Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 11

Assignment Example Applying the above theory to this coursework discourse, we can also assert that students have an expectation of what studying in the UK institutions should offer them. On the issue of studying in the United Kingdom, this present coursework mainly intends to investigate the extent to which students have become aware of financial issues that are faced with students who are joining universities. Therefore, the coursework will give information and advice on what first year undergraduate should expect to spend their money on when they arrive at the university and a rough estimate of these costs. Additionally, the coursework will highlight on the sources of finance that are available to students. Students’ expenditure budget According to Davey (2008), students learning at UK institutions are faced with a budget as they are supposed to cater for their needs and cover their own expenses, this more in particular for students are boarding at their learning institutions. Therefore, for f irst year undergraduate students the first thing that they should learn is financial management and proper budgeting in order to go through the entire term without financial hurdles and be able to fully concentrate on their studies. Among the common expenditure that students are faced with, include rent, food, communication (mobile/ internet), student supplies, council tax, transport, utilities, and banking charges such as opening a UK account. Estimate of a student budget For first year students who are going to undertake a course that runs for three years, the common budget estimates are presented in the table below. A 3 years course Amount in GBP Annual fees 2500 The living costs Books 62 Clothes 178 Concerts/ cinema 50 Travel home 50 Monthly expenditure Rent 340 Bar/restaurant bills 77 Food 130 Mobile phone 36 Transport 12 Shopping 69 Households bills 65 Other miscellaneous 20 Total Amount 37, 524 Based on this total amount that students will spend for their entire 3 years cours e, the annual amount that students will be required to have is 12508, on per term basis the required amount is 4168.33 while on monthly basis it is 1042.33. Evans (2011) stated that for students studying in the UK, there are various sources of finance that they can exploit in order to cover for their expenses and this excluded funds that can be provided for by their parents or guardians. Among the available sources, include student loans, grants that are offered annually, earning from part-time work, and holiday jobs. The estimate amounts that students could generate from these sources are as follows; Students’ possible income Student loan plus grant per year 6000 Part-time work 60 Holiday jobs 2500 Total 8560 The annual expenditure budget for students as it was noted was 12,508 and the rough estimates for students’ possible income per year is 8560 in total. Therefore, it means that on annual basis students will have a shortfall of 3948. This shortfall could either be covered by a funds received from parents or income earned from additional part time jobs and holidays jobs. However, it is of essence to note that for students to engage too much in jobs is highly likely to interfere with their education and they may end up have dwindling performances. The other key expense that was not included on the budget is healthcare costs for the students. This was intentionally excluded because of the fact that healthcare cost for students is also charged as part of the total school fees,

Finance coursework Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance coursework - Research Paper Example According to Gustav Cassel, the purchasing power parity is the appropriate level at which the foreign exchange rate should be set. The rate is measured by calculating the relative departures or deviations of price levels from a chosen base period in which the balance of payments of the concerned countries had been in equilibrium. If countries X and Y were in reasonable adjustment in time period 0, then these countries should choose an exchange rate in time period 1 (R1) which reflects the changes in their prices between time period 0 and time period 1. So, the formula is: The inflation rate has risen by 5% in US from 1993 to 1995, while it has risen by 12% in Zeal during the same period. Taking these rates into account and calculating at the old exchange rates of GP20 for $1, we calculate the new rate of exchange at GP33.6 for $1. The peso is not likely to fall any further. It has overadjusted. The rate would finally be set near the above calculated level. 2. The peso float could have been forecast due to a number of reasons. First, the exchange rate that was set and maintained by the Zeal authorities was clearly overvalued. The purchasing parity theory of exchange rates predicted a rate of GP33.6 for $1, while it was being pegged at the rate of GP20 for $1. Second, the balance of payments was running in deficit for a number of years as can be seen in Table1. The current account deficit was constantly increasing over the years and it was being funded by capital flows from abroad, putting pressure on the currency to depreciate. Thirdly, Inflation was consistently rising and was at 12% in 1995. The money supply was rising at a greater rate than the price level, again placing peso under pressure. Fourth, Zeal central bank was continuously losing international reserves in an attempt to hold the exchange rate. Fifth, the country had to borrow capital to fill the gap in balance of payments. And lastly, a sustainability