Coffee and Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Coffee and Starbucks Essay Starbucks Coffee Corporation is facing some strategic decisions on its current policy with regard to partnering with NGOs. Starbucks has a long history of social involvement. â€Å"CSR originated in 1994 as the Environmental Affairs Department with a budget of $50,000; by 2002, the 14-member department had a budget of 6 million. (Austin Reavis, 2004) Recently Starbucks completed a six year, $450,000 project with Conservation International; an NGO thats mission â€Å"is to conserve the earths natural heritage and its global biodiversity, as well as to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature. (Austin Reavis, 2004) At the time CI had a staff of 776, overseeing projects in more than 30 countries on four continents. Roughly two thirds of CIs staff worked in the field and 90% were citizens of those countries. (Austin Reavis, 2004) Working with CI on the Chiapas Project, dedicated to working with coffee farmers to stop the destruction of rain-forests by farming and to promote shade-grown coffee which is sustainable, Starbucks has learned that it needs a clearer policy with regards to partnering with other NGOs in the future. Several challenges arose when Starbucks was working with CI on the Chiapas Project, and they both learned valuable lessons. Starbucks needs to consider how valuable the Starbucks-CI alliance had been and what it future might be. Is the approach sustainable? What should be the ongoing strategy for shade-grown coffee? Next, how should new coffee purchasing guidelines be implemented? How should Starbucks and CI approach other roasters to adopt the sourcing guidelines? Finally, how should Starbucks address the Fair Trade movement? When CI identified coffee as an important commodity affecting biodiversity, it launched a pilot conservation coffee program in 1996 organized around three co-operatives, located in the buffer zone of the El Triunfo Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico. (Austin Reavis, 2004) CI Created this project to promote and preserve the pristine rain and cloud forests as well as shade-grown coffee. In 1997 CI convinced Starbucks that partnering with them in the Chiapas Project would not only promote conservation and shade-grown coffee, but also produce a high quality coffee bean; a bean that was shade-grown, sun-dried, and met Starbucks high quality standards. This alliance has proven to be successful. Since 1998, the coffee growing land incorporated into the project has increased by 220%, signaling that farmers had changed their practices. Starbucks was able to purchase 1. 5 million pounds of Coffee from the Chiapas cooperatives by 2002. An outside consultant doing a independent review of the CI project concluded that farmers environmental knowledge and awareness had increased significantly, as had conservation and organized farming practices (Austin Reavis, 2004) However conducive for Starbucks as a learning process and beneficial to CI and the El Triunfo Reserve, as well as the farmers and the cooperatives, the Chiapas project requires a vast infusion of capital and resources to operate. Capital in terms of time, resources, expertise, and field trainers. Austin and Reavis state,â€Å"CI had a team of 3 full-time and several part-time â€Å"extentionists† who visited every farm and monitored progress. CI provided training courses in the villages of the farmers, co-op managers, and technicians on quality control, organic farming methods, tree planting, and pulping methods. CI operates a training center and nursery where it grows a wide variety of trees that gives away free to cooperative members and coffee trees that it sold for a nominal fee. The center also produced an organic fertilizer which it sold at 1/3 the price of equivalent of chemical fertilizers. † ( 2004) with all the resources, funds, education, and time it has taken the Chiapas Project to meet Starbucks quality standards, it would seem impossible for Starbucks and Conservation International to set up projects like this in all the biodiversity hot-spots around the world. The Chiapas Project itself consumed too many resources to be sustainable elsewhere. Starbucks would have to subsidize projects in other countries and partner with other NGO’s, who may or may not share the same values and work ethic as Conservation International. Starbucks would have to set-up infrastructure, education centers, and hospitals. Starbucks would have to maintain a staff on the ground to ensure that best practices where in place. The development would occur at a slow pace. The amount of conserved land may not be a significant enough area to ensure the survival of diverse species of animals and plants. All this time and effort to produce a coffee bean that may not meet Starbucks quality standards Starbucks needs to find another strategy, one that continues to encourage conservation and farmer education, but also a strategy that would affect the industry as a whole. With this in mind Starbucks and CI decided to create coffee sourcing guidelines that would affect the suppliers of coffee. â€Å"Under Starbucks new system, introduced as a two year pilot program, suppliers of any size or location could earn up to 100 points for performance in three sustainability categories†¦if the suppliers me all the criteria, that is ,scored 100 points, it would become a preferred supplier and its coffee would receive priority in Starbucks’ purchasing queue. A producer’s performance had to be verified by an acceptable independent third party, although Starbucks was flexible on whom the verifiers would be. † (Austin Reavis, 2004) Mecklenburg, head of CSR at Starbucks describes her reaction to the guidelines, â€Å"While the Chiapas project is totally amazing and beyond what any of us could have imagined, it pales in comparison to what we’ve done with the sourcing guidelines. What we wanted to do with these guidelines is really define what sustainable coffee is. † (Austin Reavis, 2004) What Starbucks is essentially doing with the creation of these sustainable sourcing guidelines, was shifting the burden of responsibility from itself to the industry as a whole. If the suppliers adopted these sourcing guidelines then the industry would determine who developed the most sustainable coffee and change would occur much faster. There would also be incentive for coffee growers to choose organic farming over chemical pesticides and shade grown coffee production, because these sourcing guidelines would have them in preferential buying order. Starbucks challenge now was to get the rest of the industry to adopt their sourcing guidelines. If Starbucks is able to accomplish this, then the coffee industry will have change, it will be a dramatic beneficial change for the future. Other companies have had success leading industry wide changes. One Such company, Merck, has great success eradicating river blindness in Africa; a disease cause by onchocerciasis, a parasitic disease. In early 1975 Merck discovered a possible cure for the disease, Mectizan, and by 1980 the disease was ready for human trial. There was great pressure both internally and externally to produce the drug. Merck had to make a decision to either charge for Mectizan or donate it. The challenge as it relates to this case was once Merck decided to donate the drug how where they going to distribute it; Merck is in the drug creation business not the drug distribution business Professors James Austin and Diana Barrett discuss Merck’s challenges in a case study they prepared for the Harvard Business School. Austin and Barret state, â€Å"Most of those infected lived in areas accessible only by navigating poor roads or traveling