Using Dark Humor And Journals - 871 Words

submit illustrations using dark humor to journals. He used Cubism in two different ways. In some paintings, his use of squares is very prominent and the image looks almost grid-like. In other art pieces, his lines are not as strong and straight. He died at the age of 40 after dealing with frequent illnesses due to heart and uremia problems. His death was caused by renal failure. The Sunblind (1914) Juan Gris 1887 – 1927 †¢ Charcoal, paper, chalk, and gouache †¢ A lot of use of light and shadows †¢ Dull; No really bright colors used †¢ The blinds are closed on a sunny day – Gris can be interpreted to be sad, depressed, shut away †¢ A lot of brown †¢ An image of the local newspaper sold in Gris’ town – this was a painting of an area in his home. It is personal to him Juan Gris Gris was a Spanish painter and sculptor. Although he is Spanish and was born in Madrid, a majority of his life was spent living and working in France. A lot of his work dealt with Cubism. He was inspired by the work of Pablo Picasso, and before beginning his serious painting career, he used to Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar and Newspaper (1913) Pablo Picasso 1881 – 1973 †¢ Collage †¢ Bright background, but dark images used for the collage †¢ Printed paper and ink used †¢ Seems like there is no real pattern or set plan for what the result would be †¢ Looks random, yet unified at the same time †¢ Newspaper used was 30 years old Pablo Picasso He was a Spanish painter, sculptor, stageShow MoreRelatedQuestions for Critical Thinking1690 Words   |  7 Pages 3) Review the story and mark the margins whenever you find an example of humor. How would you describe O’Connor’s humor? What role does humor play in the story? O’Connor’s short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, is full of humor but mostly of dark humor. The purpose of dark humor in the short story is to provide a gloomy mood for the terrifying end of the story. In paragraph 65, the author provides commonly humor when the grandmother realized that the house was not in Georgia but in TennesseeRead MoreRetrospective Narration of â€Å"Orientation†668 Words   |  3 PagesBrian S. Ekasala ENC1102-170861 Professor Martin-Buchanan May 29, 2013 Journal Response #2 Retrospective Narration of â€Å"Orientation† â€Å"Orientation† written by Daniel Orozco (McMahan 454) was to me, mostly a comical read. I have that dark sense of humor I guess. I liked the way the story was presented. By using primarily first person narration, I felt as if I was the one being shown around the office on my first day of work. I found myself conjuring up question after unanswered question asRead MoreReport- Dimensions of Diversity1578 Words   |  7 Pagesinterest in their topic. 2. Various ways/ styles to communicate effectively with people a. Aggressive, passive aggressive, and passive b. Communicate differently among groups c. Body language d. Add some humor or light to the context d.3.a.a. â€Å"results suggest that relational factors, such as ones humor, may be important to the enactment of organizational citizenship behaviors among subordinates† 3. Tools of communications a. Emails, phones, text, visual aids, letters, blogs, social media network sitesRead MoreEssay on Franz Kafkas The Trial1514 Words   |  7 Pagestroupe, critics believed this to be what led to the influence of most of Kafka’s later writings. This is believed due to the evidence of a journal found after Kafka’s death. These journals kept records of performances he attended, plot synopses, character analysis, descriptions of staging and critiques of the performances (Gray, 301). Kafka also had a journal filled with vignettes about specific productions, along with brief reflections on the theater and the production (Puchner, 177). We first seeRead MoreTaking a Look at Don Marquis731 Words   |  3 PagesDon Marquis, born on July 29, 1878 in Walnut, Illinois, United States, was a very dark and satirical man. Translating his love of the work of Mark Twain, and also taking inspiration from many tragic events that took most of his family from him, he became the man he is known as today. Don Marquis worked many jobs before he started writing such as: in a pharmacy, on a chicken farm, on a railroad, for a county newspaper, and as a schoolteacher (Knight). In 1899 he went to Washington, D. C., where forRead MoreRace And Slavery During The 18th And Early 19th Century1522 Words   |  7 Pagesto learn about these conceptions to understand how race related to slavery in the past. The paper will thus dig into the analysis of the Jefferson and Cartwright’s essays revealing their primary similarity, using race to support slavery although different in some aspects, along with Rush using race to dispute the notion of slavery. Thomas Jefferson’s slavery consideration in the Notes on Virginia (1787) bases upon the idea of ‘Roman whiteness’. Jefferson, to justify the slavery in the developing UnitedRead MoreConfidentiality, The Names Of Individuals And Locations Are Pseudonyms1513 Words   |  7 Pagesthe second grade lesson plans. By providing her support, she extends superior classroom teaching through collaboration, where both teachers align their instruction so that their teaching practices are congruent. Moreover, Mrs. Jackson is capable of using her years of expertise to reinforce any lesson content that she knows her students need for upcoming assessments. In that capacity, she does not hesitate to form ideas, use strategies, and share materials that enhance the learning experiences of herRead MoreEssay on Life of Eudora Welty1060 Words   |  5 Pagescalled â€Å"Some Notes on River Country† or â€Å"A Worn Path†. Eudora Welty’s writing process