of a particular level of current account deficit depends on how the capital flows are used and if the country has the appropriate debt servicing capability. A large and persistent current account deficit in the balance of payments of Zeal shows the employment of unsustainable macroeconomic policies. The exchange rate would have finally fallen victim to those policies. So, from the above reasons we can say that the peso float could have been anticipated. (Beenhakker, 2000) 3. Many wealthy individuals of the country have shifted their money out of the country through the dollarization of their assets. This is indicated from the unilateral transfers shown in Table1. The table indicates that the trade balance deficit has been increasing since 1973 and currently it stands at a very high $400,000,000.00. The current account deficit has similarly been increasing constantly over the years to reach $387 million. The international reserves have also been depleting as the current account deficit is increasing. There are still positive figures in unilateral transfers. The transfers have increased from a very minuscule $1 million in 1973 to reach $13 million in 1995. From 1973 to 1993 there was any increase of $6 million in unilateral transfers overall. But in the two years from 1993 to 1995 the country has seen an increase in unilateral tra

History Document Analysis on ETA and the Basque Country Essay

History Document Analysis on ETA and the Basque Country - Essay Example 498). In its campaigns thus far, the ETA has committed over 900 killings and dozens of kidnappings. While the ETA did declare a unilateral cease-fire on March 22, 2006, on September 23, 2006, the organization announced that it would resume hostilities until the achievement of Basque independence (ETA). To understand the sentiments at work in all three of these documents – particularly the harsh dichotomies of the Arana piece – it is good to have an understanding of the dynamics at work within the ETA. To people outside of the Basque region, and, in particular, outside of Spain, the mission of the ETA sounds just like one of many small revolutionary groups, agitating for its own few square miles of self-determination, if only to avoid the larger taxing entities in the country around it (Funes, p. 499). Each of these little splinter groups has its own manifesto that spouts idealistic words and phrases, its own shrill anthem that sounds to the modern person listening from abroad much like, quite frankly, the declarations that leapt from the American colonies to the government of Great Britain in the later days of the eighteenth century. The modern chapter of the Basque story begins during the reign of Francisco Franco, and his attempts to drive the Basque nation off the very face of the planet. Because there had been Basque sympathizers with the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, Franco decided to eliminate any signs of Basque culture from the public consciousness. The Basque flag could not be displayed; Basque holidays could not be publicly celebrated; teaching the Basque language, or even speaking it in public, were forbidden; baptizing children who did not have Spanish surnames was proscribed (Sullivan, p. 88). This crackdown against non-Spanish cultures was not carried out throughout the country, however. While Guipuscoa and Biscay were also singled out for this attempted annihilation of local culture, because of their

Finance coursework Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance coursework - Research Paper Example According to Gustav Cassel, the purchasing power parity is the appropriate level at which the foreign exchange rate should be set. The rate is measured by calculating the relative departures or deviations of price levels from a chosen base period in which the balance of payments of the concerned countries had been in equilibrium. If countries X and Y were in reasonable adjustment in time period 0, then these countries should choose an exchange rate in time period 1 (R1) which reflects the changes in their prices between time period 0 and time period 1. So, the formula is: The inflation rate has risen by 5% in US from 1993 to 1995, while it has risen by 12% in Zeal during the same period. Taking these rates into account and calculating at the old exchange rates of GP20 for $1, we calculate the new rate of exchange at GP33.6 for $1. The peso is not likely to fall any further. It has overadjusted. The rate would finally be set near the above calculated level. 2. The peso float could have been forecast due to a number of reasons. First, the exchange rate that was set and maintained by the Zeal authorities was clearly overvalued. The purchasing parity theory of exchange rates predicted a rate of GP33.6 for $1, while it was being pegged at the rate of GP20 for $1. Second, the balance of payments was running in deficit for a number of years as can be seen in Table1. The current account deficit was constantly increasing over the years and it was being funded by capital flows from abroad, putting pressure on the currency to depreciate. Thirdly, Inflation was consistently rising and was at 12% in 1995. The money supply was rising at a greater rate than the price level, again placing peso under pressure. Fourth, Zeal central bank was continuously losing international reserves in an attempt to hold the exchange rate. Fifth, the country had to borrow capital to fill the gap in balance of payments. And lastly, a sustainability of a particular level of current account deficit depends on how the capital flows are used and if