Parental Feedback into Children’s Acquisition Essay

One of the most remarkable characteristics of human beings lay in the fact that, virtually, every single one acquires language at a very young age (Crain & Martin, 1999, p. 4). This is because what lies at the heart of what it means to be a human person is an innate predisposition towards the acquisition of â€Å"the most intricate forms of knowledge we will ever acquire†¦early on in life† (Sigelaman & Rides, 2008, p. 277). In view of such contention, it merits to make mention that, according to Crain and Martin, there are two telling truths that define language acquisition: that on the one side of the spectrum, language is universal (within the human species) and that, on the other side of the spectrum, there is a considerable latitude in the kind of environmental inputs that permit children to develop language (1999, p. 7). Put simply, a person’s acquisition of language is characteristically both universal – i. e. , that all persons, in all places, at all times and defined by whatever circumstances has to, one way or another, learn a language or two – and conditioned – i. e. , that language acquisition is influenced by the particularities of one’s own facticity. Particularly, this paper seeks to underscore the telling importance of parental feedback in the development of linguistic skills of human persons; specifically of children. Herein, it merits noting that parental presence and interaction during the crucial stage of language acquisition are components that present cases of no little importance to the growth and development of a child. Furthermore, this study takes keen interest into how the different theories of language acquisition do frame the importance of parental feedback and interaction to a child’s journey towards assimilating language. This early, it is insightful to already affirm that whilst there is a universal recognition of the supreme importance of parental presence during a child’s language acquisition months, how different theories understand the degrees and extent of such fundamental importance nevertheless varies. Scope and Methodology The foregoing central thesis having presented, it may help to further underscore that this study does not and will not attempt to present an exhaustive treatment of the subject matter. In fact, this study focuses merely on presenting three language acquisition theories, whose respective programmes, arguably, already constitute substantial themes so as to lend points for worthwhile discussions. The three theories which are to be delved into include: the Behaviourist, the Innatist and the Interactionist paradigms. Be that as it may, this study weaves together the expository and argumentative approaches in presenting the discussions; being that this study does not merely aim at presenting different learning acquisition theories, but also gleaning how such theories take parental feedback as a constitutive component of language acquisition process. The Process of Language Acquisition Essa notes that language does not begin when babies speak their first words around the end of their first year (2003, p. 329). Instead, it is a process which, whilst contiguous, is nonetheless wholly distinguishable in stages. Wasserman is of the firm belief that there are at least two different stages involved in language acquisition: i. e. , pre-language that begins before birth and lasts until the age 10 or 12 months, and the linguistic stage from the ages of 12 to 36 months (2007, p. 416). To both stages, it must be argued, a requisite range of mental progression is conveniently assumed. This is because it is reasonable to assume that children’s grasp of their surroundings come way ahead of their ability to express them. If truth be said, children are said to undergo their respective language acquisition stages in a manner being contemporaneous of the progression of their cognitive, affective and personality aspects. Santrock contends that language acquisition is a particular stage which brings into play the process of acquiring not only the contours of language, but also the rules that are inherent to language acquisition itself. The learned author states: As children go through the early childhood years, their grasp of the rule systems that govern language increase. These rule systems include phonology (the sound system), morphology (the rules for combining minimal units of meaning), syntax (rules of making sentences), semantics (the meaning system), and pragmatics (the rules for use in social meanings). (Santrock, 2004, p. 254). On account of such programme, it thus makes sense to claim that language acquisition â€Å"can be assessed in multiple ways†, insofar as â€Å"it is a multifaceted system that used for social communication and for individual mental representation† (Milligan, et. al. , 2007, p. 623). Put in other words, since the process of language acquisition is distinguishable (albeit not separable) into construable parts, then it is certainly something that can be assessed according and relative to its constitutive stages. Additionally, language is measured by way of observations of naturalistic conversation, learning from standardized inventories, as well as evaluating the performance on language-ability tasks (Milligan, et. al. , 2007, p. 623). The Roles of Parental Feedback as Gleaned from Three Language Acquisition Theories To be sure, one can find an array of truly insightful theories that seek to shed light into the process of language acquisition specifically pertinent to children. Consistent with the reasoned limitation set initially in this paper, three theories – the Behaviourist, the Innatist and Interactionist – shall be discussed for the sole purpose of this study. First, the Behaviourist paradigm considers the environment as primary molder of the circumstances of human persons. In the same manner, those subscribing to this theory believe that the external environment, more than anything else, is chiefly influential in directing the behavior of children. Skinner, as the foremost proponent of learning theory, suggested that language is a special case of behavior being that it is largely determined by training based on trial and error, and not by maturation (Minami, 2002, p. 14). Fundamentally, this theory proposes that whilst children would pass through different but contiguous stages, the environment and specific experiences of the children are what primordially affect their development and growth (Wasserman, 2007, p. 416). Indeed, language learning is embedded from the outside, nay from social contingencies, where everything from phonology to syntax, comprehension and production, are all part of complex dynamics among caregivers, the wider social environment, and the language-learning of a child (Dale, 2004, p. 337). Under the lenses of a Behaviourist paradigm, the role of parents could nowhere be under-appreciated. As a matter of fact, they ought to be considered as chief personalities that belong atop the list of those whose influence to children’s language acquisition development is of paramount importance. Sigelman and Rides, for their part, has this to say: Behaviourist B. F. Skinner (1957) and others have emphasized the role of reinforcement. As children achieve better approximations of adult language, parents and other adults praise meaningful speech and correct errors. Children and also reinforced by getting that they want when they speak correctly. (Sigelman and Rides, 2008, p. 282). Parental feedback, therefore, acts as the primary reinforcement of an infant’s language development. And this is precisely because children are acutely responsive to the positive reinforcements – such as smiling, cuddling and conversation – done by their parents (Essa, 2003, p. 327). It must also be cited that children learn to speak by imitation and they reproduce the sounds (words) that they hear from around them. Additionally, parents are the ones who provide a language model, by talking to and around children (Crain &Martin, 1999, p. 4). Two facets of learning acquisition come into the fore in view of the Behaviourist perspective: the content of language and the motivation to learn. And as far as the Behaviourist theory is concerned, the importance of parental feedback falls more under the parameters of motivating children develop their linguistic skills. This runs quite consistent with the general theory of Behaviourism which takes all learning largely as a motivational issue latched, as it were, to the entire learning process. It helps to moreover appreciate the fact that the Behaviourist model gives too much emphasis on acquiring correct linguistic skills on account of healthy motivations provided for by parents, if not by the adults within the immediate surroundings of the children. Thus, where healthy motivation wants, learning acquisition suffers correlatively. At the very least, lack of parental feedback and provision of encouragement may frustrate a child’s natural inclination to adopt, appropriate, imitate and learn from the conversations he or she hears from parents and other older companions (Sigelman and Rides, 2008, p. 282). Surely, it is important for parents to ensure that children are significantly reinforced at a time when they are becoming â€Å"increasingly capable of producing the sounds of their language† – things that they acquire through confident adaptation and imitation (Santrock, 2004, p. 254). The aforesaid paradigm was challenged by Chomsky and Pinker. They, along with those who subscribe to the Innatist theory, argue that since patterns in language development are similar across different languages and cultures, the environment plays a minor role in the children’s of language. They moreover emphasized that human persons possess an intrinsic biological endowment that enables them to discover the framework of principles and elements common to attainable human languages (Minami, 2002, p. 14). As a consequence, the Innatist approach takes children as essentially wired to know without being taught, notwithstanding the role of communication in providing meaning, eliciting affirmation or negation, proffering critical questions and eliciting a force to command and direct (Essa, 2003, p. 327). At the very least, the Innatist approach insists that children are able to learn language on their own innate ability. Once more, Sigelman and Rides suggest: Chomsky proposed that humans have inborn mechanism for mastering language called the language acquisition device (LAD). The LAD was conceived as an area in the brain equipped to identify certain universal features of language†¦To learnt to speak, children need only to hear human speaks; (and) using LAD, they (can) quickly grasp the rules of whatever language they hear. (Sigelman and Rides, 2008, p. 283). In view of what Sigelman and Rides have to say, it is therefore not without good reasons to surmise that parents play a lesser role in the child’s language development. Parental feedback, as a consequence, is essential only insofar as children are able to use it as a welcome reference for their otherwise innate predisposition towards language acquisition. Parents thus need only to let their children be. This is because, according to Chomsky, language is a product of the young human brain, such that virtually, any exposure to conditions short of total isolation and vicious mistreatment will suffice to bring children forth a successful language acquisition all the same. In the ultimately analysis, there is really nothing much to do with a child to help him or her properly acquire the content and the corollary rules attendant to human language; for a child is essentially set up for language, and need not necessarily or extensively use the exigencies of his or her external environment to acquire it (Dale, 2004, p. 338).

