Ethics of Starbucks Corporation Essay Example for Free

Ethics of Starbucks Corporation Essay Starbucks Corporation is the international coffee and the largest coffeehouse in the world based in seattle, Washington. The company has expanded rapidly with over 16,858 stores in 50 countries, including 11,000 in the united states, over 1000 in Canada and over 700 in uk. Starbucks don’t sell only coffee but there are variety in the consumer products that they offer such as hot and cold sandwiches and Panini, pastries ,snacks and other hot and cold drinks. The company’s products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks also has an entertainment division and hear music brand, the company also markets books, music and films. Starbucks brand ice-creams and coffee are also offered at grocery stores. The Mission statement of Starbucks is to † inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time†. Starbucks believe that conducting business ethically and striving to do the right thing are vital to the success of the company. However, Starbucks corporation have been a target of protests and vandalism in the previous years on issues related to sustainability. But Starbucks have always been socially responsible and made it a priority to the development of new ways of addressing diverse impacts of business in society. Like every corporation, Starbucks has its own Standard of Business Conduct which facilitates legal compliance and ethics training; investigates sensitive issues such as potential conflicts of interest; and provides additional channels for partners to voice concerns. Partners are encouraged to report all types of issues or concerns to the program through their choice of the offered communication channel. The key goal and the important aspect of Business ethics is Sustainability. Sustainability is emerged from the environmental perspective because of the effective management of physical resources that are conserved for the future. But the concept of sustainability is not only broadened to include environment but also economic and social consideration. Starbucks have made its priorities in addressing ethical issues related to the environment through formal and public relations. Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business. This is done by understanding the environmental issues, developing innovative and flexible solutions to bring about change, attempt to buy, sell and use environmental friendly products, instilling environmental responsibility as a corporate value, measuring and monitoring our progress for each project. However, The Three components of Sustainability actually represent in terms of goals for business ethics. a) the environmental perspectives for Starbucks Corporation In 1999, Starbucks started† grounds for coffee† where they would give away the grounds to anyone for composting. They also reduced the size of their paper napkins and garbage bags to reduce wastage and lightening their solid waste to 816.5 metric tons. In response to the excessive water consumption ,Starbucks have replaced pitcher and dipper wells with push button faucets for rinsing utensils. Starbucks are trying ways to make recycling services available for its plastic cups as the services are very limited. By 2015 it is will make these services available in every store across the country. Previously, there were issues that plastic cups were non-recyclable because of the plastic coating that prevents the cup from leaking also prevents it from being recycled so they changed the material from prolypropylene (PP) to polyethylene teraphthale (PETE) which can be recycled. Starbucks is now considering the use of biodegradable material instead of plastics to line the cups. Starbucks gives 10 cents discounts to its customers for using its own mug and it now uses corrugated cup sleeves made up of 60% post consumer recycled fiber. As a Corporate Citizen, Starbucks have taken the ethical responsibility by conserving energy and increasing efficiency to reduce contribution to climate change. Purchasing of renewable resources to avoid impact on the climate yt and investing in new lighting and improving the efficiency of HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling systems) and other equipments. Starbucks also has build greener stores which include a mix of design elements such as using recycled floor tiles, improve light efficiency, installing low flow valves throughout the stores, using paints with lower amount of volatile organic chemicals. b) the economic perspective for starbucks corporation A broader concept of economic sustainability would include the company’s attitude towards and impacts upon economic framework. Starbucks Corporation responsibly grows coffee and launching its Fair Trade Coffee has undeniably made a significant contribution to their family farmers through rapidly growing FTC coffee volume. Starbucks has established support centers for the farmers in Rwanda and Costa Rica to provide them with necessary resources and expertise to help lower the cost of production, reduce fungus infections, improve coffee quality and increase the production of premium coffee. During the growing and harvest cycles, many farmers find it difficult to cover the expenses prompting them to sell their crops for less to the local buyers. To avoid such situation, starbucks provides funding to the organization that make loans to the coffee growers which will sell their crops at the best time to get the right price. It will also help the farmers to invest in the farms and make capital improvements. Starbucks coffee and cocoa buying is designed to long-term supply of high-quality, ethically sourced cocoa and coffee while contributing positively to the environment and to cocoa-farming communities. Starbucks argues that it pays above market prices for all of its coffee. According to the company, in 2004 it paid on average $1.42 per pound ($2.64 kg) for high-quality coffee beans. This is in comparison to commodity prices which were as low as $0.50–$0.60 in 2003–04. c) the social perspective for Starbucks corporation The key issue in social perspective on sustainability is that of social justice. Starbucks Corporation is involved in communities’ services bringing people together, inspiring change and making a difference in people’s lives. Engaging young people to identify and address the needs of their community. Young people also receive advocacy ,training, financial help and other resources for their efforts. This is done by providing monetary aid and establishing relationship with International Youth foundation and Youth Venture. Starbucks is also involved in combating HIV/Aids to coffee growing community in Africa. Starbucks began selling RED goods in November 2008, enabling the supply of AIDS medicine for 3800 people for a year. The Starbucks Foundation has served the society for many years providing access to clean waters to the developing countries from its brand water bottled ETHOS, fostering education in china, rebuilding the Gulf coast. Although these goals and targets are identified by the UN are essentially the responsibility of the government to achieve, some of them have direct significance for business. Finally we have identified sustainability as a crucial concept that helps to determine the goals and objectives of the business activities from ethical point of view.

