The Competitive Advantage of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Competitive Advantage of China - Essay Example The country is ranked very low on considerations of favoritism in government decision making (Rank 43rd), ethical behavior (47th) Intellectual property protection (58th) and auditing and accounting standards (95th). These are artificial constraints and businesses have to be more innovative (manipulative) to succeed. The extent of sophistication of China's competitive advantage was quite poor, the country being ranked at 59th on this factor. Its competitiveness is based more on providing cheap labor and natural resources rather than unique and sophisticated products, technologies and processes. The country's state owned enterprises and the banking sector are still in deep trouble, government intervention to protect these lead to skewed decisions. Levels of financial intermediation are low and the state has had to intervene from time to time to mitigate the adverse effects of a large, non-performing loan portfolio. Added to this is the artificially fixed exchange rate that has remained unchanged at 8.28 Rmb/US$ in the period under review. Floating of the Yuan to see its market driven level shall have major repercussions on the economy as it likely to appreciate considerably making Chinese products more expensive and allow competition from other countries. In terms of consumer sophistication China ranked 42nd; and only 64th in terms of the extent to which its domestic consumers actively de

Creative Story: Joseph :: essays research papers

Creative Story: Joseph I remember back in a church I used to live in this kid named Joseph. The year was, oh, I say 1935-36. He was such a delightful laid back kid when I first met him, He was always by himself playing jumping jacks and other games in which he could play by himself. He did not have to play by himself but he would for some reason always reject our offers that myself and the other kids there made to him. We would ask him if he would want to play tag or hide-and-go-seek but it was as he was mute, ignoring us for no reason. Like a year later I learned that his parents had abandoned him at the step, of the church in which we all stayed, when he was only five years of age. Joey never talked about his parents, it was like he was still mad at them. He never understood that his parents were poor and could not carry the burden of taking care of him. His parents thought they were doing the right thing by dropping him off at this church which was SUPPOSED to take care of him so that he could grow up with a normal life. In 1936 it was hard growing up in Germany. In the town we lived in there was never peace, the nuns would not tell us that, but we knew we all knew, accept for little Joseph. Nazi's would come in the church and try to teach us their "superior" ways. None of us fell for it, except Joseph. I guess he had no other place to turn to, so he slowly sank into these idiotic ways. About three years later the now 12 years old little boy was a nazi himself and the one of his kind in that church. He still would play by himself. No one liked him anymore and never asked him to play. Instead he would ask us, but now we would refuse. One day in 1939 he got so sick of us "inferior" people in the church so he left. What he did not know and what most of us did not know was that there was a battle just a town away. The nuns never told us about World War II. They always said in the sweetest voice "The world is such a peaceful place." Well, Joseph unknowingly went to this town in search for a new place to live. But stepping into this town was like slitting your wrist.

