In the role of a business advisor for a local business ?start-up? consultancy company, you have been asked to provide a portfolio for a potential new customer who requires advice on how to start a new business venture:


________________________________________________________________ The Repot Task

(1) How to start a new business venture as a Fast Food takeaway in Wolverhampton City UK

(2) Using the ?Marketing mix?, develop a Marketing Strategy for the Fast Food takeaway in Wolverhampton.

_____________________________________________________________

Submit your answers in the form of a business report.

*The structure for this report

*Summary
*Introduction
*Mainbody
*Conclusions
*Recommendations
*References

**Please do not use sources from the Internet or no more than five sources from the web Site

1.
Develop a hypothesis for a problem at a local business (for example: high employee turnover). Determine if your hypothesis has adequacy for its purpose, is testable and better than its rivals. Then, use the Checklist for Developing a Strong Hypothesis (Chapter 3, Exhibit 3-4) as it relates to your hypothesis. Discuss your results.

At Least 300 words per question


2. Based on the analysis of the last six months' sales, your boss notices that sales of beef products are declining in your chain's restaurants. As beef entr?e sales decline, so do profits. Fearing beef sales have declined due to several newspaper stories reporting E.coli contamination discovered at area grocery stores, he suggests a survey of area restaurants to see if the situation is pervasive.
? What do you think of this research suggestion?
? How, if at all, could you improve on your boss's formulation of the research question?

i just need chapter. attached is my first chapter.please add on related literature review.


Chapter I: Description of the Problem

Does the future of Four Oaks lie in the connection of the existing interchange which ties this small Johnston County town to I-95? Four Oaks is a small town of approximately 1,750 people located in a predominantly rural area. The town has no major industries and approximately 70 small businesses. However, the town does have potential for growth because Four Oaks is located beside the Seaboard Coastline and lies approximately six miles north of the intersection of I-40 and I-95. However, when I-95 was completed in 1960, Four Oaks was given a dual bridge system. Motorists on I-95 stopping in Four Oaks must travel to a different ramp to get back on the interstate. This split-diamond design has caused confusion, so the Department of Transportation is considering installing a standard diamond interchange at Keen Road. The controversy over where to put this interchange has been ?boiling? since 1977, but recently the State Department of Transportation ruled that the diamond shaped interchange must be at Keen Road. Thus, among the three businesses that must be relocated, the convenience store which is the topic of concern.
Problem Definition
Due to the relocation of the convenience store, a business has to be reestablished and a new business plan to be drafted. To relocate this convenience store, there are many factors to be considered. Once the Department of Transportation plots its final plans, the entire establishment must be removed. This involves a 50x80 building, 2 canopies, 4 underground tanks, an above ground fuel tank, several storage facilities, and other equipment. The owner must find another suitable location which meets Environmental Protection Agency Guidelines and Specifications. Next, another building must be constructed, more tanks installed, more pumps and canopies installed, and the lot and ground prepared. This can and will be a long, complicated, and expensive process because, first, the Department of Transportation must buy the existing facilities. A price must be agreed upon that compensates the owner for his work and the existing facility, which is only three years old.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this project is to develop a business plan on an existing business that is to relocate due to the rebuilding of an interchange on I-95, which is located 35 miles north of Fayetteville and 8 miles south of Smithfield. The project included determining where the sources of funding would come from, the feasibility of the business, the cost of operation for the first two years and expanding the reconstruction on a new convenience store. The main purpose of this business plan was to reestablish an existing business and expand according to demand.
Setting of the Opportunity
The convenience store will be established in Four Oaks, North Carolina. The company will be incorporated through the registration of the name, Ronnie?s Place, Incorporated. The registration of a name identifies the company and creates appeal for the business. The owner of Ronnie?s Place has been in business for himself for 15 years. He has transformed his business from a service station to a convenience store within the last three years.
The organization is characterized by a simple structure primarily because it will be small and consists of an owner and a manager. The convenience store will consist of seven full-time employees and three part-time employees. The employees will be well-trained and have knowledge of their job descriptions.
The convenience store has many products and services to offer its customers. Some of the products and services consist of: fuel, snacks, hardware, farming supplies, animal feed, gifts, and novelties. The business also carries plants and shrubs in season. One advantage of the business is that the owner tries to meet the needs of the customers. Adjacent to the building is a tire shop. The tire shop and the convenience store are part of the same business.
The convenience store and tire shop are profitable throughout the year. There are certain peak times of the year when the business is better than others. The summer time is usually the busiest for the business when the farmers are busy harvesting. The business has to provide extra inventory and supplies to meet the needs of the customers. The manager meets the needs of the business by providing extra employees on each shift to expedite service to customers during peak seasons.
The physical setting of the business is in a suitable location. The business is located immediately off Interstate 95 and Keene Road, which leads into the town. The community is small, but a lot of the business consists of local customers except during peak seasons. Even though the store is located at a split intersection, the business has signs on and off the interstate directing customers to the store.
The most readily funds available are from personal accounts and savings. With a completed business plan, the owner will know how much additional capital is needed. Other sources of funds include personal loan, small business administration, and commercial lenders. A large majority of the funds will come from the state in the settlement of the property of the business. A proper business plan will eliminate any unnecessary spending.
History and Background of the Problem
The problem of the interchange dates back to 1960 when the interchange was completed. By 1977, however, the town was asking the State Department of Transportation to construct a full-diamond interchange. The project was placed on the State?s Transportation Improvement Program and has been in the design stages ever since.
Ronnie Parker, the owner of the existing convenience store, renovated the store in 1996 and completed the renovations in January of 1997. The owner and town members thought the interchange was going to be constructed at Main Street instead of Keene Road. So, local business owners at Keene Road worked hard to build their businesses and complete any major renovations. Over the last three years, the owner has asphalted the parking lot, added non-highway diesel and kerosene and a full line of hardware, and another mobile tire service truck. The owner?s business has also increased over the years so he has had to hire more employees and add another cash register.
Within the last six to nine months, the Department of Transportation has confirmed that the diamond-shaped interchange will be located at Keene Road instead of Main Street. This confirmation has upset many of the town?s residence and business owners. To build the interchange at Keene Road, the DOT will have to buy and remove four residences, three businesses, and six underground storage tanks. The Main Street interchange would have relocated only two residences.
This new diamond-shaped interchange creates problems for the owner of the convenience store. The owner has been in his newly renovated convenience store for only three years, and the owner has to relocate his business. The owner needs to find a source to acquire land around the interchange, so a new convenience store can be established to meet the needs of existing customers and consumers. With a new store in mind, the owner will expand products and services to meet the needs of his business.
The accomplishment factor is controlled by the timely competition of objectives and goals. The financial factors will largely depend on the settlement received from the Department of Transportation. The financial success of the business will depend on the development of a business plan.
Scope of the Project
While developing a business plan for relocating an existing business, there are many factors to consider. With a new interchange passing through Keene Road, the owner has to relocate the present business. In order for this to take place, the owner must determine final plans for the interchange, negotiate with the state, find suitable property for rebuilding, and negotiate with property owners.
The owner will need to hire new contractors, renew his licenses and buy new building permits. The owner needs to re-do the design and layout of the building and parking lot to meet the guidelines of British Petroleum. By relocating and rebuilding the convenience store, the owner will develop a sufficient business plan to ensure the feasibility of the business. The scope of the project will be to develop a business plan for a convenience store with emphasis on the marketing and financial aspects of the business.
Significance of the Project
With the development of a diamond-shaped intersection, Four Oaks has many opportunities for growth. The existing convenience store has profited well in the past, and by relocating and expanding a new convenience store, there will be greater opportunities for the owner?s expansion. A convenience store is in high demand for people who are traveling along the interstate.
In the process of developing a suitable business plan, there is a need to connect some existing problems in the design of the building and grounds. There is also a need to consider the market and financial needs of the business. The careful development of a business plan will help ensure availability of funds and resources needed. Some of the potential operating expenses have been estimated but not fully determined.
In the chapters to come, the researcher will explain how to form a business plan to reconstruct and expand a former business. The researcher will show how the new convenience store will meet changes in the market area. The business plan will be the communication tool for others involved in understanding the operations and goals of the business to be implemented.
Definitions of Terms
1) compensate - pay, as for work or damage
2) design - plan the form and making of
3) diamond-shape interchange - both north and southbound lanes enter and exit at
the same bridge
4) financial - resources of money
5) funding - money for a purpose
6) guidelines - tell how to proceed
7) renovations - to make as if new
8) relocate - settle in a new location
9) rural - pertaining to the country
10) specifications - state or demand specifically
11) split-diamond interchange - the entrance and exit ramps are located at two
different sites

The relocating and rebuilding of a convenience store will require the proper research techniques in order for the business to be successful. The development of a business plan will help in the process of building a successful business. Without a proper business plan, the new business may not be efficient or well-organized.
In the chapters to come, the researcher will pave its way to success by demonstrating how an existing business can relocate and succeed to meet changes in the market. Most businesses succeed even more when they relocate and rebuild. So, in order for this business to succeed, there needs to be a lot of careful planning and research of the new market area.

wo a literature review
There are faxes for this order.

MKT 100 - Assignment 2
When writing please answer the 8 questions below. . Include an introduction and conclusion paragraph to create a concise and coherent presentation of your ideas. See attachment .

Assignment 2: Observation and Analysis of Local Business

Due Week 10 and worth 210 points
Select and observe a small business in your area. Please do not use a chain or
franchise. You should observe the business in person. If you wish, you can also speak to
the manager or owner if they are available. Based on your observation, answer the
following questions in a 4-5 page paper:
1. Identify the business name, location, and hours and days of operation.
2. Thoroughly describe its products and/or services. Describe their store and
storefront. What image are they portraying to the customers?
3. Give examples of the type of marketing that this business uses to promote their business
and describe why they chose these methods.
4. Identify their customer. Describe their target market and their secondary market. (These
two groups should be a very specific and clearly defined. Do not feel like you are
excluding anyone. You are just defining who they are focusing their marketing activities
on.)
5. Identify two competitors and describe how this business differentiates itself from them.
6. Does the business have a competitive advantage? Explain why or why not.
7. In your opinion, what challenges does this business face in the near future? Explain your
reasoning.
8. If this were your business, what would you do differently? Focus on things we discussed
throughout the class such as marketing activities, interactions with customers, public
relations, image of the brand, social media, etc. Explain your response.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
? Paper must be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with
one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or schoolspecific
format.
? Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student?s name, the
professor?s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference
page are not included in the required assignment page length. Include an
introduction and conclusion paragraph to create a concise and coherent
presentation of your ideas.
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the
paper, and language and writing skills.

Hallo, I am a German student. Now I will finish my Master degree very soon. But the same time, I am doing my internship and for that, I have also to deliver another 2 analyses reports on exactly the same day, when I have to turn my thesis up. The thesis is in English, the reports are in German. So I have to ask help from you. I have already a structure, I will paste it below, before you read it, I have such requirements, please read carefully!
1. I am the best student in my class, I always get a 1 in almost every exam, I guess that is equal to your A++, means full mark. My professor likes me very much, so please take your time to write my thesis, write it as well as you can. I dont want to make my professor disappointed. Please!!!
2. you can deliver my thesis in three installments and within three time limits as below:
First part: Chapter I & II deliver limit: May 31. 2007
Second part: Chapter III & IV deliver limit: Jun. 15. 2007
Last Part: Chapter V & VI deliver limit: Jun. 28. 2007
Please stick to the timetable! It couldnt be delayed! I also have to deliver my installments just two days later as the date I give to you! I think the time for your profession is enough.
3. the thesis should be written in Times New Roman, 12, double space, around 300 words per page with margins; The footnote is only some explanations, for example: some ab., commentary, the resource of very short sentences, etc. The other bibliography or citations should be listed after the final Chapter.
4. My major is Global Managementthe management of the international companies in the globalization process. And my topic is in the business law area. Please dont focus on the business law 100%; I hope the thesis could involve 40% Business/Management, 40% Business law, and 20% Politic.
5. Except the citations from the internet or news paper or any other medias, the minimum amount of the bibliographybooks is ten! Please dont use less than ten books! Otherwise, you can use all kinds of resources except the information from the websites which require paying! I will supply 3 books reference with a word doc. in email after I gave the order. Please use them for some help! You choose the rest 7 books. And I need all the copies which you have used to write my thesis!
6. Quotations are needed, you can decide how many as you need.
7. Lot of cases is very welcomed. But please choose the latest ones! If it is possible, please find at least one case, which happened in P.R.China, and at least one case in Germany! Asia is my focus. The other cases could all from USA.
8. When you deliver me the installments every time, please also give me the list of resource every time! Dont give it to me only the last time, my professor will ask me about the resource also every time.
9. Please note the page number at the bottom of the paper.
10. 75 Pages is not a limit. You can write several pages less or more than it. But dont less than 70! And that means the number of text part! Not include the cover page, reference page, etc.
11. Now I will give you my structure, you can change some details, but not the direction. Please follow it, especially the Chapter III & Chapter V!!! They are the most important part!
Hostile Take-Over--The modern business nightmare

Introduction

Part I Preface
1. Explain the reasons why I choose the topic(at least one must be included: Hostile Take-Over havent ever be a problem for Germany and China, but it will come soon);
2. The meaning of focusing on the problem
2.A Company self protection
2.B Government protection (point: especially the most important industry for a nation, it could never be HTO, otherwise the nation will face the danger of national economic collapse! The defense should against the foreign HTO!)
3 Structure of the thesis

Part II Analyze of the major method of Hostile take-over
1. Definition of HTO (please focus on the method: use collecting or secretly purchasing the stock share more than 50% of a company to get the control of it, and then tear the company apart, sell all the parts out, and get the money. There maybe other way to do HTO, but they are not my directions. Share!)
2. One difficulty: how to judge whether an investment Hostile or Friendly(for example: it could happen, at the first, the investment is friendly, later the investor change his mind and sold the share to some sharks or HTO by himself);
3. 2 or 3 negative cases, show the damage of HTO and one positive case of HTO;
3.A to the companies
3.B to the local government
3.C to the international business system
3.D One positive case: HTO is also sometimes a risk. The Shark takes over one company, and later realized, the company is not worth what he had thought, and the reward from selling the company couldnt cover the costs he has given out for purchasing the 50% share a warning to Sharks!