Mckinsey Mind Paper

| The McKinsey Mind| Personal Paper 1| ENTR 668| Philip Thoms| 4/13/2012| Executive Overview The summary of The McKinsey Mind: Understanding and Implementing the Problem Solving Tools and Management Techniques of the World’s Top Strategic Consulting Firm by Rasiel and Friga does exactly what the title indicates. As stated in the summary it will show one how to: 1. Follow McKinsey’s MECE line of attack 2. Frame business problems to make them susceptible to rigorous, fact-based analysis 3. Use that same fact-based analysis, along with gut instinct, to make strategic decisions. 4. Conduct meaningful interviews. . Analyze the data to find the â€Å"So what. † 6. Clearly communicate fact-based solutions to decision-makers Key Insights and Implications 1. Insight: MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) is separating problems into distinct, non-overlapping issues while making sure that no relevant issues have been overlooked. Implication: Recently, there wer e failures with the Code Blue team arriving to one of our clinics, I believe currently the team I am working with to strengthen up the process is not dividing up the issues distinctively enough and that some relevant issues are being overlooked. . Insight: Issue tree which is a type of logic tree in which each branch is an issue or question. Implication: While working with our client, I believe we would have been in a better place if we would have written down all the issues and formed them into an issue tree in order to better attack and solve the issues that arose instead of going rouge on each issue. 3. Insight: Develop a rapid response culture in that all employees must quickly respond to data request from fellow employees and all phone calls are returned within 24 hours (unwritten rule). Implication:Our consulting engagement has (had) a very tight timeline in that certain aspects needed to be completed in a very short time period. Also, with work if my institution had this cult ure, questions would be able to be answered sooner allowing for more productivity. Recently, I had a simple question that when through 3 departments which took a little under 2 months. Personal Strengths 1. Personable: Being personable is a valuable resource which would directly benefit in managing a team and client. People like to work and do business with people they like. . Altruistic: A consultant cannot be wholly concerned with their own personal welfare, but it is important that they are looking out for others on their team, their project, and the company as a whole (both their firm and the company they are consulting with). 3. Not a Cowboy: I do not enjoy reinventing the wheel. My opinion is if someone else has an answer for a problem, I do not have to come up with the solution myself. I will search the web or whatever database is available for information on a particular problem.Developmental Opportunities 1. Presenting Your Ideas: I need to become more articulate at present ing my ideas. Practice and preparation are the two primary ways that will help me to be better in this aspect. I naturally wait till the last minute to complete tasks that I know must be completed by a certain deadline which inhibits me from practicing the actual presentation part of the task/project. In order to do better, I need to create schedules of when certain aspects of a task need to be completed by and hold myself accountable.I typically have always been able to â€Å"swing it†, but due to this mindset the work that I presented/completed has not been up to the level that I could deliver on. Improving in this area would help me with as an individual with personal projects that I want to complete and it would benefit my organization(work) in my deliverables would be of a higher quality. 2. Forget about absolute precision: I am a finance guy a number guy therefore when I think about business I think about the bottom line and typically I am fixated on worse case scenario ’s based upon numbers only and not the x factor.I need to remember that business is not math or physics and remember sometimes there is more than just the numbers and if Instagram can sell for a billion dollars, anything can happen. 3. Team Selection: I feel that I am not the greatest at team selection. Perhaps, I typically am but I feel that this time during this class our team did not ever quite mesh. We did good work but I don’t feel that we ever great work. Though, it is different in the business world.I definitely think it is something I need to improve on. Final Comments The McKinsey Mind makes it look like if you follow the systems outlined the consulting will go smoothly and it the project will be successful. But from talking to my good friend who is a consultant for Accenture more often than not the customer is very hard to work with. It seems that the bulk of the issue is the customer not listening to the consulting firm which is odd since it was the customer who brought in the consultant firm in to begin.

A Study of the Relation of Gender and Self-Esteem in Conformity

A Study of the Relation of Gender and Self-Esteem in Conformity Abstract Conformity studies have been extensive following Asch’s (1956) classic line judgement task. Numerous factors have been purported to affect conformity behaviours. The present study investigates gender differences in conforming behaviours, and how self-esteem is associated with conformity, by replicating Asch’s original experiment. The study further explores if self-esteem is associated with conformity differently between gender groups. Twenty-two psychology undergraduates (eight males and fourteen females) were recruited. An independent t-test and bivariate correlation analyses were used to analyse the data. The results revealed 1) no gender difference in conforming behaviours, 2) a significant negative correlation between self-esteem and conforming behaviours, 3) differential association of self-esteem and conformity between males and females. In all, the results suggest that conformity is influenced by an individual’s sense of self-worth instead of a person†™s gender identity; gender may be a moderating variable in self-esteem and conformity research that future studies can explore. Gender and Self-Esteem Differences in Conformity: Revisiting Asch’s Conformity Test People are often faced with situations where they are pressurized to conform to certain norms or behaviours. Conformity is the change in behaviours in response to real or imagined pressure from members of the social environment (Gilovich, Keltner, Chen, Nisbett, 2013). In a classic study by Asch (1956), it was demonstrated that people can give obviously wrong answers even when they knew it was incorrect because of the sense of pressure from others. Specifically, participants in the study were shown three different comparison lines and were asked which line was similar to a target line presented adjacent. The participants were seated among a group of 7 to 9 and had to answer after the others indicated their response. There was only one participant in each group and the rest were confederates who gave unanimous incorrect answers on specified trials, known as critical trials. Approximately 75% of the participants conformed on at least one trial – of these participants, 5% confor med on all critical trials. Qualitative analysis after the experiment revealed that the participants knew the answers were incorrect, but felt the need to conform as they did not want to feel rejected, suggesting that people have a psychological need to fit in with a group. The yielding to group pressure because of a need to fit in is termed normative social influence, as opposed to informational social influence wherein people are uncertain of a situation and look to others for guidance (Asch, 1956; Gilovich et al, 2013). Clearly, Asch’s study explores the aspect of normative social influence. Numerous studies had since found divergent findings (Bond Smith, 1996; Mori Arai, 2010), questioning the external validity of the study. Perhaps the most important limitation to Asch’s study was the use of only male participants, indicating the need for further studies exploring gender differences. Literature on gender differences remains inconsistent – while women was generally found to conform more than men in the past (Bond Smith, 1996), recent studies suggest no gender differences (Rosander Eriksson, 2012), or mixed results in conformity between gender groups (Enjanjan, Zeigler-Hill, Vonk, 2015). Reviewing Gender Differences Women were generally found to conform more than men possibly due to gender roles and the conforming towards such roles during the period (1960s – 1990s) when the experiments took place (Rosander Eriksson, 2012). The social identity of women was arguably more submissive and conforming than present. Good and Sanchez (2010) posited that people conform to gender roles of the society due to intrinsic enjoyment of pulling together an individual’s actual and ideal selves, or due to extrinsic pressure from society. According to the self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, as cited in Gilovich et al., 2013), people are constantly motivated to compare between their actual selves – representing who people truly believe themselves to be – and two other selves, the ideal and ought selves. The former refers to the more positive connotation of people’s ambitions and what others maintain about them; the latter refers to the sense of obligation people feel pressurized to follow. Bond and Smith (1996) meta-analysis seems to substantiate this theory. In retrospect, the review was also done in the 1990s and conformity behaviours might have changed since then. Agreeably, Rosander and Eriksson (2012) found that women did not conform more than men. The study utilized the Asch’s paradigm, but on the internet where participants were not interacting face-to-face with each other. An additional measure of task difficulty (Easy/Difficult) was introduced. The overall conformity result was like Asch’s original study. Additionally, men were found to conform more than women on difficult task (specifically on difficult and logical questions, for details see Rosander Eriksson, 2012). This is corroborated by Enjanjan and colleagues (2015) where men with varying levels of self-esteem were found to conform more on difficult trials. Furthermore, women might not have been more conforming but that men tend to report less conformity depending on the context (Rosander Eriksson, 2012). Recent explanation of why men conform less alludes to the idea that non-conformity portrays uniqueness, thus making an individual stand out and increase prospective opportunities such as leadership roles (Griskevicius, Goldstein, Mortensen, Cialdini, Kenrick, 2006; Rosander Eriksson, 2012). Taken together, the findings suggest no concrete direction of gender difference, and hints a relationship between conformity and self-esteem. Reviewing Self-Esteem in Conformity Following the self-discrepancy theory, conformity towards ascribed norms may increase self-esteem due to inherent positive feelings. Conversely, conforming due to feelings of pressure may induce lower levels of self-esteem (Good Sanchez, 2010; Gilovich et al., 2013). Alternatively, this paper aims to identify if self-esteem levels affect people’s conforming behaviours. One of the main reasons people conform is the desire to fit in or to be correct (i.e. normative and informational social influences, Gilovich et al., 2013). Since these desires are associated with self-esteem (Enjanjan et al., 2016), it is intuitive to think that people with low self-esteem conforms more. Truly, studies converge on the notion that individuals with low self-esteem tend to conform more than individuals with high self-esteem (Enjanjan et al., 2016), possibly to protect their weak sense of self and mitigate the damaging impacts of failure (Ardnt, Schimel, Greenberg, Pyszczynski, 2002). Research on the relationship of gender in self-esteem and conformity remained scarce, with identifiable studies placing self-esteem as the outcome/dependent variable in their study instead of conformity (Good Sanchez, 2010). Due to inconsistencies in the literature, this paper expects a non-directional gender difference in rate of conformity. Next, it is expected that self-esteem is negatively correlated with conformity. Finally, this paper further explores if self-esteem levels between gender groups is differently associated with conformity. Methods Design There were two designs of the study – a between-subject quasi-experimental design for test of group difference and a correlational design for test of association. The independent variable for the former test was gender; the dependent variable was social conformity operationalised as the rate of conformity (out of 12 critical trials) of Asch’s (1956) conformity test. Self-esteem, measured using Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965a), was correlated with the dependent variable. Participants responded to both RSES and the conformity experiment. Participants A total of 22 Participants (8 Males, 14 Females), age ranging from 18 – 25 years (M = 20.7, SD = 2.35 years) were recruited from James Cook University as part of their course requirement PY3102. Majority of the participants (N = 19) were First year students, and the remaining (N = 3) were Second year students. All participants were included in the study as all relevant details were filled up in both the demographics form (Gender, Age, and Year of study in college), and all participants completed the experiment. Materials Asch’s (1956) line judgement task. Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 was used to create the stimuli and presented through in-class overhead projector in James Cook University Singapore, room C2-06. The stimuli (Appendix A) consist of 18 trials of line judgement test, 12 of which were critical trials whereby the researcher recorded responses of the participants. The confederates were told to give wrong responses unanimously on the critical trials. The target lines were copied exactly (copy-paste function) from the correct comparison line while the remaining lines were created such that the correct answer was always obvious. All lines were between 2 – 10 inches (5.08cm – 25.40cm) following the original study. Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES; 1965a). The RSES is a 10-item scale that measures feelings of self-worth by assessing both positive and negative feelings about the self (Rosenberg, 1965b). The items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Items 2, 5, 6, 8, 9 are reverse scored. Item scores are summed and higher scores indicate higher self-esteem (Appendix B). The scale was found to have good internal consistency, a = .91, and demonstrated good internal and external validity (Sinclair et al., 2010). Procedure Participants were given an information sheet and were told that their participation is completely voluntary; they could leave at any point in the experiment. Only one participant was present for each experiment. Upon agreeing to informed consent and filling up of the demographics sheet, participants completed the RSES. Participants were told that they were in a group study of visual judgement together with three other confederates, and were assigned to the last seat in the row. The researcher presented the line judgement task on screen (5 metres away) and participants had to answer: â€Å"Which comparison line A, B, or C is the same as the target line?† after responses from all confederates. The confederates were instructed to give unanimous correct responses on trials 1, 2, 6, 10, 15, and 16 (randomly generated order, except for 1 and 2, following Asch’s original study), while incorrect responses for all other trials (critical trials). Only responses from the critical trials were recorded. Finally, participants were debriefed and given the true nature of the experiment. Statistical Analysis IBM SPSS 22 was used to analyse the data. An independent t test was used to test for gender differences and bivariate correlation analysis was used to test for the relationship between self-esteem and the dependent variable. Results The present study explored gender differences in social conformity, and its relationship to self-esteem. Table 1 presents the descriptive statistics of each group. Contrary to the hypothesis, an independent t test revealed no significant differences between male and female, t(20)= -0.067, p = .947, 95% CI [-0.256, 0.240]. A significant moderate negative correlation was found between self-esteem and social conformity, r(20) = -.58, p = .004, indicating that people with higher self-esteem tend to conform less. Finally, this study further explored if self-esteem levels between males and females would be associated differently with rate of conformity. A bivariate correlation analysis between gender groups indicated differential association with conformity – there was a significant strong negative correlation in the female group, r(12) = -.73, p = .003; there was no significant correlation in the male group, r(6) = -.31, p = .45. Discussion In all, the results revealed no gender differences in rate of conformity, a significantly moderate negative correlation of self-esteem and conformity, and different associations of self-esteem and conformity in males and females – women with higher self-esteem seems to conform less, while there was no significant correlation in men with varying levels of self-esteem. Contrary to previous findings, it appears that males and females do not differ in their rate of conformity. One possible explanation can be that gender roles in the current globalized society are not as prominent and people are more liberal in their social identity, thus blurring the distinction between gender. The result was consistent with the hypothesis of negative correlation of self-esteem and conformity, thus supporting previous findings and the notion that conforming behaviours seem to be a form of defensiveness toward threats to the self (i.e. fear of criticism or judgement by others, feeling excluded etc). Additionally, this paper showed that different levels of self-esteem in males and females are associated with conformity, consistent with Enjanjan et al.’s (2016) findings. It is likely that females with low self-esteem value the desire to be liked by others more than men with low self-esteem, while women with high self-esteem is more confident to make autonomous decisions. Conversely, men probably do not consider conforming behaviours as being impactful to their self-esteem as they may feel that uniqueness is a preferable trait rather than being liked by others. However, it is puzzling that no gender difference emerged overall, but differential associations emerged at var ying levels of self-esteem in males and females. The findings imply that conformity in people may be related more to an individual’s sense of self-worth rather than to gender, and complex interactions may exist between gender groups and self-esteem levels. The findings may be of interest to people working in groups, especially leaders – to identify the tendency for people to conform and therefore impeding productive generation of ideas. Limitations and Future Directions This study is limited due to the small sample size (N = 22), and very low count of male participants (n = 8). Also, all participants were psychology students and they might have guessed the nature of the study. This was controlled by asking for the year of study – with older-year students having the tendency to guess the true nature. Furthermore, due to the quasi-experimental nature, random assignment was not possible thereby confounding the results. Future studies may recruit more participants and include a question at the end of the experiment (â€Å"What is the study about?†) to exclude participants who know the true nature of the study. This was not done in the present study due to restrictive sample size. Perhaps with adjustments to the study and with more advanced statistical procedures, complex interactions between gender, self-esteem, and conformity can be discovered.