Womens Basketball Association :: Creating Writing Fantasy Essays

Women's Basketball Association Background/Prologue [the future]: It is the year 2010. The WNBA has dropped the 'N' from its name and is now referred to as the WBA. There is some confusion over whether the 'W' refers to Women's or World, since both are used. A tiny line of script beneath the official logo on the WBA website gives the name as the Women's Basketball Association, but World Basketball Association is as apt a name as the other. Unlike the NBA, a strictly national league, the WBA made the decision in the early '00s to begin aggressively expanding. The WBA now has a team in most major American and international cities. The league's growth isn't really surprising given the crop of players over the past decade or so. A few have even risen to superstar status, regularly wowing packed arenas with a combination of style, showmanship and skill that hasn't been witnessed in basketball since the glory days of the men's league. The Plot [The past—'90s]: What really kick-started the stellar growth of the WBA was the discovery of Theresa "The Tiger" Tyson. Theresa iss a high school dropout from West Philly who managed to catch the eye of ---- State recruiter Jerry Krieger (on his way back from a game at Penn) during a fierce pickup game. Being as impressed by her obvious sense and no-nonsense attitude as he was with her deadly hook shot, Krieger manages to finesse a deal with his school. If Tyson gets her high school diploma and stays out of trouble (she was a bit of a hell-raiser), they'd manage to find a place for at ----. Theresa is a motivated young woman, if nothing else. Basketball seems to be her only shot at a decent life for herself and her family. As of now, her future does not look too bright, given her lack of education or marketable skills. Not to mention the fact that she is the oldest of five and one of eight people overflowing a two bedroom apartment in the projects. She works the nightshift at a convenience store, protected by a two-inch layer of bulletproof glass and watched by security cameras trained on the register. Her boss does not trust her because she is African-American and poor. She spends the days sleeping, watching TV and keeping an eye on her siblings and seventy seven year old grandmother. Women's Basketball Association :: Creating Writing Fantasy Essays Women's Basketball Association Background/Prologue [the future]: It is the year 2010. The WNBA has dropped the 'N' from its name and is now referred to as the WBA. There is some confusion over whether the 'W' refers to Women's or World, since both are used. A tiny line of script beneath the official logo on the WBA website gives the name as the Women's Basketball Association, but World Basketball Association is as apt a name as the other. Unlike the NBA, a strictly national league, the WBA made the decision in the early '00s to begin aggressively expanding. The WBA now has a team in most major American and international cities. The league's growth isn't really surprising given the crop of players over the past decade or so. A few have even risen to superstar status, regularly wowing packed arenas with a combination of style, showmanship and skill that hasn't been witnessed in basketball since the glory days of the men's league. The Plot [The past—'90s]: What really kick-started the stellar growth of the WBA was the discovery of Theresa "The Tiger" Tyson. Theresa iss a high school dropout from West Philly who managed to catch the eye of ---- State recruiter Jerry Krieger (on his way back from a game at Penn) during a fierce pickup game. Being as impressed by her obvious sense and no-nonsense attitude as he was with her deadly hook shot, Krieger manages to finesse a deal with his school. If Tyson gets her high school diploma and stays out of trouble (she was a bit of a hell-raiser), they'd manage to find a place for at ----. Theresa is a motivated young woman, if nothing else. Basketball seems to be her only shot at a decent life for herself and her family. As of now, her future does not look too bright, given her lack of education or marketable skills. Not to mention the fact that she is the oldest of five and one of eight people overflowing a two bedroom apartment in the projects. She works the nightshift at a convenience store, protected by a two-inch layer of bulletproof glass and watched by security cameras trained on the register. Her boss does not trust her because she is African-American and poor. She spends the days sleeping, watching TV and keeping an eye on her siblings and seventy seven year old grandmother.

