An In-depth Analysis of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” Essay

Aside from the Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet is probably also one of the most famous tragedies that William Shakespeare has ever written. Just like any other tragedies that Shakespeare has written, the story ended with the killing of many people including the main character, Hamlet. It also shows Shakespeare’s writing style with the concept of revenge, denied love, and many others. Before we can analyze the character of Hamlet, let us first take a glimpse on the story. The setting of the story is in Denmark. The story began with the late King Hamlet haunting the night as a ghost. Later on, Prince Hamlet’s friend, Horatio and the prince himself was told by the ghost that he was murdered by Claudius, the King’s brother. After murdering King Hamlet, Claudius got the throne and King Hamlet’s wife Gertrude. With all of these things being known by the young hamlet, he then plans for revenge. This plan consisted of acting mad and hiring and acting troupe to re-enact the said murder of the king. After the acting, Gertrude scolded Hamlet for being disloyal to the King unaware that Polonius is hiding behind the curtains. Hamlet accidentally killed Polonius for he mistaken him as the King. Because of this, Prince Hamlet was sent to England without knowing Claudius’ plans of killing him there. However, Hamlet manages to escape the guards and was able to go back to Denmark. But the story did not end there, with the death of his father Polonius, Ophelia lost her mind. Because of this, Laertes (Ophelia’s brother) went to Denmark to take revenge especially when he found out that Ophelia has drowned herself. Laertes planned his revenge to be done in a fencing battle and that he will stab Hamlet with a poisoned sword and that the king would give him a poisoned cup if he wins. But the plan went crazy when Gertrude drank with the poisoned cup because of Hamlet’s near victory and when Laertes stabbed hamlet with the poisoned sword. They then exchange swords and Hamlet managed to stab Laertes with the poisoned blade. Realizing that the three of them are going to die, Hamlet decided to stab Claudius and make him drink the rest of the poisoned drink (Kriszner). Analysis of Hamlet’s Character After having read these things happen and done by our Shakespearean character, we can say that Hamlet does not have a constant or fixed characteristic. Hamlet never fails to let the readers know that there is more to him that meets the eye. At first, it seemed that Hamlet is just a prince that is curious about his father’s death. But as the story progresses, the readers were seeing more and more of him. Hamlet, I must say, is a rational, truth-seeking character. If we are not to find the depth of Hamlet’s character’s it may seem that he is just a revengeful character. But planning for revenge is different from seeking the truth. Before planning his revenge, Hamlet first wanted to confirm if the Claudius is guilty. With his actions when he hired an acting group, we can see that he is being rational and that although he seemed to be very angry at the King, he still chose to see first if the King is really guilty. Hamlet is also very contemplative because all the evidence that may prove that the King murdered his father is there but still he was so eager to prove that Claudius is guilty. Although any person or reader would believe that the evidence is enough, Hamlet still shows doubt and asks questions in his mind. Aside from being contemplative, we can say that the character of Hamlet is also impulsive. A proof to this is the accidental killing of Polonius. Hamlet did not even spend time to check if it is really the king or not. Because of this impulsiveness, more revenge was triggered just like the planned revenge of Laertes which took part as the story progressed. He is also very impulsive when his character suddenly shifts to being a madman. Hamlet’s impulsiveness is also seen through his over toned speeches and allusions. The character of Hamlet also shows discontent, not just to his family but to current status of Denmark and eventually, the whole world. This can be seen when he was disappointed about his mother when he married Claudius right after King Hamlet died. It is also noticeable in the play that he executes a particular dislike for women. This can be seen when he did not like the actions of his own mother and when he denied his love for Ophelia (â€Å"Hamlet Character Analysis†). Hamlet is also a character of will and passion. His character in the play perfectly suits his being young and enthusiastic. Because of his â€Å"youngness† and being enthusiastic, it seemed to us that he does not take time to reflect. Again, an example is when he killed Polonius. He just does things that he thinks would fit the situation. He does things according to his will that is why the impression it gives the audience is that he is a character that is full of strength. Another characteristic of the Shakespearean hero is being undecided or puzzled. These are manifested with his asking about the afterlife, suicide, etc. Another part of the play wherein we can see Hamlet’s being undecided is when he changed his mind in killing King Claudius when he saw him praying. He then decided to kill him when â€Å"he is drunk, asleep, or in a rage† which could be a more lethal opportunity. Because he cannot decide on when to kill the King, he resorted to first proving that the King really murdered his father. Different emotions can also be seen in the character of Hamlet. As the play progresses, different emotions are shown by our Shakespearean hero. At some parts, we can see an angry Hamlet where there are some parts where we see Hamlet as a character of despair. There are also parts that he seemed to be affectionate with Ophelia. Hamlet also executes betrayal and commit lies when he switched the letters and when he acted as a mad man. Also, in some other parts of the story, we can see a grieving Hamlet (Mabillard). Hamlet is also a responsible character and is very willing to sacrifice. Although it is apparent that he wants revenge, we can say that he is just being responsible in seeking justice for his father’s death. He is responsible because he did not stop until he found justice for his father’s death. He sacrificed a lot of things like his love for Ophelia and even sacrificed his own life just for the sake of justice. Lastly, Hamlet shows a different lose of faith in people. One part of the play is when he lost his love for Ophelia. Also, there are some parts of the story wherein he seemed to have lot his interest in life and that he thinks of the world as impure and unclean. Hamlet became very pessimistic about the world after finding out what his father has gone through. He showed disappointment and discontent not only to Denmark but to the whole world. Character Development, Dramatic Structure, and Presentation The development of Hamlet’s character started from being vengeful, to fighting for his life and justice, then grieving for the death of loved ones and the current state of his nation. Hamlet, I must say, is one of the most â€Å"flavorful† characters that Shakespeare has ever made. His character started from being angry which resulted from planning revenge. Because of his plans, he then changes to a character who struggles from the situation he put his self into. And lastly, he shows grief with the loved ones he had lost (â€Å"Hamlet†). The dramatic structure of the play is obviously a tragedy. Of course, the dramatic content of the play includes conflict. Many of Shakespeare’s plays show order or unity. Many of them involve a group of people or society which will then be broken. This situation would seem to be unresolved until the end of the story or until everyone is killed. Another part of the structure of this drama is the existence of the supernatural. This could be seen in the presence of the ghost of King Hamlet. This was also done by Shakespeare in some of his works like Macbeth and Midsummer night’s dream. This will then cause the disturbance of the situation. In the case of Hamlet, the ghost of King Hamlet triggered young Hamlet’s emotions which resulted to seeking revenge. Since the story is a tragedy, we expect that the conflict can only be resolved with the death of the main character. However, not all tragedies end after the killing of the main character. Some tragedies end by grieving to the death of the fallen hero or carrying the hero’s dead body. This will then show the â€Å"bringing back† of unity amongst the broken society. Such dramatic structure was made by Shakespeare especially for the 18th century where in the concept of tragedies are not yet or less accepted by the public (Jhonston). Cultural Significance Hamlet has its effects on culture. It showed the people to face reality and not hide from the truth. In the century when the play was made, social hierarchy is a big deal. Social status is an important issue that is why the play addresses that we should be true to ourselves and that we should not beautify the harsh realities of life (Cook). It seems that Shakespeare wanted to show the imperfections of man through Hamlet’s dissatisfaction of the world. The play seems to whine about the current state of our culture and society and that people should not beautify the mistakes of the society and the culture they built upon. Reference: Cook, Hardy M. â€Å"The Meaning of Hamlet†. 2004. July 18 2007. . â€Å"Hamlet†. 2006. July 19 2007. . â€Å"Hamlet Character Analysis†. 2005. Absolute Shakespeare. July 18 2007. . Jhonston, Ian. â€Å"Darmatic Structure: Comedy and Tragedy†. 2007. July 19 2007. . Kriszner, Laurie G. Portable Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 6th ed: Thomson-Wadsworth, 2006. Mabillard, Amanda. â€Å"Hamlet Character Analysis†. 2000. Shakespeare online. July 19 2007. .

Successful Marketing Strategy of Haagen-Dazs

â€Å"If you love her, then take her to Hagen-Dads†, the advertisement is familiar to people all around the world. Hagen-Dads has successfully created value for its customers. Aimed to make itself the represent of top-class ice-creams, Hagen-Dads tried to make the feeling of satisfaction and happiness its selling point. And this orientation proved to work well. In 1981 , Times referred to Hagen as ‘Rolls-Royce among ice-creams'. While there are some modification actually, Hagen-Dads focuses more on young ladies who are thirsty for romantic love than noble people.On the en hand, women usually cannot resist the entice of sweet food and romantic feeling . An the other hand, the orientation builds an emotional tie between its product and the customer. It is not Just ice cream is actually part of their dream. Due to its market positioning, most of its consumers of are lovers. For them, they are pursuing more than Just delicious ice cream . Lovers desire intimacy, the feeling of being loved and understood, and special experiences . So Hagen-Dads make Its Ice cream the symbol of romantic and fancy. The packaging of its product is all-sided.Firstly, the name of the brand ‘Hagen-Dads' sounds to be Nordic ,which actually Is American. Secondly, the ice cream has a unique look and name which create a noble impression. What's more ,Hagen-Dads has done something that most companies failed to do. That Is ,to make ‘ the pursuing of romantic' the spirit and culture of the company. The connotation Hagen-Dads are trying to deliver has been developing all the time . From the original one â€Å"If you love her ,then take her Hagen-Dads† ,then In 2004,†melt slow',and the 2009 one â€Å"melt together†. Hagen-Dads tries to deliver this usage to the customers-?to foster love In the spirit level l.And that's exactly what the couples are looking for today. Among the brands that are trying to create a romantic tale, Hagen-Dads successful makes Itself to be the leading one . Let Is even Impossible for others to copy or Imitate. We can encounter It In every corner of our life ,such as movies ,novels and so on. Hagen-Dads has definitely been a symbol of romantic love. In a word ,the key to the success of Hagen-Dads Is that It Is â€Å"FACING† Its customers Instead of back to them. It tries to find out what the customers really want and then successfully create value for them.

