, sale and distribution of tobacco products near educational institutions, yet some leading universities, schools and colleges in Lahore allow Shisha Smoking on social events. Besides this a number of posters posted on walls and bookshops carry attractive offers for Shisha smokers. This is primarily meant to motivate the youth studying in nearby institutions towards Shisha smoking. In fact, every day new Shisha cafes are opening up in the country because of its increasing demand by the younger generation which is further pushing the youth towards the use of this menace. Smoking is also prohibited at all public places, including hotels and restaurants. Yet, it is being served in different cafes and restaurants of the vicinity. It is indeed sad that by allowing cigarette and `Shisha` smoking in these closed premises, the anti-smoking laws of the country are being disobeyed by almost all hotels and restaurants in the country. (Dr Javed Khan, 2010) The reasons for this rising trend are certain misconceptions that water pipe smoking is not hazardous to health, since the tobacco is filtered through water before inhalation; nicotine content is less than that of cigarettes and addition of fruit flavours make it healthier. (Dr. Javed Khan, 2010) Another factor adding to its popularity is its social acceptability as compared to cigarettes and its portrayal is a symbol of modern lifestyle. Our research has shown that increasing consumption of Shisha smoking among the young generation is likely to become a serious public health issue of Pakistan in a very near future. Research has shown that people who consume Shisha are likely to become regular cigarette smokers and are also pushed towards other drugs indirectly. Lack of knowledge is the main problem due to which treatment induced is ineffective to make people quit water-pipe smoking. The space between knowledge and treatment can be filled by the efforts made by the research authorities. People should be aware of the health threats so the new trend of tobacco smoking causing diseases, addiction and death can be prevented. Our health authorities must take notice of the current situation and put a complete ban on serving `Shisha` at any hotel or restaurant in the country. The electronic and print media must warn the public, particularly the youth, on the serious potential health hazards associated with `Shisha` smoking. (Dr. Javed Khan, 2010) Research Questions Primary research question Hazards of Shisha Smoking among youngsters in Lahore, DHA and Gulberg since last past five years. Subsidiary questions 1. Do you smoke Shisha? This question was generated to know whether the respondent is a smoker or a non smoker. If someone smokes a Shisha, then what the reason actually was, being peer pressure, surroundings or status symbol. If he doesnt, then what is the reason behind it? 2. Do you think Shisha is harmful for health? This question was generated to find out the general opinion of the public about the health hazards of Shisha. 3. Has Shisha become an addiction for you? This question was asked to find out if quitting Shisha smoking is possible for the respondents. It also enquires to what extent is the respondent dependent on the Shisha availability. 4. In your opinion, what is more harmful for health? Cigarette or Shisha? This question inquires the respondents about the misconception of Shisha being less harmful than a cigarette. It is designed to find out how deep is this misconception enrooted in their minds. Methodology Data collection tools consist of a questionnaire and 4 interviews. A sample of 30 pupils was taken, consisting of Shisha smokers and non-Shisha smokers, to fill the questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed using simple random sampling and snowball sampling. 10 questionnaires were filled in the university and the remaining questionnaires were distributed to random pupils in cafes. Once the data was collected, it was analyzed by the help of Statgraphic. Interviews were conducted from four people, a doctor, and a consumer of Shisha, a supplier and a worker in cafe. The workers and consumers interview was held on 20th March 2011 at Mini golf. The suppliers interview was conducted on 28th March 2011 at Cafe Rock, while the doctors interview was carried out (March, 3, 2011). Analyses of questionnaire and interviews have been included in the discussion. Analysis of Data and Discussion Social Significance Shisha in Pakistan was introduced in the cafe â€Å"mini golf† in the liveliest city of this country Lahore in 2000. As years passed away Shisha has become one of the most significant product of get togethers. Shah Sharabeel the owner of mini golf received huge amount of revenue and acknowledgment by the serving of Shisha which attracted other businessmen got an idea to promote their cafes by providing Shisha in their cafes. Now there are more than 200 cafes serving Shisha in the city Lahore this is my own observation. It has become so significant that even in the hotels like â€Å"Pearl Continental Hotel† also serve Shisha†. Shisha significance has increased dramatically it is not only served in elite areas like Gulberg but also in lower class areas like Anarkali. It was really surprising for me as a consumer of Shisha when I was attending a wedding ceremony where I was served a Shisha, this was the very moment when I myself gave a thought that Shisha is becoming a part of Lahores culture. The serving of Shisha in wedding ceremonies is becoming so common nowadays, I myself have attended five wedding ceremonies in