Dónde tomar clases gratis para el examen de ciudadanía

Dà ³nde tomar clases gratis para el examen de ciudadanà ­a Los residentes permanentes legales pueden tomar clases gratis con numerosas organizaciones para estudiar los exmenes de inglà ©s y de conocimientos histà ³ricos y cà ­vicos, los cuales forman parte de los requisitos para adquirir la ciudadanà ­a estadounidense por el trmite de la  naturalizacià ³n. En este artà ­culo se listan 40 organizaciones - y sus respectivos nà ºmeros telefà ³nicos- ubicadas en los 12  estados con mayor poblacià ³n latina que brindan gratuitamente clases para la ciudadanà ­a. Adems, muchas de ellas tambià ©n ayudan para completar el formulario N-400, con el cual se inicia la tramitacià ³n de la solicitud de la naturalizacià ³n.   Los migrantes que residen en otros estados encontrarn, al final de este artà ­culo, un telà ©fono al que pueden marcar desde cualquier parte de Estados Unidos para solicitar informacià ³n sobre organizaciones locales que prestan este servicio. Finalmente, antes de presentar este documento se recomienda a todos los residentes permanentes verificar si califican para no pagar la tarifa correspondiente que, en la actualidad, es de $725, incluidos los $85 de la toma de los datos biomà ©tricos.  ¿Donde tomar clases gratis para examen de ciudadanà ­a? Todas las organizaciones que se listan a continuacià ³n forman parte de la campaà ±a para Nuevos Ciudadanos Americanos, liderada  por el Immigrant Legal Resource Center y del que forman parte asociaciones sin fines de lucro, fundaciones, organizaciones religiosas y despachos de abogados. Las organizaciones religiosas en este listado atienden a todos los migrantes;  es decir, no es necesario practicar su religià ³n para recibir este tipo de ayuda. Arizona International Rescue Committee. Tel: 602-433-2440Chicanos por la Causa. Tel: 602-257-0700. E-mail: infocplc.orgPromise ArizonaFriendly House. Tel: 602-416-7210. E-mail: evelynsfriendlyhouse.org, a la atencià ³n de Evelyn SenzCampesinos sin Frontera. Tel: 928-627-5995. En el condado de Yuma California Immigrant Legal Resource Center en el rea de Central Valley. Tel: 415-255-9499NALEO Educational Fund en la zona de Los AngelesInstituto Internacional del Area de la Bahà ­a, en zona de San Francisco. Tel. 415-538-8100 ext. 206Public Law Center, en el rea del condado de Orange. Tel: 714-541-1010Ready Now San Diego, en el rea de San Diego. Tel: 619-363-3423Services Immigrant Rights Educational Services, zona de Sillicon Valley. Tel: 408-453-3017 Carolina del Norte Carolina Refugee Resettlement Program. Tel: 704-535-8803  Insteep. Tel: 919-680-8000. Email: infoinstepp.orgLa Coalicià ³n. Tel: 888-839-8682. Cobra una pequeà ±a tarifa. Colorado Puede contactar a Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition en: Denver.  Tel: 303-922-2244Montrose. Tel:970-249-4115 Florida Brevard Hispanic Center. Tel: 321-802-9516. Zona de Palm BayCatholic Legal Services. Tel: 305-372-1073 (Downtown Miami) y 305-887-8333 (Doral)Hispanic Services Council. Tel: 813-936-7700. TampaJustice Shall Be for All. Tel: 407-556-5955. Email: infojusticeshallbeforall.org. KissimmeeRedlands Christian Migrant Association. Tel: 800-282-6540. Area de Immokalee Georgia Catholic Charities of Atlanta. Tel: 770-790-3104GALEO. Tel: 885-54GALEOLatin American Association. Tel: 404-638-1800 (Atlanta), 404-702-0271 (Athens), 678-205-1018 (Lawrenceville)New American Pathways. Tel: 404-299-6099. Afiliada con el Church World Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries.Oficina del alcalde de Atlanta para Asuntos Migratorios. Email: welcomingatlantaatlantaga.gov Illinois Esperanza Legal Assistant Center. Tel: 309-732-0047Hispanic American Community Education and Services. Tel: 847-244-0300. Email: infohaces.orgIllinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Tel: 855-435-7693 Nueva York Catholic Migration Services. Tel: 728-236-3000 (Brooklyn), 347-472-3500 (Queens)CUNY Citizenship Now. Tel: 646-664-9400Dominicanos USA. Tel: 718-665-0400. Email: contactdominicanosusa.orgMake the Road New York. Tel: 718-418-7690Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights. Tel: 212-781-0355Oficina del Alcalde de Nueva York para Asuntos Migratorios. Tel: 212-788-7654Oficina del Estado de Nueva York para Nuevos Americanos. Tel: 1-800-566-7636 Nueva Jersey Make the Road New Jersey. Tel: 908-768-4991 Nuevo Mà ©xico New Mexico State University. Tel: 575-234-9280 (Carlsbad)Catholic Charities brinda ayuda a bajo costo en 2010 Bridge SW (Albuquerque) y en 1234 San Felipe Ave (Santa Fe) Texas American Gateways. Tel: 512-478-046, ext. 200 (Austin), 210-521-4768, ext. 232/233 (San Antonio), y 512-387-2650 (Waco)Catholic Charities of Dallas. Tel: 214-634-7182Catholic Charities of Galveston and Houston. Tel: 713-526-4611Proyecto Inmigrante. Tel: 888-793-2182. Oficinas en Dallas, Fort Worth y Wichita Falls Washington Colectiva Legal del Pueblo. Tel: 206-931-1514. Email: infocolectivalegal.orgOficina de Seattle para Inmigrantes y Refugiados. Tel: 202-727-8515.One America. Realizan Dà ­as de la Ciudadanà ­a por todo el estado. Adems, desde todos los estados se puede marcar a la Asociacià ³n Nacional de Oficiales Latinos Electos  (NALEO, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) al 888-839-8682. Esta là ­nea se atiende en inglà ©s y en espaà ±ol y se ofrece informacià ³n sobre otros centros cercanos adonde se puede acudir para solicitar ayuda en la preparacià ³n de los exmenes de inglà ©s, historia y conocimientos cà ­vicos para sacar la ciudadanà ­a estadounidense por naturalizacià ³n. Recursos en là ­nea para preparar el examen para la ciudadanà ­a Los residentes permanentes que consideren que es suficiente si estudian por sà ­ mismos, pueden practicar el examen en la pgina de la organizacià ³n Citizenship Works o en la pgina de UScitizenshipsupport.com. En ambas pginas se informa sobre las 100 preguntas de conocimientos cà ­vicos e historia que pueden ser preguntadas y tambià ©n se brindan tips memorà ­sticas para facilitar recordar las respuestas correctas el dà ­a del examen. Tambià ©n se ofrece informacià ³n prctica sobre quà © esperar el dà ­a de la entrevista y examen. Asimismo, en la pgina del Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) se brinda material para practicar el examen cà ­vico y el de inglà ©s. Es de interà ©s verificar siempre esta pgina porque actualiza posibles cambios a las preguntas. Por ejemplo, los nombres del presidente, vicepresidente,  partido en el gobierno y representantes locales ante el Congreso. Informacià ³n prctica sobre el examen para ciudadanà ­a por naturalizacià ³n Como regla general, actualmente la cita para presentarse al examen de inglà ©s y conocimientos histà ³ricos y cà ­vicos tiene lugar entre 6 y 8 meses despuà ©s de la presentacià ³n de los papeles. El examen, salvo casos excepcionales por edad o enfermedad o discapacidad, deber rendirse siempre y en inglà ©s. El mismo dà ­a tiene lugar la entrevista.   Si el migrante reprueba el examen, deber repetirlo. USCIS enviar una carta con una nueva cita entre 60 y 90 dà ­as despuà ©s.  Si de nuevo reprueba, la peticià ³n de naturalizacià ³n se negar y se deber iniciar desde cero un nuevo proceso de naturalizacià ³n y pagar una nueva tarifa. Por el contrario, si el migrante pasa el examen y la entrevista, como regla general jurar como ciudadano estadounidense entre 1 y 4 semanas despuà ©s de haber aprobado dicho examen. Es recomendable no viajar fuera de Estados Unidos desde la fecha en la que se aprueba el examen y la de juramentacià ³n y, si se hace, que sea por un corto periodo de tiempo. Finalmente, a la hora de adquirir la nacionalidad americana es  importante conocer las ventajas y derechos que se adquieren con esta ciudadanà ­a. Uno de los beneficios no muy conocido es que en promedio los ciudadanos ganan a lo largo de su vida laboral un 11 por ciento ms que los residentes permanentes legales.   Tambià ©n se puede votar en elecciones federales. Para ejercer el derecho al voto es necesario registrarse previamente segà ºn las leyes del estado en el que se reside. Puntos Clave: clases gratis para la ciudadanà ­a por naturalizacià ³n. Los residentes permanentes legales pueden nacionalizarse y adquirir la ciudadanà ­a  estadounidense mediante el trmite de la naturalizacià ³n.Los exmenes de inglà ©s leà ­do y escrito y de conocimientos histà ³ricos y cà ­vicos es parte del trmite de naturalizacià ³n.Numerosas organizaciones brindan clases gratis para ayudar a los migrantes a aprobar dichos  exmenes.NALEO Educational Fund es la coordinara nacional de muchas de  esas organizaciones a travà ©s de la Campaà ±a Citizenship Works. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings 20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings 20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings By Mark Nichol In past weeks, I’ve compiled lists of figurative meanings of the names of sense organs, parts of the head, and parts of the hand. Here’s a roster in which I’ve accumulated such references for other parts and elements of the body. 1. Arm: something resembling an arm in form and/or function, a part of a garment covering the arm, might or power or ability, a component or division, or support 2. Blood: refers to kinship or lineage, or to a quality intrinsic to someone because it’s supposedly a hereditary trait, or to bloodshed; as a verb, refers to providing a hound with a scented object to prompt a hunt, or to introducing to bloodshed or killing 3. Bone: the core, essence, or heart of something, or the design or framework of a composition, or a subject (usually in the idiom â€Å"bone of contention†) or an inclination or talent or, more often, the lack thereof (â€Å"I don’t have an artistic bone in my body†), or something intended to placate (â€Å"Throw him a bone†) 4. Breast: the location of emotion, something resembling a breast, or part of a garment that covers the literal breast (the sometimes-synonym chest first referred to a box and then was applied, by association, to the section of the body) 5. Foot: something resembling a foot in form and/or function, a lower or opposite end or edge or the bottom of something, a standard length, a unit of meter in verse, or a step or speed 6. Heart: courage or fortitude or persistence, affection or compassion or feelings, the center or essential or vital part of something, or a stylized representation of the organ, or one or more playing cards featuring such a symbol or a card game focusing on this suit 7. Hip: an angle of an intersection of parts of a roof 8. Intestine: the phrase â€Å"intestinal fortitude,† describing courage, derives from the association of the intestines with bravery (compare the informal synonym guts) 9. Leg: a limblike component, the part of an article of clothing or footwear that covers the leg, part of a journey or race, or one competition among several similar