The Tried and True Method for Samples of Leadership Essay in Step by Step Detail

The Tried and True Method for Samples of Leadership Essay in Step by Step Detail No matter the qualification and educational merit, everyone can develop into a leader. A leader ought to specify a performance program. An excellent leader has to be confident both facing the subjects and other individuals. He must also make sure that he or she not only communicates the appropriate information to the team, but also that everyone understands it. The Ultimate Samples of Leadership Essay Trick Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about a coming deadline. Leaders have the duty of guiding people to realize certain objectives or agendas. The leaders may also bring understanding amongst workers to give a peaceful environment at work. Rarely are you going to locate an ideal individual. The person who's a leader must possess decent communication abilities and must be the very best orator too. As a rule leadership is directed at encouraging individuals to attain common targets. Secondly, ethical leadership entails plenty of communication with one's subordinates as well as some other colleagues. The Ugly Secret of Samples of Leadership Essay There are a lot of characteristics which seem to be more important than others even though it is tricky to isolate only a couple. Before you begin attempting to consider the specifics or the structure of your leadership essay, you will need to understand a bit more on the topic of the leadership characteristics you've got. There are specific circumstances that need a strong concentrate on the distinctive traits of a person's character to be able to reveal the potential that the person holds. Much more can be added on the topic of the value of leader's individual traits. Leadership is an ability to lead men and women in order to attain specific objectives. Goals in an organization need to be achieved through a practice. Even though a teacher has an obligation to inspire learning, a CEO has the duty to lead and execute a corporation's strategies, and get the long-term objectives. Leadership is the procedure together with the capability of a leader to lead in a team to be able to attain a typical endeavor. It is mostly confused with management. They have to have high moral value and ethics if we are to have a better world. They have an important role within an organisation related to its success, productivity and the performance of the employees. Samples of Leadership Essay Fundamentals Explained Top-quality essay writing help is provided to the students at a really nominal cost by the expert essay helpers. The software becomes increasingly better during its job as a growing number of essays are being entered and can eventually offer specific feedback almost instantly. Introduction of the essay Writing an introduction is a significant step because it will determine how folks react to it. Writing a leadership essay isn't as complex as it appears. At the exact same time, a completely free sample of leadership essays for a scholarship is also offered for the graduates to allow them to understand the fundamentals of essay writing. Unlike your teacher who must read your essay to supply you with a grade, admissions staff don't need to read anything they don't need to. If you are searching for assistance with your essay then we provide a comprehensive writing service offered by fully qualified academics in your area of study. So as to be nice and efficient leader an individual must have to create many built-in skill One can't be effective as a leader without developing leadership abilities. A leader must be active and equally capable of all of the regions of leadership to play his role successfully. He also needs to respect his or her subordinates. Therefore, he gets the ability of acting confidently while inspiring trust in the members of the team. Therole of the leader isn't to know everything, yet to coordinate the actio ns of men and women who do. Remember which you don't need to be someone's superior to be a leader. An excellent leader doesn't sit back and observe what's happening, but rather they need to be the one making the decisions and making certain that the remainder of the team sees them through. It's very obvious that somebody who is behaving as a fantastic leader in politics may also lead a business with similar beauty.

Atlanta, Ga Vacation Spots Essay - 646 Words

Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. I have been to many places like Paris, France, and many other places, but one of my favorite places to go to is to Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta, there are many places to go and sights to see. For example, Six Flags, Stone mountain Park, and the Atlanta Braves Stadium, are all in or near the city of Atlanta. These places are family oriented and are easy to get to by a car, or a bus. Six Flags is a theme park that has anything from sweet treats to fun rides. Six Flags provides many things for all ages to do and enjoy. You also can see famous cartoon characters, such as Bugs Bunny, walking around the park. Teenagers and adults who have strong stomachs might enjoy riding the huge roller coasters.†¦show more content†¦My favorite activity is the laser show. The laser show takes place on the mountain. Stone Mountain Park is also a main focal point for the 1996 Olympics. Lastly, is the exciting Atlanta Braves Stadium, I spent most of my time there when visiting Atlanta. The stadium is always packed with rowdy Braves fans wearing various forms of Atlanta Braves t-shirts, hats and of course THE foam fingers. The crowds are just as fun to watch as the actual game itself. They get into the game by hollering and cheering for the Braves to win the game. There are many concession stands that serve hot dogs, pizza, nachos, and cold drinks. It is fun to see all of the players dressed in their uniforms, they all looked like they were excited to play. The coaches were helping some of the players on the field and going over plays. The coaches seemed more anxious to get the game started. The field itself was so green and the dirt was so clean looking. The Braves games have been more interesting over the past couple of years. In conclusion, there are many places to visit in Atlanta. The most exciting ones include Six Flags, Stone Mountain, and the Atlanta Braves Stadium. Each one offers various forms of fun for all ages. For instance, Six Flags offer kiddie rides as well as rides for the older children and adults. Stone Mountain Park offers horseback riding and laser shows. Lastly, the Braves Stadium offers great food and famous autographs. Everyone should visit the city ofShow MoreRelatedDescriptive Essay : My Boots 1617 Words   |  7 PagesLacing your boots Sweat was dripping down my face. I was readjusting my helmet for the last time as it broke earlier in the day. The trench almost looked like a vacation spot near the beach. The soft yellow light reflecting off the sand and the complete silence of the immediate area. My breath got shallow. I kept trying to practice perfect breathing but almost at the same time afraid that I would not hear a command. The sound of alternating radio beeps was inconsistent. 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Shaft free essay sample

The Lathe Turning is one of the most common of metal cutting operations. In turning, a workpiece is rotated about its axis as single-point cutting tools are fed into it, shearing away unwanted material and creating the desired part. Turning can occur on both external and internal surfaces to produce an axially-symmetrical contoured part. Parts ranging from pocket watch components to large diameter marine propeller shafts can be turned on a lathe. The capacity of a lathe is expressed in two imensions. The maximum part diameter, or swing, and the maximum part length, or distance between centers. The primary task of a lathe is to generate cylindrical workpieces. The process of machining a workpiece to the required shape and size by moving the cutting tool either parallel or perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the workpiece is known as turning. In this process, excess unwanted metal is removed. The machine tool useful in performing plain turning, taper turning, thread cutting, chamfering and knurling by adopting the above method is known as lathe. We will write a custom essay sample on Shaft or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Schematic illustration of the components of a lathe Schematic illustration of a turning operation showing depth of cut, d, and feed, f. utting speed is the surface speed of the workpiece at the tool tip. (b) Forces acting on a cutting tool in turning. Fc is the cutting force; Ft is the thrust or feed force (in the direction ot teed); and Fr is the radial torce that tends to push the tool away trom the workpiece being machined. Manufacturing processes used during the making of the power shaft: Turning Turning in a lathe is to remove excess material from the workpiece to produce a ylindrical surface of required shape and size. Straight turning The work is turned straight when it is made to rotate about the lathe axis and the tool is fed parallel to the lathe axis. The straight turning produces a cylindrical surface by removing excess metal from the workpieces. Step turning Step turning is the process of turning different surfaces having different diameters. The work is held between centres and the tool is moved parallel to the axis of the lathe. It is also called shoulder turning. Facing Facing is the operation of machining the ends of a piece of work to produce flat urface square with the axis. The operation involves feeding the tool perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the work. Chamfering Chamfering is the operation of bevelling the extreme end of the workpiece. The form tool used for taper turning may be used for this purpose. Chamfering is an essential operation after thread cutting so that the nut may pass freely on the threaded workpiece. Grooving Grooving is the process of cutting a narrow goove on the cylindrical surface of the workpiece. It is often done at end of a thread or adjacent to a shoulder to leave a mall margin. The groove may be square, radial or bevelled in shape. Thread cutting Thread cutting is one of the most important operations performed in a lathe. The process of thread cutting is to produce a helical groove on a cylindrical surface by feeding the tool longitudinally. But we did it manually using a die. Filling Filing is a final material removal process in manufacturing.

