F. Scott Fitzgeralds A New Leaf Beyond Appearances free essay sample

In society are often interested in men who are not good for them. Scott Fitzgerald shows how falling in love cannot be based on someone’s appearance alone. Julia Ross was immedialtey attracted to Dick Ragland and didn’t care about anything else except his looks alone. Julia suddenly wanted to know more about Dick as soon as she laid eyes on him, â€Å"Handsome! He’s an archangel, he’s a mountain lion, he’s something to eat. Just why didn’t you introduce him? † (421). This shows how she immediately focused on his looks rather than wanting to get to know him more and get to know his personality, also how she can be quite superficial. Phil had warned Julia all about Dick and she still insisted on meeting him rather than not ever speaking to him, â€Å"I thought you seemed so attractive and it was such a pity† (423). This shows how she even admits it to Dick that she wanted to at least talk to him due to his looks. We will write a custom essay sample on F. Scott Fitzgeralds A New Leaf: Beyond Appearances or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although, knowing that he was also no good intrigued her much more. Finding out dick cheated on her Julia was outraged and came to realize his looks wont make her happy, â€Å"Nothing. Just your good looks—and the head waiter at dinner last night had that† (432). This shows how her foolish impressions of people only brought along sadness for her and made her feel meaningless and unimportant. Also, that the man she had come to love, didn’t really even love her that him having a â€Å"void† in his heart meanwhile she was gone and him filling it by being with another woman shows that he didn’t really care much for her and bring her into consideration because anyone really could have done that for him, just as Esther did so.

Robert Gray Poetry Analysis Essay Example For Students

Robert Gray Poetry Analysis Essay Australias cultural identity has been lost due to arbitration and moral pollution. In Grays North Coast Town he challenges Australias adoption of materialism, being an accepted factor as we move towards making California. Gray comments on the changing appearance and nature of the town the place Is becoming chrome. The use of the word chrome suggests it as being simply a decorative finish, not worthy of holding great strength. It Is becoming more modern and alike to American building styles, as the town now is reflecting qualities which would be regarded as American. The town being an example for general Australian society, presents the idea that as we lose our cultural Identity, our sense responsibility for the natural world decreases. pass an ABA, not attempting to hitch, outside suggests the disturbing reality of Australian value. An aboriginal, being the epitome of Australian heritage, Is only mentioned in the last line, as the poem is more focused on the changing state of the appearance of the town- this Is Ironic as humans are superficial. It expresses the change of culture from its original state continuing from the motif of detachment. It leaves us thinking about the significance of the fact that the aboriginal is not attempting to hitch. It gives a sense of isolation and is a poignant detail which Gray uses to bring about thought on what we value as Australians. Humans generally have lost the ability to recognize what has value. Presented in Grays didactic poem Flames and Dangling wire Is an aesthetic of decay, which has a prophetic tone. A presentation of the wasteland of western civilization is represented by a city dump, which is a foretaste of the end of the world. The use of the word dump suggests it as being societys burial ground, it is a collection of things that Worked being of past tense. It Is a constant reminder that we throw away things we regard as valueless, which is ironic as we continue to destroy everything with value. Mentions of Chopin and the raft of medusa being references to the romantic era, emphasize past culture, being of a regretful tone. These are used as a juxtaposition of society then and society now, being symbolic of the loss of core romantic values, of all the elements which we can be proud of as human beings, which are replaced on n Australian setting but it is an evaluation of universal denunciation. In North Coast Town Gray criticizes the material world, that in result- nature is less valued. Images of desolation and closure introduce the negative tone of the poem. Irony is used to show the foreign placement of unnatural entities within a natural place which highlights the towns detachment. For example, the beach is placed against the shell station which is ironic as the beach is a place of cleansing, birth of nature, a home for sea-life where the station is a symbol of how we pollute the air we rye to breathe as we continue to fuel our own destruction. Unless we take responsibility for the destruction we are causing, we cannot fix the damage done. In North Coast Town, Gray gives us the impression that the man is isolated, separate from nature due to the spoliation of the coastline which he would of once enjoyed. As he goes to the lavatory, even such a man-made structure is vandalized, nothing we touch as humans can remain untainted. Even the floury apple he eats is presented as being unappealing, the motion of eating suggesting he nests the corruption that we as humans grow around and within us which takes away lifes true value. .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 , .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 .postImageUrl , .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 , .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4:hover , .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4:visited , .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4:active { border:0!important; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4:active , .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4 .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u381420f8089bd75aa25ce734054630e4:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay IntroductionThe idea of damnation is presented consistently through Flames and Dangling Wire. Through religious allusions and images of hell, Gray gives the impression that society is damned like the fallen angels of heaven- left to pick through what remains, for demons being souls, for society being the wasteland we used to call our environment. That demon with the long barge pole The ferryman Sharon, a classical legend- is an image of damnation, perhaps comparing modern society to being that f fateful punishment or even hell itself. Gray uses connotations of death to express the significance of his concerns and also to evoke reflection. As mentioned, This poem does not have a specific Australian setting but alike to the themes of North Coast Town, Gray stresses the importance of the value of the natural world. Gray, with having the role of not Just an observer, with the ability to see these issues, but also being involved with social changes which he comments are dangerous, presses his concern for Australian society and its values which are diminishing on our pursuit of materialistic greed.