Is Economics a Science?

The word â€Å"Economics† is derived from the Greeks word â€Å"Oikonomos† which means to manage the house. So it means the management of a household especially in those matters, which are relating to the income and expenses of the family. After sometime, the term economy was adopted. Economics is regarded as a Social SCIENCE and not a PURE science like Physics or Chemistry because it uses scientific methods to build theories that can help explain the behaviour of individuals, groups and organisations and does not deal directly with experiments with matter. Economics attempts to explain economic behaviour, which arises when scarce resources are used to fulfil unlimited human needs. 1. It is a science because economists can experiment:- In terms of methodology, economists, employ different methods, based primarily on observation and deduction and the construction of abstract models to make experiments with numbers and data. As the social sciences have evolved there are now many different strands of investigation including micro and macro economics, pure and applied economics, and industrial ,social ,environmental and financial economics. . Economics is a science because it can make predictions Economists use scientific observation and deduction in their investigations using index numbers, base year and current year figures and past data. Economists frequently use versions of the demand and supply model to help explain events such as realty prices trends and movements. Economic models usually employ graphical and mathematical analysis to help explain and illustrate such economic processes. 3. It is both a Positive and normative science. As a social science, economics attempts to use the principles and methods of science to explain economic behaviour. This involves making positive statements about the economic world. Positive statements are those that can be verified, and are factual, such as: ‘.. House prices have fallen by 15% over the last year†¦ ’ In contrast, normative statements are based on opinion and value judgement. Statements suggesting that something ‘ought to’ happen, or that something is ‘unfair’, are normative because they are matters of opinion. For example, ‘.. the recent fall in house prices is unfair to the rich.. ’. This statement cannot be tested because it not based on anything testable. If there is an agreed definition of fairness, and it can be measured, then it might be possible to test the effect of the change in house prices on the degree of fairness experienced by a certain identifiable group of people defined as rich. Therefore, this statement is normative, impossible to verify, and based on opinion rather than fact. 4. Economics is a social science because it follows the â€Å" ceteris paribus† rule( all other things remaining the same) just like in an experiment In the real world, economic variables such as price and income, are constantly changing, and this creates a problem in demonstrating the relationship between variables. For example, a fall in price is likely to lead to a rise in consumer demand if we assume nothing else changes. Of course, for independent reasons, income could also fall and demand does not rise. The fall in price could have been counteracted by a fall in income. The ceteris paribus rule, that all other things remain the same, is used whenever attempting to demonstrate the link between economic variables. 5. Economic theories are based on facts and can be proven by deductions and mathematical precision. 6. Economics is a systematic and standardised process of studying human behaviour in the context of the unlimited need, limited resources and their allocation and hence it is a science. Conclusion- Just like all other sciences economics too is logical, rational and provable through experiments and factual data and hence we conclude that economics is a science. b) ECONOMICS AND RELEVANCE TO LAW- 5 points Economics is the branch of knowledge concerned with the production, consumption, and transfer of wealth. It is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Now the Question is whether Economics is a science or not? Law, as a social science, is closely related to many cognate disciplines in the social and natural sciences. And law does not operate in a vacuum, law works in the society and economics is an important part of the society. Its relevance must relate to the overall values of society. Economics, it is said, is the science of rational choices in a world of limited resources. And the term ‘resources’ here does not relate only to money but can be of any type. Both are related to each other such that: 1. Law and economics is the application of economic methods for the analysis of law. Economic concepts are used to explain the effects of laws, to assess which legal rules are economically efficient, and to predict which legal rules will be promulgated. For eg- Law about taxation , laws on custom duties etc,. In other words â€Å"Law and economics,† also known as the economic analysis of law, differs from other forms of legal analysis in two main ways. 1. First, the theoretical economic analysis focuses on Efficiency or economic benefit. 2. The second characteristic of law and economics is its emphasis on incentives and people’s responses to these laws/incentives. 2. As used by lawyers and legal scholars, the phrase â€Å"law and economics† refers to the application of the methods of economics to legal problems. Using the best resource available, prioritizing etc 3. Both Law and economics stresses that markets are more efficient than courts. When possible, the legal system, according to the positive theory, will force a transaction into the market. When this is impossible, the legal system attempts to â€Å"mimic a market† and guess at what the parties would have desired if markets had been feasible. 4. Law and economics are related because they both share the same assumption with other branches of economics that individuals are rational and logical in decision making and respond to incentives and punishments. When penalties for an action increase, people will undertake less of that action. For eg- Huge penalties for economic offences deters the future offenders. 5. Law and economics is more likely than other branches of legal analysis to use empirical or statistical methods to measure these responses to incentives. Lawyers have to quote figures and data and statistics to argue their cases. Hence both economics and law rely on empirical data. In the United States, economic analysis of law has been extremely influential. Judicial opinions utilize economic analysis and the theories of law and economics with regularity. The influence of law and economics has also been felt in legal education. Many law schools in North America, Europe, and Asia have faculty members with a degree in economics. Conclusion : Law and economics scholars also apply the tools of economics, such as game theory, to purely legal questions, such as various parties’ litigation strategies. These aspects of law and economics, are of more interest to legal scholars than to students of the economy.