Services Marketing Essay Example

Services Marketing Essay Australasian Marketing Journal 18 (2010) 41–47 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Australasian Marketing Journal journal homepage: www. elsevier. com/locate/amj How the local competition defeated a global brand: The case of Starbucks Paul G. Patterson *, Jane Scott, Mark D. Uncles School of Marketing, Australian School of Business, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Americanised the coffee tradition. Keywords: Service brands Service quality Global branding International business Starbucks Coffee The astounding growth and expansion of Starbucks is outlined, both on a global scale and within Australia. The focus then shifts to the abrupt closure of three-quarters of the Australian stores in mid 2008. Several reasons for these closures are described and examined, including that: Starbucks overestimated their points of differentiation and the perceived value of their supplementary services; their service standards declined; they ignored some golden rules of international marketing; they expanded too quickly and forced themselves upon an unwilling public; they entered late into a highly competitive market; they failed to communicate the brand; and their business model was unsustainable. Key lessons that may go beyond the speci? cs of the Starbucks case are the importance of: undertaking market research and taking note of it; thinking globally but acting locally; establishing a differential advantage and then striving to sustain it; not losing sight of what makes a brand successful in the ? rst place; and the necessity of having a sustainable business model. O 2009 Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction ‘‘Shunned Starbucks in Aussie exit† (BBC News, 4 August 2008) then shifts focus to describe the extent of the store closures in Australia, before offering several reasons for the failure and lessons that others might learn from the case. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Services Marketing specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Services Marketing specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Services Marketing specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Background ‘‘Weak coffee and large debt stir Starbucks’ troubles in Australia† (The Australian, 19 August 2008) ‘‘Memo Starbucks: next time try selling ice to Eskimos† (The Age, 3 August 2008) ‘‘Taste of defeat for the mugs from Starbucks† (Sydney Morning Herald, 31 July 2008) ‘‘Coffee culture grinds Starbucks’ Australian operation† (Yahoo News, 3 August 2008) When the announcement was made in mid 2008 that Starbucks would be closing nearly three-quarters of its 84 Australian stores there was mixed reaction. Some people were shocked, others were triumphant. Journalists used every pun in the book to create a sensational headline, and it seemed everyone had a theory as to what went wrong. This case outlines the astounding growth and expansion of the Starbucks brand worldwide, including to Australia. It * Corresponding author. Tel. : +61 2 9385 1105. E-mail addresses: p. [emailprotected] edu. au (P. G. Patterson), [emailprotected] com. au (J. Scott), m. [emailprotected] edu. au (M. D. Uncles). Founded in 1971, Starbucks’ ? rst store was in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. By the time it went public in 1992, it had 140 stores and was expanding at a breakneck pace, with a growing store count of an extra 40–60% a year. Whilst former CEO Jim Donald claimed that ‘‘we don’t want to take over the world†, during the 1990s and early 2000s, Starbucks were opening on average at least one store a day (Palmer, 2008). In 2008 it was claimed to be opening seven stores a day worldwide. Not surprisingly, Starbucks is now the largest coffee chain operator in the world, with more than 15,000 stores in 44 countries, and in 2007, accounted for 39% of the world’s total specialist offee house sales (Euromonitor, 2008a). In North America alone, it serves 50 million people a week, and is now an indelible part of the urban landscape. But just how did Starbucks become such a phenomenon? Firstly, it successfully Americanised the European coffee tradition – something no other coffee house had done previously. Before Starbucks, coffee in its current form (latte, frappacino, mocha, etc. ) was alien to most US consumers. Secondly, Starbucks did not just sell coffee – it sold an experience. As founding CEO Howard Schultz explained, ‘‘We are not in the coffee business serving people, we’re in the people business serving coffee† (Schultz and Yang, 1997). This epitomised the emphasis on customer service such as making eye contact and greeting each customer within 5 seconds, 1441-3582/$ see front matter O 2009 Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10. 1016/j. ausmj. 2009. 10. 001 42 P. G. Patterson et al. / Australasian Marketing Journal 18 (2010) 41–47 leaning tables promptly and remembering the names of regular customers. From inception, Starbucks’ purpose was to reinvent a commodity with a sense of romance, atmosphere, sophistication and sense of community (Schultz and Yang, 1997). Next, Starbucks created a ‘third place’ in people’s lives – somewhere between home and work where they could sit and relax. This was a novelty in the US where in many small towns cafe culture consisted of ? lter coffee on a hot plate. In this way, Starbucks positioned itself to not only sell coffee, but also offer an experience. It was conceived as a lifestyle cafe. The establishment of the cafe as a social hub, with comfortable chairs and music has been just as important a part of the Starbucks brand as its coffee. All this came with a premium price. While people were aware that the beverages at Starbucks were more expensive than at many cafes, they still frequented the outlets as it was a place ‘to see and be seen’. In this way, the brand was widely accepted and became, to an extent, a symbol of status, and everyone’s must-have accessory on their way to work. So, not only did Starbucks revolutionise how Americans drank coffee, it also revolutionised how much people were prepared to pay. Consistency of product across stores, and even national boundaries, has been a hallmark of Starbucks. Like McDonald’s, Starbucks claims that a customer should be able to visit a store anywhere in the world and buy a coffee exactly to speci? cation. This sentiment is echoed by Mark Ring, CEO of Starbucks Australia who stated ‘‘consistency is really important to our customers . . . a consistency in the product . . . the overall experience when you walk into a cafe . . the music . . . the lighting . . . the furniture . . . the person who is working the bar†. So, whilst there might be slight differences between Starbucks in different countries, they all generally look the same and offer the same product assortment. One way this is ensured is by insisting that all managers and partners (employees) undergo 13 weeks of training – not just to learn how to make a coffee, but to understand the nuances of the Starbucks brand (Karolefski, 2002) and how to deliver on its promise of a service experience. The Starbucks formula also depends on location and convenience. Starbucks have worked under the assumption that people are not going to visit unless it’s convenient, and it is this assumption that underlies their highly concentrated store coverage in many cities. Typically, clusters of outlets are opened, which has the effect of saturating a neighbourhood with the Starbucks brand. Interestingly, until recently, they have not engaged in traditional advertising, believing their large store presence and word-ofmouth to be all the advertising and promotion they need. Starbucks’ management believed that a distinctive and memorable brand, a product that made people ‘feel good’ and an enjoyable delivery channel would create repeat business and customer loyalty. Faced with near-saturation conditions in the US – by 2007 it commanded 62% of the specialist coffee shop market in North America (Table 1) – the company has increasingly looked overseas for growth opportunities. As part of this strategy, Starbucks opened its ? rst Australian store in Sydney in 2000, before expanding elsewhere within New South Wales and then nationwide (albeit with 0% of stores concentrated in just three states: NSW, Victoria and Queensland). By the end of 2007 Starbucks had 87 stores, enabling it to control 7% of the specialist coffee shop market in Australasia (Table 1). By 2008, consumer awareness of Starbucks in Australia was 90% (Shoebridge, 2008), with each outlet selling, on average, double the number of coffees (270 a day) than the res t of Australia’s coffee shops (Lindhe, 2008). 3. Expansion into Asia Starbucks currently operates in 44 markets and even has a small presence in Paris – birthplace and stronghold of European cafe culture. Beyond North America, it has a very signi? ant share of the specialist coffee shop market in Western Europe, Asia Paci? c and Latin America (Table 1) and these regions make strong revenue contributions (Table 2). It is in Asia that they see the most potential for growth as they face increasing competitive pressure in their more traditional markets. Half the international stores Starbucks plans to operate in the next decade will be in Asia (Euromonitor, 2006; Browning, 2008). Indeed, Starbucks has done well in international markets where there has not traditionally been a coffee drinking culture, namely Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and China. In effect it has been responsible for growing the category in these markets. The ? rst Starbucks outside the US opened in Tokyo in 1996, and since then, Starbucks’ Japanese stores have become twice as profitable as the US stores. Unsurprisingly then, Japan is Starbucks’ best performing overseas market outside North America. More than 100 new stores open each year in Japan, and coffee is now more popular than tea in terms of both volume and value (Lee, 2003; see also Uncles, 2008). As opposed to their entry into the Australian market, Starbucks made small changes to its formula for the Japanese market; for example, the invention of a green tea frappucino, and the provision of smaller drinks and pastries to conform to local tastes. Starbucks arrived in China in 1998 and by 2002 had 50 outlets, and 165 outlets by 2006 (BBC News, 2006), quickly becoming the nation’s leading coffee chain. Starbucks now sees China as its key growth market due to the size and preferences of the emerging middle class. In the Asia–Paci? region, Starbucks command of the specialist coffee shop market grew from 15% in 2002 to 19% in 2007 (refer to Table 2). The total market for cafes in China grew by over 135% between 1999 and 2004 to reach US$2. 6 billion. It is projected to grow another 144% by 2008 to reach US$6. 4 billion in sales. More specialty coffee shops are opening across China as a middle class with strong purchasing power emerges, although this rise in coffee con sumption is highly concentrated in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Starbucks has said that it xpects China to become its biggest market after the US and the plan is to open 100 stores a year (Euromonitor, 2006). Signi? cantly, certain Western brands are valued by Chinese consumers and Starbucks appears to be one of them. A growing number of China’s 500 million urbanites favour Starbucks for its ambience, which is seen as an important signal of service quality, Table 2 Starbucks’ regional sales performance by outlets and value 2006. Region North America Asia Paci? c Western Europe Australasia World % of company sales (outlets) 79. 