the country has the appropriate debt servicing capability. A large and persistent current account deficit in the balance of payments of Zeal shows the employment of unsustainable macroeconomic policies. The exchange rate would have finally fallen victim to those policies. So, from the above reasons we can say that the peso float could have been anticipated. (Beenhakker, 2000) 3. Many wealthy individuals of the country have shifted their money out of the country through the dollarization of their assets. This is indicated from the unilateral transfers shown in Table1. The table indicates that the trade balance deficit has been increasing since 1973 and currently it stands at a very high $400,000,000.00. The current account deficit has similarly been increasing constantly over the years to reach $387 million. The international reserves have also been depleting as the current account deficit is increasing. There are still positive figures in unilateral transfers. The transfers have increased from a very minuscule $1 million in 1973 to reach $13 million in 1995. From 1973 to 1993 there was any increase of $6 million in unilateral transfers overall. But in the two years from 1993 to 1995 the country has seen an increase in unilateral tra

TheLife and Influence of Kate Chopin Research Paper

TheLife and Influence of Kate Chopin - Research Paper Example The Life of Kate Chopin Kate Chopin was born in February of 1851. Her Father was a noble business man who was successful at his work. Unfortunately, he died when Chopin was only 4 years old, leaving her in the care of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. It can be assumed that being raised by these three powerful women in the absence of a man had a great impact on Chopin’s perceptions about life. To her, life was not only in the hands of a man to command, but women had power too. While watching her mother and grandmothers work and successfully maintain surely a strong sense of feminism developed in the young Chopin. As a child, Chopin loved to read. Her family mostly kept encyclopedias and Bibles in the home library, but Chopin did not limit herself to these. She came to have many favorite authors and regularly read the works of scientific authors like Darwin in order to train her own rational thinking. The author that had the most impact on Chopin’s writing was Guy de Maupassant, a French writer whom she admired for his â€Å"nonjudgmental and unsentimental appreciation of reality† (Skredisrig 1975; p. 90). ... Following the example of her mother, Chopin continued to manage her husband’s business alone. Eventually, she returned to St. Luis, the city that she had called home since birth. Chopin wrote in order to provide for her family. During her writing career, Chopin produced a few works that have earned some notoriety, including At Fault (1890), Bayou Folk (1894), The Story of an Hour (1894), A Night in Acadie (1897), and The Awakening (1899). However, Chopin wrote constantly and is responsible for many other works. She has written 100 short stories, a play, some poetry, various essays, sketches, literary reviews, journals, letters, translations, and some nonfiction material (Skredsrig 1975; p. 89). Of her written works it was said that the reflected the needs, despairs and desires of the people in her society that she was able to observe (Ostman 2008; p.10). The Influence of Chopin Even though her book, The Awakening, had been criticized for lack of morals and open sexuality by ma ny, there was some who found appreciation for it. Her other works were not as harshly scrutinized. She was a popular enough writer in her day to be able to support her large family with the money that she made writing. The Awakening was the last piece that Chopin ever published. She died a few years after the work. While many think that Chopin had ceased to write because of the harsh judgments that she faced because of this last work, the truth is that there are other short stories written by Chopin after this time that were never published. Possibly, if she had not died, there would have been other works from her that were published. It took about five more decades before The Awakening could lose its bad reputation and be better appreciated. In the 1950’s with the activism that

Victorian society Essay Example for Free

Victorian society Essay The Importance of Being Earnest, subtitled, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a comedy of manners whereby Oscar Wilde rebukes the Victorian aristocracy for their social issues that seemingly prioritise the most trivial of things such as style and appearance above those of true significance such as. Wilde further achieves this by incorporating elements such as farce and melodrama in order to highlight their senseless main concerns. Wilde portrays the act of â€Å"Being Earnest† as being in opposing to its definition as having features of dishonesty and false morality, with one of the main characters Algernon stating that â€Å"The truth is rarely pure and never simple†. Wilde’s first satirical attack in the play is marriage. Algernon is shown to perceive marriage to be a business deal as opposed to the projected illusion of it as described in the play as being based on mutual feelings of love (evidence – Ceclily or Gwendolen). This is evidenced by Algernon’s sharply comical and paradoxical epigrams in response to his best friend Jack Worthing’s admittance of wanting to propose to Algernon’s own ward Gwendolen he states: â€Å"I thought you had come up for pleasure? I call that business. † Wilde is seemingly satirising concept of