began as she started using experience from her job as material for short stories. Welty knew that she was starting something new and she nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Salahuddin 2 did not expect success to come without a struggle. In June 1936 her story â€Å"Death of a Traveling Salesman† was published in the Journal Manuscript. Within the next two years her work had appeared in prestigious publication as Atlantic MonthlyRead MoreWhat Is The Internet Doing For Our Cognition?1308 Words   |  6 Pagesslowly dismantling our capacity for concentration and cognitive abilities overall. Carr is a technology and culture writer who was a 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist and a New Yorks Times bestseller. He has written for companies such as The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and the New York Times, therefore proves he is a genuine, credible writer. With multiple examples related to history, decades back, it seems that Carr’s is reaching out and trying to relate to a western, older, more intellectual audienceRead MoreThe Negative Effect Of Stereotypes1613 Words   |  7 Pagesor clique of people. These are the most common types of stereotypes that I ha ve seen in comedy. The purpose of my research is to find examples of the use of stereotypes in comedy and how it negatively affects people. I intend to prove my point by using the information that I have uncovered. Racial stereotypes are one of the many reasons that some races cannot get along with others. One race may assume the other is collectively the same, which results in that race being judgmental and close-minded

The History of Growth - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1396 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Level High school Did you like this example? History of Growth Since 1914, the first scheduled air service began in Florida, air travel industry has been facilitating economic growth, world trade, global integration and tourism industry over the last century. In North American, airline industry has undergone a significant development since the end of World War II. As the important of air transport has been recognized through the war, the demand for civil air transport grew explosively. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The History of Growth" essay for you Create order Many airlines had opportunities to increase their fleets and operate new routes (Airline for America, 2007). In 1978, Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act that transferred the control right over airline industry from the government to the market. The deregulation and liberalization widely spread from U.S. to the entire world that helped shape the evolution of the competitive international airline industry (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007). In Canada, the government fully deregulated airline industry in 1987 and adopted the Blue Sky Policy to encourage the liberalization of Air Transport Agreements in 2006(Transport Canada, 2012). At the beginning of the 21st century, airline industry experienced a financial crisis because of the global economic recession. Even worse, the September 11 terrorist attacks aggravated the industryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s difficult situation. The safety and security issues became critical to both airlines and passengers. From 2001 to 2005, th e net losses of U.S. airline industry were over $40 billion (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007). In 2008, the whole airline industry once again faced serious challenge from high fuel prices and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Great Recessionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . The operating profitability in 2008 is dropped from 4% gain in previous year to a disappointing loss of 1% (International Air Transport Association, 2010). Life Cycle: Maturity The current life cycle of Canadian airline industry is in the stage of maturity. The industry growth has decelerated and the competition is aggressive. The industry performance often fluctuates with the economy. As the result of the low industry profitability, cost management and efficiency improvement became the major strategic targets of airline industry instead of capacity growth. According to the data in Airlines Industry Profile: Canada (2005), the global economic downturn resulted in the Canadian airline industry presenting a negative compound annual rate of change of 4.4% over the 2000 to 2004 period. The demand of industry declined until 2003 that remained unchanged in the period 2000-2004. Facing the brutal market competition, airline mergers and acquisitions have been prevailing across the entire industry. In 2000, Air Canada increased their market share by the acquisition of and merger with their largest competitors Canadian Airlines. Although the performance had been im proved over 2005-2008, following the global airlines industry trend, Canadian airline industry suffered another decline in 2009 because of the high fuel price, disappointing demand and the economic recession. Over the last five years, the industry revenue growth was slightly below the Canada GDP growth after the recession. The data of Airlines Industry Profile: Canada (2014) showed that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the industry in the period 2009-2013 was 7.1%, while GDP grew at the compound annual rate of 8.5% over the same period. Looking forward, the growth of the industry is predicted to slow down with a CAGR of 3.8% for the next five years. Structure Legacy carriers often refer to airlines that established before the deregulation. They usually own more luxury aircrafts