0 13. 6. 7 1. 1 100. 0 % of company sales (revenue in $US) 80. 5 10. 8 7. 7 1. 0 100. 0 Table 1 Starbucks’ share of the specialist coffee shop market in each major region. Region North America Western Europe Asia Paci? c Australasia Latin America Source: Euromonitor (2008b). 2002 (%) 44 17 15 6 0 2007 (%) 62 21 19 7 18 Source: Percentage of company sales in each region is calculated from retail sales within this market in 2006, with sales data drawn from Euromonitor (2007). P. G. Patterson et al. / Australasian Marketing Journal 18 (2010) 41–47 43 nd Starbucks’ design concept rests easily with China’s consumers, who tend to lounge with friends while sipping coffee. Its outlets in China frequently maintain larger seating areas than average outlets in other countries, and plush chairs and davenports are provided to accommodate crowds that linger. However, success for Starbucks in China is not a given, and they will face several challenges in the coming years. China’s accession to the WTO has led to the gradual relaxation of the policy governing foreign-owned retail outlets, and this will lead to more foreign investment and thereby competition (Lee, 2004). Several multinationals are engaged in selling coffee (including KFC, McDonald’s, Yoshinoya, and Manabe), and a number of local brands have recently emerged, some even imitating Starbucks’ distinctive green and white logo and its in-store ambience (notably Xingbake in Shanghai). Furthermore, the reduction of import tariffs on coffee will also encourage foreign investment in coffee. 4. The Australian retail coffee industry Australia’s taste for coffee is a by-product of the waves of immigrants arriving on the country’s shores following World War II. European migrants, predominantly Greeks and Italians, were the ? st to establish the coffee culture, which was later embraced more widely in the 1980s. For decades Australians enjoyed a variation of the ‘lifestyle coffee experience’ that Starbucks created from scratch in the US. Australians did not need to be introduced to the concept of coffee as many other countries did. Savouring a morning cup of coffee was already a ritual for many consumers. It is fair to describe Australia’s coffee culture as mature and sophisticated, so when Starbucks entered Australia in 2000, a thriving urban cafe culture was already in place. This established culture saw Australians typically patronise smaller boutique style coffee shops, with people willing to travel out of their way for a favoured cup of coffee, especially in Melbourne where coffee has developed an almost cult-like following. For Australians, coffee is as much about relationships as it is about the product, suggesting that an impersonal, global chain experience would have trouble replicating the intimacy, personalisation and familiarity of a suburban boutique cafe. Furthermore, through years of coffee drinking, many Australians, unlike American or Asian consumers, have developed a sophisticated palate, enjoying their coffee straighter and stronger, and without the need to disguise the taste with ? avoured, syrupy shots. This love of coffee is easily quanti? ed. The Australian market is worth $3 billion, of which $1. 8 billion relates to the coffee retailing market. For every cup of coffee consumed out of home, two cups are consumed at home (AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association, 2006). Per capita consumption is now estimated at 2. kg-twice as much as 30 years ago. Whilst Australians are among the highest consumers of instant coffee in the world, they are increasingly buying coffee out of the home (Euromonitor, 2008c). More than 1 billion cups of coffee are consumed in cafes, restaurants and other outlets each year, representing an increase of 65% over the last 10 years. Even between 2000 and 2005, trade sales of coffee have increased about 18%. In 2007, the growth in popularity of the cafe culture resulted in trade volume sales growing at an annual rate of 5%. Some 31% of the coffee sold through foodservice is takeaway, and it is thought that ‘fast coffee’ will be a growth area in future years (Euromonitor, 2008d). There is also a trend towards larger takeaway sizes, with 400 ml cups increasing in popularity (Euromonitor, 2008d). One might argue that Starbucks drove these trends, especially in regards to larger sizes. There are almost 14,000 cafes and restaurants serving a variety of coffee types in Australia, and during 2006/07, they generated $9. 7 billion in income (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008). However, despite these statistics, the coffee business does not guarantee success. As Paul Irvine, co-founder of Gloria Jean’s notes, ‘‘Australia is a tough retail market and coffee retailing is particularly tough†. According to of? cial statistics, the cafe business is not always pro? table, with the net pro? tability of cafes falling to about 4%. For a cafe to be successful, it has to offer marginally better coffee than local competitors, and do so consistently. Coffee drinkers in Australia are discerning, and they will go out of their way to purchase a good cup of coffee. They are not as easily persuaded as people from other countries simply to visit their nearest cafe. Secondly, for a cafe to make a pro? t, it needs to turn over 15 kg of coffee a week. The national average is 11 kg, so a cafe has to be above average to begin with to even make a pro? t. Any newcomer needs to understand this before entering the market. The other signi? cant constraint on pro? tability is the cost of hiring baristas, with a good one costing between $1000 and $1500 a week (Charles, 2007). However, it seems that this is a necessary cost in order to deliver a superior product. The question that then begs to be asked is: How well did Starbucks understand this existing coffee culture? Did they under-estimate the relational aspect of coffee purchasing in Australia, as well as the importance of the quality of ingredients and the skills of the person making each cup? Did they overestimate the value consumers attach to the in-store experience and the ‘third place’ concept? Or did they just look at the statistics regarding coffee consumption and think that operating in Australia was a license to print money? Did they simply see Australia as the next logical step to global domination? Starbucks has 87% of the US specialty coffee shop market, and only now is it beginning to feel pressure from non-traditional competitors such as Dunkin Donut, 7 Eleven, McCafe and Krispy Kreme (Burritt, 2007). However, in Australia, the competitive landscape is different. Gloria Jean’s dominates the high-street part of the coffee retailing market and McCafe dominates the convenience end (Shoebridge, 2008). Other signi? cant competitors include The Coffee Club and Wild Bean Cafe (an add-on to BP petrol stations) and Hudson’s Coffee (see Table 3). All offer a similar in-store experience to Starbucks, with McCafe from 2007 onwards refurbishing many McDonald’s stores to imitate the Starbucks’ experience, albeit at the economy end of the market. 5. Growth grinds to a halt . . . store closures In recent times however things have started to go wrong for Starbucks. Internationally, company earnings declined as cashstrapped consumers faced record petrol prices and rising interest rates meaning they have had to pull back on gourmet coffee and other luxuries. Sales fell 50% in the last 2 years, the US share price fell more than 40% over the past year and pro? s dropped 28% (Bawden, 2008; Coleman-Lochner and Stanford, 2008; Mintz, 2008). Consequently, Howard Schultz, the founder and chairman of Starbucks, resumed the position of CEO in 2008 with the aim of revitalising the business. He slowed the pace at which stores were opened (and in fact closed more stores than he will open in the coming year), introduced key performan ce targets (KPTs) and an employee rewards system in the US, and simultaneously shut down every store in America for three and a half hours of staff training (Muthukumar and Jain, 2008). Customer-oriented initiatives have included the addition of more food, the launch of the Starbucks card and Starbucks express, and the provision of highspeed wi-? internet access (Hota, 2008). Notably, Schultz acknowledges that the company’s focus has been more on expansion than on customer service – the very thing that was at the heart of its unique value proposition. 44 P. G. Patterson et al. / Australasian Marketing Journal 18 (2010) 41–47 Table 3 Competition in the Australian specialty coffee chain market (chains arranged in order of the number of stores operating in Australia). Number of stores in Australia Gloria Jean’s 500 Year established in Australia 1996 Business model Price of an espresso coffee (e. g. , ? at white, cappuccino) Regular $3. 25 Small $3. 25 Standard $3. 40 Regular $3. 40 Small $3. 10 Tall $3. 60 Performance highlights and lowlights Franchise Overall Winner, 2005 Franchisor of the Year Sales rose 18% to an estimated $240 m for 07/08 driven by new stores and growth from existing stores The fastest growing cafe brand in Australia and NZ Number of stores up from 60 in 2002 Winner, 2008 Food Franchisor of the Year The number of stores reported here includes NZ Plans to open more sites McCafe Coffee Club Wild Bean Cafe 488 220 105 1993 1989 2004 Some store-owned, some franchise Franchise Part of a franchise with Wild Bean Cafe (BP) Connect Franchise Store-owned Hudson’s Starbucks 45 23 1998 2000 Plans to expand store numbers by 20–30% 08/09 Prior to closures in August 2008 there were 84 stores had a perceived lower quality product Sources: Various company reports as at the end of 2008. However, it seems that these measures were too late for the Australian operation. On 29th July 2008, Starbucks announced that it would be closing 61 of its 84 Australian stores (i. . , 73%) by August 2008, resulting in a loss of 685 jobs. All of these stores had been under-performing (8 were in SA, ACT and Tasmania, 28 in NSW, 17 in Victoria and 8 in Queensland). This decline of Starbucks in Australia was not as sudden as many would have us believe and in fact some reports (Edwards and Sainsbury, 2008; Shoebridge, 2008) indicated that by late 2007 Starbucks already had: accumulated losses of $143 million; a loss of $36 million for that ? nancial year; lost $27. 6 million the previous ? nancial year; loans of $72. million from Starbucks in the US; was only surviving because of its US parent’s support. Whilst the troubled economy might seem an easy scapegoat, with people tightening their belts and eating out less, it is unlikely that this was the core problem as evidenced by the continuing growth of their competitors. Indeed, coffee is no longer considered a luxury item by many Australians, but rather an affordable part of their daily routine. Instead, there is substantial evidence to suggest a number of factors combined to bring about Starbucks’ demise. . 