Individual-based reflection paper(management) Essay

Types of Managers and Steps in Management - Essay Example These managers, in particular, are the ones who most of us are familiar with, as unless we are lucky enough to land a top job right away, we will be with these guys. If something comes up in the department, they are usually the first to know – being in charge, they should be. As the title implies, a manager is expected to supervise - to manage – his department and his subordinates. Specifically, he is expected to get things done efficiently (minimum cost, maximum output) and effectively (attaining goals and doing the right things). This means that it is highly desirable to attain one’s goals while using the least possible amount of resources. This process is called management. The first step in management is to plan – to set goals, come up with a strategy, and develop plans to coordinate abilities. This answers the questions of what you want, how you plan to get it, and what you will do to get it. The next step is to organize, that is, the manager then del egates tasks to his subordinates, decides how tasks are to be grouped and what needs to be done. In this step, it is important to take into account who is best suited to handle certain tasks. For instance, if your plan calls for the use of print ads, hire a graphic artist – or better yet, find someone on the team who has talent in that area. This step is where a manager’s interpersonal skills are needed most. As he is expected to know his subordinates relatively well, this is an important decision one must take great caution in making – and which one has absolutely no excuse for fumbling. Next would be to lead one’s subordinates – that is, to motivate them, direct them, choose an effective means of communication, and resolve conflicts should they arise. Finally, to control – monitoring performance, comparing it with company goals, and making changes when necessary.  

Barnes and Noble Company and Amazon.com Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Barnes and Noble Company and Amazon.com - Essay Example The company branched out to sell E-books. Jeff Bezos persuaded its current and future customers to benefit from the time-saving and travel money-saving benefits of online shopping for Amazon.com products. Management Styles. Both companies implement effective management styles. The Barnes and Noble Company focuses on the consultative management style. The style includes taking into consideration all positive and unfavorable feedbacks and inputs. The inputs include the feedback from the parties. On the other hand, Amazon uses persuasive management style. Management uses persuasion to convince its current and future employees eagerly implement company policies, increasing customer service quality. Product Launch and handling of products and services. Both companies have different product launch versions. The Barnes and Noble Company offers several products in different genres. The products are sold over 800 United States stores. On the other hand, Amazon’s product launch is focus ed on website selling. The company opens its www.amazon.com website to initially sell physical books and other related products. Marketing products and services. Both companies use different marketing strategies. The Barnes and Noble Company sells various products and services in over 800 stores in the 50 states and its website. On the other Amazon.com only uses online selling. The company opens its www.amazon.com website to initially sell physical books and other related products. ... The Amazon.com’s financial statistics show that its revenues better than Barnes and Noble Company’s revenues. Amazon.com’s net income is better than the dismal net loss of Barnes and Noble Company. The sales figure prods investors to funnel their investment in Amazon.com. With more Amazon.com customers, the investors must choose Amazon.com as their investment destination. Amazon’s better implementation of the marketing aspects contributed to its being a market segment standout. Amazon.com sells quality products at reasonable prices. The company promotes its products at the easiest place to buy, the internet. Statistical Comparison                                     Barnes &             Amazon    Noble       Year    2011    2011       Sales $ 57.26 billion $ 7.16 billion       Net Income (net loss) $ 40 million $ (69.44 million)       Market Share    26%    3%       Employees    56,000.00    35,283.00       Stores    1 online    800+       Equipment    No printing Press    Printing Press                         CONCLUSION. It is very clear that Amazon.com’s financial and business performance is higher than Barnes and Noble Company’s business performance. Unquestionably, investors must pick Amazon.com as the better investment destination. MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: The following shows the financial analysis of the two competing companies. The two companies are Banes and Noble Company and Amazon.com. Background information. Barnes & Noble. The Barnes and Noble Company generates a profitable background information. Charles Barnes and Clifford Noble, separate bookstore sellers decided to joined hands during the 1800s. The company

Analysis for Without Prejudice TV show Research Paper

Analysis for Without Prejudice TV show - Research Paper Example This time, they are allowed to ask any question to the contestants except just only one, which is, how each of them will use the money that they will be given in the show. Apparently, the show’s purpose is to give away money to the one person among the five contestants who is the most liked. However, on the other side of this reality show, the panelists are faced with their own prejudices among people they do not know of. Since their only bases are the interviews made by the show’s production staff to these people and their brief interview to the last two contestants, they are left with nothing to rely on but to observe the contestants’ personalities according to their physical appearance as well as their body language and gestures. Through these forms of non-verbal communication, the panelists are able to decode their messages, even those that they do not communicate orally, by simply observing them. Relatively, this show is obviously important in studying communication, its theories and other factors that are associated with it. The panelists’ interpretation of the contestants through their facial expressions, body language, gestures, and the like are examples of non-verbal communication, which are often misinterpreted in the communication process due to stereotyping and people’s prejudices. Similarly, just as the contestants are judged by their 15-second introduction where verbal communication is observed, softness or loudness of voice, as well as clarity of speech are important factors in creating an impression that is essential in the communication process, too. The TV show allows two groups of people who are communicating in various ways in order to achieve their desired result. In interpersonal communication, in order for people to achieve a positive relationship, they should be able to create a good communication climate. As such, the group of people who are communicating with each other may either confirm or disconfirm each other in

Weight trining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weight trining - Essay Example The article recommends routine training and after every 12 weeks, one takes a week off of weight training to cure any minor injuries and to give the central nervous system a rest. Cheating arises when one uses a weight that is too heavy for them to lift, but go ahead to lift the weight and forgo form to do it. This not only confines the gains one can make, but can cause injuries. Lifting heavy weights while still young can lead to premature growth plates (epiphysis). The website goes ahead to explain how low rep ranges prepare muscular strength, which in turn helps little in increasing muscular size. The site has helped me realize that not all people are the same and should not therefore copy another person’s routine so as to get the same results. Another important thing I have learnt from the site is that one does not necessarily need to fast to achieve his/her goal. When you starve yourself, the body holds onto any fat it has, therefore, one will lose muscle instead which is very unhealthy. One should also not neglect carbohydrates and fats in their foods as well as relying so much on the supplements. Finally, it is important that before embarking on weight training, one should undertake extensive research to facilitate attainment of his or her goals. Remember nothing takes place immediately and one should be

