Importance of fault-based liability in English law Essay

Fault is regarded as blame, or responsibility for doing something wrong. The concept of fault is integral to the English legal system when it comes to deciding guilt of liability. In fact, in many areas of law if fault could not be assigned, the system would fall apart as liability can only be found if fault is established first. Fault is particularly important in cases which require mens rea. In these cases it will have to be proven that a certain state of mind was present in the defendant. In criminal law the requirement that mens rea or a guilty mind be established amounts to saying that criminal liability is imposed on blameworthy activity. This close connection between fault and mens rea results in punishment being based on the degree of moral blameworthiness that the defendant is believed to have possessed. The fact that this degree of blameworthiness not only determines whether the defendant will simply be found guilty or not guilty, but is concerned with the punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation of individuals whose conduct is considered by the law to be not only wrongs against other individuals, but also against society as a whole, suggests fault is clearly an essential element. To determine fault the person in question must understand the nature of their actions, be able to exercise control over their actions and must have genuinely chosen to act as they did. These three requirements mean a person’s degree of fault can be reduced if it can be said they are insane, in doli capax (incapable of a crime i.e. a child under the age of ten), or have acted under duress. The recognition of being insane or in doli capax clearly means that they were not able to fully understand the nature of their actions, whilst acting under duress results in them not being able to choose to act as they did. It is also possible that they may not have the capacity to make a genuine choice. In these circumstances it can still be said that the defendant is at fault, but only partially. When dealing with criminal law fault is central to crime in the form of mens rea. Without this element being satisfied the defendant cannot be found to be criminally liable, with the exception of crimes of strict liability. There are three distinct degrees of fault in criminal law, namely, intention, recklessness and negligence. The more at fault a defendant is, the highest degree being intention, then the more they will be held responsible for their crimes. There is also evidence to support this when looking at the two broad categories of crimes; Specific intent crimes and basic intent crimes. Crimes of specific intent consist of those where the mens rea must be intention. Since these crimes hinge upon the highest degree of moral blameworthiness, the greatest degree of fault, they apply to the most serious crimes, such as murder, section 18 GBH and wounding offences, robbery and burglary for example. Subsequently, these crimes also carry the most severe sanctions. Basic intent crimes however require only recklessness to prove criminal liability. It can be considered then that a defendant in a reckless state of mind is less at fault than one possessing the necessary intention, so these crimes tend to carry less maximum prison sentences for example. Involuntary manslaughter, section20 GBH and wounding offence, assault and ABH are all included in the definition of basic intent crimes. The reasoning behind these categories can be understood using Oatley. The defendant here was suffering from severe postnatal depression when she killed her 11-day-old baby by swinging her head against the stairs. Although she was of sound mind this act would have been given a very severe punishment, probably a lengthy prison sentence, she was given a two year probation order and medical treatment. Clearly the defendant was at fault, but only partially due to the postnatal depression. The degree of fault that she possessed at the time of the actus reus was impaired and therefore the degree of punishment should reflect this. Civil law also incorporates the idea of fault into its system. Liability for negligence only arises when the defendant has breached his duty of care to his neighbour and harm occurs as a result of this. In these circumstances fault is defined as falling below a standard of conduct expected of the reasonable person in those circumstances. Although there is evidence to suggest that fault is in fact an essential element in liability, there is some evidence to weaken this theory. Firstly, it is possible that in practice, liability can hinge on chance as well as fault. This can be illustrated using a number of cases, including R v White. In this case the defendant tried to poison his mother but she ended up dying of natural causes before the poison could take effect. Because of this he was not able to be convicted of attempted murder. The defendant clearly had the necessary mens rea, he intended to kill his mother, but chance meant his mother died of natural causes, just a few moments later and maybe the poison could have had an input. However, the poison did not cause the prohibited result so he was not criminally liable. Also, in R v Mitchell, the defendant pushed a man in a queue, who in turn fell against another, who in turn fell against an elderly lady who had to have an operation from which she died. The Court of Appeal ruled that transferred malice applied to unlawful act manslaughter. Chance played in a part in this case too, as it just so happened that the elderly lady was in that queue, that the person he did push fell, not only falling onto someone else, but then that person falling onto the old lady. It was chance therefore in this case that enabled the defendant to be liable for the death of the lady, instead of maybe just for the battery of the first man in the queue. Both these cases illustrate that fault alone is not just what determines someone’s liability; chance can often play an essential part too. Indeed, sometimes fault may be left out altogether from the equation, in crimes of strict liability. Fault can be further understood when looking at negligence. Negligence is carelessness, the defendant wasn’t thinking like the ordinary reasonable person would have done, it’s a lack of thought as oppose to actual thought, not taking enough care that the ordinary reasonable person would have done. In the case of Gibbons and Proctor, Proctor actually wanted the girl dead and so she was convicted of murder as she intended to kill, however Gibbons was merely negligent he wasn’t taking enough care of the child thus he wasn’t convicted of murder he was only convicted of GNM. It must be questioned as to the importance of fault here, negligence is a very low level of fault, it’s not thinking of something you should have thought yet it can lead to a conviction of manslaughter, a homicide conviction. It would seem therefore that fault doesn’t seem to be that important here because you can still convict someone of manslaughter however if you are convicted of manslaughter the judge in that case has complete discretion over sentencing. However still should fault not be more important in this instance, should there not be a higher level of fault than mere negligence. The judge can give an absolute discharge if they chose to do so, if we take in to account proportionality, this is still recognised in the sentence however the defendant would still be labelled as a murderer. In cases involving negligence, the neighbour principal, established in Donoghue v Stevenson is used to determine whether or not the defendant was at fault. This involves looking at whether there a duty of care that was breached, causing the damage to occur, as it was deemed unfair to expect the individual to be liable for people to whom a duty of care cannot be found. The defendant will not be found to be at fault if they have taken reasonable steps to avoid damage occurring, which meet the standards of care that an ordinary and reasonable person would take. The concept of fault is also central to criminal law, for example at trial the prosecution will try to show that the defendant was at fault, whilst the defence aim to show that they were not at fault, and during sentencing the amount of fault which the defendant is considered to have will affect the severity of their sentence. The highest level of fault comes in crimes which were committed intentionally, with the defendant setting out to commit the crime, perhaps having planned it first. The next type of fault is recklessness, which following G v R will always be subjective, which is less serious as there was no intention to commit the crime. However this is still a serious form of fault as the defendant has foreseen a risk. The use of fault in strict liability crimes has been quite controversial as in these crimes the courts are able to assign fault without the presence of a mens rea, so long as the actus reus has been committed. For example, in The Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Storkwain, a pharmacist was found guilty of supplying a drug to an addict on a forged prescription despite there being no fault on his part, which many would view as being overly harsh given that by the ordinary person’s standards he would not be considered to have been at fault. Strict liability offences are those where a conviction results from proof of mens rea alone. There is no actus reus requirement, and therefore no need for the defendant’s degree of fault to be established. For example, in the case of Callow v Tillstone, a butcher was convicted of selling meat unfit for human consumption even though it had been inspected and approved by a qualified vet before hand. Similarly, in Smedley v Breed, the defendant was found guilty of selling unfit food even though only four tins out of three million tested were found to contain caterpillars. One case that illustrates absolute liability is R v Larsonneur. The accused was an alien the subject of an exclusion order under which it would be an offence for her to enter the United Kingdom. She was brought to the United Kingdom handcuffed to the police and very much against her will and yet she was still convicted for violating the exclusion order. It is clear that in these examples from the criminal law there is some liability being imposed in the absence of fault. These exceptions can also be found in civil law, although limited. Perhaps the major instance of liability being imposed without fault in tort can be found in the area of vicarious liability. This is when one person is held liable for the tort of another person. This was a practical mechanism established to find someone who was able to pay for damages to the claimant, primarily in respect of the employer for the torts of the employee. Obviously it would be in the claimant’s best interest if they could obtain damages from a large employer for the actions of an individual employee. The justification for this is that the employer should be able to exercise control over their employees and so they can be held liable for the torts of their employees providing that the employee is not on a ‘frolic of his own’. This can be seen in Rose v Plenty where the employers were liable when an employee gave a lift to a person, who subsequently assisted with the deliveries that were the job of the employee and died. In some circumstance liability is still imposed even when the employer gave express and implicit instructions to the employee not to do the very thing that he then did so incurring vicarious liability on the employer. Therefore, whilst this handful of examples of some of the exceptions, both in criminal and civil law, to the general case, they are sufficient to show that the statement that there can be no liability without fault is too general to be true, thus weakening the argument that fault is an essential element in determining liability. Similarly controversial is the use of fault in State of Affairs crimes, where the defendant may have involuntarily committed an offence, yet are still guilty. One such example is Winzar v Chief Constable of Kent in which a drunken man was taken from a hospital onto a road outside by the police, and then arrested for being drunk on the highway, even though he would never have made it onto the highway without the â€Å"help† of the police. As with Strict Liability crimes, the ordinary person would not see the defendant as being at fault here, and may view the use of fault in this area of the law as being unfair. The issue of fault is even present in defences, in that aggravating and mitigating factors can be used to lessen the amount of fault which the defendant is thought of having. For example someone on bail who plans an attack on an old lady will be seen as being more at fault than someone committing their first offence and entering an early plea of guilty. The concept of fault therefore is present in many areas of law, both civil and criminal. In many cases, without the need to prove fault, system would not work as it is necessary for one party to be blamed for the criminal offence in order to settle it.