Focus paper: Teenage pregnancy Essay

There are many issues that are arising in the United States. These issues seem to catch media attention but they are publicized so much that teens believe it is all in fun. They don’t understand that doing drugs does not lead to fun partying. Becoming a dealer is not a quick way to cash it’s a quick way to death. Committing suicide does not make everything easier. The only person you took the pain away from was yourself. The media captures all these fun moments that people do with only a little bit of the bad. Teenager’s girls see all these other girls on T.V raising a baby and they think â€Å"hey I can do that.† Then reality kicks in and it is nothing like how it was on T.V. There are many issues among teens in the United States, but the focus on this paper is going to be following teenage pregnancy. In today’s society when someone hears that a young girl is pregnant they automatically think she was sleeping around. People jump to the conclusions and they don’t take time to realize there are many other causes for teenage pregnancy than the girl sleeping around. The reality of it is there are actually five major causes to teenage pregnancy. Peer pressure, underage drinking, glamorizing teen pregnancy, lack of knowledge and sexual rape are the five major causes of teenage pregnancy. Peer pressure is a cause for almost anything involving teenagers; whether it be for drugs, drinking or sex. Teenagers often feel pressure to make friends and fit in. Many times these teens let their friends influence their decision to have sex even when they do not fully understand the consequences. Teenagers have sex as a way to appear cool and to fit in, but in some cases the end result is an unplanned teen pregnancy. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation states that more than 29 per cent of pregnant teens reported that they felt pressured to have sex, and 33 percent of pregnant teens stated that they felt that they were not ready for a sexual relationship, but proceeded anyway. When peer pressure is involved to have sex that usually means that drinking is involved as well. Underage drinking is another cause that leads  to teenage pregnancy. Teen drinking can cause an unexpected pregnancy, according to the website Love to Know. Many teens experiment with drugs and alcohol. Drinking lowers a teen’s ability to control her impulses, contributing to 75 percent of pregnancies that occur between the ages 14 and 21. Approximately 91 percent of pregnant teens reported that although they were drinking at the time, they did not originally plan to have sex when they conceived. Peer pressure and underage drinking go hand in hand with teenage pregnancies. One leads to another which causes an unexpected pregnancy. Out of the other three causes glamorizing teenage pregnancy and lack of knowledge also go together. The movie industry and the media contribute to teenage pregnancy by glamorizing teen pregnancy in movies. Movies that show teen pregnancy as something to be desired encourage teens to engage in reckless sexual activity, according to ABC’s â€Å"Good Morning America.† During adolescence, teens become more focused on their appearance and how people view them. Teens see on T.V that there same age are having cute little babies so they go out and have sex without being fully educated in what that really is. Teenagers who are uneducated about sex are more likely to have an unintended pregnancy. Some teens do not fully understand the biological and emotional aspects associated with having sex, according to DailyRecord.co.uk. Many times, teens do not have the knowledge needed to make informed and responsible decisions abo ut whether or not to engage in sexual activity that can alter their life. Social media is not helping teenage pregnancy it is only causing young girls to go out and try it. The last and final cause for teenage pregnancy is rape. Teens can become