Charles Dickens and Fanny Trollope View on the U.S. regarding class Essay

Charles Dickens and Fanny Trollope View on the U.S. regarding class differences and the status of women and their treatment by m - Essay Example As will be clearly seen in the discussion of the commentaries by the two traveler (both from England) the foreign observers who were present during the twentieth century were had serious criticism of America. The observers were drawn into being more analytical of the American scene due to the fact that the country’s efforts to influence international boundaries were rapidly growing. Right from his first visit to America, Dickens wrote American Notes where he clarifies in the mind of the reader the real picture of life in America in contrast to the life back in the United Kingdom (Dickens’s motherland). As he narrates, the very initial impression that he got were very existing only for quarrels to begin later on in the visit as reality was dawning on her. Dickens expresses the fact that the reception that he was accorded in America was exceptional. This can mainly be drawn from the fact that Dickens had already been an identified English writer with a lot of fame in fore ign travels. Despite the fact that Dickens was a beneficiary of this warm welcome in America that involved recognition from even President John Tyler, he remained to be very critical of the American society. ... This was also pronounced further when Dickens claimed in his American Notes that prisoners wee treated with very much disregard. According to his observations, the prisoners who were mainly poor people were subject to ill-treatment, a fact that led further to the underdevelopment of the poor people. On the other hand, Dickens was very positive with the fact that he was surprised at the fact that America still looked upon Europe as its model of governance and development. This was because Dickens’ analysis revealed that he still had very much regard to America due to the high levels of democracy that existed in the country. This was an aspect about America that Dickens thought was very much lacking in his motherland, England. The fact that democracy was more practiced in America as compared to England, Dickens was of the opinion that the United States of America was a friendlier environment to the women. The fact that every individual member of the society was offered political opinion indicated that women were beneficiaries of fair treatment by the political front (Dickens 80). It is this fair recognition of women from the political front that women were equally treated with equality in the society and offered opportunities that were offered by men. This was an aspect that really got Dickens having his respect and admiration towards the American society continue thriving despite the negative observations that he recorded. From the analysis of the observations that Dickens had in regard to America, it can be concluded that he was rather objective when analyzing the American social structure. The fact that he could admit both the strengths and weaknesses of the American society speaks of how

Product Classifications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Product Classifications - Essay Example Organizational goods are those goods that firms purchase and use them to develop a final product. It includes office products, tools, equipment or parts that go into the final product. Raw materials and agricultural products are those goods that come directly into the earth not having gone through any human modification. Consumer goods are those goods that consumers are able to purchase and utilize them. The three main product classifications are further sub-divided into smaller categories for purposes of developing good market mixes. For instance, consumer goods are subdivided into specialty goods, shopping goods and convenience goods. According to Peter and Donnelly (2011), a marketing manager can utilize a product classification scheme as an important analytical device to assist them in planning marketing programs and strategies. As noted above, product classifications are developed basing on the assumption that such products can be marketed similarly. From the developed product classifications, a marketing manager will be able to strategize on their marketing strategies to ensure that a marketing program covers products that require the same type of promotion and marketing channels. This is to say that a product classification enables a marketing manager to device a marketing mix strategy. Goods under the same classification have similar attributes that make it possible to market them using a single marketing program or strategy. This is because such goods could either be destined for the same market or undergone the same degree of processing or transformation. These classifications are therefore important in enabling a marketing manager to place products appropriately when developing marketing strategies and marketing mixes.

"Taylor Rule and Inflation Targeting" Coursework

"Taylor Rule and Inflation Targeting" - Coursework Example Indeed, the rule reckons how the Federal Reserve System has raised the funds rate in responding to inflation. Moreover, the rule recognizes an output gap and observed inflation where the Federal Reserve manipulates the output gap to control inflation (Hetzel, 2000). However, there is uncertainty on whether the Taylor rule can offer fundamental explanation on future inflation rates especially in America. On the other hand, the central bank can use inflation targeting as a monetary policy. Inflation targeting influences the economy since it controls increase in price levels (Jahan, 2015). Indeed, if central bank in the U.S. used inflation targeting, it would declare a target inflation rate and seek to control the actual inflation toward the target inflation by regulating interest rates, which would consequently influence price levels. This will equally lead to a transparent monetary policy since the interest rates changes adopted by the central bank will foster clear and opposite inflation rates (Jahan, 2015). As such, under inflation targeting policy, the American economy would be more transparent and increasingly stable. The use of inflation targeting by the central bank in U.S would enable the economy to respond to economic shocks in the short run since inflation targeting entails â€Å"rules† and â€Å"discretion† in monetary policy (Jahan, 2015). Hetzel, R. L. (2000). The Taylor Rule: Is It a Useful Guide to Understanding Monetary Policy? Retrieved from

Analysis of Mastering Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Mastering Management - Assignment Example This shows her inattention to results. Her final comments â€Å"Years of psychotherapy, my friend. And even then, you probably wouldn’t be able to change it. You’re just an arrogant s.o.b. But then again, isn’t every CTO in the Valley?† This shows her avoidance of accountability by implying that â€Å"everyone is doing it so there is nothing wrong with it.† Review the information on the establishment of team â€Å"Norms† during the forming and norming stages of team development in your text on pages 498-50. What behavioral norms had been established by the executive team at Decision Tech before Kathryn took over? How did these norms help or hurt the company’s performance? The behavioral norms which had been established by the executive team at Decision Tech before Kathryn was mistrust among the executive group, disunity, and overconfidence. These norms hurt the company because the team members were always pulling in different directions, everyone feeling more important than others. Mistrust meant that no one was free enough to share his/her ideas with the rest. Did the Decision Tech Team experience going through all four stages of team development? If yes, discuss the effectiveness of Kathryn’s approach to helping the team move through each stage. Give specific examples from the story. The four stages of team development are: 1) underachievement, 2) lighting the fire, 3) heavy lifting, and 4) traction. Decision Tech Team experienced going through all these stages with the help of Kathryn. In the first stage, Kathryn helped by agreeing to head the team, even at a time when every the Team was experiencing high staff turnover. In the second stage, lighting the fire, Kathryn caused intentional conflicts to let every member of the team know that they had a problem that needed to be fixed.  Ã‚  

The nature of the budgeting and planning process Essay

The nature of the budgeting and planning process - Essay Example The overall purpose of the budgeting process is to ensure that the organization has enough finances of operations and expenditure. The first purpose of the budgeting process is communication, where each department in the organization communicates the need for resources and how the resources will be used. This is done by explaining the volume of activities that the department will engage in and the amount of resources that will be needed. The budgeting and planning process is also important for coordination of tasks in the organization, since the different departments in the organization perform interrelated task (Hansen and Wim, 2004). Coordination of processes is achieved when the different departments provide a plan for their resource allocation and the relation to the resource allocation from other departments. Budgets are also used for planning the activities of the organization for a specified period. This is achieved by preparing budgets that predict resource usage for forthcoming fiscal periods. When these budgets are prepared, the organization can determine the resource needs and, therefore, prepare the necessary financial resources for acquisition of the planned resources. Budgets are also used for control and motivation, where the budgets act as a measure of performance and improvement. This means that the prepared budget is used as a standard of measurement of performance, and the different departments are motivated to improve their performance according to the budget allocated. The nature of the budgeting and planning process is reflected by the characteristics of the budget prepared by the departments and the organization. The budget can be defined as a plan for the allocation of financial resources to the various processes in the organization, therefore, the budgeting and planning process refers to the steps taken to prepare and measure organizational performance using a budget. The requirements of the budgeting and planning process can then be inferred from the above definition of a budget. The budgeting and planning process requires knowledge of the required resources by each department, the expected usage of resources, the forecast of the cost of resources, and the expected financial inflows and outflows. Types of Budgets According to Sean, Garrison and Noreen (2008), budgets can be classified into many types, including zero-based budgets, incremental budgets, fixed and flexibl e budgets. These budgets classifications are done according to the basis for budget preparation, whether the budget is prepared according to activity level, fiscal periods, or resource availability. Zero-based budgeting refers to a budgeting method where each department is required to provide a justification of all the expenses presented in the budget statement. Traditional budgeting methods require a manager to add or subtract amounts from the previous fiscal period budget, however, zero-based budgets start from a zero baseline and all expenditures have to be justified. Conversely, incremental budgets are based on the previous period’

Why people should continue cutting down the rainforest Essay - 1

Why people should continue cutting down the rainforest - Essay Example These types are also divided into sub categories. Forests are not only important in providing the lumber, which is a renewable and sustainable material, but they are important in providing an economic growth but providing an agricultural land and reserving water for the agricultural land. Tropical rainforests are best in hold the rainwater but sometimes the plants and trees becomes so congested that one tree or plant becomes make the other’s plats life span short. In this way, the dead plants become more dangerous than carbon dioxide in some cases. Rainforest has mainly two major types: tropical rainforest and the other is temperate rainforest. Tropical rainforests are mostly located near equator, they receive more solar energy, and thus they have a warm and humid climate. In tropical rainforest, it rains quite well and one can find a tropical rainforest with high level of moisture and rain (Whitmore 32-39). Most of the trees in a tropical rainforest have broad leaves. A temperate rainforest is the one, which is farther from the equator, and it has a cool climate and there are less species of trees in a temperate rainforest. The trees in a temperate rainforest have needle shaped leaves. The other types of rainforests are montane rainforests, subtropical rainforests, mangrove rainforests, monsoon rainforests, lowland rainforests and flooded rainforests. In the tropical rainforests, plants and trees grow at a much faster pace that other type of forests (Whitmore 38-40). Therefore, if a rainforest managed sustainably, rainforests have the capability to meet the lumber requirements. Today most of the lumber requirements are provided by plantation forests where hard wood and softwood is grown to make the lumber available for the construction as well as other purposes like furniture making and others. Wood frame construction is a method of construction that is prior method for home construction from many years. Today people