which Shisha had been served. Nowadays majority of youngsters have Shisha at their homes this shows that Shisha is now socially accepted as a part of our culture. In the questionnaire I proposed a question in which I asked about their parents strict check on Shisha smoking habit majority reply was no. This shows that people do not consider Shisha as a demerit good as is a cigarette. One of the main reasons for a drastic increase in Shisha consumption is that people have a false assumption that Shisha is environmental friendly and is less harmful than cigarette whereas in a research it has been proven that Shisha is far more dangerous for ones health as compare to cigarette. (See Appendix C, Figure 4). I come to about this false assumption by interviewing a regular consumer of Shisha. While interviewing there was a question raised that why is Shisha becoming so common among youngsters like you? In reply a consumer said that Shisha is becoming a trend among youngsters, people have an incentive to hang out which is to have Shisha. Shisha in short time period had turned out to be a style icon, Shishas consumers covered people from almost all groups of society. The young people are at top of the list in Shishas fan club. The attempts of the Punjab Government to check this fast growing culture had raised many questions and the most important is that when cigarette and other drugs are not been checked by the government then why the ban on Shisha? In reply its simple that Shisha is socially accepted. When people dont get back from trying cigarettes and other drugs then this Shisha a tasty fruitful sweet flavoured smoking system should not be refraining by people. There are many reasons for smoking Shisha some says that it is a hobby, it is the best pastime with friends, a way of keeping up-to-date with newest trends or just puffing as others do it. Shisha consumption is not limited to Shisha bars only but it is spreading its roots in education premises as well, â€Å"With the hovering news of Punjab Governments consideration for an altogether complete ban on Shisha, many willing investors feel discouraged to step in the previously blooming Shisha business. Of course a 100 percent ban on anything cannot be deemed possible but even a few effective measures here by the government can lead to a relatively large potential drop in the Shisha market.†(Younis, 2011) Shisha has become so common in Pakistan that nearly all cafes, restaurants and eateries offer Shisha in variety of flavours. â€Å"Our young generation today are attracted to Shisha, as it comes in a variety of flavours and is popular as a group activity†. Many Shisha consumers have faith in this false statement that Shisha is less harmful than cigarettes but the reality is quiet different Shisha is far more different than cigarettes. By smoking Shisha one inhales more carbon monoxide as compare to inhaling of cigarettes, which cause heart diseases, respiratory problems and many more similar to cigarettes diseases.† According to a study conducted in Saudi Arabia, where Shisha is very popular, Shisha is just as, if not more, harmful than normal cigarettes. Headaches, blurred vision, palpitations and dizziness are just some of the symptoms reported by Shisha smokers as well as cigarette smokers.†(Mugani, 2009). Government of Pakistan should implement laws against Shisha smoking in public places, as this kinds of laws have been implementing in many countries all over the world. Whereas if someone wants to smoke he/she should does it at his/her home. Government should create awareness especially among young generation by setting awareness programme conducted in educational institutions to educate people about the hazards of Shisha smoking. (Mugani,2009) Shisha smoking for one hour is equal to 100 cigarettes smoking, Shisha addiction has increased in the form of fashion.† Pakistan Chest Society Sindhs General Secretary Dr Mushataque Ahmed Memon informed that a recent research has revealed that smoking Shisha is 10 times more injurious as compared to cigarette while smoking Shisha for an hour is equivalent to smoking 100 cigarettes, adding that the impacts of cigarette smoking are not hidden from anyone.† (Hanif, 2011) General Secretary said that Shisha smoking causes lung cancer. Causes respiratory problems and asthma. In addition it also causes mental health problems. He said that because of non-implication of laws to ban shiha, Shisha has become a vital problem young generations health, this issue has kept un noticed but it should be considered one of the main problems. â€Å"Pakistan Medical Associations President Prof Dr Idrees Edhi said that Shisha is becoming common since families do not consider it bad. He said especially the youth adopt Shisha smoking as a trend which eventually leads to addiction.†(Hanif, 2011) He said that everyone is aware of the hazards of cigarettes but no one is aware of the hazards of Shisha. Every cafe and restaurants serve Shisha where every student whether a boy or a girl both enjoy the taste and smoke of Shisha without noticing its hazards.   He pointed out certain misconceptions which are the reasons behind this rising trend he said people think that Shisha is environmental friendly due to baseless reasons including that the tobacco is filtered through water before inhalation; less nicotine content than that of a cigarette and healthier smoking due to the addition of fruit flavours but these all are misunderstandings.