Discuss the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and Essay

Discuss the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development - Essay Example As technological change permeates our lives, it is essential for each individual to understand the forces underlying and unleashed by technological change in order to become better decision makers, managers, policy analysts, and researchers. Relationship between Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development As Braunerhjelm points out, economists have undoubtedly made considerable advances during the last decades in understanding the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth, and have brought in more profound insights on how entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth are interrelated. According to him, the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development can be identified from its most immediate foundation in simple perception, common sense, and a clear economic observation that performance to convert proposals into economic opportunities lies at the very core of entrepreneurship (2). Entrepreneurship can be stated as the foundation of innovation and revolution, and as such stimulates the development in efficiency and profitable competitiveness. Knowledge and flexibility are the two significant factors that are closely linked with entrepreneurship and have been noticed for their importance as measures for achieving competitiveness in this rapidly developing globalised economy. In the same way, development and growth of upcoming entrepreneurship brings chances for a country’s development within an intensified global competition due to the phenomena like globalisation and liberalisation, and modern technological innovations. According to Pirich et al, most economic, psychological and sociological research focus on the fact that entrepreneurship is a process, and not just a stagnant phenomenon and it is more than just a mechanical economic factor. Moreover, entrepreneurship is associated with choice-related issues and has a wide range of functional roles which involves coordination, innovation, uncertainty bearing, decision making resource allocation, capital supply, and ownership (14). Schumpeter holds the view that innovative entrepreneurs are the vehicles that can move the economy into development from a stagnant equilibrium, depending on the blending abilities of entrepreneurial individuals. In his opinion, â€Å"whatever the type, everyone is an entrepreneur only when he actually carries out new combinations and loses that character as soon as he has built up his business, when he settles down to running it as other people run their business† (Schumpeter, 78). Likewise, there has been a great deal of attention focused on studying various models of innovation throughout the recent decades to identify the significance of innovation with various institutions. The Economist (1999) (as cited in Pirich, et al) reports that innovation has turned out to be the industrial religion of the late 20th century, where business considers it to be the key to increase profits and market sh are and Governments generally select it while trying to fix the economy; moreover, the rhetoric of innovation has substituted the post-war language of welfare economics (15). The entrepreneur takes the place of the most essential agent in almost all of the production, distribution, and growth theories. Entrepreneurship is the driving force of economic growth and this concept suits best with the long waves theory of Joseph Schumpeter. According to Schumpeter,

Should Texas have a voter ID law or not Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Should Texas have a voter ID law or not - Essay Example The law was allowed despite the dissenting opinion of the Supreme Court judges who indicated that the law was unconstitutional and would lead to poll tax. This essay will examine the pros and cons of the Texas having a voter ID Law. The main aim for coming up with the stricter voter ID law was to ensure that there was a reduction of fraud during the election. The most common type of fraud that is witnessed during the election is impersonation fraud, which would be curbed using the Voter ID law because the voter before voting has to produce an identification that contains their photo (Smith et al 90). By so doing, it ensures that another person does not vote on their behalf. For that reason, the enacting of voter ID laws was meant to ensure that one person one vote; hence, allowing free and fair elections. Secondly, the voter ID law is imperative to the state of Texas because it is sensible and legal because it safeguards the integrity of the polls (Langholz 731). This is an opinion given by the United States Supreme Court. The elections should be free and fair and such elections can only be achieved by ensuring that there are set out procedures that will ensure that people vote in a democratic manner. Therefore, the State of Texas enacting a law that will ensure such elections will be conducted in a democratic manner should not be challenged. Additionally, the candidates that are competing have the duty and right to be elected fairly and by ensuring that the integrity of elections is safeguarded then it becomes appropriate to have such strict elections laws. â€Å"We are pleased that the United States Supreme Court Has agreed that Texas’ Voter ID law should remain in effect for the upcoming election. The state shall continue to defend the voter ID law and remain confident that the district’s court misguided ruling will be overturned on the

Dont blame Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dont blame Wal-Mart - Essay Example The threat of millions of American shoppers to Wal-Mart is another issue, which is discussed in details in the Reich's essay. Reich in his essay has not only highlighted problems, but he also suggests solutions. No doubt honest living is everyone's right and we can see the same case in this crisis. Both, the workers of Wal-Mart and other shoppers need an honorable livelihood. The main problem is not that both sides like different things. The problem is that both sides do not have the complete picture. I also like the convenience that a one-stop shopping place like Wal-Mart offers me. Six days a week, I work like a slave, but on the day I shop at Wal-Mart, I feel like the Queen! I love their service with a smile and their clean stores. Most of all, searching for bargains and seeing so many beautiful things give me pure joy. I cannot buy everything I like, but seeing those colorful items on display gives me something to look forward to, something to save for, a future treat to savor for myself, my kids, or for our home. A few hours shopping at Wal-Mart helps me rest and forget the many troubles in life. Walking through the shopping aisles of Wal-Mart is like a relaxing walk in the park, and this is what I want to continue enjoying, at least once a week. The essay made me think of how we can strike

Partnership and Norms Essay Example for Free

Partnership and Norms Essay Partner selection and dating is an imperative basis in an individual’s accomplishment of one of his psychosocial needs. Selecting a partner and the process of dating is crucial in determining the quality and nature of future relationships and marital decisions. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as represented by a pyramid which indicates the basic needs of man and its importance in self-actualization, the third most significant need of man is the need to belong and be loved by others (Huitt, 2004). An individual’s need to become an accepted and valuable part of society, and the need to affiliate with people of the opposite sex, is an innate characteristic of man. Therefore, selecting a partner becomes an important decision that one must make based on the most convenient choice. These choices, however, vary under various circumstances, as it is influenced by society, culture, priorities, experiences, etc. For instance, differing concepts and perceptions about love vary for individuals; therefore their decisions in selecting a partner also vary. One’s concept of love, dating, partner selection, relationship, marriage, etc. may be influenced by social factors. Society often dictates standards and norms of dating. For example, individuals who live in a society which values social status and the preservation of this particular position in society practices arranged marriages. This is usually true, especially during the age of kingdoms and monarchs. Partner selection and dating may also be influenced by culture. In ancient China, marrying individuals from different cultural backgrounds was forbidden. In this case, race and cultural compatibility becomes influential in choosing a partner. At present, however, choosing a partner and the rules of dating have changed and have evolved into a more liberal milieu. Individuals have acquired the freedom to choose partners and date, depending on their personal views and perceptions of love, relationship, and marriage as formed by their priorities and experience, such as emphasizing importance on educational attainment, occupational status, etc. These choices and priorities are backed up theories which explains once social and personal construct regarding the matter. For instance, idolizing a parent influences individuals to choose partners with characteristics similar to their parents, etc. There are a lot of significant information that pertains to partner selection and dating (Mohatta, 2006), however, the main point is that choices and decisions being made regarding an individual’s selection of a partner, setting up of dating rules and principles to live by, reasons for staying in or leaving a relationship, going into marriage, etc. vary depending on several factors, such as culture, environment, society, family, personal choices and experiences, priorities, etc. Similar to partner selection and dating, sexual norms and sexual relationships also vary depending on one’s culture and perceptions. Two different societies were mentioned and described in the lecture which greatly explains the variation between these two societies regarding sexual norms and practice. The main argument stated herein is that an individual’s concept and perception of sex is learned from the society where he belongs. This is proved by the obvious knowledge that children, as young as they are, do not understand nor have ideas and contributions pertaining to issues and discussions regarding sex. Therefore, individuals gather the idea, perception, meaning, and importance of sex from the environment. For instance, a family environment which is not open about the idea of talking about sex with their children because members of the family regard it as a wrong deed is passed on to their children. In contrast, a society open to sex education, especially in educational institutions, allows students to acquire knowledge about sexual norms and practices, leading them to become aware of all its aspects. This can be important in informing students about sexually transmitted diseases, teenage pregnancy, safe sex, etc. With these alarming issues, most especially the high rate of individuals who acquire AIDS from numerous sexual encounters, or teenagers facing the responsibility of motherhood and parenting, more societies are accepting and pushing for the administration of sexual education in educational institutions. On the other hand, religious institutions are battling this societal move by reiterating their disapproval of the use of contraceptives, as encouraged by sex education, based on religious teachings and principles (Villaviray-Giolagon, 2007). Therefore, students who absorb information learned from sexual education may start to become open-minded about sexual responsibility; while on the other hand, churchgoers strengthen their stand for abstinence and marriage before sexual interaction. These two opposing viewpoints from educational institution and the religious institutions illustrate how an individual’s idea and perception of sexual norms and sexual relationships vary depending on environment.