Social media text Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social media text - Research Paper Example In Mulvey’s opinion, women are often seen as a symbol of castration and most films making involve manipulation of females to bring visual pleasure to the film watchers (Mulvey, 1990) Mulvey argues that the pleasure associated with cinema is directed towards gender relationships, which relates images and spectators. In cinemas, the male acts as the prime monitor as well as the one who bears the gaze. On the other hand, females are just presented as passive objects who are subjected to the male gauze and male pleasure. Therefore, cinemas project fantasy on female body through filming and editing done with the aim of making female characters objects of pleasure. Therefore, women are often presented â€Å"†¦.as erotic objects for the characters within the screen story, and as erotic object for the spectator within the auditorium†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mulley, 1990, pp. 33). The editing enables the filmmakers to combine the gazes of the male characters and those of the spectators without breaking the authenticity of the film story. The idea of color is an idea that can be learnt and leads to use of certain details to classify people. Moreover, characterization of people in terms of color varies in different regions. A good example is blackness. Definition and characterization of people as black varies in different countries. Moreover, characterization of people as blacks is influenced by different factors that are learned and passes from generation to generation. Gordon argues that words as well as work by black abolitionists in the 19th Century have played a great role in constructing the identity of black people. The language used by abolitionists has played a great role in constructing the identity of black people. Moreover, the identity has been memorized and can thus be learned and altered in different moments in life (Gordon, 2006). According to Gordon (2006, pp. 36) â€Å"†¦an ideology operates like a god or a spirit who pervades a place or inhabits human

How Social Networks and Social Media Create and Support a Learning Organization Essay Example for Free

How Social Networks and Social Media Create and Support a Learning Organization Essay A Learning Organization is a culture that nurtures learning. As such, processes encourage interaction. The entire infrastructure is one that prioritizes interaction that facilities learning. Creativity and problem solving techniques are inherent in learning organization and the appropriate skills and motivation are available for the learning organization to strive (Background Information, Module 3). When we consider social networks and social media, we can be left wondering if communication can truly be at the optimal level through social networks and social media. The reality is that technology and the communication that is embedded in it is growing exponentially. The concept of social learning has roots in a social constructivist approach, where learning is a self-directed, problem-based, and collaborative process (Bang and Dalsgaard, 2006). Through involvement in activities, learners must attempt to solve a problem according to their own process. Now, this may seem simple if learners were physically amongst each other to share the processes. However, the social networks and social media do allow for a very supporting learning environment. One thing that should be understood is that although there is a plethora of technological resources available, individuals must be able to tap into these resources in order to make use of social networks and social media to then, support a learning environment. Resources are information assets: media, people, places, or ideas. However, such resources are not learning materials until learners actively use them (Hannafin, Land, and Oliver 1999, p. 119). The internet, as a technological platform is a prime example of collaboration at its’ best. In his Techlearning blog of March 5, 2008, Steve Hargadon identified trends spurred on by the â€Å"two-way† nature of the Internet. These are trends that have significant impact on learning and education. According to Hargadon, there is a â€Å"new publishing revolution† arising from a shift in content creation for the Internet. At first, the Internet was a one-directional presentation medium where users received and read passively. Now the Internet is becoming an interactive platform, also known as Web 2. 0, based on contribution and collaboration. Blogs, wikis, file sharing, social networking, and other forms are revolutionizing how we create online content. In his blog entry, Hargadon discussed how he replies to questions that people ask about content overload. His response reflects how social networking and social learning flow into one another naturally, as social constructivism suggests they will. He said, â€Å"It is in the act of our becoming a creator that our relationship with content changes, and we become more engaged and more capable at the same time. † In other words, by participating we learn to become. Touro University boasts the Threaded Discussion Forum, which allows at ones’ fingertips the ability to communicate in the convenience of one’s’ own time and place, as well as the response of back and forth communication of their classmates and professors. Students can then â€Å"blog† or communicate through other platforms like Skype. â€Å"Virtually† the only missing ingredient in all of the communication forums technology has to offer is the personal face to face where we are physically there to communicate with one another. One can argue that such spatial communication really do not add anything unique to what can be facilitated virtually. Other companies are likewise making strides in this direction. Microsoft offers its Office-based sharing technology, SharePoint. IBM implemented the use of blogs (26,000 registered), wikis (100,000 users), social bookmarking (DogEar), and social networking tools in their organization. IBM even owns 50 islands on Second Life for use in orientations, classes, and meetings! Change is inevitable. We see that technology continues to evolve, along with how people connect and contribute to the creation of content within virtual communities. We either adapt, or fall behind. In his January, 2008 paper, David Wilkins explores the importance of supporting social networks in the workplace, or â€Å"Workplace Communities. † Wilkins reviews social learning on the job in terms of improving employee development, performance, and growth, as well as its effect on workplace innovation. Wilkins shows a number of ways in which workplace communities support employee development, performance, and growth. They provide a mechanism for apprenticeship models, connecting less-skilled workers with their more experienced colleagues through social networking technologies. Communities can add an â€Å"Ask an Expert† feature to their network, to make it possible to leverage the expertise of individuals or groups. This forum echoes the Touro experience as professors respond to our Threaded Discussions, never in an evaluative manner, but in a way in which a professional and friendly dialogue is encouraged. Communities foster ownership of learning, according to Wilkins. The social aspect of communities can facilitate the â€Å"meeting† of content consumers with content producers through social networking. This social aspect of content provides an avenue for additional social networking and mentoring opportunities, and further empowers the workforce by providing opportunities for them [the consumers] to contribute, resulting in significant increases in the volume of content. This has the dual benefit of helping with both retention and productivity, while also moving the organization toward a deeper, more ingrained use of learning and knowledge. † (Wilkins, p. 6) Communities allow for the generation of a range of content types that appeal to different learning styles, levels, and objectives. Online resources include blogs and wikis, audio, and video. They may also include traditional learning courses and materials, and typical Office documents. Through sharing information, the workplace community provides access to immediate, relevant, and appropriate content suited to the needs of the individual. An extension of traditional training and development modes, communities offer a fluid way to support employee performance development and efficiency. Success requires free flow of ideas, and support by stakeholders, for communication between networks. It takes time to establish these conditions, and a carefully thought-out plan is essential. Indeed, a learning organization can thrive with the utilization of social networks and social media. These are convenient for everyone and are conducted in ways that are perhaps even more powerful, productive, positive, and as simple than face to face platforms. Certainly, the convenience and quality I have received within the on-line learning organization is top-notch, and great enough for me to dismiss any idea of traditional places of learning. Without the technology, individuals will truly be left behind as the technological race pushes forward. Reference http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html