† Dr Javaid Khan told that he conducted a survey in four universities which revealed that 43 percent male and 11 percent female students were the addicts of Shisha while 60 percent males and 18 percent females had consumed Shisha once in their lives.† (Hanif, 2011). Shisha has become a major part of majority of the youngsters as I carried out a survey in which I asked the quantity of consumption of Shisha on average, majority reply was once daily. Shisha has become more of a trend and a way to keep one up to date. It has become a mean of get together. People even consider it as a best pastime. This really shows its significance. Government carry out surveys, research and passing laws against Shisha shows that Shisha is becoming Pakistanis culture its significance is increasing day by day. Nowadays it is becoming a major part of any festival   whether it is basant, jash-ne- bahara, wedding ceremony, birthday party or any private party. Shisha is available almost everywhere as a cigarette is available. People prefer Shisha over cigarettes as they follow their false assumption that Shisha is less harmful than cigarettes. This all major points show that Shisha is affecting our nation by all means. (Hanif, 2011). Shisha Cafes In its most common meaning a cafe is a place to eat, a restaurant as we may call it, but when we talk about a cafe in Lahore, Pakistan there is a difference in its meaning than a restaurant. A cafe in Lahore has one distinctive feature than restaurants, which is, it is also a Shisha corner.   Shisha has become a lot popular since it was first introduced, around 10 years ago. The first place where it was served is National Park, more commonly known as Mini Golf. One of its owners is the most popular of personalities of Lahore, Shah Sharabeel. Ali Shisha wala isthe sole manufacturer of a certain design of Shisha. As Shisha increased in demand, investors set in to meet this demand. Places like Defense Housing Authority (DHA) and Gulberg were filled with such cafes. As competition set in, Mini golf managed to hold three open bars for Shisha serving which attracted quite a lot of teenagers, they offered, and still do, different discount cards to attract customers, mainly targeting teenagers, portraying Shisha as the new ‘hip product. Hazards of Shisha were not much of a concern then. It was only until recently that the hazards of Shisha have become a major concern. As Javed(2010) claims in an article, that Shisha has indeed become an addiction, which is widespread in the 16-25 years age group which consisted of 70 percent males and 30 percent female Shisha smokers. According to our research, most of the Shisha smokers are unaware of the threats posed by it and those who are aware of the hazards do not seem to understand the seriousness of it, like many cigarette smokers. The contents of Shisha mostly carry prohibited and addictive substances. One of the dangers is that Shisha may result into low fertility rates among girls. There may be about 30 cafes in DHA and Gulberg only and by personal experience I know that none of the suppliers were aware of the hazards of Shisha smoking, if they were, they were not concerned by it, but everyday they make much profits through their customers. The Governments consideration of Shisha and its hazards have only recently come into play due to the protests by the media and the DHA Shisha ban phenomenon, which happened about 3 years ago. It is suspected that a lot of malpractice takes place during Shisha sessions. It is precisely that reason why Shisha has been banned outright in DHA. A girl expired while smoking Shisha which contained wine instead of water and cocaine instead of flavor in it, the mixture reacted pretty bad or heavy for the girls body. However this did not seem to have a substantial effect on Shisha smokers and Shisha providers. However Shisha cafes remain open in the outskirts of DHA, shifting the consumers to these cafes.   When we talk about Shisha hazards and the cafes who are providing it, we seem to forget about the workers of that place. I aimed to fulfill this gap and obtain their views. One of the workers, Muhammad Arslan who works at mini golf, was interviewed. He says that he and he alone serves up to 70 Shishas everyday. When asked about his health he claimed that he has not observed any change in his health. Another waiter standing nearby responded to this question too, stating that he feels addicted to Shisha smoking. However, my personal reviews about Arslan were that his face was pallid and he seemed very weak by his appearance, like a drug addict, to be more accurate. When asked that why did he preferred serving Shisha and not food, his answer was that he always wanted to do this, he states that by checking and listening to his customers reviews of the Shisha he served, gives him pleasure. Finally we asked him about the safety precautions, the management had to propose to the workers, we received a flat â€Å"nothing† as an answer to this. It is agonizing to see how badly these investors treat their workers, who risk their lives to conduct their tasks although they are not aware of it, who are not being paid adequately and no precautions! The workers may not be aware of the hazards of Shisha; it is their employers responsibility to take notice of their health. Awareness campaigns should be held in order to save these workers. It should be discouraged; the employers ought to take responsibility for their health. If one worker serves up to 70 Shisha on average, this is an outrage that their employers are not even concerned. The government should take notice of this worker exploitation. Once the interview was conducted and analyzed, we shifted towards the suppliers to obtain reviews and their justification of the worker exploitation. We also intend to find whether they are affected by the ban on Shisha in DHA. Since the hovering news of the raid in Jammin Java cafe in Gulberg, many cafes have taken precautions, as the Government seems to take notice on the hazards of Shisha. An example is a notice outside mini golfs Arabian lounge, which said â€Å"Shisha will not be served to underage pupil.