Normative Ethical Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Normative Ethical Theories - Essay Example Firstly, it is necessary to define and interpret the true nature and meaning of the deontological perspective as a means to adequately provide a normative interpretation of FGM. A deontological approach merely specifies that the end ethical consideration of a given action or decision must necessarily consider the impact upon the rights of other individuals in order to determine whether such a course of action or approach to a given issue impacts or infringes upon the rights of another. Naturally, for purposes of the subject matter regarding FGM, such an approach is appropriately suited to helping to come to a very clear and determinant point of view with regards to whether the practice should be allowed to exist or should be deemed ethically and morally reprehensible. Without delving too deeply into the physiology involved, one can understand that the practice of FGM has far reaching implications for both the psychological and physical health of the child upon whom such a practice is directed. Moreover, the fact of the matter is that FGM does not ask the permission of the woman prior to being enacted. Almost invariably such a practice is employed prior to the child being able to speak, walk, or otherwise express themselves (Nussbaum 1999). In this way, one can readily see that the only shareholder in the process that has the ability to make a well informed and moral determination is the surgeon or individual who is responsible for cutting off the clitoris of the young child. In this way, the needs of the woman that the young child will grow into are not considered, and no sought. A cultural interpretation of ethical and moral decision making is employed. As such, it is understood that it is the in best interest of the child involved to perform such a procedure. In this way, the ethical issues breaks down to a question of whether culture is able to be judged as a higher ethical good than any other normative ethical approach. It is the approach of the deontologis t that such an answer can be found via an understanding of the net negative effects that such an approach affects on others. From this point of view, it is clearly obvious the FGM is both barbaric and heartless as it pays little to no attention to the tender and un-vocalized needs of the woman who is having her genitals mutilated (Okwudili et al 2012). Moreover, the deontological approach views the issue from a very ethically determinant standpoint; if the impacts of a given action are causing pain/hardship, and/or harm by way of a specific action, it is therefore unethical and should be re-evaluated and/or discontinued. As such, the type of obligation and duty that deontology speaks to engage the ethicist with the realization that he/she has an obligation to the needs and happiness of others affected by the choices that he/she will make in the ultimate determination of right and wrong. As with any of the normative approaches to ethical thinking, such an approach necessarily disrega rds one theory or practice at the expense of its own interpretation of what is ultimately right or wrong. As stated, from a deontological perspective, it is impossible for the ethicist to promote the process of FGM or any other such process that

Critical Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Critical Review - Essay Example In general, there is a strong relationship between the oil prices in the world market and the number of registered vehicles in each country (Kenworthy). Basically, when oil prices in the world market suddenly increases, the urban transport systems within the U.S. will be negatively affected. To avoid sudden disruption in the U.S. transport system, the U.S. government is being challenged to promote the efficiency with the excessive consumption of crude oil on vehicles. Aiming to solve the vehicle problem related to energy wastage, air pollution and traffic congestion, a list of recommended strategies that can reduce the U.S.’s automobile dependence will be thoroughly discussed. There is a strong relationship between the high cost of maintaining private vehicles and the use of public transportation. (Kenworthy and Laube) Since the U.S. urban cities consume a large volume of gasoline for transportation use as compared to other developed countries like Canada and Europe (Kenworthy; Kenworthy and Laube; Khisty and Ayvalik), government internvention is necessary to effectively control the number of private and public transportation that travels around the city each day. As recently proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, there should be a US$0.50 cents increase in transportation sales taxes in order to solve the problem related to highway congestion (McGreevy and Vogel). Aside from increasing sales tax from the costs of public transportation, there was also a plan to increase the state excise tax on the sales of gasoline (Riphagen). Because of the added tax on gasoline, more people with private vehicles would eventually consider the use of public transportation like AC Transit or BART. On top of increasing the costs of gasoline through excise tax, increasing the number of metered parking places throughout each state is another way to encourage the people to reconsider taking the public transportation, the use of bicycle, and/or walking (De Turenne;

Comparison Of Mivan Formwork System With Conventional System Construction Essay

Comparison Of Mivan Formwork System With Conventional System Construction Essay In recent times due to globalization, the construction industry has started focusing on new innovative ways of working. The construction industry has started adopting new technologies and approaches in order to increase the overall efficiency of the project. This report is about the modern methods of construction and smart materials that can be used to improve the overall construction process. The first half of the report is on the aluminium formwork systems (Mivan System) which is used for mass housing construction. This system of aluminium forms is fast, durable, cost effective and also produces quality work which requires minimum maintenance. The second half of the report is on green roofs a smart material which is a replacement for traditional roofs. Today in this modernized world where global warming is the major concern for all countries, green roofs can be one of the innovative ways to reduce the energy consumption which ultimately helps in reducing the CO2 emissions. 1. Introduction The construction industry is one of the biggest industries in the whole world. The contribution of this industry towards the global GDP is enormous. In recent years due to globalization and advancement in technologies there has been a tremendous development in the construction industry. However despite of the boom in construction activities the scenario on the housing front remains far from satisfactory. In the countries like India and China the situation on the housing front is even worst. Due to ever increasing population in these countries there is an overgrowing demand for housing. Now keeping in view the gigantic task of providing affordable shelter to masses, adoption of modern and cost effective technology assumes greater significance. The modern methods of construction are broad range of processes and products that aims to improve business efficiency, quality, customer satisfaction, environmental performance, sustainability and the predictability of delivery timescales (Baker 33 Cross industry Group, 2006). Today there is a growing realization that the speed of construction needs to be given greater importance especially for large housing projects. For undertaking mass housing works, it is necessary to have innovative technologies which are capable of fast rate construction and are able to deliver good quality and durable structure in cost effective manner (Anon, 2010). Several systems are adopted all over the world but