Human Resource Management at Coca Cola

Human Resource Management at Coca Cola Coca-Cola the worlds largest selling soft drink manufacturer came to India for the second time in 1993 revitalizing the Indian soft drink market. Coca-Cola was Indias leading soft drink until 1977 when it was kicked out of India after a new Janata Government ordered the company to turn over its secrets formula for Coca-Cola and dilute its stake in its Indian unit as required by the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act(FERA). The company refused to oblige the government and preferred to leave the country in 1993. After maintain the government liberalization policy they got back in late 1993. Since, 1993, Coca-Cola India has made significant investments to build and continually consolidate its business in the country including new production facilities, waste water treatment plants, distribution systems and marketing channel. Dabur is a leading consumer goods company, having subsidiary companies and 13 manufacturing plants. It operates in nearly 50 countries, making it an Indian multinational company. The vision of Dabur is stated as Dedicated to health and well being of every household. There is no specific stated mission statement but a statement of strategic intent having several elements for instance: Developing a platform to become a global ayurvedic leader. Synthesising knowledge of ayurvedic and herbs with modern science to develop natural solution for meeting the health and personal care needs. Strategy is the determination of direction of the organization in which it is going in relation to its business environment. That is it is the process of defining intention and allocating and matching resources in order to obtain opportunities and needs undergoes achieve strategic fit among them. The main purpose of the business is to achieve competitive advantages. The strategic capability of the organization is the necessary elements of the effective development and implementation of strategy. HRM practice in any organization, there are three model (High performance management, High commitment management and High involvement management) among them any one can be practiced because according to Becker et al(1997), rightly suggested that What works well in one organization will not necessarily work well in another because it may not fit with its strategy, management style, organizational practicing culture and so on. So the concerning organizations of HRM study of Coca Cola and Dabur in India and considering their Struggling circumstance leads to appraise High performance Management Practice and its rational implication. High performance Management: High performance working involves the development of a number of a interrelated process that together make an impact on the performance of the firm through people in such areas as productivity, quality, levels of customer service, Growth, Profits and ultimately increase the stakeholder and shareholder value. This can be achieved by: Increasing the Employees Skills Enthusiastic engagement of Employee (Stevens, 1998) High performance management practice includes rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, extensive and relevant training and management development activities, incentive pay systems and performance management process. This strategic approach is so rational for the Coca cola and Dabur India as they suffered from low performance of the existing employees which leads their HRM to coop the recruiting fresh talent to replace the good for nothing staff(Coca cola) and to improve the existing employees offering different schemes of motivation for instance Key performance Area to specifically effective performance appraisal in Dabur India. Resource Based Approach: Resource based strategic management is base on the ideas of Penrose (1995), he suggested that a firm is an administrative organization and collection of productive resources. According to Hamel and Prahalad declared in their Resource based Strategic model that competitive advantage is obtained if a firm can obtain and develop human resources that enable the organization to learn faster and apply its learning more effectively than its rival. The benefit arising from competitive advantage based on the effective management of people is that such an advantage is hard to copy by the rival companies. An organizational HR strategic policy and strategy is the blend of process, procedure, personalities of employees and employers, management style, capabilities and organizational culture. Among them on of the keys to competitive advantage is the ability to differentiate what the business supplies to its customers from what is supplied by its competitors. Such differentiation can be achieved th rough having aHR strategy and policy which ensure that The firm has higher quality of people than its competitors The unique intellectual capital possessed by the business is developed and nurtured The organization learning process is encouraged Organization specific value and culture exist which bind organization together and give it focus. (Purcell et al, 2003) The purpose of the resource based HRM strategy id to improve resource capability achieving strategic fit between resources and opportunities and obtaianing added value from the effective deployment of resources. Problems in Coca Cola: As the coca Cola operated its business in competitive business market like in India where competitive rivalry is so highly sensitive. So that after merging with two companies Coca-Cola India and Coca-cola beverage brought 10,000 employees more which made double the number of employees it had in 1998. Though the employees are human capital but improper management of the human resource may raise the ineffective performance which had to face Coca-Cola in North India disruption in march 2000. As the performance of any organization depends on the environment and culture of the organization where they are work with other people so that merging of two company of different culture made massively disoriented culture of work practice not necessarily reduced performance but also tends to regionalization because after merging Hierarchy of the organization was quietly changed based on the Six different regions and every Regional manager are the head of the Region. So that merging caused the dilution of several central jobs and this forced to retire about 1500 of employees at bottling plant. The new line of control strengthened entry among the employees and midd level jobs at the regions and downgraded many at the centre. This lead to unrest among the employee and about 40 junior and middle-level managers and some of them are senior personnels. Solution: The aims of a resource-based approach is to improve resource capability achieving strategic fit between resources and opportunities and obtaining added value from the effective deployment of resources. In the perspective of Coca-cola case study it would be preferable to advice under the crisis moment when four companies merge together and chaos came out . In such circumstances it should be better to adopt resource base approach to better utilization of the existing huge resources as well as maintaining organization culture practical and outstanding. In the other hand in case of Dabur india it can be said that beside the resource based strategy it would be better to emphasize on the High Performance base management strategy to improve the competency of the workforce after all to become competitive business icon . In accordance with the case it has been seen that as the Dabur India is not extensive business resource owner, so that it is so wise to cope with High Performance base management and simultaneously resource based approach as well because resource must be adopt in the strategy of the company to gain better performance. Task 2: The total concept of strategic HRM is envisage on the belief that HR strategies should be integrated with corporate or business strategies. Strategic integration is necessary to provide similarity between business and human resource strategy so that the latter supports the accomplishment of the former and indeed, helps to define it. The aim is to provide strategic fit and consistency between the policy goals of human resource management and the business. (Integrated HRM,2010) There are numerous logical acquaintances and topic subsist stuck between corporate tactics and human resource (HR) strategies. One of the association is the portfolio theory that stand for market growth rate as a purpose alongside relative market share whilst get used to HR strategies and policies based on changing conditions. A further relationship is the value chain which encourage innovation, service quality, responsiveness, and describe the positions for precise businesses. The connection also treats human resources as a significant factor in deceiving business rivalry on an in progress basis. Themes that centred on relation between HR strategy and corporate strategy which are identity, emergence , turbulence ownership and structure as well. The corporate strategy will be found difficulty in action level unless HR strategy will not cope with the goal of the corporate strategy. Coca-Cola and Strategic Alignment: Coca-cola in India decided to get change as a change in corporate strategy by merging of its four bottling operations (Hindustan Coca-Cola, Bottling North west, Hindustan Bottling Coca-Cola Bottling South West, Bharat Coca-Cola North East and Bharat Coca-Cola South East) and two new companies Coca-Cola India ,the corporate and marketing office and Coca-Cola Beverages in 1998. But after merging of four companies of different region of India made massy in working culture which made a significance issue of Human Resource at the Company. The state of cultural discoordination was experienced due to the gap of corporate strategy and interpretation of HR strategy. That emerges the condition experienced after mergers different work culture and different value system After merging Coca Coal had huge employees which was more than the resource operation therefore had to accept the cost reduction drive on the human resources front not only that many executives who were provided accommodation in farm house were asked to shift to less expensive apartments. Also company decided not to buy or hire new cars as it felt that the existing fleet of cars was not being used efficiently. In Dabur India, in the fiscal 1998, 75% of Daburs turnover had come from fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) and they were not progressing as they wished to.Buoyed by this , the Burman family formulated a new vision in 1999 with an aim to make Dabur Indias best FMCG company by 2004 as corporate strategy. Solution: As the company merges its different bottling operations and obtaining huge human resources (40,000 employees to Coca-Cola doubling the number of employees it had in 1998) under a single umbrella which reflect huge cultural disorientation in the organization as well as distribution of power in the management level felt to change. So that HR introduced hierarchy of that company and divided whole country of operation into six region and each region have got Regional general manager under him one regional functional manager who will report regional general manager. Beside that all Regional manager have to report the VP (Operation) who will report to CEO. To mitigate the organizational cultural chaos and as part of restructure plan , Coca-cola took a strategy level decision to turn itself into a people driven company and to motivate and restore good working cultural environment to inculcate a feeling of belonging, the company gave flowers and cards on the birthdays of the employees and major festivals. All these were the sign of strategic alignment of HR and Corporate strategy (Business goal and therefore merging and cost reduction) and restructuring from HR and establishing organization culture. Due to the problem in business profit and slow progression of Dabur India, HR recruited CEO as an advice from the company hired consultant (Mckinsey) and restructured the organizational hierarchy to meet the organizational objectives such as Customer satisfaction, increased sales and reduce cost, cycle time efficiencym return on investment and shareholder value. And Dabur India tried to makes solution by aligning corporate strategy and HR strategy to meet the organizational objectives Task 3: It has been suggested by Richardson and Thompson(1999) that strategy, whether it is an HR strategy or any other kind of management strategy must have two key elements: there must be strategic objectives, things the strategy is supposed to achieve and ther must be a plan of action,the means by which it is proposed that the objectives will be met. Business Internal HR Strategic Plans HR Implementation Mission External The traditional believe that strategy formulation is a formal, logical, systematic and sequential process. Figure: The sequential approach to formulating HR strategy. A methodology for it was proposed by Dyer and Holder(1998) as follows: Assess feasibility: From an HR point of view, feasibility depends on whether the numbers and types of key people required to make the proposal successes can be obtained on a timely basis and at a reasonable cost. Determine desirability: Examine the implication of strategy in terms of sacrosanct HR policies. Determine goal: These indicate the main issues to be worked on. Decide means of achieving goals: The general rule is that the closer the external and internal fit, the better the strategy, consistent with the need to adapt flexibly to change. Implementing HR Strategies: Strategies tend to be expressed as abstractions but they must be translated into programmes with clearly stated objectives and deliverable. Strategy is traditionally the heart of the human resource managers strategic job. Top management formulate the companys corporate and competitive strategies. Then, manager design strategies, policies and practice that make sense in term of companys corporate and competitive strategies. Human resource management supports strategy execution in other ways. For example, Downsizing and restructuring efforts, out placing employee, cutting pay for performance plans, reducing health care cost and retraining employee. Problems: In Coca-Cola India as they were merged among their different companies therefore that carried forward the employees from different work cultures and different value system. This move towards regionalization which caused dilution of several central jobs with as many as 1500 employees retiring at the bottling plants. Not only that the new line of control strengthened entry and middle level jobs at the regions and downgraded many at the centre. This led to unrest among the employees and about 4o junior and middle level managers and some senior personnel. Dabur India found itself significantly lacking in some critical areas . While Daburs price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was less than 24, for most of others it was more than 40. The net working capital of Dabur was awhopping Rs. 2.2 billion whereas it was less than half of this figure for the others. Even the return on net worth was round 24% for Dabur as against HLL 52% and Colgates 34%. Solution: Coca-Cola introduced a strategy level decision to turn itself into people driven company to make sense of belongingness within the employees. Moreover, the company introduced a detailed career planning system for over 530 managers in the new set up. The system included talent development meeting at regional and functional levels, following which recommendation were made to the HR council. The council then approved and implemented the process through a central HR team. In Dabur India, to comply with the organizational set objectives, HR introduced a new policy of Performance appraisal where their objective were to Get and make strategy based on the concept that the facts of appraisal had to shift to what a person had achievd , as much as on what he was capable of. Task 4: HR Strategy for a Merger: To develop a successful HR strategy for a merger, the responsible HR organization require timely access to all relevant information. Ideally, HR participates in the evaluation of the potential merger candidate and has an opportunity to perform HR due diligence prior to the merger when the technologies, customers, market and finance are being evaluated. A common double handicap often arise during this phase: First, the HR organization of the acquiring company is often not involved in the evaluation until after a decision for merger has been made, HR is the tasked with executing the merger and handling all HR transactions.