events, or long-term appeal or interest 10. Liver: a grayish and reddish brown, and seen in the expression â€Å"lily livered,† meaning â€Å"cowardly† 11. Lungs: a respiratory aid or device, or a variation of the literal meaning referring to someone’s capacity for producing loud sounds 12. Muscle: physical force, especially for intimidation or persuasion; as a verb, to infiltrate (often in the phrase â€Å"muscle in†) 13. Neck: a geographical or structural feature resembling a neck, or a narrow margin (as in the finish of a race), or, informally, a part or region; as a verb, to narrow, or to caress and kiss passionately 14. Shoulder: the side of an artificial or natural structure, as the shoulder of a road or of a mountain; as a verb, to push aside, or to bear, as with responsibility 15. Stomach: courage or fortitude, or desire or inclination, or appetite; in verb form, to put up with or withstand 16. Torso: an artistic representation of the human trunk, or something incomplete or damaged 17. Vein: a channel of water or a bed of mineral in rock or ice, or a quality or style, or an aptitude or mood 18: Viscera: in the adjectival form, visceral, corresponds to the adjective gut (for example, â€Å"gut feeling†), meaning â€Å"instinctive† (as in â€Å"She had a visceral sense that she was in danger†); alternatively, it means â€Å"earthy† (â€Å"The movie has a visceral tone, with its coarse characters and rough action†) 19. Waist: something resembling a waist in form and/or function (as part of an aircraft or marine vessel), an article (or part of an article) of clothing worn on or around the waist, or a line around the waist or a measurement of the line 20. Womb: a space resembling a womb in form and/or function, or the literal or figurative birthplace of an idea, product, or other physical or intellectual creation Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireCapitalization Rules for Names of Historical Periods and MovementsParataxis and Hypotaxis

Eleanor Roosevelt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eleanor Roosevelt - Essay Example During 40 years of public service Eleanor Roosevelt was able to change America's viewpoint on gender, race, and our integral part of a global society. To begin to understand Eleanor Roosevelt's contribution to America demands that we evaluate her commitment to Franklin Roosevelt and his desire for a more equal America. After serving a short stint with the American Red Cross and volunteer work in Navy hospitals during World War I, FDR was stricken with polio in 1921 ("Eleanor Roosevelt: First lady of the World" (1)). This propelled Eleanor into the life of politics, as she became a staunch supporter of FDR. It has often been said that she was the eyes and ears of FDR as she traveled the country and the world to report to FDR and offer her advice. These initial actions by Ms. Roosevelt laid the groundwork for one of the most influential figures in American history. One of the first, and certainly the most public, activities that Eleanor Roosevelt undertook was advocating for the poor in the face of Hoover's vision of America. She worked to get FDR elected and then changed her focus to the poor and minorities of America. She traveled the country insuring that the programs of the New Deal were being implemented fairly in regards to women and minorities. According to a recent article in Human Quest, a liberal Episcopalian publication, Ms. Roosevelt, "...gathered evidence and pressured the President to sign a series of Executive Orders to stop the discrimination in the New Deal projects. That was effective, and the share of blacks in New Deal work projects expanded" ("Eleanor Roosevelt, 'First Lady of the World'" (2)). This commitment to civil rights would be carried forward and later influence the desegregation of the armed forces under President Truman. Eleanor Roosevelt's political activism expanded to include women's rights and brought about the public's awareness that gender should be treated as a minority component. As a US Delegate to the United Nations she was instrumental in the writing and advocacy for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The Declaration begins with article 1 stating, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood" ("Universal Declaration of Human Rights"). Eleanor campaigned to have the wording of this important passage changed from "all men" to its current form ("Eleanor Roosevelt: The World's First Lady."(3)). This was one of the most influential documents regarding women's rights to date and was vital to securing the future of women's rights (Bunch 488). Eleanor was making her influence felt 60 years ago in the arena of women's rights on the international stage. Her pr ogressive thinking continues to reverberate through the vision where women are afforded equality in the workplace and within the law. Ms. Roosevelt's activities did not end with the most visible minority groups of race and gender but extended themselves to the area of the children most affected by the discrimination. In this area, Eleanor Roosevelt was instrumental in forming the African-American voting bloc as a key component of Democratic politics. Her support of the 'Black Cabinet' assured black politicians and administrators access to the president to push for favorable legislation that affected equal employment for women and blacks

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 35