Mivan system has proved to be reasonably economical and capable of fast rate construction of mass housing. In this system walls and slabs are cast simultaneously at site by use of specially designed, easy to handle light weight aluminium forms (Anon, 2010). The system is far more faster than the traditional beam and column construction. However as per Sir John Egan report Rethinking Construction (1998), the commitment from major clients, from the construction industry itself and from the government is the only way forward to create and sustain the environment that is needed for significant improvement in performance, efficiency and quality of the construction. The construction projects are getting more complex in nature due to growing human endeavour and the construction industry need to respond to the unique challenges presented in front in terms of time cost and quality. Also the industry will need to respond to the major issues such as global warming and health and safety of the workers. We as a member of the construction industry will need to overcome these issues by using modern methods of construction (like Mivan System) and smart materials (like green roofs) for carrying out projects. The main objective of this report is to explore modern methods of construction and smart materials and also to evaluate their impact on the construction process in terms of time, cost and quality. In the first half of the report, the use of Mivan formwork system during the construction process is discussed while in the second half idea of using green roofs is discussed. 2. Mivan formwork System: (Aluminium formwork system) Mivan is basically an aluminium formwork system developed by the Mivan Company Ltd from Malaysia in the year 1990. The technology has been used extensively in other countries such as Europe, Gulf Countries, Asia and all other parts of the world. MIVAN technology is suitable for constructing large number of houses within short time using room size forms. In this system of formwork construction, cast in situ concrete wall and floor slabs are casted monolithically in one continuous pour. Large room sized forms for walls and floors slabs are erected at site as shown in the figure1 below. These forms are strong, easy to handle and are fabricated with accuracy. They can be used repetitively around 250 times. The frames for windows and door as well as ducts for services are placed in the form before concreting as shown in the figure 1. Staircase flights, faà §ade panels, chajjas and jails etc. and other pre-fabricated items are also integrated into the structure as shown in figure 1 and 2. This proves to be a major advantage as compared to other modern construction techniques. Figure 1: A set of Mivan formwork Figure 2: Staircase flight formwork 2.1 Comparison of Mivan formwork system with Conventional Construction The table below shows the relative comparison between the Mivan form work system and the conventional system. The comparison is made on the factors such as speed of construction, quality of construction, aesthetics, external finishes and maintenance. Factors Conventional Construction Mivan formwork system Speed of construction The speed of construction is much slower due to step by step completion of different stages of the activities such as erection of formwork, concreting and deshuttering and thereafter plastering and other finishing activities. In this system the wall and the floors are casted simultaneously in one continuous operation and also the finishing work can be started immediately, so the speed of the construction is much faster. Quality Due to conventional method of construction normal quality is obtained Superior quality is obtained due to in-situ casting of whole structure and transverse walls done in continuous operation Aesthetics In the case of conventional construction the partition walls are made up of bricks due to which the column and the beam show unsightly projections in room interiors. In case of Mivan system the partition wall and the ceiling elements are casted together due to which the interiors have neat and clean lines without unsightly projections in various corners. The wall and the ceilings also have a smooth even surface. External finishes All the external walls are made up of bricks, so it requires manual cement plastering which needs to be repainted frequently. All the external walls are made up of concrete and do not require manual cement plastering and also have smooth finishing, so this will need no frequent repainting. Maintenance The maintenance cost is too high as it requires frequent repairs of plasters of wall and ceilings, painting of outer and inner walls due to leakages. The maintenance cost is negligible as the walls and ceiling are made up of high quality concrete which do not require frequent repairs. Table 1: Comparison of Mivan Formwork System with Conventional construction 2.2 Benefits of Mivan formwork System According to Mivan (Thailand) Limited the following are the main benefits of using Mivan formwork system. 2.2.1 Speed of construction: The structure is completed much faster than the traditional formwork as a large amount of work can be completed in each daily work routine. There is no need for brick laying and plastering as all walls can be formed at the same time. Finishing work such as window fixing, wall tiling and plumbing work can be installed immediately once the concrete is casted. 2.2.2 Building strength and durability: The walls and the floor slabs are casted simultaneously so there are no weak joints. The walls are made of reinforced concrete which provides much greater stability than columns with brick walls. The wall surfaces are made of concrete which do not crack like plaster and maintains a smooth surface for much longer time. 2.2.3 Quality of finishing building: The formworks are manufactured precisely which allows the concrete to be cast to exact dimensions as designed. Services like water supply some waste pipes and electrical conduits, can be cast into the concrete where it is protected and not visible. 2.2.4 Financing cost: Fast project completion saves financing charges as the buildings can be transferred to the owners much earlier than traditional methods. 2.2.5 Efficiency and cost saving: There is no requirement of labours for building brick walls and plastering as major part of the structure is cast in concrete by small group of workers. The project can be completed in shorter time due to fast production methods which save onsite running, operating and financing cost. The formwork panels are light in weight and can be lifted manually, so there is no need of spending money for heavy cranes for lifting. Less skilled labours are required on the site as all the finishing items are prefabricated. 2.2.6 Environmental benefits: The formworks are made up of aluminium which can be reused and also can be recycled to make other products. 2.3 Case study The following is a case study which justify that incorporating Mivan formwork system in the construction project is very beneficial to the project. 2.3.1 Infinity tower- Dubai As per MFE formwork technology (2008), the Infinity Tower in Dubai is a 73 storey residential tower with a dynamic twisting shape as shown in the figure 3 below. The tower is more than 300 meter in height and has been designed by Skidmore Owings Merrill who also designed the worlds tallest tower, Burj Khalifa which is 828 meters in height. The contract was awarded to Arabtec Construction. The structural system for the tower is high strength with a reinforced concrete column superstructure that rotates with the twisting shape. In addition, each floor will accommodate a 1.08-degree twist to achieve the full 90-degree spiral. Figure 3: Infinity Tower (Source: MFE formwork technology) The tower was constructed by using a light weight aluminium formwork system. A special twisting aluminium panels were made to obtain the precise design. The tower was constructed at a speed of 8 floors per month when the site was in full flow, maintaining zero tolerance with regard to site safety. Now by referring to this case study, it is clear that the use of Mivan formwork system not only improves the quality and speed of construction but also maintains site safety. 