and offer first and business class seating with higher level of services. After the airline industry deregulation, legacy carriers started to use a hub-and-spoke system to organize their flights. The system allows airline to select some airports in major cities as hubs and connect to other cities as spokes. It provides less number of routes with more frequent services which increases the transportation resource efficiency. In addition, the system also allows legacy carriers to provide international long-haul flights. Therefore, in order to take advantage of competition among the major international gateways, domestic carriers have built alliance relationship with foreign carriers. Canadian air carriers can benefit from the alliance because of its important geographic location (Madore Shaw, 1993). Today Star Alliance is the largest global airline alliance with 26 member airlines including Air Canada. Competing against legacy carriers, low cost carriers have played a key role in short-haul domestic routes by using point-to-point system. Instead of stopover at hub, point-to-point system reduces connections and travel time. The low cost carriers expanded their significant market share during economic crisis in 2000. They offered lower fares and less services to attract price sensitive consumers. The most successful part of low cost carriers is the higher labor productivity than legacy carriers. The flexible work culture and cross-utilization employees create a labor cost advantage for low cost carriers (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007). Economics Airline industry is one of the lowest returns on invested capital among all the industries, which on average the returns hardly meet investorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ earning expectation. The averaged ROIC of global airline industry is 4.1% over the period 2004 to 2011, which is enable the industry to pay for its debt interest costs and small dividend. However, it was still far below the average cost of capital of 7.5 %( IATA, 2013). According to the IATA Industry Statistics (2014), the revenue of global commercial airlines in 2013 was $710 billion, and the net profit was 10.6 million, only a 1.5% margin on revenues. The global airline industryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fuel cost accounted for 30% of the total $690 billion operating expense, which continues to be the largest proportion of operating cost. The total fuel bill of $210 billion, compared with the industry profits of 10.6 billion, showed that the entire airline industry facing the structural issues that squeeze the profit too thin. F or North American market, the net profit in 2013 was $7 billion, and EBIT margin was 5.3% on revenues, which was higher than the other regions (IATA, 2014). In Canada, the airline industry value was $17255.6 million last year, and the market volume was 59.5 million passengers. For Canadian airline industry, domestic is always the largest segment of the total volume (Martketline, 2014). Technology Since the rising fuel price and air pollution are two most important issues for aviation, the airline industry has been developing technologies that would improve the aircrafts fuel efficiency throughout the years. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization environment report (2010), compared with aircraft in 1985, modern aircraft has reduced 15% fuel burn and deliver 40% lower carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, the government of Canada launched the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) to encourage research and development of strategic innovative projects in the aerospace and defence sectors. The SADI has invested $300 million to improve aircraft engine technology and fuel consumption (Finance Canada, 2013). Three significant technologies in aircraft design are prevailing in the industry. The first is weight reduction, which can maximum the carrierà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s load factor using same amount of fuel burn. Future aircraft will have 70% advanced mate rial, including à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“composite wings and parts of the fuselageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  to reduce 15% weight. The second is aerodynamics improvements that reduce friction drag and maintain optimal laminar flow. The potential application areas are wings, nacelles, empennages and winglets. The last one is engine-specific performance improvement, which can provide clean and efficient power. The achievement of engine improvement in last ten years provided 2% fuel consumption improvement. As the technology matures, new engine is expected to save 15% fuel consumption (ICAO, 2010, p.74-75). Reference: Airline for America. (2007). Airline Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.airlines.org/Pages/Airline-Handbook-Chapter-1-Brief-History-of-Aviation.aspx International Air Transport Association. (2010). Airline Profits 2008. Retrieved from https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/Airline_2008_Profits_Feb2010.pdf Transport Canada. (2012). The 2006 Blue Sky Policy: Objectives, Principles, and Approach. Retrieved from https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/Airline_2008_Profits_Feb2010.pdf International Air Transport Association. (2013). Profitability and the air transport value chain. Retrieved from https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/profitability-and-the-air-transport-value chain.pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2007). Airline Industry Overview. Retrieved from https://web.mit.edu/airlines/analysis/analysis_airline_industry.html Madore, O., Shaw, J. D. (1993). The Canadian airline industry: its structure, performance and prosp ect. Retrieved from https://publications.