Summary - Essay Example I improved my business writing skills by doing assignments on routine messages, persuasive messages, and indirect messages. I worked on the graded and revised versions of all these types of messages to know their significance in business communication. For routine messages, I learned three key steps to make the messages effective. Those steps included stating the main idea, providing details, and ending on a positive note. I learned the importance of ‘you’ orientation in sending routine messages to companies and clients. In homework related to persuasive messages, I learned that the basic purpose of such messages is to change the perception of the targeted people. I learned that persuasive messages, whether graded or revised, should focus on the influencing the mindset of the audience in order to be effective. In case of indirect messages, I learned that evidence leads to the main idea of the message. I also learned that indirect messages provide a good chance for the se nder to communicate his/her

Competition in the coffee industry

Competition in the coffee industry INTRODUCTION Today we stand witness to a new coffee era, one made up of Caffe Lattes, Espresso Macchiatos, Cappuccinos and Frappuccinos. Specialty Coffee is here to stay and no one will be more eager to tell you that than Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, the worlds largest specialty coffee bar. The study of Starbucks Corporation leads one on a multifaceted journey through an organizations insinuation into a culture, its dominance of a market and its creation of a brand synonymous with loyalty, integrity and longevity. Ever since it first spread through the Moslem world in the sixteenth century, coffee has played a pivotal role in society by providing meeting places for intellectuals from all sides of life to converge. As coffee was slowly introduced to the European world it was recognized for both its sociability and its taste. Soon Coffee houses were prevalent throughout Europe and were the natural locations for political, literary and societal debate. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the mid-seventeenth century and replaced beer as New York Citys favorite morning drink. Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 16,635 stores in 49 countries, including 11,068 (6,764 Company Owned, 4,304 Franchised) in the United States, followed by nearly 1,000 in Canada and more than 800 in Japan. Starbucks sells drip brewed coffee, espresso-based hot drinks, other hot and cold drinks, snacks, and items such as mugs and coffee beans. Through the Starbucks Entertainment division and Hear Music brand, the company also markets books, music, and film. Many of the companys products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks-brand ice cream and coffee are also offered at grocery stores. Michael E. Porter provided a framework that models an industry as being influenced by five forces. The strategic business manager seeking to develop an edge over rival firms can use this model to better understand the industry context in which the firm operates. Porters Five Forces of Competitive Position: Industry Rivalry The dynamics of the industry rivalry within the specialty coffee industry has changed dramatically since 1987. Unlike the early days of the specialty coffee industry when Starbucks competed primarily against other small-scale specialty coffee retailers they now compete against companies of varying sizes and different exposures to specialty coffee. Starbucks competes with a variety of smaller scale specialty coffee shops, mostly concentrated in different regions of the country. All of these specialty coffee chains are differentiated from Starbucks in one way or another. Coffee Bean competes with Starbucks. They are similar to Starbucks in their attempt to create a third-place but distinguish themselves by creating an entirely different atmosphere. Where Starbucks strives to create an upscale European atmosphere, Coffee Bean tries to implement a more American feel to their coffee houses. Often they will use knotty pine cabinetry, numerous fireplaces and soft seating. Also they offer a barrage of magazines and newspapers as well as the guarantee of speedy service and free refills. In addition, they offer free WiFi, drive through accessibility and meeting rooms for rent. Through their subsidiary VKI technologies, they have become the world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of coffee making equipment and related products. In addition to these smaller scale specialty coffee companies, Starbucks must now compete against two of the largest companies in the fast food industry who have recently entered the specialty coffee segment. The first of these competitors is Dunkin Donuts, who claims to be the worlds largest coffee and baked goods chain. Currently, Dunkin Donuts operates about 5,500 franchises around the United States, 80 stores in Canada and 1,850 throughout the rest of the world. In the past couple years the franchise has put enormous emphasis on their coffee beverages. They serve coffee beverages in an assortment of types and styles including espresso, cappuccino and latte. They also serve their coffee in an assortment of flavors including French Vanilla, hazelnut, cinnamon and numerous others. The largest industry rival currently facing Starbucks is the McDonalds restaurant fast food chain. McDonalds originated from a single San Bernardino, California hamburger stand, which opened in 1948, and has turned into what is now the worlds largest restaurant chain with over 14,000 restaurants in the United States alone. The key to McDonalds success has been the consistent quality standards they achieve for their food, coupled with their quick service and low prices. 