pregnant as a result of sexual abuse or rape. The Guttmacher Institute states that between 43 and 62 percent of teens acknowledge that they were impregnated by an adult male, and two-thirds report that their babies’ fathers are as old as 27. Approximately 5 percent of all teen births are the result of a rape. People in society need to realize that teenage pregnancy is a big issue today. Many of these young girls don’t finish high school. Teen pregnancy greatly affects education. Only 51% of teen moms have a high school diploma. The number for those who didn’t have a teen birth is closer to 89%. Parenthood is the leading cause for teen girls dropping out of school. Teen moms are extremely unlikely to go to college. Only about 2% of young teen moms ever get a higher education degree. Statistics show that In  the United States, there are nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies each year, that’s about 2000 a day! . It’s estimated that about half of Latina and African American teenagers will be pregnant a t least once before they’re 20.Raising a baby can cost up to $10,000 in the first year alone. About 80% of teen fathers don’t marry the mom. They also contribute very little to raising the baby. On average, teen dads pay less than $800 a year on child support. Teenage pregnancy is an issue just like drug use and alcohol abuse that needs to be looked into. There is no way to stop teenage pregnancy. Talking to teens about it is not going to stop them when they are at a party and alcohol is involved. Instead contraception’s should be provided in public bathrooms, schools and encouraged to be available at home. Many believe that providing protection in schools will only encourage teens to have sex. Reality is they are going to have it whether there is protection or not, so why not provide them the right choice of using protection. Maybe if protection is provided there will be less unexpected pregnancies in the United States.

The Many Faces of Joan essays

The Many Faces of Joan essays Many historical figures have been represented and depicted by others in days far past their own. Some accurate and some not. And in many ways, figures throughout history can be portrayed not only by their actions alone, but also how others surrounding them lived and influenced their life. No other two characters in either the literature or films we viewed were more defined by one another than Joan and the Dauphin of France. In both Henry VI by William Shakespeare and the film Joan Of Arc by Victor Fleming the twos relationship fed off each other and aided in giving the reader or audience more understanding of the two as individuals. Yet despite the shared concept of portraying factual events in history, the two works had many similarities just as they did differences. In the film we do not get an accurate depiction of the Dauphin, instead we get Flemings interpretation of him, yet this makes for a good comparison. Our first introduction to the Dauphin is anything but flattering. We see a man who should be ruling his country yet instead is acting like a common beggar. In the scene the Dauphin is sitting on his throne when suddenly he begins to beg for money from a man who appears to be a common financial source. The man refuses and the Dauphin seems to try to exert some dominance by telling the man he should bow in his presence. The man shrugs off this notion and makes the statement you own me money as if to suggest that the Dauphin has no real power. The Dauphin then continues to try and borrow money to which we hear the man reply, If I were to give you 3000 gold crowns you would surely leave us (Fleming, 1948). This is a powerful statement, it gives us our first impression of the Dauphin, a man who has been given power to rule a county due to his families blood line, and yet is an easy push over who receives no respect form his subjects nor himself. The Dauphin is not seen as someo...