(Picot, G. 2002,) Second, merger candidates rarely fully disclose details personnel data, with all its strength and awareness. HR management is therefore often faced with major challenge of developing an HR integration strategy without having a complete overview of all the facts. An effective way to address this situation is to form an HR integration team that bring together HR professionals from both companies as early as possible. This will enable the acquiring company to quickly gain a sound understanding of the HR potential for the merger. Joint HR team can also develop a joint strategy for addressing the changes that every merger inevitably produce when organizational entities are merged or eliminated to optimise responsibilities and capacities. There are two elements dominate the development of an HR strategy: Competence management and cultural management. According to Gut-Villa (1997), describes the four main roles of HR professionals in terms of acquiring or mergers strategy: Strategic partner for top management Administrative expert for personnel administration Employee champion for the needs of employees Change agent for transformation process. Difficulties: Four CEO s within 7 years indicating the instability on strategic level of the Coca-Cola and arch rival Pepsi being stepped forward due to organizational incofidence with their Human Resources and also their key operating strategy, not only that reputation become tarnished to the public which was revealed by the media. All of this accumulated Coca-Cola had to count huge loss $ 52 million in 1999. Due to the merging of companys and huge employees of different regions made the organization in a moment of crisis as the different cultures are mixed in a same place and also management needed to be change in order to have had organizational goal achievement. Solution: The Coca-Cola in India had to go in for a massive restructuring exercise focusing on the companys human resources to ensure a smooth acceptance of the merger and therefore launched six regional basis hierarchy topping a CEO and other motivational approach of belongingness from employees. Task 5: The most popular selection technique in practice are: Interviews: Interviewing is universally popular as aselection tool. According to Torrington et al(2002) interview as a controlled conversation with apurpose but this broad definition encompasse a wide diversity of practice.But over the years have received a relatively bad press as being overly subjective and prone to bias to interviewer aand therefore unreliable predictors of future performance and such criteria are possibly applicable for unstructured interview. There are different type of structured interview but they have common features (Anderson and Shakleton, 1993) The interaction is standardised as much as possible All candidates are asked the same series of questions Replies are rated by the interviewer on preformatted rating scales Dimension for rating are derived from critical aspect of on-the-job behaviour. Another two popular structured interview technique are behavioural (questions are focused on the past behaviour)and situational interview (uses the hypothetical questions like what would you do if you had to deal with a team member who was uncooperative) Telephone Interviewing: The use of telephone interview ing is increasing. The CIPD recruitment survey (CIPD ,2005a) found that 30 percent of all organizations and 45 percent of organization in private sector services use telephone interview as part of these selection process. Telephone interviews used to screen out unsuitable applicants or as an integral part of the selection process (IRS, 2005) Tests: Testing is essentially an attempt to achieve objectivity or to put it more accurately to reduce subjectivity in selection decision making (Lewis, 1985). The type of test used for selection are ability and aptitude test s, intelligence tests and personality questionnaires. Ability test s are concerned with skills and abilities already acquired by an individual where aptitude test focus on an individual potential to undertake specific tasks. Difficulties: As the Coca-Cola merged, there were vast changed took place due to restructuring strategy from HR and to comply with the corporate strategy as a part of cost reduction lots of employee needed to laid off. In Dabur, due to companys lack of expectancy and fulfilment of strategic objectives they had to passed a critical time intervention where they felt a hire of an expert to give strategic vision and guide. Solution: Coca-Cola introduced the laying off strategy to meet the corporate strategy. Dabur India hired Mckinsey Co. at a cost of Rs. 80 million. Mckinseys three fold recommendation were: to concentrate on a few business, to improve the supply chain and procurement process and to reorganize the appraisal and compensation systems. And also according to the advice of Mckensey need of CEO, Daburs recruit a CEO which was the first incident of an outside professional being appointed after the restructuring was put in place Task 6: There are three phase of evaluation of performance appraisal as enlisted below: Performance Management based phase Improving Current Performance Phase Development of Individual phase 1. Performance Management based phase: In this phase, there are two main reasons : either as system to control employees or in order to provide data about employees so that benefits(salary increment and other rewards, promotion, transfer, e.t.c.) can be awarded on a more or less systematic and equitable basis. This system emphasized on control through report generation which are often confidential and not shown to the employee being reviewed being produced annually on all employees and which was kept in their personal life. This system relied on heavily on rating performance usually on predetermined numerical scale and used for gathering information about the potential of employees. The operation such system involved burdensome paper work, time and were often not truly representative of effective performance but which might be done to improve performance either by individual or by the organization. 2. Improving Current Performance Phase: The primary approach in this phase so as to change the way in which employees do their jobs. The emphasis putting on: Reviewing previous performance and result for a given period of time against the plans and commitments generated at a previous appraisal Jointly identifying opportunities and needs for improved performance on the part of the employee, and increasing support for other employees and the organization Agreeing performance standards and the ways they will be monitored and assessed. Identifying significant constraints and obstacles to task implementation and planning ways of coping with these. 3. Development of Individual Phase: This phase focused on providing an opportunity to reflect upon professional practice in a structured way, identifying the training and development needs of individual and groups and seeking to provide opportunities for job and career discussions and counselling. Typically they start by revising the role and job content of the employee and analysing what skills and abilities are needed to meet these and then identifying a=what additional or increased capabilities are required to produce an acceptable outcome. However these system excellent interviewing and interpersonal skills for the employee and the manager. Employee Development: Employee development cultivates employees in line with organization, departmental,and work group needs. According to Nadler(1979), Employee development is concerned with preparing employees so that they can move with the organization as it develops, change and grows. Employee development is not always directly tied to observable, behavioural change. It cultivates individuals so tat their organization and work group collectively possess the competencies essential to meet present responsibilities and prepare for future attempt of the organization by the employee. The objectives for employee development can be achieved through following method: Long-term, informal mentoring programs Long-term, formal mentoring programs. Long-term, formalized transfer or exchange programs across organizations, divisions, departments, work units. Short-term rotation programs Special job assignments Action learning projects Field trips Professional conference Behaviour modelling Think tank experience. (Willium, J. 2003) Employee Reward System: An employee reward system consist of an organizations integrated policies, process and practices for rewarding its employees in accordance with their contribution, skill and competence and their market worth. It is developed within the framework of the organizations reward philosophy, strategies and policies. There are several elements in employee reward system including Base pay,Contingent pay, Allowances, Total earnings, employee benefits, total remuneration, Non-financial rewards. (Armstrong, M.,2004) . Decisions about pay increase are often critical ones in the relationship between employees, their managers and the organization. Individuals express expectation about their pay and about how much of an increase received by other employees. There are several ways to determine pay increase: Performance, seniority, cost of living adjustments, across the board increases and lump sum increase. These methods can be used separately or in combination. Performance-Based Increases: A growing number of employers have shifted to more pay for performance philosophy and startegies. Consequently, they have adopted various means to provide employees with performance based increases. There are several types of performance related pays: Payment by result: payment depends on the values of the output of a group or an individual or out put of units per time basis. Piecework: Its depend of each unit of output. This is the oldest category of performance pay. Organization or Plant wide incentives: This bonus pay depends on the measured quantities or value of the overall establishment output of the plant. Merit Pay: It is based on the assessment of the employees contribution to performance. Performance related pay: this payment based on the performance appraisal of an employees against the seted objectives. There are other form of performance related pay like competence based pay and profit related pay. Problems: According to Arthur Andersons team, Coca-Cola carried out a performance appraisal exercise for 560 managers. This led to resignations en- masse. Around 40 managers resigned between July and November 2000. Coca-Cola also Sacked some employees in its drive to overhaul the HR functioning. By January 2001, the company had shed 70 managers accounting for 12% of the management. Solution: To be a learning organization, Coca-Cola introduced a detailed career planning over 530 managers in the new setup. This system included talent development meetings. Efficient management trainee were to be sent to the overseas office for more responsible position. In order to motivate the employee as well as media rumour, Coca-Colas CEO took step to ensure a smooth relationship with the new people in the company. He personally met the finance heads in every territory and made the companys policy plan clear to them. To meet the corporate objectives HR changed the performance appraisal system and to increase employee satisfaction level, Dabur identified certain key performance areas(KPAs) for each employee where performance appraisal and compensation planning were now based on KPAs and employee training was also given a renewed focus, As a facts of motivation Dabur introduced Daburs employee friendly initiatives included annual sales conferences at places like Mauritius . These conferences, attended by over hundred sales executives of the company, combined both work and play aspects for better employee morale and performance. Task 7: Learning Organization: A learning organization is one that continually improve by rapidly creating and refining the capabilities required for future success(Wick and Leon,1995). According to Senge, Learning organization is that where people continually expand their capacity to create the result they truly desire where new and expansive pattern of thinking are nurtured where collective aspiration is set free and where people are continually learning how to learn together. Kandola and Fullerton (1994) proposed a model which reflects the importance of the learning organization and its rational practice in business: Shared Vision: It enables the organization to identify, respond to and benefit from future opportunity. Empowering management: Empoewering the managers and employees in varied extent improve the performance. Enabling structure: organizational structure and its related knowledge aware the employees about their duties and responsibilities according to their hierarchy or organizational structure. Supportive culture : which reveals the expression of the employees, opinion ship, liberty in speech may be the practice of the organization which make the culture of the favourable working organization. Motivated workforce: Learning organization is to learn employess how to be knowledgeable about their right and wants to learn continuously. Enhanced learning: process and policies exist to encourage learning amongst all employees. Knowledge Management: Knowledge management is any process or practice of creating, acquiring , capturing. Sharing and using knowledge, wherever it resides, to enhance learning and performance in organizations(Scarborouogh Swan and Preston,1999). Knowledge management is concern with both stock and flows of knowledge. Stock included expertise and encoded knowledge in computer system. Flows represent the ways in which knowledge is transferred from one people to another people or from one people to data base. It involves transforming knowledge resources by identifying relevant information and then disseminating it so that learning can be take place. In practice of knowledge management the strategis promote the sharing of knowledge by linking