2.4 Limitations of Mivan formwork System The following are the limitations of using Mivan formwork System Modifications are not possible as all members are cast in RCC. Concealed services become difficult due to small thickness of the components. The aluminium formworks are far more expensive than the conventional formwork. Heat of hydration is high due to shear walls. The finishing lines can be seen on concrete surfaces due to small sizes. It requires uniform planning as well as uniform elevations to be cost effective. The shrinkage cracks are likely to appear due to box type construction. The formwork can be cost effective only if it is used in symmetrical type of structure. 3. Green Roofs Green roof refers to a system of roofing that uses plant life for roof covering instead of traditional covering materials (Green Roofs Today, 2010). Department of Trade and Industry (2004) defines the smart material as a material that senses its environment and responds. Green roofs provides constant temperature throughout the year due to high degree of insulation they provide, hence they can be termed as smart materials. Green roofing has become increasingly popular in the cities as it creates additional green spaces that bring some nature in concrete and steel jungle (Green Roofs Today, 2010). Green roofs are visually appealing and create an attractive contrast to concrete and steel as show in the figure 4-5 below. Figure-4 (Green Roofs) Figure-5 (Green Roofs) There are several components of green roofs which besides plants include a growing medium, a filter cloth, drainage, insulation and a waterproof membrane (Green Roofs Today, 2010). These components are shown in the figure 6. The construction of rooftops and the selection of plants for roof covering depend on the factors such as size of the building and type of roof. Now for construction of green roof both flat and slopped roofs are suitable but for construction of large park like roof system only larger buildings are appropriate as accommodation of large plants and trees are too heavy for medium sized buildings. Figure 6: Components of Green Roofs (Source: Green Roofs Today, 2010) Green roofs are mainly of three types; Intensive, Semi-Intensive and Extensive roofs, depending upon the selection of plants (Green Roofs Today, 2010). Intensive green roofs are those that accommodate large plants, trees, full lawns etc. This type of green roofing requires a significant depth of soil and also requires heavy maintenance. Semi Intensive green roofs are those that accommodate moderate size of plants and require less maintenance. Extensive green roofs is the most convenient of all types of green roof systems and involves roof covering with a thin layer of growing medium and vegetation that requires minimal care and maintenance (Green Roofs Today, 2010). The factors which are taken into consideration while designing green roofs are orientation of roofs, preferred planting, level of maintenance and performance expected from the plant layer (Green roofs, 2006). As the intensive roofs consist of deep layer of growing medium, it needs special consideration at the time of designing as they require specific support from the building. Conversely, extensive green roofs require negligible structural support from the building, hence no special consideration is given at the time of designing them (The green roof centre, 2010). 3.1 Benefits of Green Roofs System The following are the benefits of Green Roof systems; Plants reduce the air pollution by absorbing harmful gases including carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Green roof system therefore reduces the air pollution and makes the air cleaner and healthier especially in urban areas where quality of air is a major problem. Plants tend to absorb the heat from the air and release it into the air when the temperature drops. Green roof system therefore helps in lowering the temperature of the urban areas. It also helps the building owners to reduce their cost for heating for heating and cooling which is good for the environment too because most cooling and heating systems are powered by energy that is obtained from non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels. Plants that cover the roofs can absorb up to 75% of the rain water. Therefore the green roofs system significantly reduces the amount of water that runs in to the sewage system. The plants also filter many pollutants in rainwater including heavy metals. The rainwater that is absorbed by the green roofs is then released into the air via condensation (Green Roofs Today, 2010). Green roofs system offer a natural habitat to many local animal life including insects and birds that were virtually driven out from urban centres. Green roofs systems are extremely durable and can last up to 50 years. It also does not virtually require any repair like many other roofing systems. Green roofs combined with other green technology such as solar thermal collectors and solar photovoltaic panels can further reduce the costs for heating and cooling as well as help combat the global warming (Green Roofs Today, 2010). The figure below from the (Green Roofs Today, 2010) shows the main benefits of green roofs system. 3.2 Limitation of Green Roofs System The following are some of the limitations in installing the green roofs system; Higher capital cost Lack of awareness and knowledge No insurance cover is provided for green roofs Difficulty in maintaining and accessing roofs. 4. Recommendation Due to globalization and competition there is a tremendous pressure on the construction industry regarding the time, quality and cost of the work. With the implementation of the modern construction methods such as Mivan Formwork System and smart materials like Green Roofs the issues related to the time, cost and quality can be overcome. Although the initial cost of implementing such methods and smart materials are quite high the total amount saved at the end of the project life cycle is substantially more than the increase in the initial cost. The construction firms all over the world have been slow to adopt new innovation and changes. It is the need of time to analyse the depth of problems and find effective solution. Mivan system serves as an efficient tool to solve the problems of mass housing fronts all over the world. The system has a great potential to provide high quality construction at unbelievable speed and at reasonable cost which was justified in the report with the help of a case study. Hence it is recommended to use Mivan formwork system over the traditional formwork system Amid fears of global warming, deforestation, melting of ice on both the poles, increase in average temperature in next few decades, green roofs can be looked up to as a potential solution which can help in optimising use of rain water, conserving energy, improving aesthetical view of buildings and improving living conditions inside the building. Hence implementation of green roof is recommended as it will save large amount of resources. 5. Conclusion It can be concluded that the modern methods of construction such as Mivan formwork system are the key to meeting the demand for efficient, sustainable housing. Also the quality and speed must be given due consideration with regards to economy. Mivan formwork system not only helps in improving the quality and efficiency of the work but also has helped in maintaining the site safety. Anything that is good for the environment is good for humankind as well, so the investment in the green roofs is considered to be the best way in reducing the negative impact of humans on the environment. Green roofs not only reduce the adverse impact on the environment but also help the people in reducing their bill for heating and cooling.