on foot for several days. Neither was there a health-care infrastructure in many areas to administer the drugs – few doctors and no pharmacies. † (2001) Merck was in no position to handle this distribution problem on its own. Much like Starbucks trying to affect industry wide change to sourcing practices, Merck had to outline a strategy to deliver this drug to the people that needed them the most. Merck decided to create a committee to examine the problem. â€Å"In 1998 Merck created the Mectizan Expert Committee (MEC) to address the Distribution issue. † (Austin Barrett 2001) Ultimately what the MEC decided was to create a distribution model that called for other organizations interested in the drug to contact the company and apply to receive it. After the NGOs were properly vetted (they where looked at for ability to supply and monitor the drug), Merck would ship the drug directly to the specific countries. The key lesson to take away from Merck’s challenge is that the company could not distribute the drug on their own. Merck had to partner with other organizations in order to affect industry wide change. Starbucks is attempting to dramatically change the way suppliers source coffee. These new guidelines will be beneficial to the coffee growers, who will be forced to learn new methodology, but will receive higher income and higher buying priority in return. These sourcing guidelines will be beneficial to the environment, requiring sustainable practices, such as organic farming and shade-grown coffee, which will conserve land, present less danger to animals, and promote biodiversity. These guidelines will benefit suppliers trying to buy better tasting and more sustainable coffee in larger amounts for comparable prices to industry farming techniques. And finally, these guidelines will benefit the companies whose customers demand a more sustainable flavorful coffee product. Starbucks purchases about 1% of the global coffee supply in 2001. (Starbucks CSR annual Report 2001) World coffee production is estimated at 6. 7 million tones (Hoyt McMillan 2004) Starbucks purchases 67,000 tones of coffee annually. Although this is a lot of coffee it is only a small percentage of the global total. Starbucks is not going to be able to affect the suppliers by themselves; they just do not command enough of the global market to force their sourcing guidelines on suppliers. Like Merck, Starbucks must partner with other companies if they want to see their sourcing guidelines accepted industry wide. In order to align themselves with competitors, Starbucks must generate enthusiasm for its sourcing guidelines among the competitor’s customers, other NGOs, Coffee buyers, coffee suppliers, and competitors themselves. Although a herculean task, Starbucks is a behemoth of a company quite capable of through its weight around. Starbucks must show that their guidelines are more attractive than other sustainable coffee standards such as the fair trade movement. The Fair trade movement started in the Netherlands in the late 1980’s as a way to organize small farmers producing various commodities into cooperatives and to improve their incomes by pressuring buyers to pay guaranteed minimum prices (Austin Barrett 14) The Fair Trade movement seems poised for explosive growth. The world market for fair trade goods is currently valued at $400 million. (Raynolds 2002) Though this only represents a minor share of the international market, sales of Fair Trade commodities have boomed in recent years, with sales rising at close to 30 percent per year. (Raynolds 2002) Coffee forms the core of fair trade networks and is the most widely consumed Fair Trade product in the movements European home and in rapidly expanding North American markets (Raynolds 2002), Starbucks has encountered problems with the fair trade movement. Mecklenburg sums up Starbucks interaction with the Fair trade movements activist NGOs up till now, â€Å"It wasnt that we hadnt been in the cross-hairs of other advocacy groups before but this was much more aggressive. It was difficult to have rational communications There was a lot of pressure to sell Fair Trade Coffee. Ultimately it was up to the CEO. (Austin and Reavis 2004) Starbucks challenges with the Fair Trade movement arises from three points. Firstly the Fair Trade movement originated in Europe where Starbucks is not always regarded favorably. Although there are many Starbucks in Europe, there is simmering resentment at the American company for displacing European coffeehouses. Secondly, Starbucks buying and sourcing practices are not in-line with the Fair Trade Movement. Starbucks buys its coffee From high quality sellers, that sell only Arabica beans. Starbucks also seeks to, when it can, purchase shade grown organic coffee from farmers that are paid better than market price. The Fair Trade movement is basically a labeling movement. They do promote organic cooperative farming techniques and better wages for farmers in order to obtain the Fair Trade seal. However, the Fair Trade auditors do nothing to ensure the quality of the beans and do not have third party verification. Also farmers must pay to have their farms and cooperatives auditing which is a practice that Starbucks does not agree with. Finally, the Fair Trade movement is a supply side movement advocating on behalf of rural workers. They have no experience partnering with large companies, whom they view with mild distrust, only persuading companies to buy Fair Trade and selling Fair Trade commodities. In April 2000, Starbucks signed an agreement with TransFair to buy Fair Trade-certified coffee that met its quality standards up to amount that met customer demand (Austin Reavis 2002) Although often the quality of the purchased Fair Trade coffee did not meet Starbucks quality standards and therefore was unusable, Starbucks made a wise decision to purchase Fair Trade coffee to be sold through its stores. The Fair Trade movement is a popular movement, especially in urban neighborhoods. Starbucks needs to continue to work with the Fair Trade movement, educating the suppliers of its quality standards so that they can buy more of the Fair Trade coffee. Ultimately Starbucks has a proven track record of being socially responsible. Starbucks, along with Conservation International, created and nourished The Chiapas Project which conserved biologically sensitive land, educated farmers, encouraged organic farming, and promoted shade-grown coffee growing. This project was cost and time intensive, so Starbucks and CI went further to create sourcing guidelines. Guidelines that would affect the entire coffee industry as a whole. Starbucks also dealt well with another movement that threated to undermine the effectiveness of the newly created guidelines. Change comes slow to a behemoth like the coffee industry and Starbucks understands that if it continues to promote social responsibility as a strategic business practice, it will be rewarded by customers and eventually change the coffee industry for the better. References Austin, James , and Cate Reavis. Starbucks and Conservation International. Harvard Business School 9-303-055 (2002): 1-28. Print Hoyt, D. , McMillan, J. (2004). The Global Coffee Trade. Stanford Graduate School of Business, IB-53, 1-54. Retrieved July 26, 2010, from http://www. probeinternational. org/files/The%20Global%20Coffee%20Trade. pdf Raynolds, Laura. Consumer/Producer links in Fair Trade Coffee Networks. Sociologia Ruralis 42. 4 (2002): 404-424. Print. Starbucks Annual CSR Report 2001. (2002, February 15). 2001 Report Untitled. Retrieved July 25, 2010, from assets. starbucks. com/assets/csr-fy01-ar. pdf TransFair USA | About Us. TransFair USA | Home. N. p. , n. d. Web. 22 July 2010.