† Cafe rock was surveyed as a sample and interviewed its owner, Omer Javed Butt. There was also a sign board on its entrance saying the same statement mentioned above. Starting with the obvious of questions was he aware of the danger posed by Shisha. Yes, he does but according to Mr. Butt there are certain flavors which are dangerous for example, Gutka and its mixture with other flavors. He states that his cafe does not cater any such flavors. He claims that his cafes main purpose is to serve as a restaurant. Their cafe provides Shisha with food only. This is a mean to discourage Shisha, according to him. With this caution they manage to make about RS 300,000 every month, exclusively on Shisha. When asked about what measures have he taken for the workers health, he states that he has simply reduced their working hours compared to other waiters without any increments in their wage or any other fringe benefits. As for the governments consideration on Shisha, it cant be banned outright because cigarette smoking have not been banned, which is a more dangerous addiction. By pointing out the governments lack of authority in banning cigarette smoking, they intend to de-track the government and compensate them for providing Shisha. And since Shisha have been brought into citizens homes, it simply cant be banned, because it would not stop smokers (Omer, personal communication, 2011, March 28t). The measures taken by the Punjab Government to decrease the consumption of Shisha is have not resulted into a major threat as their business have not been affected by it(Omer, personal communication). The reason for ban on Shisha in DHA is known to everyone, even our interviewees. It has been a rumor that many people and cafes have been infusing drugs in the contents of Shisha. However it have never been proven, neither have anybody witnessed it. While surveying Arslan was inquired about the rumored drug activity taking place in cafes, he disagrees; drug activities are not conducted publicly but in privacy. Furthermore, such activities cannot take place within a cafes premises as drugs like cocaine can easily be detected (Omer, personal communication, 2011, March 21st). The university grapevine tells a different story, it is known by students that malpractice can take place publicly although not anymore, due to the recent police raid in two cafes. The police forced their way in Sheikhoos cafe and cafe life on March, 17, 2011, although illegally as they failed to show a warrant when inquired, but when asked from the policemen, they claim that they were conducting raids under orders of the Lahore CCPO (Pakistan today, 2011). Under such circumstances the cafe owners take precautions so as not to damage their reputation in the market. As one can conclude from the results, it is advisable for the government to take actions but legally and in a subtle manner. Clientele In Pakistan traditionally used â€Å"hookah† is now known as Shisha. Shisha is gaining massive popularity among youth of Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi causing serious health issues to their lives. People addicted to smoking Shisha faces many problems due to its ban. The major concern for the society is the increasing rate of smokers in both male and female. Shisha attracts more customers than cigarettes as it is served with flavours and sweet-smelling substances of Lemon, Strawberry, Orange, Apple, Honey and cherry. Although the ban on the use of Shisha has been selectively imposed by the governments in certain areas but violators are not being prosecuted. Some restaurants are still offering Shisha to the teenagers who are visiting these places in increasing numbers. These youngsters seem to have taken Shisha as a style symbol without knowing its consequences (See Appendix C, Figure 1). Shisha smoking is one of the most recent trends among the youth of Lahore. Cafes offering Shisha are considered to be ‘in and therefore, gain a big â€Å"clientele†. According to a newspaper report, Lahores Defence Housing Authority (DHA) has asked cafes not to serve Shisha as it is injurious to health and also used in the consumption of drugs in most of the cases. Concerned parents feel relaxed after the imposition of ban on Shisha. However, there are still many questions unanswered such as â€Å"Do we have definitive medical evidence suggesting that smoking Shisha is a health hazard? Do cafes need official permission for serving Shisha? Why is it still being allowed to be served in other parts of Lahore?