Godfather Moral Downfall Essay example -- essays research papers

Critics agree that in The Godfather, the protagonist, Michael Corleone (Mikey) changes from a person with moral principles and a legitimate role in society to a cold-blooded mobster. In the beginning of the movie, Mikey shows his reluctance to involve himself in the Mafia when he tells his girlfriend, Kaye, about his father’s (Vito Corleone) business methods of coercion and says he will never be like his family. However, as Mikey’s involvement with the family business increases his violent tendencies become more apparent as he volunteers to murder a rival thug and a corrupt police officer. In the final scene, Mikey kills his brother-in-law, and when confronted by Kaye, he looks her in the eyes and claims no role in the murder. At this point, he completely transforms from a military hero and legitimate citizen, to a Mafia don capable of lies and murder. While Mikey’s transformation is quite obvious, the reason for this change in moral behavior is a more complex i ssue. The change in ethical behavior is a result of Mikey’s decision to become more involved with his family, consequently putting him in an environment that promotes immoral behavior. Michael Corleone’s problem is an internal conflict between loyalty to family and moral principle. After an assassination attempt on Mikey's father, Mikey decides to return to the family and assume leadership, even though he disapproves of Mafia business practices. The strength of family ties, ingrained in Mikey as a youth, influenced his choice. Decisions in choosing between right and wrong should not be confined to just a matter of the individual, but a response influenced by the family. Psychologists feel that the rearing of a child during early years plays a particularly important role in influencing behavior throughout a child's life. So, certain choices simply will not be made due to values established at an early age, since cognitive moral development restricts "free will" to some degree. Obviously, growing up in a Mafia family would put Mikey in an environment where he experiences a tainted view of right and wrong. Also, in the family situation, pressures from the group (the family) often influence the individual's behavior making the individual's decisions more difficult. Therefore, someone not taught independence will have trouble standing up against the family. For example, Mikey holds a notion o... ...uot;no regrets." Mikey only nods in agreement showing his acceptance of his new position. Mikey’s moral downfall is most likely a result of genetic influences, coupled with his current situation in a Mafia environment. His genetic makeup prohibits him from withstanding the pressures and influences of Mafia life. His violent behavior in the killings coincide with the Corleone notion of loyalty, and family business practices. Possible inherited defects in the Corleone family, such as those found in the five generations of Dutch men stated previously, fit well with Mafia methods of coercion and getting rid of competition. Also, the fact that Mikey feels responsible in helping with the protection of his father, and his expected role in the matter, affect his decision about involvement in the family business. Since the viewer only sees a short span of Mikey’s life, it is difficult to predict if Mikey will ever deviate from his current unethical practices. Theory suggests that he will change because altering personalities permanently is nearly impossible. However, only by viewing subsequent parts of Mikey’s life can we know for sure if he will return to moral standards of living.

Costa Coffee Essay

1. Executive summary In this business report we are analysing the business environment in which our company – BESO and its main competitor – Costa Coffee operate. The main objective is to research, analyse and understand the competitor’s business strategy, to find out if there is a gap in their action plan and how we can take advantage of this. The report consists of SWOT analysis of BESO and PEST analysis of both companies. The target markets of both – BESO and Costa Coffee are similar. That makes the competition between them even bigger. The report also discusses the marketing approach and the various advertising campaigns conducted by Costa Coffee and the advertising techniques we decide to adopt in the long run. The distribution system of Costa Coffee is also considered and plans to expand to different locations. The pricing strategy of BESO is based closely to the strategy of Costa Coffee as we have adopted competitive pricing. In terms of ethical issues we examined the various types of corporate social responsibilities of Costa Coffee. 2. Introduction The business report includes an analysis of Costa Coffee as a main competitor of BESO Coffee. The report examines the business environment where both companies operate in. It has been requested from the Marketing Director of BESO and also has to be focused only on the UK market. 3. BESO – Brief history BESO Coffee is a coffee chain settled in the UK in 2001. It has been established by an independent trader but later on when the business has grown, new stakeholders appeared. At first BESO’s target market was limited as well as the products it offered- only a few types of coffee and limited types of confectionary. However, only two years after launching BESO on the market it became popular through different groups of people, therefore the menu became much diversified and the target market as well. BESO has shown great performance during the years and has become one of the most recognized names on the current market. That is why Costa Coffee is determined as a main competitor of BESO. 4 5 The Marketing Profession 4. SWOT and PEST analysis 4. 1. SWOT analysis Strengths †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Efficient and trained staff Customer loyalty Brand recognition High quality coffee Friendly and relaxing atmosphere for our customers. Weaknesses †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Limited number of outlets Low levels of advertisement Interior design needs updating More range of the types of coffee available. Continual change in consumer taste Can be seen as an unhealthy product Opportunities †¢ Based in Central London which covers a large demographic of customers Olympics 2012 will bring in more sales Introduction of new products including healthy options. Retailing mugs and coffee equipment Threats †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Customers demanding fair-trade and organic coffee. Big chain coffee shops dominating the market. Economic issues and crisis Lack of ownership of primary resources e. g. Coffee farming. †¢ †¢ †¢ 4. 