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/BP/bp329-e.htm#A. Industry Marketline. (2014). Airline Industry Profile: Canada. Retrieved from https://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/bsi/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?si[email  protected]/* */vid=15hid=112 Datamonitor. (2005). Airline Industry Profile: Canada. Retrieved from https://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/bsi/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?si[email  protected]/* */vid=2hid=112 Finance Canada. (2013). Budget Plan 2013. Retrieved from https://www.fin.gc.ca/new_template/2013/doc/plan/toc-tdm-eng.html International Civil Aviation Organization. (2010). ICAO Environmental Report 2010. Retrieved from https://www.fin.gc.ca/new_template/2013/doc/plan/toc-tdm-eng.html Fact sheet: https://www.iata.org/pressroom/facts_figures/fact_sheets/Documents/industry-facts.pdf

Starbucks Global Issues Free Essays

string(77) " learn about different cultures more easily as well as adapt new lifestyles\." Business Faculty Starbucks Case Study. Written by: Module title: Issues in Global Business Consultancy Module code: 6IM004 Word count: 2902 Contents Introduction3 Methodology4 Company’s profile5 Globalisation6 Globalisation of markets6 Globalisation of production7 Antiglobalisation protests7 Business ethics8 Employment practices8 Human rights8 Environmental pollution9 Moral obligations9 Conclusion10 References:11 Introduction Globalisation referred by Hill (2009) is the shift towards a more integrated world. It is the process of economies, societies and cultures integrated through a global network. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Global Issues or any similar topic only for you Order Now One of those networks is trade network. This means that there is a movement of materials and goods between national boundaries. Globalisation also involves movement of labour and causes a variety of effects: political ethical, cultural, social, etc. More importantly, the effects brought by it can cause issues that require further investigation. The purpose of this report is to center around a major organisation – Starbucks Coffee Company and to carry out a depth investigation into its position in global market and issues related to it. The report will firstly present the research methods used to get the information and justify that. Secondly, will discuss globalisation and its position in Starbucks Company including criticism that exists. Later on, the report will discuss ethical issues raised by the globalisation of the company, including employment practices, human rights, environmental pollution and moral obligations. Finally, the conclusion will be drawn. Methodology In order to investigate the company and its operations, the research has to be carried out so that issues could be addressed. As described by University of Oxford, research â€Å"comprise creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications† (2010). The stock of knowledge in this case refers to the information of the company. Research is carried out to define a series of problems or issues. The context of research has to be described in order to specify why it is important to understand and learn about raised questions. Also, particular research methods have to be chosen, described and justification on why they were chosen and what impact it has on the discussion has to be given. To start with, two topics to investigate were chosen for the research. The definition of issues was given to understand what information is needed. Then, the research was carried out. There are different methods the research can be carried out, however for this case study the research was based on the collection of qualitative data that already exists. Brassington Pettit (2003) describe it as a secondary data that was collected by someone else for one purpose and is later used by someone else for the same or other purposes. It can include newspapers, magazines, books, websites, memos, transcripts of conversations, annual reports, etc. This type of research allows one to understand existing theories and look for examples which then may lead to drawing the conclusions about relevant issues. In this case study, numerous sources of secondary data was used: books, journal articles, web-sites. Also, statistical and numerical data presented by Power Point presentations was acquired I order to justify theories and identify company’s positions. â€Å"Case study† term has to be brought in this context as the research is focusing only one specific objective – Starbucks Coffee Company. Colorado State University (2010) defines case study as a collection and presentation of information of specific agent and drawing a conclusion only about that specific agent. It is a form of qualitative research. Researches investigating a case study do not look for discoveries but focus on exploration and description. All in all, the methodology used to conduct a research helped to build a case study centering around Starbucks Coffee Company, which provided a depth-description of it, raised questions and provided justifications. Finally, after emphasizing the importance of issues and the importance caused to the company, the research allowed drawing the conclusions and giving recommendations. Company’s profile Starbucks, first opened in Seattle in 1971 and now operates in over 16,000 locations in 50 countries. The mission of the company is to nurture the human spirit – â€Å"one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time† (Starbucks 2010). The company