marriage presenting it to be a legal contract between consenting families of similar social class and fortunes; Baxley comments â€Å"Wilde shows us how the upper class does not marry for love or happiness but for convenience and social standing†. )Algernon views marriage in an unorthodox way, unlike the expectations of modern day now. He views it as a disease, one that to be bearable needs an escape: â€Å"Nothing will induce me to part with Bunbury, and if you ever get married†¦ you will be very glad to know Bunbury. A man who marries without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious time of it. † ‘Bunbury’ (who is he) is a direct metaphor for Algernon’s deceit and escape from social expectation. He is a fictitious person; one that Algernon suggests is needed in general life but indeed emphasises that this is the case most particularly when one is married. Algernon disregards Jack’s confidence that once he finds love he will no longer needs a ‘Bunbury’[a]. On one level the exchange merely is a continuation of the long running marriage gag of the Victorian notion of â€Å"marriage bliss† in an era where the English aristocracy was dominant and superior, and far removed even from the British middle class. This would in turn amplify the humorous situation through Wilde’s blatant social criticism-through the ‘Bunbury’ double entendre to the middle class audience in particular. Nevertheless, it also brings to light a darker subtext, one were Algernon insinuates that all husbands in Victorian society have and need a ‘Bunbury’ thus satirising the moral values by highlighting the fact that aristocratic meaning as long as they kept within the appearance of propriety, they could lead a double life and avoid responsibility but still keep upmost respect from society. Consequently, Oscar Wilde satirises duty and respectability simultaneously with the notion of marriage in Victorian society by demeaning their importance. Wilde could be said to be suggesting that their ‘duty’ is a pun (with reference to the title of the play) and in fact the aristocracy duty is more so simply a title that entails a need for pity as opposed to awe. Perhaps this is purposely done as such a suggestion to a Victorian audience would have been deemed an outrageous concept even to the extent of offence but is accepted due to the comedic light-heartedness and infantile manner in which it is presented; through Algernon’s unrealistic approach to life and love. His ignorance and foolishness, contributes to the satirical nature of the play but yet in keeping with the comedy genre due to the melodramatic and foolish aspects of his character for example: â€Å"She will place me next Mary Farquhar, who always flirts with her husband across the dinner-table. That is not very pleasant The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly scandalous. It looks so bad. It is simply washing one’s clean linen in public†. This statement highlights the fact that Algernon recoils at the very thing that society values. His offence that the women he will be seated with flirt only with their husband and no one else evidences this. The importance of marriage instead is subverted and can be seen as simply a stipulation and social expectation that comes with the responsibilities of being in the upper class a view, which is seen as trivial and unimportant as the characters mainly view marriage as a social tool.

The success of starbuck

The success of starbuck Terms Of Reference This report was commissioned to examine the use of the marketing mix and the contribution of the design function in the success of Starbuck. This report is presented to Dr. Daniel Wade Clarke and the due date is 22nd February 2010. Recommendations are provided in the end. Procedure Organisations own literature has been used in this report. Online textbook and newspapers has been followed to complete this project report.   Nature Of The Organisation Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with more than 15,000 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim wherever there is a demand for great coffee. In 1970 the first Starbucks was open. The name comes from Herman Melvilles Moby Dick, a classic American novel about the 19th century whaling industry. The seafaring name seems appropriate for a store that imports the worlds finest coffees to the cold, thirsty people of Seattle. In May 1998, Starbucks successfully entered the European market through its acquisition of 65 Seattle Coffee Company stores in the UK. The two companies shared a common culture, focussing on a great commitment to customised coffee, similar company values and a mutual respect for people and the environment. (Source www.starbucks.co.uk ) Marketing Mix And NPDs Relation To Starbucks? The marketing mix concept is one of the core concepts of marketing theory. According to Rafiq and Ahmed (1995, p.4) that in recent years, the popular version of this concept McCarthys (1964) 4Ps (product, price, promotion and place) has increasingly come under attack in different marketing contexts. Because 4Ps do not take sufficient account of people, process and physical evidence in service marketing. In particular Booms and Biters (1981) extension of the 4Ps framework to include process, physical evidence and participants, has gained widespread acceptance in the services marketing literature. Furthermore Jobber (2004, p.21) adds to this â€Å" In services ,people often are the service itself; the process or how the service is delivered to the customer is usually a key part of the service, and the physical evidence should be