The Pathological Protagonist of Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground

The Pathological Protagonist of Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground Dostoevsky’s vision of the world is violent and his characters tortured; it is no wonder that many have viewed his work as prophetic of the 20th century. However, though Dostoevsky, in his unflinching portrayal of depravity, gives the Devil some of his best arguments, the Gospel often triumphs. Ivan Karamazov is at least offered the possibility of repentance when kissed by his saintly brother Alyosha. Raskolnikov, the nihilistic antihero of Crime and Punishment, is eventually redeemed through the love of the pure prostitute Sonja. Notes from the Underground, however, breaks this pattern. The protagonist of this novel, who, uncharacteristically for Dostoevsky, is also the narrator, is not redeemed by his encounter with a prostitute, but rather degrades both her and himself by his actions. While Notes from the Underground has often been analyzed from a philosophical perspective, as Dostoevsky’s defense of free will against the mechanistic determinism and utilitarian moral theories popular in his day, it is more properly viewed as a character study. This view is necessitated, Ralph Matlaw writes, by the unreliability of the underground man as a guide to his own character and motivations (102). One who consistently proves to be a liar in matters of fact is not likely to be an honest theoretician either. The underground man himself, nearing the conclusion of his philosophical reflections, writes, â€Å"I swear to you, gentlemen, there is not one thing, not one word of what I have written that I really belie ve. That is, I believe it, perhaps, but at the same time I feel and suspect that I am lying like a cobbler† (Dostoevsky 212). Regarding the novel as prima... ...y, NY: Anchor Books, 1960. Lethcoe, James. â€Å"Self-Deception in Dostoevskij's Notes from the Underground.† The Slavic and East European Journal 10.1 (Spring, 1966): 9-21. Matlaw, Ralph. â€Å"Structure and Integration in Notes from the Underground.† PMLA 73.1 (March 1958): 101-109. Meerson, Olga. â€Å"Old Testament Lamentation in the Underground Man’s Monologue: A Refutation of the Existentialist Reading of Notes from the Underground.† The Slavic and East European Journal, 36.3 (Autumn 1992): 317-322. Morson, Gary Saul. â€Å"Paradoxical Dostoevsky.† The Slavic and East European Journal 43.3 (Autumn 1999): 471-494. Paris, Bernard. â€Å"Notes from Underground: A Horneyan Analysis.† PMLA 88.3 (May 1973): 511-522. Rosenshield, Gary. â€Å"The Fate of Dostoevskij's Underground Man: The Case for an Open Ending.† The Slavic and East European Journal 28.3 (Autumn, 1984): 324-339. The Pathological Protagonist of Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground The Pathological Protagonist of Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground Dostoevsky’s vision of the world is violent and his characters tortured; it is no wonder that many have viewed his work as prophetic of the 20th century. However, though Dostoevsky, in his unflinching portrayal of depravity, gives the Devil some of his best arguments, the Gospel often triumphs. Ivan Karamazov is at least offered the possibility of repentance when kissed by his saintly brother Alyosha. Raskolnikov, the nihilistic antihero of Crime and Punishment, is eventually redeemed through the love of the pure prostitute Sonja. Notes from the Underground, however, breaks this pattern. The protagonist of this novel, who, uncharacteristically for Dostoevsky, is also the narrator, is not redeemed by his encounter with a prostitute, but rather degrades both her and himself by his actions. While Notes from the Underground has often been analyzed from a philosophical perspective, as Dostoevsky’s defense of free will against the mechanistic determinism and utilitarian moral theories popular in his day, it is more properly viewed as a character study. This view is necessitated, Ralph Matlaw writes, by the unreliability of the underground man as a guide to his own character and motivations (102). One who consistently proves to be a liar in matters of fact is not likely to be an honest theoretician either. The underground man himself, nearing the conclusion of his philosophical reflections, writes, â€Å"I swear to you, gentlemen, there is not one thing, not one word of what I have written that I really belie ve. That is, I believe it, perhaps, but at the same time I feel and suspect that I am lying like a cobbler† (Dostoevsky 212). Regarding the novel as prima... ...y, NY: Anchor Books, 1960. Lethcoe, James. â€Å"Self-Deception in Dostoevskij's Notes from the Underground.† The Slavic and East European Journal 10.1 (Spring, 1966): 9-21. Matlaw, Ralph. â€Å"Structure and Integration in Notes from the Underground.† PMLA 73.1 (March 1958): 101-109. Meerson, Olga. â€Å"Old Testament Lamentation in the Underground Man’s Monologue: A Refutation of the Existentialist Reading of Notes from the Underground.† The Slavic and East European Journal, 36.3 (Autumn 1992): 317-322. Morson, Gary Saul. â€Å"Paradoxical Dostoevsky.† The Slavic and East European Journal 43.3 (Autumn 1999): 471-494. Paris, Bernard. â€Å"Notes from Underground: A Horneyan Analysis.† PMLA 88.3 (May 1973): 511-522. Rosenshield, Gary. â€Å"The Fate of Dostoevskij's Underground Man: The Case for an Open Ending.† The Slavic and East European Journal 28.3 (Autumn, 1984): 324-339.

gatlove Money, Love, and Aspiration in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Money, Love, and Aspiration in The Great Gatsby How do the members of such a rootless, mobile, indifferent society acquire a sense of who they are? Most of them don't. The Great Gatsby presents large numbers of them as comic, disembodied names of guests at dinner parties: the Chromes, the Backhyssons, and the Dennickers. Some, of course, have some measure of fame, but even Jordan Baker's reputation does not do much for her other than get her entrà ©e to more parties. A very few, such as Gatsby, stand out by their wealth; his hospitality secures him a hold on many peoples' memories, but Fitzgerald is quick to point up the emptiness of this, [...] In this connection, Fitzgerald's insistence on Gatsby as a man who "sprang from his own Platonic conception of himself" is important. Conceiving one's self would seem to be a final expression of rootlessness. And it has other consequences for love, money, and aspirations as well. When one's sense of self is selfcreated, when one is present at one's own creation, so to speak, one is in a paradoxical position. One knows everything about oneself that can be known, and yet the significance of such knowledge is unclear, for no outside contexts exist to create meaning. The result is that a self-created man turns to the past, for he can know that. It is an inescapable context. For Gatsby and for the novel, the past is crucial. His sense of the past as something that he not only knows but also thinks he can control sets Gatsby apart from Nick and gives him mythical, larger-than-life dimensions. When he tells Nick that "'of course"' the past can be repeated or that Tom's love for Daisy was "'just personal"', he may be compensating for his inability to recapture Daisy; but he must believe these things because the post-war world in which he, Gatsby, lives is meaningless and almost wholly loveless. A glance at the relationships in The Great Gatsby proves this latter point. Daisy and Tom's marriage has gone dead; they must cover their dissatisfactions with the distractions of the idle rich. Myrtle and Tom are using one another; Myrtle hates George, who is too dull to understand her; the McKees exist in frivolous and empty triviality. Even Nick seems unsure about his feelings for the tennis girl back in the Midwest. [...]

Putting an End to School Violence †Is Zero Tolerance the Solution? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Putting an End to School Violence – Is a Zero Tolerance Policy the Solution? There are very few people today who are unaware of the violence in schools. As college students we live in a world that is desperate to find prevention methods against violence. That makes this issue important to today's college students, considering the fact that we are the generation that could have been involved and directly effected by a school shooting like Columbine. Is this how we want our school systems to be when our children enroll? A school is defined as "an institution for teaching and learning". However, today's educational institutions include punishment, violence, and misbehavior. When we find ourselves glued to the television because of another school shooting, obviously something needs to be done about violence in schools. Unfortunately, the solution causes creates more problems. Schools around the world have recently adopted revolutionary solution and prevention methods. The controversy over school violence prevention is not "yes we should or, "no we shouldn't", because you will probably be hard pressed to find someone who thinks we shouldn't get involved. The debate lies in the method we use to prevent and solve school violence. The zero tolerance policy is one suggestion to implement punishment in schools. The zero tolerance policy is strict and devises rules for students and faculty alike. It is a policy that doesn't ask questions when a rule is broken which often results in suspension and expulsion. The policy also addresses the possession of weapons, drugs, and alcohol. Many schools have adopted this policy and have observed both positive and negative results. If the zero tolerance program is installed in the educational system, schools must decide when and how it should be enforced. This is a very complex issue and when open to debate you see three approaches to it. First, advocates of zero tolerance policies concentrate on positive changes in school security, ways of punishment, and change in student behavior. Those who oppose the policies argue that zero tolerance should be eliminated due to its lack of rationale and logic. Finally, the opposing viewpoint criticizes the zero tolerance policy for being too extreme and inappropriate for schools. The first group, those who favor the policy, dwell on school improvement due to zero tolerance. One positive change is reinstated safety in schools giving students, parents, teachers, and the community a breath of relief. Advocates of this positive change believe that schools should be a place of learning without safety concerns.