Strategies for Writing a 20-Page Paper

Strategies for Writing a 20-Page Paper Research papers and essays can be intimidating enough as an assignment. The long paper assignment, though, can scare students into total brain freeze. If youre facing a twenty-page writing assignment, just relax and break the process down into manageable chunks. Make a Plan and Follow It Start by creating a timetable for your project. When is it due? How many weeks do you have between now and the due date? To create a timetable, grab or create a calendar with plenty of space to write on. Then, jot down deadlines for each stage of the writing process, including: Initial research. Before you can choose a topic, youll probably need to do some basic research to learn more about the general subject area youre studying. For example, if youre studying the works of Shakespeare, youll want to do some research to decide which play, character, or aspect of Shakespeares work is most interesting to you.Topic selection. After youve finished your initial research, youll want to select a few possible topics. Talk with your teacher before making a final decision. Be sure the topic is really interesting and rich enough for a twenty-page essay, but not too big to cover. For example Symbolism in Shakespeare is an overwhelming topic while Shakespeares Favorite Pens wouldnt fill more than a page or two. Magic in Shakespeares Midsummer Nights Dream might be just right.Topic-specific research. Now that you have a topic, you may need to take a few weeks to conduct research until you have five to ten subtopics or points to talk about. Jot notes onto note cards. Sepa rate your note cards into piles that represent topics youll cover. Organizing your thoughts. Order your topics into a logical sequence, but dont get too caught up in this. Youll be able to rearrange the sections of your paper later.Drafting. Take your first set of cards and write all you can about that specific topic. Try to use up three pages of writing. Move on to the next topic. Again, try to use three pages to elaborate on that topic. Dont worry about making this section flow from the first one. You are just writing about individual topics at this time.Creating transitions. Once you have written a few pages for each topic, think again about the order. Identify the first topic (one that will come after your introduction) and the one that will follow. Write a transition to link one to the next. Continue with order and transitions.Crafting an introduction and conclusion. The next step is to write your introduction paragraph and your conclusion. If your paper is still short, just find a new subtopic to write about and place it between paragraphs tha t exist. You have a rough draft! Editing and polishing. Once youve crafted a full draft, be sure you have enough time to set it aside for a day or two before reviewing, editing, and polishing it. If youre required to include sources, double check that youve correctly formatted footnotes, endnotes, and/or a bibliography.

A comparison of Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs Speeches Term Paper

A comparison of Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs Speeches - Term Paper Example This is where is inspiration derives from. The message of his more political writings, like the two items which are the focus of this paper, is less overtly Christian but the preacherly tone remains. It has been noted that Dr. King was a master of public speaking, and very conscious of the context in which he operated at all times. The unprecedented impact of the â€Å"I Have a Dream Speech† was partly due to its location and timing right at the end of a peaceful protest march of some 250,000 people at the heart of American democracy in Washington. The context meant that the speech was the finishing touch to the â€Å"dynamic spectacle†3 of the March, and the vision of this peaceful mass crowding around the Washington monument is the backdrop to this dramatic event. Martin Luther King was a leader, like many before him, who used large public gatherings and theatrical shows of strength to build consensus among his followers and to create an impression on those who were against him. He makes this explicit in his speech when he says â€Å"So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.† His role in the rallies was as the public face of a mass movem ent, and the mouthpiece for generations of people whose protest had been crushed. The first feature of Dr. King’s leadership is, therefore, his eloquence and rhetorical skill with which he mesmerized his followers and made a tremendous impact on listeners throughout America. The â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech is aspirational and emotional, and it shows the style that Dr. King wished to adopt as a leader. The â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† has some of the same styles, but it is much more concerned with the substance of his ideas and the detail of his  tactics as the leader of a political movement.