Movie Review: Sense And Sensibility Essay -- essays research papers

Movie Review: Sense and Sensibility Ang Lee, who directed, and Emma Thompson, who adapted the screenplay, have done an excellent job of bringing Jane Austen's Victorian novel, Sense and Sensibility, to the movie screen. The movie's collection of actors are a joy to watch as they bring out the emotions of an otherwise polite and reserved era in time. The production work is top notch with bright, cascading photography that sets a romantic "I wish I was there" setting. The purpose of the Sense and Sensibility is to bring out the romance in all of us and show us that Austen's philosophy of love exists today as much as it did two centuries ago. Sense and Sensibility could rightly be classified as a love story, but that would just scratch the surface of what this movie has to offer. It is also a period piece, giving us a chance to visit English society in the nineteenth century. Director Ang Lee brought us to this historic time with beautifully constructed sets and sites that drop us right into the country cottage of our heroines. This natural scenery, with its wide sweeping camerawork warps us back to a time without the loud annoyances of TV and machinery. By this example Lee sets the stage for the story to begin.. If there is one thing that keeps this movie constantly going is the work of the superb actors. The talent of the actors suited the roles they played, and their mastering of the characters bring per...

Education and Life Chances in Modern Education Essay

Is there such thing as secret of finding meaning in life? That might some what answers me base on certain articles that I just read and as well as the video that amazed me while viewing. This first article defines life and it’s meaning which is â€Å"Meaning in Life [live the life that you want]† by Albert S. Wang, written on November 19, 1997. This article, questions you if you are really contented and happy of what you have and if this is really the life that you wanted. It is said in here that to be able to live a life that you want and to put a meaning on it; you must first know yourself from within because this makes you know of who you are, second is know where you want to go for it gives you direction in finding your happiness. These things are beginning of having a meaningful life. To find the meaning of your life, you must find it with action not just by waiting for it to come and you can also find this meaning in life not just in distant place but mostly it is found near you. Putting a meaning in your life is all about the choices and decisions that you made on where you want to go. Just live your will and you’ll see that each day you will grow in having a meaningful life. The second article that touches me is entitled â€Å"So What Will Matter? † sent by Leandro G. Cruz and shared by Joe Gatuslao of Bacolod City, Philippines. Its original title is A Life That Matters. This article is so inspiring because it stresses that all that you have got starting from yourself just like beauty, fame, wealth and all other things that you have are just in vain because these things are not forever yours, these are just passing things and you cannot bring these things when you leave earth but what really matters are the thing that you made that others will remember you of your goodness, the things that you gave not just in material aspects but in all, living your life with significance, teaching others and set yourself as an example to them. All of these things are living a life that matters. This third article has an unknown author which entitles â€Å"A Purpose†. The article speaks that all of us who are created by God has a unique and significant purpose. Each of us is given a chance to find our designated purposes but you must wait when the right time comes because God has set it for you at a time when you are equipped and ready. Most of the time you’ll experience the roughness of life but don’t be dismayed because there is always a helping hand that will take care of you, which is God who never leaves you. Just stay at the right path and do good deeds for in the end you will find your own way to the pearly white gate. The next article is the one that I liked most which is â€Å"The Journey of Our Life† shared again by Joe Gatuslao from Bacolod City, Philippines. This article actually tells a story about the Emperor who owned a huge land and he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered. The horseman did not stop riding and whipping the horse because he wanted to cover as much area as possible. Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, â€Å"Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself. † This story is really similar with the journey of our life because most of us are always striving for richness, properties, possessions, power etc. So we work harder and harder until we come to realized that all of these things are not necessary for living a happy and meaningful life; we must balance our way of living so that we could not missed something in life that might happen once. The next thing that I am going to share is all about the video clip that I watched; it’s about an old woman at the age of 47 and her name is Susan Boyle who joined in a certain show that searches for extraordinary talents namely Britain’s Got Talent. During her performance, a big shock was made by Susan because at the beginning when she first introduced herself, everybody was against her like they are judging Susan of joining the show where she looks like so ordinary and nothing to show up but when she start on singing all where stunned by her angelic voice and they gave her a standing ovation but most importantly the three big yes from the strict juries. This gives us an insight that we must not judge the person’s appearance because you’ll never know what’s the biggest surprise that comes from within. God created us with equal gifts and we must use this as an inspiration to others. This last article is a prayer entitled as â€Å"Mere Possessions†. It’s all about the prayer of a woman who asked a help from the Lord, asking that she might not put much stock in possessions because things don’t last and you cannot bring all of these things when you leave earth. That we come into the world with nothing, we leave with nothing. Having a meaningful life is about your choices and decisions that were made; just make sure you have chosen the right path because if you do then you’ll end walking along the pearly white gate and that is the fulfillment of having a meaningful life. There is really no such thing as a secret of finding a meaning in life; it’s just you who will make it meaningful by doing what is right and just; live happy and be happy all the time because life is just too short, you might missed something so let’s make the most of it. Public education, it can be argued, shapes society, instils social mores and indoctrinates the impressionable with those philosophies the elites value. This essay will focus upon three main areas intrinsic to the education system. These are the social reproduction of ideas, the life chances created and instilled through education, and the socialisation of the individuals undergoing the educational process. Two main sociological perspectives that are useful when studying the education system are Functionalism and Critical Theory, because they focus on macro issues and social structures more than the interactionist perspective. Functionalists believe that the school system is an agent of social reproduction, which operates to reproduce well integrated, fully functioning members of society (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 114). Critical theorists, conversely, hold that education is the most effective mechanism for promoting social change and for giving opportunities to less privileged groups so that they can advance their social standing. However, education usually reproduces existing social divisions, maintaining the relative disadvantage of certain groups (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 106). Munro (1994: 108) describes the different approaches by stating that, â€Å"functionalists tend to see education as synonymous with socialisation, while a conflict theorist is inclined to view education as ideological- that is, reflecting the interests of particular groups. † Functionalists hold that the major institution for social reproduction is the education system, whereas, from a critical perspective, teachers, who oversee this reproduction, have been made into administrators of programs that provide â€Å"manpower capitalisation† through planned and directed behavioural changes (Illich, 1973: 327). Illich (1973: 327) comments, from a critical perspective, that teaching and learning remain sacred activities separate and estranged from a fulfilling life. This is because the things