2. PEST analysis There are many different Political, Economic, Social and Technological issues that both our company and also Costa Coffee face within the coffee industry. Firstly, the first political issue to consider is that majority of coffee beans are brought and made in developing countries, so companies need to ensure that their coffee is made by fair-trade dealers and they need to consider the ethical conditions of the labor used. Another political issue includes all the taxes and tariffs incurred by any business operating within the UK, whether it be import tariffs or VAT on goods sold. The economic factors that our companies face are similar to the issues faced by many businesses within the whole goods and services market, this including the economic recession of 2008. Customers now have less disposable income to spend and as a result cut-down on the purchasing of non-vital goods. This is due to of unemployment rising and the levels of debt increasing. The social factors that need to be taken into consideration is that consumers are spending more money on coffee due to the demand for quality goods. This can be seen in the comparison of value of tea and coffee industry with coffee valuing at 738 million according to the Times (2008). As a result, companies need to ensure that buying coffee is not only a quick purchase, as they need to have value-added for customers including high quality coffee and a relaxing 5 6 The Marketing Profession atmosphere. Lastly, the technological issues that both our company and Costa face is the introduction of self-made home coffee by the use of coffee machines specifically tailored to make at home, for example, the Senseo coffee-machines. This can be seen as a threat to coffee shops as it is a cheaper alternative for customers in the long run. 5. Target market According to a Mintel report titled â€Å"Coffee Shops† published February 2012, â€Å"Two thirds of consumers buy coffee out of home, rising to three in four among 16-24-year-olds as core users†. Costa Coffee has the highest number of outlets within the UK totaled to 1,302 coffee shop chains as opposed to Starbucks who has 739 and Caffe Nero with 509 shops. It also claimed that â€Å"Costa has different store designs to suit different purposes such as ‘Metro’ which is aimed at the younger/urban consumers and ‘Evolution’ which is designed for more mature customers in provincial locations. It states its customer segments are ‘Recharge, Relax, Refuel’†. Therefore the target market for Costa Coffee ranges from a wide range of customers of different ages as it caters to many different needs. Students have been said to make up 30% of their target market, Professionals 45%, Families 10% and mature consumers 15% of the clientele. At BESO Coffee, our market we aim to target at is very wide as it ranges from teenagers to mature customers. We even target at families as we offer menus for younger children and parents. Our products are reasonably priced so it can be bought from people of many different income level groups, from working to upper class. 6. Marketing approaches Costa coffee have used many different marketing approaches and campaigns in order to succeed within the industry as it is important to continually update their marketing strategies. Costa has introduced campaigns such as ‘How Do You Like Yours’, which allowed customers to customize their coffee’s by for example adding espresso or syrup. This helps them differentiate themselves from competitors as it gives consumers more power and control over their purchase. Another campaign introduced by Costa was the arrival of Costa light in 2011, which offered low-calorie and healthier options to customers. This was an important step for Costa as there has been an increase in healthy eating trends, which can be seen in the figure below. Figure: Consumer demand for display of calorie content on restaurant menus, June 2010-December 2011 6 7 The Marketing Profession Other campaigns included the launch of Costa Coffee Gift Card in November 2011 which allowed customers to buy card with pre-paid amounts of up to ? 75 and a more recent campaign at the beginning of 2012 when Costa collaborated with the Spirit Pub Company which ensured that Costa coffee would be used in its restaurants chains including Chef & Brewer and Flaming grill. Costa has used many forms of media to advertise their campaigns to the public. One method used to inform customers was through the use of television advertising in 2008 whereby Costa launched its first ad. The advert helped to illustrate the â€Å"superiority of Costa’s products† and according Reynolds (2010) its message was that â€Å"the brand is on a mission to save the world from mediocre coffee and seven out of 10 coffee lovers prefer Costa†. Other forms of media used by Costa include Billboards as it can be seen by many commuters within the UK by their use of big bold writing and minimal distraction of the main message. Their billboards are distinctive as they have a continual theme colour, text and logo, which are recognised by customers. Our approach to our marketing campaign is to use alternative uses of media to portray our message, including the use of the Internet, as it is a popular form of media used in today’s society. We aim to use Facebook and Twitter to advertise our campaign and the company as a whole as it covers a large demographic. 7. Distribution strategy Costa operates in the UK through its own coffee shops, franchises and wholesale outlets. On the18th of October 2011, Whitbread stated that the number of Costa UK stores had risen from 1,217 in March 2011 to 1,302 in September 2011, including 95 openings and ten store closures. In comparison, Costa International increased its stores from 654 to 701 during the same period, including 72 openings and 25 closures. Meanwhile Costa Express/Coffee Nation units increased from 877 in March 2011 to 934 in September 2011, taking account of 79 openings and 22 closures. These units are partnered with service station operators such as Moto, Esso and Welcome Break, retailers like Tesco and The Co-Operative and foodservice group Compass (Mintel 2012). In a market with low loyalty levels, advertising and promotion is important in keeping brands in the forefront of consumers’ minds. Costa Coffee looked to sustain an emotional response among consumers with the marketing supporting its launch of Costa Light variant in autumn 2011 through an advertising campaign that used slogans such as ‘All the love, none of the handles’ and ‘Extra feel good in every cup’ (Mintel 2012) Customers were also encouraged to see the lighter side of life with its Costa Light Comedy Challenge competition. Costa’s aim was to showcase up-and-coming comedians by asking them to submit a one-minute film via its website. A public vote then saw the top ten entries from five regions go through to a further round to be judged during one-off events across the UK, with the campaign finally culminating in two regional winners performing at The Comedy Store, London (Mintel 2012). Costa Coffee’s distribution system is broad with a balanced portfolio across high streets, retail parks, concessions, airports, rail and other travel hubs as well as an increasing number of stores in new locations such as universities and hospitals. Innovative distribution channels, such as Costa Express and Drive Thru are developed. They will extend the brand’s reach and increase accessibility for the customer (Whitbread, 2010). 7 8 The Marketing Profession Andy Harrison, chief executive of Whitbread said that popping out for a coffee has become a â€Å"firm fixture† of peoples’ lives. â€Å"Coffee culture has grown massively over the last five to 10 years – people have a real demand for quality coffee and a choice of different coffees,† he said. â€Å"When I was kid everyone wanted a Nescafe – that has definitely changed. † (The Guardian 2011). 8. Pricing strategy Costa Coffee is a well-known, high valued and trusted cafeteria all over the world. They offer wide range of high qualitative coffee drinks and food, excellent services and relaxing atmosphere. Costa relies on their superiorities and offer comparatively higher prices because they have realized that the luxury comes with the price. Costa Coffee offers two sizes of drinks – medium and large and the price difference between them is not significant. In this way they encourage their customers to buy the bigger size, because the amount of the drink is bigger and is on almost the same price as the medium one. But even the medium size of cappuccino is served in a cup with the size of soup bowl, so Costa Coffee has a reason to charge a relatively higher price because of the value they give, even though in most cases customers do not need such a big amount of drink although they have to pay for it. In this way, Costa is able to sell cheaper coffee to regular customers, who are aware of the amount of the drink (with elastic demand) and sell more expensive coffee to infrequent visitors, therefore the cafeteria makes big profit from each cup of coffee. This is the corporate strategy and how Costa found a way to charge comparatively higher prices than most of their competitors. This strategy has some disadvantages and threats such as the present credit crunch, which might affect the sales and the budget of Costa Coffee as they target middle and upper middle class, therefore in the time of recession customers may prefer some of the cheaper competitors. 