The letter box Essays

The letter box Essays The letter box Paper The letter box Paper John Searles Chinese room argument attempts to explain the difference between working machines and the human mind. Let us imagine that an English speaking man who knows no other language has been put in a small room. On the wall is a letter box and on the floor is a book of rules and a note pad. Every so often a piece of paper with Chinese writing is passed through the letterbox. The rulebook explains how to process the writing, it tells the man to copy certain characters onto the note pad. Thebook gives a code informing the man what should be written according to what is on the paper initially sent through the letter box. Once he has decoded the message he sends the reply back through the letterbox as an answer to the questions he received, obeying the rules contained in the book. As time goes by the man becomes more and more accomplished at his job. To a Chinese onlooker it would seem that the person in the room was a fluent Chinese speaker. Searle compares the activity of this man to the activity of a machine or computer. The man did not need to understand the Chinese to be able to give a perfect answer. In this way the computer does not understand or comprehend what it is doing, it only processes information. Searle said that the man (and hence machine) lacked intentionality and possessed only a syntactical ability as opposed to a semantic one. This means that the machine is unable to be aware of the meaning of the information it processes even though it uses correct grammar to communicate with. Simply producing output in response to input according to certain rules does not constitute human thought. Searle uses this argument to refute the so-called Strong Artificial Intelligence position of some thinkers who believe that computer language does more than just represent human thought (via programming); rather, it really is human thought. A thought experiment arguing against Searles reasoning and supporting Strong AI is the Turing test. Alan Turing, who helped develop the first modern computers, claimed that in future years it could be possible to create a machine that had a mind. Turing imagined the following: There is an interrogator, a machine and a person. The interrogator is positioned in a separate room to the machine and the person. The person and machine are labelled either x or y, the interrogator is unaware which is x and which is y. The interrogator must ask x and y questions, his aim is to guess which is the machine and which is the person. The aim of the machine is to make the interrogator guess that the person is in fact the machine; the objective for the person is to help cause the interrogator to guess correctly. Turing believed that in the future it would be quite conceivable for a machine to trick the interrogator more than seventy percent of the time. Turing believed that this proved machines were capable of thinking. The problem with this argument is that just because the computer is capable of fooling the interrogator into believing it is human does not directly correspond to the conclusion that the machine is a thinking thing. It seems more likely that the computer has merely been programmed with the correct answers to use and in reality has no understanding of what his answers actually mean. Professor Jefferson argued, Not until a machine can write a sonnet or compose a concerto because of thoughts and emotions felt, and not by the chance fall of symbols, could we agree that machine equals brain-that is, not only write it but know that it had written it. No mechanism could feel (and not merely artificially signal, an easy contrivance) pleasure at its successes, grief when its valves fuse, be warmed by flattery, be made miserable by its mistakes, be charmed by sex, be angry or depressed when it cannot get what it wants. 3 Having awareness and knowledge of the content and meaning of thought is what Searle describes as intentionality and is a feature of human thinking which machines could never replicate because of their very nature as fabricated, artificial entities. In conclusion, I feel that it seems impossible for machines to ever have minds. The mind appears to be a purely metaphysical thing that could not be transplanted into a machine. Furthermore the process that a machine goes through is not thought but programming. Everything the machine knows comes from the maker. To say that machines have minds is like saying that even if an evil daemon controlled and planted every thought in our heads, we would still be free thinking beings with conscious minds. Personally I find it hard to conceive the monist approach, though some attempts are made to explain the mind from a monist perspective, which nonetheless gives the mind a special position that could not merely be recreated by fabricated, artificial machines. Such an approach is taken by those who see the mind as an emergent property of the physical composition of the body (specifically brain). A single molecule of water could not be wet or hot or cold; it is only on combining with many millions of molecules in a complex bundle that properties emerge that we associate with water. So with the mind our freedom and intentionality emerge from the very complex arrangement of our organic bodies, which are unique to humans and animals and could not be shared by machines. For most people using an argument from common sense it feels that our minds are free and unattached to our physical bodies. I therefore conclude that a purely physical man-made machine can never have a real mind of its own. And thus in reality it would make it impossible for James the Red Engines thought4 and emotions to actually exist.