being taught do not line up with the necessary knowledge needed for life outside of education, and that â€Å"learning from programmed information always hides reality behind a screen† (Illich, 1973: 324). This means that the knowledge provided is set to a secret agenda. The learning process, which supposedly passes on the values and mores necessary in society to students, is not, however, meeting these needs effectively. Relevant information, that is, knowledge, which will add skills to the labour market, is becoming less practical and more theoretical, expanding the gap between study and work. Regardless of this, employers and social elites have attempted to use the schools for the reproduction of compliant workers (Davis, 1999: 65). This double standard has been discussed in a best selling song, ‘The Wall’ by Pink Floyd (1978) in which they stated that the reproduction received through the school system was set to a hidden agenda, and that society would be better off without it. Drucker (1973: 236) equates the influx of educated people to the potential for producing wealth in any given country. By stating this, educational socialisation and the development of educated people is the most important function education can have. He goes on to state that while this may be the case today, throughout history, being uneducated provided the wealth of a given nation, due to the class differences, and that education was for the rich and idle while the work was performed by the illiterate. This all changed with the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of moveable type in the 17th Century (Drucker, 1973: 232). The moveable type meant that education could be performed at a reduced rate, and words became a commodity that was necessary for improving the quality of the labour force. Education is purported to provide the best possible life chances for its graduates, yet in reality, in many ways education diminishes these chances. Heinz (1987: 132) points out that the life chances of graduates are in a state of flux, that when the labour market is depressed and work is difficult to find, then young people will opt for more education as a means of delaying their entry into a tight work force. â€Å"The school then takes on the function of a warehouse; it is a place to mark time. At the same time school acts as a socio-political instrument for reducing social and political conflict, and this function gains predominance over its main function of educating young people. † In many cases the academic credentials earned are unnecessary for working-class jobs (Furlong and Cartmel, 1999: 12), which changes the focus of education, making it oppressive and irrelevant (Davis, 1999: 83). Heinz (1987: 131) states â€Å"secondary school-leavers face a worsening outlook when they want to start in working life, and joining a preparatory program is increasingly becoming the only alternative to unemployment. † There are a growing number of young people who are finding it harder to find a place, whose prospects on the labour market are poor, being qualified but underemployed, or drifting between unemployment and occasional jobs (Heinz, 1987: 131). This increases social inequalities and the gap between rich and poor. By acting as a warehouse education is not preparing students for life but rather crippling their life chances. The alternative to this are to reassess the curricula and teaching methods, reintegrating skilled workers into vocational education, ensuring that knowledge will be of direct benefit to graduates in obtaining a place within the work force. There are fewer and fewer opportunities becoming available, and school leavers have to undergo more and more relevant vocational training. However, fewer school-leavers are able to go directly into the vocational training they want. Heinz (1987: 130) noted a growing trend 16 years ago that â€Å"Depending on the region, only between one-third and one-half of these school leavers succeed in getting a training place†, and in 1994 Munro (1994: 109) observed that the â€Å"school-to-work transition† had failed which had major ramifications for everyone involved, causing â€Å"underemployment of school leavers† (Munro, 1994: 116). The seriousness of this trend is made even more apparent by the fact that school-leavers are even ready to enter apprenticeships that lead them into dead-end occupations (Heinz, 1987: 129). Drucker (1973: 232) however, states that while this may be so, to be â€Å"uneducated is an economic liability and is unproductive,† even though education is producing an â€Å"unemployable, overeducated proletariat. † (Drucker, 1973: 233) According to Mehan (1973: 240) education is a â€Å"major socialisation agency,† which moulds the individual’s self-concepts into a socially accepted format, allowing each individual to be slotted into a specific function (Sargent, 1994: 240). Sargent (1994: 240) points out that in the function of education â€Å"values are essentially involved† and are taught beside worldly knowledge. However, this knowledge interprets the world, but does not necessarily correspond with any external state (Sargent, 1994: 232). The transmission of knowledge, skills and values, helps to sort and rank individuals, that they might be better placed in the labour market (Munro, 1994: 96). This raises a paradox, however, where education is seen by many as the best possible means of achieving greater equality in society (Sargent, 1994: 233), yet it categorises the graduates into job specifications, personality types and the opportunities granted to each. Sargent (1994: 231) furthers this thought by explaining that the education system is an integral part of determining position and power in our society (Sargent, 1994: 231), and that through education the class structures are compounded, making it more difficult for those in the working classes from advancing in the social hierarchy. The education institution both absorbs and perpetuates the ideology, â€Å"masquerading as ‘knowledge’, which legitimises inequality† (Sargent, 1994: 231). Regardless of the inequalities produced, it has become the â€Å"absolute prerequisite of social and economic development in our world† to have a highly educated pool of people ready for the labour market (Drucker, 1973: 232). In conclusion, the failure of the education system to reduce social inequality and produce better workers, raises serious doubts as to its effectiveness. Life chances created through education appear to be diminishing, despite the extension of education. The knowledge taught seems to be ineffective in preparing students to cope with life. Functionalists need to reassess the structure of education, as it loses its ability to effectively provide for graduates, becoming dysfunctional in its goals to remove inequality and give a head start to people entering the work force. When looking at the education system, it is necessary to ask if the cost spent on educating people is being effectively used, considering the increasing number of educated poor. The gap between knowledge taught and life experience needs to be bridged, for education to effectively function. If, as it appears, schools are to socialise and reproduce effective and functioning members of society, the curricula has to be addressed. Bibliography Davis, Nanette J. (1999). Youth Crisis: Growing up in the High Risk Society. Praeger Publications, Westport Drucker, Peter F. (1973). ‘The Educational Revolution’, Social Change: Sources, Patterns, and Consequences (2nd ed) Amitai Etzioni and Eva Etzioni-Halevy (Eds). Basic Books Inc. , New York. pp 232 – 238 Furlong, Andy, and Cartmel, Fred (1997). Young People and Social Change: Individualisation and Risk in Late Modernity. Open University Press, Buckingham Heinz, Walter R. (1987). ‘The Transition from School to Work in Crisis: Coping with Threatening Unemployment’, Journal of Adolescent Research (Vol 2). pp 127 – 141 Illich, Ivan (1973). ‘The Breakdown of Schools: A Problem or a Symptom’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. , Canada. pp 311 – 336 Mehan, Hugh (1973). ‘Assessing Children’s School Performance’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. , Canada. pp 240 – 264 Munro, Lyle (1994). ‘Education’, Society and Change: A Sociological Introduction to Contemporary Australia Brian Furze and Christine Stafford (Eds). Macmillan Education Australia Pty. Ltd. , South Melbourne. pp 96 – 128 Pink Floyd (1978) ‘The Wall’, The Wall. Mushroom Records, California. Sargent, Margaret (1994). ‘Education – for equality? employment? emancipation? ‘, The New Sociology for Australians. Longman Cheshire Pty. Ltd. , Melbourne. pp 231 – 256 Webb, J. , Schirato, T. and Danaher, G. (2002). ‘Bourdieu and Secondary Schools’, Understanding Bourdieu pp 105 – 106 (Reprinted in Sociological Reflections on Everyday Life: GSC 1201 Reader). Allen and Unwin, Sydney. pp 227 – 238.