Pure conversation movement in China Essay

The â€Å"Pure Conversation† (qingtan ) cultural movement emerged in the Wei-Jin period and is defined as not only the approach that scholars communicate with each other, sharing their thoughts, but also a form that shows the main stream of the philosophy thoughts of the society in the Wei-Jin period. (Tang 1991, pg. 18). :This essay will introduce the â€Å"Pure Conversation†(qingtan) movement by analyzing the reason that it emerged and the influences of it. In the first part, the origin of qingtan will be introduced. It is advocated by the historian that qingtan is an extension of qingyi in the late Han dynasty, which will be explained in details later. (Tang 1991, pg. 11)). While discussing the reasons of its origin, some points of view of scholars will be reviewed. Also, the argument that whether the â€Å"Pure Conversation† has negative or positive influences to the society will be discussed. Some scholars believed qingtan is the major reason that caused the fall of the dynasty. (Chan 1963: pg. 314). However, the positive influences of qingtan cannot be ignored. Since qingtan helped to develop Neo-Daoism, it is one side to judge qingtan as a completely negative thing. (Chan,1963:316). In the last part, a comprehensive conclusion will be given to conclude that in what extent qingtan has positive influences and negative influences to the society. :Yiming Tang in his dissertation proposed that the â€Å"Pure Conversation† (qingtan) cultural movement in Wei-Jin period refers to the conversation that conducted by educated elites to discuss about the events including human life, society and the universe. (Tang 1991, pg. 18). :He also pointed out that qingtan often took the form of debate to illustrate the ability of eloquence and rhetorical skills of the participants. (Tang 1991, pg. 18). :Miyazaki Ichisada, a Japanese historian argued that the origin of qingtan could date back to the Han dynasty. (Tang 1991, pg. 11. ). In his opinion, qingtan is an extension of qingyi in the late Han dynasty. (Tang 1991, pg. 11). Brackenridge Scot in his dissertation â€Å"The Character of Wei-Jin qingtan Reading Guo Xiang’s â€Å"Zhuang Zi†Ã¢â‚¬  pointed out that in the Han dynasty, qingyi literally means pure criticism, which is used by the eminent scholars to comment on politics and the talents that the government uses. (Scot 2010, pg. 33). Later, Neo-Taoism (xuanxue ? ? ) flourished in the  Wei-Jin period, the subject of qingyi changed to talking about xuan ?. (Scot 2010, pg. 29). Therefore, the term qingtan replaced qingyi and it was generally referred as xuanyan , tanxuan sometimes. (Scot 2010, pg. 33). ? ? ? ? ? ? ? : There are some reasons that proposed by scholars to analyze why the â€Å"Pure Conversation† (qingtan) cultural movement appeared in the Wei-Jin period. A historian of Chinese philosophy Chan Wing-tsit believed that after the collapse of the Han dynasty, the poor situation of the country did not improved under Wei’s dominant is an important reason. (Chan 1963: pg. 314). It is demonstrated that the continuous war and repeated floods and drought caused a largely decreased population and a poor living standard of people. (Chan 1963: pg. 314) However, the government of the Wei dynasty still repeated the ugly drama of the Han dynasty. (Chan 1963: pg. 314). The corrupt government directly leading to many scholars lost the confidence to the government, thus they refused to serve the government and escape from the reality in order to research the transcendental values using the form of qingtan. (Chan 1963: pg. 314). Further, another historian of Chinese philosophy Fung Yu-lan believed that  the appearance of the â€Å"Pure Conversation† cultural movement followed the trend of the philosophy ideology development in Chinese history. (Fung 1959: pg. 231). In the Han dynasty, thinking of Confucius was the dominated ideology in the society. (Chan 1963, pg. 315). Moreover, the government selected talents by the criteria that whether people can recite the classics of Confucius. (Chan 1963, pg. 316). Therefore, the thinking of Confucius was widely spread and well developed. However, after experienced the continuous war, many precious classical books of Confucius were damaged and destroyed. (Chan 1963: pg. 316). When the  Wei came to the central power, the numbers of the teacher that who teaching the rites and thoughts of Confucius was shapely decreased. (Chan 1963: pg. 316). Therefore, the Daoism with simplified thoughts and rites were widely spread due to this special historical context. Daoism significantly influenced people in the Wei-Jin period which leading to the approach that used to discuss the thinking of Taoism qingtan was very popular. (Fung 1959: pg. 231). As it mentioned before, qingtan often took the form of debate to display the ability of eloquence and rhetorical skills of the participants. The book Shishuo Xinyu complied by Liu Yi-qing , who is a princess of Liu-Song dynasty 420-429, records the activities of scholar officials and noble families from the end of the Han dynasty to the end of the Eastern Jin dynasty. (Tang 1991, pg. 15). This book is the only extant book from Wei-Jin period. (Tang 1991, pg. 15). Although it is traditionally classified as a novella (xiaoshuo ? ? ) and not a history in the strict sense, it is historical intent and can give an impression of the life and thought of the upper social class during Wei-Jin period as Tang argued. (Tang 1991, pg. 16). Professor Richard Mather’s English version of Shishuo Xinyu (Anew account of tales of the world) will be cited in this essay for discussing qingtan. A group of men of letters during the Wei-Jin period (mingshi , â€Å"famous scholars† or â€Å"famous gentlemen†) is noticed as the most famous representation of the activity of qingtan, which is known as the â€Å"Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove† ? ? ? ? (zhulinqixian). (Scot 2010, pg. 2). The â€Å"Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove† including Ji Kang , Ruan Ji ? ?, Shan Tao , Xiang Xiu , Liu Ling , Wang Rong and Ruan Xian . (Scot 2010, pg. 3). Shishuo Xinyu described them as â€Å"The seven used to gather beneath a bamboo grove, letting their fancy free in merry  revelry. † It is pointed out that their life style was opposed to orthodox values (i. e. , Confucian) and government service, and that instead they were devoted to wine, music, literature, and the art of conversation (qingtan). (Chan 1963, pg. 315). Also, they conducted qingtan is described as purely an escape from reality. (Chan 1963: pg. 314). As a representation of advocating qingtan, it can be seen that many educated elites in Wei-Jin period were acting just like the â€Å"Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove†; they did not care about national affairs but conducted qingtan for entertainment all day. Critics judged this type of  behavior as the most important reason for the fall of the dynasty. : Gu Yan-wu (1613-1682) who is a Chinese philologist in the late Ming dynasty and the early Qing dynasty (Bartlett 2009, pg. 185) used the activity of qingtan during the Wei-Jin period as an example to blame scholars in the later Ming dynasty for they do not have concerns about the society but advocate to empty talks, thus the Ming dynasty fell. (Bartlett 2009, pg. 185). In an essay of his work Rizhi lu (Record of Daily Learning), he proposed that: When (the barbarian chiefs) Liu (Yuan) and Shi (Le) invaded China (in  the early 4th century), the root cause was the widespread intellectual collapse due to (Neo-Daoist) qingtan thought; everyone knows that. †¦ They do not study the classical texts, and don’t investigate the records of the great rulers, they substitute empty phrase for the substantial learning of self-cultivation and governing others. (Bartlett 2009, pg. 189). Qingtan directly leading to the result that the regime collapsed is one criticism by scholars to the ethos of talking about xuanxue during the Wei-Jin period. Although it is partial to comment that the regime in Wei-Jin period fell because of qingtan, the truth that the Wei-Jin scholars  abandoned the real world affairs and concentrated on abstract and theoretical activities cannot be denied. No. 3 of Affairs of State from Shishuo Xinshuo demonstrated that: Wang Meng, Liu Tan and the monk Zhi Daolin came to visit general He. However, He was reading documents and letters and paid no attention to them. Wang said to him, â€Å"We’ve come today with Zhi Daolin for a visit, hoping you would lay aside ordinary duties and join us in some abstruse conversation. How does it happen that we find you just now with bowed head reading this stuff? † He replied, â€Å"If I didn’t read ‘this stuff’, how would you fellows manage  to survive? Everyone considered it as a fine answer. It is illustrated by Shishuo Xinshuo that people in Wei-Jin period were aware of the harmful effect of qingtan. Although the criticisms above about qingtan are reasonable, qingtan still have some positive aspects that should be noticed. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? : First of all, it is argued that the aesthetic values of qingtan couldn’t be ignored. Fung in his work Short history of Chinese philosophy pointed out that: The art of such conversation (qingtan) consisted in expressing the best thought, which was usually Daoistic, in the best language and tersest phraseology. (Fung 1959, pg. 231). As it mentioned before, qingtan has high requirement to the ability of eloquence and rhetorical skills of the participants. Tang concluded the critiques of a good qingtan as, first of all, the participants should be creative and not mimic other’s point of view; secondly, their argument should be soundly reasonable and convincing; thirdly, they have to be eloquent and rich in style. (Tang 1991, pg. 43). From the critiques of qingtan, it is demonstrated that qingtan is not only an approach to exchange the intellectual’s thinking but also a form of art to show the beauty of language. More importantly, Chan argued that the most significant influence of qingtan is that the Wei-Jin scholars developed new thinking that is Neo-Taoism (xuanxue) under the effects of the Daoism of the Laozi and Zhuangzi. (Chan,1963:316). The Wei-Jin scholars enjoyed debate with each other, and enjoyed ‘demolishing â€Å"objections†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. (Chan,1963:316). However, they were not satisfied with the argumentation they developed in research of transcendental values, they further exploit the concepts of Taoism and the Neo-Taoism appeared. (Chan,1963:316). Qingtan as the form talking about xuanxue helped Neo-Taoism flourished in the Wei-Jin period. As mentioned, the object of qingtan is talking about xuan, which refers to the content of the three books Zhuangzi , Laozi and Zhouyi . (Scot 2010,pg. 1). However, the foundation of Neo-Daoism was laid by the work of Wei-Jin scholars including Wangbi’s Laozi Zhu (Commentary to Laozi), Guoxiang’s Zhuangzi Zhu (Commentary to Zhuangzi) and Xiangxiu’s Zhouyi Zhu (Commentary to Zhouyi). (Scot 2010,pg. 2). Some examples from Shishuo Xinyu will be present to illustrate how people using qingtan to discuss xuanxue. ? ? ? : No. 55 of Letters and Scholarship recorded that one day Zhidao Lin, Xu, Xie Shengde and others of outstanding virtues were gathered together at the home of Wang Meng. Xie proposed that everyone should all speak or intone poems to express their feelings to memorize the assembly. He then asked everyone present to make an exposition of the title of one of Zhuangzi’s chapter Yufu. Then everyone told him what in his mind and discuss about each other’s idea. This story illustrated that during the Wei-Jin period, it is very normal to see a group of the educated elite gathered together to talk about xuanxue. : â€Å"No. 29 of Letters and Scholarship mentioned that Huan Wen  was assembling the famous and outstanding men of the time for lectures on the Zhouyi and was planning to do one hexagram a day. Emperor Jian Wen heard this he turned back, saying, â€Å"Some of the interpretations will naturally be difficult and some easy. How can each lecture be limited to one hexagram? † From this excerpt it can be seen that talking about Zhouyi was very popular in that time. By conducting qingtan, scholars in the Wei-Jin period developed the concept of â€Å"non-being† of the Daoism of Laozi and Zhuangzi and pursued the reality beyond the space and time instead in research of the mutual  effect between the nature and the man that was the most popular approach in Han thought. (Chan 1963: pg. 317). ; In the Han dynasty, the teachings of Confucius were the dominated philosophy thought. However, the situation was not beneficial for the diversity of the development of culture. (Chan 1963, pg. 317). Therefore, qingtan also helped to improve this situation; people did not necessarily learn the doctrines of Confucius and can gradually develop the ability of independent thinking by practicing qingtan (Chan 1963, pg. 315). Also, it is pointed out that the movement of  qingtan had created a spirit of critical and independent thinking. (Chan 1963, 315). As people no longer view Confucius as ‘a throneless king whose subtle doctrines lay behind his written word’ but ‘an ancient teacher who transmitted the wisdom of the past’. (Chan 1963: pg. 315). In conclusion, this essay introduced the background of the origin of qingtan, meanwhile, the reasons of its emergence were discussed. It is believed that qingtan is an expansion of qingyi that can be date back to the late Han dynasty. However, the subject of qingyi, which is, talking about politics had changed to talk about human life, society and the  universe, thus qingtan emerged. Reasons of its emergence can be concluded as scholars in the Wei-Jin period were disappointed to the government thus they used qingtan as an approach to escape the reality; another reason is that the development of Chinese philosophy helped the emergence of qingtan, since people in that time were attracted to Laozi and Zhuangzi. Before discussing the influences of qingtan, Shishuo Xinyu, a book recorded qingtan from Wei-Jin period was introduced. By referencing some stories from Shishuo Xinyu, the positive influence and negative influence of qingtan were discussed in a comprehensive view. It is argued that qingtan is an approach that used by the elites to escape the reality which leading to that the elites does not care about the national affairs d resulted in that the dynasty collapsed. However, some different perspectives were proposed that qingtan can have some positive effects referring to its aesthetic value, also it helped the Neo-Daoism flourished in the Wei-Jin period and it was beneficial to the diversity of the development of culture. By judging by the appearance, qingtan had negative effects because it prevented the development of the Wei-Jing society. However,  the reason of the fall of the Wei dynasty can be complicated more than just one. It is one side to make the judgment that qingtan directly leading to the fall of the dynasty. Still, the positive aspects should be considered when discussing qingtan. For the most important reason, Neo-Daoism will not be flourished and spread in Wei-Jin period without qingtan. References: Bartlett, Thomas (2009). Phonology as Statecraft in Gu Yanwu’s Thought in Link, P. (ed. ), The Scholar’s Mind in Honor of Frederick W. Mote (pp. 181-206). Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press. Chan, Wing-Tsit (1963). A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. (1953). A Short History of Chinese Philosophy. Bodde, Derk. (Ed. ). New York: The Macmillan Company. Liu Yi-qing, Shishuo Xinyu A New Account of Tales of the World, trans. Mather, Richard B, (2002). Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan. Scot. J Brackenridge (2010). The Character of Wei-Jin qingtan Reading Guo Xiang’s Zhuangzi commentary as an Expression of Political Practice. Received from ProQuest Digital Dissertations. (AAT 3448864). Tang, Yi-ming (1991). The voices of Wei-Jin scholars: A study of ‘qingtan’. Received from ProQuest Digital Dissertations. (AAT 9202757).