The Meanings of the German Verb Ausmachen

The Meanings of the German Verb 'Ausmachen' The German verb machen is a very common regular verb with the basic meaning of to make or to do. It gets plenty of mileage all by itself, but by adding the prefix aus-, machen turns into something even more interesting - and takes on many more meanings. (It can add other prefixes, notably an-, but well concentrate on aus- here.) Understanding German verb prefixes is an important part of learning German vocabulary and German verb conjugation. As we shall see with ausmachen, a prefix can make BIG changes in the meaning of a German verb. Although the essential meaning of aus (which is also a dative preposition) is out and ausmachen can mean turn off/out (the light) or put out (a fire), that is only one of its many meanings (in German or English). Lets examine this versatile verb, which has no fewer than ten different meanings, depending on the context. The ten basic meanings listed below are generally ranked in the order of how frequently the verb is used in that meaning, but this is not an exact science. Each meaning also has one or more German synonyms listed along with the English meaning. Ausmachen (là ¶schen) English Meaning: to put out, extinguish, douseExample: Kannst du die Kerzen bitte ausmachen? (Can you please douse/extinguish the candles?) Ausmachen (abdrehen, ausschalten) English Meaning: to switch off, turn off(Note: The opposite is anmachen to switch on, turn on another verb with several different meanings.)Example 1: Machen Sie bitte das Licht / den Fernseher aus! (Please turn off the light / the TV.)Example 2: Sie mà ¼ssen das Gas zuerst ausmachen, bevor sie die Reparaturen machen kà ¶nnen. (They have to turn off the gas before they can make the repairs.) Ausmachen (stà ¶ren, rgern)(etw macht jdm etw aus) English Meaning: to bother (sb), mind, object toExample 1: Macht es Ihnen etwas aus, wenn ich rauche? (Do you mind if I smoke?)Example 2: Es macht mir nichts aus, ihm zu helfen. (I dont mind helping him.) Ausmachen (ermitteln, entdecken)(etw/jdn) English Meaning: to make out (sth/sb), spot, determineExample 1: Ich kann ihn nicht ausmachen, weil es zu dunkel ist. (I cant make him out because its too dark.)Example 2: Es ist noch nicht ausgemacht, dass er seinen eigenen Putsch politisch à ¼berlebt. (It hasnt yet been determined that he will survive his own coup politically.) Ausmachen (ins Gewicht fallen) English Meaning: to make a differenceExample 1: Was macht es schon aus? (What difference does it make?)Example 2: Es macht gar nichts aus! (It makes no difference at all!) Ausmachen (vereinbaren) English Meaning: to agree to, agree on, set up (appointment)Example 1: Wir mà ¼ssen nur noch ausmachen, wo wir uns treffen. (We just need to agree on where well meet.)Example 2: Wie ausgemacht, habe ich das Auto am Flughafen gelassen. (As agreed, I left the car at the airport.) Ausmachen (austragen) English Meaning: to sort (sth) out, settle (a case, a dispute, an issue, etc.)Example 1: Das mà ¼ssen wir mit ihm ausmachen. (We have to sort that out with him.)Example 2: Kà ¶nntet ihr diesen Streit nicht unter euch ausmachen? (Cant you guys settle this argument among yourselves?) Ausmachen (auszeichnen) English Meaning: to be (all) about, be the essence of sth, make (up) sth, make sth specialExample 1: Was macht das Leben aus? (What is life all about?)Example 2: Arbeit / Liebe macht das Leben aus. (Work/love is what lifes about.)Example 3: Ihm fehlt alles, was einen richtigen Manager ausmacht. (Hes missing everything that goes to make a real manager.) Ausmachen (betragen) English Meaning: to amount to, add up to, come toExample: Der Zeitunterschied macht neun Stunden aus. (The time difference is/amounts to nine hours.) Ausmachen (ausgraben) English Meaning: to dig up (dialect, regional)Example: Sie haben die Kartoffeln ausgemacht. (They dug up the potatoes.)

Trojan War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Trojan War - Research Paper Example Strauss (2007) has pointed out that â€Å"Some people believe that Trojan war never happened and the beauty of Homer’s description forced people to think that it actually happened† (Strauss, p.1). At the same time, some of the recent researches have concluded that this war might have happened in reality as described by Homer. Strauss (2007) has mentioned about some of the evidences collected by the archeologists recently to substantiate the arguments of people who believe this war was an actual one rather than an imaginary one (Strauss, p.1). This paper briefly analyses whether Trojan War was a real one or an imaginary one. The exact date of occurrence of this war is not mentioned by Homer or any one else. Homer never described anything about the exact timing of this war in any of his epic poems. However, historians do believe that this war was happened around 1200 BC. Strauss (2007) has pointed out that â€Å"The Trojan War which probably dates to around 1200 BC is ju st a piece in a large puzzle† (Strauss, p.3). ... The Iliad is to Trojan War what The Longest Day is to World War 2. The four days of battle in the Iliad no more sums up Trojan War than the D-day invasion of France sums up the World War 2. The Iliad is not the whole story of Trojan War (Strauss, p.5) The Longest Day is a film produced in 1962 about Second World War which speaks about the D-day invasion of France (D-Day is a military term used to represent a day in which a specific battle event occurred or will occur). It should be noted that The Longest Day was produced just around twenty years from the end of Second World War whereas Homer explained the details of Trojan War around five centuries later. In other words, Homer never seen Trojan War and he explained the details about this war from his imagination. It is easy to explain an event if it happened in the recent times, whereas it is difficult to explain an event if it happened long time back. In short, Homer’s explanations about this war primarily came from his imagi nations and therefore one can safely argue that his arguments lack authenticity. Another interesting aspect about Trojan War is the controversies surrounding the Trojans. â€Å"A generation ago, scholars thought that the Trojans were the Greeks. But new evidences suggests otherwise† (Strauss, p.2). Since Iliad was written in Greek language, many people thought that Trojans were actually Greeks. They failed to realize the fact that the Iliad was written centuries later by a Greek person called Homer. Another fact which forced people to think Trojans as Greeks was the names of the persons and gods used in Iliad. All the names used in this poem were Greek names and moreover, their conversations were in Greek language which forced people to think that Trojans were actually Greeks.