1. Starbucks overestimated their points of differentiation and customer perceived value of their supplementary services ‘‘I just think the whole system, the way they serve, just didn’t appeal to the culture we have here† Andrew Mackay, VP of the Australian Coffee Traders Association, in Martin (2008) Whilst there was initial curiosity and hype about Starbucks, after trying it, many Australians quickly found that it failed to offer a particularly unique experience that was not offered by other chains or cafes. Given the strong established coffee culture and discerning palates of Australians, the core product – coffee – was not seen as particularly different from, say, a latte or short black from a good suburban barista, Gloria Jean’s or Coffee Club. Its point of difference in Australia, where a coffee culture already existed, had to be in its supplementary or value-adding services – i. e. , its unique servicescape, engaging customer service, brand image and so on (Lovelock et al. , 2007). But was this worth a premium price, especially as the competition began replicating Starbucks in-store experience? Starbucks has since been harshly criticised by Australian consumers and the media. Their coffee has been variously described as ‘a watered down product’, ‘gimmicky’, and consisting of ‘buckets of milk’. These are not the labels you would choose to describe a coffee that aspires to be seen as a ‘gourmet’ product. It has also been criticised for its uncompetitive pricing, even being described as ‘‘one of the most over-priced products the world has ever seen† (Martin, 2008). Even the idea of the third place has come under criticism – ‘‘why would you want to sit around a pretend lounge room drinking a weak and expensive coffee when you can go around the corner and have the real thing? † (Wailes, 2008). It seems that Starbucks’ rapid expansion, its omnipresence, somewhat standardised store design and recent insistence on staff achieving various sales KPTs (key performance targets) such as serving ‘x’ customers per hour, all combined to diminish the instore experience. The introduction of sales targets for front-line These closures saw 23 stores kept open in prime locations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. But this begs the question: can a 23-store chain be viable for the brand in the long-term? Based on the approximate numbers in Table 3, Starbucks had a 6% share of stores in Australia before the closures; this has now fallen to a share below 2%. Even before the closures, Australasia represented only 1% of company sales (Table 2) and now the ? gure is expected to be much lower. This may not make much commercial sense as it will be dif? cult to achieve economies of scale in terms of marketing and purchasing, and such small numbers are totally out of step with the clustering strategy adopted in its strongest markets – the US, Japan and China. However, it could also be argued that with Starbucks’ strategy of global domination, it is unlikely that it will ever close its Australian business entirely. Whilst Starbucks’ management have been keen to suggest that ‘‘this decision represents business challenges unique to the Australian market and in no way re? ects the state of the Starbucks business in countries outside of the United States†, the US market has also suffered. By September 2008, 600 stores had closed (or were due for closure), with about 12,000 workers, or 7% of Starbucks’ global workforce affected (Mintz, 2008). It should be noted that the situation in the US has only worsened as a result of the global ? nancial crisis. 6. So what went wrong? Opinions abound as to why Starbucks failed in Australia. Our research suggests there is some truth to many of these opinions. P. G. Patterson et al. / Australasian Marketing Journal 18 (2010) 41–47 45 employees, for example, meant staff and baristas had less time to engage with customers. It began to stray too far from its roots and the very values upon which the brand was built. Some of these actions were forced upon Starbucks by emerging competitors seeking to imitate the brand, and thus gain a slice of the ever growing lifestyle coffee market. Starbucks’ points of differentiation were systematically being eroded and, in a sense, the brand that taught the world that coffee is not a commodity was itself becoming one. 6. 2. Declining service quality The brand has also come under ? re for declining customer service as it continued to expand. For example, the quality of baristas is said to have declined as Starbucks widened its pool of applicants in order to meet demand at new stores. Can a 17 year old high school student really compete with a boutique trained barista with a passion for coffee? By not offering a better experience and product than emerging direct competitors, Starbucks found itself undermined by countless high street cafes and other chains that were selling stronger brews at lower prices and often offering better or equal hospitality. Whilst they may have pioneered the idea of a ‘third place’, it was an easy idea to copy, and even easier to better by offering superior coffee, ambience and service. Now, with so many coffee chains around, Starbucks have little point of differentiation, even wi-? internet access has become commonplace across all types of cafe. Furthermore, while customers were offered promotional rewards for returning to Starbucks, the card-based scheme is no more sophisticated than equivalent me-too cards at Gloria Jean’s, Coffee Club, Hudson’s and many independent cafes. And as noted earlier, one of the things that set Starbucks apart from the competition – i. e. , acknowledging customers (often by name for regulars) within a few seconds of entering the store and eriously engaging with them, began to unravel when Starbucks imposed both customer service and sales targets for its cafes. The imposition of these targets plus an ever widening range and complexity of coffees to remember and make to perfection, meant staff morale and inevitably customer service levels declined. In fact in the USA some staff were so disillusioned with the impositio n of sales targets (because it meant they simply didn’t have time to engage with customers) they posted blogs openly stating that Starbucks had lost its way. Finally, it appears that Starbucks were not even delivering on their core promise of serving superior coffee in comfortable surroundings, thus justifying its premium price. By switching to vacuum packaged coffee, consumers are denied the store-? lling aroma of the coffee beans. The switching of traditional coffee machines to automated espresso machines (which can make coffees 40% faster and move customers through the lines more quickly), has also resulted in a loss of ‘theatre’ (Grove et al. , 2000) for people wanting to see their coffee made that way and has also had implications for taste. In-store, it has been noted that there are fewer soft chairs and less carpeting, and Starbucks recently lost ground in the ‘service and surroundings’ category of the Brand Keys 2007 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (Cebrzynski, 2008). It seems that Starbucks is now less about the quality of the coffee, and is more about the convenience of faster service and being on every corner – whilst still charging a premium. 6. 3. Starbucks ignored some golden rules of international marketing Ironically, it seems that the very thing that made Starbucks successful in the ? st place, its ability to adjust the original (European) business model and coffee tradition to local (US) conditions, is the thing that let it down. Whilst Starbucks has made minor changes to its menu in countries such as Japan and Saudi Arabia, it generally offers the same products all around the world. When the company came to Australia, it brought its ‘American’ offering, simply bringing wha t worked in the US and applying it here, without really understanding the local market. But with more than 235 ethnicities speaking more than 270 languages and dialects, companies wanting to get ahead in Australia need to be aware that they are not dealing with one homogeneous market. Unfortunately what worked in the US was ‘‘bitter, weak coffee augmented by huge quantities of milk and sweet ? avoured syrups. Not so much coffee, as hot coffee-based smoothies†. For the Australian consumer raised on a diet of real espresso, this was always going to be a tough sell (Mescall, 2008) As McDonald’s Australia chief executive Peter Bush noted, US retailers that have had trouble making it work in Australia (e. . , Starbucks, Denny’s, Arby’s, Taco Bell) are those that have ‘‘introduced formulae developed for US palates and for the US way of doing business . . . These formulae have, at best, modest relevance in Australia†. Peter Irvine, co-founder of Gloria Jean’s, also noted that ‘‘US retailers often arriv e in Australia thinking the size of their overseas chains and the strength of their brands in other markets will make it easy for them to crack the local market. Their focus is on global domination rather than the needs of the local consumers†. Further, there is a strong sense in Australia of buying local, supporting the community, having relationships with the people you buy from, and supporting ethically-minded businesses. Starbucks clashed completely with that, whereas local stores can differentiate themselves as being local and non-corporate. Furthermore, some would argue that Starbucks has become a caricature of the American way of life and many Australians reject that iconography. Many are simply not interested in the ‘super-size’ culture of the extra-large cups, nor want to be associated with a product that is constantly in the hands of movie stars. . 4. Expanding too quickly and forcing themselves upon an unwilling public In the US, Starbucks started in Seattle as a single store. In a nation bereft of a genuine cafe culture, that single store captured people’s imagination, and soon became a second store, quickly followed by a third. Before long, Starbucks had become a demand-driven phenomenon, wi th everyone wanting a Starbucks in their local area. McDonald’s grew exactly the same way in Australia, opening just one or two stores in each city – nowhere near enough to meet demand – thus creating an almost arti? ial scarcity, which created huge buzz around the brand experience. Krispy Kreme did the same. But when Starbucks opened in Australia, they immediately tried to impose themselves with multiple store openings in every city – adopting the US-model of expansion through store clusters. Australians were not given a chance to ‘discover’ it. As Mescall (2008) points out ‘‘they took key sites, hung huge signs, made us order coffee in sizes and gave the coffees weird names. Starbucks said to us – ‘that’s not how you drink coffee. This s how you drink coffee’†. They took the Coca-Cola strategy of being available wherever people looked, but this quickly led to market saturation. Their expansion di d not hurt their competitors so much as themselves, and they found themselves cannibalising their own stores. Furthermore, by becoming too common, the company violated the economic principles of cultural scarcity and the novelty wore off. By having too many outlets, becoming too commercial and too widely used, it began to lose its initial appeal of status and exclusivity. It began to have a mass brand feel, certainly not the warm feeling of a neighbourhood cafe. Furthermore, they became more reliant 46 P. G. Patterson et al. / Australasian Marketing Journal 18 (2010) 41–47 on less af? uent consumers who now, with a worsening economy, are spending less, making Starbucks more vulnerable to economic ? uctuations. 