Part III (Main body, very important! I think you can find all the explanations of them in books or Wikipedia, if you cant, please ask me! I can give you descriptions. They are too long, so I will not write them here.) Case analysis & methods explanation as successful defenses
1. Introduction of 5 methods to defense the HTO with the adaptive situations, effects, advantages or disadvantages, etc. (the cases should include national and international cases)
1.A pac-man defense (with cases)
1.B poison pill defense (with cases)
1.C Self-amputation (with cases)
1.D white Knight defense (with cases)
1.E Going private (with cases)

Part IV suggestions to the companies (Company level)
1. How to decide which method is the proper way for your situation;
2. If it is possible to make some adjustments in the company's board to avoid one person having too much power to dismiss the whole company and sell it? If no, why? If yes, how? (open mind)
3. New defense methods developed from personal study and opinions (open mind)

Part V (Also very important! More Politic in this part!) discussion of the political protections (government level)
1. Questioning the governments role in the play
2. Suggestions to adjustments of local business law
3. Positive examples: Switzerland & Japan (they are the only countries who has laws to protect local industry from HTO, otherwise, HTO is still legal in the rest of the nations of the world)

Part VI Conclusion/Summary


That is it! Six Chapters, of course write more pages in the important parts. You can name the chapters as you like, but please dont change the contents and the direction.


I guess, that is all what I think important. If you have any questions in the writing, please write me immediately! I check my email box a lot of times a day! So please do not guess or assume what my purpose is, if you dont understand some parts! I have already discussed the whole structure with my professor; please dont give me any surprises!

Thank you very much for your help!!! I hope you can write the exact thesis according to my information. Then you saved me!!

Ref. 1:
Author: Sirota, David J..-1.ed-New York, NY: Crown Publ.,c 2006
ISBN: 0-307-23734-6
Ref. 2:
Author: Alsin P. Roethlisberger; Esther Naegeli--Zuerich[u.a.]:Schulthess, 2004
ISBN: 3-7255-4774-2
Ref. 3: J.M.M. Maeijer [Hrsg.]--Dordrecht[u.a.]: Nijhoff, 1990
ISBN: 0-7923-0834-4

Please do remenber: I need All the Copies of the Ciatations which you have used in my thesis!!!

Waiting for the first installment in this emailbox!

Isak,

don't sweat this is not due until November 29, 2011. Here are the chapters:

Readings

Read the following selections from your Business & Society text:
Chapter 8: Business - Government Relations
Chapter 9: Influencing the Political Environment
Chapter 10: Ecology and Sustainable Development in Global Business
Chapter 11: Managing Environment Issues
.
Business & the Environment

In one or two paragraphs, supported by evidence in your text and from other research, identify and describe how one business in your community is addressing at least one of the four (4) environmental issues presented?ozone depletion, global warming, declining biodiversity, and threats to our marine ecosystem. (One page)

Economics of Recyling

In one or two paragraphs, supported by evidence in your text and from other research, investigate the economics of recycling in your community. What steps can local businesses take to help improve the economic incentives for recycling? In some regions, businesses have formed alliances to guarantee a market for recycled materials. Is this occurring in your community? The local company in our area is Parks waste management and we have to separate bottles (glass, plastic and any metal ) they are located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. (One page)


Assignment

Case Study: Government Regulation of Tobacco Products

Read the Government Regulation of Tobacco Products Discussion Case at the end of Chapter 8 in your text. In one to two pages, supported by evidence from your text and from other research, answer the following questions:

Would you describe the orientation of Reynolds toward tobacco regulation as cooperative or at arm?s length?

How about the attitude of Altria? What do you think explains the differences between the two companies? positions?

What public policy inputs, goals, tools, and effects can be found in this discussion case?

This is not due until Friday, December 2, 2011 (two pages)

You are to write a 14-page paper. A Word Count Totaling 4,200 Words for this Paper. The Paper Format Must Be Times New Roman and Doubled-Spaced. Read the Case Study and at the end of the case study, are questions, Answer the Discussion Questions.'State the Question First', and then continue to answer. Be Sure to Properly Cite Sources Using APA Format. **For Outside Sources, Use Internet Only.**

Starbucks Corporation: Competing in a Global Market
Starbucks Corp. in a Seattle, Washington-based coffee company. It buys, roasts, and sells whole bean specialties coffee and coffee drinks through an international chain of retail outlets. Is beginning as a seller of packaged, premium specialty coffees, Starbucks has even fall into a firm known for its coffee houses, where people can purchase beverages and food items as well as package whole bean and ground coffee. Starbucks is credited with changing the way Americans and people around the world view and consume coffee, and its success has attracted global attention. Starbucks has consistently been one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States. Over a 10-year period starting in 1992, the companys net revenues increased at a compounded annual growth rate of 20 percent, to $3.3 billion in fiscal 2002. Net earnings have grown at an annual compound growth rate of 30 percent to $218 million in fiscal 2002, which is the highest reported net earnings figure in the companys history. As Business Week tells it: On Wall St, Starbuck is as great growth story. Its stock, including four splits, has soared more than 2,200 percent over the last decade, surpassing Wal-Mart, GE, Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and IBM in total return. Now at $21 {September 2002}, it is hovering near its all-time high of $23in July {2002}, before the overall market drop.
To continue this rapid pace of growth, the firms senior executives are looking to expand internationally. Specifically, they are interested in further expansion in Europe (including the Middle East), Asia-Pacific (including Australia and New Zealand), and Latin America. Expanding in these three Continents presents both a challenge and an opportunity to Starbucks. While the opportunity of increased revenues from the further expansion is readily apparent to the companys top management, what is not clear is how to deal with the growing anti-globalization sentiment around the world. This case looks at issues that are rising as Starbucks seeks to dominate specialty coffee markets around the world and explore what changes in strategy might be required.
Background
In 1971, 3 Seattle entrepreneurs Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, Gordon Bowker started selling whole bean coffee in Seattles Pike Place Market. They named their store Starbucks, after the first mate in Moby Dick. By 1982, the business had grown to five stores, a small roasting facility, and a wholesale business selling coffee to local restaurants. At the same time, Howard Schultz had been working as VP of US operations or Hammarplast, a Swedish housewares company in New York, marketing coffee makers to a number of retailers, including Starbucks. Selling Starbucks, Schultz was introduced to the three founders, who have been recruited him to bring marketing savvy to their company. Schultz, 29 and recently married, was eager to leave New York. He joined Starbucks as manager of retail sales and marketing. A year later, Schultz visited Italy for the first time on a buying trip. He noticed that coffee is an integral part of the culture in Italy; Italians start their day at an espresso bar and later in the day return with their friends. There are 200,000 coffee bars in Italy and about 1,500 in Milan alone. Schultz believed that, given the chance, Americans would pay good money for a premium cup of coffee and a stylish place to enjoy it. Enthusiastic about his idea, Schultz returned to tell Starbucks owners of his plan for a national chain of Cafs styled on Italian coffee bar. The owners, however, did not want to be in the restaurant business. Undaunted, Schultz wrote a business plan and begin looking for investors. By April 1985 he had opened his first coffee bar, I1 Giornales (named after the Italian newspaper), where he served Starbucks coffee. Following I1 Gionales immediate success, he expanded to three stores. In 1987, the owners of Starbucks agreed to sell the firm to Schultz for $4 million. The I1 Gionale coffee bar to the name of Starbucks. Convinced that Starbuck would one day be in every neighborhood in America, Schultz focused on growth. At first, the companys loses almost doubled (to $1.2 million in fiscal 1990), as overhead and operating expenses ballooned with the expansion. Starbucks lost money or three years running, and the stress was hard on Schultz, but he stuck to his conviction not to sacrifice long-term integrity in values for short-term profits. In 1991 sales shot up 84 percent, and the company turned profitable. In 1992 Schultz took the firm public at$17 a share. Believing that the market share and name recognition are critical to the companys success, Schultz continued to expand the business aggressively. Schultz observes, There is no secret sauce here. Anyone can do it. From the beginning, Schultz has professed a strict growth policy. Although many other coffeehouses or espresso bars are franchised, Starbucks owns all of its North American stores out right, with the exception of license agreement in airports. Further, rather than trying to capture all the potential markets and still is possible, Starbucks goes into a geographic market and tries to complete the dominate it before setting its sights on further expansion. Using this strategy, Starbucks has grown from 17 coffee shops in 1987 to 5,688 outlets in 28 countries by the end of the fiscal 2002. It also employed over 60,000 individuals, including approximately 50,000 in retail stores at the end of 2002. Starbucks Corp. is organized into two business units that correspond to the companys operating segments: North American and International. In 1995, Starbucks Coffee International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks coffee Co., was set up to the build Starbucks business outside North America, including opening company owned, licensed, and joint venture based retail stores worldwide. A recent article in Business Week notes: Starbucks also has a well seasoned management team. Schultz, 49, step down as chief executive in 2000 to become chairman and chief global strategist. Orin Smith, 60, the companys number cruncher, is now CEO and in charge of day-to-day operations. The head of North American operations is Howard Behar, 57, a retailing expert who returned last September, after retiring. The management trio is known as H2O, for Howard, Howard, and Orin.
The Starbuck Model
Schultzs goal is to: establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining uncompromising principles as we go. The companys 25 year goal is to become an enduring, great company with the most recognized and respected brand in the world, known for inspiring and nurturing the human spirit. The companys mission statement articulates several guiding principles to measure the appropriateness of the firms decisions. In describing Starbucks unique approach to competition, Fortune notes the strategy is simple: blanket an area completely, even if the stores cannibalize one anothers business. A new store while often capture about 30 percent of the sales of a nearby Starbucks, but the company considers that a good thing. The Starbucks everywhere approach cuts down on delivery and management costs, shortens customers line at individual stores, and increases foot traffic brought all the stores in an area. Last week 20 million people bought a couple copy at a Starbucks. A typical customer stopped by 18 times a month; no American retailer has a higher frequency of customer visits. Sales have climbed an average of 20 percent a year since the company went public. Even in a down economy, when other retailers have taken a beating Starbucks store traffic has arisen between six percent and eight percent a year. Perhaps even more notable is the fact that Starbucks has managed to generate those kinds of numbers with virtually no marketing, spending just 1 percent of its annual revenues on advertising. Retailers usually spend 10% or so of their revenues on ads. Business Week adds: clustering stores increases total revenue and market share CEO Orin Smith argues, even when individual stores poach on each other sales. The strategy works, he says, because of Starbucks size. It is large enough doors or office at existing stores as new ones open up, and so the overall sales grow beyond what they would have with just one store. Meanwhile, its cheaper to deliver to and manage doors located close together. And by clustering, Starbucks can quickly dominate a local market. And Schultz points out: market is much larger than we originally thought in most cases local competitors benefit from our arrival because of the expansion of the marketplace. Our strategy is never to eliminate or hurt the competition. We never underpriced our coffee and its clear that we position ourselves so not to undercut the pricing structure in the marketplace. Schultz observes that the company is still and its early days of growth worldwide. We are opening three or four stores everyday, he notes. We go strongly that the driver of the equity of the brand is directly linked to the retail experience we create in our stores. Our commitment to growth of the company is significant and will continue to be based on the long-term growth potential of our retail format.

Securing the Finest Raw Materials
Starbucks coffee quality begins with the purchase of high-quality Arabica coffee beans. Although many Americans were arranged on a commodity like coffee made from more quality robusta beans (or Arabic beans mixed with less expensive filler beans), Starbucks coffee is strictly Arabic, and the company ensures that only the highest quality beans are used. David Olsen, the companys then senior vice president and then chief coffee procurer, scoured mountain trails in Indonesia, Kenya, Guatemala, and elsewhere in search of Starbucks premium beans. His standards were demanding, and he conducted exacting experiments in order to get the proper balance of flavor, body, and acidity. From the companys inception, it has worked on developing relationships with the country should from which it buys coffee Beans. Traditionally, Europeans and Japanese bought most of the premium coffee beans. Olsen sometimes had to convince coffee growers to sell to Starbucks especially since American coffee buyers are notorious purchasers of the dregs of the coffee beans. In 1992 Starbucks in a new precedent by outbidding European buyers for the exclusive Narino Supremo Bean crop. Starbucks collaborated with a mill in that tiny town of Pasto, located on the side of the volcano Galero. There they set up a special operation to single out a particular Narino Supremo coffee bean, and Starbucks guaranteed to purchase the entire yield. This enabled Starbucks to be the exclusive purveyor of Narino Supremo, purportedly one of the best coffees in the world.

Vertical Integration
Roasting the coffee bean is close to an art form at Starbucks. Starbucks currently operates multiple roasting and distribution facilities. Roasters are promoted from within the company and trained for over a year, and it is considered quite an honor to be chosen. The coffee is roasted in a powerful gas-fired drum roaster for 12 to 15 minutes while roasters use sight, smell, hearing, and computers to judge when beans are perfectly done. The color of the beans is even tested in an Agtron blood cell analyzer, with the whole batch being discarded if the sample is not deemed perfect.

The Starbucks Experience
According to Schultz, we are not just selling a cup of coffee, we are providing an experience. In order to create American coffee enthusiasts put the dedication of their Italian counterparts, Starbucks provides a seductive atmosphere in which to imbibe. Its stores are distinctive and sleek, yet comfortable. Though the sizes of the stores and their formats vary, most are modeled after the Italian coffee bars where regulars sit and drink espresso with their friends. Starbucks stores tend to be located in high traffic locations such as malls, busy street corners, and even grocery stores. They are all well lighted and feature plenty of light cherry wood and artwork. The people who prepare the coffee are referred to as baristas, Italian for bartenders. Jazz or Opera music plays in the background. The storage to range from 200 to 4000 square feet, with new units tending to range from 1500 to 1700 square feet. In 2003, the average cost of opening a new store including equipment, inventory and leasehold improvements is in the neighborhood of $350,000;a flagship store cost much more.