10 years ago Starbucks and McDonalds were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum in the restaurant industry. However, McDonalds, encouraged by the success of its upgraded drip coffee, began testing numerous drinks sold under the name McCafe. Starbucks meanwhile, with its rapid expansion, was adding drive-through windows and numerous breakfast sandwiches, similar to the Egg McMuffins served at McDonalds, to their stores. These measures have drawn the two companies closer together as competitors due to an encroachment into the demographic consumer base made by each company. In summary, the current impact of the industry rivalry force created by the competition between specialty coffee retailers is very high, especially as contrasted to what it was at the time of Starbucks rapid expansion twenty years ago. The growth of the industry has slowed while the number of competitors within the industry has increased. Both of these factors, in addition to Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds high strategic stakes in the specialty coffee industry, have caused this change from weak to strong industry rivalry. Potential for New Entrants Another of the five forces in Porters model, which has changed significantly since the late 80s when we analyze the current environment in which Starbucks competes, is the potential for new entrants. As stated earlier, the primary deterrents to entry in the specialty coffee industry are the various barriers to entry. The economies of scale within the specialty coffee industry have increased as the size of the top players has increased. Companies such as Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds have national distribution channels through which they can transport their specialty coffee at a relatively low cost compared to potential new entrants who have no such developed distribution systems. These larger companies are also able to economize on their accounting operations and marketing budgets by facilitating their specialty coffee operations from the same department as for all segments of their businesses. Finally, these larger corporations are also able to reap economies of scale through their purchasing by negotiating long term contracts with coffee farmers and purchasing coffee beans in bulk quantities at discount prices. There is numerous cost disadvantages imposed on new entrants that are independent of the economies of scale considerations. As the industry matures, the ability to access distribution channels and select from the highest quality coffee beans has becoming increasingly difficult. Most of the favorable store locations within the larger metropolitan areas have already been occupied by current competitors within the specialty coffee industry. Additionally, many companies now have proprietary product technology involved in the production of their specialty coffee as well as lower per unit costs due to an experience curve. Product differentiation within the specialty coffee industry has moved away from the purely objective and defined traits such as the taste of the coffee, convenience of the stores and prices charged. The industry has progressed toward more subjective traits such as the ambience of the store, the social responsibility of the company and brand identification. Many companies have gained very loyal customer bases stemming from their past advertisements, customer service, objective product differentiations and early entry into the industry. All of this makes it more difficult for new entrants to gain a solid customer base. From the analysis above, it can be ascertained that the barriers to entry in the specialty coffee industry have increased substantially. As a consequence, the potential threat of new entrants has gone down. Since, the industry does not have large capital requirements, smaller specialty coffee shops are still prevalent throughout the United States and the potential for more of them to enter the industry is still present. However, these new entrants can be disregarded given the unlikely nature of their concerted expansion and the inconsequential effects they have singly on the overall demand in the consumer market. Substitute Products The force created by substitute products in the specialty coffee industry has decreased. Many companies that presented the specialty coffee industry with a threat in the form of substitute products have actually entered the industry and now compete directly by offering their own premium coffee selections. The primary substitute products still posing a threat to the specialty coffee industry are the caffeinated soft drinks offered by Pepsi and Coca-Cola. However, even these substitute products pose little threat to the premium coffee industry. In the past five years, studies done on the percentage of meals or snacks that included a carbonated soft drink as opposed to coffee have shown a reversal in consumer preference. Coffee has gradually gained preference over carbonated soft drinks. This is mostly attributed to the health concerns associated with carbonated soft drinks and the new evidence showing coffee as a relatively healthy