Phases of vietnamese buddhism Essay

The history of Buddhist education in Vietnam can be studied by dividing it into four separate phases or periods. – The formation of Buddhism in Vietnam. This started from the common era and lasted till the end of Chinese dominion – Climax of Buddhism. Buddhism was at its peak during the independence – The decadence after the Le Dynasty – Revival period. This started in the beginning of the 20th century and has not ended yet. The period before the Common Era lays the foundation for the beginning and development of Buddhist education in Vietnam. It was the time when Siddhartha Gautama, who will later attain enlightenment and will be called as ‘Buddha’ was born. As he was born in India, Indians were the first to learn Buddhism. Later when Buddhism came to China, many Chinese monks went to Vietnam in order to spread Buddhism. However, it believed that the Chinese and Indian merchants came to Vietnam for trading. They brought monks with them saying that the monks were the â€Å"calmer of the sea† These monks started preaching their religion in Vietnam. It was easy for them to teach their religion to many people at a time, as Luy-Lau, later known as Ha-Bac was the centre of all trading activities. All the merchants who came here to trade, and merchants who were travelling between India and China, stopped here to rest, therefore, monks were able to spread their religion very easily. Many missionary activities were started as a result. Monasteries were built and Buddhism became important. This was the first time ever in the history of Vietnam, that monasteries were built . The next period or phase proved to be best for Vietnamese Buddhism. In this period Buddhist studies were at their peak and many famous people and rulers converted to this religion. It was when King Dinh Tien Hoang came in to power. Buddhism has its own hierarchy of monks and priests who were accepted by the court. Buddhism was now supported by the royal court and this helped many positive changes to take place. Buddhists were now respected and were considered as learned people. They were asked advice by the royal court and the rulers before taking decisions. This helped them get involved in many political and religious decisions and hence providing many decisions to be taken according to them. This era truly proved to be the best for Buddhist studies and it became one of the most predominant religions. After this, many kings and emperors converted to Buddhism. Many laws came into practice in this era, which were influenced by Buddhism, and hence were in favor of the Buddhists. Van Hanh became a Buddhist in this period. He is known as the meditation master and has influenced many people to convert to Buddhism. Any ruler who was not Buddhists was at least the supporter of Buddhism and this was a very positive point for the Buddhists. In 1010 A. D, almost eight monasteries were built in Ha Bac. All other monasteries and Buddhist temples were also repaired. Tripitaka texts, which were in China initially, were brought in Vietnam. Thousands of Buddha statues and paintings were made and set up. Festivals were set up. Many new monasteries such as Sung Kharh monastery and monastery at Mount Ba were built. In 1086 A. d Dai Lam monastery was built in Ha Bac. Later in 1118 A. D Thien Phat was built which had almost 1,000 Buddha statues . BUDDHIST STUDIES The entire Buddhist education comes from the studies of Buddha, who is the supreme teacher. All of the studies root from saddha, which is the faith in triple Gem. Depdnding upon these studies the students are taught according to the five rules. The students should know the rules, their reason and their appliance in daily lives. Most importantly, they should appreciate all these rules and believe in them. The students should know what is generosity and self sacrifice. These are essential elements that help the students overcome their worldly desires, their selfishness and greed. These five moral rules are dependent on each other. A student can gain by suta, which is by extensive reading of Buddhism texts. According to Buddhist studies the knowledge of a person is dependent on his inside belief of truth i. e. Dhamma. Calm and insight are the two main elements of any Buddhist teaching. In Buddhist education tasks and wisdom are dependent on each other. A student can attain wisdom by deep investigation, discussion and intelligence. This wisdom was the basic instruments which lead Buddha to salvation. This wisdom is the crown of all educations of Buddhism. Without wisdom, education is incomplete. Before French, people were chosen based on their education. These were officials known as â€Å"mandarins†. Learning was very important in those times. It was not just education but it lead a person to intellectual understanding, social standing, wealth and power. Buddhism came directly from India, hence there are many words in Vietnamese Buddhism which are influenced or are taken directly from India. The word Buddha is also taken as it is. However, as the Vietnamese culture is influenced a lot from the Chinese, hence when Chinese monks came to Vietnam, the word Buddha was replaced by the word Phat. In those days, Buddhism in Vietnam was influenced by Theravada Buddhism. It was seen as religion which helped good people and punished the bad. It was very difficult to teach Buddhism at that time as very little literature was available. Vietnamese had no written script; hence a few translations were made in Chinese. The era between 544 and 602 was an independent era and was helpful in spreading Buddhism.