† (â€Å"Lahores bifurcated laws the perils of smoking Shisha in DHA†, 2008). Government and NGOs should work in collaboration to find concrete evidence regarding the harmful effects of Shisha and hence, issue health warnings to youngsters as it was done in case of cigarette smokers. If Shisha is considered to be harmful, it has to be banned all over the city. It makes no sense why the administration outside DHA is not asked to impose a ban on it. (2008) Young people are the primary target of the tobacco industry in Pakistan. In order to create 100 percent smoke-free environment complete ban should be imposed on tobacco advertising. Similarly to discourage its use tobacco taxation should be introduced. As we all know that youth is the backbone of every nation. In order to maximize their profits tobacco industry needs to replace people who quit smoking with new young customers. This can only be done by attracting more individuals from worldwide with potentially divesting health consequences. Some people thing that smoking Shisha is less injurious to health than smoking cigarettes however, they both cause serious diseases such as lung cancer. (Maqbool, 2009). According to Section-8 of the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers health ordinance, in year 2002 no person was allowed to sell tobacco products to any other person under the age of 18 years as it was against the law. The enforcement of this section of law has remained weak so far. (Maqbool, 2010). The National Bank Park near Kalma Chowk and restaurants around Gaddafi stadium are identified as hubs of Shisha smoking. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took action in the Senate and standing Committee on health to stop the trend of Shisha bars in high-class and middle class areas making teenagers especially women addicted. He promised that no new contracts will be issued to Shisha bars in parks to stop unhealthy activities in young generation. (â€Å"25pc people may be diabetic by 2025†, 2010). Another important thing is parents generally do not know that flavored tobacco used in Shisha is as dangerous as cigarettes tobacco. Due to which TCC (Tobacco Control Cell) has printed flyers to distribute them in the educational institute to highlight the dangers of Shisha smoking and the fact that it is against the law to serve Shisha to those who are under 18 years of age. (Maqbool, 2011). According to Muhammad Ahmed Pansota a police team led by the Liberty police SHO raided Restaurants of Danial Arif (Sheikhoos Cafe at MM Alam Road), and Arif Saleem (Cafe Life at Gaddafi Stadium). There were two Shishas held from Arifs restaurant and four from Saleems. The police told them that were not allowed to serve Shishas, though the police had nothing in written. The petitioners added they serve Shisha throughout the province without any opposition from the government officials. The clients were not implicated in any criminal activities rather the police raid was unlawful and meant to blackmail them to close their business. The clients were aware of all the rules and regulation regarding their business. The police raid not only damaged the petitioners reputation but also resulted in great loss Pansota added. The court has been requested to declare this action of police illegal and unlawful. (â€Å"Shisha ban: Police chief summoned over restaurant†, 2011). Habiba Younis points out that Shisha initially emerged as a style icon in â€Å"elite circles† has now covered people from nearly all groups of society. The most prone of these were, of course, young people. For many it was a hobby, a past time with friends, a mean of being advanced with the latest trends or simple leisure puffing just because others are doing it. Moreover, nowadays its usage isnt only confined to Shisha bars but it is also growing roots in educational premises such as

Rational Perspective And Approaches To Strategic Management

Rational Perspective And Approaches To Strategic Management The word strategy mainly takes for granted the historical and geo political conditions under which management precedences are determined and executed. Strategic Management is not just restricted to the business world rather it can be seen in the ever widening circle of problems which are suitable for its application- from public sector and NGOs to regional economic development. In this essay we try to explore the rationalities to help managers improve organizational effectiveness and corporate profitability. The dynamic approach seeks to explore the nature of strategic management as an organizational process. The rational approach exposes the contradictions between the idealised myth of perfect competition and the more realistic ramifications of market power as explored by business school strategists (Porter, 1980). But at the end of the day, for both approaches, it has been seen that managers are the only players within the organisational structure of the market who have any power in the real strategic process. This eventuality has been criticised by such eminent scholars as Whittington (1993), who proposes mechanisms to ensure that the strategy process remains objective rather than being captured by a particular management faction; moreover, he suggests that managers can draw from broader, less visible sources of power, such as the political resources of the state, the network resources of ethnicity, or, if male, the patriarchal resources of masculinity (1993: 38). Moving away from managers One limitation of the dearth of literature available on the analysis of strategic planning is an account of how a faction of global managerial staff came to assume and maintain a stronghold on the strategic processes in the larger scheme of the market. There, however, have been individuals who have addressed this issue, notably among them Shrivastava, who, in a landmark critique in 1986, sought for emancipation in the acquisition of communicative competence by all subjects that allows them to participate in discourse aimed at liberation from constraints on interaction (1986: 373). He also called on researchers to generate less