Boxing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Boxing - Essay Example The traditional 'good old English method of deciding a quarrel' had always been to punch one another with bareknuckles, and the English despised the French method of using the feet for kicking, considering it to be unmanly, foreign and cowardly (Savate, 2005). This loathing for kickboxing, or savate, helped boxing to maintain its stronghold in Europe. The individual known as "the Father of Boxing" Jack Boughton, assisted in that growth by developing the first set of rules for the sport. He published those rules in 1743. His rules held sway until 1865 when the Queensbury Rules were written publicized. The Queensbury Rules were created by John Douglass who was the Eighth Marques of Queensbury. He was the person who introduced the three-minute round and the use of regulated boxing gloves. 4. If either participant falls, he must get up unassisted, and is given ten seconds to do so. The other participant must return to his corner while the fallen man attempts to rise. When the fallen man is on his legs, the round is to be resumed until the three minutes has lapsed. If the man does not rise in the ten seconds allowed, the referee awards the win to the other man. 7. 5. A man hanging on the ropes with his toes off the ground is considered down. 6. No seconds in the ring during the round. 7. Should the contest be stopped by any unavoidable interference, the referee names the time and place to finish as soon as possible, so that the match can be won or lost, unless the backers agree to a draw. 8. The gloves are to be fair-sized, new and of the best quality. 9. Should a glove burst or come off, it must be replaced to the referee's satisfaction. 10. A man on one knee is considered down, and if struck is entitled to the stakes. 11. No shoes or boots with springs allowed. 12. The contest is to be governed in all other respects by the revised rules of the London Prize Ring. (Queensbury Rules, 2003)Most experts agree that these rules came into existence primarily due to the 'rough' nature of the sport and the 'fight to the death' mentality. Boxing/pg 3 Joyce Carol Oates, author of On Boxing says; "How can you enjoy so brutal a sport, people sometimes ask me" (Oates, 1987, pg 4). This question has been asked since the sport's beginning and is a question asked many times by those opponents of boxing who advocate a ban on the sport. Oates continues by answering the question in the following manner; "Life is like boxing in many unsettling respects. But boxing is only like boxing" (Oates, 1987, pg 4). Is that the answer to this sport's popularity or is it just part of the complexity of the sport, its participants and its fans There are just as many individuals who advocate continuing the sport as there are opponents to the sport. Each side of a boxing ban espouses good points and each side seems to be ardent in making those points known. This fervency makes for an interesting debate in the matter of a boxing ban.Two such prominent individuals are Dr Adrian Whiteson and Vivienne Nathanson. Dr Whiteson is the Chief Medical Officer for

An Internal Analysis Of Starbucks Marketing Essay

An Internal Analysis Of Starbucks Marketing Essay The internal analysis of Starbucks will consist of an organizational analysis strategy analysis and a business model analysis. 4.1. Organizational Analysis The corporate mission of Starbucks, along with its vision statement and business model are crucial in determining where Starbucks wants to go as an organization. The Starbucks mission statement is: to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time (Starbucks, 2011). To deliver on its mission, Starbucks executes some core principles. Firstly, Starbucks commits to the finest coffee. Starbucks is not only concerned with quality for the end consumer, but also ensures coffee beans are purchased in an ethical manner that will improve the lives of the farmers. Secondly, Starbucks deems their employees as a crucial resource and asset. Starbucks guarantees perfect coffee to their customers, which can only be delivered by high engagement of staff (Starbucks, 2011). Thirdly, the third place experience provided by Starbucks gives customers a gratifying atmosphere of human connection and a sense of belonging (Rice, 2009). The products and services that Starbucks offer are critically important to Starbucks achieving differentiation in the market by way of constant product innovation (Kelly, 2006). Starbucks currently offers more than just quality gourmet coffee. Starbucks is proud of its customer service and is dedicated to ensuring that each customer enjoys each trip to Starbucks (Starbucks, 2011). Other services include the third place experience atmosphere and onsite coffee service. The third place experience is what Starbucks refers to as the third location that consumers will relax and enjoy drinking coffee beverages (Rice, 2009). Starbucks also offers free Wi-Fi to everyone at its store locations to entice customers to stay longer and work or surf the web while they enjoy their coffee (Starbucks, 2011). The organizational analysis evaluates the key characteristics of the organization. Starbucks aims to nurture the human spirit around the globe by offering the finest coffee in a friendly and inviting atmosphere. It promotes product innovation and customer service through a decentralized leadership style that emphasizes distributed decision-making and information-sharing. The quality of a company is judged by the symbiotic fit between its strategy and organizational structure, yet consideration is also placed on whether the firms strategy and structure meet the demands of the external environment (Hannan, 2011). The next section will give a detailed analysis on Starbucks strategy. 4.2. Strategy Analysis The strategy analysis consists of three parts: marketing strategy analysis, operations strategy analysis and international expansion strategy analysis. Marketing strategy The first part is about Starbucks positioning strategy. A positioning strategy aims at positioning rival companies into strategic groups. These strategic groups consist of industry members that have similar goals and positions in the competitive industry (Piercy, 2008). These groups are placed on a strategic group map to analyse how industry firms are positioned. Firms in the coffee industry will be mapped based on price and quality of their products versus product line breadth. The size of the circle representing each firm on the strategic group map is symbolic proportional to the size of the firms share of total group revenues. The coffee beverage strategy group consists of quick-service restaurants and specialty coffee shops. The major players in the strategy group are listed in the following table. The firms are divided by breadth of products offered