Essay on Starbucks Marketing Plan - 1006 Words

Marketing Plan Project Starbucks MKTG 3175 Gay Fortson Sharita Garmon Robin Hardy- Green Table of Contents Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 History and Background†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...4 Marketing Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...5 The 4 P’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...6 Anoffs Growth Matrix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 International Expansion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...8 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9†¦show more content†¦With innovative marketing and advertising campaigns in place and a new logo harkening back to the early days of Starbucks,18 the company continues to strengthen their Weaknesses Recent Sales Slump - The Starbucks Corporation has fallen on hard times recently with net income falling $108.7 million in the first three months of 2011, down 28% from the same period of 2012. According to company press releases, the primary cause is the slumping U.S. economy and the resulting slowed consumer spending and Starbucks higher prices Opportunities Product Innovation - Along with Starbucks’ ventures into music and other areas, the coffee retailer will also begin offering new drinks in order to acquire new customers and diversify their current lineup of beverages. Starbucks introduced two smoothies, both featuring banana under the names â€Å"Mango Orange† and â€Å"Chocolate Banana International Expansion - With the corporation hitting a sales slump partially due Starbucks Marketing Case Study 6 to overexpansion in the US, the company has the opportunity to hit the international circuit for successes. Starbucks recently announced plans to open more stores in Ireland, with many more to follow in 25other countries. Threats Legal Issues - The coffee retailer has come under fire inShow MoreRelatedStarbucks Marketing Plan5669 Words   |  23 Pagesï » ¿ Marketing Plan for Starbucks Submitted by: Submitted to: Table of Contents Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Situational Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Cooperative Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Competitive Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Economic Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Social Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Political Environment/Legal Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Marketing Planning†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Marketing Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreMarketing Plan: Starbucks5803 Words   |  24 PagesMarketing Plan: Starbucks Revitalizing Teas Abstract A marketing plan for Starbucks Coffee Company for the introduction of a new line of tea to the beverage menu includes a multi faceted approach. Beginning with an organizational overview, and following with the new product description, SWOTT analysis, marketing research, segmentation, differentiation and positioning, product life cycle, the marketing mix, budget, and finally, control mechanisms, the marketing plan comes to life. OrganizationalRead MoreStarbucks Marketing Plan5195 Words   |  21 PagesStarbucks Marketing Plan Katie Tewell Bethany Odom Kelly Snider December 12, 2006 Executive Summary What was once a small coffee shop opened by Gerald Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Ziev Siegl in 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has grown into the number one specialty coffee retailer. With over 10,000 coffee shops in more than 30 countries, of which 4,200 are licensed and franchised and 6,000 are owned, the company’s main objective is to establish Starbucks as the â€Å"most recognized and respected brandRead MoreStarbucks s Marketing Plan For Starbucks Essay986 Words   |  4 Pageshistory of Starbucks logo, the potential risk of logo redesign, and other branding successes and failures in detail through this summary report. To be more acceptable and popular, Starbucks has redesigned its logo five times since original image. To be more beneficial, the branding team of Starbucks plans to explore another logo update soon. Hence, I offer this report to help them to know the detailed information about logo redesign and to make the final decision on whether or not Starbucks should u pdateRead MoreStarbucks s Marketing Plan For Starbucks Essay1150 Words   |  5 PagesMany people would assume that Starbucks has reached, or is fairly close to its saturation point. In just about any city, suburb, train station, or college campus, there’s a Starbucks location to meet coffee drinkers needs. With Starbucks expanding, a likely investment would be to continue expansion worldwide. Not only should Starbucks concentrate on expanding its footprint, but also continue to alter its stores. Rather than opening more dine-in restaurants, Starbucks should concentrate on drive-thrusRead MoreStarbucks s Marketing Plan For Starbucks3029 Words   |  13 PagesStabucks Starbucks which from small businesses to todays global cafe, has managed to become one of the best coffee chain and suppliers in the world. As early as in 1971, three friends (Jerry, ZEV and Gordon) sell fresh coffee beans and accessories in Seattle are the idea of passion. Things started to change; Schultz wanted to sit environment friendly coffee service development the business. Schultz provides coffee spread the idea of sitting together in a culture, and since that time, Starbucks is inRead MoreStarbucks s Marketing Plan For Starbucks Essay1855 Words   |  8 PagesStarbucks had is beginning in Seattle, Washington in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bower and Zev Siegl. These three friends just had a love for dark roast, European styled coffee. They sat out to make sure that they offered better tasting coffee than Folgers and Maxwell House. These owners had a vision that show customers about fine coffees and wines. They made sure they had the best of the best coffee beans only impo rting from Sumatra, Kenya, Ethiopia and Costa Rica. The owners even made sure thatRead MoreThe Marketing Plan For Starbucks1222 Words   |  5 Pagesthere is a chance of offending someone quite deeply by even doing this. Starbucks unveiled their 2015 holiday cups on the first of November. The simple, blank red cups have created a large amount of controversy regarding whether or not they should have used the words â€Å"Merry Christmas.† A Christian blogger named Joshua Feuerstein posted a video on Facebook four days later, where he declares that Starbucks â€Å"hates Jesus.† Starbucks responds that they are simply attempting to create an open environmentRead MoreStarbucks - Marketing Plan Essay5753 Words   |  24 PagesStarbucks: Marketing Plan A Market Analysis Mission Statement and Objectives: Starbucks advertises two essential mission statements. First and foremost, it strives to â€Å"establish [ourselves] as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while [we] grow(s).† (Starbucks) Reflective of its mission, Starbucks bases its strategic campaign and communications on six indispensable philosophies; structuring a pleasant work environment inRead MoreStarbuckss Marketing Plan For Starbucks988 Words   |  4 Pageshistory of the Starbucks logo, the potential risk of logo redesign, and other branding successes and failures in detail through this summary report. To be more acceptable and popular, Starbucks has redesigned its logo five times since original image. To be more beneficial, the branding team of Starbucks plans to explore another logo update soon. Hence, I offer this report to help them to know the detailed information about logo redesign and to make the final decision on whether or not Starbuc ks should update