considered as a separate element in the services marketing mix†. Nevertheless, there is no absolute reason why these extensions cannot be incorporated w ithin the 4Ps framework. The elements of the marketing mix are the followings; (1) Product (2) Price (3) Place (4) Promotion (5) People (6) Processes (7) Physical Evidence Product The Product decision involves deciding what goods or services should be offered to a group of customers. Brassington and Pettitt (2003, p.25) state that â€Å"it is about not only what to make, but when to make it, how to make it, and how to ensure that it has a long and profitable life†. Clearly product is the important element any company will needs to consider product features/ benefits, branding, packing and after-sales service after its development. Coffee is at the heart of Starbucks history. Starbucks sample coffees from around the world more than 150,000 cups a year. Coffee is the core product of Starbucks as defined by Brassington and Pettitt (2003, p.268) â€Å"core product represents the heart of the product, the main reason for its existence and purchase†. It is coffee which provides the functional or psychological definition of Starbucks towards its customers. Below is the diagram of Strategic thrust model, which is effective in marketing planning. Starbucks is using two marketing strategies towards their products.   First one is Product development and second is Market development. According to Jobber (2004, p.47) that product development involves improving current products or developing new products for current markets. As we know Starbucks offer convenience and non durable products in the form of coffee, when it comes to product development they are continuously differentiating their product (coffee) in the form of mild, smooth and bold categories, which increases their product line although their core product is the same. Starbucks also offer merchandise and gifts and fresh food just to increase their product range or product mix for the competitive market. This type of newness can be called new to the company, a significant innovation for the market. Furthermore Jobber (2004, p.47) also explains market development when current products are sold in new markets. This may involve moving into new geographical markets, as Starbucks has done moving into European market segments. But sometimes thes e strategies can be costly for example they have divided their coffee into three categories and they are getting their product from different regions which can be more costly then the product itself. Guardian (18th February 2009) reported that in the second half of 2008 Britain and the US fell into recession because of the credit crunch, but that so many other countries tumbled in even quicker. Germanys economy contracted by 2.1% in the fourth quarter of year 2008, Italys by 1.8%, Britains by 1.5% and Frances by 1.2%. All are significant, the worst for decades and worse than the USs 0.9% fall in the same period. Starbucks seems heavily exposed in countries such as Britain and the US, where consumer confidence and spending have shrivelled. But it also has plenty of stores across mainland Europe so no doubt they have experienced a cooling off in demand as cash-strapped consumers opts for cheaper drinks. Price Brassington and Pettitt (2003, p.392) explains price in a more interesting way according to them â€Å"price might seem to be the least complicated and perhaps the least interesting element of the marketing mix, not having the tangibility of the product, the glamour of advertising of the atmosphere of retailing†. Price however, play a very important role in the lives of both marketers and customers, and deserves as much strategic consideration as any other marketing tool because of it company receives some units for the actual product or service which is being marketed.   Starbucks main competitors are Costa coffee and Caffe Nero to compete with them Starbucks applies competition based pricing strategy. According to Brassington and Pettitt (2003, p.452) its very dangerous setting prices without knowing what is happening in the market, particularly with respect to ones competitors. There are two aspect of competition that influence an organisations pricing. The first is the structure of the market and the second is products perceived value in the market. When a product is more differentiated then its competitors product the more autonomy the organisation has in pricing it. Hence Starbucks has a range of different product they have slight advantage over their competitors and for that reason buyers come to value its unique benefits. However sometimes setting a high price then your competitors is not a good tactics. According to Times (24th July 2008) Starbucks is peddling the worst coffee at the highest prices according to a survey of the big three coffee houses on Britains high streets. The Which? Magazine survey that choosing the worlds largest coffee chain (Starbucks) instead of an independent shop for your cappuccino three mornings a week will cost you  £126 a year. Coffee Prices Starbucks Medium cappuccino  £2.29; single espresso  £1.40 Costa Coffee Medium cappuccino  £2.27; single espresso  £1.33 Caffe Nero Medium cappuccino  £1.80; single espresso  £1.25 Clearly setting high prices will not only effect Starbucks position in the market but also it will result a down turn in the demand curve. In another example The Observer (18th October 2009) reveals that at Starbucks, a slice of chocolate cake costs  £2.30 and a small English breakfast tea is  £1.40. But a pack of four cupcakes costs  £2.99 