“Pretty Little Liars” by Sara Shepard Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Pretty Little Liars† by Sara Shepard Essay Freud believes that it is part of everyone’s personality to seek pleasure through violence; it is part of the â€Å"ID.† However, the ego negotiates between the ID and superego, meaning the majority of people can regulate between the morals of society and their own pleasures. I agree with this, as does Sara Shepard, the author of â€Å"Pretty Little Liars.† I believe that people who seek pleasure through violence are ill minded, and have psychological issues, due to the fact that the ego should be able to tell the brain to follow the morals of society. ‘A,’ a character from Pretty Little Liars, nobody can solve the mystery regarding who exactly ‘A’ is, however they are ill-minded, and seek pleasure in harming others as a joke. Ill-minded people like this are evil. Most people follow the morals of society, but still enjoy violence. How the person goes about enjoying it is what differs them from everyone else. For example, an individual could can enjoy watching crime shows, such as CSI, Criminal Minds, Law and Order and many others. Even though they enjoy these shows it does not mean that they would go out and seek to hurt someone the way the criminals do to their victims in the show. In â€Å"Pretty Little Liars,† Aria, Hannah, Emily, and Spencer are all good people. They do not go seeking violence, they do not seek harm. This is the way most people in society are. These ‘good people’ have a good ego. Meaning it is negotiating their wants to work with the morals of society. A very select few are ill-minded wishing only harm upon others. ‘A’ from â€Å"Pretty Little Liars† is one of these select few. She or he makes it their goal to ruin the lives of Aria, Hannah, Emily and Spencer. For example, Aria gains an interest in a man during the summer; little did she know he was her new English teacher. They keep it a secret between only them; they were not going to let that tare their new love for each other apart. However, ‘A,’ knows everything. They know how Aria’s dad (a teacher) had an affair on his wife years ago. Due to the fact that Aria is keeping her relationship a secret she receives a text message, signed A, saying, â€Å"Aria, Maybe he fools with students all the time. A lot of teachers do†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Just ask your dad! –A† (Shepard, page 139). This quote shows how A knows everything. They know the girls’ past, and use it against them. ‘A’ is a murderer, they killed Allison during the beginning of the novel, and Ian during the end. ‘A’ did not intend to kill Ian but meant to kill Spencer. The girls have no understanding as to why they are ‘A’s’ targets. They are good people, not intending any harm. This is not a normal person. Innocent people are killed every day because people are sick. They seek pleasure in watching the suffering of an innocent individual. It is not normal or moral, for people to be this evil. I can speak on a personal level. I do not seek pleasure through violence, I do enjoy crime shows, but does that make me a bad person? No. Although someone has enjoyed taking their pleasure out on me by violence, and those that do that to an innocent person are evil. I do not think that the people that look for pleasure in violence truly understand how they affect a person. I can relate to the girls in Pretty Little Liars because they seek help, sometimes people will try and help you, other times it’s a hard concept for many to believe. Emily, Aria, Hannah and Spencer cannot trust anybody the same because of the horror and threats they are encountering that affect their daily lives. Just as I cannot do a lot of things that I use to do prior to my incident. Nothing is the same. People that seek violence do not realize what they are actually doing to other people because they only seek self-pleasure, they are ill-minded. There is always going to be a psychological battle between the ID and superego, however the ego’s ability to negotiate between the two is what will make or break an individual. There are many ill-minded people in our world, there is help. ‘A’ is an evil person, just like many in our world seeking pleasure in selfish ways because they don’t know any different. Their effects on people could be unfortunate. Not everyone is made evil, it’s a psychological illness. There is good in this world. Works Cited Shepard, Sara. Pretty Little Loars. New York: Harper Teen, 2006. 139. Print.