Justice Process

During the past 30 years the prison population has changed. 1. There has been a major Increase in the number of African American and Hispanic American Inmates. 2. More Inmates come from urban areas. 3. More inmates have been convicted of drug-related and violent offenses. 4. Former street gangs regroup inside prisons and have raised levels of violence in many institutions. 5. The rise of public employee unions have improved working conditions, safety procedures, and training. E. Current focus of corrections has shifted to crime control, which emphasizes the Importance of Incarceration.II. The Goals of Incarceration A. Three models of incarceration have been prominent since the early 1 sass: 1. The custodial model – based on the assumption that prisoners have been incarcerated for the protection of society and emphasizes security, discipline, and order subordinating the prisoner to the authority of the warden.. This model was prevalent in corrections before World War II and dom inates most maximum-security Institutions today. 2. The rehabilitation model – developed In the asses, It emphasizes treatment programs to reform the offender. 3.The reintegration model – inked to the structures and goals of community corrections, it emphasizes maintaining offender ties to family and community. B. Correctional institutions that conform to each of these models can be found, but most prisons are mainly custodial. Ill. Organization for Incarceration A. Statistics 1. Prisons are operated by all 50 states and the federal government. 2. There are 1,208 confinement facilities; 85 % are run by the states. 3. 84 % of the facilities are for men only. 4. 8% are for women only. B. Federal Bureau of Prisons 1.Jurisdiction of federal criminal law is restricted to crimes involving interstate amerce, certain serious felonies such as bank robbery, violation of other federal laws and crimes committed on federal property. 2. Since the â€Å"war on drugs† in the as ses, drug offenders in federal prisons make up about 56% of the inmate population. 3. Federal prisoners are often a more sophisticated breed of criminal, from a higher socioeconomic class, than the typical state prisoner. 4. Federal sentencing guidelines have increased the probability of imprisonment substantially. 5.The bureau of prison is highly centralized with a staff of over 33,000 who supervise more than 150,000 prisoners. . The bureau operates 104 confinement facilities (see figure 10. 1). C. State Prison Systems -94% of offenders are held in confinement facilities operated by the state; administration of prisons is a function of the executive branch. 1 . The total capacity of a state's prisons reflects the size of the state's population. 2. States vary considerably in the number, size, type, and location of correctional facilities. 3. Over 435,000 people work in state institutions. V. The Design and Classification of Prisons A. Form follows function: the design of a structur e should serve its purpose. 1. During the penitentiary era, institutions were to promote penance. 2. When prison industry became the focus, a different design enhanced the efficiency of workshops. 3. When punishment held sway, emphasis was on the fortress-like edifice that ensures security. 4. During the rehabilitation era, new prisons were built in styles thought to promote treatment goals. B. Today's design – There are four basic models found in America's prisons. 1.Radial Design: Eastern, Auburn, Leavenworth, Roadway, and Trenton. 2. Telephone-pole Design: most commonly used for maximum security prisons: Exaggerator, Marion, Somers, Jackson. 3. Courtyard Style: mom of the newer facilities are the courtyard style. 4. Campus Style: long used for juvenile or women's facilities 5. Today prison construction is greatly influenced by cost. C. Location of Prisons: As in the past, most are located in rural areas. 1. Even though most prison inmates come from cities and reintegration has been the prime correctional goal, new institutions are still being built in the countryside. . Rural whites are hired to guard urban blacks. 3. Many citizens believe that serious offenders should be incarceration, but not in their community (NIMBI syndrome). 4. Some economically depressed areas have elected prisons to bring in Jobs and revivalist the local economy D. Classification of Prisons: 1. Maximum Security Prison – closed custody prisons hold 35% of inmates); usually an awesome edifice with high stone walls studded with guard towers; designed to prevent escapes and to deter prisoners from harming each other. 2.Medium Security Prison: hold 47% of inmates; externally they resemble the maximum security prison, but organized on a different basis and atmosphere is less rigid and tense. 3. Minimum Security Prison: holds 18% of prisoners, the least violent offenders; lacks tower guards and walls. E. Private prisons entrant with private companies to furnish food and medic al services, educational and vocational training and other services. 3. Now, governments hire corporations to house prisoner in privately owned facilities. 4. By midyear 2003, a total of 94,361 inmates were being held in private facilities. . The private prison business is dominated by the Corrections Corporation of America and Hackett Corrections Corporation. 6. Problems with private facilities a. Differences in programming b. Costs c. Accountability d. Legal issues 7. Corrections is a multimillion dollar government-funded enterprise that purchases applies, materials, and services from the private sector. 8. Private entrepreneurs argue that they can build and run prisons at least as effectively, safely, and humanely as any level of government can, at a profit and a lower cost to taxpayers. 9.Private prison corporations need to fill their cells in order to be profitable. 10. Liability of Guards?the U. S. Supreme Court said that private prison guards did not have legal protection und er Section 1983 and are fully liable for their actions when they violate a protected right. 1 1 . There are fears that the private corporations will press to maintain high occupancy and will be interested in skimming off the best inmates, leaving the troublesome ones to the public correctional system. V. Who is in Prison A. Data on the characteristics of prisoners is limited (figure 10. ). 1. A majority of prisoners are men aged of 25-44 2. Members of minority groups 3. Approximately 40 percent have not completed high school. 4. 44 percent of prisoners are rearrested with the first year of release. 5. Within 3 years, approximately 25 percent of all released inmates will return to prison. B. Elderly prisoners – An increasing number of prison inmates are older than 55 and eve housing, medical, program, and release service needs that differ from the In the general population, special housing accommodations average inmate. 1. Should be made. 2.The elderly are more likely to devel op chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. 3. Prison work assignments must be tailored to fit their physical and mental abilities. 4. Preparation for release to community supervision or to hospice services require time and special efforts. 5. As people get older they become less dangerous. C. Prisoners with HIVE/AIDS: In the coming years, AIDS in expected to be the leading cause of death among males aged 35 and younger; with 57% of the inmates population under 35, correctional officials must cope with the problem of HIVE. . In 2001, there were more than 24,000 HIVE-positive inmates (3. 2 percent of the prison population). 2. The high rate of infection among inmates can be explained by the prisoners' â€Å"high risk† behaviors. 3. Only 18 states test all new inmates for HIVE. D. Mentally Ill Prisoners: Mass closings of public hospitals for the mentally ill began in the asses; new antispasmodic drugs made treating patients in the community seem retirement o nly works if the drugs are taken and clinics and halfway houses exist to assist the mentally ill. . Homelessness is the most public sign of the lack of programs for the mentally ill. 3. With the expansion of prisons and greater emphasis on public order offenses, arrest and incarceration have become the price many pay for their illness. E. Long Term Inmates – more prisoners serve long sentences in the US than in any other Western nation. 1. Harsh sentencing policies of the last 30 years?three-strikes, mandatory minimums, truth-in-sentencing?the amount of time revered is increasing. 2.An estimated 11-15% of all prisoners (well over 100,000) will serve more than 7 years in prison. 3. Long-term prisoners generally are not seen as control problems. 4. Administrators must find ways of making long-term prison life livable. 5. 310,000 prisoners are currently serving at least 20 year sentences. 6. Each life sentence costs taxpayers an estimated $1 million. 7. Severe depression, feelin gs of hopelessness, and other health problems are common among long teeters. 8. Long term inmates are charged with less disciplinary infractions that short term inmates.

A Meaningful Place to You

A dream made into reality. That is how I perfectly describe Disneyland in Florida. As far as I know, this is the only Disneyland which is called the Walt Disney World. Maybe because it is the biggest Disneyland among the rest of those situated in other places like Japan, Hong Kong and Los Angeles.This place is indeed a meaningful place for me because it is the fruit of my labor. I earned hard to be in this place. My visit to this place also proves my confidence being there without any of my family members. This is a dream come true for me because I made a meaningful experience out of my meaningful sacrifices just to get there.Set in Orlando, Florida the Walt Disney World is different from other Disneyland theme parks that I've been in. All of my trips to Disneyland in Japan, Los Angeles and Hong Kong were all planned by my parents.I've been there without any friend or girlfriend because it calls out for family affairs only. I can say that I also enjoyed being in those places because I am with my dear family but my experience at Walt Disney World Florida is a gargantuan event because I went there without asking any help from my family.What is really exciting about my trip there is that I was with friends of my age. It is also a romantic experience because I was with my beloved girlfriend which is also a dream come true for me to be with her on that very special place.It was very easy for me to ask permission from my mom and dad to visit Disneyland, Florida. I just give them an assurance that I will take care of myself and not to get into any troubles while staying there with mu friends and girlfriends. It was indeed a happy journey heading towards the place.Visiting Disneyland made our friendship even tighter and my relationship with my girlfriend even lovelier. We arrive there early because it was really a huge place to visit. There are four renowned theme parks and two water parks to visit. Aside from that there are golf courses, hotels and other establishment s that made way for our enjoyments.The first theme park that we went to is the Magic Kingdom. Here, we were able to see Disney characters and the Cinderella Castle which became my girlfriend's favorite. I am really happy to see her smiling all the time that we were in the Magic Kingdom. There are also rides which we all enjoyed riding from one ride to another.Then we proceed to the Epcot. It is the second theme park in Disneyland, Florida which s divided into 2 beautiful sections the World Showcase and the Futuristic World. We enjoyed viewing the futuristic world because it shows how the future will look like. It displays advancement that will happen in the future.How life will look like years from now that will improve people's way of living. World Showcase on the other hand shows other nations and their culture, entertainment, food, attractions and many more. It is like traveling out of the country and going to countries like China, Mexico, Italy, Germany and many more.Before goin g to the next theme park, we decided to eat first. I am proud to say that being in that place made me feel more proud of myself. This is because I went there with my own savings and without any cent from my parents.It was a meaningful place because I am the one who organized our trip to that place and it was really a success. I even missed out one dear friends birthday because of going there but I'm sure he does understand why I wasn't able to join that special occasion.The next destination that we went to is the Hollywood Studios. It is a theme park that made us feel were in the movies too. We get to see amazing special effects from block buster movies and enjoyed rides which are really thrilling.We also went to the Disney's Animal Kingdom the fourth theme park in Disneyland, Florida. It is composed of real like animal figures and interactive rides. My girlfriend even got scared on dinosaur figures because of the safari ride which made dinosaurs come to life.There are also other at tractions in the Walt Disney World. There are water parks and golf courses within the vicinity of Disneyland Florida. There are also people who does surfing and skiing there.Night time comes and we got to see beautiful fireworks displays there. The fact that I was with my girlfriend that time made the moment really romantic. It was my very first time to see fireworks in the United States and I felt really happy. My hard work pays off because it is such a priceless moment being in that magical place.It was a dream come true to visit the place because it shows how confident I became going there without any family member with me. It also symbolizes our friendship and of course my great love for my girlfriend because I was able to spend moments with her in Disneyland. Until this time, whenever I get sad I just recall those times that I am at Disneyland, Florida and the memory makes me smile and smile all day. It represents a part of me because I was able to go there from my hard work an d my confidence.