9. Pricing strategy that we will adopt – competition based pricing strategy One of the biggest advantages of the †Competition based pricing strategy† is that in the same time you are focused on your business and objectives and on the competition’s strategies. Once you understand what the competition is doing, you have the chance to do everything better and to gain a competitive advantage (Jobber 2008), therefore to increase the number of customers and to gain bigger market share. There are three types on competition based pricing methods: †¢ †¢ †¢ Price your product the same as the competitor Set your price to increase customer base Seek larger market share through price Compared to Costa Coffee we are fairly new to the market so it would be more appropriate for BESO to adopt the †Competition based pricing† as a strategy that will allow us to grow fast as competitive brand. In order to achieve biggest results we will match/mix the three competition-based pricing methods. BESO will offer similar products as/like the Costa’s products but on lower prices, therefore BESO’s market department must always be aware of what the competition is offering in order to provide better value for money. In this way BESO will has the opportunity to outline its advantages as comparing similar products as those of the competition but on lower prices (even pence). Once customers understand our priorities they will use to come to BESO as a place, which offers better value for money, 8 9 The Marketing Profession therefore we will increase our market share (Palmer and Hartley 2006). In terms of increasing customer base, the process is similar to market penetration, we have to select a price that will beat the competition and doing that we will motivate customer to notice our products and to make a purchase decision. Market penetration pricing works well in the introduction stage of the product life cycle and in a highly competitive market, as you increase the production some of your costs will decrease. During the next stages of the product life cycle the price can be increased (Jobber 2010). The easiest way to increase the market share of BESO is to select prices that will attract and hold as many customers as possible (depend on target). It is recommended to adopt the †Market – share pricing† after the business achieved market penetration, because they are linked as the market share happens when large volume of products are sold. So it is better if things happen step by step. And finally the market share is calculated by dividing the amount of each company sells out of the total market and in this way the market leader is determined. 9. 1. Disadvantages of †Competition based pricing† †¢ †¢ †¢ There is a danger to ignore your own production cost if you focus too closely on the competitors’ prices. It takes more time to research and update competitors’ information. Competitors also can copy whatever price you select. 10. Customer service Loyalty is particularly low in the coffee shop market, making customer retention a key area of improvement going forward (Mintel 2012). At the start of 2012 Costa Coffee launched the ‘Just How Do You Like Yours? ’ campaign. It aims to highlight the customizable elements of its products, a key differentiator to its lower-priced non-specialist competitors such as EAT and Pret A Manger. A clear pricing strategy was also included in order to appeal to consumer’s sense of value for money. For example, customers can now add an extra shot of espresso or sugar-free syrup shots to their drinks for 35p per unit. Also, in 2011 Costa Coffee launched gift cards (Mintel 2012). Although consumers state that convenient location is more important to them than the brand of coffee chain, operators can still capture consumers’ attention through qualities other than price. For example, two in three users think that quality is the most important decision-making factor when choosing where to buy hot drinks, whilst nearly half disagree that they usually choose the cheapest venue. However, with so many brands trading off of a quality positioning, operators have to ensure that they are differentiating themselves on additional levels, hence the trend towards lifestyle branding in the wider eating out market (Mintel 2012). Costa Coffee’s reputation for excellence applies not only for the exceptional coffee but also the insistence on perfect service. â€Å"Recruiting and retaining highly motivated and talented people is essential and great emphasis is placed on improving the skills, expertise and 9 10 The Marketing Profession performance of our people through award winning, industry-leading training and developing programs† (Mintel 2012). 11. Costa Coffee’s attitude towards environmental issues Consumers are extremely careful about environmental issues, trying to buy environmentally friendly food and drinks. Most of the customers feel that it is their duty to save the environment in order to live healthier. That is why most companies are under a lot of pressure to change their attitude towards the environment most often related to greener, packaging solutions, recycling and many others. Costa Coffee is the first UK coffee chain buying beans from Rainforest Alliance Certifiedâ„ ¢ farms. From October last year, almost 100% of the coffee beans for Mocha Italia blend are from certified sustainable farms. Costa Coffee is also a member of UK Paper Cup Recycling Committee, their cups are made from sustainable sources and that’s saves about 1,100 trees a year. The ingredients from which the cups are made of are all from iconic recyclable material and are made using only certified sustainable pulp. Vegetable Costa Coffee is also concerned about its coffee-growers and in 2006 it registered a Costa Foundation, dealing with the improvement of the welfare of coffee-growing places like Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Uganda and Vietnam. Costa Coffee is also a partner with Cafechurch network, supporting local community. The organization deals with environmental issues, fair trade, divorce and stress problems and others. People are feeling well, being part of a great atmosphere, live music, good communication, and a lot of interviews, having the opportunity to understand more about the Costa Coffee Foundations. 12. The competitor’s CSR activity Costa Coffee is not achieving basic standard of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The coffee company does not give a specific data for the carbon footprint. Its environmental data is part of the environmental data of its parent company-Whitbread. 13. What is your attitude to CSR/environmental issues going to be? The aims that Costa Coffee manages to do are quite a lot. Some of the first ones are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Developing Costa Coffee’s energy & environmental strategy. Managing carbon reporting and ensuring compliance for CRC. Maintaining the ISO50001 system. Working with manufacturer’s waste contractors and NGO to improve takeaway cup recycling. 10 11 †¢ †¢ The Marketing Profession Developing Costa Good Together CR programme . By 2012/13 Costa Coffee aims to help 15, 000, providing them access to education. That target will help to bring together the communities, helping adults to find jobs and trades. The coffee chain aim is to raise ? 