from Marks Spencer and a box of 80 Fairtrade Extra Strong tea bags is  £1.89. So clearly it is not only the core product which is expensive but also the other product range as well. Place According to Jobber (2004, p.634) â€Å"product need to e available in adequate quantities, in convenient locations and at times when customers want to buy them†. Producing products that customers want, pricing them correctly and after that made them available, is necessary for any business. But for that accurate channel strategy is very important for any business. Starbucks has their own of distribution channel. A channel of distribution is very important element. All products whether they are consumer, industrial goods or services require a channel of distribution. Starbucks apply consumer channel strategy in which producers have a direct contact to consumer. According to Jobber (2004, p.637) producer use this strategy to cut out the distribution profit margin. The consumer and manufacturer deal directly with each other. Direct selling is more effective then involvement of a distributor. The following present direct supply channel or producer direct to consumer. Starbucks has more than 15,000 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. Starbucks has coffee stores in every part of the UK. Guardian (21st January 2010) reveals that Starbucks UK management reckons that the chain will end the year 2010 back above 700 stores compare to its current 661 stores. However intensive distribution of the product (Starbucks stores) is not a good strategy because Starbucks has to compete in all sorts of markets in the same time, which is very costly in the current economic climate. The second most important thing, which is Starbuck lacking, is the franchisees. According to Brassington and Pettitt (2003, p.473) â€Å"A franchisee holds a contract to supply and market a product or service to the design or blueprint of the franchisor (the owner or originator of the product or service)†. Starbucks want to expand their business in the whole word a franchisee will be best available solution for them. McDon alds is an indication of the level of detail covered by a franchise agreement then why Starbucks are not following the same path as their other companies are following. National or regional advertising in addition to any undertaken by the franchisee can play an important role in building a stronger system brand identity. Promotion According to Jobber (2004, p.18) promotional mix involve advertising, personal selling, sales promotions, public relations, direct marketing, and internet and online promotion. By which we can easily made aware the target audience of the existence of a product or service, and the benefits it confers to the customers. Marketing communication is a very important element; no organisation can afford either the financial or reputational damage caused by poorly planned or implemented communication campaigns. Starbucks use all of the promotional mix ingredients to target their audience they made good use of internet and online promotion. They target their audience through social networking website such as FaceBook and Twitter. They also use YouTube for their promotion and other social campaigns. Starbucks is also using social and cultural aspect of the environment for their sale promotions and public relations. Brassington and Pettitt (2003, p.587) explains that â€Å"Social and cultural a spects of the environment will mostly have an impact on the message element of communication†. According to Guardian (2nd September 2009) Starbucks has launched a multimillion-pound ad campaign promoting its ethical values as it makes the vast majority of its UK coffee Fairtrade. Clearly they are using a social issue to make public relation with their target audience, and also Shared Planet (Guardian 2008) the Starbucks initiative launched in year 2008. Its a collection of goals, by 2015 they promise to have all their coffee ethically sourced and all their cups recyclable. Starbucks is using these issues to defend their selves against the environmental campaigners. According to Guardian (2nd September 2009) at Starbucks millions of litres of water are wasted in its coffee shops every day, contradicting its much-boasted green credentials. An investigation by the Sun revealed that over 23.4m litres of water are poured down the drains of 10,000 outlets worldwide due to a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop; Which is totally unfair because on oneside Starbucks run its campaign to save the earth and on the other side they are doing things which are against their campaign. People Brassington and Pettitt (2003, p.28) describes that services often depends on people to perform them, creating and delivering the product as the customer waits.   