Analysis Of Benjamin Franklin s Autobiography, The...

FRANKLIN’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography is an inspiring tale of his personal, as well as public achievement throughout his life. Franklin’s life embodies the exemplary model of a life composed of discipline, self-reliance and self improvement. From his humble beginnings as an apprentice candle and soap maker in his father’s business to a successful business man, author, philosopher, civil activist, politician scientist, inventor, and diplomat, above all Benjamin Franklin was, and†¦ The man Benjamin Franklin eventually became a man of good character and willingness to accept others. However, as the story of Ben Franklin unfolds you see he was indeed just a man. A man found to be of the same fault and human flaw as us all to which we were born, and that is into sin. Franklin as well as all people fell short. God told us in his word long before Ben Franklin ever existed. Romans 3:23 states â€Å"for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.† (NIV). Franklin did prove however†¦ and esoteric essence of his own existence. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is an account of Franklin’s life experiences that taught him a deal of self-righteousness, virtue, self-actualization, knowledge and wisdom. Franklin recalls many past, powerful instances of his life that have influenced the ethical and intellectual development. The memoir also represents various events that built his keen interest in literature, linguistic and writing. Moreover, it also unfolds various historical events†¦ Instructor: Course: Date: Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin An autobiography is the life history of a person that is written in a book and the history is written by the same person. Autobiography mainly centers its focus on the times and life of the person writing it. The autobiography nature is very subjective and therefore the writer should be able to recall memories promptly so that incorrect and false information should be avoided. Some autobiographies are fictional whereby people write the†¦ become what we want to be, I was surprised. I began thinking about what I could do as a semester long project in which I could set a goal and record my progress. I had read Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography a few months earlier and I remember him writing about a personal program that he had developed for himself. Benjamin Franklin was fascinated with the idea of perfection, and diligently tried to achieve it while he was here on earth. His method of self improvement he called â€Å"The Art of Virtue†. What†¦ In the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin written by Benjamin Franklin has the story line of his life. He explains how the political life in the 1700’s and how he learned from his experiences. One of the virtues Benjamin Franklin has is being humble, shown throughout all of his writing. The writing style he uses is very formal and addresses his audience with very different occasions. Having been from a big family he started in the workplace at an early age. Working for his father’s business took†¦ The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin’s life made a huge impact on the history of America. He also was an influence for many citizens. Since Franklin lived during the eighteenth century, a period of growth for America, he also played a part in the political founding of the United States. To help future generations, Franklin wrote an autobiography of his life. An autobiography is a piece of literature about someone’s own life. He separates his into four parts, each one depicting†¦ The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin explains the life of this amazing man in history. I this autobiography it focuses on the revolution years as one may expect to learn from this biography about Benjamin Franklin’s; origins, family and all the decisions and events that lead him to become the grandfather of the American nation. Due to the deep description of the situations that Benjamin Franklin went through and the different cities that he visited in this autobiography, draws a visual idea of†¦ Benjamin Franklin, a well rounded American adept in many fields, once said, â€Å"either write something worth reading or do something worth writing† (Benjamin). Although this quote presents a false dilemma, Franklin chose a third option in which he did something worth writing and then wrote about it in his autobiography. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin is a different beast in its literature. Unlike most books, and possibly most autobiographies as well, Franklin’s autobiography†¦ The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was not an easy book to read. Writing styles have changed tremendously since the 1700’s. Despite the cultural differences I learned a lot about the man and the time. Benjamin Franklin was a remarkable man. He was a printer, author, politician and an inventor. He was one of fifteen children in his family. Because he was from such a large family he was sent out to work at a very early age. He only had a few years†¦

Argument Synthesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argument Synthesis - Essay Example First, the commercialized culture of the United States is beyond reasonable doubt that it has created a vast network of trade. For instance, the focus on the Christmas season is such an influential commercialism that has a tremendous impact on corporate growth. During the Christmas, the public display is extensively covered all forms of commercial advertising. The emergence of commercialize culture is a substantial aspect of the North America consumerism attributed to the response of the corporate stakeholders ideally to achieve a fair consumer environment. The anti-tax welfare movement had an intrinsic impact in assisting the local government as well as states education institutions to enter the commercial adverting arena. In addition, the lifestyle of material attainment hastened the corporate growth in regard to institutions seeking sponsors both governmental and private organizations in the pursuit of material acquisition. For instance, churches benefited sponsorship by Federal E xpress to acquire materials such as transport facilities among others (Katherine Anne Ackley 344). Quintessentially, the strategic target of kid in childhood institutions encountered a relatively poor attention by the commercialization phenomena. This position taken into concern in this case was the idea that child are innocent hence need to shield them from the sacrilegious advertising. However, the trend has reversed as modern TV advertising in the United States subjects average children to approximately 40,000 advertisements. The commercialized culture is dynamic from generation to generation to accommodate change. In this perspective, the modern generation of the millennial is outspoken. Therefore, the need for recognition of several brands targeting the group is the modern way to reach the consumer in every experience they indulge in to buy or browse sales. As a result, the fashion market is subject to change due to generations influence. Anna Quindlen claims that life does not necessarily have to entail material wealth to be fulfilling. However, the day-to-day struggles of life are made for the sole reason of attaining material wealth. Although it seems contrary, life is about meeting our needs. Some are basic needs while others are luxuries. Overall, the main goal of life is to meet our daily needs irrespective of whether they are basic or luxurious (tulsatownhall.com). Additionally, the exchange of goods and service is what leads to economic growth that promotes the general well being of the human race. At the individual level, each person defines what he or she consider as mandatory to have, as well as what to reserve as luxurious. However, this is not limited to a certain definition since it is dependent on an individual (Katherine Anne Ackley 374). Regarding the American popular culture, the choice of what a consumer perceives worth prioritizing is influenced by the consumer behavior that dictates wealth of good is beyond plain shopping. Culture div ersity is among the robust factors that drive North American consumerism. Life presents a variety of choices hence the American people face a difficult time making choices. The online transaction is an excellent example of how consumers mange to avoid socializing especially with the reliable choice of eBay (.www.cengage.com) In the synthesis of North America consumerism, the labor industry is significantly influential on the economy. To be precise, they are prevalence in job recruit that favors single childless, young men and women to young