Building a Unique Culture
While Starbucks enforces almost fanatical spenders about coffee quality and service, a policy of Starbucks reward employees is laid-back and supportive. They are encouraged to think of themselves as partners in the business. Schultz believes that had the employees are the key to competitiveness and growth. We can achieve our strategic objectives without workforce of people who are emerged in the same commitment as management. Our only sustainable advantage is the quality of our workforce. We are building a national retail company by creating pride in and stake in the outcome of our labor. On a practical level, Brooks promotes and in court employee cloture through generous benefits programs, an employee stock ownership plan, and thoroughly employee training, each employee must admit me 24 hours of training. Classes cover everything from off the huge tree to a seven hour workshop called Brewing the Perfect Cup at Home. This workshop is one of five classes and all employees must take during their first six weeks with the company. Reports Fortune: its silly, softheaded stuff, though basically, of course, its true. Maybe some of it sinks in. Starbuck is a smashing success, thanks in large part to the people who come out of these therapy-like training programs. Annual barista turnover at the company is 60 percent compared with 140 percent for hourly workers in the fast food business. Starbucks offer its benefits package to both part-time and full-time employee. The package includes medical, dental, vision, and short-term disability insurance, as well as a paid vacation, paid holidays, mental health/chemical dependency benefits, and employee assistance program, a 401(k) plan and a stock option plan. They also offer dependent coverage and same-sex partners. Schultz believes that without these benefits, people do not deal financially or spiritually tied to their jobs. He argues that stock options and the complete benefits package increased employee loyalty and encourage attentive service to customer. Employee turnover is also discouraged by Starbucks Stock option plan known as the Bean Stock Plan. Implemented in August of 1991, the plan made Starbucks and the only private company to offer stock options unilaterally to all employees. Starbucks concern for all employee welfare expands beyond its retail outlets coffee producers. The companys guidelines call for overseas suppliers to pay wages and benefits that address the basic needs of workers and their families and to allow a child labor only when it does not interrupt required education. This move has set a precedent for other importers of agricultural commodities.
Leveraging the Brand
Multiple Channels of Distribution. Besides its stand-alone stores, Starbucks has set up cafs and carts in hospitals, banks, office buildings, supermarkets, and shopping centers. And other distribution agreements have included office coffee suppliers, hotels, and airlines. All this coffee is a large segment of the coffee market. Associated services (an office coffee supplier) provides Starbucks coffee exclusively to thousands of businesses arond the United States. Starbucks has deals with airlines, such as an agreement with United Airlines to provide Starbucks coffee to Uniteds nearly 75 million passengers a year. Starbucks, through a licensing agreement with Kraft Foods Inc., offers its coffee in grocery stores across United States.
Brand Extension
In 1995, Starbucks launched a line of packaged and prepared tea in response to growing demand for teahouses and packaged tea. Tea is a highly profitable beverage for restaurants to sell, costing only 2 cents to 4 cents a cop to produce. As its tea became increasingly popular, in January 1999 it acquired Tazo, a Portland, Oregon based to a company. Starbucks coffee is also making its way onto grocery shelves via a carefully planned series of joint ventures. An agreement with Pepsi-Cola brought a bottle version of Starbucks Frappuccino (a cold, sweetened coffee drink) to store shelves in August of 1996. In another 50-50 partnership, Dreyers Grand Ice Cream Inc., distributes seven quart products and two bar- products of Starbucks coffee ice cream. Other partnerships by the Company are designed to form a new product association with coffee. For instance, the companys music subsidiary, Heart Music, regularly releases CDs, some in collaboration with major record labels that are then sold to Starbucks retail stores. While Starbucks is the largest and best-known of the coffeehouse chain and its presence is very apparent in metropolitan areas, the firms estimates indicate that only a small percentage (about 7 percent) of the US population has tried its products. Distribution agreement and the new product partnerships, Starbucks hopes to capture more of the US market.
International Expansion
For many years analysts have absurd that the US coffee bar market may be reaching saturation. They point to market consolidation, as bigger players snapped up some of the smaller coffee bar competitors. Further, they note that Starbucks is also maturing, leading to a slowdown in growth of unit by them and firm profitability. In response, some argue, Starbucks has turned its attention to foreign markets for continued growth. For instance, Business Week notes: To duplicate the staggering returns of its first decade, Starbucks has no choice but to export its concept aggressively. Indeed, some analysts give Starbucks only two years at the most before it exaggerates the US market. The chain now (in August 2002) operates 1,200 international outlets, from Beijing to Bristol. That leaves plenty of room to grow. Indeed, about 400 of its planned 1200 new stores this year will be built overseas, representing a 35 percent increase in its foreign base. Starbucks expects to double the number of its stores worldwide, to 10,000 in three years. However, of the predicted three of four stores that will open each day, the majority will continue to be in the United States.
Early Expansion
In 1995, the firm established a subsidiary called Starbucks coffee international. At that time, the subsidiary consisted of 12 managers located in Seattle. Today, the subsidiary is led by Australian expatriate Peter Maslen and is staffed with about 180 experienced multinational and multilingual managers located in Seattle and three regional offices around the world. This group is responsible for all Starbucks business development outside North America, including developing new businesses, financing and planning stores, managing operations and logistics, merchandising, and training and developing Starbucks international managers. Starbucks first non-North American store was opened in 1996 in Tokyo. In reflecting on this early step in internationalizing the chain, Schultz notes: Two years prior to opening up in Japan, we hired its blue-chip consulting firm to guide us to succeed here. Basically, they said we would not succeed in Japan. There were a number of things they told us to change. They said we had to have smoking, but that was non-starter for us. They also said no Japanese would ever lose face by drinking from a cup in the street. And third, they said that given the high rent, stores could not be larger than 500 square feet well, our no smoking policy made us an oasis Japan. As for our to go business, you cannot walk down a street in Tokyo today and not see someone holding a cup of Starbucks coffee. And our store size and Japan is identical to our store size and United States, about 1200 to 1500 square feet. It just shows the power of believing in what you do. And also that Starbucks is as relevant in Tokyo, Madrid, or Berlin as it is in Seattle.
The Starbucks Way
According to US News & World Report
When venturing overseas, there is a Starbucks way. The company finds local business partners in most foreign markets it tests each country with a handful of stores in trendy districts, using experienced Starbucks managers. It sends local baristas to Seattle for 13 weeks of training. Then it starts opening stores by the dozen. Its called the lineup does not vary, but Starbucks does adapt its food to local tastes. In Britain, it won an award for its mince pies. In Asia, Starbucks offers curry puffs and meat buns. The company also fits its interior dcor to the local architecture, especially in historical buildings. We do not stamp these things out cookie cutters style, says Peter Malsen, president of the Starbucks coffee international. Although Starbucks is committed to owning its North American stores, it has sought partners for much of its overseas expansion. As Catherine Lindemann, SVP of operations for Starbucks international describes it: Our approach to international expansion is to focus on the partnership first, country second. We rely on the local connection to get everything up and working. The key is finding the right local partners to negotiate local regulations and other issues. We look for partners who share our values, culture, and goals about community development. We are primarily interested in partners who can guide us through the process of starting up in a foreign location. We look for firms with (1) similar philosophy two hours in terms of shared values, corporate edition should, and commitment to be in the business for long-haul, (2) multi-unit restaurant experience, (3) financial resources to expand the star Bob confab rapidly to prevent imitators, (4) a strong real estate experience with knowledge about how to pick prime real estate locations, (5) knowledge of retail market, and (6) the availability of people to commit to our project.
In an international joint venture, it is a partner that used to store sites. Each are submitted for approval to Starbucks, but the partner does all of the preparatory and selection work. Cydnie Horwat, VP for international assets development systems & infrastructure, explains how Starbucks market entry plan starts with brand building, which then facilitates rapid further expansion in a country: when first entering a market, we are looking for different things in the first one to three years that later on. During these early years, we are building our brand. Our stores and the biggest source of advertising, since we do not do a lot of separate advertising. So we have higher investment in stores in the first three years. About 60 to 70 percent of the stores opened in the first three years are or high brand builders. Adds Horwat: First, we looked for a dreamy visible site in well trafficked areas and focus on three major factors: demographics, branding potential, and financials. Second, we categorize sites on an A to D scale. A sites are signature sites that are qualitatively superior to all other sites within the trade area [an area within Starbucks chooses to locate one store]. We rarely take a C or D store. Third, we ask our international market business unit (MBU) to send in the site submittal package with quantitative and qualitative measures, such as how the site meets Starbucks established criteria and the partners agreed upon criteria. This package is reviewed by a number of functional units operations, finance, an real estate within the international group. Fourth, we moved into the design phase, which is done in Seattle using information provided by the partner. Negotiate the least with the landlord and the initiate the construction when the appropriate permits are obtained. Finally, we turned over the store to operations. The whole process takes about 13 to 16 weeks from start to finish.
Establishing Starbucks as a Global Brand
Based on the success in Japan and other locations, Schultzs goal is for Starbucks to have a ubiquitous image as one of the most respected brands in the world. He notes: Whenever we see the reception we are getting in the marketplace such as in China, the Philippines, Malaysia, the UK, and most recently Spain and Germany, we recognize that the growth potential for the company [overseas] is very significant. We want to accelerate the growth, maintain our leadership position, and, ultimately, be calm one of the most respected brands in the world. Since its early foray into the Japanese market, the pace of international expansion has picked up significantly. In 1998, Starbucks acquired Seattle coffee company in the United Kingdom, a chain within more than 38 retail locations. That same year, it opens doors and Taiwan, Thailand, New Zealand, and Malaysia. In 1989, Starbucks opened in China (Beijing), Kuwait, South Korea and Lebanon. In 2000, it entered another seven markets (China-Hong Kong and Shanghai, Dubai, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain). It added three markets 2001 (Switzerland, Israel, and Austria). Last year another nine markets were opened (Oman, Spain, Indonesia, Germany, South China-Macau and Shenzhen, Mexico, Puerto Rico, in Greece). Schultz said that this expansion is only beginning and confidently predict more to come: Ten years ago, we had 125 stores and 2000 employees. Today we have 62,000 people working in 30 countries outside of the North America, serving approximately 22 million customers all week. Our core customer is coming in about 18 times a month. With the majority of adults all round the world drinking 2 cups of coffee a day and with Starbucks having less than seven percent share of total coffee consumption in the US and less than 1 percent worldwide, these are the early days for growth and development of the company. We have got a model that has been well tested from market to market.
Starbucks is well on its way to becoming a global brand. According to Business Week: The Starbucks name and image content with millions of consumers around the globe. It was one of the fast-growing brands in a Business Week survey of the top 100 global brands published August 5, 2002. At a time when one corporate start after another has crashed to earth, brought down by revelations earnings misstatements, executive greed, or worse, Starbucks has not faltered.
But becoming a global company is not without risk. As Business Week point out, Global expansion poses huge risks for Starbucks. The one thing, it makes less money on each overseas store because most of them are operated with local partners. While that makes it easier to start up on foreign turf, it reduces the companys share of the profits to only 20 percent to 50 percent. In addition, the firm is becoming a target for anti-globalization activists around the world.
Perils of Globalization
As Starbuck establishes a global presence, its growing ubiquity has not gone unnoticed by anti-globalization activists. A clear manifestation of this game in November 1999, and tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of downtown Seattle when the World Trade Organization (WTO) held its third Ministerial conference there. Although nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and activists had gathered to oppose the WTO, some activists deliberately targeted multinationals like Starbucks, Nike, and McDonalds. A small, but vocal, percentage of these protesters garnered international press coverage by committing acts of vandalism against carefully chosen targets. As a report in Business Week recalls: Protesters flooded Seattles streets, and among their targets with Starbucks, a symbol, Madame, a free market capitalism run amok, another multinational out to blanket the earth. Amid the crowds protesters and riot police were black masked anarchists who trashed the store, leaving its windows smashed and its tasteful green and white or smelling of teargas instead of espresso.
Recalling the incident against the firm Schultz says: Its hurtful. I think people are ill-informed. Its very difficult to protest against a can of Coke, a bottle of Pepsi-Cola, or a can of Folgers coffee. Starbucks is both a ubiquitous brand and a place where you can go and break a window. You cannot break a can of Coke. Anti-globalization protesters target recognizable global brands because they are convenient symbols. The following excerpt from The Ruckus Societys Action Planning Manual and Media Manual illustration to close ties between global brands and the principles of direct actions against them: First [we] use direct action to reduce the issue to symbols. The symbols must be carefully chosen for their utility in illustrating a conflict: an oil company versus an indigenous community, a government policy versus public interest. Then we worked to place these symbols and the public eye, in order to identify the evil doer, detailed the wrongdoing and, if possible, point to a more responsible option.
The message that activists want to communicate focuses on the overseas activities corporations. They accuse multinational paying less than living wage workers in the Third World, of engaging in labor and environmental practices that would be outlawed in their home countries, of driving local competitors out of business and of furthering cultural imperialism. As one Global Trade Watch Field organizer described it: The rules by which trade is governed need to have more to do with the interests of citizens and with the back pockets and cash wads of a couple corporate CEOs. And we want to make sure that there is a balanced consideration. Obviously people are always going to be concerned with their profits; its business, and we understand that, we accept that. But we think that needs to be balanced with concern for the rights of workers, basic human rights, [and] protecting the environment.
Critics further accused international organizations like the WTO, World Bank, and IMF of promoting corporate globalization by supporting trade liberation, by promoting export based economic development, and by facilitating foreign direct investment. According to an organization that bills itself as Mobilization for Global Justice: Most of the worlds most impoverished country have suffered under IMF/World Bank programs for two decades: may have seen debt levels rise, unemployment skyrocketed, property increased, and environment devastated. Urged to export, they focus on cash crops like coffee instead of food for their own people, and allow foreign governments to build sweatshops, which also puts pressure on jobs in the US.
When Starbucks opened its first store in Mexico in September 2002, it shows a night in the Sheraton Hotel on Reforma Boulevard in Mexico City. This was Starbucks first store in Latin America and its first in an origin country, i.e., a coffee producing countries. An article on the Organic Consumers Association Web site describes Starbucks Mexican flagship store: The new Starbucks on Reforma features soft lighting and an aromatic ambience Behind the counter, will roam employees without his signature Frappuccino and lattes. Indeed, the only jarring note is the 36 pesos ($3.60) the young woman at the register wants for a double latte, 10 times the price Indian farmers are getting for a pound of their product in Chiapas Oaxaca, and other coffee Rich state of southern Mexico There is no starker contrast in the economics of coffee these days than between the cushy comforts and gourmet blends of the Starbucks Experiencia and the grim, daily existence of 360,000mostly Indian coffee farmers will work small plots crved from the Jungle Mountains of southern Mexico.
Multinational corporations and their supporters respond that the effects all and solutions for globalization are more complicated than the critics contend. They note that multinationals create jobs, pay better prices and wages and domestic firms, and conform to a local labor and environmental regulations. The skeptics are right to be disturbed by sweatshops, child labor, bonded labor, and other gross abuses that go on many poor countries (and in the darkest corners of rich ones, too). But what makes people vulnerable to these practices is poverty the more thoroughly these companies (multinational) penetrate the markets of the Third World, the fastest today introduced their capital and working practices, the sooner poverty will retreat and the harder it will be for such abuses to persist.
Moreover, multinationals argue, they have responded to the criticism of profit driven behavior by developing corporate codes of conduct, corporate social responsibility programs, and partnerships with nongovernmental organizations. They point out, however, that they are in a no-win situation, vis--vis their critics, because today can always be criticized for not doing enough. Starbucks has found that global concerns of thing get mixed up with and intertwined with local issues. Even the mere act of opening a Starbucks retail store in a neighborhood can be solved and local activism and community push back against the Starbucks brand. For example, when Starbucks opened a store in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1998, picketers carrying signs that read Dont Let Corporate Greed Destroy Our Neighborhood, greeted it. A lawyer who helps community keep national chains out, says: Its part of the growing tension in the world between the mass market economy and peoples desire to retain self-control and some local culture if you have got a beef with Starbucks, you have got a beat with capitalism. Starbucks has stationed a variety of community pushback situations around the world. Soon Beng Yeap, one of Starbucks international brand reputation manager notes: This community push back is a live issue and Starbucks manage each pushback incident case by case. In some markets we have gone in and in some we have pulled out. He cites two recent examples, one in London, where Starbucks decided to withdraw its efforts to open a store after local activists actively campaigned against the firm, and the other in Beijing, where the firm opened a store in a historic district, and, following subsequent and significant adverse comment reported in local and international media, decided to stay put.
Primrose Hill and Starbucks Decision to Withdraw
In 2002 Starbucks made plans to open a store in Primrose Hill, a London suburb. Located in northwest London, Primrose Hill is a well-known historical and picturesque area comprised of a public park, shopping village area, and attractive Victorian residential housing. Residents of Primrose Hill many of whom are writers, photographers, actors, and musicians take great pride in the area and are protective of their local environment, acting to ensure that no change stores operate in the area. In early 2002, Starbucks selected Primrose Hill as a potential site for a store, and in April 2002 cemented an application to the local council. When this information was published in the local papers, it received considerable negative feed back from the residence, in particular from the Primrose Hill Conservation Area Advisory Committee. This committee claimed that litter, noise, and disruption from deliveries to Starbucks store in Primrose Hill what real in the village ambience and contribute to the homogenization of the high streets. The opposition surprised Starbucks because Primrose Hill residents, associations (including the Primrose Hill Conservation Area Advisory Committee), and businesses had been contacted as part of calls location. What the potential site. Although the objections of Starbucks entry focused on local planning issues, there was an anti-globalization element as well. One critic was quoted as saying that Starbucks was renowned for not paying proper money to coffee growers. In response to the grid ticks, Starbucks offered to arrange meetings between the planning committee, local counselors, and its representatives to discuss the issues and hear their concerns. Despite Starbucks effort, no meeting all for was accepted and minimal responses were received. In the meantime, the Primrose Hill conservation area advisory committee began to campaign strongly against Starbucks. They collected more than 1300 letters of objection, which they then presented to the local council. Many celebrities, such as actor Jude Law, national theater director Nicholas Hytner, broadcaster Joan Bakewell, singer Neneh Cherry, author Jeanette Winterson, and artist Patrick Caulfield, lent their support by opposing that Starbucks application. Media coverage that was initially local became national when celebrities became involved. According to Horwat: Primrose Hill was an A site. A very affluent neighborhood, little or no competition, and we knew it would be a winner. Everyone [at Starbucks international]loved it. The real estate people, the fans people, and others signed off on the deal. Opposition only came when the city Council was about to approve [our application]. The opposition claimed that our entry would raise rents in the community. So we went back to the city Council to argue our case. But activists brought in movie stars and gather local and national media attention. In early June 2002, when it was apparent that Starbucks was not welcomed in Primrose Hill, the company decided against opening the store. Reflecting on their decision to withdraw, Horwat explains: We care about the abuse of the communities about which we are a part. We tried to have our stores to be part of a community. We had hoped to make a positive contribution to the people to get together in Primrose Hill. If the community does not welcome us, it is not someplace we want to be.
Adds Soon Beng Yeap: You have to understand the bigger picture in the UK to appreciate what was going on locally at the time Starbucks was seen as an American chain coming in to the British market and the British media tend to be very cynical. The specialty coffee market was becoming crowded and extremely competitive with several other chains such as Caf Nero, Coffee Republic, and Costa Coffee making a strong push market share. The Starbuck team review all factors involved as well as listened carefully to the community concerns. At the end of the day, we decided to withdraw our application.