750,000 alone during 2012/13. Costa Coffee will try to dedicate Energy & Environment Manager in Costa Coffee. That will be useful, trying to insure more control and to organize the best structured plan for the company. Costa’s cardboard cups are not recyclable, even though the cardboard can be recycled. The other ingredient in the cardboard cups, the ink and the glue, cannot be recycled. The target environmental plan of Costa Coffee is to use vegetable ink and degradable glue on its cups. Costa Coffee is raising money to build schools in regions where a lot of coffee farms take place. There are already 22 schools in developing countries. That makes a big difference for a lot of young people who have the opportunity to study. Costa Foundation is also taking care for the supplement of special healthy nutritious meals and laptops for the children. †¢ †¢ †¢ 14. Conclusion Based on the researches and analysis that have been done BESO has a great potential to use Costa’s disadvantages and to convert them into our opportunities for prosperity. Offering similar products as those of Costa Coffee but on lower prices and in the same time launching our own products (BESO’s cupcakes) is a good strategy to gain a competitive advantage. Slight changes in the interior design of our cafeteria would be refreshing and a good way to attract new customers. Furthermore increasing our advertising activities would be an opportunity to remind our customers and in the same time to inform our new potential customers about BESO’s fantastic services and great value for money. 15. References Baker S. (2003), New Consumer Marketing, West Sussex, John Wiley & Sons Ltd Cooper D., Schindler P.(2011), Business Research Methods, New York, McGraw – Hill Education Economics Help (2008), Costa Coffee UK and Sales Techniques. Available at: http://econ. economicshelp. org/2008/08/costa-coffee-uk-and-sales-techniques. html [Accessed: 20th March 2012]. Government of Alberta (2012), Methods to Price Your Products. Available at: http://www1. agric. gov. ab. ca/$department/deptdocs. nsf/all/agdex1133#competition [Accessed: 20th March 2012] Jobber D. (2010), Principles and Practice of Marketing, London, McGraw – Hill Education 11 12. The Marketing Profession Kotler P. , Armstrong G. (2006), Principles of Marketing, The United States of America, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data LinkedIn (2011), Costa Coffee Energy and Environment Manager at Whitbread. Available at: http://uk. linkedin. com/pub/ollie-rosevear/14/672/948 [Accessed: 20th March 2012] Mintel (2012), Brand Communication and Promotion. Available at: http://academic. mintel. com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show&/display/id=59 0036/display/id=611992#hit1 [Accessed: 20th March 2012] Mintel.

United States Imperialism

Imperialism is defined as the policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political control over other nations; the notion of a globally stretching â€Å"American Empire† with such connotations was first made popular after the Spanish-American War of 1898 with the US annexation of the Philippines. Although previous US expansionism shares many similarities with this â€Å"new† age of expansionism, they also diverged from one another in several key ways. This new stage of American expansionism took place through the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century and was quite analogous to the original or traditional type expansionism conducted by the US throughout its history proceeding this time period in several aspects. The first of which was the strong belief that expanding was a destined duty supported by God. When the US first gained its independence in 1776 span most of the east coast with the exception of Florida and extended only minimally into the mainland continent, but by the late 1800s the nation stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific adding new states and territory and expanding across the entire continent. This relatively quick and vast expansion was a result of the idea known as Manifest Destiny, coined by columnist John O’Sullivan in 1845. The idea basically articulated that belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, from the Atlantic Seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. As a result of such a belief the US government did everything within its power to make this growth possible. This ranged from the buying of and making deals for territories from other foreign powers, like the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France, to the taking of California and parts of New Mexico and Arizona from Mexico after the US Victory in the Mexican American War. This type of belief that imperialism was a necessary duty held true for the new age. This was not exclusive to the US and was widely accepted throughout most of the colonizing European powers as well. People at the time believed that God had made the â€Å"white race†; in the US special emphasis was put on the Anglo Saxon race, superior to all others as evidenced by their grander civilizations, numbers, wealth, and Christian beliefs. They saw these advantages as evidence that God wanted them to spread over the world imposing their rule on other races and lesser civilizations of the globe when inevitably the world’s supply of unoccupied land was depleted. This was especially the view of missionary minded Americans such as Reverend Josiah Strong, who called for Christian missions spanning the entire globe; their ideas stemmed from the Social Gospel (Document B). The Social Gospel involved the use of Christian ideals to help cope with the problems of the time, many of which were caused by rapid industrialization. This entitled way of thinking again helped inspire the United States to expand as well as convincing its people that such an expansion was rightful and meant to be, and again they did so because of these ideas and quite successfully so. The next ways in which the old and new ages were alike was in the treatment of the native peoples of the regions that the United States expanded into. During both time periods US policy toward the people already residing in any area newly acquired was biased and insensitive with little to no regard of the for the good or desires of the natives. During early American expansion the victims of such actions were almost exclusively Native Americans. As Americans pushed west they came into contact with a myriad of different tribes inhabiting different parts of the North American continent. The US government and these Indian tribes began to clash with each other quickly and soon what is widely seen as an unofficial extermination campaign began. This campaign carried on for decades until the US had spread a completely across the continent fighting and weakening individual tribes until they submitted to US dominance. Even after this Native Americans were still treated unfairly, having to contend with horrific US anti-Indian legislation. For Instance the Indian Removal Act, which took away Indian land and forced onto plots of land mandated for them do reside in, known as reservations. The most famous of which was the trial of tears, during which the Cherokee people were forced to march the one thousand mile distance from Georgia to Oklahoma under horrible conditions resulting in the deaths of 4,000 Cherokees. Another injustice toward the Indian peoples was their excluded from US citizenships and the rights and protections that come with it until 1924 with the passage of the Snyder Act. The treatment of those in the territories and colonies of the United States during this time during the late 1800s and early 1900s in that they again like the Native Americans were subject to harsh military action. This occurred shortly after Spain sold the Philippines to the United States for 20 million dollars. The Filipino people