It is dependent upon people and interaction between people. Rafiq and Ahmed (1995, p.7) adds that â€Å"Marketing managers therefore need to manage not only the service provider-customer interface but also the actions of other customers†. For example, the number, type and behaviour of people will partly determine the enjoyment of a meal at a Starbucks coffee store. Therefore observation of everything in the surrounding of stores environment is very important for any organisations. Especially it is more important for Starbucks because they are their own producer and retailer so anything lacking in the consumer attraction can easily put a bad image on Starbucks brand name. If there is any need for training it will be the best solution for getting service delivery from employees. Processes Processes are all the administrative and bureaucratic functions of the organisation. In the process mechanisms there are flows of activities by which services are acquired. Marketers, therefore, have to ensure that customers understand the process of acquiring a service (Rafiq and Ahmed, 1995, p.7). Performance of the product can be separated from the customer but on the other hand, the customer cannot be separated from an experience good. Therefore his degree of involvement in the process of interaction is always high towards the final product (Moorthi, 2002, p.266). Adding to this by Brassington and Pettitt (2003, p.28) marketer also has to think carefully about how the service is delivered, and what quality controls can be built in so that the customer can be confident that they know what to expect each time they consume the service product. In Starbucks there are number of process mechanisms, which involve customer serving, telephonic customer services, online shopping, and Starbucks reward card. Well designed processes are needed as the service is delivered to ensure that the customer gets through with minimum fuss and delay and that all elements of the services are properly delivered. Process is all about quality improvement of any service which Starbucks provide. Physical Evidence   Physical evidence in the Booms and Bitner framework refers to the environment in which the service is delivered and any tangible goods that facilitate the performance and communication of the service. Physical evidence is important because customers use tangible clues to assess the quality of service provided (Rafiq and Ahmed, 1995, p.7). The physical environment itself is instrumental in customers assessment of the quality and level of service they can expect, for example in Starbucks stores. In fact, the physical environment is part of the product itself. The need for offering physical evidence is high. In the case of Starbucks the intangible (Service delivery) comes first and the tangible (final product coffee) later. Newness of the environment (Starbucks Stores) can also have a positive effect on customers purchase decision. Starbucks announcement to redesign its stores in UK will put a positive effect on their brand name as well as their customer involvement (Guardian October 20 09). Conclusion Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with more than 15,000 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim wherever there is a demand for great coffee. Starbucks exclusively divided their product in to three categories, which increases their product line, Starbucks also offer merchandise and gifts and fresh food just to increase their product range or product mix for the competitive market. This type of newness can be called new to the company, a significant innovation for the market. Starbucks is also involved into new geographical markets, as Starbucks has done in Europe moving into new market segments. But sometimes these strategies can be costly. Starbucks apply competition based pricing strategy. Hence Starbucks has a range of different product they have slight advantage over their competitors and for that reason buyers come to value its unique benefits. Starbucks is peddling the worst coffee at the highest prices according to a survey of the big three coffee houses on Britains high streets. Starbucks has their own of distribution channel. However intensive distribution of the product (Starbucks stores) is not a good strategy because Starbucks has to compete in all sorts of markets in the same time, which is very costly in the current economic climate. National or regional advertising in addition to any undertaken by the franchisee can play an important role in building a stronger system brand identity. Starbucks use all of the promotional mix ingredients to target their audience they made good use of internet and online promotion. Starbucks is also using social and cultural aspect of the environment for their sale promotions and public relations. Starbucks is using these issues to defend their selves against the environmental campaigners. Starbucks needs to focus on their because they are their own producer and retailer so anything lacking in the consumer attraction can easily put a bad image on Starbucks brand name. If there is any need for training it will be the best solution for getting service delivery from employees. Starbucks needs continuous improvement of their processes mechanism. Physical evidence is important because customers use tangible clues to assess the quality of service provided. Starbucks announcement to redesign its stores in UK is good strategy which will put a positive effect on their brand name as well as their customer involvement. References Booms, B.H. and Bitner, M.J. (1981), â€Å"Marketing strategies and organization structures for service firms†, in Donnelly, J.H. and George, W.R. (Eds), Marketing of Services, American Marketing Association, Chicago, IL, pp. 47-51 [Accessed: 20/02/2010] Brassington, F. and Pettitt, S. (2003) Principles and Practice of Marketing: 3rd Edition: Pearson Education Limited [Accessed: 17/02/2010] Jobber, D. (2004) Principles and Practice of Marketing: 4th Edition: McGraw-Hill International (UK) Limited [Accessed: 17/02/2010] Kotler, P. (2003) Marketing Management 11th Edition: Pearson Education Limited [Accessed: 17/02/2010] Moorthi, Y.L.R. (2002), â€Å"An approach to branding services†, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol.16 (3), pp.259-274 [Accessed: 21/02/2010] Rafiq, M. and Ahmed, P.K. 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