emphasizes the fact how important it is to Starbucks to deliver the best coffee to its customers. Therefore it aims to serve coffee grown under best conditions, also including ethical and healthy standards. The organisation sees its employees as the heart of the company and treats them with respect and dignity. It even offers the percentage of the equity to its employees also called â€Å"partners† by the company. The company aims to be known not only for the quality of the coffees it offers but also for being a responsible business. It wants to be respected by customers, partners and suppliers. Therefore Starbucks has established ethical policies to follow: â€Å"we have identified three areas of focus: ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship and community involvement† (Starbucks 2010). The company is constantly expanding by adapting international strategy – joint ventures or providing licenses to other companies to own and operate Starbucks stores. This is the impact of globalisation which will be discussed further. It is still look for countries to set up in (Jung 2003). Globalisation As mentioned before, globalisation is a shift towards integration of economy, cultures and societies. Hill (2009) identifies two sectors of globalisation: globalisation of markets and globalisation of production. Globalisation of markets Hill (2009) defines globalisation of markets as the merging of very distinctive from the historical point of view and separate national markets into one global unit. He continues explaining that markets converge as consumers’ tastes and preferences from different countries are becoming more and more alike. Vrontis et al. (2009) confirms that the world is becoming similar in terms of consumers’ needs and environmental factors no matter what geographical locations they are in. Moreover, globalisation also stimulates the movement of people from one country to another which means that it is easier for people to learn about different cultures more easily as well as adapt new lifestyles. You read "Starbucks Global Issues" in category "Papers" As consumers have same demands, similar marketing strategies can be applied worldwide. Starbucks is a facilitator and benefactor of globalisation of markets as it offers the same basic product worldwide. Although there are many proponents of standardisation used globally, there are also supporters of the view that markets cannot be standardized due to cultural influences upon the consumers. Despite that, firms operating internationally, bring their own assets to other countries – products, operating strategies, marketing strategies and brand names that can be amended later on. For instance, Starbucks operates in a number of countries with different tastes. If we take UK and China, the coffee served is the same, the brand promotion is similar, the logo used is the same as a result of strengthening brand identity and image, while the food served in stores has the flavour of the culture the store is located (Simmons 2005). This brings up the standardisation vs. adaptation phenomenon which occurs in global markets. In this case Starbucks uses both approaches by standardizing products (coffees) and promotion campaigns (same image) and adapting to different cultures (different flavours). Starbucks shows adaptation further by offering green tea frappucino’es in Asia and separate men-only and family areas in Middle East. Due to globalisation and expansion, Starbucks has the largest market share in the industry. [pic] Picture1: Starbucks locations worldwide (www. pajamadeen. com 2008). Globalisation of production According to Hill (2009) globalisation of production refers to â€Å"sourcing goods and services from locations around the globe to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production (labour, energy, land, capital)†. Outsourcing allows companies to compete ore effectively and benefit from economies of scale. Starbucks is the facilitator of globalisation of production as highest quality Arabica beans for coffees are produced in coffee farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia (Starbucks 2010). Although it might seem that globalisation of production can implement high costs on the organisation, in reality it doesnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t. Hill (2009) explains that transportation costs have declined as well as costs of information processing due to technological development. These changes now allow Starbucks to achieve their goal to serve best quality coffees by dispersing production system. In this way, the company also enjoys lower prices of production due to ability of the chosen locations to produce coffee beans better than let’s say United Kingdom. Moreover, the benefits of globalisation of production can be seen not only by Starbucks but also by people living in production countries as new work places are created. Antiglobalisation protests Although business leaders and economists insist that international trade and investment is driving global markets towards a greater prosperity, stimulates economic growth and helps to create jobs, globalisation has its critics. The actions of the critics are called globalisation protests (Hill 2009). Critics protest against issues raised by globalisation including job losses in the industries that are attacked from foreign competitors, unfair wages for unskilled workforce, environmental degradation and cultural imperialism (the use of power to spread the values and habits of foreign country under the costs of native country – The University of Florida Interactive Media Lab 2010). Starbucks is no exception in this case. When it decided to cut 600 stores in the US and 61 in Australia cutting