Hcs 235 Week Health Care Utilization Paper - 1067 Words

Health Care Utilization Paper HCS/235: Health Care Delivery in the U.S. Health Care Reform The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) was designed to decrease health care costs and require health care access to all U.S. citizens. The Act has the potential for reducing the cost of health care in the United States; however, with many risks which could possibly strain the health care system, increase debt, and decrease the quality of care many are concerned. Access to Care The PPACA was enacted in 2010; however, the Act was not completely implemented right away. The health care reform has been dispersing provisions as the years progressed. Provisions such as simply investing in new resources to fight against†¦show more content†¦Utilization Utilization management has taken a key role in the health reform act because it evaluates the need, appropriateness, and the efficiency of the health care services which will be used by the covered individual. Health insurance plans are pressured to find ways to reduce plan costs and improve the quality of care provided to their members. Utilization management efforts have reduced inappropriate services and high medical costs just by taking some time to review pre-authorizations instead of providing clinically inappropriate, out-of-network services which prevents the accurate care for patient and increases cost for plans. Today’s decision-making and support of utilizations for members are perfor med in real-time. Real-time utilization achieves the decrease of unnecessary expenses and improves member’s health. Use of unnecessary services increases the cost for plans and limits them on the amount of services they can provide to members who are in dire need of them. Universal Health Care Achieving the goal of providing health care benefits for all U.S. citizens is a goal that is not new in our health care system and still lingers to be resolved by government officials. The health reform act’s provisions are stated to achieve these goals. The MedicaidShow MoreRelatedJohn Q776 Words   |  4 PagesA Look at John Q HCS/235 History of Health Care Utilization in the US November 20, 2013 Brett Robinson A look at John Q Too poor to afford private health care insurance coverage, but lucky enough to qualify for Medicaid John Q faces yet another challenge. John’s father recently suffered a heart attack which brought into question his own mortality. John like many Americans is a working class man who works full time but still under the poverty level and into a substandard and overworked MedicaidRead MoreHealth Care Utilization Paper1143 Words   |  5 PagesHealth Care Utilization Paper Class: HCS/235 Health Care Delivery in the U.S. Option Chosen: 2 John Q In this paper we will discuss John Q. and Medicaid. John recently moved into a rural community and works a full time job. John is eligible for Medicaid due to his low income and needs to see a doctor since he has high blood pressure and recently his father had a heart attack. He has local doctors but none of them except Medicaid and the closest one he can find is a 40 minute drive awayRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagescondition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Typeset by SPI Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India Printed in Great Britain on acid-free paper by Antony Rowe Ltd., Chippenham, Wiltshire ISBN 0–19–928335–4 978–0–19–928335–4 ISBN 0–19–928336–2 (Pbk.) 978–0–19–928336–1 (Pbk.) 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 3 FOREWORD ‘ Michael Bromwich is an exemplar of all that is good about the BritishRead MoreMerger and Acquisition: Current Issues115629 Words   |  463 Pagesprinted on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mergers and acquisitions : current issues / edited by Greg N. Gregoriou and Karyn L. Neuhauser. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-230-55379-6 (alk. paper) 1. ConsolidationRead More1000 Word Essay85965 Words   |  344 Pageslist will not be approved for AER assistance without the specific prior approval of HQ AER. (AR 930-4 Aug 1994 / 2-8 / PDF 9) What is the AER Motto? Page 11 / 389  © Copyright 1999-2012 ArmyStudyGuide.com Version 5.3 Helping the Army Take Care Of its Own (AR 930-4 Aug 1994 / 1-6 / PDF 5) The minimum amount that can be contributed to AER through allotment is what amount? 1 dollar each month for 3 months How is AER funded? Through Voluntary Contributions from Soldiers (tax free), through

Gender Autobiography - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1494 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/03/13 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Autobiography Essay Did you like this example? From the moment I was born, the doctor exclaimed, Es ist eine Maedchen! This is German for, Its a girl and I had zero input on that statement. Although, society treated me according to my gender, I have always identified as feminine. Even though this is how I identify, I was never discouraged from doing anything that was considered masculine or not considered typical girl behavior. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Gender Autobiography" essay for you Create order I believe that gender identity was always a non-issue in my life. I lived my life without perceiving any kind of judgment from my family or close community. I dont remember ever feeling societal pressure growing up either. I had hoped and thought that everyone could live that way. I wouldnt say I was nave but I just didnt understand why anyone would have to conform to a way of life that wasnt a true representation of oneself. I read this assignment and brainstormed for a few days before realizing that I wouldnt have anything substantial to write about because I was always encouraged to play, behave and feel however I perceived when it comes to gender roles. Before I get into my own personal story, I would like to define both the terms; gender and sex. Throughout the rest of the paper, I will elaborate on my childhood experiences, share a story about a moment with a friend who felt societal and family pressure on his gender identity and how my experiences influenced how I am raising my own child. According to Newman, gender as ones psychological identity, feminine and masculine, while sex is a biological assignment associated with chromosomes and genitals (Newman, 2018). I have always identified with both my gender and sex. I was born and raised in Heidelberg, Germany and I was very fortunate to live a life where no one cared if kids under the age of 12 ran around naked at the lake or little boys wore fleece tights in the winter to keep them nice and warm. So what if a little girl was playing with boy toys or a little boy was playing with baby dolls and a baby stroller? Looking back, I feel like no one, especially in my little world, felt that we, the children, were supposed to play or be a certain way. I was encouraged to have the best childhood. I realize as an adult now that many other people arent that fortunate or privileged. It wasnt until freshman year in college where I realized that some people were not able to live life as their truest self or identify differently than the social norm. It made me sad that they had to conform to societys or their familys idea of gender identity. When I started college in 2007, I temporarily moved to the middle of nowhere in Missouri. After a less than two years I ended up moving back to Germany to be with my family. During my brief time in the United States, specifically, Missouri, I met a guy who was openly gay when he was with his friends, but had to live a separate life when he went home. He invited me to his parents