ideologically value-laden and more universal knowledge about strategic management of organisations (1986: 374). Post modern critiques, such as that by Knights and Morgan (1991), take a leaf out of Shrivastavas book and similarly propound a more constitutive and inclusive approach to strategic planning. They see corporate strategy as a set of discourses and practices which transform managers and employees alike into subjects who secure their sense of purpose (1991:252). So they are saying that managers cannot stand at a passive distance from ideology and impose their personal rationales on an unaware workforce. But for all practical purposes, that is what takes place in the actual workplace a core group of elite members, often known as the executive board, are the only participants of strategic discourse, with more actual manual labour deployed on workers as we go further down the line. This norm looks like it is here to stay, at least for a while. This is because even in the contemporary business scenario, mid0level managers, even if they assume any strategic responsibility, are possibly livi ng an illusion if they feel that they have any decisive say in the actual decision-making process. If we draw from Sun Tzus seminal work on military strategy, The Art of War (1983), we find echoes of this theory, where, as in a military structure, it is the field marshall who is behind the drawing board and the foot soldier who is out there on the ground fighting. The captain, or the mid-level manager, does have a say on the functioning of the troops on the ground. But in actual effect, all he is doing is relaying the strategy of those above him, or the executive board members. The rational and dynamic approaches Before we move on further and investigate the pros and cons of the two approaches under discussion rational and dynamic let us start by taking a brief look at both. The rational approach This is concerned with an organisations ability to achieve the goals that it has set for itself. For this, the organisation must first identify a goal for itself, then define a set of means or objectives that can be employed to achieve this goal, and then set in place a list of activities that help put the objectives in action. An evaluation of the organisation is then based on the number of objectives it achieves in comparison to the number it had planned. The primary motivating factor in this model is profits for the company. As such, the top echelon of decision making under such a system can tend to be more autocratic in nature than in other models. Managers who are inspired by financial statements alone in turn tend to leave their workforce uninspired. In a critical study for his PhD, C.P. Washburn says, What we found is that executives emphasizing rationality in their decision making are less likely to be seen as visionary by their subordinates and more likely to be seen as autocratic. But the more holistic executives are seen as more visionary and less autocratic. But as things stand today, despite the non-holistic nature of a rational approach (Washburn, 2006), it still predominates in the global workplace. This is possibly because of the logical framework that defines a rationale approach. Managers who follow it believe that a precise end to an objective should be sought through equally precise and calculated means, and that focusing their energies on quantifiable activities that can be observed and measured is the best way forward. Even if not quite, in a sense, the rational approach can be summarised in the famous sentence from the 1987 movie Wall Street, Greed, for the want of a better word, is good. The dynamic approach The dynamic approach to strategic planning is aimed more at smaller businesses that lack the necessary revenue to implement all the complicated strategies that a larger organisation can. It was conceived by Edward Pierce, who was at the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University until he retired in the early 2000s. The need for a new approach that moved away from the traditional rational approach was instigated primarily for the benefit for smaller firms. Apart from a basic strategy that is absolutely essential for a line of sustained credit, anything else is a luxury, not least because strategic managers are usually prohibitively expensive for such firms to hire. Moreover, it is not within the financial realm of these smaller organisations to develop a complicated strategy (which in all possibility only a handful of people in the organisation are competent enough to fully comprehend) and then let it gather dust. Unlike the larger organisations that have the means and the resources to leave strategic planning to the hands of a few select individuals in the executive board, these smaller organisations have a more hands-on approach across all levels of management, with even mid-level managers sometimes given a free hand to take decisions. The common necessity for a vision and mission Whether it be a large scale MNC or a small-scale non profit organisation, each must have a vision for the company. Essentially, the vision of an organisation is the single statement that will be able to guide the enterprise across its several strategic business units (SBUs) (Whats In a Vision Statement, 2003). Talk of SBUs brings us to the consideration of another critically important component of strategic planning a mission. There has been much debate over whether vision is more important that mission and it is not our prerogative to enter further debate here. Instead, we