alternative. Supplier Bargaining Power With the extensive growth in the specialty coffee industry, supplier bargaining power has changed in numerous ways. In 1987, when the first Starbucks was conceived, the farmers from whom Starbucks purchased its premium coffee beans were numerous, small and unconnected to one another. Currently, many of the farmers who sell to Starbucks and other premium coffee chains are united by an initiative known as fair trade certified coffee, which was organized by TransFair USA. Under this initiative, companies such as Starbucks are given the opportunity to advertise their coffee as being fair trade certified if they purchase from coffee suppliers that are democratically owned cooperatives. This initiative was designed to ensure that the coffee farmers would be compensated fairly for their crops. Their increased unity under this initiative worked as a positive externality by increasing their ability to exert bargaining power over their buyers. The fair trade coffee certification is looked at by consumers in their decision of where to purchase their premium coffee. Thus, although the farmers are still numerous and small they are now connected through the initiative launched by TransFair USA and act in some respects like one large entity. Although the farmers of premium Arabica beans are still in constant competition with the substitute Robusta coffee bean growers, their bargaining power is not significantly diminished by this threat due to the unlikelihood of a big premium coffee retailer adopting the substitution. When Starbucks first began purchasing premium Arabica coffee beans in the late 1980s, they executed purchases incrementally throughout the year. Currently, they lock their coffee suppliers into long-term contracts to dilute potential price volatility. These contracts have stipulations within them which place a financial burden on the coffee suppliers if they choose to supply a different company. By creating these switching costs for the premium coffee suppliers, Starbucks has diminished their ability to play one buyer against another, which decreases their bargaining power. A last component to the analysis of supplier bargaining power within the current specialty coffee industry environment is the threat of forward integration. Technically, the farmers can forward integrate by setting up smaller coffee shops and brewing their own batches. This is, however, extremely unlikely and has yet to occur. When comparing the bargaining power of suppliers today in the specialty coffee industry to the bargaining power of suppliers during the late 1980s, it is apparent that suppliers are more powerful today. The increased unity among the coffee farmers, decreased significance of specialty coffee retailers purchases as a proportion of premium coffee bean sales and increased importance placed on high quality coffee beans by the purchasers have all acted to increase the bargaining power of the supplier group. Although Starbucks has locked some of the coffee suppliers into long-term contracts not all suppliers are affected; thus, the supplier bargaining power is only ma rginally diminished by that tactic. Bargaining Power of Buyers The last component of Michael Porters five forces analysis to be applied to the modern specialty coffee industry is the force created by the bargaining power of buyers. The primary buyers in the specialty coffee industry remain individual consumers, who neither engage in concerted behavior nor individually purchase in large volumes relative to the total sales of a corporation such as Starbucks. Unlike the late 1980s, however, there are a few buyers who purchase in large volumes. These large buyers are typically other multinational corporations who choose to serve Starbucks brewed coffee in their offices. However, the effects of losing one of these buyers to a competitor would not be detrimental to a company with a large sales volume such as Starbucks. Neither the individual consumers nor the multinational corporations who purchase specialty coffee commit a significant fraction of their resources to these purchases. This makes the buyers less sensitive to price fluctuations and gives the players within the specialty coffee industry more control over pricing. This acts to decrease the bargaining power of both the buyer groups. The expansion of the specialty coffee industry created a wider array of competitors who offered high quality specialty coffee. This made it much harder for the players in the specialty coffee industry to differentiate themselves through quality and turned quality into the industry standard. In addition to the increasing quality standardization which specialty coffee has undergone, the buyers face no switching costs and have an enormous selection of retailers from whom they can buy. The buyers of specialty coffee do pose a credible threat of backward integration. This threat can be carried out if a buyer chooses to start a mom and pop specialty coffee store in close proximity to an established specialty coffee store. Same-store sales are roughly 20% lower in Starbucks stores located within a two block vicinity of mom-and-pop specialty coffee stores. The ability of buyers to backward integrate is enhanced by the availability of all information regarding the demand, market pricing, and supplier costs in the specialty coffee industry through sources such as the World Wide Web. With full information, the buyer is in a