Beijing and Starbucks Decision to Stay
Starr Boggs opened its first outlet in Beijing in January 1999 and has over 100 stores and the country today. However, Starbucks touched a nationalist nerve in 2000 when it opened a small coffee shop in Beijings Forbidden City. In highlighting this particular store, the New York Times noted: If ever there was an emblem of the extremes to which globalization has reached, this is it: mass-market American coffee called her and Chinas most hollowed historic place. Even a McDonalds in the Kremlin would not come as close. Starbucks opened its Forbidden City shop a month ago [September 2000] with a signature menu board advertising the usual Americano and decaffeinated latte coffee and a glass display case filled with fresh glazed doughnuts, cinnamon rings, and banana walnut muffins.
Starbucks, for its part, had taken extraordinary care to ensure its presence was unobtrusive. To avoid ruining the atmosphere of the big city, assigns and brand images were placed inside for this store. This small store (barely closet size according to some reports) had only two small tables and few chairs. It was located on the edge of the Forbidden City, among 50 other retailers, including some selling souvenirs and trinkets. Despite such a low-key presence, this store ignited controversy. Dozen of Chinese newspapers reported on reactions to the shop. Accoring to one such report and the Peoples Daily: The reason for this uproar is due to the cafs location: the Forbidden City, the worlds largest imperial palacefirst constructed in 1406, the forbidden city is Chinas best preserved ancient architecture encircled by a rampant 3 km. The caf, named Starbucks is situated in the southeastern corner of the Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian), one of the three most impressive buildings on the palace grounds. The hall used to be giving you to hold feasts by Emperor and Noble of ethnic groups on New Years Eve of Chinas lunar calendar debates over the mini Caf took place first on the Web. A survey by Sina.com showed that over 70 percent of nearly 60,000 people surveyed were opposed to the caf entry into the Forbidden City, the main reason being the damaging effects to Chinese culture heritage and its atmosphere.
The administrators of the forbidden Palace and other government officials took note of the controversy but were supportive of Starbucks. Chen , a spokesperson for the forbidden city Museum, maintained that allowing Starbucks into the big city was part of their effort to improve service in the area. Moreover, Chen added: The reaction has been very intense. Some people say this is a gem of Chinese culture and that foreign brands and should not be allowed in we cannot give up eating for the fear of choking.
According to Horwat: The Forbidden City location was a C site at best. But not definitely a D site, because there was still the benefit of brand presence. But the government said, We think you should come in, and it was difficult to say no. there was no local community, only tourist. Following the flurry of articles and the Chinese media CNN began to run news clips of the story in the United States. Watching this unfold in the US media, some senior managers at Starbucks became alarmed at the negative publicity. According to Soon Beng Yeap: The immediate reaction was to close the store! Due to the relentless negative coverage generated by the international media. After serious discussion among the senior executives, we felt as guest in a foreign country, we should be respectful of our host; the Forbidden City officials-who invited us to be there in the first place. We decided to not to pull out because it was the international media that stirred up the whole controversy. Unlike the Primrose Hill case, there was no real local community pushback. It was all media driven. A few reporters got hold of the story and ran with it, all citing the same survey by Sina.com we were very disappointed by the negative media coverage, which created a false sense of cultural imperialism about our intentions and opening the store, especially when we worked very hard to be culturally sensitive and listen to the local community.
The controversy has since died down, as a recent report (February 2003) in The Straits Times (Singapore) indicates: Today if anything, the tourists were more upset than the Beijing residents about the presence of Starbucks in the forbidden city, complaining that it was out of place in a historical site ask what were the hottest issues of the day ordinary citizens, taxi driver Liu Zhiming said: Cars, apartments, and making money. What else?

Entering Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Peter Malsen, president of Starbucks international, hurriedly convened a meeting of his key executives and Starbucks international, including Julio Gutierrez, his president for Latin America. Starbucks entry into Brazil was in jeopardy because certain activists opposing Starbucks presence in the country were gaining momentum. Brazil is the largest coffee producing country in the world, and this was Starbucks second foray into Latin America (after Mexico). The company chose not to seek a joint venture partner to enter Brazil. Since many copycat chains had sprung up in Ro de Janeiro, some imitating Starbucks to the last detail, Malsen felt that his team had to move quickly before any particular group established itself as to permit chain. After several years of working with Julios Latin American team, no suitable joint venture partner had been identified, and Malsen was considering establishing a 100 percent Starbucks owned MBU (as it had already done in the UK, Australia, and Thailand). The business development group, with Julios team, had picked a site in the Ipanema area of Ro de Janeiro. They proposed that a flagship store be opened on this neighborhoods main commercial Street Rua Visconde de Piraja. Many of Rios motion tradition boutiques started in Ipanema, later to be exported to the malls and other parts of town. Many world-renowned brands such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Polo Ralph Lauren had stores on the Rua Visconde de Piraja. It is often said that news in Ipanema makes headlines all over Brazil. Starbucks had also chosen other sites, four to be specific, were the company could open stores immediately following the opening of the flagship Ipanema store. One of the stores was to be located in the posh neighborhood of Barra de Tijuca; another one slated for Leblon, and two others for shopping malls located in affluent residential neighborhoods in the city. The real estate group was ready to sign the lease with the agents of the Ipanema property owners, but was awaiting a formal response from the city Council members. The business development group, led by Troy Alstead, SVP finance and business development at Starbucks international, was confident that the Ipanema location was an A category site. The demographics of the area are just right for a flagship store. They are affluent, Young, and love of American Brands. The business development groups financial projections indicated that the Ipanema Starbucks store would be profitable in a short time, and Alstead believed that this was a conservative figure. Further, he pointed out: Based on the companys experiences of opening flagship stores and similar, high-traffic posh neighborhoods in other cities around the world our store in Ginza, Japan, comes to mind we believe the Ipanema store would be viable for Starbucks. We estimate meeting the store ROI targets in aggregate of the first five stores within two years.
But Malsen had some concerns. He was troubled by the reports about rising levels of violence and street crimes in Rio and Sao Paulo. In response to the growing violence, some of the most fashionable retailers were relocating themselves in shopping malls. He also questioned whether the timing for Starbucks was off. Current world events had generated anti-American feeling in many countries. Following the standard practice, Starbucks had been working with the local chamberof commerce since January 2003, and with the local city council for the required permits. The members city Council and local chamber of commerce were positive about granting Starbucks permission to begin construction. While the formal voting had yet to be undertaken, it looked certain that, bearing anything unusual, permission would be granted. But nongovernmental organization like the Organic Consumers Association and Global Exchange were mobilizing faster than expected to oppose Starbucks entry into Brazil. They found out about Starbucks intent to enter Brazil when to Ipanema district chamber of commerce newsletter proudly announced that, We arent extremely pleased walk of Starbucks into the fashionable district of Ipanema. By opening a store in our neighborhood, they will join other global brands and help enhance further our district image as a place to be in Rio. The NGOs was recruiting local activist and had informed Starbucks that they would oppose its entry into Brazil ride petitioning the local council to reject its application. They also threatened to start picketing in front of the store once construction was initiated. The brand group a Starbucks was concerned about the turn of events. Soon Beng elaborated: People in Latin America now the brand because of their proximity to the US. Potential partners are always contacting us about coming in. Before we go into a lace like Brazil, what is to due diligence we have to do? It is an origin country for us {i.e., coffee producing country} it is a very vocal place, and there is a love-hate relationship with United States. Advanced people always want to say yes to or when the numbers look good. Today some in Starbucks, at least in our group, say that maintaining and protecting our strong brand reputation is equally important. Others counter: if our brand or strong and why worry about it? This is a discussion we have here everyday and the company. While the pushback is not totally unexpected, it is hard to gauge the severity of the situation and its likely impact what our brand.
Malsen asked Alsteads business development group to work with Julios Latin American team to estimate how picketing in front of the store might impact the financial projections and his group had prepared. Their answer: Our financial estimates for the Ipanema store are based on comparables from other flagship stores and locations similar to Rio in other parts of the world. Our financial models are sensitive to the demographics of the area. We project that demand could fall from 5 to 25 percent, because of people picketing in front of the store. We acknowledge it is much harder to guess what the impact on our entire system in Brazil might be as we open new stores. It all depends upon the type of media coverage the activists are able to muster and the issues the media choose to highlight.
Volunteered Soon Beng
The tide of public opinion is unpredictable. We review each pushback incident the best we can, and we can have a reasonable track record of predicting outcomes. But, every time we walked into a potential site somewhere in the world, we potentially face is pushback. It would be great to have a foolproof total system to help us evaluate the sorts of issues and make the appropriate decisions. Malsen had to leave Seattle to attend an important meeting in Europe the following day. He called together his key managers and said, Look, we have experienced a variety of pushbacks and protests before. What lessons have we learned? We have been deciding whether to go into sites or pulled out on case by case basis. If we are going to grow to 25,000 stores, we cannot keep taking an ad hoc approach. We need a systematic method to respond to push back to this side whether we stay with a site or pull out. I want you to come up with a way to help me decide whether to go into Rio at all. And its got to be a system or decision process that would work equally well in London or Beijing or any place else that we want to open. Let us meet again when I get back to town in a couple of days. The managers of Starbucks international had their work cut out for them. But they look for it to tackling the issues raised.