of up to 12,000 jobs in America and 685 in the country, this, as said by British journalist â€Å"earned VIP status at the top table of brands that anti-globalisation activists love to hate (cited in O’Neill 2008). This was criticized as the company betrayed it’s view about employees seeing in the heart of the company by cutting job places during difficult economic times in order to save profits. The jobs were most important to immigrants and students to support themselves. Another criticized factor was that the skills gained in the company by the workforce were hardly transferable (O’Neill 2008). Starbucks was perceived negatively in the UK and other European countries as well. These â€Å"American bullies† (Bloomberg 2005) are blamed for devastating local cafes, treating staff badly and putting its suppliers to poverty. However, Starbucks is trying to reduce criticism by showing the awareness of the countries they get products from – Sumatra, Kenya, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, participating and supporting local charities and winning awards. Starbucks leader Howard Schultz explains that the company is trying not to influence other countries and adapting to local cultures by serving the core product adding local tastes. Business ethics The criticism of anti-globalists has increased the number of ethical issues in the company. Hill (2009) defines ethics as â€Å"the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct of a person, the members of profession, or the actions of an organisation†. Ethical strategy is the path of actions conducted by businessmen that do not violate the accepted principles. Many ethical issues in international businesses depend on different political systems, laws, development and cultures. What can be acceptable I one country can be highly restricted in another. Starbucks Coffee Company has a number of ethical issues to be discussed. Employment practices The question often faced by international companies is what employment practices should be applied in the countries they operate. Do the same working hours, wages and benefits should be used? Back in 1999 the concern was raised in Kent, United States, about Starbucks employment practices as the complaints included suspension without pay for swearing or supporting unions, safety issues, unstandartised wage system and denied promotions. To overcome that Shultz introduced healthcare benefits that were welcomed with praise for the company. The benefits were also applied for part-time workers that was seen a good implementation of business ethics by US president (Organic Consumers Association 2010). Moreover, individual complains were handled and opportunities provided for the promotion. In general Starbucks has been rated at no. 16 on the list of 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2007 (2008) and no. 11 on the list of best companies for women to work too. This leads to the assumption that the company implements good employment strategies. Starbucks offers benefits such as tuition reimbursement, partner benefits, a wellness program. All in all, Starbucks tries to implement a standardized employment strategy in its stores worldwide, providing same benefits to the employees and emphasizing the view of workforce being in the heart of the company. Human rights Basic human rights are still not accepted in certain countries. The companies have to inform their employees about the human law so that practices they conduct would be correct. However, Starbucks has already suffered from misconduct of human rights. One of the most obvious examples goes to December 2010 when staff locked up opponents of the regime in Bahrain in a branch in the capital Manama (Spencer 2010). The company had to apologize for the incident. Talking about the human rights within the organization, Starbucks is committed to treat all employees equally with the provision of human rights and eliminating discriminatory practices (Starbucks 2010). The company has Starbucks Global Human Rights Policy which guides employees and â€Å"protects the unique rights of children to pursue basic education as a priority over work, prohibits forced labor, supports the rights of employees to engage in free association, and supports the provision of equal human rights to all persons† (Starbucks 2010). Environmental pollution Ethical issues arise when environmental regulations differ between the home country of the company and other nations the organisation operates (Hill, 2009). Less developed countries are not as strict therefore pollution there might be bigger. This concern Starbucks as it acquires its products in third world countries. To show its responsibility, Starbucks has created Starbucks Shared Planet Tm, which has 3 commitments: â€Å"sourcing our coffee ethically, acting as good stewards of the environment, and being actively involved in our communities† (Starbucks 2010). The company aims to minimize the negative effect it gives to the earth, tackle climate change and encourage others to follow their footsteps. The company is focused on reducing the environmental effects by using disposable cups, increasing recycling policies and reducing the use of energy. Moral obligations The power of using and moving resources from country to county and controlling it is constrained not only by regulations but also by social responsibility which is the consequences of economic actions (Hill 2009). Theorists insist that for the success the companies get from nations, the organisations should give something back to the societies to make equilibrium. Therefore social responsibility refers to the honourable behaviour of the company in the response to the participation of certain agents to their success. Starbucks highly values its suppliers and the communities they are based in. Therefore the company is involved in local charities and campaigns. â€Å"Since 2001, Starbucks has contributed $126 million to communities in cash and in-kind donations and has supported nearly 1. 