house one weekend when the dorms closed for the holiday weekend and during the entire 1.5-hour drive he briefed me on how I could never mention anything about him being gay. He even mentioned that he told his parents I was an ex-girlfriend that theyd never met so it would be more believable. I was so incredibly sad that in 2007 he wasnt able to be himself 100%. In fact, as I am writing this paper, I decided to search for him on Facebook and found out that he no longer is in contact with his family but he did share with them that he is gay. Hes married to a man hed always hoped hed end up with and has two dogs. After I permanently moved to the United States in 2013, I still didnt quite understand the extreme influence society has on gender identity was until the very next year. In 2014, I fell into the pink and blue vortex when I found out I was pregnant. I did a bit of browsing for baby things early on and became ridiculously overwhelmed with how divided everything was. There was either pink or blue and maybe 1% was neutral. I was adamant about not wanting to find out the gender, because its truly one of the few surprises in life people have left. Another reason I felt strongly about this is because the other side of the family would put a very pink or blue mold filled with expectations and behaviors around my baby before it was even born. I have a history of miscarriages and had a scare in my second trimester and decided that if anything were to happen that I would want to know the gender. I found out I was having a little boy. Due to my womanly reproductive issues, I could honestly say 100% I didnt have a preference, I just was so excited to be a mother. Ive known friends that have been utterly disappointed when they were hoping for one sex and got the other and never understood why, especially because becoming a parent in the first place is the most amazing experience, at least to me. Anyways, sure enough, my instinct was right, the other side of the family gifted us with sports gear and name brand athletic wear, along with lots of blue everything and a dash of green. I was so scared that this was it, my son wouldnt have a choice in any other shades except for boy, dude and bro. I distinctly remember my mom purchasing a two-piece outfit with khaki shorts and a polo shirt. It was the cutest outfit and the best part about it was the polo shirt was pale pink. When it finally fit my son, I paraded him around in it because the shade of pink really made his blue eyes pop and his strawberry blonde hair stand out. The cool pink and purples definitely complemented his skin and hair color just like his momma. I remember hearing a comment from the other side of the family saying that pink shirts are not for boys. I let the comment roll off my back because my little one was still an infant and he did not understand their ignorance. Another incident was during a visitation from his bio dad. I wasnt around but my mom mentioned it because she had to correct the statement and behavior. My son absolutely loves dramatic play. He loves to dress up as different people or animals and pretend play. Its been the best moment of toddlerhood so far and we (my family and I) totally encourage it. During the supervised visitation with my parents, my son decided to put on my sisters floral kimono, grab her purse and pretend to be her, his aunt. My mom heard a comment, no, no, thats for a girl, Max, yuck boys dont wear that. She chimed in and let Max know it was okay to play with it and let bio dad know in her counseling voice that we encourage dramatic play as it enhances brain development and if he had a question about Maxs behavior or fashion choice to ask before making a statement like that. Fortunately, that side of the family is no longer in the picture, so Max has the freedom to do whatever he chooses with full support and no pushback. I hope that he continues to live life the way he does now as fluid as he chooses. Just yesterday he put on my leopard print pumps and tried walking and then asked me to put them on and I did and pretended to be bad at walking in heels. We had a laugh and moved on to another game where we played in the mud and catching cicada bugs. I feel very fortunate the way I grew up and only hope that I can create a similar environment for my own son. However, being exposed to the struggle that some people encounter opened my eyes to the difficulties some people have to face just to be accepted. I just never understood why families or society doesnt accept people who just wanted to live life as their truest self. Society often times wants to put people into boxes and even if you do happen to fit into one of the boxes, life can be difficult. I do believe that within the last century there has been much more acceptance toward sexuality and race. In my opinion people who live life in their truest form without having to pretend or hide who they are, will be able help perpetuate tolerance and acceptance and create a better, more accepting society for the future. References Newman, T. (2018, February 07). Sex and gender: Meanings, definition, identity, and expression. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232363.php

Bible - Role Of Abraham Essay - 1579 Words

Hebrew Bible Paper - Abraham nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Abraham stands as one of the most important figures in the Hebrew Bible, and is central to the understanding of Godamp;#8217;s solution to the problem of mankind. Man, the mysterious creature that God wraught as a semi-experiment, is constantly prone to believe he is self-sufficient and capable of survival without God, the central problem God must deal with in the Hebrew Bible. To solve this problem, God decides to strike fear in the heart of man and to revolutionise his lifestyle by creating laws and empowering a chosen group of people, who will spread the word of God by example. These people are the Hebrews, and Abraham is the father of their race, the man from whom all†¦show more content†¦Abram leaves his home and family, and departs into the quot;strange landquot; of Canaan, showing an extreme obedience to God and understanding of his duty to father this great race. Throughout Genesis, Abraham builds altars to God and sacrifices animals. In Gene sis 22:2, God tells Abraham, quot;Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountainsquot;. The next day, Abraham sets off for Moriah quot;and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.quot; After God stops the sacrifice, he tells Abraham, quot;Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.quot; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Abrahamamp;#8217;s continual obedience to God is central to his character and the desired character of the Hebrew people. God, in his great plan, wishes to remove the human tendency to believe only in his judgment, the pride of thinking he knows better than God. Thus, God wishes to promote the qualities of obedience and humility, to birth a nation of men who fear God and follow orders. Only in this way can people be expected to follow a moral code and adhere to laws; they must understand that there are powers beyond them that they do not always understand, but must perpetually follow.Show MoreRelatedBible - Role of Abraham1638 Words   |  7 PagesHebrew Bible Paper - Abraham Abraham stands as one of the most important figures in the Hebrew Bible, and is central to the understanding of God#8217;s solution to the problem of mankind. Man, the mysterious creature that God wraught as a semi-experiment, is constantly prone to believe he is self-sufficient and capable of survival without God, the central problem God must deal with in the Hebrew Bible. To solve this problem, God