Discussion Questions

a.Briefly describe the history and evolution of Starbucks.

b.In your view, what are the key events in the history of the company?

c.Using your own words, described the Starbucks model.

d.What were the key issues and the decision by Starbucks to go international?

e.Identify and discuss some of the negative elements of globalization focused by Starbucks.

f.Based on your analysis, what advice would you provide Starbucks with respect to the next 3-5 year period.

Develop the strategic objectives for your business in the format of a balanced scorecard. Review information on Balanced Scorecard in the Materials Forum and in the course texrbooks. The strategic objectives are measures of attaining your vision and mission. As you develop them consider the vision, mission, and values for your business and the outcomes of your SWOTT analysis. Consider the following four quadrants of the balanced scorecard when developing your strategic objectives:

? Shareholder Value or Financial Perspective, includes strategic objectives in areas such as:

o Market share
o Revenues and costs
o Profitability
o Competitive position

? Customer Value Perspective, includes strategic objectives in areas such as:

o Customer retention or turnover
o Customer satisfaction
o Customer value

? Process or Internal Operations Perspective, includes strategic objectives in areas such as:

o Measure of process performance
o Productivity or productivity improvement
o Operations metrics

? Learning and Growth (Employee) Perspective, includes strategic objectives in areas such as:

o Employee satisfaction
o Employee turnover or retention
o Level of organizational capability
o Nature of organizational culture or climate
o Technological innovation

Develop at least three strategic objectives for each of the following four balanced scorecard areas identified above (Financial, Customer, Process, Learning and Growth). Your objectives should be selected, in part, based on an evaluation of a number of potential alternatives to the issues and/or opportunities identified in the SWOTT Analysis paper and table you completed in Week Three. Base your solutions on a ranking of alternative solutions that includes an identification of potential risks and mitigation plans, and a stakeholder analysis that includes mitigation and contingency strategies. You should also incorporate the ethical implications of your solutions into your selection.

? For each strategic objective, develop a metric and target using a balanced scorecard format. (For example, a strategic objective in the shareholder or Financial Perspective is to increase market share. A metric to actually measure this strategic objective of market share increase is, "The percentage of increase in market share." The target is the specific number to be achieved in a particular time period. The target for the metric of "Increase market share" could be "Increase market share by 2% for each of the next 3 years" of an increase of 2% per year for 3 years.)

Write a 700- to 1,050-word summary that explains your critical thinking on how you derived your objectives from your vision, mission, values, and SWOTT analysis.

Format paper consistent with APA guidelines.
SWOTT Analysis
Legal and regulatory:
S-pro-small business regulations, regulatory crackdowns on large competitors.
W-still a number of hurdles for a new business (inspections, double taxation for the corporate structure).
O-regulations weakening large business in this field.
T-other small competitors.
T-new small business taking over for Starbucks and other large retailers.

Global:
S-opportunities to expand, growing global demand for Americanized coffee products
(Frappuccino?s, and etc.).
W-difficult for small business to sustain international-related cost.
O-Filling niche in European cities such as London or Prague.
T-global competition, foreign coffee shops.
T-Americanized companies and products popping up everywhere.

Economic:
S-people shopping more at small businesses recently.
W-product price shill relatively high.
O-?buy local? and small business buying movements.
T-other small business competitors.
T-more small businesses entering marketplace.
Technological:
S-new gift cards, espresso machines, Frappuccino makers.
W-new technology available to upstarts.
O-demand for new products created with new technology.
T-other competitors with the same technology.
T-technology more important to the business.

Innovation:
S-small business can afford to innovate.
W-no blockbuster innovations.
O-relatively new business.
T-other competitors innovating faster.
T-more innovation.

Social:
S-more demand for coffee and local coffee businesses.
W-Considerable amount of competition.
O-always demand for local businesses.
T-lost revenue from other small coffee shops.
T-coffee shops will grow smaller and more local.

Environmental:
S-more demand for sustainability and green tech.
W-higher costs.
O-small businesses can cater to these environmental needs.
T-customer will not want to pay for any of it.
T-greener coffee shops.

Comparative analysis:
S-better labor, lower costs because of supply chain.
W-volume and consistency.
O-a small, community-based coffee shop, which does hospitality better that competitors.
T-unresponsive public.
T-smaller coffee shops with higher prices.

Strategies:
S-based off logic, statistics, analysis of key factors.
W-mostly newcomers in the business.
O-a comprehensive, metric-based strategy.
T-professional strategies.
T-more local and metric-based strategies.

Structure:
S-simplicity.
W-lack capacity for change.
O-a simple business structure.
T-more efficient structure.
T-simpler structure.

Processes:
S-tested as efficient using time-and motion study.
W-little experience.
O-a simple, results-based process.
T-more experience-based processes.
T-simpler processes.

Resources:
S-direct, grower-to-retailer resource relationships.
W-expensive.
O-people support direct relationship for resources.
T-innovation to lower prices.
T-more sustainable resources.

Goals:
S-modest, mostly short-term.
W-few long-term goals.
O-more effective for coordinating business plans.
T-more sophisticated goal-setters.
T-more short-term.
Capabilities:
S-appealing expertly to the local area.
W-not enough capital to go far beyond the local area.
O-becoming a dominant player in the local market.
T-competition.
T-more small, region or city-based businesses.

Culture:
S-pro-coffee shop culture.
W-culture can easily change.
O-culture can be supportive of local coffee shops almost no matter what.
T-competition also taking advantage of this culture.
T-culture not changing.

Intellectual Property:
S-relatively unimportant problem; coffee has already been invented.
W-hard to utilize.
O-a great new idea.
T-other companies coming up with that idea.
T-more minor ideas.

Leadership:
S-local leadership.
W-cannot have substitutes without hiring or promoting.
O-a strong local leader to coordinate concepts.
T-well experienced leadership.
T-new, direct leaders.

The SWOTT analysis is important for the development of this business and the different factors, which should be kept in mind when founding this business. However, if the company tries to focus on all of them equally it will not be productive in the short term or the long term. It must focus on the seven areas of economic trends; environmental trends; laws; regulations; society; culture, and leadership.
Perhaps the greatest strength of this business lies in one of the strongest economic trends of the past few years. The question to focus on here is how does the economic crisis affect the development of small coffee business? As the effects of the economic crisis began to take hold in the late 2000s, there was a new focus on the size and practices of businesses where customers shopped. Price was no longer the most important thing and people began to frequent small businesses, which may have charged higher prices, but higher prices, but hired local workers and sourced their food in a sustainable way (Gilligan, 2009).
The retail coffee business was one of these businesses which was affected by the small business trend. Starbucks has begun to decline, and it has closed many locations in recent years. That has given an opportunity for some local businesses to fill the void and cover the still-growing demand for coffee among the public. This strength and opportunity is balanced against the negative of high wages and expensive products which the public demands from such a location.
There is, of course a threat here when concerning a new businesses entering the market. This is not an incredibly difficult market to enter. If a company can meet rent, supply, and labor costs, it usually can offer coffee, espresso, pastries, and other breakfast-type foods, which will cater to the kind of people who want to eat at such establishments. Therefore, there are almost no barriers to new entrants and new competition, which can drive down prices and carve up an already limited pie for business owners. Even the few barriers, which exist now are being torn down by coffee shops carried by bicycles and in food trucks. Such economic trends and threats must be taken into consideration by any coffee business that wants to start up anytime soon. Businesses such as mine must make it a point to coordinate the most efficient supply chains possible. The company does not want to needlessly waste money developing inefficiencies in such a chain.
Rather, the company should craft relationships with individual suppliers and producers so that they can cut out the middleman and keep costs to a minimum. Having a contract with a family in Colombia or a baker 10 miles away may be difficult to arrange. It may take a number of trips and calls to find the right partner. However, once that partner is found eliminating wholesale costs and possible quality problems with a large supplier will mean that my company can offer product at a much lower price level, but with all the perks that the public is looking for out of a local coffee shop.
Another important concept to consider is: what is the impact of the recent notion of environmental trends and how can these trends aid small coffee businesses in particular? Environmental trends are increasingly leaning toward sustainably raised coffee beans, which are sold in green stores that use less energy and water than other stores. This is both a strength and a weakness for relatively small businesses. Although small coffee shop business is able to make changes and decisions much faster than a massive franchise such as Starbucks, larger companies are better able absorb the extra costs associated with them (Schultz, 2011).
Such sustainable business requires a sophisticated supply chain which does not simply work through the cheapest and most economical wholesalers on the market. However, the trend of consumers frequenting environmentally friendly businesses is one, which is continuing to grow and will continue to grow over the new few years. Therefore, there is a serious opportunity for companies, which want to undergo the somewhat costly changes that will result in greater customer numbers in the future (Sherman, 2013).
These concepts are all important concerning this research question: What is the impact of laws and regulations in the coffee business? The coffee business will be supported that the regulatory environment has been increasingly favorable to small businesses in recent years. There has been a recognition that small businesses create a considerable number of jobs that they should be supported by government policies. This is one of the few notions that policymakers could agree upon in recent years (Gilligan, 2009).
As a result, they gave been able to pass laws that provide for small business loans, tax credits, and optimistic polices against large corporations. Such laws give all kinds of businesses including coffee businesses, such as mine a strength against the entrenched coffee giants such as Caribou Coffee, and Starbucks. However, the major weakness and threat is that it eases the barriers for new companies to enter the market in a way that will reduce prices. It still creates an opportunity for companies such as mine. Because the economy is still somewhat troubled, and the government is still interested in policies that will combat the weak economy, it is clear that there will still be a trend of more investments in small businesses.
Another question to consider is: how does society and culture influence the future of this business in ways, which are not directly controlled by economics? Social and cultural trends both support purchases from local coffee shops such as mine. There is the continued social trend of long work hours and pressure to perform in the workplace and other areas of life. Such trends help fuel the national caffeine addiction.
People are continuing to need caffeine, and they keep the demand for caffeinated beverages high. While coffee is not the only caffeinated beverage, worries about the health of products such as soda kept it as the most popular source of caffeine. At the same time, cultural trends have resulted in people continuing to frequent coffee shops and businesses such as mine. The culture of the coffee shop with its couches and fashionable interiors have resulted in the proliferation of such shops. People will come into a coffee shop to study, work, or pursue recreational interest in ways that they will not frequent other establishments.
The coffee shop has become a place where people with class come together for meetings or pursue other interests. As a result, people are much more willing to pay more money for a cup of coffee that they would pay at either their house or a gas station. People are willing to pay for the numerous trappings that go along with the local coffee shop in ways that they would not be willing to pay in other areas. Because this is cultural concept it cannot be relied on (Schultz, 2011). The prestige of coffee shops ebbs and flows with the passage of time. Companies such as mine should not rely on such concepts but should try to take advantage of them whenever they can.
Finally, leadership can never be ignored when concerning small business such as this one. The question is: how can leadership be helpful in such a business? I believe that having the creative brains behind starting the business will be important in running the business. The hands-on approach of a small business will make it so the business can react to trends and changes in the workplace (Taylor, 2009). However, there are of course possible problems with having one group of owners run the business as well, because if those owners, or managers cannot come into work for some reason the company will not be effectively ran.
It is clear that these different fields will lead to the company?s success. Since they sell a millennia-old product, coffee shops can easily change, but it is possible for them to change too much. They can change as a result of such factors as I have described, but they should not change any concepts vital to their brand. When it comes to concerning both changes and the adaption of a business plan, there should be somewhat of a holistic approach. The company should not ignore concepts such as goals and resources. Rather, it should focus on these seven while taking them all of them into consideration when formulating a comprehensive business plan.
Scoreboard:

FINANCIAL
To succeed financially, how should we appear to our shareholders?


CUSTOMER
To achieve our vision, how should we appear to our customers?
LEARNING & GROWTH
To achieve our vision, how will we sustain our ability to change and improve?
INTERNAL BUSINESS PROCESSES
To satisfy our shareholders and customers, at which business process must we excel?
Balanced

McDonald's Company is a truly international company. In order to train their workforce and franchisees, McDonalds started the Hamburger University.

Big Mac's McGlobal HR secrets
Solomon, Charlene Marmer. Personnel Journal. Santa Monica: Apr 1996. Vol. 75, Iss. 4; pg. 46, 5 pgs

Abstract (Article Summary)
McDonald's International now serves up a fast-food extravagazana ranging from soup to nuts in 18,380 restaurants in 91 countries. This is an organization that knows how to grow globally. McDonald's recipe for global success is translating its winning people and employment practices into many different cultural settings. Its way of careful planning is a lesson for every business. The company reveres flexibility and sensitivity to local cultural mores. For example, McDonald's will open its first restaurant in India this year without any beef products at all. Vegiburgers, or burgers made from mutton or lamb, may take their place. In Saudi Arabia, the company has a restaurant with 2 dining rooms - one for men and the other for women and children. Having the right employees in place is just the first step. Then there is training. Hamburger University may be headquarterd in Oak Brook, Illinois, but it is set up to provide training in 22 different languages, to provide simulation translation, and even to teach in 2 languages at the same time. McDonald's also has training centers in other countries.