Tuttle Matt

The analysis regarding this case has led us Into Identifying the critical Issues of Tuttle Matt as, ; How to sustain the consistent business How to expand their brand reputation How to build comparative advantages Exhibit 1 : SOOT Analysts Internal External Strengths (ability to†¦ ) good location (near King Street and Spading Avenue) Open-concept kitchen High quality of ingredients and own secret recipes Weaknesses (inability to†¦ Inadequate financial investment Not much entrepreneurial experience Opportunities No restaurants were regionally focused In Tuscan style 0% returning rate of customers for dinner Exploit: Sustain and provide high quality of food Develop: Create a new customer base with aid from others working in the industry. ; Create more awareness towards the new menu they have designed.Threats Strong competitors: Alice Bazooka and Terrine CARS debarkation's: Attract new customers Keep the kitchen clean Address/Avoid: currently have the cash flow. Exhibit 2: Por ter's Five Forces Bargaining Power of Buyers: Mid level of power Customers are not very brand loyal, which means they will be resistant to try out new and unfamiliar gaming options ; Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Low level of power doesn't rely on suppliers in producing their product.Industry Rivalry: High level of power Over 200 competitors within industry Potential Competitors: Low barrier to entry for catering industry (relatively easy to start-up and no government restrictions ) ; Relatively low brand loyalty for 50% of the new competitors fails in the first two years Substitutes: ; Many substitutes for will increase competition within industry ; On the other hand, the industry is currently lacking of Tuscan style restaurants, which makes unique.

Starbucks Customer Satisfaction

There are numerous factors that paved the way for Starbucks’ success during the early nineties. I believe that one of their strengths was good knowledge of who their potential customers were and how to please them with their profile, assortment and services. One also has to take notice of their clear vision of becoming America’s third place, this tells me that they’ve had an aggressive vision from the start. And of course they’ve matched this with their strategy, from 1992-2002 the company opened about 3500 stores all across America.This gives the company a yearly growth rate of around 350 stores, an impressive number. They also licensed out another 1500 stores. This allowed them to become a household name for the regular American, and the strong brand name was created with all the advantages that comes along with it. They enjoyed plenty of first-mover advantages. All this was financed by boldly taking the company public, despite doubts from most analysts regarding the company concept. And who was the power behind this decision, if not Howard Schulz?Responsible for much of the success, Howard Schulz and his team have proven that their aggressive strategy’s have been key in the success of the company. In other words the management is a big contributor. I’d also like to bring up the human capital of the company, or as the employees are called, the company â€Å"partners†. Since the Starbucks concept of creating an experience for the customer goes hand in hand with partner satisfaction, management have been quite generous to their employees. They’ve for instance provided them with health insurance and stock options.For Starbucks it is key to create long lasting relationships with customers (these customers have proven to be very profitable for the company), demanding good relationships between baristas and customers. Keeping a low employee turnover rate both with baristas and managers has definitely contribut ed to the company’s success. The live coffee mantra meant, in short, that the company wants to create life surrounding the coffee drinking experience. To create a space outside of the office and the own home where people could drink coffee and enjoy themselves, was something very appealing to consumers, a refuge from the routine of their day.They created value around the consumption of coffee. The main brand image that was created was a premium coffee bean and coffee beverage brand but it’s not the total brand image. They also added attributes of the company to this image such as â€Å"customer intimacy†, â€Å"great ambience† and â€Å"highest quality coffee in the world†. These attributes are all derived from the three main components of the branding strategy: coffee, service and atmosphere. Together this was the brand image of Starbucks created during the period. 2.The reasons because the customer satisfaction scores are down could, in my view, be linked to the fact that the typical Starbucks customer has changed because the customer base has expanded. Their perceptions of the brand are different and because the company really doesn’t know who the typical customer is at the moment, they can’t cater to them as well as they could before. There are examples of this change for instance in the case of stores in southern California where they now have huge numbers of (sometimes lower educated) Hispanic customers instead of the affluent, well-educated white collar 24-44 aged white men and women (mostly women).In exhibit 10 we see that on the scale of what attributes the customers find most important in order to be satisfied, that places 3-7 all are based on one staff members performance that single time. What I mean by this is that the performance level of this will vary from customer to customer and because of that you need a bigger base for the survey than the â€Å"customer snapshot†. This means that itâ⠂¬â„¢s not sufficient in correctly measuring the true customer satisfaction.But seeing as this method, supposedly, has been kept constant all the time we can overlook that for a second and see that there has been a decline using the same system of measurement. I then contribute that change to the changing customer, as I wrote in the paragraph above. 3. Starbucks’ main difference between the periods is its size. With the change in size a lot of different attributes naturally follow, some of which are a bit contradictory to the goals Starbucks set out to achieve back in the day.The main concept of creating value for the coffee drinker still exists but they now struggle to keep up their customer intimacy. This is even more enhanced by the perception that Starbucks is simply a money hungry company only interested in revenues and further growth. The product sales also vary between the periods, the coffee connoisseur that bought a lot of coffee beans has been somewhat replaced by t he on-the-go customer who just wants the beverage. We also mentioned before that the customer has changed in North America, but even more important, Starbucks have grown internationally with over 1300 stores in total.Both nationally and internationally service innovations have taken place, examples of this are the SVC’s and the wireless internet service. 4. The frequent and loyal customer is the most profitable for Starbucks. Exhibit 8 shows us in quite a clear way that customers with a history of Starbucks purchases that go back 5 years or more, tend to shop 4 more cups of coffee than the average customer that visited Starbucks for the first time last year. In exhibit 9 we’re also shown the clear correlation between customer satisfaction, purchase size and customer life span.The satisfied customer has more visits/month, spends more money each time and stays as a customer of Starbucks for more years than the unsatisfied. So the highly satisfied customer is vital to the business and is always what management strive to acquire. I strongly think Starbucks have shown this strive in a number of ways to keep customers satisfied. First of all a regular customers likes to recognize the salesperson and if this person recognizes them and remembers their drink this is a quality sign for the company. Starbucks are clearly aware of this since they have a lot of â€Å"soft skills† training for new employees.They teach them how to interact and create a lasting bond with the customer. Something that’s of course also key in keeping up this relationship is a low employee turnover, something I mentioned before that they are excellent in doing. Secondly the customers come for the product, this is an area Starbucks still enjoy a great lead in comparison to competitors and they also add another product every season in order to keep the assortment wide and interesting for customers. And lastly the customers need to enjoy a great ambience while at the stor e and be served quickly.This is something that’s always measured and they try to maintain a great ambience and in regards to the quick service this is something we’re considering in the last question on how to improve. 5. The main goals would be to reduce service time and get closer to the customer by allowing each store to add 20 more hours of labor per week. It is also a way for the company to express their commitment to their customers (lose their image of greed) and show them that despite a loss of short term profit they are willing to sacrifice that in order to keep customer satisfaction high.Would this investment increase customer intimacy, is it even possible for a mega-brand to have customer intimacy? With more time it is obvious that the closeness would improve. A combination of more time for the barista and less waiting time for the customer would result in more time to practice soft skills and build up a rapport with the customer for the barista. The custome r would of course build a relationship with the particular barista and a bond would be created that would make the coming visits feel more intimate.To some extent it is possible, since the intimacy mainly is based on the staff and their rapport with customers as I previously stated. But then again it is a faceless organization, they can’t really see and talk to the leaders and internationally not many customer know of Howard Schulz for instance. It’s also quite easy for the customer to feel less important if they’re just one of 20 million served which is the case here. Would this investment yield long term profits for Starbucks? Would it be worth the $40 million? 0 million unique customers are served every day at Starbucks, 21% of those (4. 2 million) are customers with 8 or more visits every month. A staggering 42 % (8. 4 million) only visit 1-2 times per month. These numbers could be related to those shown in exhibit 9, 21 % of customer show the pattern of hig hly satisfied customers and 42 % show similarity’s to unsatisfied customers. Exhibit 10 tells us that fast service, friendly staff and being treated as a valuable customer are considered highly important factors for customers to be satisfied.All of these factors would most likely be directly affected by the investment in a positive way. If we only turned one unsatisfied customer into a highly satisfied customer this would result in an increased turnover of $247,494 ((7,2*4,42*8,3)-(3,9*3,88*1,1)). We would have to convert roughly 160. 000 customers using this calculation and over a course of 8,3 years the investment would pay off financially. But in regards to spillover effects such as brand reputation and new business generated by this I believe the number would be even smaller, so definitely I would suggest that they do this.