5 million volunteer hours (Starbucks 2010). † The company wants to make the difference I the communities its plants operate. Starbucks want to provide good environments to their suppliers and employees so that it could be transferred to the customers later on. Conclusion It can be clearly seen that due to converging markets businesses are trying to expand internationally. Starbucks Coffee Company is not an exception. It now has the largest share of the market and continues to grow. However, not all of the countries converge in the same way, which makes some of them still very distant. Therefore Starbucks has to adapt different marketing strategies worldwide. This can be resulted in the criticism by anti-globalisation movement, which raises important questions on business ethics. It can be seen that Starbucks has faced a number of problems considering employment practises and human rights, however it is heading towards strong business ethics concept by trying to adapt similar employment processes offering benefits, having human rights protection protocol, participating in local communities and encouraging the reduction of economical pollution. References: 1. Hill, C. W. L. (2009) International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. th edn. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. 2. Brassington, F. Pettitt, S. (2003) â€Å"Principles of Marketing†. 4th edn. London: Prentice Hall. 3. Marques, J. F. (2008) Spiritual Performance from the Organisational Perspective: a Starbucks Way, Corporate Governance. 8 (3), pp. 248-257. 4. Vrontis, D. , Thrassou, A. Lamprianou, I. (2009) International Marketing Adaptation versus Standardisation of Mu ltinational Companies, International Marketing Review. 26 (4/5), pp. 477-500. University of Oxford. (2010) Frascati Definition of Research. [Online]. Available at: http://www. dmin. ox. ac. uk/rso/applying/frascati. shtml (Accessed 3 December 2010). Colorado State University. (2010) Writing @ CSU [Online]. Available at: http://writing. colostate. edu/guides/research/casestudy/pop2a. cfm (Accessed 5 December 2010) Starbucks Coffee. (2010) Starbucks Company Profile. [Online]. Available at: http://www. starbucks. com/assets/company-profile-feb10. pdf (Accessed: 13 December 2010). Global Exchange. (2003) Lattes for all: Starbucks plans global expansion. [Online]. Available at: http://www. globalexchange. org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/662. tml (Accessed: 13 December 2010). Pajamadeen. (2008) Why Starbucks Failed in Australia. [Online]. Available at: http://www. pajamadeen. com/tag/starbucks (Accessed 13 December 2010). University of Florida. (2010) Cultural Imperialism. [Online]. Availa ble at: http://iml. jou. ufl. edu/projects/Spring01/Poux/Cultural%20Imperialism. html (Accessed 15 December 2010). Spiked. (2008) Starbucks and the socialism  of fools. [Online]. Available at: http://www. spiked-online. com/index. php/site/article/5547/ (Accessed 9 December 2010). Business Week. (2005) Starbucks: Selling the American Bean. Online] Available at: http://www. businessweek. com/innovate/content/dec2005/id20051201_506349. htm (Accessed 11 December 2010). Organic Consumers Association. (2010) Starbucks’ Grinding Labor By Doug Nielson. [Online]. Available at: http://www. organicconsumers. org/starbucks/grinding. cfm (Accessed 13 December 2010). The Telegraph. (2010) Bahrain human rights petition Starbucks. [Online]. Available at: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/bahrain/8191731/Bahrain-human-rights-petition-Starbucks. html (Accessed 13 December 2010). How to cite Starbucks Global Issues, Papers

Corporate Tax Case Study free essay sample

You are a CPA with an office in NearLakes City and clients consisting primarily of professionals, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. John Smith, Esq. , a practicing attorney with offices near yours, walks in your office and wants advice from you relating to a recent influx of cash he received as a result of winning a large jury verdict on behalf of his client in a personal injury case. His wife Jane Smith accompanies him during your meeting because she has some additional tax planning advice to ask of you. After reviewing John and Jane Smiths points of view, it will be your turn as a tax professional to decide on the best course of action from a tax perspective on their issues. Prepare a three page memo (at least 900-1,500 words per page) to John and Jane Smith addressing the issues presented. PLAYERS: JOHN SMITH ESQ. â€Å"I worked on this case for over two years. We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Tax Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The jury awarded my client $2,000,000 in damages, of which my fee was $300,000 plus recovery of expenses paid up front in the amount of $25,000. How is the $300,000 taxed? What about the $25,000? What can I do to minimize the tax consequences of each? Also, I am thinking about buying the building that I currently lease my office space in. My current lease is $3,500 per month. How is this lease reported on my income tax returns (either personally or for my business which is a separate law practice established as an LLC)? Do I get better tax benefits for paying the lease or for buying the building? What are the differences? † PLAYERS: JANE SMITH-PROFESSIONAL â€Å"I think that the fees would be better used for paying off our house and buying a new, bigger house