[Headnote]
McDonald's recipe for global success is translating its winning people and employment practices into many different cultural settings. Its way of careful planning is a lesson for every business.

It's no small potatoes. McDonald's International, that is. Cooking up its first international revenues in 1967 with restaurants in Canada and Puerto Rico, McDonald's now serves up a fast-food extravaganza ranging from soup to nuts (or nuggets, in this case) in 18,380 restaurants in 91 countries. Total revenue for 1995 was more than $10 billion, and total sales outside the United States contributed 54% to the firm's consolidated operating income for the year.

This is an organization that knows how to grow globally. Each day, more than 33 million people around the world are gobbling down McNuggets and Big Macs faster than you can say: "two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun." And they're served by more than one million employees, with estimates that the number will double by the year 2000.

If you've ever tried to open a business in another country, you can appreciate the difficulties that Robert Wilner, home office director international HR for McDonald's faces in staffing globally. Read how he, and the rest of the HR staff, does it.

It's a company that reveres flexibility and sensitivity to local cultural mores. You may think that translates into flavoring the burgers a little differently from country to country, but the company's global astuteness is much more farreaching and profound. For a business, in the minds of Americans, that's synonymous with all-beef hamburgers, McDonald's will open its first restaurant in India this year without any beef products at all. Vegiburgers, or burgers made with mutton or lamb, may take their place. And, as an organization that holds distinction for actively promoting diversity in the United States, it has a restaurant in Saudi Arabia with two dining rooms-- one for men, the other for women and children. These are lessons in profitable cultural sensitivity.

This cultural sensitivity spills over to the company's HR practices. "One of our guiding principles is that our restaurants should always be a reflection of the communities they serve-not only the individuals we employ and the culture and ethnicity of those communities, but also the employment practices," says Rita Johnson, staff director in international human resources with responsibility for Central Europe.

That means not stuffing the American way down their throats, but rather taking the company's best practices from around the world and working with local staff to blend those into local practices. McDonald's then comes up with the most effective way of doing things in a particular location.

"While there may be some specific differences worldwide in local labor laws or employment practices, our philosophical approach to employment is the same whether we're in Beijing or Budapest," says Robert Wilner, home office director, international human resources.

Adds Johnson: "Our global perspective is that whatever market or country we're going into, we always employ the most positive people practices and exceed the expectations of our employees."

McDonald's vision is just the beginning. Exceeding expectations is something McDonald's does well. Try to remember life before drive-thrus and you get a taste of the influence this corporation has had on our lives. It's not just vision. Good ideas wilt like week-old lettuce if there's no business acumen to propel them. And, while McDonald's may convince its customers that they "deserve a break today," the company is relentless in its pursuit of expansion based on solid business goals. All you have to do is look at the organization's selection, hiring and training procedures to know instantly that it works very hard to align HR systems with business objectives. And the planning required before entering a new country is anything but fast-food casual.

"When we open in a country [that's] new to us, we do exploratory visits-- sometimes several years in advance of building the first restaurant," Johnson explains. "We collect information so we can approach it from a fact-based, decision-making standpoint. We need to be sure the market is going to be profitable for us so we take a look at the demographics." The company asks itself: Would this particular market support a restaurant? What other food-service industries are currently in this country? Would we be the first food-service company or are our competitors currently established in the country? What kind of success are they having?

In addition, the company benchmarks with other companies already in the country to find out what their problems and issues are. What would they do differently, and what are their HR issues? What kind of business infrastructure already has been established?

As those questions are answered, HR rolls up its proverbial sleeves and steps up to the front of the line. It has a newcountry outline that contains a list of employment-practice questions that must be answered as part of the fact-gathering stage. What are the labor laws? Would the company be able to establish part-time and flexible work schedules? Are there a specific number of hours employees are allowed to work? Can the company employ youth under the age of 18? What other services must the company provide?

In many countries in Central Europe, for example, employers must provide showers and lockers. This may be from a lack of shower facilities where individuals live, an inadequate supply of hot water or simply the high cost of using standard utilities. So the employer is expected to provide some of the services that may not be easy to get at home. McDonald's already does this in many of the countries in which it operates, including Rumania, Slovakia, Latvia and Poland.

In many locations, just building the golden arches and locating food that will meet company standards requires hiring an entire network of support services such as engineers, construction workers and agricultural experts. It's a tall order for HR professionals to fill. But one they have had lots of practice doing.

Entering a new country requires extensive planning and flexibility. To enable McDonald's to open restaurants in new countries, the new local HR managers, as well as the local restaurant managers, must receive training. So they can observe real operations, the training often takes place in a country where there's already an established restaurant. A sparkling-clean, stainless-steel counter with quiet cash registers and no customers is quite a different work scene than one with bustling crew members reaching over each other to scoop fries into paper bags, fill beverages and scurry to get the requisite Filets-O-Fish and Quarter Pounders on trays or in takeout bags while people are lined up 10-deep.

Consequently, training new managers often requires that they cross borders regularlyto train Monday through Friday and then travel home on the weekends. This means visas and work permits have to be in order for each employee, which can be a tricky balancing act. HR must ensure all paperwork is prepared accurately well in advance, but not too far in advance-because these individuals can't be employed too far ahead of the training period.

"We currently have managers training in New Zealand who live in South Africa," says Johnson. "When we interviewed in South Africa, one of the questions we asked was if the person had a passport. That's a question we wouldn't ask in the United States."

And, early on, local attorneys well versed in labor laws coordinate with the HR director for the country to establish what the policies are going to be. "We have a responsibility to ensure that all the local employment practices, policies and regulations are met. We do a lot of research to ensure that happens. We understand as a global company that we can't simply take the employment practices as they are in the United States and transplant them," says Johnson.

However, there are times when McDonald's introduces American ways to other countries-for everyone's benefit. "Typically, when we go into a new country, there are lots of times when the quick-service restaurant industry is either nonexistent or very new. As a result, the culture, laws and customs don't accommodate the things we need to operate our business properly. It becomes an opportunity for McDonald's to bring some of these things into a country and to put some folks into the workforce who wouldn't normally be in the workforce, particularly homemakers and university students who are working for the first time," says Dan Laino, home office director, international human resources.

"We often introduce the concept of flexible scheduling or part-time scheduling. It's quite a common occurrence for us to go into a market and have our practices of flexible and part time schedules be the first that have ever been introduced. Sometimes we have to be very adaptable and patient in trying to establish these practices," says Laino.

For instance, it isn't something the company can implement immediately in some cases, especially if the common employment practice is to hire individuals full time. It may require a lot of time talking to labor ministries as well as other local business people to explain the advantages of having flexible or part-time scheduling as an employment practice. Full-time employment precludes young people and students in some cases from holding a job. "We provide the fact based rationale that you can actually employ more individuals if you have a practice of part-time employment because some of those people have children at home or are students and aren't able to be employed full time," says Johnson.

Selecting the best from a menu of talent. Whether hiring full-time managers or part-time cooks, recruitment is easy for McDonald's. When it began hiring for its restaurant in Moscow's Pushkin Square, 27,000 applicants tried out for the opportunity to don Ronald McDonald's colors. This initial rush of applicants is typical because of the company's immediate brand recognition. "We put the arches in a newspaper [ad] and we get an onslaught," says Laino. "The trick is to maintain that employer image and enhance that image so we're the employer of choice in a country."

McDonald's establishes itself as an employer of choice by paying top wages for high-quality employees and providing a benefits package-that exceeds the minimum. "If you want to employ the highest caliber of individuals, you need to pay them a wage that draws [them in]," says Johnson.

What does that high-caliber individual look like? The most common trait McDonald's employees share is an attitude that customer service is most important. "The employee's ability to be customer-service oriented is just as important whether [he or she is] serving the customer directly or whether [he or she is] serving someone who's serving the customer directly," says Wilner.

Selection, therefore, focuses on identifying employees-whether entry-level or management-who are customer focused. It begins with recruitment advertising that emphasizes customer service and continues with preliminary screening that restates this theme: The right attitude is equally as important as-or more important than-technical competency. Then, as the company moves into its selection systems, it looks at specific skills, general knowledge and customer service. "Finding, developing and retaining the best people is one of our most important functions in HR, and we see it as an integral part of our success as a company," says Wilner.

Some nay sayers don't believe the McDonald's attitude translates into every language. Before opening Russia's Pushkin Square restaurant, now the busiest one in the world serving 40,000 to 50,000 customers daily (for a total of 50 million since 1990), many people on the sidelines expected it wouldn't be easy to motivate employees: that this crew of 1,560 individuals weren't going to want to wait on customers, smile and have a good time doing it.

"I think back when we first opened in Moscow and people said they weren't going to be the type of employees who were going to get turned on," says Laino. "When we opened the first restaurant, worldwide video coverage showed that customers would walk in and they thought they'd landed on another planet. They faced a highly enthusiastic, high-spirited crew at the front counter [with arms extended, and with] smiles on their faces, asking if they could be of help. That's what we call `ketchup in the veins."'

How does McDonald's ensure it hires these kinds of individuals? Already in the hopper is research about successful McDonald's managers and the knowledge, skills and abilities they possess. A success profile includes leadership skills, ability to manage people in the restaurant environment and high work standards.

For store management positions, after the initial screening and before the final decision, people are invited to work for three to five days in one of the restaurants. "It gives the applicants a chance to try out the job and screen themselves out. It also gives us an opportunity to see how the people actually function in the environment they actually are going to be working in," says Wilner.

With a strong commitment to staffing locally and promoting from within--even when opening locations in new countries-McDonald's HR finds good talent efficiently. The commitment initially is to find good people and be able to turn over the operation to local employees who will run and manage it.

Take Beijing, for example. The Tieneman Square McDonald's opened with approximately 100 managers for a large, 26-cash-register restaurant. After they were hired, workers began training in Senzhen, which is approximately 1,000 miles away. "We have them work in a restaurant working typical shifts, working shoulder-to-shoulder with an existing manager learning some of the basics of the management job, and at the same time we get a chance to try them out," says Wilner. The manager fills out an evaluation, and the individual fills out one to determine whether or not a job offer should be made.

"Our belief in promoting people from within, throughout all levels of the company, is a major way we source our management people in China, as well as in other markets around the world," Wilner says. With a large percentage of store managers who have come up through the ranks, it helps attract people because they know they can work hard and move up. "It also fills our recruiting needs. When we have someone who understands our corporate culture, understands our way of doing business and understands the local culture, it's a successful part of the way we develop our global talent."

Comprehensive training assures uniformity. Having the right employees in place is just the first step. Then, there's training. And, if the company serves up anything well, it's certainly training. Hamburger University may be headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, but it's set up to provide training in 22 different languages, to provide simultaneous translation and even to teach in two languages at the same time. There are also training centers in Munich, Germany; Tokyo; Sydney, Australia and London. The training centers get it down to such details as being sure crew members know at what temperature hamburgers are supposed to be cooked and how to inspect restaurant facilities to ensure quality standards are met.

The average local McDonald's restaurant, like this one in Egypt, employs 50 people in 25 different jobs. McDonald's carefully blends U.S. HR practices with host-country norms-a delicate balance you must have to staff operations globally.

There's a complete training department in mainland China as well. Managers are taught to give performance reviews, including how to give feedback, how to listen and what to do if a person becomes defensive. And, similar to other locations around the world, the China facility trains managers on every facet of the operation. They, in turn, train their crew employees.

Little things such as logistics may get in the way, but McDonald's managers consider them only hurdles to overcome. For example, when the company was opening new locations in South America, some pieces of equipment were available, but managers learned that the hamburger grill and the deep-fat fryers wouldn't arrive in time to train employees before the store opened. So, what did they do? They created mock-ups of the equipment out of cardboard. Crew members practiced cooking burgers on a cardboard grill and worked dummy fryers to perfect their skill in cooking McNuggets and fries. Indeed, by being able to simulate the training it needed for the crew, the restaurant opened on time with a trained staff.

McDonald's sees its biggest challenge today as trying to set itself apart from its competitors. In its 1994 annual report, McDonald's says: "In a copycat world, the best way to stand out from the crowd is through customer satisfaction-100% of the customers, 100% of the time.... It's no longer enough to measure restaurant performance by our internal standards, no matter how exacting. Success has to be measured through the eyes of the customer and the people who serve them."

While many businesses may not need to approach their operations with this level of exactness and attention to detail, McDonald's way of careful planning is a lesson for every business. It's a multinational company that's able to deploy its HR talent globally to painstakingly address local concerns. It requires flexibility and creativity-and some of those special ingredients-that all companies can create if they desire.

[Author Affiliation]
Charlene Marmer Solomon is a contributing editor at PERSONNEL JOURNAL.

Please write a full page paper about the international training at the McDonald's Company. There are several Hamburger Universities, located in several countries and on several continents. Please first identify them, by searching the McDonald's website. Next, please comment on McDonald's Company international training.

Try and think of how the Global Training at McDonald's company matches the global strategies of the company. What are the characteristics of the global training at McDonald's?

Read the article and answer the questions.


Risk Resulting from International Business. It concentrates on possible benefits to a firm that increases its international business.
a. What are some risks of international business that may not exist for local business?
b. What does this chapter reveal about the relation-ship between an MNCs degree of international busi-ness and its risk?


U.S. Economic Woes Loom Over Biden Visit to China -ARTICLE

WASHINGTON ??" Over the winter, officials in China and the United States were trying to turn a new page in relations. In January, during a state visit to Washington by President Hu Jintao, leaders worked hard to dispel the rancor that had been slowly building. Soon after, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. committed to an earlier proposal to meet this summer with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, who is expected to succeed Mr. Hu next year But as Mr. Biden prepares to depart for China on Tuesday, a new uncertainty looms over relations.