6. 5. Entering late into a highly competitive market ‘‘In America, Starbucks is a state of mind. In Australia, it was simply another player. † Barry Urquhart, quoted in Delaney (2008) From Day 1, Starbucks got off on the back foot. They lacked the ? rst-mover advantage they had in the US and Asia, ? nding themselves the late entrant in an already very developed, sophisticated and competitive market. Indeed, the competitive landscape in the Australian retail coffee market is very different to that of other countries. Here, Starbucks found themselves competing with hundreds of independent cafes and speciality coffee chains (see Table 3), where the coffee was generally better and the staff knew their customers by name. Signi? cantly, they were also the last of the major chains to gain a presence in Australia. 6. 6. Failing to communicate the brand Worldwide, Starbucks rarely employs above-the-line promotion, and this was also the case in Australia. Instead, they maintained that their stores are the core of the business and that they do not need to build the brand through advertising or promotion. Howard Shultz often preached, ‘‘Build the (Starbucks’) brand one cup at a time,† that is, rely on the customer experience to generate word-of-mouth, loyalty and new business. But in a market as competitive as Australia, with a consumer whose palate is discerning and whose loyalty often lies with a speci? barista, advertising and promotion was essential to communicate the Starbucks message. The issue is not so much about building awareness – which, at 90%, is high – but to communicate what the brand means and to give consumers reasons for patronising Starbucks. Their lack of advertising made this branding issue even worse, with many people unable to articulate why they should be loyal to Starbucks. At the same time, competitors were communicating their messages very effectively – McDonald’s, for instance, is a heavy spending, award-winning, advertiser in the Australian market. Added to which, more subversive counter-messages were coming from those who saw in Starbucks a ‘brand bully’ riding rough shod over the nuanced tastes and preferences of local cultures (Klein, 2000; Clark, 2008). In other words, a range of strong contrary messages were undermining Starbucks’ own very limited communications. 6. 7. Unsustainable business model Starbucks’ product line is limited primarily to coffee. Sometimes a new product idea will be developed, such as the Frappucino, but these tend to have limited product life cycles and/or are seasonal. For example, the Frappucino has traditionally made up 15% of (summer) sales, but recently sales have been down, suggesting that customers are already bored with it (Kiviat, 2008). Furthermore, in the instance where other products were offered, people failed to purchase them as they only really associate Starbucks with coffee and generally seek food elsewhere. This is a very different model to The Coffee Club which has much more of a cafe feel to it, or McDonald’s which has a full range of breakfast and lunch/dinner items that can be complemented by a McCafe latte. Hence the average transaction value at Starbucks is lower than its competitors, and therefore more customers must pass through its doors to reach the sales and pro? t levels of its competitors. It also creates con? ict with the Starbucks ethos of the third place (and allowing people to sit around for 30 minutes sipping lattes and reading, talking or sur? ng) versus the need to get people in and out quickly and not take up valuable ‘real estate’ (which in itself means that the average Starbucks store needs to be much bigger than the average cafe). Unlike most of the other retail coffee chains, Starbucks does not use a franchise model, preferring to lease and ? t-out its own outlets. This means more cash is being spent upfront, and in Starbucks’ case, more debt accrued. But adopting a franchise model would have numerous other advantages than just minimising this. It would mean that local investors, with a good sense of the local market, put their own money into the business and take an active role in running it and shaping its direction. 7. What are the main lessons from this case study? Several key lessons emerge that should be of interest to both domestic and international marketers. 7. 1. Crossing international borders is risky and clearly Starbucks did not do their homework, or ignored their homework Well conceived market research involving both primary and secondary data, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, would have uncovered the extent of the ‘coffee culture’ that existed in 2000 when Starbucks entered the Australian market. It seems inconceivable that Starbucks management, or at least its Australian representatives, were not suf? iently apprised of the extent to which many consumers were already well acculturated in terms of buying and consuming European styles of coffees such as short black, lattes and cappuccinos, nor the extent to which many customers were in fact loyal to their suburban cafe or competitive brands such as Gloria Jean’s. As a late market entrant, Starbucks clearly failed to do thorough homework on the mar ket before entry – this is a failure in terms of due diligence. Alternatively, they chose to ignore the messages that were coming from any due diligence that they had undertaken. This may or may not have been due to some arrogance on the part of Starbucks, or due to the fact that they considered they had a strong global brand which would meet with universal acceptance. An example of where Starbucks did do its homework, and act on it, was in France when it entered that market in 2006, establishing a cafe in the middle of Paris. Research had clearly shown the American way of consuming and socialising over a coffee was an anathema to many French, so Starbucks held back from entering the French market and when they ? ally entered it was with great trepidation, expanding at a very slow pace and testing the market at every step. 7. 2. ‘‘Think global but act local† This familiar maxim in international marketing should be well understood. While Starbucks had brand awareness as a major global brand, it failed to adapt the product and the customer experience to many mature coffee drinkers in Australia. As noted earlier, all the evidence suggests that it simply tried to transplant the American experience into the Australian market without any adaptation. In particular, it failed to adapt either its core product or its supplementary services to create the intimacy, personalisation and familiarity that is associated with established boutique cafes in Australia. 7. 3. Establish a differential advantage and then strive to sustain it A question of strategy that Starbucks perhaps failed to address was, ‘‘Is our product differentiation sustainable in the long term P. G. Patterson et al. / Australasian Marketing Journal 18 (2010) 41–47 47 and does it continue to justify a price premium? As noted earlier, it can be argued that the core product in this case, that is the coffee itself, is essentially a commodity, and that Starbucks’ coffee, according to many consumers, was no different to the competition, and in some cases inferior. Then Starbucks’ points of difference clearly revolved around its brand image and supplementary services. It was these supplementary services, such as its unique servicescape and exce llent customer service, that they used to justify a premium price. However, as competitors (e. g. , The Coffee Club) quickly imitated the ‘Starbucks experience’ (i. . , their supplementary services, ambiance, etc. ), by providing premium coffee and an intimate casual experience, Starbucks’ value proposition began to fade. In other words, their key points of difference could be easily imitated and were not sustainable. Faced with this scenario, the onus was on management to re-fresh and evolve any lingering differential advantage that Starbucks might have had or, at the very least, give customers reasons to continue patronising Starbucks through its communications. 7. 4. Don’t lose sight of what made you successful in the ? st place As more and more competitors emerged, both individual cafes and chains such as Gloria Jean’s and The Coffee Club, competitive pressures forced Starbucks to impose rigid sales targets on their frontline staff including bar istas to increase store productivity. However, the imposition of these KPTs and the pressure to serve more customers more quickly meant that Starbucks forgot the very thing that made it unique in the early days, namely, to provide a customer experience in an intimate casual setting that set it aside from competitors. As more pressure was placed on staff to have higher throughput, this meant that baristas and other employees had little time to engage with customers. In other words, Starbucks forgot about the very things that made it unique in the ? rst place. This is akin to the Wheel of Retailing hypothesis (Hollander, 1960) where a no-frills retailer gradually moves upmarket in terms of variety of product, price and more services and within several years ? nds itself competing with the more established premium supermarkets that were the very competitors that they tried to distance themselves from in the ? st place. The only difference with Starbucks is that it reversed the direction of the Wheel – by gradually moving downmarket it brought itself into direct competition with cheaper operators and lost sight of what made it successful in the ? rst place. 7. 5. Consider the viability of the business model It has to be questioned whether the Starbucks’ business model is viable in the l ong term, or even the medium term. A business model that uses a premium price to justify the excessive ? or space and elaborate servicescape, and allows customers to sit in this environment for an hour sipping one latte, has to be questioned. Given that Starbucks do not have the array of products that, say, a McDonald’s might have and, as documented earlier in this case, therefore do not generate the same sales volumes and revenues, it is hard to see how the Starbucks’ model is ? nancially viable. 8. Conclusion In summary, it appears on all the evidence that Starbucks not only misjudged the Australian coffee culture but also misjudged the extent of the competition, and failed to adapt its offering to the local market. Furthermore, with the advent of high quality barista training, the availability of premium coffee beans and the technology to produce a high quality cup of coffee (at a modest cost), sole operators who knew their customers by name, were able to set up business as viable competitors. Starbucks may have been responsible for growing the premium coffee category, but the emergence of Gloria Jean’s and the Coffee Club (and McCafe, a premium coffee shop embedded in McDonald’s restaurants) turned out to be serious competitors. Finally, questions have to be raised about Starbucks fundamental business model in a market where many small niche players can easily replicate the ‘Starbucks Experience’. References AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association, 2006. 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The eNotes Blog Reading Round-Up August