can simply define vision as an enterprise view and mission as an SBU view (Whats In a Vision Statement, 2003). Of course, the vision and mission of a particular company are determined by its positioning in the market context. The larger a company, the more complicated is its vision statement and more tedious is the process of achieving its mission. For instance, if we take LG as an example, the parent company has one single vision, but it is modified to suit the needs of its various SBUs such as those for phones, wireless equipment and other electronic appliances. It would not be feasible to assume that this vision statement would apply equally across all the different SBUs within the company. The same would hold true even in the case of a small company, say one that specialises only in making carpets. The vision statement would remain fundamentally the same, but would be applied in different avatars across the different departments that the company might have, such as carpet-manufacturing, the sales division, the training department and so on. Basic differences between the two approaches As we have seen so far, a maximisation of profits is the founding principle behind an organisations rational approach. It is the more traditional way of functioning, and due to its emphasis on increasing revenues as the most important objective, it finds support and has for a long time in Wall Street. But given the vagaries of the market situation not just right now post the financial crisis, but for a while now, there had been the need for a more theoretical approach to strategic planning than simply a total profit = total revenue total cost way of thinking. This is where, apart from the previously discussed need for a holistic approach, Edward Pierce stepped in with his dynamic approach. The rational approach was an all-encompassing one that looked at business through a one-light prism of profit. The dynamic approach, at least according to me, represents a better view of the complex market scenario that is prevalent at present. Large businesses have taken the biggest hit in 60-o dd years. Small businesses on the other hand are continuing to face the future with a bright prospect. In such a situation, a low-cost, direct-result-oriented approach to strategic planning suits the needs of a market that is thriving more for smaller businesses than for large conglomerates. But even while saying this, the benefits of a rational approach despite its disadvantages are there for all to see, and have been for many years now. The main amongst these benefits are an improvement in sales and profitability. It should follow then that productivity would see a similar surge through the rational model. This might have held true earlier more than it does now. Right now, it is possibly the inclusive nature of the dynamic approach that can be best utilised to increase productivity. And this increased productivity today apart from a more harmonious working relationship between the different levels of management would lead to more sales and profitability later down the line. The problem that I have with the rational model is that to an extent, it is behind the credit crisis that we faced as a world a couple of years ago. The greed that operated in Wall Street the same greed that is the basis of the rational approach filtered down to Wall Street. The world at large lost its humane characteristic to a degree and hankered after immediate financial returns and benefits, which is what led to the crisis that we faced. The other problem with the rational approach is its non-inclusive nature. If we take the example of any global financial institution that was affected in the crisis be it Lehman Brothers or the Royal Bank of Scotland how much of it was due to the middle-income banker who sits at his terminal in Canary Wharf for example? How much of an idea did he or she have as to what was afoot in the top rungs of the ladder? More significantly, if such people did indeed have an idea of how harmful the trend of borrowing from mortgage brokers was becoming and were not party to it and had feasible arguments to counter and tackle it were their voices heard? I am guessing not, because it takes a middle-income banker with tremendous guts to walk through the door of, say, the vice-president and tell him or her that what he or she is doing possibly for greed if not on a personal level then on the companys behalf could later have ramifications that the entire world at large would reel under. Another advantage that the dynamic approach has over the rational approach is that because it is more human-oriented than the rational approach, which is more finance-oriented, there is a reduced resistance to change. This is of critical importance since in the rapidly evolving global market scenario, continually changing to adapt to situations is the need of the hour. Moreover, since larger multinationals have been exposed post the financial crisis (which is a necessary standpoint for any study of strategic planning in the present scenario) smaller organisations are seeing the light of day more than in the recent past. This means that evolving approaches to strategic planning should be geared in such a way that it suits the needs of these lesser organisations so that they can play their inevitably crucial role in getting the world back to where it was. That is possible more through a dynamic approach to the problem than a profit-oriented rational approach. In fact, the very word, dynamic, is a literary representation of the zeitgeist of our times.