Chinese leaders are asking sharp questions about the strength of the American economy and American leadership, because of the governments struggle to meet its debt obligations and the partisan schisms and political paralysis that turned a problem into a crisis. Mr. Biden postponed his original departure date in July to help hammer out the agreement that forestalled default on some obligations but failed to avert a downgrade of Americas AAA credit rating by Standard & Poors. Xinhua, the state news agency, published a commentary demanding that the United States cure its addiction to debts and live within its means.
The uncertainty about America goes straight to Chinas pockets: it holds more than $1.1 trillion in United States Treasury securities, making it the countrys largest foreign creditor. Some ordinary Chinese have publicly criticized the Chinese leadership for investing so much in American government securities.

Europes continuing sovereign debt miseries, the specter of a possible double-dip recession in the United States, and the turmoil in global markets last week have only heightened anxiety in China, whose economic growth depends to a large measure on its vast export sector.
Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Peking University, said he attended a meeting at the Ministry of Finance last week where officials were wringing their hands.
The feeling of everyone was that the world economy has just suddenly become very unpredictable, he said. No one wants to see the U.S. economy keep going downhill and a new financial crisis. China and the U.S. are very important in keeping the global economy stable.
As they get to know each other, Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi will no doubt discuss some of the security issues that have divided the two countries ??" American arms sales to Taiwan, North Koreas nuclear program and tensions over the South China Sea. But the economic issues have moved to the fore.
The primary purpose of the trip, which was planned before recent economic problems, was to build the relationship with Xi Jinping, said Jeffrey A. Bader, who until April was the senior director for East Asian affairs on the National Security Council. Recent events in the economic sphere have undoubtedly put the U.S. economy and U.S. currency on the agenda.
Da Wei, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing, said, U.S. Treasury debt is the biggest concern since its about the safety of Chinas financial investment.

As in the United States, domestic troubles in China have been taking precedence over foreign relations. The efforts of Chinese leaders to maintain social stability have been challenged this summer by ethnic violence in the western region of Xinjiang and a remarkable surge of public criticism over the governments handling of a deadly high-speed rail crash in Zhejiang Province.
Perhaps most unsettling for the countrys leaders is the creeping rise in the inflation rate; Chinas consumer price index went up 6.4 percent year-on-year in June, the steepest rise in three years. Analysts say average inflation for the year is certain to surpass the 4 percent benchmark Chinese leaders had set. Though it may be peaking, inflation is likely to remain the policy priority well into the fourth quarter, Alistair Thornton, a China analyst at IHS Global Insight, wrote in a report last week.
Inflation puts China in much more of a policy bind if the West gets mired in another deep slump. In 2008, when the global financial crisis hit, China relied on stimulus spending and loose lending by state banks to pump up infrastructure building and other capital-intensive projects to maintain economic growth. Now, Chinese officials are concerned about rampant spending and are trying to tighten bank lending.
One point of tension between the United States and China has faded into the background in recent months: Chinas valuation of its currency. The Obama administration had long pushed China to appreciate its currency to correct trade imbalances and help restructure the world economy. The Chinese government was reluctant to do so, fearing the cost to exports. But an undervalued renminbi contributes to inflation, so China has been slowly letting the renminbi rise against the dollar.

The issue may also be losing some of its weight in American politics. The International Monetary Fund pointed out in a report last month that a stronger renminbi would not necessarily bolster job creation in the United States.
So instead of Mr. Biden pressing the Chinese on their currency, Chinese officials are likely to be pressing him about the stability of the dollar. All the while, they will be trying to gauge the strength of President Obama, having witnessed the difficulties he faced in persuading Republicans in Congress to raise the debt ceiling.
It always encourages good behavior in China when they think theyre dealing with a strong U.S. president, said Kenneth G. Lieberthal, a China scholar at the Brookings Institution who served on the National Security Council in the Clinton administration. Its hard to see how recent events would have created an impression that hes a strong leader.

I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST WRITER GIRL COMPLETE THIS:

Select one of the four hypothetical business situations below, or create your own business-to-business entity (i.e. non-retail). In a 1,050 to 1,750-word paper address these basic elements of business formation:
1) Idea/vision for the business
2) Identify legal and regulatory issues to be considered in creating/modifying this business
3) How you would select professionals to rely upon for business advice, and whom would you choose?
4) What legal entity choice would you make for this business and why?
a. Business Situation No. 1
Joe operates a commercial landscaping and tree trimming business. Joe is very successful and has enough clients to keep him busy, along with at least 50 workers, working six days a week. Occasionally, a client rents a piece of equipment from Joe?s business. Clients sometime take their time paying for Joe?s services and, therefore, Joe is sometimes late paying his bills.
Joe?s capital is only about $250,000, most of which consists of trucks and earth moving equipment worth approximately $200,000, plus an extensive assortment of lawnmowers, chainsaws, edgers, and other landscaping equipment. Last year?s revenues exceeded $500,000. Many of the employees are seasonal and turnover is high.
b. Business Situation No. 2
Maury and Sons is an oilfield-drilling contractor. Maury has been dead for years and Monty and Max, two of Maury?s grandsons, now operate the business as a general partnership. They contract with companies such as ExxonMobil and BP-Amoco. Last year?s contracts exceeded $1 million in revenues, an all-time high. The partnership currently employs 50 people on oil-rig crews and 10 in administrative positions.
Monty and Max each own 25% of the business (they acquired their interests from their deceased fathers, Fred and Barney). Two aunts, Wilma and Betty, own the remaining 50%. Wilma and Betty, each in their early 80s, have no children.
The business was originally a sole proprietorship. Maury brought Fred and Barney into the business, yet there is no formal partnership agreement. Wilma and Betty have never been actively involved in the business, yet were given their interests after Maury?s wife, Mable, passed away.
Monty and Max want to continue to expand the business and, eventually, sell the business to a ?consolidator? (a company that buys local businesses, usually in exchange for a combination of stock, cash, and debt).
c. Business Situation No. 3
Three former employees of ChipeX, Inc. have developed a prototype for a new microchip to power the next generation of personal computers. They have assurances from venture capitalists that they will receive whatever financing is needed to manufacture the chip, provided they take 51% of the ownership interest. The venture capitalists do not want to interfere in the business operations and have agreed to allow the developers to control the operations, provided certain financial objectives are achieved. They expect to begin manufacturing of the chip within two years. Based on outside evaluations, the chip should be a success. The expectation is that the new venture will go public, or be sold to investors, within five years.
d. Business Situation No. 4
Five friends have gotten together to form a commercial construction business. Two of the friends have sizeable assets, but little construction experience. These two also have some experience in running companies. The other three friends have a small amount of capital to invest. Their major contribution to the group is that all three formerly worked for very successful homebuilders, and one individual headed the local division of a national construction company for the past two years.
Even with their combined savings, the group realizes that they will need to either obtain bank financing or outside investors. Bank financing will require that the five friends put up their personal assets as collateral. Outside investors will not demand personal collateral, but will demand control. The five friends believe that the company will be a success. Yet, even without having to give a bank personal collateral, they are concerned that if the business fails, they could lose everything they have accumulated.

List responses under each topic:
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3 pages on Case Paper: Complete the Case Study problem "the PIVOT Initiative at Midwest Bank, Part I" on p364.
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3 pages on Real World Assignment: Many restaurants and hotels use "tabletop" customer satisfaction surveys.? Find three of these from local businesses.? What internal performance indicators might be good leading indicators for the customer satisfaction items in the survey?
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1 page on Discussion Question: The Kaizen philosophy seeks to encourage suggestions and not to find excuses for failing to improve. Using the Internet, current events, and any other periodicals, post 10 excuses why people don't try to improve. Please cite each of your sources.
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I will be attaching additional readings/lectures to these assignments.

Discuss FEMA's role in continuity of operations planning. Conduct research and discuss two directives, polices, or procedures that are critical to the government protecting critical infrastructures. Describe any local business or organizational planning implications that these directives, policies, or procedures may have on your business or organization in coordinating with state and local public authorities to protect your organization's assets.

do not fax

Pappadeaux Restaurants
The Pappadeaux chain of restaurants is a well-known and popular series of various restaurants located primarily in the Southwest. See http://www.pappadeaux.com/about.html for a complete description of this chain.
Now assume the following hypothetical facts. Last year Pappadeaux opened a new seafood restaurant in San Diego to test that market. Gregory Gourmet has been the manager and has just completed his first year and is now undergoing his first annual review. Harry Hammerhead, the area manager, will determine Gregory?s bonus based on this review.
Below is the projected budget Gregory was given at the opening of the restaurant and the actual results for the first year.


Pappadeaux Restaurants - San Diego No. 1
Income Statement
For the Year Ended April 30, 2000

Budget Actual Variance

Sales 900,000 800,000 (100,000)

Expenses

Food 300,000 250,00 50,000

Supervisory Labor 90,000 95,000 (5,000)

Hourly Labor 180,000 150,000 30,000

Utilities 40,000 47,000 (7,000)

Insurance and Taxes 30,000 32,000 (2,000)

Rent 50,000 60,000 (10,000)

Supplies 18,000 14,000 4,000

Corporate Overhead 90,000 120,000 (30,000)

Total Expenses 798,000 768,000 30,000

Net Income 102,000 32,000 (70,000)

Harry reviewed the budget and said to Gregory "This was a terrible year for you. Your profits are $70,000 under budget and I am holding you responsible. Don?t even think about a bonus ? in fact, perhaps you should begin to think about some other line of work. But I am a generous man so you review this budget and then you tell me how you could have done better and I will give you another chance if your explanation shows you understand how you need to improve. Have a written report on my desk in 48 hours."
Gregory?s analysis revealed the following:
? National corporate advertising was reduced by 20% nationally and 40% in the San Diego area. Sales are heavily dependent on national advertising.
? All food, hourly labor and supplies are variable (dependent on sales). The other costs are fixed in nature.
? All food is purchased by the central corporate office and billed to the restaurants. Food prices for the year were 10% above projected unit prices.
? Gregory has reduced the number of hourly employees but increased their wage rates in the belief that better paid employees would work harder.
? Supplies are purchased locally.
? Supervisory labor was over budget because Harry granted all supervisors a mid-year raise.
? Utility rates were increased by the Public Utility Commission although consumption was on budget.
? Insurance costs were on budget but local business taxes were increased.
? Rent is established by corporate headquarters because the building is company owned.
? The corporate rate is allocated to all restaurants on the basis of revenue. The application rate was increased because of a new computer system installed in corporate headquarters.
Prepare the report that Gregory must give to Harry. Be sure to include a flexible budget and concentrate on the concept of responsibility accounting. What recommendations would you make to change the system of accounting for the company? Why? Please show all numbers and calculations that helped you come up with your results.

After reading chapters 9 and 12, answer those questions. Use two answers on each page. Thank you.

1) Drawing upon your own experience with a business or other organization, explain the concept of organizational culture and outline what must be done to sustain an effective

culture. When new leadership comes in and takes over the helm of an organization, does it [i.e., he or she] have an obligation to sustain its culture, or to re-shape it, or . . .? Explain.

2) What is a top management team [TMT] and how do such teams affect company performance and the ability to innovate and make effective strategic decisions? Also, describe an example of a TMT thats doing either exceedingly well or, exceedingly poorly drawing upon your current business reading or a firm youre familiar with.

3) Firms who work together to achieve a shared objective are using a cooperative strategy [of one sort or another]. Discuss the key reasons that some firms choose to use a cooperative strategy. Are these reasons of equal validity or legitimacy? And, given that not all cooperative endeavors achieve success, what are a few of the reasons why this might be so?

4) Choose a firm which you are familiar with from the local business community. Is the firm successful in the following one (or more) generic strategies? Why or why not? What do you believe are some of the challenges the firm faces in implementing these strategies in an effective manner?


Note:
To access e-book, follow these directions:

1) Go to www.coursesmart.com
2) Click on "Sign In" on top of the page and log in.
E-mail: [email protected]

3) Then, pick a book from the list (Strategic Management, 8th Edition)
4) Click on "Read Online Version" button (green).
5) For easy navigation around chapters, click on "Detailed Table of Contents" (on the left column).

In the role of a business advisor for a local business ?start-up? consultancy company, you have been asked to provide a portfolio for a potential new customer who requires advice on how to start a new business venture:


________________________________________________________________ The Repot Task

(1) How to start a new business venture as a Fast Food takeaway in Wolverhampton City UK

(2)Using the ?Marketing mix?, develop a Marketing Strategy for the Fast Food takeaway in Wolverhampton.

_____________________________________________________________

Submit your answers in the form of a business report.

The structure for this report

*Summary
*Introduction
*Mainbody
*Conclusions
*Recommendations
*References

Please do not use sources from the Internet or no more than five sources from the web Site

Financial Sustainability

Imagine you work as a business consultant. Companies and governmental entities hire your firm to make recommendations for streamlining business operations, such as to make companies more fiscally sound. You are asked by your supervisor to present at a local business conference on the subject of financial sustainability. Your audience is business analysts who are expecting your explanation to include mathematical rationale. You may address business issues related to private businesses, governmental operations, or personal finances.

* An overview of the field including a definition of sustainability
* An introduction to the mathematical concepts
* An explanation of how math is used in the field

Read the Article.
Then answer these questions

10. Risk Resulting from International Business. This chapter concentrates on possible benefits to a firm that increases its international business.
a. What are some risks of international business that may not exist for local business?
b. What does this chapter reveal about the relation-ship between an MNCs degree of international busi-ness and its risk?

In addition, consider the risks a US firm faces when investing in China, what a stronger Remnimbi means, as well as rising inflation.

Provide insightful comment or critique after establishing your own position.
There are faxes for this order.