A Good Man Must Know One Song by Heart Movie Review

A Good Man Must Know One Song by Heart - Movie Review Example A gripping story set in 1929 about a family of three. The father leaves home for New York to work there along with his friends as members of a band. The band becomes popular at that area, and pay becomes even better. Way back home, the ten-year old son and his mother alternates time among playing piano, strolling around the vicinity, and cooking food. The situation forces the son to look for his father bringing only with him a song that his father taught him years ago.The film's narration played as a flashback starting out promisingly in what is supposed to be an abandoned area in New York, where the son is shown to be cuddling his father while humming a tune. The father was looking aimlessly at nowhere in his tattered suits, while the son looked simple in his pants and jacket. The transition to the next scene was poignant and dramatic because the succeeding scene was beautifully juxtaposed with the previous scene. In the second scene, the father was seen cuddling his son while singi ng the song "While My Baby Lulls in a Hammock." The mother entered the scene, and then all at once, the audience was introduced to all the principal characters of the film. But just when you are expecting things to get even better, as the film tried to give the audience an idea of the setting and the zeitgeist of the story, the film slowed down and devoted too much time to the protagonists' uneventful music sessions. There, the film accommodated half of the total number of songs-there were ten-that were supposed to be played in the entire film. While the film's first half tried your patience, it picked up speed as the focus shifted to where it should be: New York and the specter of the Great Depression. There were two significant events between the period of 1925 and 1935 that were woven into or depicted in the film: 1) The movie's moral crackdown in 1934-Due to the newly-enforced rigorous production code courtesy of Will Hays, the film's dialogues, song lyrics, and the presentation of the visuals were seemingly sanitized. Rumor has it that several lines-including "Mother, do you think is it acceptable for Father if I were to fall in love with someone, but not marry her"-were intentionally omitted during the post-production to suit the taste of the members of the so-called Legion of Decency. As a result of this, the film in its entirety was devoid of any shocking but commercially appealing dialogue and situations. Instead, unnecessary optimism pervaded all throughout in its less than 90-minute run. Such existential optimism was manifested in script like "Do not worry son. Your father will soon find his way to us." 2) The ushering of the Great Depression in 1929-discussions among bankers visiting the club where the father plays centered on the issue of Wall Street's fall. Although, the site of Wall Street was never included in any of the scenes, the actors really talked about blue chips like Standard Oil and Westinghouse, and the plummeting values of the shares of White Sewing Machine with ease that one could have an impression that bankers who were forced to resign from financial institutions were acquired as actors. Commentaries One critic said that there was a visible effort on the part of the filmmakers to show that this film had set the bar high in terms of visuals, sounds, and historical accuracy. Although the visuals, through camerawork, hardly moved to prevent the scratches made by camera from being recorded, the actors' faces registered clearly and properly projected to create an impression of a depressing scenario. The sounds consisted of a few songs of longing and melancholia and crisp and concise audible (and inaudible) dialogue. The claim to historical accurac

Sovereignty of the State and Multinational Corporations in the Essay

Sovereignty of the State and Multinational Corporations in the Post-Second World War Western Economies - Essay Example MNCs are such that they are subject primarily to the rules of the home state and based on that submission, they are able to gain the credibility and credence to enjoy all the support and benefit the country has in the international community (Bousseba & Morgan, 2014). The Home State has the power and authority to regulate the activities of these MNCs and set up laws that can control and impact upon their affairs both locally and internationally (Scott, 2012). The Home State of an MNC also has the obligation to provide support services and assistance including a properly coordinated chamber of commerce system and all the vital diplomatic support necessary to achieve results in the foreign markets. International regulations have their roots in the 1945 United Nations Charter which gave impetus for the formal recognition of numerous multinational organisations which set up various rules and regulations governing international trade. These rules are not absolute, neither are they strictly enforced. This has given room for most multinational entities to tilt towards a trend of self-regulation (Haufler, 2013). This implies that to a large extent, most of the rules and regulations regarding what MNCs should do in the international front are moral rather than legal. Thus, there are numerous options and opportunities for these MNCs to disregard important regulations and carry out activities on their own accord. In spite of this, the international legal framework is not as non-functional as it might seem. Some authorities argue that in some specific sectors like banking, there is global coordination and international rules are highly advanced and functional (Grubel, 2009). This is due to the fact that these sectors are considered vital and there are effective international community organisations that set up rules that they apply significantly in most contexts and situations (Ruggie, 2014). However, in an overall sense, it can be stated that multinational corporations

POLICE SCIENCE,, 2 page Criteak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

POLICE SCIENCE,, 2 page Criteak - Essay Example However, sadly, not every child come from happy home and this somehow makes them indulge in anti-social activities. The article tries to probe the rightness of the legal system where the profiles of the children as young as ten year old are published on the internet. The profile gives personal information about them and hence completely hurt the chances of those children becoming a healthy part of the society. The example of Johnnie, an eighth grade student, getting bullied at school by the students who found out his profile on the internet, is a devastating case of things going wrong for a child who is trying to become a good citizen. The fact that Johnnie was only eleven when he committed sex offense makes the reader wonder if he deserved to be on the internet profile list. The article has also researched the chances of the child sex offenders turning out to be adult offenders later in the future. Jones found that 90% of the children committing child offense do not become adult offenders. This makes the reader think twice before labeling a child an offender for a lifetime. The different therapies that the children who commit offense have to go through become meaningless if the society does not make efforts to help them and give them a second chance. Johnnie tried to end his life twice as he was not able to tolerate the verbal abuse and torture for an offense that he committed when he was eleven. By giving Johnnie’s example, Jones has shown that the legal system is not doing justice to those children who need a second chance at leading a healthy and happy life. Moreover Jones

Engage with the topic of Pleistocene Re-wilding Essay

Engage with the topic of Pleistocene Re-wilding - Essay Example ies we know today came about as a result of evolution of mega carnivores and herbivores and therefore biodiversity is not what it is without this segment of megafauna. The plan to re-wild America is therefore the most suitable way out of total extinction of these species because even as debate is being generated on this move, more large vertebrates from Asia and Africa are constantly finding homes in America in the form of zoos and private reserves (Donlan, 913). It is estimated that there are more Asian tigers in America that in the wild. The process of re-wilding North America has in fact started and all that is left is to move these animals in captivity to the free world of the US landscapes. The success of this process will be founded on the following tenets: That human beings have a natural attraction to megafauna which the explanation to why San Diego’s Wild Animal Park receives 1.5 million visits annually much more than the total number of visits to US national parks that are homes to rodent and other small animal species (Donlan, 914). Releasing the captured animals couples with their relationship with the American ecosystem given t heir extinct ancestors roamed the American plains is enough reason to get the process of re-wilding started. Wild Bactrian camels that are currently facing extinction in the Gobi desert had their ancestors, Camelops, originate from North America and therefore taking them back home to America would rescue this species from total extinction. Another basis is that, even with the surging world human population, regions of Southwest America that are the possible home of these re-introduced species are experiencing population decline providing sufficient room for the megafuna to roam and reproduce. As the custodians of world heritage, the human race is ethically bound to ensure large vertebrate are not extinct and this responsibility, coupled with the potential economic and biological benefits that come with re-wilding, provides

Community Health Concerns Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Community Health Concerns - Assignment Example According to a research conducted in 2004, in Alabama the chance of being overweight is greatest in white men (45.4%) and black females (40.7%) while white females has a slight chance of becoming obese (49.3%) (Chou, Grossman & Saffer, 2004). To be specific in Etowah County, research conducted in 2009, showed that the percentage for both female and male population was 50% of all the counties. Obese males were 36.9% and females38.2%. In 2009, the national average was 32.8% for males and 35.1% for females (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. (n.d). According to a report by Alliance for a Healthier Generation (2014), Alabama has the eighth highest rate of childhood obesity in the United States. 35% of the youth in Alabama are obese or overweight. As an advanced nurse practitioner, I will explore for means of change that will provide the upcoming generation with the opportunity to live a healthy and long life. Moreover, the resources that are at my disposal will mainly comprise of community health centres, schools and residential homes. I would utilize these settings to conduct education and care to obese individuals. My main concern is if the obese individuals are ready for a discussion about the issue. This is because patients tend to make personal decisions about their health care in the situation of complicated net of interactions related to social economics which the individuals have no control. An example is stress of living in chronic poverty or the individual’s lack of access to health care when young (Lange, 2012). One of the major challenges that I will encounter is culture diversity. People from different cultures adopt different eating habits and lifestyles. According to the information provided by National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHHES), disclosed that there are significant ethnic and racial discrepancies in obesity prevalence among U.S. adolescents and children (Fryar, Carroll &

Responsible tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Responsible tourism - Essay Example However, the Park has untapped natural resources such as rivers, rocks, lava flow and dust-elephants. All of these can be utilized to generate streams of revenues for the survival and growth of the region. Literature on responsible tourism suggests that poverty alleviation is possible if all the stakeholders work in cooperation to achieved the defined goals. However, this requires all the stakeholders to accept and discharge responsibility. Through a case study analysis it has been identified that the locals play a critical role in the sustainable development of any region. Motivating the locals becomes a major issue which can be shouldered by the NGOs. The tourists, the hotel operators and the tour operators, each have responsibility towards sustainable development. ... km. It is nine times bigger than the Maasai Mara National Reserve (Expert Africa, n.d.). The Park lies to the east of the Nairobi –Mombasa road, equidistant between Nairobi and Mombasa, amidst flora and fauna, and the meandering Galana River (Kenya Wildlife Service, 2013). The Tsavo river flows west to east through the national park, it borders the Chyulu Hills National Park and the Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania. The climate here is warm and dry. The Tsavo East National Park was once home to 35,000 elephants, reduced 4,300 by 1988 due to poaching from Somalia (Joshua, 1993). However, under pressure from conservationists and western donors, and under new leadership, corruption was cleaned up and there was ban on trading in ivory. Investments were brought in which facilitated the growth of herds; tourism too picked up as infrastructure was enhanced. The elephant population in the entire Tsavo ecosystem as of 2011 was 12,570 (McKnight, n.d.). The biggest draw of the Park is th e herds of dust-red elephants that bulldoze their way around. Visitors to the park can watch wildlife under a huge sky and experience the wilderness in solitude (Expert Africa, n.d.). In addition, is the Aruba Dam, located on the North Bank of the Voi River, which makes a great game viewing destination. Other attractions include Mudanda Rock, the longest lava flow in the world and Lugard falls. The Park houses the largest mammals, Rhinos, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hippo, crocodile, Gerenuk and Hirola (Kenya Wildlife Service, 2013). 1.2 Aim of this report The aims of this report are as follows: To evaluate the concept of responsibility and sustainability in tourism To analyse a case study in terms of sustainable and responsible tourism To establish an appropriate