Reading Round-Up August We asked everyone in the office to talk about their favorite books from last month. Take a look at our favorite reads from August, and let us know in the comments which books you’ll be adding to your to-read list. From poetry to nonfiction, there’s something for everyone here! The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly Page count: 339 Genre: Fantasy Publish date: 2006 Once upon a time- for that is how all stories should begin- there was a boy who lost his mother. My partner purchased The Book of Lost Things on a whim based solely on the cover art, and I cracked open the novel with about as much preparation for what lay within. Though protagonist David’s story is told in somewhat straightforward language, taking inspiration from the fantasy tales David so adores, the story itself is not an easy one. One night, David enters a fantasy realm a few shades darker than the world of the stories he’s loved his whole life.   Connolly’s novel tackles some seriously adult themes in a world disturbed by fear and hatred, and I felt fortunate to bear witness to David (once a spoiled child I very much disliked) as he grows into a selfless and courageous young man. If you’re looking for a touching tale about growing up, look no further- but be wary, because it tackles some very disturbing themes. - Kate, Marketing Coordinator Hard Times by Charles Dickens Page count: 288 Genre: Classic; fiction Publish date: 1854 â€Å"Now, what I want is, Facts.† Well, here’s one: Hard Times is a fantastic read. For anyone who’s thought about getting into Charles Dickens’s works but is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of his novels, know that this one is not only his shortest but it is also his most poignant take on social justice. (OK, it’s almost 300 pages, but still.) While Dickens always crafts memorable characters, the boisterous, bombastic, and overblown Mr. Bounderby drives the action of the story and much of its humor. For those looking for a satirical take on captains of industry, the flaws of utilitarianism, and a deeply human story, this is one to pick up. - Wes, Project Manager Stoner by John Williams Page count: 278 Genre: Fiction Publish date: 2006 If works by Virginia Woolf feel thick with time, John Williams’s Stoner is the opposite: a graceful, quiet surface you skim over like ice, but with parts where you break through to the clear, cold depths of the water beneath- to Stoner’s interior. In these spaces, the book is transcendent. Stoner confronts his own legacy, which dissolves and yet is allowed to be redemptive in its impermanence. He lives, and he matters, even if he has no chance at immortality. Stoner is a moral novel, too, in its insistence that attention, self-knowledge, and commitment to love matter more deeply than almost anything else. Love, the novel asserts, is nothing less than â€Å"a human act of becoming, a condition that [i]s invented and modified moment by moment and day by day, by the will and the intelligence and the heart.† - Emma, Associate Editor Poems of the Sea edited by J. D. McClathy Page count: 256 Genre: Poetry Publish date: 2001 Ive been reading a poem a day from a great collection called Poems of the Sea. The collection includes great classics, from John Masefields Salt-water Ballads to Poes Annabel Lee. You cant help but catch â€Å"Sea-Fever,† as Masefield called it: â€Å"I must down to the seas again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  - Brad, Co-Founder Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey Page count: 337 Genre: Nonfiction Publish date: 1985 Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey is an autobiographical account of Abbeys tenure as a park ranger at Arches National Monument during the 1950s. Often hailed as the Thoreau of the Southwest, Abbey lovingly describes the desert landscapes of this region while also waxing philosophical about how modernity and industrialism divorces humankind from their natural surroundings. In some ways, the book reads like an elegy for this wilderness that is slowly being overtaken by motorized tourism and other commercial interests. In the era of climate change, I suppose it’s up to readers to determine whether or not Abbeys claims were prophetic. Sometimes his outlook can be hard to pin down, at times sounding more Marxist and at others more libertarian. Some of his arguments and language may also come across as problematic for modern audiences (e.g., there are hints of ableism at certain points). But the ways he evokes the tragedy of the commons and other environmental themes will resonate wi th plenty of readers who also long for whatever natural paradise they envision as the best escape from modern living and all of its woes. - Shane, Editorial Intern Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer Page count: 291 Genre: Nonfiction; reference Publish date: 2019 Random House copy chief Benjamin Dreyer is not only a mandatory Twitter follow, but hes also the writer of my favorite book I read in August, Dreyers English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. Dreyer poured his sometimes-snarky wisdom, sharp insights, and real-world anecdotes into this handy style guide- an utterly readable delight from cover to cover. Dreyers English is great for anyone who writes anything (meaning: everyone). Heres a takeaway you can try today: his first challenge to his readers is to eliminate these words from your writing for one week: very rather really quite in fact just so pretty of course surely actually Ive since listed these on a sticky note on my computer and, if Im being honest, had to remove one â€Å"quite† and two â€Å"justs† from this draft. So, three points to Dreyer (four!). If you dont already, this book will make you fall in love with language, the semicolon and em dash, and, hopefully, Shirley Jackson. He might not love â€Å"surely,† but he sure loves Shirley- clearly his biggest writer-crush.   - Sam, Head of Marketing Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Page count: 327 Genre: Fiction Publish date: 2017 Realizing a bit too late that I had forgotten to pack a book for my flight, I haphazardly grabbed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine from a used bookstore on my way to the airport. I didn’t expect to fall in love with it the way I did- it turned out to be quirky, dark, and surprisingly sentimental. Eleanor Oliphant is a shamelessly weird character. She cannot for the life of her seem to understand how social interactions are supposed to work, largely because she lives a life of relative isolation. Eleanor is deeply lonely, and she believes she is content with this until her coworker Raymond inadvertently shows her that happiness and human connection- concepts that she had unconsciously given up on long ago- are within her grasp.   Perhaps what I loved most about this book was the message that no one is beyond help. Eleanor seems like a hopeless basket case from the get-go, but by finally coming to terms with her past and mental health, she is finally able to begin the process of growing after so many years of living stagnantly. - Mary, Editorial Intern The Idiot by Elif Batuman Page count: 423 Genre: Fiction Publish date: 2017 This semi-autobiographical novels follows Selin, a young Turkish-American student arriving for her freshman year at Harvard University. Set in the mid-90s, the novel evokes nostalgia for life before social media, where email was complicated and connecting with people took effort. As Selin navigates through the inadequacies of language, the culture shock of college, and a dramatic first love, she realizes that her expectations of life away from home are vastly different from her reality.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I will warn you that this novel is not for everyone. The author crafts this coming-of-age narrative as a sort of diary with choppy, stream-of-consciousness anecdotes. However, there’s something undeniably charming about Selin’s dry wit and innocence that makes her perspective of the world humorous and relatable. Ultimately, The Idiot is an ode to the confusing yet exhilarating years of transitioning into your twenties and trying to not only figure out who you are, but who you want to be.  Ã‚  Ã‚   - Savannah, Social Media Manager Sea Monsters by Chloe Aridjis Page count: 205 Genre: Fiction Publish date: 2019 As summer comes to an end, I’d like to nominate Chloe Aridjis’s Sea Monsters as the ultimate beach-goth beach read. In this dreamlike short novel, Aridjis whisks us away to her own former stomping grounds in 1980s Mexico City and introduces us to her narrator, seventeen-year-old Luisa. Procrastinating on her college interviews, Luisa spends her time reading Baudelaire, contemplating shipwrecks, and hanging out at a goth club with those who, like her, â€Å"preferred European moonlight to the Mexican sun.† Her story takes a turn for the truly surreal when she decides to run away with a boy she barely knows and a handful of cassettes to a vacation spot called Zipolite- the Beach of the Dead. There, fantasy and reality begin to blur before becoming disentangled enough to allow for the kind of disillusionment we’ve all experienced with a person, a place, an idea. While I’ve seen some reviews noting that Sea Monsters doesn’t have much of a plot an d that Luisa’s introspections don’t seem to go anywhere particularly satisfying, I found the hazy, irresolute quality of the novel satisfying in itself. After all, do teenage musings and misadventures really have to go somewhere? Perhaps it’s enough that they happen at all- and that they have a great soundtrack. - Jules, Editor