decides to strike fear in the heart of man and to revolutioniseRead MoreGenesis 18 Essay1371 Words   |  6 PagesGenesis 18 is the story of Abraham and his three mysterious visitors. This one of the many complicated text in the Bible. Many faiths and researchers have different interpretations of this passage. However, the question, which we must ask, is; what are the scriptures in Genesis 18 trying to say? It is not as clear as other literature text that are read today there are many questions that arise from this passage such as who were there three men? Where was Sarah? How did A braham know they were messengersRead MoreEssay on Bible vs. Quran1630 Words   |  7 Pagestable displays a large white book with gold-tipped pages. On the cover, prominent gold letters display the words The Holy Bible. This extravagant Christian place of worship, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, shows the importance of religious establishments as additional resources used in teaching religion. Two of the world’s largest religions use faith-powered books, The Holy Bible and The Holy Quran, to educate members. The scriptures in these books have provided direction, spiritual guidance, andRead MoreSimilarities Between Christianity And Islam1316 Words   |  6 PagesCommon Word between Us and You Both religions make up around half of the population around the world. Islam and Christianity are collectively known as Abrahamic religions because they trace their history to the covenant God made with Abraham in the Hebrew Bible. Christianity and Islam are two of the fastest growing religions, and they both have a lot in common ideas but yet have major differences in their beliefs and practices. First of all, both of Christianity and Islam religions have a quietRead MoreThe Book Of Genesis : A Historical Narrative1334 Words   |  6 Pagesnarratives serve two main purposes: (1) to chart the ongoing progress of salvation history, and (2) to provide illustrations of God’s nature and purpose and the appropriate responses of the people to God’s purpose (Fee and Stuart, How to read the Bible for all its worth, 2014) There a few main things to remember when reading Old Testament narratives; as the reader need to recognize the levels at which narratives function, keep the focus on God and his purpose for the world, we need to avoid moralizingRead MoreAbrahamic Faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam1302 Words   |  5 Pagesis based on the original covenant made between Abraham and god when he was told to leave his home in Ur and travel to Cannan, a land which god promised to give to his descendants. The second covenant was made four hundred fifty years later when Moses led the Jews out of slavery back to Cannan. At Mount Sinai, god gave the Jewish people the Ten Commandments to live by. These are found in their holy book, the Torah, or the first five books of the Bible. Rabbis interpret this book and present the meaningRead MoreReligious Texts- Examining the Content of the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran1621 Words   |  7 Pagesdown her shoulders interlocking with her robe below. To the righ t of the infant, a table displays a large white book with gold-tipped pages. On the cover, prominent gold letters display the words The Holy Bible. Two of the world’s largest religions use faith-powered books such as the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran, to educate their members. Scriptures in these books have provided religious history, given spiritual guidance, and established moral theologies passed down from one generation to anotherRead MoreThe View Of The Beautiful City Jerusalem1683 Words   |  7 Pagesalso known for its history of David and Abraham, two important figures in Judaism, and includes the western wall, making it the reason why it is a great focus in Judaism. Lastly, Islam’s believe it is where their prophet, Muhammed, travelled to during his night journey and where he ascended into heaven. In commemoration of Muhammed the Dome of Rock and the al-Asque mosque were built in Jerusalem. All in all, Jerusalem contains stories of Jesus, David, Abraham, Muhammed, as well as famous places ofRead MoreThe Books of the Three Major Religions in Southwest Asia691 Words   |  3 Pagesnamed Abraham is the one that started this religion. God promised Abraham to be the father of many people and to give Abraham the holy land which is now Israel. The symbol is the Star of David. It is a relatively new symbol in the church. The book that is called the Bible in Christianity is called the Torah in Judaism. In Judaism women are equal to men, but they are separate. They have different roles and responsibilities than men have. 37% of Jews live in Israel, the land promised to Abraham by GodRead MoreBiblical Names In Toni Morrisons Song Of Solomon1574 Words   |  7 Pagesthat he or she may carry on the name of a beloved family member. Many names that are popular today are names from the Bible, since most of the biblical characters possess characteristics that parents would want their child to have. Names like Noah, Jacob, David, and Miriam, are names currently in the top 1000 child names in the world, and they are all biblical names. Names from the Bible are also found in many works of literature , like Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, a coming of age story about a young

Case Study Airbnb & The Sharing Economy- MyAssignmenthelp.com

Questions: Case study Airbnb and the sharing economy David Fleischman, University of the Sunshine Coast Do you enjoy the experience of travelling? What is it about travel experiences that makes them unique and exciting? Is it the people you meet, or the places you stay? Airbnb is one service that claims to cater for the type of traveller that seeks experiences giving travellers an authentic feel for a place. Airbnb was founded in 2008, and was valued at over $2 billion dollars after only five years of existence.It is a website that provides a marketplace service where travellers can connect with local hosts of a destination who are offering a unique accommodation experience. Listings range from tree houses to castles, private islands, teepees and even water towers. There are also normal houses and apartments available for bookings. In total, Airbnb listings offer accommodation in over 33 000 cities and 192 countries around the world. On a typical night, approximately 150 000 Airbnb guests connect and stay with different hosts all over the world. New York City boasts 23 000 accommodation listings, and Paris a staggering 24 000. In Australia, Sydney and Melbourne both offer around 1800 listings. To put that into perspective, the Hilton hotel chain offers approximately 600 000 rooms in total worldwide. It is obvious that Airbnb has unlocked a market gap that was previously untapped within t he travel service industry. Several factors have influenced the success of Airbnb. The growth of middle-class income in countries such as China, Brazil and India has fuelled an increase of travellers worldwide. Sociocultural trends in travel have also changed. Many consumers are now seeking more personal and intimate experiences when they travel. In addition, the poor economic climate, as a result of the global financial crisis in 2008, has driven people to seek income from alternative sources. Hence, we have seen the rise in popularity of innovative peer-to-peer (P2P) business models like Airbnb, which provide users with an opportunity to generate extra personal income. The culmination of these factors has been a catalyst for the emergence and growth of the sharing economy. In a sharing economy, the trust in the value behind services like travel accommodation has shifted from the corporate supplier