The objective of this assignment is to learn to identify and describe processes in organizations. You will be
individually responsible for finding a business process (i.e., a sequence of activities carried out to create
something of value to someone) and preparing a written description that includes the actors, actions,
resources needed and flows of information and material. The process must be of sufficient complexity to
require at least 2 pages of description. You may choose any local business, campus organization or other
organization to analyze. You can describe a big process involving many people at a high level or a small
process involving just one person in great detail. Your write up should include the following at a minimum:

1. Data gathering methodology you used to learn about the process
2. Advantages and disadvantages of the methodology used to learn about the process
3. Source of data (e.g., dates and times of observation, names and phone number of individuals
interviewed)
4. Overview of the process and what it accomplishes
5. Detailed description of the process (detailed enough that a reader could construct the process flow
chart and data flow diagram for the process)
6. Process flow chart (sometimes called the Work Flow diagram)
You must use a drawing program to prepare the flow chart. Hand drawn diagrams will not be accepted.
The assignment will be graded based on the following criteria:
Completeness of description of data collection method and process.
Interestingness of process chosen.
Depth of analysis.
Quality of writing.

And the third page is for the flow chart.

Thank you..

Learning outcomes and pass attainment level:
On completion of the course of study, students should be able to:
1. Evaluate international sources of finance and the risks associated with them
2. Critically appraise investment decisions at national and international level
3. Critically appraise financial aspects of domestic and international merger & acquisition.


COURSEWORK INSTRUCTIONS
This is an individually assessed assignment. There is no objection to students discussing the content and approaches to be adopted but the final submission must be 100% your OWN work. PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
Please ensure that all your calculations are supported by relevant workings.
Please attribute any references you make to published work of others using Harvard Referencing.
There are two questions in the assignment. You should attempt both questions and every part of each question. The word limit is 3,000 words.
When determining the amount of effort for each section of the assignment you should take notice of the mark allocation included in this pack.

Mark Content
70+
Excellent
Excellent work which demonstrates authoritative grasp of the concepts, methodology and content appropriate to the subject discipline. Indication of originality in the application of ideas, in synthesis of material or in performance; personal insights reflecting depth and confidence of understanding and real critical analysis. Work is well structured and presented with full referencing.
60-69

Good
Very good work which demonstrates sound level of understanding based on a grasp of relevant concepts, methodology and content; displays skill in interpreting and analysing complex material. The material is well organised and referenced
50-59

Acceptable
Recognisable awareness of the requirements of the coursework. There is evidence of some understanding. It uses relevant source material and demonstrates some understanding of the concepts. There is an attempt to draw relevant conclusions.
45-49 Unacceptable
Marginal fail. Unsatisfactory but showing some understanding. May be condonable is stronger performance on one aspect of the work compensates for weaker work elsewhere.
0-44 Unacceptable
A poor attempt Little evidence of understanding or application.

?

Submission date:
Students are required to undertake this one coursework assignment which will represent 100% of the final mark.
You are encouraged to work together throughout this module and that that includes discussions about the assignment. However, it is essential that the work you finally submit is exclusively your own.
My advice to you is that once you start writing you should keep your work to yourself and you should not use work produced by other students.
Examples of acceptable activities are:
Sharing details of websites or articles you have found useful.
Discussing your views on what you have read with other students.

Examples of unacceptable activities are:
Working on calculations with another student or using another students calculations.
Sharing the quotes you are going to use in your work.
Sharing your conclusions.
Sharing your bibliography.
Showing anyone else any of your written work.

As part of the submission requirement for this work you must upload an electronic copy of your work to Turnitin as well as submitting a hard copy in the normal way. Instructions for doing this are on the Moodle site.
Good luck with your assignment







Case Study
Pormind plc is a small capitalised UK resident manufacturing company which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Pormind plc suffered three years of loses following the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 and is seeing many of its traditional customers seeking supplies from new growing markets.
The new Finance Director believes that Pormind must prepare itself for the changing global economy by expanding operations into a number of emerging markets. He proposes that Pormind seeks to undertake a series of takeovers of private companies in countries which have been identified as suitable for Pormind to seek takeover targets in. The Finance Director proposes that Pormind undertakes five acquisitions within the next ten years. The Finance Director is proposing that calculating the Net Present Value of any proposed takeover should form the basis for deciding if a local business would make a suitable target for Pormind.

In order to undertake the kind of expansion activity envisaged by the Finance Director it will be necessary for the company to raise a very significant amount of new capital. The Finance Director believes that where possible new capital should be raised in the country in which the takeover is taking place.
You have been retained as a consultant by the Board who want you to undertake an initial study into the feasibility of the Finance Directors proposal.

Required:

You are required to prepare a report addressing the following issues:
a) A critical assessment of the proposal to raise capital locally rather than in the UK. You should consider the costs, the risks and any benefits or disadvantages of the proposal. (15 marks)
b) A review of the literature to identify factors which academics consider to be fundamental to an analysis of country risk. You should conclude your review with a list of factors which you consider to be fundamental together with some attempt to rank them for importance. (30 marks)
Guidance:
You can find examples of country risk analysis at these websites:
http://www.euromoney.com/poll/10683/pollsandawards/country-risk.html?Type=Polls&PageID=10683

http://www.eiu.com/site_info.asp?info_name=sovereign_ratings

http://www.oecd.org/trade/exportcredits/crc.htm

You are not required to identify the factors used by the above websites. You should use the library and the electronic journals to source your articles. While popular sites such as wikipedia and investopedia may prove useful starting points for your learning they do not constitute academic articles and should not be included in your review.

c) Use the factors you identified in Part b) to undertake a country risk analysis of your allocated country. It is not necessary to undertake a statistical analysis.
(30 marks)
d) The senior management is not sure what cost of capital should be used to estimate Net Present Value. One of the directors attended a short course on finance recently and came across the term Capital Asset Pricing Model that can be used to estimate cost of equity. Obtain financial data for a company of your choice from 250 listed companies, using their published beta, estimate its cost of equity and weighted cost of capital as an example to explain to senior management how the cost of capital is determined.. Furthermore provide a critical evaluation of the suitability of the net present value and the capital asset pricing model techniques for assessing potential target companies in the manner proposed by the Finance Director.
Note that the total return for investors in UK equities was around 13% in 2012 and the risk free rate is 2%.
(25 marks)

The country analysis that was given is chad republic and the company to use is Dixon retail plc

There are faxes for this order.

APPENDIX C
MARKETING CASE ANALYSIS
This final project will demonstrate all that you have learned of marketing. The format of this
paper should follow this Case Study Format. Properly done, this project will demonstrate your
skills in communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity.
To provide focus and avoid last minute panic, you will have selected a business or product for
your project by the end of the first night of class. If possible, try to select a local business to use
as a ?living? case study. Your business or product must be ?approved? by your instructor. This
approval is necessary so that you don?t take on a task that is either bigger than you can handle
within the confines of this course or one that provides so little challenge that the course
objectives would not be met. Non-profits can provide some unique marketing challenges and will
be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Then you will begin your Marketing research on this
organization and turn in the ?How Many People Will Buy??? paper on your organization in
Session III.
In order to defend your recommended solution and eliminate alternative solutions, you must
quantify your decision. In the business world this is done via financial analysis and projections.
Also, it is important that you not provide overly simplistic solutions. For example, saying that
Joe, the owner of Joe?s Repair Shop, should hire a marketing manager at $50,000 per year is no
solution. If, however, you go on to explain what this person would do, how they would do it, and
the results (quantified) that could be expected, then you have a viable solution. It may seem
obvious, but your solution(s) must also relate to the problem that you identified earlier
Lastly, if you selected a local business for your project, you are strongly encouraged to invite the
owner/manager to the final night of class for your presentation. It allows you to demonstrate your
acquired knowledge and it provides a positive image for Concordia and our students in the
marketplace.
There are two parts to the Marketing Case Study:
a. The written case study. There is no set length for this, but it would be difficult to
conceive of a successful effort being less than 10-15 pages. You should use the Adult
Education Written Assignment Format and APA for citing of all sources within the
text and at the end of the document on the References page.
Note that in the Case Study Format that you are to identify a problem early on. As you
proceed through the thinking required in the case study analysis you may develop
additional information which causes you to re-evaluate your assessment of the problem.
This is a proper part of the critical thinking process; make sure that in your final
analysis, your solution solves the problem you posed.
b. You will make an oral presentation of your case, using visuals as appropriate. This
should take about ten minutes, including time for questions, to present the background of
your case, your key findings, alternative solutions and your recommended action.

The literature review should support the preparation of a proposal for a dissertation which undertakes a comparative legal study of the impact of certain western-based/neoliberalistic commercial/economic law on three economies which may have chosen to adopt them after the Asian Financial Crisis being China, Indonesia and Malaysia. The three countries are chosen as China is based on socialist law, Indonesia is predominantly a Civil law system, and Malaysia is based on the Common law system. The area of law I want to focus on is M&A and perhaps with a touch of public finance (by involving cases including state owned companies) I

My initial hypothesis is that where those laws so adopted were successful in truly transforming those countries economically were where was significant tweaking to the neo-liberalistic/market economy notions themselves before implementation. Countries which adopted these legal notions without adopting some sort of protectionism, or sufficiently fostering a regime for local businesses to grow end up having weaker national economies notwithstanding market economic principles were adhered to.

Writers

Assume you are the new police chief of Sunny Grove a suburban community of 40,000 people. The previous chief was fired by the City Council because of several operational problems in the department. You have previously been police chief in a much smaller community in a different part of the state. There are 110 officers in the department who provide the full range of police services to the community.

The problems of the last few years include: two officers were accused by the state police of involvement in string of thefts from local businesses. They resigned, but were not convicted of the crimes. The traffic court clerk was convicted of stealing money for the traffic fines. An audit by the state attorney general's office found that the record keeping system in the department was seriously deficient. The latest FBI crime report found that the percent of crimes solved by the department was the lowest of any department its size in the state. Finally, the fiscal audit of the department by the City Finance Director shows that the department overspent its allocated funds by 10% last year. Money had to be taken from other departments to pay police officers for the last two months of the fiscal year.

The Mayor and City Council made it clear in your final interview for the job that they expect you to quickly solve the problems that have existed in the department. In your case analysis indicate what principles of management control you would apply to solve the problems of the department.

As with other cases the goal is not to have you respond with just your instincts or off the top of your head. How ought the principles of control found in the readings be systematically applied to this situation?
PLEASA NOTE
I WANT YOU TO CONCENTRATE ON BUDGET CONTROL
There are faxes for this order.

Review Case Scenario and answer below questions within research paper

CASE SCENARIO:
You are an administrator of a Florida Gulfcoast beach city and are called into the city manager's office. The city manager explains that because of the recent BP oil spill, commissioners were concerned that if oil were to wash up on their city beaches, it would devastate the tourism industry and ruin the city financially. The city manager further explains that they have no policies or procedures concerning an oil spill. Therefore, the city manager asks that you prepare a research paper that thoroughly addresses:

INTRODUCTION NEED:
1) What, if any, state and/or federal regulations, codes or administrative rules govern an oil spill of this nature?

2) Who or what entity would be responsible for protecting the beach if an oil spill was headed their way?

3) Who would pay for protecting the beach and who would pay for any of the cleanup?

4) Who would pay for lost revenues to the city and local businesses should they suffer because of oil on the beach?

5) What, if any, legal remedies (lawsuits) could the city take advantage of should the oil reach the beach?

6) What federal and state administrative agencies would be involved and what their function is, and how would they interact with the city.

7) What internal policies and procedures would you develop to satisfy the concerns of the city and give a thorough reasoning what these policies and procedures would accomplish and why the city should implement the policies and procedures.
8) Would there be any related costs associated with the implementation of the policies and procedures.

9) Any and all other concerns that you feel are important.

-Read Colson Whitehead, extract from The Colossus of New York.
-Read Zoshchenko memoir.


The essay is:
Write about some aspect of your hometown (that you care about a lot), using as much speci?c detail as Whitehead uses about New York.
My home is London so I need to write about London, I have already started so here is a brief idea of what I have started.
I must NOT refer to the author but write like the author.

I find it interesting how both Whitehead and I can remember almost every detail of those really early memories; ?my first city memory is of looking out a subway window as the train erupted from the tunnel on the way to 125th Street and palsied up onto the elevated tracks?? Why and how have things changed so rapidly? How is it that I can barely remember what I did and where I went yesterday or the day before?
Whiteheads, urban nostalgia brought back memories to many traditional places that are close and dear to my heart that I am privileged to live through. My fondest memories of London, my own version of the ?real? London, were in my early years, when life seemed so simple and where my hometown seemed so tiny ? I always felt so content with its simplicity. There was always that one pub my family and I went to on Sundays, that one park I always played in right by the cemetery and that one sweetshop on the corner of the high street, where my parents would spoil me if I had been behaving well - how it made me smile from ear to ear every time we approached it. Even the idea of shopping felt easy, as there were only three shops that we had in mind if ever we needed anything. Everything seemed easy. I don?t know how or when it happened but my London started to charge.
At the age of 9, that favorite sweetshop of mine was converted into an estate agent. My heart almost breaks every time I walk past ?Savills ? the capital?s property experts?. What used to be there truly had the best traditional vanilla fudge, my memories are the only thing that enable me to relive those moments where nothing else mattered once I had a bite of heaven (for ?1.50). Further, I only just noticed the other day that the local fish and chip stand, one of London?s most famous was demolished and turned into extra car park bays. Even shopping got complicated, I never really feel like I know where I am going with regards to shopping. The place to find what you?re looking for is now Oxford Street. One need only walk down it to feel as though it?s the definition of chaos and manic shoppers. I remember first walking down the street, I was pushed and shoved, there was no concept of personal space. And where I could not even hear myself think, due to the sirens barking down my ear. Even my local seemingly high street had become invaded with more shops, restaurants, offices and local businesses. However, I am very thankful that all the noise seems to dramatically fade when I go back to my local park where the only noise comes from the sound of the leaves, the drizzle of rain and that sound of a squirrel climbing a tree. The issue of having a memory of something is twofold. On the one hand it allows us to go back in time and re-live those beautiful moments but on the other hand it is upsetting to be able to stand in the same place to only find the modernization and consumption of societies current needs.