better position to ensure that they pay a favorable price and receive an appropriate level of quality from the product. The amount of bargaining power that can be exerted by the buyers within the specialty coffee industry has increased as a result of the availability of information regarding market variables. This along with the other previously discussed changes to the dynamics of buyer bargaining power has increased its overall magnitude from the level it was at in the late 1980s. Limitations of Porters Five Force Model Porters model is a effective tool used to identify whether new products, services or businesses have the potential to be profitable. However it can also be very illuminating when used to understand the balance of power in other situations. Porter argues that five forces determine the profitability of an industry. At the heart of industry are rivals and their competitive strategies linked to, for example, pricing or advertising; but, he contends, it is important to look beyond ones immediate competitors as there are other determines of profitability. Specifically, there might be competition from substitutes products or services. These alternatives may be perceived as substitutes by buyers even though they are part of a different industry. An example would be plastic bottles, cans and glass bottle for packaging coffee for Starbucks. There may also be potential threat of new entrants, although some competitors will see this as an opportunity to strengthen their position in the market by ensuring, as far as they can, customer loyalty. Finally, it is important to appreciate that Starbucks purchase from suppliers and sell to buyers. If they are powerful they are in a position to bargain profits away through reduced margins, by forcing either cost increases or price decreases. This relates to the strategic option of vertical integration, when Starbucks acquires, or mergers with, a supplier or customer and thereby gains greater control over the chain of activities which leads from basic materials through to final consumption. It is important to be aware that this model has further limitations in todays market environment; as it assumes relatively static market structures. Based originally on the economic situation in the eighties with its strong competition and relatively stable market structures, it is not able to take into account new business models and the dynamism of the industries, such as technological innovations and dynamic market entrants from start-ups that will completely change business models within short times. For instance, coffee and soft drinks is often considered as being highly competitive. The industry structure is constantly being revolutionized by innovation that indicates Five Forces model being of limited value since it represents no more than snapshots of a moving picture. Therefore, it is not advisable to develop a strategy solely on the basis of Porters models Haberberg and Rieple, but to examine it in addition to other strategic frameworks of SWOT and PEST analysis. Nevertheless, that does not mean that Porters theories became invalid. What needs to be done is to adopt the model with the knowledge of their limitations and to use them as a part of a larger framework of management tools, techniques and theories. This approach, however, is advisable for the application of every business model. CONCLUSION Any company must seek to understand the nature of its competitive environment if it is to be successful in achieving its objectives and in establishing appropriate strategies. If a company fully understands the nature of the Porters five forces, and particularly appreciates which one is the most important, it will be in a stronger position to defend itself against any threats and to influence the forces with its strategy. The situation is fluid, and the nature and relative power of the forces will change. Consequently, the need to monitor and stay aware is continuous. Some issues during the implementation of these Five Forces are crucially important for organizations to build long-term business strategy and sustaining competitive advantages rather than simply list the forces. Successful use of the Porter Model Analysis includes identifying the sources of competition, the strength and likelihood of that competition existing, and strategic recommendations for the action a company should take to in order to develop barriers to competition. Having applied Michael Porters five forces model to the specialty coffee environment which confronted Starbucks in 2007, a conclusion can be logically derived regarding how the proportional effects of each force on the competition within the specialty coffee industry has changed since 1987. Specifically, the force created by industry rivalry has gone from one grounded in strategies of differentiation and focus while discouraging price wars to an extremely competitive environment where differentiation is increasingly difficult and price wars are looming. The strength of the force imposed by the potential for new entrants has decreased as a result of more formidable barriers to entry. The bargaining power of both suppliers and buyers has increased as a result of increased unity among the suppliers and the accessibility of information to the buyers. The threat of substitutes is still insignificant given the continued declining sales of carbonated soft drinks compared to coffee and speci fically specialty coffee.