Group Decision Making Essay Example for Free

Group Decision Making Essay Abstract Group decision making is imperative for deciding what action a group should take. This paper aims to define the process of group decision making and examine the discipline, theory, paradigm, and methodology that dominate approaches to group decision-making research. Furthermore, it provides an outline of the research’s perceptual process and endeavors to address an appropriate alternative approach to this research problem, and an evaluation of qualitative and quantitative research designs for this area of research. These are discussed in connection with selected empirical data. Critical Review of Group Decision Making Research Group decision making is one of the most significant and methodological ways of overcoming and/or resolving certain conflicts with the aid of other individuals. It becomes a more controversial in deciding what action a group should take due to the varieties of systems, which are acknowledged in order to solve a particular conflict. Decision making in a certain group is frequently evaluated in a separate manner, as the issue with regard to the process and outcome is concerned. While such a process of group decision making refers to how every member of a group interacts with the others, the outcome is the result of preferred method or action that the entire group has taken. A number of masters from prestigious universities have been arguing with regard to the critical review of group decision-making research since the 19th century. One of the world-renown masters of that time was James Stoner who observed that group decisions are more speculative than the earlier exclusive decisions of the members of a particular group or organization (Stoner, 1961). During the period subsequent to the time when he released his masters’ thesis and scholarly articles concerning the critical review of group decision-making research, numerous researched studies with empirical bases have shown that such a perilous modification is omnipresent or ubiquitous occurrence. Moreover, there is the presence of judiciousness on certain group decisions than the members (Moscovici Zavalloni. 1969; Myers Lamm, 1976). However, the tendency of people to make decisions, which is extreme when they are in a group as opposed to a decision made alone or independently, will take place as a commencing disposition of an individual group members toward a specified way is increased subsequent to the given group decision. For instance, a group of pro-feminist women will be more powerfully pro-feminist subsequent to the given group decision (Myers. 1975). Therefore, on decisions that present to every individual group and/or member, a reasonable disposition in a specified way comes along with a group decision, which belongs to a more reasonable disposition in the same way. Critical Review on a Group Decision Some other conceptualization with regard to the tendency of people to make decisions, which is extreme when they are in a group as opposed to a decision made alone or independently, will be superfluous due the number of outstanding reviews and/or conceptualization until 1970s (Myers Lamm, 1976). Throughout this time, the arguments concerning such a conceptualization have become remarkable. Hence, numerous researchers contributed various ideologies and significant contributions to produce group decisions, which are more speculative than the earlier exclusive decisions of the members of a particular group or organization. In latter years, vehemence for group research with regard to disposition has begun to lessen; it has believed that a thorough retrospective view or survey will contribute to the reorientation of research in such a field. In addition to this view, reassessment will also incorporate the tendency of people to make decisions, which is extreme when they are in a group as opposed to a decision made alone or independently, with other gregarious or communal imaginary and cognitive phenomena. Thus, this research concludes by proposing a few significant matters of desegregation. Moreover, basic cognitive process will be involved in obtaining and storing more knowledge and insights upon demonstrating convincing disputation and communal distinction intervening the doctrine that all natural phenomena are explicable by material causes and mechanical principles within the bounds of group decision making. Study of this consequence shows that subsequent in time of taking part in a discussion group, every member tends to propose greater whereabouts; the demand for more perilous procedures of exploit than individuals who do not take part in any such discourse becomes inevitable. This incident has given birth to the perilous modification of group decision making. Moreover, the tendency of people to make decisions, which is extreme when they are in a group as opposed to a decision made alone or independently, is used in order to explicate and give light to the decision making of a panel or a group of people legally selected to hear a case and to decide what are the facts. Contemporary studies of world-renown scholars and savants show that subsequent in time to meditating into a single group, simulated panel of experts frequently determines retaliatory impairment prior to deliberation. Hence, the studies showed that when the favor of the panel of experts is given to an individual that bears insufficient facts and/or explications with regard to the extant issues, matters of argumentation might lead to a more compassionate outcome. While the panel of experts is influenced to ordain an efficacious or disastrous treatment, such contemporary discourse could yield severe and arduous circumstances to cope with. Progress in Analysis of Group Decision Making Brown’s (1965) innovative discourse of such a perilous modification, one of the vital vindications of selected changes, has been a communal juxtaposition. Based on the entire view of this conceptualization, people are regularly encouraged both to identify and to introduce themselves in a gregarious suitable illumination. To do this, every individual should be constantly preparing knowledge and insights with regard to how other groups of people introduce themselves, and changing his/her personal investiture. Some adaptations of social comparison theory shows that the number of people wishes to be understood as more advantageous than what other groups of people comprehend to be the standard movement. In one case that every individual distinguishes how most other people demonstrate and/or introduce themselves, he or she present him/herself in a reasonable illumination or awareness. Whenever all members of a colluding group involve in the same examination of such a methodological or systematic procedure, the outcome, therefore, is a mean modification in a way of valuable community. There is the presence of two fluctuations of the said temporal arrangement; one is that highlights the displacements of cognitive contents, which have multiple numbers of aspects, while the other one concerns the practice of keeping one jump ahead of a friend or competitor. Based on the studies of such a pluralistic ignorance, every individual or group of people introduces itself and/or its own positions as a settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions in the interval of two different proclivities—the petition to be bound by mutual interests, loyalties, or affections to an individual’s own conception of absolute perfection. In addition to this view, the desire not to be aberrant from the notion of the inner direction of a certain group is also acknowledged. Thus, prior to group discussion review or argument, every member of a particular group trivializes the standards of the group ab initio. Evaluation from the primary valuations of their personal standards becomes distant to some extent or degree. Throughout the argumentations, which are unfolded by the entire group, every individual or member of the group is acknowledged nigh to the right standards; hence, an instance of divergence or disagreement by the common action of how good a group member is and how he or she likes to be ostensible. On delving into the second set of options, a group member directly changes to a more idealistic thought or matter of argumentations. As such, the strategic method of group decision making with most group members is acknowledged. Therefore, the theory concerning pluralistic ignorance is that it prevails for the mere reason of precise exchange of information with regard to the true beliefs of most members of the group in spite of the fact that it might be due to the preconception, which has a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge (Jones Nisbett, 1972). Other evaluators made a thorough explication concerning the possible outcomes of procedures in relation to the social comparison. These evaluations have become a more controversial along the issue concerning such matters of argument in which the group of people are encouraged by an aspiration to be unique from the other groups of people in a more precious and significant way or direction of feelings and/or thoughts (Fromkin, 1970). Moreover, these people are also encouraged to introduce themselves in a more advantageous way than the other groups of people. Briefly, such a group of people desires to be unique and become better than other groups of people. As an analogy, Brown expresses his own feelings by acknowledging the fact that when creating pre-valuations in a certain aspect, every individual member of the group gives him/herself a valuation, which is moderately advantageous than the valuation that he or she takes for granted—the norm or standards the mean group member will share. For a better comprehension with regard to this conceptualization, when a member directly or indirectly deducts the precise standards, he or she then develops his or her personal valuations; hence, making the general options with regard to the perilous modification becomes inevitable to acknowledge. Inasmuch as the technical aspects of making the perilous modification in cognitive contents, which have multiple aspects, the technical aspects concerning a current or fashionable trend is a settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions by the common action of self-enhancement and self-abasement. Indeed, however, it may be quite arduous to acknowledge these two technical aspects theoretically. Nevertheless, there are respective imbrications on the pluralistic ignorance and current or fashionable trends. To support such an argument, the general reference for social comparison comes from presentations that coherent knowledge and insights with regard to the standards of other group members is able to make conformation bias. It takes place when combined or neutral vestige is used to reinforce an already made and intelligibly one-sided point of view. Consequently, every member of the group on both sides may therefore make an action or any movement farther apart, when he or she is presented with the same combined vestige. Such e strategic effect is called ‘mere exposure’ effects in which numerous researched studies have tried creating this terminology for further explication of the denotations of the perilous modification within the group decision making. Processing the Information that Affects the Group Decision Making A number of scholarly studies with regard to the group decision making from different pats of the world have been published; now, it remains one of the global contemporary issues. The original perilous modification research of Stoner (1961) has been globally recognized upon the use of certain outlines of the summary with a dramatic or literary work—the scenario, which shows the value of perils that a group member thinks what action he or she should take. For a better comprehension, it is explained with the best example, which Stoner used. He shows such a perilous modification through playing with a chess—the moves, careers shifts, professional shifts etc. In addition, other studies concern the probability of such a perilous modification. It is showed through the frequent exposure of conditions in which it is more likely to be substantial than any moderate exposure of such conditions; mixed with non-significant. Some studies argue that a certain member’s option or a standard on the matter of argument is methodological function of numerous pro and con debates. It is acknowledged as an individual calls back the memory when hypothesizing his or her personal thought or standards. Therefore, in forming an opinion or estimation of the guilt or innocence of an accused person after careful consideration, a body of citizens sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence presented in a court of law comes to pre-deliberation decisions in accordance with the respective number and strength of the pro-guilt and pro-innocence statements. Consequently, a formal discourse on a topic or an exposition becomes the cause of an individual’s modification of his or her thought with regard to the running skepticism in the court. During the period subsequent to the time when the conceptualization of the power to induce the taking of a course of action or the embracing of a point of view by means of argument or entreaty is acknowledged, a number of studies distinguish the characteristics of statements, which lead them into being convincing. Moreover, some studies express the denotations of perilous modification. They show this through presenting deputations on the statements within the group members. For a better comprehension concerning this ideology, a specified group may or may not change the way, which has given to it. While every member thinks of producing a good outcome, the arguments take place from the other members of the group. Thus, the function of originality is certainly and specifically determined. However, if such statements or arguments are given from the fact that the individual member is already acquainted with such matter of argumentations, he or she then cannot modify or change his or her position or standards of thinking or sharing his or her thoughts with the other members of the group of choice (Kaplan, 1997). Evaluating Qualitative and Quantitative Research Designs As such, if new convincing arguments are given, but opposing the way that has been pre-approved by the group member, their standards will be modified reversely. Hence, a body of citizens sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence presented in a court of law who pre-approved one who is justly chargeable with or responsible for a usually grave breach of conduct or a crime will come to regard a more guilty opinion or treat him or her with favor. This occurrence takes place only if he or she is liable to the new statements, which give favor to the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penal. The condition of being peculiar to a particular individual or group, as the issue with regard to the process by which other studies or scholarly researched articles produce, accommodates two general empirical bases. One is that concerns the given correct information. To understand better, such studies or scholarly articles anticipate the methodological system and extent of selecting the thought to be unfolded on the matters of argumentation whether they are breaking up into opposing factions or grouping, or causing to become partially or wholly unbroken up to opposing factions. In addition to this statement or argument with regard to the critical review of group decision making, the number of studies make it easier to bring out the conceptual coordination of mental processes into a normal effective personality or with the individual’s environment, or the operation of finding a function whose differential is known and/or solving a different equation. In view of that fact, the fundamental technical aspect is the same for statements, which have been processed in a more advanced and secure system, or in a mutual or reciprocal action or influence with the other people or group members. Therefore, to support the entire conceptualization of this view, the vestige for the proposition that convincing statements alone may yield choice modification and a position of polarization, which has been assumed for a specific purpose—boldly supported by advanced explications of polarization (Pruitt, 197la. 1971b). Conclusion I have learned substantially from the said research and conceptualization of contemporary argumentations with regard to the critical review of group decision making and it impelled me to seek various means to learn the more advanced and methodological process of critical thinking and evaluation on the group decision-making. First, I have learned to perceive more contemplatively. This means, prior to making decisions or establishing beliefs, a group member must be aware that he or she has personal biases about certain things and he or she should not let this get in the way of arriving at an accurate perception and wise decision. Second, I have learned that by being more involved and by listening to and observing people a particular member of the group, who joins the arguments while discussing the best things to gain favorable outcomes, would be able to gain a broader perspective, if not a holistic view, of people and circumstances as a whole. This means that he or she should not only be satisfied with what he or she sees or wants to see but endeavor to look further and probe deeper into what is actually happening that he or she could not directly sense. Moreover, he or she should also verify his or her perceptions and the conclusions he or she has reached through critical thinking by communicating and learning more about the entities involved. These helpful hints have caused substantial improvement in my critical thinking process relative not only to the office works but to all the other daily activities as well. They have led me to perceive accurately, think critically and gain greater understanding of people and contemporary events. References Brown. R. (1965). Social psychology. New York: Free Press. Fromkin. H. (1970). Effects of experimentally aroused feelings of indistinctiveness upon valuation of scarce and novel experiences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 16. 521-529 Jones, E. E.. Nisbett R. E. (1972). The actor and the observer: Divergent perceptions of the causes of behavior. In E. E. Jones, E. E. Kanouse. H. H. Kelley. R. E. Nisbett, S. Valins. B. Veiner(Eds. ). Attribution. Perceiving the causes of behavior. Morristown. NJ: General Learning Press. Kaplan. M. F. (1977). Discussion polarization effects in a modified jury decision paradigm: Informational influences. Sociomeir): 40, 262-271 Moscovici. S. , Zavalloni. M. (1969). The group as a polarizer of attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 12. I25-135. Myers, D. G. (1975). Discussion-induced attitude polarization. Human Relations, 28, 699-714 Myers. D. G. , Lamm. H. (1975). The polarizing effect of group discussion. American Scientist, 63. 297-303. Pruitl, D. G. (197 la). Choice shifts in group discussion: An introductory review. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 20, 339-360. (197lb). Conclusions: Toward an understanding of choice shifts in group discussion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 20. 495-510. Stoner, J. A. F. (1961). A comparison of individual and group decisions involving risk. Unpublished masters thesis. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA.