to the market, industry related sales, and percentage of sales relative to rivals. The data listed in table x are used in constructing the strategic group map. Diagram 7: Strategic Group Map of Coffee Industry Green Mountain Price/ Quality Source: Williams (2007) Competitors of Starbucks can be divided into two different categories: direct and indirect. The direct competition would include firms that manufacture and produce hot drinks (Datamonitor, 2010). These firms are the retailers of ready-to-drink coffee and tea products, quick-service restaurants, and supermarkets. Also, in this category are the large multinational companies that produce ground coffees and instant coffees (Datamonitor, 2010). The indirect competitors are comprised of firms producing energy drinks, caffeinated soft drinks, and energy shots. Starbucks close competitors include other specialty coffee shops, doughnut shops, and restaurants. Starbucks holds a dominant position in the specialty coffeehouse market and has no single clear rival in the sector. Its closest specialty coffeehouse competitor is Caribou Coffee with 440 stores in the US. Its most intense specialty coffeehouse competition is dispersed among the thousands of independent or small-chain coffee shops around the nation and the world. Two of Starbucks stiffest quick-service restaurant rivals are McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. McDonalds followed its 2009 strategy of competing against Starbucks through expansion of McCafe locations into more stores both domestically and internationally (Liu, 2009). Nevertheless, there are big differences between their core customers. Privately owned Dunkin Donuts is another major competitor, with nearly 5,000 stores in the US. Following Starbucks footsteps, Dunkin Donuts will look to expanding globally, especially in the Asian markets (Dicarlo, 2004). Although Dunkin Donuts retail footprint also overlaps largely with that of Starbucks, its customer experience is much more similar to the coffee-to-go model rather than the third place to work and relax model. Consequently, it is likely to compete more directly with McDonalds than with Starbucks (Dicarlo, 2004). Starbucks is an industry leader in both product innovation and product offering. Most other firms take a follower position and simply copy successful Starbucks products at lower prices. This is a favourable position for Starbucks. The strategic group map shows Starbucks as the leader in both price/quality of product offerings as well as the breadth of products offered. The white space on the map is possible openings for existing firms or new firms to move into. These would be high priced, low breadth offering positions, or low cost, high breadth offering positions. The second part analyses Starbucks competitive strategy using Porters Generic strategies framework. As a whole, Starbucks implements a broad differentiation strategy. It provides high quality coffee and a unique experience in accessible locations, which makes it stand out among all the coffee providers. VIA, the new instant coffee line, straddles broad differentiation and cost leadership strategy. Though it will be a low cost and convenient alternative to Starbucks regular coffee, Starbucks coffee is still unique from other products in the market. Providing in-store gifts and brewing utensils is the focused differentiation strategy; it was designed for coffee lovers, especially Starbucks loyal fans. Diagram 8: Starbucks competitive strategy Competitive Advantage Uniqueness Low cost Broad Target Narrow Target As a whole VIADifferentiation Cost Leadership In-store brewing utensils/ gifts Differentiation Focus Cost Focus To differentiate it from rivals, Starbucks convinces customers that it provides more than a cup of coffee and associates its brand image with a sense of community activism. Moreover, Starbucks acts as a social responsible company to strengthen its differentiation strategy. It promotes ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship, and community involvement. Starbucks also prides itself on the innovation of new products, which further differentiates it from its competitors. However, with the customer base becoming more sophisticated and differentiation indicators adopted by ordinary coffee firms, Starbucks advantage on the differentiation strategy may fade away (Piercy, 2008). The third part is about Starbucks brand building strategy. Its marketing strategy has focused on word-of-mouth advertising and building the brand cup by cup, letting the high quality of their products and services speak for themselves (Starbucks, 2010). For years, this unique marketing strategy has played an important role in making Starbucks Coffee Company a success. In 2010, two-thirds of all coffee was sold in supermarkets. Starbucks coffee sold in supermarkets featured distinctive, elegant packaging and the same premium quality as that sold in its own stores. This new change requires Starbucks to create a new way to build its brand. Therefore, the Starbucks marketing strategy has expanded to create a community around their brand. On its website, individuals are encouraged to express their experiences with Starbucks history, and the company strives to personally join in the discussions. Operations management Strategy Starbucks has positioned itself as a provider of ethical premium coffee products and pleasant, luxurious meeting places for people. So, its prices are relative high and it competes on a unique value proposition. Commitment to the best quality and high ethical standards are evident in every step of the supply chain, from bean procurement to service (Jennings, 2009). Starbucks supply chain starts from bean sourcing. To ensure compliance with its rigorous coffee standards, it controls coffee purchasing, roasting and packaging, and the global distribution of coffee. Starbucks pays over the market price for its beans in order to procure premium beans. Besides acquiring the highest quality coffee, the ethics of paying a fair price for coffee producers provides an ethical aspect to the value proposition (Rubin, Dierdorff and Brown, 2010). Starbucks also has the expertise to secure top-notch coffee beans to supply the companys growing needs. All this allows Starbucks to serve coffee that is of superior quality compared to competitors. As part of its sourcing strategy, Starbucks entered into fixed-price purchase commitments in order to secure an adequate supply of quality green coffee beans and to limit exposure to fluctuating coffee prices (Starbucks, 2010). When satisfactory fixed-price commitments were not available, the company purchased coffee future contracts to provide price protection. Nonetheless, there have been occasions in years past when unexpected jumps in coffee prices put a squeeze on the companys margins and necessitated an increase in