Laurie Halse Anderson Essay

As Cayla Mills once said, â€Å"You never know strong you are†¦ until being strong is the only choice you have.† People in books, movies, and even in real-life don’t know their true strength until being strong is the only option they have. People will even become stronger and will demonstrate their strength by facing tough decisions and by dealing with their problems. Characters in books frequently demonstrate their true strength by overcoming obstacles in life. Throughout the books Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, characters demonstrate their strength by facing their problems. It is when they learn to speak up for themselves that they find their true strength and become even stronger than they were before. In the story Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda discovers her true strength through her problems with bullying. During the party over the summer, Melinda was raped and had not been able to speak up for herself. After the rape, she called the cops on the guy who had raped her. People had not treated her fairly because they thought she was strange for calling the cops at the party. She had not been able to tell anybody about what had really happened. Throughout the story, Melinda suffers to speak to other people. Since the story is told in first-person, the reader can understand the situations Melinda has suffered through. They feel her pain when Rachel walks up to her during the first day and says to her, â€Å"I hate you.† They also understand her difficulties with speaking up for herself. During the beginning, there are often conversations involving Melinda without her saying a word. When she decides to speak up for herself in the spring, she discovers her true strength and is able to tell Rachel, her ex-best friend, about the rape. Also, because Laurie Halse Anderson used symbolism ef fectively throughout the novel, the reader is able to understand Melinda in relation to a tree. Similar to a tree, Melinda hibernates in the winter and goes dormant, but gains the strength the speak up for herself in the spring. Another example from the story Speak is when Melinda has to protect herself from Andy Evans. When she is attacked once again by Andy Evans in the janitor’s closet toward the end of the book, she is given two options: to let Andy Evans gain control of her and possibly rape her a second time, or to defend herself against Andy Evans, despite her fear. She chooses to stand up against Andy Evans and gains the courage to say â€Å"no† to him, which is what she wasn’t able to say during the rape at the party. When  he assaults her further, she grabs a piece of the broken mirror and uses it to harm Andy Evans, disabling his speaking ability. During the entire first marking period, she tried to hide from mirrors so that she can’t look at herself. When she used the broken mirror to defend herself, it showed that she had the strength to face herself and to see that the rape had not been her fault. Through this decision she has demonstrated her true strength, and shows that she finally has the strength to protect herself from Andy Evans. Throughout the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Arnold must face both his problems at home and his problems at school in Reardan. At the beginning of the book, Arnold is treated poorly by the Indians on the rez for being bold enough to leave the rez and to go to Reardan. Arnold is also treated unfairly by the white people at Reardan for being the only Indian at the school. Toward the end of the book, however, Arnold gains the strength to start making new friends at Reardan. Even when his grandmother is, ironically, hit by a drunk driver and killed, he is able to demonstrate the strength he has gained from these new friends and from the hard choices he has made. At the beginning of the book, Arnold is faced with two options: to either stay on the rez and face his drunken father along with the rest of the drunken Indians, or leave the rez to go to Reardan. It would have been easier to stay on the rez, knowing that he would not be treated the same by the Indians after leaving, but he chose to go to Reardan. Arnold was bold enough to leave the rez to go to Reardan, where he had decided that he would be able to get a better education. Arnold is certainly not treated the same by the Indians after leaving, nor is he treated fairly by the students at Reardan. On the rez, he is frequently called an â€Å"apple,† meaning that he is white on the inside on red on the outside. By facing his problems head on, he is able to demonstrate true strength and is ultimately able to gain the trust of many students at Reardan. Cayla Mills once said, â€Å"You never know how strong you are†¦ until being strong is the only choice you have.† The quote describes how you never know how strong you really are, until the times in life that you must be strong. By facing one’s problems, it is possible to demonstrate true strength. In many real life situations and in books, the strongest characters find their true strength through suffering and often don’t know how strong they are until faced with difficult decisions.

The Importance Of Integrity And Self Respect - 1604 Words

Integrity means being true to ourselves and being honest, upright, and honorable in all of our dealings with others. When we are guided by integrity, our thoughts and words are in line with each other; our actions align with our principles, our conduct speaks for us, more eloquently than words ever could. It becomes the basis for both reputation and self-respect. Integrity demands courage but delivers untroubled sleep. Developing integrity requires internal honesty, because we can’t be honest with others unless we are honest with ourselves. It requires self awareness, since we cannot accurately communicate what we do not know. The amount of integrity that one has, defines who they are as a person. Being a United States Marine means taking all of your integrity and letting every ounce of it show in everything that you do. People of integrity can be counted on to stand up for what is right, even if it is execrated, and to behave with dignity even when there is no one around to see one perform these actions. Integrity allows other people to put their trust in us because they know that we value our commitments and seek to live by them in all things. It is one of the cornerstones of loving relationships and shared endeavors. The rectitude of a United states Marine means being true to ourselves and being honest, upright, and noble in our dealings with ourselves and with others. When we are guided by integrity, our thoughts and words are in line with each other; our actions alignShow MoreRelatedMy Personal Values: Professional Ethics Are the Foundation of Social Work1798 Words   |  7 Pagesjustice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. 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