3 Changes That Will Take Your Essay From Good To Great

3 Changes That Will Take Your Essay From Good To Great Whether youre sitting down to write a research paper for English class about Buddha or youre hours deep in the writing portion of the ACT, you want to write a great essay. And although different people have different notions about what makes an essay truly great, there are a number of things that educators and writers generally agree upon as gold-quality standards. Here are three of those qualities that can take your essay from basic to fabulous. 1. Language The usage of language in an essay is more than just the actual words you use throughout. Things like sentence structure, stylistic choices, levels of formality, grammar, usage, and mechanics all come into play.    Good Language Good language in an essay is merely adequate. Its basic. Theres nothing inherently wrong  with your language, but theres nothing exceptional about it, either. Good essay language means youre using  some variety in your sentence structures. For instance, you may write a few simple sentences interspersed with some compound sentences. Your level of formality and tone are also appropriate to the essay. Youre not using familiar language and slang, for example, when youre writing a research report in class. Good language in an essay does not disrupt your thesis. Your point gets across and thats all well and fine if youre happy with a good essay. Example:  When Jack walked into his grandmothers kitchen, he spotted the freshly baked cake on the counter. He helped himself to a huge piece. It was chocolate, and the frosting was a delicious vanilla buttercream. He licked his lips and took a gigantic bite.   Great Language Great language is fresh, full of sensory detail when appropriate and propels your essay forward in invigorating ways. Great language uses a variety of sentence structures and even some intentional fragments when appropriate. Your tone isnt merely adequate; it enhances your argument or point. Your language is precise. Its chosen specifically to add nuance or shades of meaning. The sensory details you select pull your readers in, giving them goosebumps, and make them want to keep on reading. Great language makes readers take what youve said very seriously. Example:  Jack stepped over the threshold of his grandmothers kitchen and inhaled. Chocolate cake. His stomach rumbled. He walked to the counter, mouth watering, and took a   rose-pattered china plate from the cabinet and a bread knife from the drawer. The slice he sawed off was enough for three. The first bite of rich vanilla buttercream made his jaw ache. Before he knew it, nothing was left but chocolate crumbs scattered on the plate like confetti.   2. Analysis Teachers are always asking you to dig deep in your essay, but what does that really mean? Depth is the level at which you analyze the topic you are writing about. The deeper you dive into your essay, the more poking and prodding at values, tensions, complexities, and assumptions you will do.   Good Analysis The word analysis in and of itself implies a certain level of depth. A good analysis will use reasoning and examples that are clear and adequately demonstrate the importance of the topic. Support may be relevant, but it may come across as overly general or simplistic. You will have scratched the surface of the topic, but you will not have explored as many of the complexities as you could have.   Lets take, for example, this question: Should cyberbullying be stopped by the government? Example: Cyberbullying needs to be stopped in its tracks by the government because of the harm that it causes to the victim. Teenagers who have been bullied online have had to be treated for depression, have felt compelled to change schools, and some have even committed suicide. A persons life is too important not to intervene.   Great Analysis A great analysis of a topic is a thoughtful critique that demonstrates insight. It critiques assumptions and details complexities not hinted at in just a good analysis. In the example above, the good analysis mentions the harm to a victim of bullying and names three things that could happen to him or her because of it, but doesnt get into other areas that might offer more insight like societal values, governmental control, effects rippling from one generation to the next, for example.   Example:  Although cyberbullying needs to be stopped - the effects are to dire not  to intervene - the government cannot be the entity to regulate speech online. The fiscal and personal costs would be staggering. Not only would citizens be forced to give up their First Amendment rights to free speech, they would have to relinquish their rights to privacy, as well. The government would be everywhere, becoming even more of a big brother than they are right now. Who would pay for such scrutiny? Citizens would pay with their freedom and  their wallets.   3. Organization Organization can quite literally make or break your essay. If a reader doesnt understand how youve gotten from point A to point B because none of your dots seem to connect, then he or she wont be compelled to read any further. And more importantly, he or she will not have listened to what you have had to say. And thats the biggest problem there is.   Good Organization A standard five-paragraph essay structure is what most students use when they write essays. They start with an introductory paragraph ending with a thesis sentence. They move on to body paragraph one with a topic sentence, and then proceed, with a few scattered transitions, to body paragraphs two and three. They round out their essay with a conclusion that neatly restates the thesis and ends with a question or a challenge. Sound about right? If this sounds like every essay youve ever written, then you can be sure youre not alone. Its a perfectly adequate structure for a basic essay.   Example: Introduction with thesis Body paragraph oneSupport oneSupport twoSupport three Body paragraph twoSupport oneSupport twoSupport three Body paragraph threeSupport oneSupport twoSupport threeConclusion with restated thesis Great Organization Great organization tends to move beyond just simple supports and basic transitions. Ideas will progress logically and increase the arguments success. Transitions within and between paragraphs will strengthen the argument and heighten meaning. If you start out organizing your essay strategically, with room for analysis and counterarguments built in, your chances of building a great essay improve by quite a bit. And some students find it easier to get more in depth by writing a four-paragraph essay instead of five. You can engaged more with a particular topic in the body paragraphs if you knock out your weakest argument and focus instead on providing a deeper, more thoughtful analysis with just two.   Example:   Introduction with thesis Body paragraph oneSupport one with detailed analysisSupport two that addresses values, complexities and assumptionsCounterpoint and dismissal of the counterpoint Body paragraph twoSupport one with detailed analysisSupport two that addresses values, complexities and assumptionsCounterpoint and dismissal of the counterpointConclusion with restated thesis and option for better idea Writing Great Essays If your goal is to move forward out of mediocrity, then spend some time learning the basics of great essay writing. After that, pick up your pencil or paper and practice. Nothing will prepare you better for your next essay then writing strategically-organized, well-analyzed, and carefully-worded paragraphs when the pressure  isnt  on. Here are some places to start: Enhanced ACT Writing Essay PromptsOld SAT Essay PromptsPhoto Writing Prompts for Any Age14 Ways to Write Better in High School

The Problem of Plagiarism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Problem of Plagiarism - Essay Example activities besides plagiarism; however, the ultimate impression that the reader should gain from such a statistic is that the practice is both widespread and increasingly pervasive. As this is an issue that effects the academic integrity of the learning institutions that exist as well as the quality and type of education that the students receive, this brief essay will seek to explain a few of the ways in which plagiarism works to cheat not only the student of valuable educational merit but the underlying roots of the educational system as well. The most pressing concern when dealing with the topic of plagiarism and its derivatives is to clearly define and differentiate what specifically plagiarism entails and how intertextuality and paraphrase plays into such a working definition. A most basic definition of plagiarism therefore hinges upon the fact that plagiarism can be defined by attempting to pass off another individual’s work as one’s own. Similarly, intertextuality is a far more gray concept (Hansen 189). Whereas paraphrasing is not necessarily a bad thing as long as it is cited appropriately, intertextuality is similar in that it requires the author to plainly note the manner of the sources that provoked the response that is being presented. In this way, the difference between plagiarism and incorporating useful points of intertextuality hinges upon the ability of the student to incorporate relevant and pertinent citations regarding the material they are dealing with. Firstly, consider the fact of what the educational system itself represents. Ultimately, it is a system that has a primary objective to impart knowledge to the participants within the process. One particularly effective means of doing this is to engage the participant with varying forms of feedback. Assigning papers, responses, critical analyses, discussion speeches etc are but a few ways of achieving such a goal. By means of eliciting this â€Å"feedback† system into the

Adam Smith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adam Smith - Essay Example While many elements of Adam Smith’s theory of capitalism persist today, his view of pure capitalism has proved impossible in modern markets. There are a variety of reasons why Smith’s theory of the invisible hand does not go far enough. One of the major reasons Smith’s theory fails is because of the possibility of monopoly structures. In these situations, organizations are able to gain significant power that allows them to shape market elements in their favor, effectively eliminating the process of supply and demand, and making the emergence of competitors an impossibility. In these situations, it became the responsibility of the government to institute regulatory mechanisms, as not doing so would result in potential recessions or economic complications. Other elements are the nature of ethical considerations. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution organizations increasingly presented longer workweeks and poor working conditions. While it’s possible the invisible hand would ultimately regulate these situations, there remain significant human rights concerns in permitting such a pure capitalistic structure. In conclusion, this essay has examined Adam Smith’s theory of capitalism and demonstrated why it is impossible in the modern world. In this context of understanding, the essay demonstrates that Smith proposed an invisible hand that regulates the market. Still, it’s clear this is impossible in the modern world because of the potential of corporate monopolies and widespread human rights concerns.

Over Consumption in America Essay Example for Free

Over Consumption in America Essay Over the past 50 years, the standard of living for American families has doubled. Most of these families live in a two-income household in order to acquire the money needed to live up to these standards (Pierce). This change has enabled Americans to own more material possessions and has also caused them to want even more. It is this concept of wanting that is leading to the growing problem of over consumption in America. People are contributing to the problem by eating more and buying more and more non-essentials such as TVs, computers, and cars. People find themselves wanting more and more material things in order to become happy, when in actuality it may be having the reverse effect because it is not possible to ever obtain everything that he/she wants (Easterbrook 124). By living more simply we can become happier by spending more time with our families and communities and also by helping others. In the past, TV was thought to be a way to bring the family together. However, today, more than three quarters of American families own two or more televisions. Having multiple sets causes family members to watch different programs, in separate rooms, pulling the family apart as opposed to bringing them together. Even some children have TV sets in their rooms. Instead of playing outside, kids are spending hour in front of the television (Winn 465-66) Children are also being affected by other new electronics. High-tech childrens toys are becoming more and more common. Instead of playing outside with other kids, children in our society play video games or play on a computer. Even educational toys are being made electronic. Special laptops are being made for children as young as preschool or kindergarten. This is becoming all that children know. Their generation is growing up reliant on computers. In the future they might not have a choice to relax and live more simply because the high tech world is all they know (Kalson). Another issue contributing to the problem of over consumption is cars. For some people, owning a car can be necessary. For others, public transportation is an option. Owning one or more cars can also affect the  community by using unnecessary amounts of fuel and by polluting. The car also allows us to live a high-speed life. Americans are constantly traveling or working and are not taking the time to relax as we did in the past. Americas fast paced lifestyle is part of the reason we dont spend as much time with our families and friends as in other cultures (Wilson). Americans also contribute to over consumption by the amount of food we eat. Obesity is a growing issue in American society today. Twenty percent of children are overweight. If this problem persists, the next generation could be the first in 200 years to have a shorter life expectancy than the last. The greatest issue of this problem is fast food and the portions of it. Instead of eating healthy, home cooked meals, Americans are replacing them with fat and calorie loaded fast foods and precooked meals. This problem is leading towards more health problems. 30 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls born in the year 2000 are expected to have diabetes at some point in their life. Americans can fight this problem by trying to live more like people in other countries by eating healthier foods, smaller portions, and teaching children how to eat right (Mieszkowski). Part of the reason that Americans have such a large role in this problem might possibly be because of advertising. Because our media is so widely spread and easily accessed, Americans can be more easily persuaded. This issue can also relate back to the problem of watching too much TV. Because the United States has no regulations on advertising, anyone can be affected by any amount of advertising. Children, who are more susceptible, can be manipulated into thinking that they need something that they really dont. This problem could possibly solved by restricting the amount of advertising or where advertising is aloud. We can also resist this problem being more aware of it. By judging each ad to see if it is coercive, deceptive, or manipulative, we can remove the emotional appeal of the commercial and make a more rational decision (Hirschberg 61-68). However some people think that over consumption is not the problem: (S)quandering money on big screen TVs, McMansions, restaurant meals,  oversized cars and luxury vacations (are not to blame) for insolvency and all those maxed-out credit cards. Instead (it is) the high cost of housing and education (F)ixed expenses that can quickly create a sea of red ink when families face layoffs, illness, or divorce. Skyrocketing health-care costs add to the problem (Gardner). If Americans started to live more simply, we could not only gain happiness by relaxing and spending more time with our families, but we could also give some of our extra money or belongings to charity. Helping those in need can give us a sense of self worth that could not be obtained by living as we do now. Linda Pierce argues that simplicity values are important to enrich a persons life. She states that Limiting material possessions, Meaningful work weather paid or volunteer, relationships with friends and family, pleasurable leisure activities, and a connection to community are good values to strive for in order to live simply (Pierce). Over consumption is affection all Americans lives, especially the lives of children, the next generation: TV and video games have vanquished running around outside. Kids in the city have too few places to play. And (sic) ids in the suburbs have no sidewalks to walk on, much less places to walk to. Fewer kids walk or ride their bikes to school, either because theres no safe route, or its simply too far. At school, phys ed and recess have been shortened or eliminated, through the double whammy of budget cuts and he renewed emphasis on academic testing. And (sic) many schools sells junk food to kids in the cafeteria in attempt to subsidize shrinking budgets through soft drink and candy bar revenue (Mieszkowski). The longer this problem goes unsolved, the harder it will be to overcome it. It is important to overcome this problem to gain happiness by gaining leisure time and spending more time with their families and communities and also by helping others in need. If we can accomplish this, Americans can stop associating a good life with material possessions but with personal happiness instead. Gardner, Marilyn. Do two incomes mean deeper debt?. 5 Dec. 2005 http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/CollegeandFamily/P61852.asp. Easterbrook, Gregg. The Progress Paradox. New York: Random House, 2003. Hirschberg, Stuart. The Rhetoric of Advertising . Kalson, Sally. Study finds toddlers immersed in electronic media. Pittsburgh Post Gazette. 29 Oct. 2003: D1. Mieszkowski, Katharine. Growing Up Too Fat. Salon 4 pp. 5 Dec. 2005 http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2005/04/16/kids_obesity/index3.html. Pierce, Linda Breen. The Simplicity Resource Guide. 5 Dec. 2005 http://www.gallagherpress.com/pierce/overview.htmhttp://www.gallagherpress.com/pierce/overview.htm. Wilson, James Q. Cars and Theirs Enemies. Winn, Marie. Television: The Plug-In Drug.