the prices of its beverages and beans sold at retail price. However, by this approach, Starbucks can smooth costs and avoid price hikes in the stores that would have a devastating effect on the companys image. Starbucks deems store operations as an important part of strengthening the companys reputation and image. The company formed a group to create a store development process to ensure that each store conveys the appropriate image and character. Then, the information and operating system of Starbucks allow it to communicate information throughout the organization to increase the quality of decisions and efficiency in value-chain activities (Gamble Thompson, 2011). Starbucks also tries to develop the companys brand through its specialty operations with third parties outside the traditional coffeehouse. This includes Licensed Stores, Packaged Tea and Coffee, Branded Products and Foodservices Operations. In 1997, Starbucks began entering into a limited number of licensing agreements for store locations in areas where it did not have the ability to locate its own outlets. For example, Licensed Stores with Marriott Host International and Aramark Food and Services put Starbucks stores in airport locations and on university campuses. Starbucks received a license fee and a royalty on sales at these locations and supplied the coffee for resale in the licensed locations. International Expansion Strategy Starbucks international expansion started in 1995 and its international expansion strategy is to provide licenses or create joint ventures with reputable local companies, which are equipped with retailing know-how in the target country (Garza, 2010).. This strategy is built upon the growing reputation of the Starbucks brand and the ability to identify attractive store locations. The international expansion strategy is also supported by centralized buying, standard contract development and fixed fees for certain items, and consolidated work under contractors with good cost-control practices (Alberto, 2011c). Starbucks product supply is also a key in the successful expansion. As reported by the Wall Street Journal (2006), the Starbucks Corporation is expanding at a very high rate and focusing on China. This company has aggressively campaigned to become the leading coffee in the United States and after attaining this, it has made further steps to considering global leadership. The expansion and growth of Starbucks has been well known, especially by its desires to venture in emerging economies. Currently, the Starbucks Corporation is downsizing in the US as a result of the economic downturn in this country and its increasing global expansion. In 2008, this company closed more than 600 coffee shops across the US. Since the need for international coffee has increased, Starbucks is opening up 1,000 coffee shops across the world especially in Asia. Starbucks expansion strategy was well thought out: the strategy target was in the Asian Pacific, far away from Europe and Latin America where coffee shops competition is very strong. As the diagram below shows, the revenue from the US market is shrinking and the operating income of the EMEA market became negative in 2010 and 2011, while the market of China and the Asian pacific shows good potential. Therefore, China is Starbucks largest target, as it is expected to be the biggest growing market over the next two year s (Starbucks, 2011). After the global economy recovery, Starbucks is planning to open an average of more than one store each day. Starbucks continues to close domestic stores that have already saturated the market, and replace them with international stores abroad. Total revenues ($ Million) Starbucks is able to enter into Asian markets and China in particular by targeting Chinas middle class and bringing new lifestyles while maintaining coffee and other beverages as affordable luxuries. Barraclough (2006) reports that the Chinese are known for their increasing preference for coffee and hence Starbucks is able to convince more customers to take coffee. American products and lifestyle are highly admired by the Chinese and Japanese, and hence consumers there adopt American trends and products easily and quickly. This indicates that Starbucks is making use of the Chinese culture to enter into Chinas market (Haoting, 2009). However, the rapid international expansion also has negative effects. First of all, too many new locations established would exert an adverse effect on customer service. Therefore, the customer experience may degrade. Secondly, some retail stores opened even before the local supply chain was fully built up, leading to bad customer perceptions towards Starbucks coffee and food. Thirdly, the strategy of closing down US locations to offset new growth abroad results in reducing the convenience factor in the US market. Many American customers have to drive a long way to buy a cup of beloved Starbucks coffee. As mentioned previously, the convenience is one of most important parts of its value proposition. Last but not the least, the large number of stores is a huge asset or liability, depending on how one assesses the situation. If there is a strong economy and people have disposable income, then it is an advantage to have abundant stores to generate revenues. On the other hand, the vast n umber of stores will become a huge financial liability during economic downturns. Therefore, now Starbucks, led by Schultz, advocate the disciplined expansion of store bases and focus on real, sustainable growth. 4.3. Value chain analysis Michael Porter (1998) states that acquiring competitive advantages can be done through an analysis of the companys value chain. Companies can attain competitive advantage when the value chain is optimised by coordinating these activities to create value for its products or services that exceeds the costs of performing the value activities (Porter, 1998). In other words, a company can create additional value without necessarily increasing costs. A companys value chain system can be classified into two categories; (1) the primary activities, which involve the physical creation of the products, marketing and delivery system, and after sale service and support activities; and (2) the secondary activities, wherein company infrastructure and inputs allow the primary activities to take place (Porter 1998). When these activities are already defined, the value chain system can be analysed in order to aid the development of a strategic goal and gain competitive advantage or, in our case, to understand the current downfall in the Starbucks business model. Below is the current value chain of Starbucks with international and technological developments. The upstream value chain allows the development of new products that suit international markets better, e.g. green Tea Latte in Starbucks Japan. The downstream