Marketing Essays Starbucks Coffee

Marketing Essays Starbucks Coffee Starbucks Coffee Starbucks Coffee company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It began in 1971 with just one retail store at Seattles historic Pike Place Market. Now it has become the leading brand and retailer in the world. Starbucks went public on June 26, 1992. The main aim of Starbucks is to become the leading brand and retailer of finest coffee in each of its target markets nationally and internationally by selling the best quality coffee and related products, and by providing high class customer service. Starbucks purchases and roasts a high quality whole bean coffees to sell them with fresh, rich-brewed espresso beverages, different varieties of pastries and coffee related accessories and equipments (www.starbucks.com). Moreover Starbucks also sells coffee and tea products strategically through other channels such as supermarkets and non traditional retail channels such as United Airlines, Marriott International, Barnes Noble bookstores and Department stores. More than quality coffee, Starbucks features a variety of hand-crafted beverages, pastries and in some markets, a selection of sandwiches and salads. Starbucks merchandise includes exclusive espresso machines and coffee brewers, unique confections and other items related to coffee and tea. Some of the Starbucks products are as follows; Beverages: Brewed coffees, Italian-style espresso, cold blended beverages, roasted whole bean coffees, tea products, fruit juice, sodas, and coffee liqueur. Food: Sandwich, Salads, pastries and ice creams Non food items: Mugs, Travel tumblers, coffeemakers, coffee grinders, storage containers, compact discs, games, seasonal novelty items, Starbucks card, media bar. Starbuckss main mission is to be a global company. In order to achieve this it needs, the development strategy that Starbucks implemented to adapt with variety market and local need are: joint ventures, licenses and company owned operation. The total number of Starbucks stores are 15,011 which are operated and 3,891 are licensed operation in US which are spread out in 50 states. For the international location, Starbucks’ store can be found in 44 countries outside of the United States and 1,049 stores are company owned operated in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Singapore, Thailand and the U.K. and 6,506 are joint ventures and licensed operation. Internationally Starbucks opened their stores in the following countries; Starbucks open in Tokyo, Japan. Nowadays, there are more than 700 retails shops in Japan. Furthermore, Starbucks also open in Hawaii and Singapore. Starbucks open in Philippines Starbucks open in U.K., Taiwan, Thailand, New Zealand and Malaysia. Starbucks open in Beijing, Kuwait, South Korea and Lebanon. Starbucks open in United Arab Emirates, Shanghai, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Starbucks open in Switzerland and Austria. Starbucks open in Oman, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Southern China, Macao and Shenzhen, Greece and Indonesia. Starbucks open in Turkey, Peru, Chile and Cyprus. Expansion to France The latest expansion in Jordan 5 Ps for Starbucks Coffee Company Starbucks is not just a good cup of fresh coffee, but a better quality product, excellent customer service and better understanding of coffee culture. Starbucks has so far achieved unpredictable achievements in coffee chain industry. Now we will go through the strategies of 5 Ps, price, product, place, promotion and people. Price: The Starbucks prices continuously matches with its competitors competitively represents Starbucks an attractive combination of features, high quality, excellent service and other attractive attributes. Product: Starbucks is known very well in the market due to its high quality coffee, care in selection and expertise in roast. It purchases coffees that have been grown and processed which meets strict environmental, economical, social and quality standards, which is suitable appropriate for the market and the customers. Starbucks establishes its longer lasting and more profitable competitive advantages by broadly differentiating its coffee and coffee related products depending upon its competence and innovation. Place: The decisions of Starbucks about where to site its stores depends on reaching its potential customers and providing better service to its existing customers. Its stores are typically clustered in high-traffic, high visibility locations. When it opens a new store near an established Starbucks, it is generally intended to relieve long customer lines and improve service. It takes more than just location to be successful. Attracting customers to Starbucks happens by providing high-quality coffee as well as creating inviting, comfortable places located in convenient location. The store expansion strategy for Starbucks is by entering new markets wherever the opportunity exists to become the leading specialty coffee retailer. Its current location totals 8,505 worldwide by the year 2007. Promotion: There is not much conventional advertising because Starbucks found that there is too much competition for consumers attention in TV, radio and print media. Starbucks usually picks one or two charities or events that reach the community it serves. This will inspire people inside and outside the company and reinforce the companys value and image. For instance, after September 11, stores in New York, Washington D.C and Pennsylvania brewed coffee free of cost for relief workers. People: One of the strategy of Starbucks is to believe that the Company is in the people development business as well as in the coffee business. As stated in its mission Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity, Starbucks realizes that one of the most important resources contributing to success is their employees or partners as referred by the Company. Starbucks is attempting to imbed its values in the Company culture. They use these values to give employees a sense of meaning to their work even if it is just pouring a cup of coffee. The coffee chain provides medical, dental and vision coverage to all employees, even including part-timers. The part- time partners are also eligible for the companys stock program. The purpose is to instill in its partners a sense of purpose, commitment, loyalty and enthusiasm. Expectedly, what Starbucks benefits are the reduced recruiting and training costs. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers ‘PESTLE’ Analysis for Starbucks Coffee Company Political: High taxation imposed on farmers in those countries producing the coffee bean will usually mean Starbucks pay a higher price for the coffee they purchase. Any fluctuations in taxation levels in the industry are almost certainly ultimately passed on to the consumer. Trade issues will affect Starbucks predominantly when exporting and importing goods. When another country’s government imposes a tariff it not only results in an efficiency loss for Starbucks but large income transfers can become inconsistent with equity. This extra charge can turn a bargain into a rip-off. Also, since 9/11, trade relations have been adversely affected between the USA and some other countries. Starbucks should thoroughly investigate the political stability of any country they plan to expand to. Changes in government can lead to changes in taxation and legislation. The American elections may have an effect on Starbucks as new legislation or new or existing government may bring in taxes. Also, those countries in political turmoil or civil war (e.g. Zimbabwe at present) should be approached with great caution when considering new ventures. The international economy must be brought into consideration as it can affect Starbucks’ sales and markets. The aftermath of 9/11 was an example of an economic downturn that affected the world market. A reduction in licensing and permit costs in those countries producing the coffee bean for Starbucks would lower production costs for farmers. This saving would in turn be passed on to the purchaser. Economic: A rise in interest rates means investment and expansion plans are put off resulting in falling sales for Starbucks and their suppliers. Also mortgage repayments rise so consumers have less disposable income to spend on luxury products such as coffee. Low interest rates will have the opposite effect of it. If growth is low in the nation of location of Starbucks then sales may also fall. Consumer incomes tend to fall in periods of negative growth leaving less disposable income. Consumer confidence in products can also fall if the economic situation is bad. Competitive pricing from competitors can start a price war for Starbucks that can drive down profits and profit margins as they attempt to increase, or at least maintain, their share of the market. Globalisation of the coffee market has meant farmers of the bean now earn less money than they used to. This can result in a decrease of people willing to do it for a living, which will mean a decrease in coffee produced, resulting in a drop in Starbucks supply levels and probably profits. Starbucks are affected by exchange rates when dealing with international trade. If the value of the currency falls in the country of a coffee supplier this enables Starbucks to get more for their $ or  £ when importing the goods to their country. This saving can be passed along to the customer. Exchange rates are forever changing throughout the world in today’s market. Social: Where income is distributed is another factor that Starbucks should look at as this also demonstrates the ideal place to aim their marketing or to locate their stores. Coffee is more of a luxury product so it is those people/places with the most amount of disposable income to spend that should be targeted the most intensely. Starbucks would not want to locate to an area where the local population have a poor attitude to work. Recruitment would be difficult, training arduous, and staff turnover would be high. Attitudes to work are important in other ways. Transport needs to the premises must be considered for both staff and customers. Easy access is vital to ensure there is no excuse for staff to arrive late or for customers not to visit. Research shows the average age of the population is getting older and birth rates are stagnating. Starbucks is presently aiming it’s product at young people but maybe these views will change in the long-term as the market proportion for young people diminishes. The most profitable way forward may be to widen their target market despite the risk of alienating present customers. Technological: Developments in the technology of coffee making machines and the computers that Starbucks use to run their cash registers will enable their staff to work more quickly and efficiently. This will result in customers being served quicker and create the potential to serve more customers in a day. In the short-term, Starbucks must identify the most efficient software upgrades to use to keep up with the competition. This applies to the improving the accessibility of their website (www.starbucks.com) and also improving the speed and quality of the service provided on the shop floor. As a multi-national business empire, Starbucks has the budget and the resources to have a cutting-edge RD department. The website is very accessible, the facilities are state of the art but more importantly new ideas are consistently being tried in terms of a constantly updating menu. The rate of technological change in the current world market is high, much higher than, say, thirty years ago. Much of this is down to the Internet and the speed with which information can be communicated around the globe. Starbucks will need to invest heavily just to stand still in their ever expanding and developing market, and even more so to try to stay ahead of competitors. Legal: Starbucks need to be aware of the trade laws in the various countries they occupy and do business with. They need to ensure they are not in violation of e.g., religious laws. Also, certain countries impose a tariff that has to be paid when goods are imported/exported so this must be taken into account. Each country has varying employment laws. Some may have a Sabbath day, some may have a limit on the number of hours an employee may work per week, and all will have varying levels of minimum wage. Starbucks should consider these factors when deciding on relocation. Starbucks may have to abide by local planning regulations when building shops or altering purchased sites, as certain areas of land may be protected or unsuitable. All matters would be addressed by the local government. Environmental: Starbucks customers create a lot of waste as they often leave the shop with their cup of coffee and then dispose of it in the street. The packaging for this cup must be carefully considered to make it as biologically degradable as possible. Certain other materials can be very harmful to the natural environment. Planning permission may not be granted if Starbucks wish to build in an area that could be harmful to the environment. The land may be protected. Starbucks need to carefully consider the methods in which they dispose of their waste as there are strict laws in most countries to ensure a firm trading in their country disposes of the waste that is created in their business in a specific and efficient way. Starbucks should be aware of the physical and influential power of groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Find out how our expert essay writers can help you with your work ‘SWOT’ Analysis for Starbucks Coffee Company Strength: Strong brand name and image The reputation of brand name and image of Starbucks allow brand recognition and consumer retention. Therefore, the expanding of stores to other countries is more proficient and easier. Healthy financial performance The financial performance of company has positive aspects. The revenues of Starbucks in 2007 were $9.411 billion, growing at about 30 percent. The exponential growth in revenue and profit creates the strong financial statement and reliability to shareholders. High-skilled management team Starbucks has highly skilled and professional Chief executive officers (CEOs), for example, Howard Schultz, Orin Smith and Howard Behar. These lead to the rapid and stable growth of Starbucks. High technology Starbucks brings the technology to use in the stores in order to attract more customers. For instance, there are high-speed internet, website and prepaid Starbucks card. It might be increase traffic in the stores particularly in new generation group. High quality and innovation of products Starbucks uses high quality of coffee beans and dairy goods. Furthermore, new products are usually introduced by Starbucks including coffee and beverage line. Both of them enable Starbucks to be able to maintain level of sales and keep competitors out. Weakness: High price Starbucks has increased the price due to rising cost of production, including cost of dairy goods and cost of rent. The increase of price might have an effect on the falling of sales and customer retention directly Clusters of store Because Starbucks has a lot of stores and also these are located in closed areas, it leads to the scramble of customers in each store. Clusters of store might cause inefficient performance of the company. Opportunities: Large consumer group China has the biggest world’s population. Coffee drinking is more popular among young generation, especially those who have overseas education, which influences the coffee consumption. Many of these teenagers have lived in western countries for a long time and they have familiar with the coffee culture. When returning to China they have carried on living in this fashion. Chinese teenagers also like to choose western style coffee shops as their favorite place. Lifestyle Modern lifestyle of Chinese teenagers and adults supports the proliferation of western coffee shops. Meeting and discussing business in a warm and nicely designed coffee shop have become more popular in China. Consequently, the teahouse’s domination has been challenged by the foreign coffee house. Threats: Competitors The global coffee market is a very competitive sector. Starbucks is facing the increase of competitions from other foreign players. The latest Starbucks’ competitor is Canadian chain Blenz Coffee, which plans to open a string of cafà © in China where consumers can smoke, while Starbucks is non smoke stores. Intellectual-property violation Starbucks filed a lawsuit for trademark infringement against Shanghai Xingbake which signs, logos and names similar to Starbucks. It would seem that chances of consumer confusion are high. Porters Five Forces Analysis Porter’s five forces analysis is an important tool for analyzing an organizations industry structure in strategic processes. It helps the marketer to contrast a competitive environment. It tends to focus on the single, stand alone, business or SBU (Strategic Business Unit) rather than a single product or range of products. Porter has identified five competitive forces that shape every industry and every market. These are: The threat of entry, The power of buyers, The power of suppliers, The threat of substitutes and Competitive rivalry. The threat of entry: The threat of entry covers: Economies of scale, The high or low cost of entry, Ease of access to distribution channels, Cost advantages not related to the size of the company, Whether competitors will retaliate? Government action and How important differentiation is. There will always be a continuous pressure for Starbucks to react and adjust to these new entrants. The easier it is for new entrants to enter the market the more competition there is within the market. Although this really should not pose too much of a problem for Starbucks as they have a very large share of the market that will be relatively immune to the threat of new entrants. Starbucks is a company that have years of experience in roasting specialised coffee, if a company was to enter the coffee industry it would be extremely difficult for them to offer the same quality of coffee at a competitive price. As a company’s volume increases, so does its experience and knowledge which tends to decrease the cost of their products The power of buyers: Buyer power is likely to be high if a number of conditions are in place. There is a concentration of buyers, particularly if the volumes of purchases of the buyers are high, the supplying industry comprises a large number of small operators, there are alternative sources of supply, the component or material cost is a high percentage of total cost, the cost of switching a supplier is low or involves little risk, there is a threat of backward integration by the buyer. This is high where there a few, large players in a market If there are a large number of undifferentiated, small suppliers The cost of switching between suppliers is low for Starbucks. The power of suppliers: If the market is dominated by few large suppliers rather than numerous fragmented sources, a suppliers bargaining power is likely to be high. Although suppliers do have certain amounts of power, it is limited. With Starbucks being ‘the most famous specialty coffee shop chain in the world’ and still expanding they should still be requiring coffee beans for some time. It is safe to say that the Suppliers need Starbucks, just as much, if not more so than Starbucks need their supplies. Fortunately for Starbucks they buy their coffee beans directly from producing countries: Latin America (50%), Pacific Rim (35%) and East Africa (15%). The threat of substitutes: This occurs where there is product-for-product substitution, where there is a substitution of need e.g. a bald head reduces the need for hair gel, where there is generic substitution and finally the attitude ‘we could always do without. An example for Starbucks would be if an alternative to coffee was offered e.g. a customer switching from coffee to tea. Competitive rivalary: Numerous factors contribute to intense rivalry between existing competitors in an industry. This is most likely to be high where entry is likely; there is the threat of substitute products, and suppliers and buyers in the market attempt to control. This is why it is found in the centre of the diagram. The extent to which competitors are in balance, this is where competitors are of an equal size which creates intense competition as one of the competitors tries to gain dominance over the other, high fixed costs in an industry may result in price wars, differentiation is important as in a commodity market where products or services are undifferentiated there is little to stop customers switching between competitors. Starbucks do not really have any competitive rivals that are of similar size to them so there are not any rivals in the market that would be considered in balance with them. However, they must maintain their excellent standards and always be on the lookout for new innovation s in order to stay as the market leader. Competitor Analysis Competition is steadily growing against Starbucks each year as the industry grows. Competitors look to gain an advantage by price cuts, launching a rival product, aggressive expansion of production to increase market share or inclusion of significant modifications to a product that other competitors must also undertake to keep up. The following are the current figures showing the market share of companies in the coffee industry. 35% Starbucks 20% Local Coffee Outlets 14% Internet Cyber Cafes 13% Caffe Nero 10% Costa Coffee 8% Coffee Republic Culture Model The culture of an organisation is the set of values that helps its stakeholders understand what the organisation stands for, how it does things and what it considers important. Under culture model, we are going to explain the communication and decision making of Starbucks. The Organisation its environment (Source: Davidson, 2002 pg. 73 Figure 3.1 In the diagram (above), owner created the company objective for Starbucks and the boarder of directors is going to lead company to achieve that company objective. Therefore, the boarder of directors has to choose the suitable organisation culture environment for Starbucks in order to achieve the company objective. The Value System The value system is the inter-organisational links that are vital in the creation of the product or service of a company. It follows the production of the service/product from raw material stage right through to the customer purchase. Each instruction for the development of the product is detailed and explained at each stage of the value system. The ‘firm value chain’ is the most important to a manager because that is their company, however, a good manager will understand the whole process and how to manage each individual link and relationship to maximise customer value. Managers should also need to learn the whole value system because most of the cost and value creation occurs in the supply and distribution chains. For Starbucks, the ‘supplier value chain’ deals with where they get the coffee beans from that they use to create their end product – a cup of coffee. Starbucks buy all their beans direct from the farmers in the producing countries cutting out any middle-man therefore keeping prices to a minimum. The countries that supply them can be found in Latin America, East Africa and on the Pacific Rim. Starbucks fully appreciate the need to oversee all aspects of the value system and we can see an example of this in their determination to obtain the highly sought Narino Supremo crop in 1992. This acquisition ensured some of the highest quality coffee supplies in the world would be reaped by Starbucks. The company has close relationships with their coffee exporters. They maintain this by working directly with them and training them. A good relationship here is essential and needs to be maintained. The ‘firm’s value chain’ consists of: The Firm’s infrastructure; which is about the ways in which Starbucks want their organisation to run and how it is best to implement systems of planning, finance, quality control and information management, it is also where they have made the decision to make high quality coffee from the best coffee beans as this is involved with the quality control. Human Resource Management; It is concerned with the activities involved in recruiting, managing, training, developing and rewarding people within the organisation. For Starbucks this is where they have made decisions about the fact that all employees are equal, even those on the shop-floor that are working over 20 hours a week receive bonuses like free coffee and health care coverage, this was to make sure that the members of staff felt as if they were valued by the company and would continue to provide a good service. Another implemented scheme is for all Starbucks store staff to have a comprehensive 24 hour training scheme before they were allowed on to work directly with customers. Technology development; Starbucks has a large number of areas where it uses technology from regulating their stock levels to the cash registers. There is also technology to enable customers can to order their coffee over the internet and then pick it up from the store when they get there. Some stores now also contain computers where customers can access the internet. Procurement; this refers to the processes for acquiring the various resource inputs to the primary activities. For instance, the method of obtaining the grade A coffee beans from suppliers to use in the Starbucks coffee. Inbound logistics; For Starbucks this means receiving the coffee beans and other products that they need to make the products in their stores from their suppliers and storing these until they are used to make the product that they are going to sell. Operations; this is the stage where Starbucks make the coffee in the store and package the other subsidiary products. Outbound logistics; this is collection, storage and distribution of coffee. A customer actually purchasing a cup of Starbucks coffee from the store. Marketing and Sales; This is how consumers become aware of Starbucks coffee and purchase it. Starbucks is a worldwide company and their brand is recognised all over the world, which means that marketing is not as necessary as it once was. Most people now recognise the name and associate the brand-image with high quality products. Service; this includes all the activities that enhance or maintain the value of the product, e.g. installation, repair and training. This area is concerned with the members of staff that deal with the customers, it focuses on the need to ensure the ‘customer experience’ of visiting a Starbucks store is all the more enjoyable due to the friendliness and efficiency of staff and consistently high quality product on offer.