that Ive had my eye on. Does it make better tax sense for us to pay off the mortgage, sell the house, and buy a new house, or should we just use the money to buy the new house after selling the old house? Also, I sell handcrafted jewelry which earned me $20,000 last year. Do my business activities constitute a trade or business for federal income tax purposes? Or, is this just a hobby? Should I establish a separate trade or business to get tax benefits on these earnings? Does it make any difference that I use my car primarily for transporting my jewelry to different shops around town? Finally, I think I can earn more money if John were willing to invest $15,000 for new jewelry making equipment since my original equipment, which cost $10,000 five years ago, is almost obsolete. Does this make sense from a tax perspective? † Given the scenario, your role and the information provided by the key players involved, it is time for you to make a decision. If you are finished reviewing this scenario, close this window and return to this weeks You Decide item, in your course window, to complete the activity for this scenario. You can return and review this scenario again at any time. Prepare a three-page memo (at least 900-1,500 words per page) to John and Jane Smith addressing the issues presented: 1. John Smith tax issues: a. How is the $300,000 treated for purposes of federal tax income? b. How is the $25,000 treated for purposes of federal tax income? c. What is your determination regarding reducing the taxable amount of income for both (a) and (b) above? d. Is it more beneficial to continue leasing the business space or to buy the building? 2. Jane Smith tax issues: a. What are the different tax consequences between paying down the mortgage (debt) and assuming a new mortgage (debt) for federal income tax purposes?  b. Can John and Jane Smith utilize a 1031 tax exchange to buy a more expensive house using additional money from Johns case? c. Does Jane have a business or hobby? Why is this distinction important? d. Would Jane (and John) realize better tax benefits if she had a separate business for her jewelry-making activities? e. What tax benefits would Jo hn realize if he invested $15,000 in Janes jewelry making? f. Can Jane depreciate her vehicle or jewelry-making equipment? How? 3. John and Jane Smith tax issue: a. Should John and Jane file separate or joint tax returns? You Decide: Its your turn as a tax professional to decide on the best course of action from a tax perspective on their issues as presented above. For each issue, begin by restating the issue and numbering as shown above [i. e. , 1(a), 1(b), etc. ]. Next, explain and discuss the tax rules that apply to the issue, which you gleaned from your tax research. Then, conclude with a definitive answer to the issue, supported by citations to the sources used. So  for each issue, you should 1. state the issue; 2. explain and discuss the applicable law (IRC sections, regulations, court decision, and so forth); and 3.  present your answer in the form of a concluding paragraph that  refers to specific language from the IRC sections, regulations, court decisions, and other sources (if applicable) to support the conclusion. *A template has been provided for your use in preparing this activity. Please use it! Citations Citations are required. You must provide citations whenever you refer to the sources of tax law used in this memorandum. You may cite your sources in numbered footnotes, numbered endnotes, or in parentheses immediately after the sentence mentioning the cited source. Grading Rubric Category Points Description Superior 100–125 Content and subject:  Easily identifiable, clear; meets or exceeds page or word-length requirement; all required citations are provided Structure:  Apparent, understandable, and applicable; excellent flow and well structured Analysis:  Interesting and novel; provides different perspectives; demonstrates critical thinking and critical analysis at a high level   Mechanics:  Virtually devoid of errors in grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling Achieving 80–99 Content and subject:  Concrete overall, but may be slightly unclear; meets or exceeds page- or word-length requirement; some citations missing Structure:  Generally clear and appropriate Analysis:  Evidence relates to the content; evidence may lack some clarity; critical analysis and critical thinking apparent Mechanics:  Good sentence structure (syntax), grammar, punctuation, and spelling, with minor errors Average 65–79 Content and subject:  Fairly easy to read and understand, but paper meanders from topic or lacks cohesion or content; meets page- or word-length requirement; missing most citations Structure:  Overall good, with minor shortfalls Analysis:  Some critical thinking, but minimal or no analysis or further discussion by the adult learner Mechanics:  Sentence structure has some errors relative to syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling Below Average lt; 65 Content and subject:  Often unstructured and vague; content not totally applicable to the papers requirements or introduces substantial material not relevant to the assignment and/or the relevant discussion points; no citations provided for tax law research   Structure:  Mostly unclear and difficult to visualize Analysis:  Very limited with no analysis or further discussion by the adult learner that demonstrates adult learner critical thinking/analysis Mechanics:  Numerous mistakes in sentences, paragraph formatting, spelling, and grammar that subtract from the content of the paper; writing errors suggest minimal likelihood that paper was proofread for errors prior to submission; writing not at graduate level