is the online storefront customization, which allows customers to order online and create new drinks etc. The newly-added mobile app could locate Starbucks locations and order drinks. Product Distribution Bean and Ingredient Selection Local Adjustment Product Development Take-home products Online Storefront Customization Mobile Apps Storefront Starbucks value chain creates additional value for its products, which the customers are willing to pay for. Hence, the customer is not reluctant to pay above-market prices for Starbucks coffee. In fact, its customers are not looking for the price of the coffee but they are seeking for the quality of the products and the brand image that the company offers. For a company to achieve or maintain competitive advantages and add value to its products or brand, it is necessary to link these activities and optimise the companys value adding activities (Porter, 1998). In the case of Starbucks, as stated earlier, its value activities were at first effective in the co-ordination between its primary and secondary activities. For example, the setting up of stores was well planned. Each location was carefully studied, taking consideration of irrelevant details such as traffic flow, density of people and demographic characteristics of an area, and careful selection of personnel to be deployed in each outlet (Clark, 2007). These aimed to deliver good quality coffee products and exude an ambiance of luxury and comfort for its consumers (Clark, 2007). However, gaps in the value chain activities occurred in recent years. An example is the rapid expansion in several locations across Asia. The company failed to maintain the companys brand image of luxury and exclusivity. The company rapidly expanded by opening an average of a store per week, which resulted in the downgrading of the Starbucks experience that its customers have been looking for (Velta, 2008). In fact, the customers have not seen any noticeable improvements in their experience (Jennings, 2009). Analyst Andrew Barish also commented that Starbucks operations have slipped and longer lines, more complexity and less-than-stellar looking assets could be causing a modest decrease in sales in this challenging consumer environment (Moore, 2007). As a result, Starbucks strategic competitiveness is slowly disintegrating and its rivals are eating up some of its customer base (Rushe, 2006). 4.4. Business model analysis The business model concept is defined as the value a company offers to customers and the architecture of the firm and its network of partners for creating, marketing, and delivering this value in order to generate profitable and sustainable revenue streams (Osterwalder and pigneur, 2002). It also consists of a narrative of both how the business works and how it makes a profit. Schindehutte and Allen (2009) developed a framework in order to define the core competencies of a business model from an entrepreneurial perspective. The most important component of the framework is concerned with value creation. Starbucks creates unique value through great customer experience and interactive service. The unique value proposition of Starbucks is best described by Howard Schultz: The idea was to create a chain of coffeehouses that would become Americas third place, a place where people could go to relax and enjoy time with others, or just be by themselves. Starbucks enhances the coffee experience for the customers by creating a relaxed environment within the store whilst offering consistently rapid and on time delivery. Many companies pursue a resource-based strategy which attempts to exploit company resources in a manner that offers value to customers in ways rivals are unable to match (Piercy, 2008). Starbucks customer value proposition is also based on its unique resources and capabilities. Starbucks capitalizes on intangible resources like brand power and image as a high quality coffee provider to attain its objectives. Starbucks also utilizes its immense human capital and expertise in product innovation, location selection, and its marketing ability to stand out as the premier coffee brand. Particularly, Starbucks utilizes technology extremely well, e.g. the heavy use of internet capabilities, social network marketing, rechargeable payment cards, and even new mobile apps help to ease and speed up the payment and ordering. Moreover, Starbucks has other competitive advantages based on its skills and specialized expertise, and valuable alliances (Piercy, 2008). Starbucks has a skill set in creatin g and introducing innovative products into the market. These skills give Starbucks a competitive advantage to be an innovation leader, but not a copycat follower. It is essential to differentiate itself from rivals in the coffee industry. Last but not the least, Starbucks has abundant free cash flow and physical assets to fund and drive its strategic initiatives. Without these physical assets, Starbucks would not be able to aggressively expand in the market or fund further product research and development. Another important component of the business model is the firms core competence. Core competencies are defined as a proficiently performed internal activity that is central to a firms strategy and competitiveness (Piercy, 2008). The core competency can also lead to sustainable advantages. To be a sustainable advantage, the core competency must be hard to imitate or copy by rivals (Piercy, 2008). For Starbucks, its core competency can be defined as high quality coffee and products at accessible locations and affordable prices, providing a community the coffee drinking experience. Its sustainable advantage resides in the intellectual capital of defining and leading the market. Starbucks stands out as a leader, mainly because of its good business model that can generate innovative products that consumers desire. Starbucks is able to leverage its resources, both tangible and intangible, to create competitive capabilities and core competencies to form its business model. Starbucks achieves this by utilizing its human capital and expertise to constantly strive for excellence in product innovation. Furthermore, Starbucks is able to internally fund its growth strategy from sound financial performance. However, Starbucks needs to take more efforts to innovate its business model. Specialty coffee shops copy or adopt the Starbucks model, which leads to Starbucks competitive advantage shrinking and this poses a serious threat to the company. In addition, the gap between customers expectations and perceptions of Starbucks is bigger. Many customers are not satisfied with Starbucks offerings as they were before. They think Starbucks charges a premium for coffee and experience, but actually it falls behind its promises. This may be because customers become more demanding while Starbucks ability to innovate