Darren Skanson Essay -- essays research papers

Overview From a very early age Darren Skanson had a burning passion for music. His passion grew deeper when realized how much excitement a crowd has when watching a musical performer. In 1989, Darren graduated from Moorhead State University with a BA in music. Darren’s career first began by being a lead guitarist in a heavy metal band. The band, Mata Hari, split up in 1993. Darren then joined Malcolm Watson, who was a classical violinist, at Watson and Company. Darren and Malcolm produced the third CD for Watson and Company. Shortly after the success of producing this CD the duo traveled nationwide performing. Within a year the sales had increased from $100,000 to $250,000. Malcolm wanted to move a little more slowly than Darren in expanding their business to greater heights. Since Darren was ready to move on, he left Watson and Company to form his own company. Darren had a vision to record, produce and sell his own music, as well as the music of other artists. Jennifer, a long time friend of Darren’s was the booking agent for his tour. Jennifer did not share the same vision with Darren so they parted ways and moved on. Trying to perform, handle CEO duties and handling the promotional marketing aspect of his business was getting to be too much for Darren. Business was getting to be complicated. He decided to hire a guy named Andy Harling, who was a classical guitarist to help with the office duties of the company and to suggest/implement ways to make CCM function more efficiently. Darren turned down two performances offered by Jennifer since he was already booked. However, he did not want to lose the business and the chance to get his name out there. Darren sent Andy to perform at the two shows. Andy was very successful and gained the knowledge of how the performances operate. Darren became a little nervous when he realized that Andy could leave him and become his competition. Darren then signed Andy to a contract and launched Andy’s first CD. Over time, Andy’s responsibilities grew with his performances that Darren hired an assistant for him. Recording and productions costs were high for musicians to produce their records/CD’s. Digital then came into existence and cut the costs of production. Music is sorted by labels. Because of the low costs in digital recordings it was possible for sma... ...erent marketing segment and would need to establish their resources and overall marketing clientele. Buyers †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Darren’s buyers are mostly between the ages 40 and 60 years old. Suppliers †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Distribution centers from which he buys his supplies for inventory. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One-stop centers Substitute Products †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acoustitherapy †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrew Thomas Harling †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Music for candles Recommendations †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Darren should get rid of Jennifer and find someone who is more compatible in helping him reach his goal of expanding nationally. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increase product lines. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hire someone to operate his marketing, promotion, inventory and production costs and issues so that he can devote his time to tours and concerts. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Try signing a contract with an artist of the Independent Label level in order to help increase his branding label. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hire an agent to sign on new artists rather than doing it himself.

Fear of Losing Control :: essays research papers

It is common understanding in business that to stay ahead of the competition, change is necessary. Employees are consistently told they must continue to find new ways to achieve better results. The direction is clear – improve productivity, become more effective, get more done with less, get it right the first time. When groups in the middle or the bottom of an organization begin to change how they do their work, does the rest of the organization give them unqualified support? â€Å"Top-Down† vs. â€Å"Bottom-Up† Change   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While much of senior management at large corporations today might claim to want â€Å"self-empowered† employees, the opposite would seem to be the rule. Rarely is change initiated from somewhere other than at or from the â€Å"top† allowed to significantly alter an organization, unless the higher levels of authority within the organization have envisioned the change or, at a minimum, fully sanctioned the proposal for change. One finding in a recent study surveying 4,300 U.S. companies with 100 or more employees seems to support this perspective as forty percent of hourly employees, versus only sixteen percent of managers, cited a lack of management visibility and support as a major impediment to change. (Zoglio, 1998) Organizational politics, which inevitably makes managers fear losing control more than reaching for success, inevitably lead to the demise of changes originating in other ways within the organization. This move to control people often o ccurs when these changes are near or at the point of creating significant benefits for the organization. Organizational Creative Thinking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to have sustainable, ongoing change, the work must be done with full ownership and accountability of those producing the results. The typical scenario, however, is that employees are given direction and complete work as they are told to do so by those in authority. A dependence on authority to create new ideas gets perpetuated. Perhaps those in corporate leadership positions are self-serving and realize that recognition is given most to those who create and implement profitable new ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unquestionably, leadership is most capable when it is able to keep work aligned with the strategy and direction of the organization. The best executives today have the ability to ensure the company progresses while challenging thinking. The resulting unspoken message to employees is to be creative, but only within the framework of sanctioned thinking. In other words, employees must follow someone else’s thinking while continuously improving performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The direction and resulting message are in conflict.

Essay --

The younger generation now is quite sensitive to issues regarding their physical characteristics. Issues such as ones’ body weight have been of serious concern. School administrators are worried that students might neglect their health; hence, an inquiry into the common eating habits is accomplished. Employing the case study paradigm; this quantitative study is focus on understanding the factors influencing the students’ eating habits. A total of 207 students of a technical vocational university in Taiwan participated in the study. Survey includes common eating habits; more specifically on the types and frequency of the food the students’ eat. The Big Five Personality Scale is also administered to further understand the factors affecting the students’ eating habits. Results show that the students’ eating habits are affected by their various background demographics, such as gender, year level, study session, and personality. More importantly, results also show that the Applied Foreign Language students scored highest on the personality trait openness. Further additional implications on the Big Five Personality are also given. In sum, the current study provides the opportunity of opening up discussions explaining; perhaps not in whole, but in part why students act the way they are today. 1. Introduction In recent years, the public in general have been valuing outward appearance more and more each day. As we read from the new, the number of people undergoing plastic surgery is at the all-time high. Beauty products have been getting better sales, even during these hard economic times [1]. It seems that people cares so much on their outward appearance than their budget. In an educational setting, many have wondered why students... ... signifies that when the frequency for eating dessert increases, Conscientiousness decreases. 5. Conclusion The current study exemplifies the use of the Big Five Personality scale to understand EFL students’ eating habits. This case study, though limited to the sample coming from a science and technology university, shows that students are more geared towards healthy lifestyles. As shown in the results that the frequency for eating breakfast is quite high (five times a week). Furthermore, students who are more Conscientious refrain from eating desserts (sweets). While eating out is much dependent on their employment status. In sum, individuals’ eating habits would be much related to their background demographics. Hence, it is recommended that students should know the consequences of both good and bad eating habits; for ultimately, you are what and how you eat.

Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria Essay

This development was heralded as an avenue to usher in democratic stability and good governance. However, contrary to widespread expectations, the post-military regime became an avenue for the explosion of violent ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, since the emergence of democracy in May 1999, not less than one hundred ethnically and religiously instigated conflicts have occurred in Nigeria which resulted in loss of lives and unquantifiable material and psychological damage. Drawing from documentary research and findings, this paper probes the persistent spate of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria and its harmful implications on democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It investigates the history, causes and manifestations of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria and maintains that unbridled lust for power, corruption, religious intolerance and the failure of the government to deliver democratic dividends, have resulted in these conflicts between ethnic and religious groups in the country. In the light of all these then, can democracy thrive in an atmosphere of crises? Can Nigeria come out of ethno-religious conflicts? If so, what steps can the government take to rein in the menace of these crises? Finally, the paper provides submissions for curbing this social epidemic, which has become a permanent feature of the Nigerian social polity. Keywords: Nigeria, Ethno-religious, Crises, Democracy, Development Introduction Democracy could be said to be a seed: when you sow bountifully, you reap bountifully. Thus, one of the dividends of democracy, which Nigerians have reaped in abundance since the transfer of power from the military to the civilians on May 29, 1999, is the rising wave of ethno-religious conflicts with devastating and untold consequences on lives and property (Jega, 2007: 116). Nigeria is a very populous nation in Africa with diverse cultural heritage. In fact, the country has a population of over 140 million and over 400 ethnic groups belonging to different religious sects as well (Salawu, 2010: 345). Since the attainment of independence, Nigeria has remained a multi-ethnic nation, which has been grappling with the problem of ethnicity on the one hand and that of ethno-religious conflicts on the other hand. At the inception of independence, for administrative expediency the various ethnic factions were fused and merged together by the colonialists. Then, the colonial masters left and things started falling apart, the center no longer held. No ethnic group desired to see the other. Little wonder then that the former Secretary of State at the British Colonial Office (1952-1959), Sir Peter Smitters regretted the action taken by the British to merge diverse ethnic groups into one in Nigeria. According to Ali (2004) cited in Adebayo (2010: 214), he was reported to have lamented that it was extremely dangerous to force diverse radical and social entities into single rigid political structure. However, that statement was medicine after death; the deed had been done. Indeed, a conglomerate of almost four hundred ethnic groups, each having its distinct history, language, culture and political systems before the colonial rule, all preserved in mitigated forms with the British system of governance super-imposed and named Nigeria really had future implications for unity. The colonial administration, for administrative convenience, compressed and merged the various ethnic groups in their respective regions, making Hausa/Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba the major ethnic groups and reinforced the three political/administrative divisions – the north, the east, and the west, under appropriate constitutional arrangement. At independence and post independence era, the status-quo of the colonial era was retained under that infantile freedom, with every group retaining its tradition, language, and culture while sharing the common central institutions in a federal arrangement (Adebayo, 2010: 214). As a result, these major ethnic groups, because of their opportunistic positions were seen as consistently dominating the political and economic scene before and after the attainment of independence in 1960 and this led to agitations for state creation by the other â€Å"minor† ethnic groups who saw themselves as the marginalized groups. However, the more states were created, the more the complaints of marginalization and inequality by the new minorities against the new majorities in each state (Abdullahi and Saka, 2007). Consequently, the proliferation of ethno-religious and political turbulence in the country is therefore necessitated on the one hand by cultural, communal and religious differences and on the other hand by fear of domination nursed by the minority groups. As if what constitutes the federalism is not satisfied, there have been agitations for reversing back to the old regional autonomy of the different groups for the purpose of determining the pace of their development and control of their respective resources. These pernicious phenomena of ethnicity and religious intolerance led to the incessant surge of ethno-religious conflicts, which gave birth to the many ethnic militias today like the O’dua People’s Congress (OPC) put in place by the Yoruba in the south-western part of the country to fight for the protection and defence of Yoruba in Nigeria; the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), fighting for the cessation of the Igbo ethnic tribe in Nigeria; the Bakassi Boys; the Egbesu Boys; the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), the Igbo Peoples’ congress (IPC); the Arewa People’ Congress (APC) and the Ohaneze Ndigbo among others. This might probably be the feeling of Elaigwu (2005: 12) when he writes †¦the violent protests in the Niger-Delta over perceived injustice in resource distribution; the Itsekiri-Ijaw violence in the Delta; the resumption of the Ife-Modakeke communal violence; the menace of Odu’a Peoples’ Congress (OPC) and the accompanying violence in Lagos and Shagamu areas; the formation of the Arewa Peoples’ Congress (APC) and the Igbo Peoples’ Congress (IPC); the MASSOB feeble attempt to resuscitate Biafra; the Sharia crisis and the demands for a confederation; the South-South demand for the control of its resources; and all the recent interethnic/religious conflicts in various states across the country are all part of the bubbles of the Nigerian federation. They are based on the historical structures of mutual fears and suspicions among Nigerian groups in a competitive process. They reflect dissatisfaction of Nigerian groups with the state of the federation. With the emergence of all these ethnic militias and the deep divide between the various ethnic groups, religious intolerance became more violent and bloody with more devastating results using the ethnic militias as the executing platforms of ethno-religious agenda. Federalism thought to be an approach to national unity, resulted to anarchy in the country. A number of steps were taken to at least mend the disunity and disarray prevalent then and promote unity among the various ethnic groups. These included the establishment of federal institutions in some states of the federation, promotion of national cultural and sporting activities, and, more significantly, the National Youth Service Programme (NYSC), just to mention a few (Adebayo, 2010). Although these steps yielded pockets of successes in achieving national unity, the â€Å"unholy† marriage of convenience of the ethnic groups still begs for irrevocable divorce. While the ethnic rivalry held sway, religious pluralism, which culminated in many crises, shook the country to its very roots. The pernicious effect of this trend is not entirely surprising given the fact that religion is so sensitive to Nigerians that many are not only ready to defend it at all costs, but are ready to die for it. Hence, religious pluralism which resulted in religious intolerance was fused with ethnic rivalry, producing the recurrent spate of ethno-religious crises. And because of the violent nature of ethno-religious conflicts, which often take the form of riots, sabotage, assassinations, lynching and maiming, kidnappings, armed struggles, guerilla warfare and secession in Nigeria, they undoubtedly pose dangerous threats to democracy in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Yes, as Jega (2007: 116) truthfully stated, the genetically engineered seeds of democracy planted by our colonial masters and further successive military regimes have grown to mature crops for harvest. Instead of democracy yielding peace, stability and security to lives and property, it seems to have yielded a return, full circle spate of ethno-religious conflicts and violent eruptions. Thus, the discussion of ethno-religious conflicts in whatever context becomes all the more necessary given the fact that there is a phenomenal recurrence of these conflicts around the nation thereby increasing its threat level to democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It is against this backdrop that this paper attempts to probe the history, manifestations and implications of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria since the dawn of democratic dispensation. Causes of Ethno-Religious Crises in Nigeria According to Awolowo (1990: 35), the notion of Nigeria as â€Å"a mere geographic expression† was engendered by the forceful packaging by colonial authoritarian fiat of unwilling communities of diverse origin and culture under the same polity. Consequently, relations and political behavior of the peoples are characterized by mutual suspicion and invidious hatred since they are strange bed-fellows, who were only coerced into the nation-state via amalgamation. Until 1960, Nigeria was a British colony. Like most colonies, it was not constructed for internal coherence, but rather for the administrative convenience of the British (Shively, 1997: 39). Over 400 different languages and dialects are spoken within its borders, and there is also an important religious split, as the north is primarily Muslim and the south is predominantly Christian, making her not only at ethno-religious crossroads but also at linguistic crossroads. As diverse as these ethnic groups are, they are also not accommodative of each other’s religion and professions of faith. This state of intolerance has added up to fuel the spate of crises in Nigeria. It should be noted that religion has always been the platform for frontal expressions of ethnic aggressions and conflict. Hence, ethnocentric politics, sectional solidarity and primordial interests became prominent features in the nation’s political practice. Sectional and individual virtues and interest rather than collective virtues and national unity are advanced and exalted. Thus, communal orientation precluded any attachment to the state and the syndrome of the ‘son of the soil’ took preference over merit and competence in the choice of policies and leaders. Although as Obasanjo and Mabogunje (1992: 4) aptly observed, colonialism provided scaffolding of holding the different communities together, not much change was achieved in altering communal mentality and predilection. Nonetheless, the persistent military incursion into government and politics did much harm for the body polity as national issues was mostly tribalized and primordial virtues extolled. These regimes had primordial outlook and sub-national mentality under which the northern part of the country was favoured brazenly, on one hand, and the southern part was deliberately dealt with in terms of appointments, contracts, location of government establishments, political oppression and repression as well as provision of social services and infrastructures. As a result, ethnic sectarianism has left a trail of destructive violence and even threatened the territorial integrity of Nigeria (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2001). Indeed, after long years of authoritarian rule, when the military clique and their civilian collaborators privatized the Nigerian state (Ukiwo, 2003), politicians in the emergent Fourth Republic were all too anxious to claim control of the state and its oil wealth as well. This thus led to an unbridled competition for political relevance and spheres of interests among politicians, especially in the context of the division of the country into geopolitical zones, states and local governments and the fact that distribution of benefits among the political class depended on the ability of each member of the ruling class to deliver his constituency. This lust for power has led to the neglect of the needs of the masses and the demand for peaceful co-existence. Instead, the rulers continue to enrich their pockets through corrupt dirty means and seek for elongation of tenures for selfish gains. In the circumstance, ethnicity, religion and other sectarian identities are exploited, resulting in avoidable violent conflicts among component units of the country. The persistence of mass poverty and increasing income inequality, largely as a result of the transformation of the fortunes of politicians and their allies from jobless neighbors to emergency billionaires in less than two years after capturing power, have deepened popular alienation. It has also called into question the legitimacy since 1999. Consequently, some of the easiest things to do in contemporary Nigeria are to mobilize an assassin, vigilante, ethnic-cum-religious militia, rioter, crowd or rented pro-government demonstrator. The result could only be imagined. The power lust of the political cliche is one of the perceived causes of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria. Another reason responsible for ethno-religious crises in Nigeria is the wrong interpretation by those who claim authority to the understanding of the holy books. If not so, one wonders why people act contrary to the teaching of the holy books (whether the Quran or the Bible) in matters pertaining to peaceful co-existence, unity and sanctity of life, and property. As it is a serious disease for someone who does not have a full grasp of the interpretation of any of the holy books to claim authority to knowledge, many of the so called ‘religious leaders’ use their shallow knowledge to put up interpretations to suit their selfish ends banking on the ignorance of their followers. Lamenting on the wide gap between the teaching and practice of religion among its adherents, Adebayo (2003) cited in Adebayo (2010: 219) identified some factors responsible for using religion as instrument of polarization, among which is leadership tussle, which also culminated in the proliferation of many denominations in the country. Also, sectarian jingoism, as well as excessive patriotism to one’s religious sect, which consequently transformed to fanaticism, is another major factor contributing to this social menace. Salawu (2010) also noted that the failure of the Nigerian leaders to establish good governments, forge national integration and promote what can be called real economic progress, through deliberate and articulated policies, has led to mass poverty and unemployment. This has resulted into communal, ethnic, religious and class conflicts that have now characterized the Nigerian nation. Poverty and unemployment have therefore served as nursery bed for many ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria because the country now has a reservoir of poor people who warmongers as mercenary fighters. What this means theoretically is that poverty and unemployment increase the number of people who are prepared to kill or be killed for a given course at token benefit. This explains why all ethno-religious crises that ever occurred in Nigeria have a large turnout of people (including the under-aged) as fighters. Lastly and very importantly, and not the least, the ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria also have some historical antecedent (Salawu, 2010). This is because many governmental actions during the colonial rule and after independence encouraged, to a large extent, the sowing of the seeds of ethno-religious conflicts that are found to be rampant in the Nigerian nation today. Over the years, many events in Nigeria have led to the politicization of mistrust, intolerance, violence and acrimonious relations between the mainly Moslem north and the Christian south of Nigeria. To this extent, there has been an unfortunate insertion of ethno-religious discrimination and incompatibility in the structures of the Nigerian State since the colonial period. The political events of the January 15, 1966 coup and the July 1966 counter-coup further entrenched ethno-religious configuration in Nigeria. This is because the killings and counter-killing that followed the coups which took ethnic and religious colorations as the Muslim dominated tribes in the north were set against the Christian-dominated tribes of the southern region.