were under the mistaken assumption that after the withdrawal of Spain they would receive their independence, so as the US began to institute its rule in the colony Filipinos revolt under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo. The US government responded not by granting the Philippines its independence but instead by engaging in an armed conflict called by the American Anti-imperialist League, founded by Mark Twain in 1898, a â€Å"war of criminal aggression†. Although the US eventually won out due to far superior military might the process of doing so many Filipinos were slaughter putting Filipino blood on American hands (Document D). Inhabitants of the new age US imperial holdings were just as their Native American counterparts of the past denied rights and privileges and citizens. It was decided during this period that Congress would be granted jurisdiction over US foreign colonies and territories and control over the civil rights and statuses of those in them. This resulted from the Supreme Court case Downes vs. Bidwell, where a Puerto Rican exporter sued over the fact that he had to pay an import duties on his goods arguing that he was not technically importing them seeing as how Puerto Rico was a US territory. As Congress never saw fit to make grant such inhabitants of the â€Å"US Empire† they were not given rights under or protected by the Constitution as US citizens were (Document H). This lack of rights for natives in these lands opened the door to abuses and despotism from the United States government as well as other entities for instance big business, trying to serve their own needs and desires at any cost. The similarities between both states of US expansionism are represented both in its attitude toward its own expansion and in its handling of the existing populaces in the areas acquired. The more recent imperial period beginning in the late 1800s was also in numerous key facets a departure from previous US policies and preceding expansionism. To begin there was a major difference in venue between the two periods. During the early era US expansion was limited to the North American continent only spreading out and making larger the already existing American nation to the surrounding area. This mostly consisted of westward extension toward the Pacific Ocean, and the settling largely wooded country side that was quite relatively scarcely populated with only a number of Native American Indian tribes. However the latter era was a more global form of expansion. Instead of having growth limited to the continent and immediate area the US began to obtain colonies and territories thousands of miles away in other parts of the world such as the Philippines, the only official colony, Puerto Rico, and Guam. According to the father of the modern US navy, Admiral Alfred T. Mahan the US had to start looking outward to distant territorial options due to the increasing need for raw materials and other growing production needs, an expansionistic desire form the American public, and the geographic position of the nation between the Atlantic and Pacific (Document C). The perceived need to keep up with the growing colonial possessions and therefore wealth and power of the European nations was also a driving force behind this colonizing outward look. The US had fallen behind in this arena as shown in works like Thomas Nast’s â€Å"The World Plunderers†, which shows the dominant European nations of Germany, England, and Russia taking land off different regions of the globe. The US is not however represented here among these powerful colonizing nations, serving to show how far behind the US was in that way and how it did not play as large or powerful role as these other countries (Document A). These new colonial territories were not made up of under populated wilderness ready for settlement, but instead were populated and held developed native societies with their own customs that the US government had to deal with. This type of new era colonial style interaction is exemplified in events like the Filipino revolt against their American rulers for independence. Not only did US expansion change becoming more global, but US diplomatic expansionism foreign policy changed as well. During the initial time of expansionism the US foreign policy was focused on expansion through the gaining of land. While during the later time the US was still fixated on the attainment of land gains they began to also focus on expansion through the expansion of American influence throughout the world. During this time the US became somewhat less isolationist and introverted and looked to expand trade with other nations and sway over other nations rather than real â€Å"colonial† control. The goal of the United States was according to Senator Albert J Beveridge in the 1900 to use its colonial possession of the Philippines to control the Pacific Ocean, which he believed to be â€Å"the ocean of the commerce of the future†. This control over the Pacific would supposedly allow the US unrestricted trade with Asia, making it â€Å"the power that rules the world† (Document E). This idea in practice resulted in the institution of the open door policy. This policy nvolved the forceful persuasion of China by the United States to engage in trading with the US and other European powers. To keep from fighting between these powers separate â€Å"spheres of influence† were set up for each colonial power in which they could trade and conduct business as they pleased. This policy worked well making the US arguably the largest and most important foreign power in the region as shown by the political cartoon â€Å"American Diplomacy† (Document G). The United States also opened up Japan to trade with the Commodore Perry’s expedition to the nation in 1853. These types of influence foreign diplomacy were not only employed by the US in the Pacific but in the Latin America as well with particular regard to Central America. This was known as the Roosevelt Corollary, President Roosevelt’s interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine that required the US to interfere in the affairs of countries affected by wrongdoing and or impotence of the Western Hemisphere not for land but for the â€Å"welfare† of such countries (Document F). The Platt Amendment helped to support and legitimized the Corollary by guarantying US participation in Cuban dealings, both foreign and domestic and appeared to be at the time quite a success. The practice of dollar diplomacy took US influence over the Latin American to a new level by using both political and military authority to safeguard US citizens’ investments in the regions. This was used when President Taft sent US marines into Nicaragua in 1912 in order to keep safe American business interests. Such policies served to expand American control through increase in indirect influence instead of an increase in land and colonization. The variances between the old and new ways of expansion manifest themselves primarily in the change from continental territory gains to globally and the shift from a singular expansion attention on land to a attention on influence based expansion. United States expansionism has undergone changes throughout the years and at the same time stayed constant in many respects. Expansionism from the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century was a continuation of past expansionism in that the religious and superiority driven attitude toward expansionism and the treatment of those already occupying the colonized areas remained the same. However it was a departure from previous expansionism because of its more global connotations and its focus on diplomatic influence as opposed to land. It is evident that regardless of their specific differences the old era of US expansion and the new era are their own distinct entities.