Modern Figurative Art Essay Example for Free

Modern Figurative Art Essay The artists used darker colours from the 1830s to the 1860s, and the main subject of the paintings were simple portraits of significant people or self portraits of the artists themselves. As you move further through the sections, there are more scenic and historical paintings, as well as paintings showing everyday situations of the time. I found interesting the amount of landscape/nature paintings, as well as paintings depicting life in Canada in their respective time periods. By the end, we get the more expressionits and abstract paintings that get larger in size as time progressed. Finding Meaning in Art  Ã‚  Art asks us to find our own meaning at times. Find the large work Pavane by Canadian artist Jean-Paul Riopelle in gallery A111.  (a) How is the artist trying to convey meaning?  I think Riopelle is trying to convey meaning in the work by using three very large canvases and a wide variety of colours to attract the viewers attention. When you walk into the room the enormous size of the painting get your attention immediately. The three sections are divided for a reason finding in the middle the widest spectrum of colours and other less stand out colour in the surroundings. A very abstract painting, you can tell alot of effort and time has been put into Pavane. (B)What is your interpretation of Pavane?  It took me a long while to try to understand Pavane, I couldnt really see past the simple strips of coloured paper, and the huge size of the painting, then after a couple of minutes of studying and walking around it I began to notice how the main colours are in the center and arent just thrown into the painting randomly, it is very different to the other paintings in the room so I thought perhaps Riopelle was trying to make this piece more modern than the other pieces of work of the time. Trying to be different and to stand out as an artist, just like the colours in Pavane, to be the center of the art world. When I researched Pavane online, I found that it was partially true, because after making this painting he became very successful in the cultural scene.  Nature, Mathematics and Art  After you are through gallery A114, go into the garden. There is a metal piece of art which looks like DNA. You are allowed to play with this if you choose. Look at the plants more closely.  Ã‚  (a) Is nature itself art? If so, does that mean everything is art? Nature is not art, but is the basis of it, its there so we can turn it into our own personal interpretation of it. Its when a human takes nature and creatively does something with it so that it influences and affects the senses, emotions, and/or intellect that it actually becomes art. Human intervention is what makes Art, Art.  (b) Do you think computers can create REAL art on their own, or are people required to create art? Computers cannot create art because they are incapable of having emotions and to convey meaning to a work of art. Besides, computers are made my man, so if a computer creates art, it is because a human has programmed the computer to able to create it.  Architecture  Next to the fern garden is the now reconstructed Rideau Street Convent Chapel. Sit in it for a moment to rest.  (a) Do you think this chapel has a rightful place in an art gallery? Why or why not?  I think the chapel doesnt have a rightful place in the art gallery because even though its very pretty and decorative I found it to be too modern for my liking, and also didnt have much to do with what the subjects in the previous rooms were. There was religion influence in the some paintings but in the majority. It would be conveniently placed in a section that includes more religious sculptures and works of art. (b) What qualities do you think buildings need to be called good architecture?  Good architecture is a building intentionally done to communicate a certain message and that took a lot of hard work and thought into making. If it is creating solely to serve a purpose it is not art, but if it also has an idea or a message built into it, its when it becomes art.  (c) Excluding Parliament Hill, Chateau Laurier, Supreme Court of Canada, the National Gallery of Canada, museums, or any other government building Name one building in Ottawa you consider art and one building you think is not art. Explain. I found the Notre Dame Cathedral very impactful when I first got here, I think its art because it was built not just as a church but to evoke a religious response from people, the originality of the silver material its made from make it an attractive and artistic structure.  A building that is not art would be just a regular ScotiaBank office building, this is because of many reasons, there was no emotion or idea put into it, its is not attractive of artistic in any way and there are many of these in almost every Canadian city, which takes out its originality.