value offerings is weak. Therefore, to keep its popularity and consistent growth, Starbucks needs to innovate its value-adding activities so as to innovate its business model. SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis is a powerful tool to evaluate a firms resource strengths, its competitive deficiencies, the opportunities that exist in the market, and the external threats to the organizations future well-being (Gamble and Thompson, 2011). The strengths of Starbucks come from an internal origin and are designated as helpful to Starbucks reaching its target objectives. The weaknesses of Starbucks are categorized as operational areas and activities that reduce Starbucks being able to achieve strategy execution. Starbucks needs to leverage these strengths to overcome their weaknesses and realize potential opportunities. Threats are areas of concern in the external environment that can affect how Starbucks, and the coffee industry as a whole, will do business. Diagram x: SWOT Matrix for Starbucks Internal External Strengths* Weaknesses* à ¢- Brand image is extremely important to Starbucks. à ¢- Good ambiance and convenience are two of the foundations that Starbucks grew on. à ¢- International Markets offer lower risk investment and innovation opportunities. à ¢- Cheap alternatives like McDonalds threaten the convenience factor. à ¢- Founders of premium coffee and an industry leader à ¢- Product diversification à ¢- Excel in product development à ¢-  Valued and motivated employees, good work environment à ¢- Strong financial foundation à ¢- Lack of internal focus (too much focus on expansion) à ¢- Self-cannibalization à ¢- Overdependence on the US market à ¢- Aggressive expansion leads to managerial or financial problems (e.g. customer experience is watered down) à ¢- Pricing is relatively higher than customers expectations Opportunities* S-O Strategy W-O Strategy à ¢- Co-branding with other famous brands à ¢-  Increasing need of premium coffee in emerging markets à ¢- Rising awareness on CSR issues à ¢- Capturing new markets (retailing) and new consumer groups à ¢- To increase market share in emerging markets à ¢- To make full use of cross-broad marketing à ¢- To revamp brand image and work on brand extension à ¢- To be a more socially responsible brand à ¢- To coordinate and adjust expanding speed à ¢- To innovate its business model so as better deal with new challenges à ¢- To think about new ways to differentiate itself à ¢- To integrate distribution channels Threats* S-T Strategy W-T Strategy à ¢- Stiffening competition à ¢- Possible saturation in the coffee market à ¢- Volatility of coffee price à ¢-  Blamed by green lobby and ethical lobby à ¢-  Recession would affect customers willingness to spend à ¢- To consider further vertical integration à ¢- To consider creating a sub-brand to provide less pricey coffee à ¢- Continue to use fair trade coffee as ingredients and pay more attention to environmental and ethical issues. à ¢- To shrink product lines and wash out less favourable products à ¢- To provide customized products and combinations à ¢- To close down less profitable locations *Source: Dataminitor and http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/business-resources/swot-analysis-database/starbucks-swot-analysis/ Being a leader in the coffee industry, Starbucks is powered by its constant product innovation, customer service aptitude, ability to expand globally. Apart from the basic strategies used by Starbucks, the external environmental conditions and the internal characteristics of the Starbucks organisation present a favourable condition for growth. Even though Starbucks profit has declined in the previous year, due the growing intensity of competition and the economic crisis aggravating the situation, Starbucks is still the dominant player in the specialty coffee sector through its years of experience and brand reputation. Thus, the company can use this position to leverage itself and put pressure onto its competitors. Nevertheless, strategic change is the call for Starbucks. Perhaps, it is the time for the company to revisit its existing business models, practices and strategies and to examine whether these models still conform to the conditions of the market. Since market conditions cha nge as evidenced by current events and the continuing globalisation of markets, the company may need to reform its strategy. The PSETEL and Porters five-force analysis show that coffee firms are very sensitive to the macro environment. The overall competitive pressures are moderate and firms can be successful if they are efficient and effective in the execution of strategies execution. Starbucks achieves its mission through a decentralized leadership that emphasizes distributed decision making and information sharing to promote product innovation and customer service. One concern about Starbucks organizational culture is that Starbucks over relies on Schultzs talented leadership. Schultz was able to turn the company back by several strategic moves, but without Schultz and his leadership capabilities, Starbucks may have fallen into a disaster. Overall, it might be a pitfall for Starbucks; Schultz is to Starbucks what Jobs is to Apple. The SWOT analysis of Starbucks reveals that the strength of Starbucks lies within their strong financial performance. The weakness of Starbucks is an over reliance on the saturated U.S. market with a declining market share as a result of intensified rivalry in the marketplace. This weakness can be overcome by utilizing Starbucks strong finances to realize the present opportunities to expand into emerging markets. Overall, Starbucks has maintained a competitive advantage since it created its original blue ocean of bringing quality, bistro-style coffee choices to the masses. The key issues facing this firm were its attempts at massive expansion and creating new value innovation. The aggressive expansion could cause the company to become over exposed and adversely affect its ability to change. In order to enhance sustainable growth, it needs to focus on its core competencies. Facing fierce competition with McDonalds and other coffee chains, Starbucks needs to create new value innovation by enhancing the customer experience and investing in online content and interactivity. Rather than creating more new products, it is better to enhance the connection with their loyal customers and to differentiate it from its rivals. 6. Recommendations Viable recommendations must be able to solve Starbucks greatest issues. One is the increasingly saturated US market and another is the need to penetrate attractive foreign markets. Furthermore, degrading customer perception must be prevented both in the US and overseas. Here, a great challenge is how to re-establish a positive customer attitude towards the company in the US and retai