to P2P transactions. Instead of corporate suppliers fully controlling value propositions and exchange, organisati ons such as Airbnb simply facilitate value propositions and exchange between users. The business models utilised by Airbnb and other organisations benefiting from the emerging sharing economy have not been met with acceptance from all. Traditional suppliers of services like accommodation and car rentals are threatened by the potential of the sharing economy, and have been lobbying against P2P sharing services. In the case of Airbnb, opposing parties contend that Airbnbs P2P sharing services are unregulated and unsafe for consumers, as they are not required to uphold the same legal standards and regulations as traditional accommodation suppliers. (Elliott 424) Elliott, Greg, Sharyn Rundle-Thiele, David Waller. Marketing including iStudy, 3rd Edition. John Wiley Sons Australia,, 2014-07-01. VitalBook file. New York, in particular, has come under scrutiny for violating the states occupancy code. In May 2013, a man was found guilty of violating New Yorks illegal hotel law by renting out his apartment on Airbnb.Despite these contentions, Airbnb has continued its growth (with the potential of an additional $100 million in venture capital injections projected in the near future), and provides a number of measures to ensure the protection of its guests and hosts, as well as the quality of its services. As trust is the catalyst for P2P service organisations, high standards of consistent security and protection for users are paramount. In most countries, Airbnb host listings are insured for damages of up to $1 million for every booking. Hosts are also encouraged to adhere to local laws and regulations, as they may be required to obtain a permit or legal permission for their accommodation offering. Extensive and easily comprehendible information and tips are clearly outlined on the Airbnb website for all hosts and guests. All personal information is kept confidential and is verified via electronic security systems through Airbnbs website. Airbnb also provides a secure platform for all financial transactions between hosts and guests, along with an efficient 24/7 help service. In addition to the safety and security initiatives of Airbnb, the high level of service quality also helps create a novel accommodation experience and consumer trust. Airbnb aims to create a social experience rather than just a search site for travel accommodation. This is what separates it from 425 other similar P2P services where travel accommodation may be sought (e.g. Couch Surfing or Gumtree). As the excitement of the travel experience begins with a search of destinations, flights, activities and accommodation, Airbnb provides features that stimulate consumers while sifting through this information. From the moment the website is accessed, the consumer receives a feel for their chosen destination via photographs of the various types of accommodation that can be discovered. If they are travelling to one of the most popular destinations (e.g. Rio de Janeiro, London or New York City), users can browse accommodation using neighbourhood guides. These guides provide more detailed accommodation information based on attributes such as trendy, quiet or nightlife in distinct areas within a city. Consumers can also create wish lists. The wish list feature provides an avenue for consumers to formulate a list and then compare their dream places to stay and visit. This can be shared with friends and used to create collaborative trips. Airbnb also creates themed wish lists for consumers seeking diverse experiences. For instance, consumers can view wish lists that centre on bespoke style architecture accommodation, romantic accommodation for couples or green accommodation for eco-enthusiasts. Moreover, wish lists provide another channel for Airbnb to engage and create relationships with their users. Essentially, consumers may visit the site just to update or explore wish lists, and not necessarily to search and book accommodation ensuring repeat visits to the site. Beyond some of the latter features is the notion of communicating P2P with another human being and establishing a genuine social connection. These social connections are what provide the authentic travel experiences that many consumers desire. And to think, all of these connections are built off a single common denominator trust. Put simply, Airbnb and other similar sharing services have prospered by making users the regulators of trust. Guests and hosts have the transparent opportunity to rate each other, which helps instil integrity and confidence in the quality of service provided. The service experience that Airbnb offers for travel accommodation is unique. While there will always be a segment of consumers who desire travel accommodation via conventional suppliers, the market of consumers seeking an inimitable travel accommodation experience will continue to grow. While there are still many unknowns about service organisations that centre on business models fuelled by the sharing economy, it is hard to contend with the future potential of organisations like Airbnb. Questions What makes Airbnb different from other service organisations in the travel accommodation sector? Using examples, explain what features of Airbnbs service fulfil the five dimensions of service quality. How do the features contribute to creating and maintaining long-term customer relationships? How does Airbnb overcome issues that can emerge, given the unique characteristics of services (tangibility, inseparability, heterogeneity and perishability)? Provide examples. What current and potential future challenges does Airbnb face as a service that centres on the emerging sharing economy? Describe some innovative solutions and/or strategies that service organisations using P2P sharing business models can implement by understanding the extended services marketing mix. Answers: SWOT analysis of Airbnb Strengths of Airbnb Reliability is one of the greatest strengths of Airbnb as the customers know that they can trust the company for the results that they have produced till date.The professionals at Airbnb are very responsive and hence, they can expect a revert for any customer query in 24 business hours.The customers are rest assured that they can get great quality stay if they opt for Airbnb Weaknesses of Airbnb Airbnb doesnt have a special process wherein they can check about the value that the hosts can provide. The quality of the service is decided by the service that company receives from the customer.Lack of tangibility is one of the biggest problems as the customers cannot touch and feel the service that is provided by the hosts at the tourist location. Opportunities for Airbnb The company should undertake lot of marketing so that all the customers are aware of the existence of the business.A method to check the quality of service provided by the hosts, should be implemented. Threats of Airbnb There are possibilities that the responsiveness of the hosts will be less and the management of Airbnb may not be even aware of this.Lack of empathy is of the biggest threats. It is merely impossible for Airbnb to understand the requirements of customers as there is lack of personal interaction. References Wikinut, 2010, The 5 Service Quality Dimensions, Viewed on January 28, 2015, https://business.wikinut.com/The-5-Service-Quality-Dimensions/.d-m.4b./ UWSuper, The RATAR Model Service quality dimension, Viewed on January 28, 2015, https://www.uwsuper.edu/cipt/exsite/upload/RATER_Model_table.pdf Sachdev, S, Relative importance of service quality Dimensions: A multisectoral study, Viewed on January 28, 2015, https://jsr-iimt.in/freesample/Relative.pdf