The Coming Food Crisis :: essays research papers

China has big problem with its food production and providing it for its people. People have resorted to rice husks, hemp leaves, grass soup, toads, rats, body lice, and even their own dead. Many moves toward industrialization have put China behind in its production of food for its people. These moves toward industrialization have taken farmers off their fields and into industrial factories. The result is cropland disappearing and water becoming scarce in some areas. China’s huge population increases by about 15 million each year, even with one child per family. China’s booming economy has made some people wealthy enough to pay off government restrictions of one child per family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China has been trying to solve this problem in many ways. It has put a restriction on the number of children a family can have, which is one. This for some families who are wealthy enough isn’t a problem. China has also looked to importing food, but this has had a dramatic effect on the world’s trade prices. If China continues to import food the international prices will skyrocket resulting in developing countries being unable to import food. In addition to importing food China has also been researching and developing so called â€Å"super rice†. This â€Å"super rice† has an increased amount of seeds on it when it matures. Thus increasing food production. The â€Å"super rice† is supposed to increase production by some 20 percent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If China’s problem keeps increasing and China can’t figure out a way to support itself they may have to turn to importing. This can have a dramatic effect on the rest of world. China may begin importing a lot of its food, which can drive up trade prices. The result is developing countries won’t be able to import food due to lacking of funds. Also if China keeps developing its â€Å"super rice† this may help the rest of the world by being able to increase production by 20 - 25 percent. This is a very interesting thing for many countries especially for those countries that are still young and could use the increase in production.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a lot of things that I have learned from this article. I now know that some of China’s people have been resorting to eating their own dead to survive, due to food shortages.

Separation of Powers in Botswana

SEPARATION OF POWERS IN BOTSWANA Government The constitution implicitly recognises the separation of powers by dealing with each of the three organs of government in separate and distinct provisions. The executive is dealt with in chapter IV, sections 30-56, the legislature in chapter V, sections 57-94 and the judiciary in chapter VI, sections 95-106. Executive The whole of chapter IV of the constitution deals with the executive. Part I deals with the President and Vice President, part II with the Cabinet and part III with the executive functions. In spite of this, section 47 explicitly vests executive functions on the President.The President is not elected directly by universal suffrage but rather indirectly under section 32 after parliamentary elections from the newly elected members of Parliament. He can only hold office for an aggregate period of 10 years and if the office falls vacant, the Vice President takes over. The President appoints the Vice President and such number of Mi nisters and Assistant Ministers as are determined by Parliament. They must all be members of Parliament at the time of their appointment. If not, then before the expiration of four months after their appointment they must become members of Parliament or vacate the position.This therefore means that there is no strict separation of powers in Botswana. Executive power vests in the President and section 49 states that the Vice President acts as his â€Å"principal assistant† and works under his directions. He is responsible for such business of government (including the administration of any department of Government), that the President may assign to him. The usual pattern has been to assign a specific department to the Vice President. On the other hand, cabinet Ministers and Assistant Ministers are responsible for advising the President with respect to policy and such other matters that he may refer to them.Nevertheless, section 50 makes it clear that the cabinet shall be respo nsible to Parliament for all things done by or under the authority of the President and Vice President in the execution of their duties. This generally means that the cabinet as a whole, including the President are collectively responsible to Parliament. Ministers are also individually responsible to Parliament and the public at large for the running of their ministries. Legislature Parliament, according to section 57, consists of the President and the National Assembly.The latter is composed of the President, as ex officio member, 57 elected members, and 4 specially elected members. Although Botswana has earned considerable praise for maintaining a full-fledged liberal multi-party democratic system since independence, one party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has won all elections since independence and remains a dominant party in a system marked by a weak and fragmented opposition parties. The Botswana parliament exercises three main functions viz, the making of laws, control ling public finance and scrutinising and controlling Government.Section 86 vests on Parliament the â€Å"power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of Botswana. † Legislation only becomes law under section 87 after it has been assented to by the President. Another important function of Parliament, which is provided for under sections 117 to 124, is to control the use of public finances. As a result of this control, Government must obtain legislative authority before it can engage in certain financial activities such as levying taxes, imposing rates, and charging fees. The final function of scrutinising and controlling Government is carried out in at least three different ways.The first of this is through question time, motions and ministerial statements. The Standing Orders of the National Assembly allow any private member of Parliament to address a question to a Minister relating to a public matter for which he is responsible. An alternative to question time is the motion, which enables a member to move a motion on any topic by giving three day’s notice of his intention to do so. Besides Parliament, there is also the Ntlo ya Dikgosi, which until the constitutional amendments of 2005, was known as the House of Chiefs.According to section 77, it is to be composed of â€Å"not less than 33 nor more than 35 members,† some of whom are persons performing the functions of kgosiin certain specified districts, some appointed by the President and others selected under section 78(4)(c). The Ntlo ya Dikgosi although having some role to play in the law making process is not a second chamber of Parliament in any sense. Its limited role in the law making process is specified in section 85, which enables it to: i) consider the copy of any Bill, which may affect the designation, ecognition, removal of powers of Dikgosi or Dikgosana; affect the organisation, powers or administration of customary laws; affect customary law, or the ascertain ment or recording of customary law; or affect the tribal organisation or tribal property. ii) be consulted by any Minister on any matter on which he desires to obtain their opinion; or iii) discuss any matter within the executive or legislative authority, which it considers it to be desirable to take cognizance in the interests of the tribes, and tribal organisations it represents and make representations to the President or send messages to Parliament on this.The Ntlo ya Dikgosi therefore only plays a consultative and advisory role. The Judiciary In Botswana, the constitution in section 127 implicitly distinguishes between superior courts and inferior or subordinate courts. Section 127 of the constitution in defining â€Å"subordinate court,† states that thisâ€Å"means any court established for Botswana other than the Court of Appeal, the High Court, a court martial, or the Industrial Court. Generally, the jurisdiction of superior courts is neither limited by the value of the subject matter nor geographically and they tend to deal with the more important and difficult cases.By contrast, the jurisdiction of inferior courts is limited both geographically and according to the value of the subject matter of the dispute. Another distinctive feature of inferior courts is that they are amenable to the supervisory jurisdiction of the High court. The most important inferior courts in Botswana are the Magistrates’ court and the customary courts. Another important distinction is that between courts of general, ordinary or normal jurisdiction and courts of special jurisdiction. Courts of general jurisdiction are those, which deal with practically any kind of case, whether civil, or criminal, that may be brought before them.On the other hand, courts of special jurisdiction may deal only with stated and limited kinds of issues. The courts of general jurisdiction are organised in a hierarchy and consists of (i) the Court of Appeal, (ii) the High Court, (iii) the Magistrates’ Courts and (iv) the Customary Courts. This structure reflects the dual system of laws operating in the country in that the first three courts are concerned primarily with administering the common law and statutes enacted by the legislature while the last courts deal essentially with customary law. The courts of special jurisdiction onsist of the land tribunal, the juvenile court, the court martial and the industrial court. Those who adjudicate upon disputes in the superior courts, consists of the Judge President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice of the High Court and such other judges of the High Court and the Court of Appeal as Parliament may prescribe. Their role in the administration of justice is set out in Part VI of the Constitution. These constitutional provisions and other laws regulate matters such as their appointment and dismissal, their tenure, their status and their independence from the other two branches of government