The Starbucks Entrance Into Vietnam Marketing Essay

The Starbucks Entrance Into Vietnam Marketing Essay Starbucks Coffee Company Starbucks began in 1971 as a roaster and retailer of whole bean and ground coffee, tea and spices. Back then, the company was a single store in Seattles historic Pike Place Market. From just a narrow storefront, Starbucks offered some of the worlds finest fresh-roasted whole bean coffees. (Starbucks Coffee Company) Starbucks is named after the first mate in Herman Melvilles Moby Dick. The name evoked the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders. The logo is also inspired by the sea, featuring a twinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ tailed siren from Greek mythology. (Starbucks Coffee Company) In 1981, Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer, Howard Schultz, was drawn into Starbucks from his first cup of Sumatra, and joined Starbucks a year later. (Starbucks Coffee Company) In 1983, Howard travelled to Italy and became fascinated by Italian coffee bars and the romance of the coffee experience. He had a vision to bring the Italian coffeehouse tradition back to the United States where coffeehouse is made a place for conversation and a sense of community and to be a third place between work and home. He left Starbucks for a short while to start his own Il Giornale coffeehouses and returned in August 1987 to purchase Starbucks with the help of local investors. (Starbucks Coffee Company) Today, Starbucks connect with millions of customers every day with exceptional products and nearly 18,000 retail stores in 60 countries. (Starbucks Coffee Company) Starbucks mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. (Starbucks Coffee Company) Starbucks have always believed in serving the best coffee possible and it is their goal for all of their coffee to be grown under the highest standards of quality, using ethical sourcing practices. STARBUCKS Entrance into Vietnam (Starbucks opens first store in coffee-loving Vietnam) Starbucks opened its first cafe in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City as part of its strategy to expand across Asia, and plans to add more shops throughout the country. The grand opening of the HCM City store marked Vietnam as Starbucks 12th market in the Asia Pacific, and adding up to its chain of some 3,400 stores in the area. John Culver, president of Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific, said during the ribbon cutting ceremony that Vietnam is one of the most dynamic and interesting market in Asia, and that they are proud to open a Starbucks store in the country. Coffee Concepts (Vietnam) Ltd., a Hong Kong Maxims Group subsidiary, will operate Starbucks Ho Chi Minh City store in Vietnam, and its first store will be in the citys business district. Starbucks will be seeking to compete with local rivals in a country known for its strong cafe culture. Vietnam is the worlds second-largest coffee producer and it has dozens of local chains as well as small coffee shops on nearly every street corner which present a major challenge for Starbucks to break into the crowded market. According to research, although many people queued up in southern Ho Chi Minh City for the opening, but the US giants coffee may not be to everybodys taste. Some speculated about how the Starbucks will compete with Trung Nguyen Coffee and Highlands Coffee, a homegrown brand that credits Starbucks as an inspiration. One Vietnamese, Nguyen Tien Tam, 35 had been quoted as preferring Vietnamese coffee, which is stronger than Starbucks and that as a Vietnamese, he only love local coffee. Compared with other Asian markets which Starbucks has recently entered, the Seattle-based company faces a unique scenario in Vietnam, where French-inspired coffee culture rules supreme, two homegrown chains have established presences and family-run sidewalk cafes are as many as noodle shops. In HANOI, Vietnam, Nghiem Ngoc Thuy has been providing coffees to thirsty Vietnamese for 20 years in her colonial-style villa with peeling shutters, and she and her customers arent too worried that Starbucks will alter their time-tested coffee traditions. As quoted by Thuy, her family-run cafe in Hanoi offers prices that are affordable for average Vietnamese. Thuy further added that expensive coffee is just for the children of government officials, or people who have lots of money. A regular customer, an electronics salesman Do Thanh Tung, said he is eager to see if Starbucks coffee really is different from the Vietnamese blends he has been drinking since he was 10 years old. Tung, now 30, said Vietnamese young people will welcome Starbucks, once they get used to it. But he added that he doesnt expect to become a regular Starbucks patron because he drinks five or six cups of coffee a day, thus regular visits to Starbucks would be too expensive for him. Dang Le Nguyen Vu, whose Trung Nguyen Group owns 55 cafes in Vietnam, said he welcomes Starbucks and doesnt view the American newcomer as a threat. Vu even visualized Starbucks opening up to a hundred cafes in Vietnam in the next 10 years, but it remains questionable whether people in a country with such a low GDP per capita, and a different taste in coffee, would really accept Starbucks. Unlike China, where tea is the caffeinated drink of choice, Vietnam inherited a coffee culture from French colonizers in the 19th century. Vietnam is also the worlds second-largest exporter of coffee behind Brazil. Starbucks already operates more than 3,300 stores across 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and its entry into Vietnam marks the latest round in a campaign to attract Asias emerging middle classes despite a stagnating U.S. economy. Jinlong Wang, president of Starbucks Asia-Pacific, said the company plans to expand across Vietnam in a way that celebrates the countrys coffee culture and heritage. He had commented on an email to The Associated Press that Starbucks is looking forward to growing with Vietnams already vibrant coffee industry and making a positive impact in the communities where they operate. Vietnam has a population of about 90 million and three out of five Vietnamese are under the age of 35. Architect Tran Cao Tho,a 32-year-old architect and his friends sipped their coffees from low, wooden stools on the sidewalk as motorbikes whizzed by and street singers dropped in. Starbucks will seek to profit from surging consumer demand. Tho and his friends are part of the sizeable under-35 generation that Starbucks, the Seattle-based company, will seek to convince and switch from stronger and cheaper coffee at their neighborhood cafà © to Starbucks coffee. Tho whose morning routine includes a cup of drip coffee at Hanois Cafe Hanh said that he like his coffee black, dark and strong and that he would go to Starbucks once in a while for the ambience, but not for the coffee as the flavor is too light. According to Anthony Emms, managing partner at Stanton Emms Strategy Consultants in Singapore, which advises international food and beverage companies on Asian markets, he commented that Vietnams economy has slowed recently in part because of a problematic banking sector, but Starbucks upmarket brand will appeal to the growing Vietnamese middle class, and that he doesnt believe there is a massive barrier to Starbucks in Vietnam and further added that Starbucks is not really a coffee but is a food-service concept. He further added that more than 60 per cent of Vietnams population was born after the Vietnam War ended in 1975, and there is a strong demand among youth in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for branded clothing and accessories, regardless that the labels often are fakes, and average annual income is only about $1,500. Furthermore, other international food chains have opened stores in Vietnam in recent years, including the Australian coffee chain Gloria Jeans Coffees International, the California-based Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, and the American fast-food chains KFC and Burger King. And Nestle instant coffee which is engineered to suit the Vietnamese palette is sold widely in Vietnamese supermarkets. However, Emms said that Starbucks would risk alienating some of its potential clients if it didnt include Vietnamese drip coffee on its menus here. This would be to cater to and target at not only the younger generation but also the older and senior generation. What differentiates Starbucks from other coffee chains? (Starbucks Coffee Company) Starbucks have always believed in the importance of building a great, enduring company that strikes a balance between profitability and a social conscience. Starbucks take a holistic approach to ethically sourcing the highest quality coffee. This includes responsible purchasing practices, supporting farmer loans and forest conservation programs. They believe that by buying coffee this way, it helps foster a better future for farmers and a more stable climate for the planet. It also helps create a longà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ term supply of the highà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ quality beans which they have been carefully blending, roasting and packing fresh for more than 40 years. They share their customers commitment to the environment. And they believe in the importance of caring for the planet and encouraging others to do the same. It is their goal that 100% of their cups will be reusable or recyclable by 2015. They will also work to significantly reduce their environmental footprint through energy and water conservation, recycling and green construction. They also believe in fostering thriving communities, from the neighborhoods where their stores are located to the ones where their coffee is grown. To bring people together, inspire change and make a difference in peoples lives are all part of being a good neighbor. They also hope to contribute one million volunteer hours each year to their communities by 2015. Since the beginning, Starbucks has been a different kind of company. One which not only celebrate coffee and the rich tradition, but would also bring a feeling of connection. It is one that is dedicated to inspiring and nurturing the human spirit and committed to serving the finest coffee, creating an exceptional customer experience, and being a great place to work. Starbucks is grateful to their partners (employees) for making Starbucks the company that they are. And they are honored to be acknowledged for their efforts which earned Starbucks its awards and recognition. Today, with more than 17,400 stores in 60 countries, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. And with every cup, they strive to bring both their heritage and an exceptional experience to life. 4Ps (old) 1P (new) OF STARBUCKS MARKETING STRATEGY IN VIETNAM (Starbucks opens first store in coffee-loving Vietnam) Price Starbucks will price its products in a premium position that is competitive. According to Sara Senatore, a New York-based analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein Co, prices may still be less than the U.S. because of lower income and operating costs in Vietnam. Place Their stores are a neighborhood gathering place for meeting friends and family. Their customers enjoy quality service, an inviting atmosphere and an exceptional cup of coffee. Starbucks is also monitoring Vietnams rising coffee demand. Its first store in the country is located in one of Ho Chi Minh Citys busiest roundabouts and is near to a new Burger King restaurant and Ben Thanh Market which is the center of the citys tourist trade. People (one of the new 4Ps) Their coffee buyers travel personally to coffee farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia to select the highest quality beans. And their master roasters bring out the balance and rich flavor of the beans through the signature Starbucks Roast. Starbucks offers the finest coffees in the world, grown, prepared and served by the finest people. Their employees, whom they call partners, are at the heart of the Starbucks Experience. They believe in treating their partners with respect and dignity. They are proud to offer two landmark programs for their partners: comprehensive health coverage for eligible fullà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and partà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ time partners and equity in the company through Bean Stock. Product Starbucks offers an extensive wide range of exceptional products that customers enjoy in their stores, at home, and on the go. There are more than 30 blends and singleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ origin premium coffees and Handcrafted Beverages which include freshà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ brewed coffee, hot and iced espresso beverages, Frappuccino ® coffee and nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ coffee blended beverages, smoothies and Tazo ® teas. Their merchandises include coffee and teaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ brewing equipment, mugs and accessories, packaged goods, music, books and gifts. They also offer fresh food like baked pastries, sandwiches, salads, oatmeal, yogurt parfaits and fruit cups. Other Consumer Products Coffee and Tea include Whole bean and ground coffee (Starbucks and Seattles Best Coffee brands), Starbucks VIA ® Ready Brew, Starbucks ® Kà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Cup ® portion packs, Tazo ® tea filterbags and tea latte concentrates. Starbucks also offers Readyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Drink (RTD) beverages wh ich include Starbucks ® bottled Frappuccino ® coffee drinks, Starbucks Discoveries ® chilled cup coffees, Starbucks Doubleshot ® espresso drinks, Starbucks Doubleshot ® Energy+Coffee drinks;Seattles Best Coffee ® Iced Lattes, Starbucks Refreshersà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ beverages, Tazo ® bottled iced and juiced teas. Starbucks ® Ice Cream is also available in Superà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ premium coffee and coffeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ free flavors. Brand Portfolio Starbucks Coffee, Seattles Best Coffee, Tazo Tea, Evolution Fresh, La Boulange and Torrefazione Italia Coffee. Promotion Starbucks card members enjoy Starbucks Rewards which include complimentary handcrafted beverage of customers choice, brewed coffee and/or whole bean coffee. Members also enjoy complimentary slice of cake on birthday month. There is also a wide range of merchandize and product that is available which include bags, cups and mugs. swot Analysis on starbucks entrance into vietnam Strengths (Starbucks Coffee Company) Starbucks purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees. Their coffeehouses have become a inspiration for coffee lovers everywhere. They insist on Starbucks because they know they can count on its genuine service, an inviting atmosphere and a superb cup of expertly roasted and richly brewed coffee every time. Starbucks is more than Coffee, they are passionate sources of coffee and everything else that goes with a rewarding coffeehouse experience. They also offer a selection of premium Tazo ® teas, fine pastries and other palatable treats to please the taste buds. And the music you hear in store is chosen for its artistry and appeal. People come to Starbucks to work, chat or meet up. Theyre a neighborhood gathering place which has become a part of their daily routine. It has a global recognition and good reputation for fine products and services. Starbucks has nearly 18,000 retail stores in 60 countries. The company values its workforce and treats its employers as partners. The company has strong ethical values and ethical mission statement. Starbucks has some equally impressive statistics with 41 years of experience and 3,300 stores in 12 countries in the China and Asia-Pacific region. They also have an ongoing relationship with Vietnamese coffee growers. According to the company, Starbucks already purchases a notable amount of high-quality arabica coffee from Vietnam and are working to buy more. Weakness (Starbucks enters entrenched Vietnam coffee market | SeacoastOnline.com) Starbucks will have to battle entrenched tastes, local brands, international rivals and the thousands of neighborhood coffee shops that dot Vietnams streets. Local chains such as Trung Nguyen Coffee and Highlands Coffee have more experience catering to the Vietnamese love of strong coffee. Starbucks coffee flavor is too light. Starbucks coffee may be too expensive for local consumers who need their coffees regularly each day. Opportunities (Starbucks enters entrenched Vietnam coffee market | SeacoastOnline.com) There is a strong demand among youth in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for branded goods and services. Starbucks looks forward at growing with Vietnams already vibrant coffee industry and making a positive impact in the communities where they operate. Has potential to consider co-branding with other food and drink manufacturers and also brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services. (Starbucks opens chain of raw vegan juice bars) (Starbucks opens new blend of juice bars) (Starbucks to open first Evolution Fresh juice store USATODAY.com) New markets for coffee and healthy beverages are beginning to emerge and that can be retailed in their cafes. (NaturalNews) Starbucks, the coffee shop that is renowned for its seemingly limitless coffee varieties, is opening a new chain of juice bars in response to the growing health trend towards unprocessed and whole foods. In late 2011, the coffee giant also brought out Evolution Fresh, a juice company. Health foods now represent a $50 billion industry, and Starbucks has been very open about their intention to expand into the market and establish themselves as a major player. The juice bars will offer fruit and vegetable options which can be blended according to customer preference, or in sampled and true menu options to produce natural fruit juices that are high in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, and E, and antioxidants. Thicker smoothies can be supplemented with protein ingredients such as juiced wheat grass and nut butter, to help provide customers with a more nutritionally balanced meal. Their healthy foods and snack options which include a wide menu to support vegetarian and vegan lifestyles will also be available. Starbucks think the market demand is high enough to justify its own set of chains, not just an extra few fruit options on the menu at their coffee shops. While the market is smaller than that for coffee, Starbucks research on consumer spending trends show the increasing concern with health. Despite this being a more risky investment than those to which Starbucks shareholders are familiar with, the dollar market shares of the company are steadily rising, showing wide support for this move. Over the past few years, the fresh fruit smoothie industry has bloomed into a billion dollar industry. Customer demand can be seen in the number of people purchasing bottled mixed vegetable and fruit drinks, seeking dietary reparation or preventative health measures against a wide array of illnesses. Growing numbers of people are turning to juicing for detox solutions. According to research, there is certainly more than enough demand to support this major industry. One of the customers, Angelica R. from Salt Lake City said she cant wait till Evolution is worldwide so she could go back again. Starbucks purchase of Evolution Fresh for US$30 million last year was in line with its strategy to sell a broader range of products through its own cafes, grocery stores and other retail outlets. Threats (Starbucks enters entrenched Vietnam coffee market | SeacoastOnline.com) Vietnam is the worlds second-largest coffee producer and it has dozens of local chains as well as small coffee shops on nearly every street corner which present a major challenge for Starbucks. Starbucks will have to compete with Trung Nguyen Coffee and Highlands Coffee, a homegrown brand as well as other coffee chains that have opened stores in Vietnam in recent years and who have more experience catering to the Vietnamese love of strong coffee, including the Australian coffee chain Gloria Jeans Coffees International, the California-based Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, and Nestle instant coffee which is engineered to suit the Vietnamese palette is sold widely in Vietnamese supermarkets. Another threat is Trung Nguyens plan to enter the U.S. market which follows the companys rise to become the biggest roaster and packaged-coffee retailer in a country with a brewing tradition dating from 19th century plantations by French colonists. The chains 60 shops across the country serve Vietnamese-style individually brewed cups, along with varieties including Italian espresso and Turkish-style coffees, a mix which Vu expects to sell well in the United States as well. Vus focus on specialty beans and roasting includes a variety called Legendee created to mimic the flavor of coffee brewed from beans that are recovered from the feces of civets, a weasel-like rodent. The civet coffee is considered a delicacy. According to the companys website, the coffee roaster discovered enzymes that mimic civet digestion and developed a process to give the coffee the same magical flavor. Vu said he intends to build a coffee empire and a global brand within the next 10 years, rivaling Starbucks. He said that the company is also considering an initial public offering and the timing has yet to be decided. Vu won a medical degree before starting his roasting business. He developed Trung Nguyen from a shop he founded as a student into a coffee retailer with more than 3,000 employees. He plans to increase the number of cafes in Vietnam to 200 in the next two years. Porters 5 forces in reaction to the SWOT analysis Starbucks stability and expansion in Vietnam will be determined by external sources which include potential entrants which may also want to venture into the Vietnamese market, also by internal and external threats which include pre-existing local brands and industrial rivalries and by threats of substitutes whereby another type of beverage or service may replace Starbucks coffee and beverages. Other internal threats would include the effect of suppliers power and the buying power of the customer. (porters 5 forces Google Search) Sustainable Competitive Advantage Analysis (sustainable competitive advantage analysis | blekko) Competitive advantage is defined as the strategic advantage one business entity has over its rival entities within its competitive industry. Achieving competitive advantage strengthens and positions a business better within the business environment. In order to uphold a sustainable competitive advantage, Starbucks must achieve its value activities in a way difficult for competitors to replicate or imitate. A competitive advantage is maintained if the cumulative cost of performing the value activities is lower than competitors. A level of value must support the competitive advantage to the customer that is at least compatible to the competitors. Otherwise, a lower price will have to be charged and the net effect will be zero. A companys relative competitive advantage will depend on the type of structure the value chain of the company has versus the competitors and also the position of the cost drivers in each activity. OUTLOOK (Starbucks opens first store in coffee-loving Vietnam) (Starbucks has seen mixed reactions in AsiaLIFE HCMC) John Culver, president for China and Asia Pacific said that Starbucks plans on showing up in a way that doesnt currently exist in the market in terms of the premium products and the experience they offer. The chain will offer flavors that will be tailor-made to Vietnamese tastes along with its trademark drinks, while expanding aggressively into Hanoi and other cities. Starbucks however declined to elaborate on the number of outlets it plans to open in Vietnam. Ralf Matthaes, a regional managing director at market research and consultancy firm TNS said that Local consumers will be drawn by the Starbucks name and young people desire that modern, hip culture. He further added that Starbucks is famous and Vietnamese people want to be seen at popular places, which is very typical for Vietnamese. Vietnams coffee culture stretches back to the late-19th century after France colonized the country. According to the General Statistics Office, it exported 1.73 million metric tons of coffee in 2012, and is the worlds biggest exporter of bitter- tasting robusta. According to the International Coffee Organization, consumption of the drink in Vietnam jumped 65 percent between 2008 and 2011. Tran Doan Kim, a business management professor at National University said the coffee chain will attract young Vietnamese who like to be fashionable, live a Western lifestyle and enjoy brand names. According to the World Bank website, Vietnam had reached what the World Bank calls lower middle-income status in 2009, with per-capita income having increased more than 10-fold since the ruling Communist Party started market-oriented reforms in 1986. Gross national income per capita was $1,270 in 2011. Dang Le Nguyen Vu, founder and owner of Trung Nguyen, which operates about 60 cafes in the country, isnt threatened by his newest competitor. He said Starbucks is not worth worrying about as it doesnt sell coffee. The people who go into a Starbucks may want to show that they are modern and stylish and a coffee lover will go to them instead. Vu said Trung Nguyen, which exports coffee to about 60 countries, will expand to at least 200 retail outlets in two years. Highlands Coffee stores, with overhead music and Wi-Fi Internet, are located in prime retail and landmark locations in Vietnams largest cities. Culver said Starbucks will price its products in a premium position that is competitive. According to Sara Senatore, a New York-based analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein Co, prices may still be less than the U.S. because of lower income and operating costs. Senatore further added that Starbucks doesnt compete directly with the local coffee shops, just the same way that McDonalds or KFC doesnt compete directly with the local fast-food vendors. And there is a premium that people are willing to pay for a clean environment, for consistent products and good service. Thuan Pham, a commercial airline pilot and a Vietnamese-American who now lives in Ho Chi Minh City who goes patronizes Coffee Bean Tea Leaf in Hanoi expects to be a frequent Starbucks visitor and said he will be surprised if Starbucks doesnt succeed in Vietnam. Pham added that the cool factor is crucial and its important for young people to be seen at these places and is not about the coffee. A first time customer, Nguyen Ngoc Tram, 17 explained to Tuoitrenews that as this is the first time she tasted a US coffee brand name, she was very eager to buy her first Starbucks cup and was willing to queue for more than 30 minutes to be able to sip her Vietnamese Starbucks coffee. An hour after the official opening hour, the long line in front of the store still remained, as there were more people like Tram coming to become one of the first to taste Starbucks in Vietnam. Most of other customers are young, and those who have already experienced Starbucks in the US and other Asian countries. They said they came to see if there is any difference between Starbucks Vietnam and in other nations. One local coffee store owner, Nguyen Phi whose shop is located in the chaotic traffic in the roundabout just west of the New World Hotel and of Phis newest neighbour and competitor, Starbucks commented that they dont operate on the same battlefield and belong to two different businesses. Le Suan, one of Phis customers, agrees that while he now lives in the United States, he grew up in Vietnam and defaults to local coffee joints when he returns to his home country for a visit. He further explained that people in Vietnam drink their coffee very strong and Starbucks coffee is very light. Coffee is not just coffee but more a way of life in Vietnam. While its consumed as a morning pick-me-up in parts of the western world, its a social activity that takes place throughout the day here. Venue options, which range from mobile coffee carts to locally-owned cafes to big-but-still-local names like Trung Nguyen, are pretty much unlimited. The rest of the world has also caught on to the great flavour of the Vietnamese coffee bean and the country is now one of the top coffee exporters in the world. John Culver, president of Starbucks China and Asia Pacific, tells AsiaLIFE that Starbucks is deeply respectful of Vietnams long and distinctive local coffee culture and they know coffee is a national pride for many Vietnamese and as such, Starbucks look forward to contributing and growing Vietnams already vibrant coffee industry. The company also pledges to promote responsible business practices and production standards with coffee farming communities. While this is reassuring to some, others remain concerned, especially those whove come from areas where large coffee chains have pushed smaller operations out of business. One commenter even quipped that Starbucks is the new war face of America. So who is Starbucks targeted customer in Vietnam? Who are the patrons who would be willing to wait in long lines for that tall, grande or venti cup at a price substantially more than what they can get on the street? It would be tourists and guests of the New World Hotel and young Vietnamese, who are seeking to try this internationally-known brand and perhaps to impress others with it, who would also likely to be there as well. A customer, Nguyen Phuong said many in Vietnam know of Starbucks and want to be fashionable. She and her friend Nguyen Nga are already part of the Starbucks in-crowd thanks to jobs that often take them outside the country. On those trips, they are regular Starbucks customers who go not for a standard cup of coffee but for the specialty drinks. Phuong added that Starbucks has so many things like Cappuccino that other local coffee stores dont have. And both Phuong and Nga love the taste of Starbucks and accept the price. The key to all coffee vendors surviving in Ho Chi Minh City may come down to menu offerings. Joints like Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf succeed at higher-priced specialty drinks, while coffee carts focus on their classic offerings at extremely low prices. The face of the countrys coffee culture is changing but back at the busy roundabout, where Cach Mang Thang Tam, Nguyen Trai, and Ly Tu Trong streets meet, one of the local coffee store, Nguyen Phi has no intention of changing his business plan. Hell keep doing what he does best and his customers will keep coming as well. John Culver, president of the companys China and Asia Pacific region, said in a telephone interview that Starbucks will grow aggressively in Vietnam and there will be hundreds of stores for Starbucks though he didnt give a time frame for the expansion. Dang Le Nguyen Vu, founder and owner of Trung Nguyen said hes ready to compete against Starbucks with a plan hes developed over the past three years. His newest cafes in Vietnam are in fact reminiscent of Starbucks, with oversized armchairs, contemporary music and a menu offering coffee drinks, smoothies and snacks. Some stores even feature shelves lined with books that customers are encouraged to browse including books that inspire and encourage young Vietnamese patrons. Vu further added that Starbucks no longer has the personality it had when it first started and that its regime will soon end and will soon be replaced. Well, it has happened Starbucks has finally